Daily Archives: March 9, 2017

March 8, 2017 In November I had a conservative friend tell me about being berated by a co-worker who thought she voted for Donald Trump. She didnt actually say whether she had or had not voted for President Trump, but her co-worker blamed her for the election of Trump nonetheless.

In progressive areas like San Francisco and my hometown Berkeley, conservatives tend to keep a low profile. It grieves me that so many people feel that revealing their political leanings would be dangerous and that their fears are reasonable.

As the cofounder ofMoveon.org, I am steeped in the progressive culture. I often hear the argument that we must win by overwhelming the conservatives with greater numbers. I admit that Id be much more comfortable in a world where the voices of my progressive friends blaze our path forward, solving our shared challenges with or without the support of Trump voters.

However, true progress requires stretching myself beyond comfort. There is anotherapproach that I ask my progressive friends and everyone to consider "love thy neighbor."

Last week Nicholas Kristof wrote a New York Times op-ed about why we shouldnt otherize Trump voters.

Go ahead and denounce Trumps lies and bigotry. Stand firm against his disastrous policies. But please dont practice his trick of otherizing people into stick-figure caricatures, slurring vast groups as hopeless bigots. Were all complicated, and stereotypes are not helpful including when theyre of Trump supporters.

Mr. Kristof described the political cost of dismissing 63 million Americans, but there is a deeper cost. When we fail to recognize our common humanity we lose valued relationships. We also make our lives smaller, divide our communities, and fail to benefit from everyone's best ideas.

As the founding partner ofLivingRoomConversations.org, I have intentionally sought out friends with very different political beliefs. WithAllSides for Schools, I work to bring this practice to the next generation. I strive to better understand the political opportunities and challenges we face together. Despite the discomfort of challenging the progressive ideas that I hold close to my heart, I have found treasured friends who might seem like my polar opposite.

By connecting around our shared human experience we are discovering that there are opportunities to improve citizen representation in government that satisfy conservative and progressive values. Left and right efforts on criminal justice work has already begun to reduced prison populations.

Even in the area of climate change, meaningful opportunities are multiplying. Efficiency, energy independence through renewable energy, clean tax cuts all show promise for moving us toward shared goals.

When we care about each other and want to meet each others basic needs, much becomes possible. Even though I have not persuaded my good friend Jacob that climate is a critical concern, he cares more now in part because he cares about me. Also because I did not insist that he accept my view of climate science.

Instead I noted that I dont need proof that climate change is happening. Even if there is only a 10 percent chance that we are destroying the planets capacity to support future generations, I find that unconscionable. I dont allow my children to play Russian roulette.

This gave Jacob the space to consider the possibility that climate change is an unacceptable risk rather than react to a demand. And Jacob has caused me to see that climate change is the progressive end times story.

This is not a one-way exchange. I care about Jacobs concern that as religious conservatives he and his community are becoming marginalized. We have remarkably different beliefs, but we are learning to hold the tension of our differences and listen to each other with humility.

More and more of us are working to spark a movement of respect, using simple listening practices that open our hearts. I hope that honoring each others humanity will lead to more compassionate political discourse and elected leaders that we can all respect, even if they werent our first choice.

More here:

Why I've left my liberal comfort zone and found conservative friends - Christian Science Monitor

A 26-year-old high school teacher has defeatedformer provincial cabinet minister Yolande James for the Liberal nomination in the riding of Saint-Laurent.

Emmanuella Lambropoulos beat James and law professor Marwah Rizqy Wednesday night to secure the nomination.

She credited her win with a lot of work in the riding.

"I really went every day, door-to-door, with one or two other people. We worked really hard,"Lambropoulostold Radio-Canada.

She said that leading up to the party vote the media didn't pay much attention to her candidacy and that often, people didn't even know there was a third candidate running.

Lambropoulos, 26, is a high school teacher in Montreal's Rosemont neighbourhood. (Radio-Canada)

Lambropoulos and her team couldn't hold back their surprise at beating James, the woman considered to be the Liberal party favourite.

James was reportedly approached by the party to run and served as provincial immigration minister between 2007-2010 under former Quebec premier Jean Charest.

Lambropoulos is a high school teacher in Montreal's Rosemont neighbourhood and has worked for the Saint-Laurent riding association.

The Saint-Laurent riding has been Liberal for decades and is considered a safe seat for the party in the April 3 byelection.

The seat was left empty whenStphane Dionaccepted the role ofambassador to the EU and Germany.

The race has stirred upcontroversy, as long-serving St-Laurent borough mayorAlan DeSousawas blocked from seeking the nomination by the party without explanation. His appeal of the decision was unsuccessful.

A Liberal member at Wednesday's votewho has lived in the riding for 13 years,Bilal Hamideh, told CBC it was unfortunate DeSousa was not allowed to run.

"In general, I think it's discouraging to participate in the [nomination]system," Hamidehsaid.

"It does weaken the system in a way if it is not clearly explained why he wasn'tallowed."

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Liberals to pick candidate for Saint-Laurent tonight - CBC.ca

WA Nationals leader Brendon Grylls is livid over planned cuts to regional spending.

WA Nationals leader Brendon Grylls would rather send West Australians back to the polls than form a minority government with the Liberals if his alliance partner does not drop plans to redirect funding from his signature Royalties for Regions policy.

Less than 48 hours before West Australians go to the polls, Mr Grylls attacked Mr Barnett for plans to "realign" $800 million from the Royalties for Regions to underpina return to surplus in 2018-19.

Premier Colin Barnett defended the decision and warned Mr Grylls that as the major party, the Liberals set the agenda.

"If we are elected we will form government," he said. "We will form government and will invite the National party to be part of that but we are the major party and we will set the agenda."

If the Liberals are able to withstand an expected massive swing to Labor it is likely to only be able to form government with the support of the Nationals.

"While they are bigger than us, if you don't have the votes to form government then it means nothing," Mr Grylls said.

"I will not be part of any government that plans to take $800 million from Royalties for Regions." Mr Grylls said the move represented a 40 per cent cut to the overall program.

Asked if he could form government with Labor, Mr Grylls said Labor's cuts to Royalties for Regions would be worse.

He said both major parties were preferring to hurt regional residents rather than tap a new revenue source from BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto, referring to his $3 billion a year plan to lift a royalty charge for the two miners.

Royalties for Regions aimed to quarantine 25 per cent of the state's mining royalties for regional spending above and beyond general government expenditure.

The fund has been raided before in 2013 more than $500 million was redirected to general expenses. But this was done by agreement with the Nationals.

In a press conference twice interrupted by costumed protesters, Mr Barnett denied the Liberals' relationship with the Nationals had been damaged beyond repair. The Liberals infuriated the Nationals by cutting a preference deal with Pauline Hanson's One Nation. The Liberals will preference One Nation ahead of the Nationals in upper house seats.

"It is the middle of an election, people say all sorts of things," Mr Barnett said.

"Let's wait and see what the results are. Brendon and I get on fine, we always have."

It came as Labor released an independent assessment of its costings, which forecasta surplus of $205 million in fiscal 2020.

The Liberals' plan, costed by Treasury, would return the state to a$417 million surplus in 2019.

Shadow treasurer Ben Wyatt said Labor's forecast spendingof $2.78 billion over four years would be covered by $2.98 billionof funding.

The Liberals have attacked Labor for not sending its costings to Treasury.

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WA election: Liberal-National alliance hits breaking point - The Australian Financial Review