Max Cleland endorsing Strickland for Ohio Gov

6 Comments

1. 

   Renee in Ohio on October 3, 2005 at 9:56 pm

   FYI, additional news/info about Central Ohio DFA’s current activities. Meetup, and now Linkup seems to almost invariably be a time conflict for me, but at least I can pass the info along to others who might be able to attend–or would just like to know what we’re up to in the Buckeye State.

   Our next Linkup meeting is Wed. Oct. 5th, 7 PM at the SEIU Local 1199, 1395 Dublin Rd.  We’ll be doing some letter writing to support RON and learn how to get more involved.  We’ll also hear about a petition drive to raise the minimum wage to $6.85 an hour from $4.25 in Ohio.

   If you can come early, America Votes is doing phone banking in support of the Reform Ohio Now amendments at SEIU starting at 5:30. It would be greatly appreciated if you could lend a hand.  Let me know if you can come and help so we can get a count.

   Please sign up at http://www.dfalink.com/columbus to stay connected to DFA Central Ohio. You should also sign up for our newly formed Democracy for Ohio DFO at
   http://www.dfalink.com/ohio. It will keep you informed about statewide activities and efforts.

   • 

     Carnacki on October 3, 2005 at 10:20 pm

     I heart Max Cleland.

2. 

   LookingUp on October 4, 2005 at 4:41 pm

   Look, I know that you have a strong religious faith, and yet are active as a Democrat, Deaniac, etc.

   And I have my own faith, which I think it’s important to be private about. I believe very strongly that the USA  should be open to people of ANY, all, or no faiths.

   With that said, his “Values” section looks like a sermon. That scares the crap outta me.  Two samples:

   Now, I understand that faith is an easy word to misunderstand. Faith doesn’t simply mean to factually believe in a particular occurrence. It means to live and breathe the reality of one’s personal and or religious convictions. According to my personal understanding of the Christian faith, it means to follow the example of Jesus into a life of service to others.
   It is a moral necessity for me to make this teaching the central organizing principle of what I do.

   The Challenge of Micah 6:8

   During my early years as a Congressman, I placed a plaque in my office with the following quote from the Hebrew Scriptures. It’s from the book of Micah, chapter 6, verse 8:
   “And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”
   Throughout my public service I’ve tried to live by those simple, powerful words.

   For me, this is TMI — too much info about his religious life. I don’t want this from Dem candidates.  Where is it balanced by him talking about freedom for / from religion?

   I do have a question — for Renee and all readers — are you really comfortable with this?

   • 

     Oui on October 4, 2005 at 5:17 pm

     .
     No problem with his statement – is necessary to position himself in the Ohio community.

     Allegiance to the U.S. — One Nation Under God

     The United States is one of the most religious nations in the world, and Ohio is certainly among the most religious states in the nation. The truth is that many of our citizens are motivated by religious faith and deeply held values, but we do have differences in outlook and different priorities that arise from our own personal journeys.

     In America, everyone has the right to their own opinions, but no one has a right to their own facts. And the truth is that there are millions of Ohioans who take their faith and personal values very seriously, who live it as the most central reality of their lives, and who aren’t members of the Republican Party or the political religious right.

     It’s demeaning to tell someone who is focused on social justice, on the mission of bringing food to the hungry or medical care to the ailing that they don’t have values simply because they don’t subscribe to a particular political agenda.

     As a Democrat, it pains me that my party is unfairly characterized. Why this mistaken perception? I think it’s partly because of propaganda from certain political operatives who see an advantage in using religion and faith as political wedge issues. But I also believe that progressive people of faith have stayed silent for too long.

     ▼ ▼ ▼

   • 

     Maryscott OConnor on October 4, 2005 at 7:33 pm

     n/t

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     BooMan on October 4, 2005 at 7:45 pm

     Actually, I look at really religious politicians to see if they quote Micah and Amos, or Deuteronomy and Exodus.

     Those that quote Micah and Amos have fully absorbed the central message of Judaism, which is that social justice is demanded by God.  Those that quote the the latter have absorbed the message of a tribal angry vengeful God.

     Because Luther and Calvin were so focused on personal salvation rather than social justice, our country has been overwhelmed by a very unfortunate version of the so-called Judeo-Christian ethic.