Democracy Matters 3 and 4 Show Another View of State Budget Crisis

Following the coverage on the state budget from the major Michigan media outlets, you could be led to believe that both Democrats and Republicans are to blame for the state’s budget crisis.

It is that distorted view of the state budget crisis that reminds us just how important our alternative media is in Central Michigan. ICDP-TV presents two new TV shows in our Democracy Matters series to shed some light on the real issues that underlie this Republican engineered budget crisis.

In our third edition of Democracy Matters that begins airing on public access television in Clare, Gratiot and Isabella Counties on Wednesday evening, May 30 at 8:10 p.m. Michigan Democratic Party Chair Mark Brewer offers his take on the state budget and other Michigan issues. In the fourth edition of Democracy Matters that begins airing on Saturday, June 2 at 3 p.m. our panel is joined by Mt. Pleasant City Commissioner Jim Moreno to further explore the impact on communities around the state as Republicans attempt to squeeze the noose around state government.

Both editions of Democracy Matters will repeat a number of times over the next few weeks on cable channel 3 in all 12 communities served by Charter Communications in our 3–county area. Channel 3’s complete schedule is available on the Mid-Michigan Area’s Cable Consortium web site at http://www.mac3tv.com/

After their initial runs on public access TV, the Democracy Matters shows will be available on Google Video on this web site and on the ICDP Dispatch.

Will we bomb Iran? An update.

One of General Wesley Clark's main concerns April 2 was that Bush may start bombing Iran, in view of Seymour Hersh's articles describing inside sources regarding plans already under way to prepare for that action. See his web site http://stopiranwar.com/

I agree, and my view is that the key is Cheney and his neocon aides who are just as determined now to bomb Iran now as they were the the week after 9/11 to concoct the evidence and invade Iraq.

Citizens have been trying to divine whether Secretary Gates, perhaps slightly more realism-based, has whittled away any of Cheney's iron grip on foreign policy for the past 6 years, or is he a weak underling, as was Secretary (General) Colin Powell.

Now Bush and Cheney have invited three retired 4-star generals to be a "War Czar", perhaps a Cheney strategy to keep Gates under another firm hand for them. All three generals turned them down, despite Gen. Keane being one of the two co-authors of the new "surge in Iraq."

General Sheehan said that “they don’t know where the hell they’re going” according to the Washington Post on April 11, and that Cheney and his hawkish allies remain more powerful at the White House than the pragmatists.

This is the best indicator yet -- the likelihood that the US will start bombing Iran soon is therefore probably rather high.

Addendum: McCain’s shameful song “bomb, bomb, bomb Iran” song of April 19, on YouTube, is pathetic pandering to the neocons, as he also panders to Falwell and Robertson, who he has previously decried as irresponsible. When candidates feel the presidency close, almost all lose their integrity, and even McCain who endured North Vietnam POW torture couldn’t resist. Sad.

Wesley Clark and our second show

Wesley Clark was in town for an appearance at CMU on April 2 and although we had begun discussions months ago to have the former presidential candidate and retired general stop by our studio prior to his CMU activities, a late plane into Lansing sent our camera crews scurrying over to the campus instead to get his take on the anticipated Bush bombing of Iran.

For the Democracy Matters panel, it was a genuine challenge to begin the show not knowing whether Clark would walk into the studio or not, while the DM producer was on the cell phone speaking to the CMU administrator who was driving Clark up from the airport.

They were running late and had to head straight to campus. But when Clark invited us to come over to the campus press conference and let him tackle our Iran questions there, we agreed. "Did you get everything you needed?" Clark asked us later. Actually, we have enough tape from him on campus to do a another ICDP-TV special on Clark's Mt. Pleasant visit.

He is a genuinely nice man with a very smart take on world affairs.

Democracy Matters #2 is airing now on Channel #3 in Gratiot, Isabella and Clare Counties. Check the MAC3-TV schedule for future showings

We will get it posted to Google Video after we catch our breath from an extremely busy weekend that includes shooting DM #3 with Michigan Democratic Party State Chair Mark Brewer.

Democracy Matters is On the Air

Charter Cable TV subscribers in Clare, Gratiot and Isabella Counties got to see the first edition of Democracy Matters the new locally produced panel show hosted by retired CMU political science professor John Dinse.

The second show will be taped this week and aired as the MAC3-TV schedule permits. The new show is produced by Democratic Party activist John Barker and a team of volunteers. Guest for the first show, a discussion of American media and why alternatives are needed is Jan Howard, executive director of the Mid-Michigan Area Cable Consortium.

Cable subscribers should check the MAC3-TV schedule here.

Democracy Matters will be posting future shows on Google Video along with other ICDP-TV productions. Check the ICDP-Dispatch for links to Google Video as well.

Why Do We Need Another Panel Show?

That's the basic question that we hope to answer with the creation of Democracy Matters. Our first show will be addressing that very issue and we hope to be able to discuss media in America, Michigan and locally. ICDP-TV will be using the facilities of the Mid-Michigan Area Cable Consortium to create the new half hour show. We hope to have some interesting guests joining our regular panelists and amplify our discussions and provide links from this site.