JCTownsley.com

What follows is a paper I wrote for an Elected Officials Class with the Honorable Elizabeth Furse. I did not intend for it to become so reflective, but since it did, I share it with those interested.
“Politics is a strong and slow boring of boards. It takes both passion and perspective. Certainly all historical experience [...]

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From The Washington Monthly, Theodore C. Sorensen, JFK’s special assistant and famous speech writer, was asked to pen his ‘dream speech’ for the Democrat nominee of 2008. Read the entire speech here- Its great!
Let us all, here assembled in this hall, or watching at home, constitute ourselves, rededicate ourselves, as soldiers in a new [...]

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John Edwards

Originally uploaded by JCTownsley.

John Edwards was in town today. First at the local International Longshoreman’s Union for a townhall style meeting.
Later on he joined a rally in the South Park Blocks for a Moveon.org rally.
Click on the photo for some more shots.
Later I’ll have some thoughts about both speeches and his role in the [...]

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DSC_0254.jpg

Originally uploaded by JCTownsley.

I spent the afternoon following the May Day March in downtown Portland. Here’s 35 or so of the 200 pictures I took. Click on the picture to get to the set. Enjoy!~

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I encourage all of you, regardless of political ideology, like or dislike of Al Gore, to watch this clip.
Al Gore testified in front of two committees today about Global Warming, and encouraged Congress to take action.
Heart-warming, enlightening, soul-stirring…
Give it a few minutes of your life:

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Not a long update today- Just a quick passage from a book I have been reading for a Political Psychology class.
From Helplessness: On Development, Depression & Death
by Martin E.P. Seligman
“Historians have made us aware of “revolutions of rising expectations.” When the lower strata of society are ground underfoot, revolution tends not to occur; when people [...]

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…In some places and not others it seems. First the obvious- if you didn’t notice the site is going through some cosmetic (and structural behind the scenes) changes. I’m hoping to make it a little more spiffy, but time is a premium right now. I’m back in class now while I still work fulltime. [...]

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I have kept politics off my blog for the most part over the years, maybe save for the several rants I went on regarding FEMA and Hurricane Katrina. Perhaps out of respect of friends and family, or maybe just to stay out of it, I have refrained from posting what I have really wanted to [...]

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