A DIFFERENT KIND OF CANDIDATE.... REALLY!

Norman Solomon: A model of integrity

I grew up with the saying "It doesn't matter who you vote for, you get a politician."

And I'm still a hard-bitten skeptic. But there are rare exceptions to this maxim. Vermont's independent U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders comes to mind. Well I have another name for you that you can add to the short list of "good guys" -- this one hopefully heading to Washington -- Norman Solomon.

It's been my honor to have known Norman for some years and to have reviewed one of his books, "War Made Easy." He has been an activist -- especially for serious reform in the media -- for decades, willing to face arrest rather than compromise his beliefs. You may well have seen him interviewed on TV or featured in tandem with actor-activist Sean Penn, as when the duo visited Iraq.

Solomon's book on how wars are sold to us by the warmongers

Solomon is running for California's 6th District as a progressive Democrat. I usually shudder when I see or hear the word "progressive," suggesting, as it does to me, the idea of someone pushing for minor change while acting with great deference to the establishment. But Solomon gives weight to the term. He is all about progress. Genuine, humanitarian progress.

Norman is, and always has been, anti-war and anti-nukes/nuke power. These are also planks in his current platform. He is the founding director of the Institute for Public Accuracy and a longtime associate of the media watch group FAIR (Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting). He's been an activist, literally, since childhood and has always had the courage of his convictions. He is, in short, one of the finest people I know.

I urge you to visit his campaign website, to tell your friends about him, to get a social networking buzz going, and, if you can, to contribute something to his campaign. (Click on "Contribute" under the sunflower at top right on each page of his site.) Again, I can only tell you that I would never suggest such things unless I completely believed in someone.

Norman, Cindy Sheehan, and some guy named Sean Penn

Norman Solomon is a very fine man. The more fine men and women we get into Congress, the better our chances for change. Real change. For us and our children.

Take care and onward!
Adrian

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO VISIT NORMAN SOLOMON'S CAMPAIGN WEBSITE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HIM, HIS CAMPAIGN, AND TO CONTRIBUTE. THANK YOU.

THE WISDOM OF SOLOMON

Norman Solomon is one of America's most important activists. Google him.

I've known Norman [pictured above with writer/journalist Reese Erlich, left, and actor/activist Sean Penn, right] for three or four years, I suppose, but met him for the first time yesterday. He was in Las Vegas to attend a conference: A strange setting for two die-hard lefties to meet, nestled, as we were, in his room in the Masquerade Tower at the Rio. But the conversation was, as always, no frills.

We discussed his last book "Made Love, Got War," what a dire disappointment Obama is (even to those of us who had pretty low expectations to begin with), and the creature that is Las Vegas. As always, Norman was engaging, polite to a fault, and laser like in his appraisal of the status quo.

He also told me he might run for Congress in the future, as an unapologetic, true liberal Democrat. He lives in San Francisco and thinks he has a shot in his home district.

It's important that we spread the word about people like Norman Solomon. With their exceptional intelligence, flawless ethics and boundless energy, individuals like him are rare. We need them. And we need to help them.

If it's easy enough to send those funny chain emails all over the Net (nothing wrong with that!), surely we can pass on word about someone like Norman. So look him up, read some of his stuff, tell some friends, and let me know if you can think of any sites where I could put links or samples of his writing. (You can email me at adrianz59@yahoo.com)

This is a link to Norman Solomon's personal site: http://www.normansolomon.com/

Here is his Facebook page (friend him!): http://www.facebook.com/pages/Norman-Solomon/74786724636

And here is a link to his bio: http://www.normansolomon.com/norman_solomon/2004/04/norman_solomon_.html

I'm a hardened skeptic -- working as a journalist and living in Las Vegas will do that to you -- so I'm a hard sell. If I put my faith in someone, you can believe that it is well earned. I would back Norman Solomon all the way to DC and beyond.

I hope you will too.

Take care and keep smiling,
Adrian Zupp