The Mexican American Political Association is a 50-year old California political organization.  It is non-partisan but it endorses candidates in California elections.  This year it has endorsed the Peace & Freedom Party nominees for four of the eight statewide partisan races.  It has endorsed Marylou Cabral for Secretary of State, Karen Martinez for Controller, Debra Reiger for Treasurer, and Dina Padilla for Insurance Commissioner.  For the other four statewide partisan races, MAPA endorsed the Democratic nominees.

MAPA’s web page is www.mapa-ca.org.  The preamble to the list of endorsements says, “The gap between wealth and poverty has not been as extreme since the 1890s, and it is only getting worse.  The political challenge presented to all Latino and non-Latino organizations, typically tied to the Democratic Party, is the sad reality that the political party in power with majorities at the state and national level not observed since the 1970s has continued to pursue economic and social policies not in accord with its own core constituencies.  Having said that, we are not confident that the Democratic Party in California or nationally will do anything beyond managing the crisis for big capital at the continued expense of working people.”

The Ohio News Organization sponsored candidate debates this year for the gubernatorial and U.S. Senate races.  Only the Democratic and Republican nominees were invited to these debates.  Last month, Dan La Botz, Socialist Party nominee for U.S. Senate, complained to the Federal Election Commission that the Ohio News Organization did not list any objective criteria for its debates, and furthermore that no polls in Ohio had included everyone who is on the ballot for that office.  The U.S. Senate race has five candidates on the ballot.

On October 21, the Ohio News Organization responded to the La Botz complaint.  The Ohio News Organization says that its objective criteria is that it wants the two front-runners to be the only participants in its debates.  That is not what is usually meant by “objective criteria.”  Generally, “objective criteria” means some particular showing in the polls.  Even the Commission on Presidential Debates has a 15% poll showing, to determine who gets invited.  It will be interesting to see the FEC’s reaction to the Ohio News Organization’s defense.

On October 26, Herb Lux filed this brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals, 4th circuit, in his ballot access case, Lux v Rodrigues, 10-1997.  This is the case that challenges the Virginia law that makes it illegal for anyone to circulate a petition for U.S. House, outside of the circulator’s home district.  The brief is 40 pages and is very strong.