tell me more about Sam Waterston - on Tweety right now-unity08

[w8liftinglady]

[w8liftinglady]

1. a little info

http://www.unity08.com/

[Auggie]

2. Thanks. Hadn't heard of them until now. This speaks volumes:

"Unity08 strongly believes the corrupting influence of special interest money is a major cause of today’s fundamentally broken political system. Lobbyist money plus pandering to the intense ideological bases by both parties yields the blame-game partisan bickering that has destroyed voter confidence. No other issue will get solved until this one does."

[w8liftinglady]

3. sorry-I have to agree with that

Lobbying has driven this country into the shithole it has become

[Auggie]

4. Why be sorry? We agree

[w8liftinglady]

5. LOL..it's a southern trait...you go!

[Auggie]

7. I'm done... except, is that avatar image you?

[w8liftinglady]

17. unfortunately-I am a smaller,blonder version of that

that is Iris Kyle-a great bodybuilder

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

9. If everyone who has signed up at Unity08 is truly a moderate,

it speaks more than volumes, It shows that we are ready for major changes in our country.

[Hamlette]

22. we are ready for major changes because 100K say they are moderate?

really? Out of 300 MILLION of us? That's what, a third of a percent?

What it says to me is that moderation is for sissies...or republicans when they know they see Waterloo.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

23. Not 300 million voters

We know that around half the eligible voters in this country don't vote. That any number of people are looking into Unity08, and I call 100k a significant number, shows dissatisfaction with how the country has been run and that they want a change.

[Hamlette]

35. well over 100 million voted in the last election so I still think 100K is tiny

don't forget 250K GAVE MONEY to Obama in the last quarter.

doesn't count those who support him or those who gave to the other candidates.

It is insignificant.

IMO

[Hamlette]

21. I thought he sounded childish.

Gee, there is a big bad world out there, and if everyone would just play nice and get along it would be all better.

It's not "lobbyist money" its special interest money and big business money. I've been a lobbyist for injured workers, the poor and planned parenthood.

He says he's a centrist, a moderate but he won't tell us his views on ANYTHING. What is the moderate view on abortion? On the war, on taxes, on social security, on the environment. We are polarized because in some areas there is no middle ground, only compromise.

What totally pisses me off is these unity groups are no where to be seen when the GOP is beating dems into dust, impeaching our presidents, preaching hate on TV and the radio 24/7 but when there is danger it all might be lost, the poor and middle class might be heard and have some help leveling the playing field, some rich "made" old white guy comes along to tell us we all need to calm down and be nice to each other.

FU, Sam. Respectfully.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

24. He's my kind of child, then

maybe not politically, but in his character. He genuinely treats everyone kindly and as a friend, and I think he is sincere in thinking that the world would be a better place if people were kind to one another. Maybe that isn't realistic to you, but I like that concept personally.

The reason he isn't giving his personal views is that he isn't running for office. The "moderate view" is to be determined by the members of Unity08, and I don't really know if they will be successful in finding a "moderate view".

So kind of you to call a working actor who has consistantly stood up for worker's rights, walked a picket line, supported gay marriage through his church, who has marched for Women's Rights since the '60s, has stood up for refugees, etc, etc, a rich "made"(?) old white guy. Shows how much you don't know about him as a person. And how little you know or respect diplomacy--how exactly ARE we to get along with the rest of the world? Saber rattling and torture like Bush has done? Personally, I'm for Kucinich, because I think he will lead us in a way that will result in kindness and an attempt at understanding.

When the GOP was clobbering Clinton, Sam was donating money and time to the Dems. That's where he was in '98 and '00.

[Telly Savalas]

34. On which issues are the Democrats so far to the left that a new organization is needed

to represent the moderate view?

I wrote them a couple months back asking pretty much that question, and haven't heard back from them.

If they want to be a bit vague on policy issues so that their membership can mold the clay, that's fine. But if they can't demonstrate the existence of a political vacuum which needs to be filled, then what's the point?

Their rhetoric sounds good on the first hearing, but if you start poking it with a stick it begins to make less sense.

[Gabi Hayes]

38. thank you. he's a useful idiot

they're doing all they can to splinter any sort of progressive movement attaining ANY sort of power

that's what it boils down to

very simple

anybody who doesn't agree with me can just kiss my slightly wide, white ass

[Hamlette]

36. and he left the dems why?

sorry, I'm just not a teddy bear type.

You want someone who is sweet to everyone get a dog.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

6. What he's doing with Unity 08 or overall?

I've written a short biography of the man, have watched most of his films, have a list of the plays he's been in, and have met and spoken with him. I have a website dedicated to him, so yes, I'm a big fan. But I'll try and give you just facts about him here:

From a political standpoint, he favors environmentalism--in the early 90s he supported a local Republican who ran on an ecology ticket for Congress in Sam's home state--said fellow didn't make it past the primaries.

The next time Sam did anything was to do stump speeches for Al Gore in 2000. In 2004, I don't know if he spoke, but he and his wife gave the maximum allowed to the Kerry campaign.

He took part in the reading of the Constitution (along with Robert Byrd) which took place in Cooper Union a couple of years back--I took it as a protest against the Bush Administration.

He has been on the Board of Directors of Refugees International for years, and has gone to Cambodia to check on the rehabilitation of that country. If you are familiar with RI, you know that Ken Bacon, its president, wrote op-ed pieces in several leading newspapers against going to war with Iraq in 2003, and the organization still speaks out about Bush policies towards refugees (see www.refugeesinternational.org )

Now, a bit subjective:

Sam is a kindly person who makes friends with just about everyone he meets (this from a newspaper article, though I can attest to this fact), and he keeps his friends. One of the founders of Unity08 was a friend of Sam's, and told him about the concept, and Sam cam on board. He is volunteering his time (like he does for the many non-profits he helps)and appears to sincerely believe that we need to shake things up in Washington DC because things have gotten so polarized, nothing gets done. Whether the Unity08 concept will work in any way is still up in the air, though I am very curious to find out how their "online" convention and platform building will work. If anything works from Unity08, I would urge the Dems to use it next time.

Anyway, I hope this answers your questions about Sam.

[liberaldemocrat7]

27. Sam Waterston does commercials for the Nation and TD Waterhouse investments.

He does those commercials.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

28. Yes he does

He gets paid for the Waterhouse commercials, but donated his time for The Nation. (His great-grandfather wrote articles for that magazine in the 19th century, btw.)

[liberaldemocrat7]

40. Cool. Thank you for telling me.

He donates his appearance for the Nation magazine. That appears even better.

[trumad]

8. He works for Fred Thompson?

[w8liftinglady]

10. my ignorance-I had no idea he was political in the least

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

14. Thompson or Waterston?

Sam has never run for political office, but he has volunteered extensively and has done work to help the small community in which he lives--and no "star" stuff, either. One Harvest Festival he manned a booth for a group he was with; another time he read Thurber letters in the local high school to raise funds for the arts/drama classes. He attends planning meetings to help make sure there is affordable housing. Folks who are his neighbors say he's just a regular guy, in fact very modest and down to earth.

Thompson is another ball of wax. Insiders on the set say he was "less than professional" when he came on--lines not learned, argumentative, etc. Thompson was in the Senate from TN, and was a well-paid lobbyist and lawyer.

Sam has laughed and said "Anyone who would take any legal advice from me would be in BIG trouble!" He's an actor and a man who stands up for his fellow actors, having been elected to the SAG Board of Directors more than once.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

11. No. He merely acted in a TV series with him

Thompson would only fly in to do his part every two weeks or so. A few years back, I got an autographed script from Law & Order--everyone but Fred signed it because it was signed at a time when he wasn't there. The most Sam has done is have political discussions with Fred. Knowing the causes Sam volunteers for, I think it is easy to say that they don't agree ideologically.

[trumad]

13. LOL

I was just kidding cause he did work for him in the show.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

18. I've always been easy to kid because I take things literally

And I think of Sam as Sam and not the character Jack McCoy.

BTW, did you know that in 1990, Sam played a US Presidential candidate, Senator Jack Edwards? The movie was Mind Walk, and it is one everyone should see, especially those in political office.

[WinkyDink]

12. Nader-lite.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

15. Sam's more complex than that

but if you are referring to the fact that Unity08 may take votes away from the Dems, you may well be right.

[Auggie]

16. Taking votes away -- that went through my mind too

[w8liftinglady]

19. if he's taking votes away from repugs-then...ok..

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

20. when I've read the discussion boards there

it appears there are more conservatives than liberals on board. Of course this may change. But I think Unity08 will draw from both sides.

If it turns out they get a sizable number of delegates and they decide on a platform, it will behoove our candidate to look at it for clues as to what people really want. Like I said, I can see where Unity08 can be useful to our side.

[Horse with no Name]

25. I think that it is the front organization to "draft" a ticket of

Bloomberg/Hagel...or McCain/Lieberman, etc...that kind of nonsense.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

29. Only if they rig the voting

which should be interesting to watch.

[UTUSN]

26. "Useful idiot" as the Commies said. (You asked.) My uninformed opinion is that he is

a well-intentioned, Liberal leaning bo-bo who will drain votes away from the Dems. Yes, he's well-intentioned, so why aren't there any wingnut/Rethugs who are well-intentioned?

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

30. Have you gone to the Unity08 site?

The Waterston fans were the first to go there, I think. I run a message board for them, and they are about evenly divided between liberals and conservatives, I'd say. It is the conservatives who appear to be most interested in Unity08. From the times I've checked out their message board, I'd say more conservatives talk there than liberals. I really see Unity08 hitting the Republicans as least as hard as the Democrats when it comes to taking away votes, especially if their choice for President is Hagel or Bloomberg and the GOP nominates Guliani.

[UTUSN]

31. No. (I'm superficial & impervious.) But, really? Country club Rethugs or what?

But the overall point is that ANY 3rd party deal-ly is a jackass thing.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

32. Historically, they have been spoilers

but kindly remember that the Republican Party was at one time a third party. And the Progressives until TR wound up shifting both parties a bit towards the left.

But, as I said, the nature of Unity08 and who it appears to be attracting will wind up taking votes from the GOP, not just the Dems--and if the right mix of candidates is present, it will take more GOP voters.

[UTUSN]

33. Neh. n/t

[Gabi Hayes]

39. heh.....I know how much you love me, but I posted something above that you'll appreciate.

can't believe he fell for this Unity crap

unify behind WHOM?

christ on a creature from the black lagoon

[Jed Dilligan]

37. Actors who make a career

out of glorifying cops and prosecutors can fuck right the fuck off. IMHO