'Prez on the Rez' gets a site and a candidate

[bigtree]

March 02, 2007


AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais -- Democratic presidential hopeful and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson spoke with Joe Garcia, president of the National Congress of American Indians, during the 110th Congress Executive Council Tribal Nations Legislative Summit, Feb. 23, in Washington. Richardson was the first presidential candidate to commit to a debate, ''Prez on the Rez,'' Aug. 23 at the Morongo reservation in California.

by: Jerry Reynolds / Indian Country Today

WASHINGTON - The ''Prez on the Rez'' debate of Democratic presidential candidates, scheduled for Aug. 23 at the Morongo reservation in California, got its first commitment at the National Congress of American Indians Tribal Nations Legislative Summit.

''I want to be the first candidate for president that accepts the debate on the rez - Prez on the Rez, in August at Morongo, California,'' New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson told a near-capacity audience, despite nationwide weather-related travel delays on the first day of the conference, Feb. 26.

''I accept. I'm glad to be there. I was hoping you'd have it at Sandia ,'' he added to laughter, ''but I guess that didn't work out. I guess the other candidates felt that was a little too much.''

Richardson, a former cabinet secretary and U.N. ambassador, went on to electrify the crowd with his already trademark announcement that if elected president, he will elevate Indian affairs to a cabinet-level department.

But for Kalyn Free, founder of INDN's List, the speech reached its summit with Richardson's commitment to Prez on the Rez. Free, an at-large member of the Democratic National Committee appointed by DNC Chairman Howard Dean, is counting on 500 tribal leaders, a full slate of 2008 presidential candidates and national media coverage at the first-of-its-kind event in August.

Prez on the Rez is a project of INDN's List, or more accurately of its nonpartisan INDN's List Education Fund. The parent organization is a partisan political entity, a so-called ''527,'' dedicated to recruiting and electing American Indian candidates at every level of politics throughout the nation. Its funding comes from across Indian country, individual donors and organized labor in Free's home state of Oklahoma. ''We believe in the power of Indians as candidates, as contributors, as campaign professionals, and as voters to bring about great change in our country,'' states its press materials. ''When Indians make law and policy, the needs of Indian Country and all those less fortunate are not ignored.''

article: http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096414584


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[SaveElmer]

1. I hope they all agree...

Would be nice to see them in a new setting, and with a different type audience...

[TygrBright]

2. Wow. That's gutsy. This will be quite a challenge...

...for those Dem candidates who want to hew to the "less substance, more style" line of campaigning. Just going to the rez is a statement that can and will be used against them by some elements. And trying to address matters of concern to First Peoples will require them to talk about policy issues that they really, really, really, would rather avoid.

Kudos to our Goob, whose decision really puts the arm on the other candidates and pushes these issues further into the spotlight, where they need to be.

appreciatively,
Bright