A young American student who studied in Germany translated the text [Mein Kampf] and then had it privately published in the US. That student was a man named Alan Cranston, who went on to become Senator of California. Cranston ’s introduction asked the reader to look at events in German in the context of Hitler’s anti-Semitic and anti-Slavic rhetoric and militarism.

IIRC, Cranston was sued for copyright infringement by Hitler’s publisher, thereby making him the only American politician ever successfully sued on behalf of Adolf Hitler…IIRC

Indeed, sued but the judge only called for an injunction on future releases…after Cranston had sold over a million copies…at 10 cents a copy!!! There was another…expurgated…”authorized” version out there which removed all the material which was expansionist and anti-Semitic. So, in a sense, Cranston’s book did impact sales of that book, and Hitler’s royalties. But the judge ruled that there was enough differences that the sales wouldn’t have been much impacted since people would prefer an unabridged verison.

Cranston also argued that the original copyright in Austria had been voided when the Nazis invaded. The judge didn’t swallow THAT argument.

http://globetrotter.berkeley.e…..-con2.html

And I was wrong about one thing…Cranston was a young news correspondant, not a student, when he was in Germany and read Hitler’s original Mein Kampf

I am distressed at the editing of my comments (#41) by Kenji (#148).

I should realize that comments can be foreshortened and original import thus altered considerably. So the fault lies partly with me. I will choose my words more carefully in the future, and suggest that Kenji edit more carefully. I did not mean to inflict more emotional strain than appears already to exist concerning the subject matter I addressed.

I continue to desire that those who are up to the task run for office and serve for the betterment of the world. And I continue to wish that those who should retire, and can be convinced to recognize the signs of that point of their careers having arrived, do so.

Politics ain’t for sissies. More importantly, the world as we know it cannot cope with people in office who are not up to the difficult job of proper governance.

And Kersten thinks they are not far enough right?
Nobel peace prize bad – War criminal good.

It’s crazy. St Thomas is crazy. Kersten is crazy.

moondancer @ 33

OT but can’t help it. DiFi announces support of telecom amnesty in SFChronicle. Is this the new Lieberman?

She’s a perfectly coiffed (if you liked the 50’s), sorry mess, an empty shell. imho of course

DiFi was really hated by the left when she was mayor of SF, for much the same reason: her tendency to cave to biz interests without even trying to use her leverage. And for her hair.

For people like her, politics must be all about feeling “comfortable” with power. Sigh.

Back in the day, the idea that South America and Africa really had been next to each other was ridiculed — just because they LOOKED like they belonged together dodn’t mean that they USED TO BE together. Well, look how that turned out: plate tectonics is now our way of looking at the surface of the planet.

The disconnect between what the ideals of the Democratic Party are supposed to be and what the Party’s actions in fact are has exposed a rift like the one down the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. The ideals and the actions, like the two continents, are far apart and getting farther from each other.

At some point, there is no way to salvage a failing relationship. At some point, you had better sit down and tot up the check stubs, because you know it’s going to go to the lawyers. You had better think through how it all is going to go down.

If We the People are going to get out of this abusive relationship — no abuse without a willing victim, remember — with the Democratic Party, planning is required. Even if We the People do not go through with the separation, we owe it to ourselves to think through how it could be done.

Hint: Third Parties are produced by schisms within already elected officials who are frustrated as the citizenry over their Party leaders/managers. There have to be defections by those who are progressive within the Party. This assures people that the individuals running can govern. They already have name recognition.

The only successful 3rd Parties, even for one cycle, have been schisms of this sort. They controlled Governorships, other State Offices, and lots of seat in Congress. Even the Populists, who did all this, failed to win the Presidency, though they came close. But they did succeed in introducing a whole slate of reforms.

So what would it take for such a schism to occur? One could be if the progessive candidates do quite well in Primaries and then go on to win Congressional seats. They could then have enough votes to transform the Congressional leadership of the Party. If the Party leadership refused to change then they could form, out of a caucus, an independent Party.

Another way it could happen is if the Party actually failed to win the Presidency or lost a Congressional House. If that occurred there might be resentment against the strategies of rejecting the Parties liberal base.

dakine01 @ 94

Yes, Jodi Rell.

But any Gubernatorial appointment would only be temporary, until the next scheduled election.

And that would be even if Lieberman refused to announce he was standing down. It would show a real lack of confidence in his Tickets chances if he said, “I’m not gonna resign just in case we lose”. DUH!
If he announces his planned resignation, then there would be a Special Election set for 2008.

Oops! Not a “Special Election”. It would be held at the same time as the Presidential Election in 2008. That would mean whoever was elected would fill out a 4 year term, if JoeLie waited until (IF) the 2008 votes count showed a victory then it would likely occur in 2010 (or possibly in 2009).

There is another reason why Joe Lie might not be selected. Romney and Giuliani would not want to select another Northeasterner who was not of a recognized Christian faith. It wouldn’t help them win over the Christian fundamentalist from the South. McCain has regional balance…but shares the Right-Wings ambivalence regarding social issues.

But if Thompson or Huckabee were the Presidential nominees then perhaps Lieberman might be considered.

Things Come Undone @ 90

Conneticut has a Republican Gov I take it?

Yes, Jodi Rell.

But any Gubernatorial appointment would only be temporary, until the next scheduled election.

And that would be even if Lieberman refused to announce he was standing down. It would show a real lack of confidence in his Tickets chances if he said, “I’m not gonna resign just in case we lose”. DUH!
If he announces his planned resignation, then there would be a Special Election set for 2008.

Blue America Welcomes Josh Hoyt—Let’s Not Put The Republicans In Charge