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SD public defense duties shift from counties to state; SCOTUS appears skeptical of restricting government communications with social media companies; Trump lawyers say he can't make bond; new scholarships aim to connect class of 2024 to high-demand jobs.

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The SCOTUS weighs government influence on social media, and who groups like the NRA can do business with. Biden signs an executive order to advance women's health research and the White House tells Israel it's responsible for the Gaza humanitarian crisis.

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Midwest regenerative farmers are rethinking chicken production, Medicare Advantage is squeezing the finances of rural hospitals and California's extreme swing from floods to drought has some thinking it's time to turn rural farm parcels into floodplains.

Political Revival Aims to Get Back to Basics

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Thursday, February 18, 2016   

NEENAH, Wis. – When you think of a revival, you might picture a big tent and a religious event.

But the grassroots group Blue Jean Nation is hosting a revival this Saturday in Neenah in an effort to revive democracy and citizen-centered politics.

This will be no conventional political gathering, says Blue Jean Nation founder Mike McCabe, who explains it will be more like a New England-style town hall meeting.

McCabe maintains a lot of people are just plain disgusted with today's hyper-partisan politics.

"People have lost faith in the idea that the political establishments care what they think,” he states. “People don't think they're being represented, they don't think their voices are being heard and they've being given a lot of reasons day in and day out for believing that."

McCabe says there's a lot that needs reviving, including concern for the common good, the Wisconsin Idea and the American Dream.

The public is invited to the event, which will be held at the Bridgewood Conference Center in Neenah from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

It has a $15 registration fee, and complete information is at www.bluejeannation.com.

According to McCabe, a big part of the problem is the huge inflow of money into the political system.

"We've lost faith in the power of other political currencies,” he states. “We've become persuaded that there's only one form of political capital that matters: namely, money.

“What we want to do is empower regular people. We want to get back to citizen-centered, people-powered politics."

McCabe believes the rise of highly paid political consultants has done a great deal of harm to democracy. He says these consultants try to package candidates and sell them like soap or beer.

McCabe thinks the rise of these consultants has been a big part of the demise of citizen-centered politics.

"There's got to be a place for amateurs in a democracy,” he stresses. “They've got to get back in the game. It can't simply be a bunch of highly paid political professionals who make a fortune by effectively poisoning our democracy."





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