Al Giordano has Moved

by: jlarson

Sun Jun 15, 2008 at 10:33:13 AM CDT

The Field has moved to a new home and is now at the site of Narco News, Al Giordano's main home URL.   If you visited the "ex-field" on Wednesday you would have seen a piece on Saul Alinsky.  This wouldn't have surprised you too much since we are witnessing a Democratic candidate steeped in community organizing experience bring unprecedented grass roots support to his campaign.  One of Barack Obama's most famous older quotes (from 1995!) addresses this:

"What if a politician were to see his job as that of an organizer," he wondered, "as part teacher and part advocate, one who does not sell voters short but who educates them about the real choices before them? As an elected public official, for instance, I could bring church and community leaders together easier than I could as a community organizer or lawyer. We would come together to form concrete economic development strategies, take advantage of existing laws and structures, and create bridges and bonds within all sectors of the community. We must form grass-root structures that would hold me and other elected officials more accountable for their actions.

Chicago Reader, "What Makes Obama Run?" Lawyer, teacher, philanthropist, and author Barack Obama doesn't need another career.  But he's entering politics to get back to his true passion--community organization. 

Saul Alinsky is the dominant figure in community organizing history so it should be no surprise to see his name and tactics discussed in this context.  Alinsky once wrote, ""Machiavelli wrote The Prince as a handbook for the Haves on how to hold on to their power. My book is for the Have-Nots on how to take it away".  One can see how Alinsky has been viewed as a controversial figure.  Over the decades many on the right have done their best to smear his reputation.

The 8 minute NPR interview with his biographer, Sanford Horwitt, is a brief overview of what Alinsky was about along with his impact on the two Democratic candidates.  Alinsky has many fans and there is enduring and deep respect for him in Chicago, his home town.  That is where I first heard of him.  In the 80s, the director of the nonprofit where I worked admired and spoke about him at times.  The "radical" objective of this nonprofit was to assist low income, socially isolated elderly people. 

But sometime in the last 48 hours over at The Field the post on Saulinsky disappeared.  It was apparently censored by someone at Rural Votes.  Meanwhile last night, a new post of Al's shows up at Narco News with the entire Saulinsky post intact and uncensored:

Update: This essay was published on June 11 at the former site of The Field, and was censored at 9:30 p.m. ET that evening, I was told, because it mentioned "Saul Alinsky," "Andrew Kopkind," and "Rules for Radicals."

A brief press conference now ensues:

Q. "Mr. Giordano, what is your view of such McCarthyism-style censorship?"

A. "I reject it."

Q. "But do you denounce such censorship?"

A. "I reject and denounce it. I will not be party to it. I disassociate myself from those that have engaged in it. And therefore I have moved The Field to this address:

http://narconews.com/thefield

Q. Can you tell us more?

A. On Monday, I will begin to tell all. It's really a fascinating story, and a microcosm of a much larger struggle going on in the United States. Meanwhile, bookmark this site, the new and improved home of The Field.

More on all this soon...