Progressive Democrat Issue 40: THOUGHTS

Week after week it seems we are flooded with obscenities from the right. It is hard to keep up! What I am doing this week, however, is to choose NOT to jump from one Republican obscenity to another. Instead, I am picking some of the MOST IMPORTANT actions that I have touched on before and continuing to focus on them. I really want to emphasize that PERSISTENCE is what we need. Cindy Sheehan is showing how to be persistent in the face of ongoing right wing attacks. I want each and every one of us to show some of the same tenacity as Ms. Sheehan. I am choosing to focus on the 2005 and 2006 elections, the Exxon/Mobil boycott and supporting Venezuela through patronizing Citgo, and reminding everyone of Karl Rove and Bob Novak’s treason. So please, revisit and continue the actions I highlight this issue. If we keep it up we just might win some of these fights!

Progressive Democrat Issue 40: WINNING ELECTIONS 2005 and 2006

This week I want to focus on our defense of fellow Democrats. A strong strategy for winning is to first make sure your defenses are strong enough in case your more aggressive attacks fail. We need to make sure that in 2005 and 2006 we don't LOSE ground.

I will start with the 2005 NJ Governor's race. I choose to start here for a very personal reason. Karl Rove and Dick Cheney came to New Jersey, using 9/11, the attack on my city, to try and raise funds for the Republican candidate in the NJ Gov race. I am offended that they used my city's tragedy to further their political goals. So I am doing all I can to support Corzine, the Dem candidate for NJ Gov. This is a personal vendetta I have against Rove and Cheney for desecrating the memories of NYC's 9/11 dead. We need to make sure that the Repubs do not take the NJ Gov race. We have to defend this seat for the Dems. PLEASE visit the Corzine webiste and consider donating (or volunteering if you live in or near NJ).

Next I want to focus on the 2005 Virginia Governor's race. Again, this is currently held by a Dem and is now contested between the DEm Kaine and the Repub Kilgore. Kilgore is a wingnut. We have to work to strengthen the Dems in Virginia. PLease consider supporting Kaine for Governor in Virginia.

The above two races are defending Gov seats for the Dem party in 2005. Now I want to turn to 2006. The first thing I think all members of dKos should consider donating to is the ActBlue site supporting the Democratic Reps who are currently MOST TARGETED BY THE GOP. We will lose these seats if we blink and don't defend them. Imagine 8 more Republican pickups in the House. THAT is what we need to prevent. Donate to one or more of these folks and you help to hold the line against Repub advancement. This is not as glamorous as something like the Hackett near victory in OH-2. But it is just as necessary.

There is at least one Senator well worth defending. Among the strongest critics of George Bush for years now is Robert Byrd of W. Virginia. He is now running for one last term and the Repubs HATE him for standing up against the Halliburton Republicans when all other Dems were cowering in terror. Show Robert Byrd that we support the hard line he has taken against Bush's lies and failures.

I also want to point out that some of our Blue states are being targeted by the Repubs. California, New York and New Jersey are being heavily targeted for Republicanization. We need to defend against that. Along these lines I want to suggest targeting the red districts of these states. KEEP CALIFORNIA BLUE by helping the Escondido Democrats. They have a chance to take their house seat due to the corruption of the local Repub Rep, Randy Cunningham. KEEP NEW YORK BLUE by helping the Staten Island Young Democrats or the Staten Island Democratic Committee. They are battling against an out of touch Republican Rep, Vito Fossella. And KEEP NEW JERSEY BLUE by supporting the Ocean County Democrats or Long Beach Island Democratic Club (Long Beach Island being the reddest county in NJ and in Ocean County).

So please spend this week finding a way to defend the Democratic party in these areas. This will put us in a good position in 2005 and 2006 to then get aggressive and take some more districts.

Progressive Democrat Issue 40: ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION

For several weeks now, there has been a boycott of Exxon/Mobil. If you want to see what has already been done, read my first and second diaries on this topic. Since the start of this so-far pretty scuccessful boycott, suddenly Venezuela, one of the main alternative sources of oil to the Middle East, us under a broad attack by the right. Coincidence? Possibly. But Citgo, a Venezuelan oil company selling Venezuelan oil, has been touted as the main alternative to Exxon/Mobil.

First off, why boycott Exxon/Mobil? Here are some examples of what Exxon/Mobil does (excerpted from Truthout.org):

-Despite making a record profit of $25 billion last year, ExxonMobil is still shirking payment of the full amount it owes fishermen and natives hurt by the Exxon Valdez oil spill sixteen years ago.

-ExxonMobil is the only oil company that's still part of Arctic Power, the group lobbying Congress to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling. The rest bowed out due to public pressure.

- ExxonMobil has spent more than $15 million since 1998 to deny the existence of global warming by funding junk science groups to cloud the debate. BP, for example, not only admits we have a problem but is investing in solar energy research and selling real solar panels today to help deal with the problem.

I next want to address some comments made regarding this boycott by a reader of my Progressive Democrat Newsletter. These comments are well thought out and deserve a retort.

You say that BP and Chevron has better overall environmental records.  Are you sure? Where did you get that from? I hope not from their  glitzy PR blitz. Their "beyond petroleum" commercials are pretty, but  they're a smokescreen. My father works for ExxonMobil - very, very  high up. He's probably the only liberal in that high of a position in  the company. I've talked to him about these things a LOT. I boycott  ExxonMobil - and my father knows that I boycott them - because  they're one of the few remaining oil companies that do not recognize  the scientific community's nearly unanimous conclusions on global  warming.

But you should be careful about the hype. Did you know that of all the oil companies, ExxonMobil has the highest efficiency in their production/refining processes? Did you know that no other oil company spends as much as they do on funding research to improve the efficiency and reduce the emissions of combustion processes? They recently gave $100 million to Stanford to "engage in research to develop technologies that foster the development of a global energy system where greenhouse emissions are much lower than today". Here's an article on it: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/2496293.stm

Some good points here. I have looked into which oil companies are good and bad and BP does NOT live up to its hype, but it still measures up better than most oil companies. My comments on Chevron being a good alternative come mainly from Jared Diamond's observations in his book Collapse where Chevron comes off very well in terms of environmental care.

But my reader's comment prompted me to look again. So I checked Co-Op America's Responsible Shopper site, a pretty comprehensive consumer's resource. Roughly, their ranking of gas stations is as follows: (from best to worst)

Sunoco: neutral social and environmental rankings

BJ's Wholesale Club: neutral social and environmental rankings

BP: neutral social, mildly bad environmental ranking

Albertson's: mildly bad social, neutral environmental ranking

Amerada Hess: mildly bad social and environmental rankings

Shell: very bad social, mildly bad environmental ranking

Chevron/Texico: very bad social and environmental rankings

Exxon/Mobil: very bad social and environmental rankings

Citgo is not ranked. If you go to the link above to see their table, you can click on each company to see the good and bad practices of each.

They agree that Exxon/Mobil ranks lowest. They disagree with me that Chevron/Texaco is much better. This may be due to the fact that I was not considering Texaco (which is now part of the same company) and partly may be simply that Chevron DOES do alot of good, but also does just as much bad.

Using the above chart, Sunoco, BP, BJ's and Albertson's are the best. Albertson's and BJ's are retail outlets and most likey sell Exxon/Mobil gas. So we are left with BP and Sunoco. I would add Citgo, which is too small a company to be on the list. Please check out the their ranking of gas stations chart and look in detail at each company rather than just going by my summary. A fellow Kossack took this information and turned it into a "card" format which you can download and print out for your own use and to give out to like-minded friends.

But let us turn to Citgo for a moment. Here is another comment from the same reader who mentioned problems with BP and Chevron:

Also, I don't want to discourage you from buying Citgo, but if you  think that's going to make a difference in terms of where our oil  comes from, you're wrong. The thing is, if everyone started to buy  Citgo, they wouldn't be able to supply all the oil they needed from  Venezuela. They can do it because they're relatively small.  Inevitably, they would have to start drilling in the Middle East, or  Alaska, or Asia, or wherever else there is oil. All you're doing is  playing musical chairs with oil companies. You're just changing where  they have to drill, but unless demand went down (which the sad  reality is it won't - it always goes up), the same amount of oil  would be drilled. If this type of protest worked, the only change  would be that Citgo would be drilling in Saudi Arabia instead of the  other oil companies.  

Interesting point. But I think for right now, encouraging the Venezuelan alternative, particularly because Chavez is now such a thorn in Bush's side, is the right thing to do. So, again, I encourage buying Citgo. Chavez is a popularly elected leader of a nation. We have tried interfering in their elections, tried destabilizing them and now Pat Robertson is advocating assassination. I can think of no better way of objecting to the right's attack on Venezuela than buying Citgo gas. It is an immediate message and it, in the short term, sends less money to Saudi Arabia, a REAL dictatorship.

So, back to the boycott. Not only do we need to continue boycotting Exxon/Mobil, but we have to tell them we are doing it and we have to spread the word. If you are a member of any progressive or environmental organization, PLEASE spread the word to that organization regarding the boycott and offer Citgo (and BP? Albertson's? BJ's? Chevron?) as possible alternatives. If you really want to pitch this to a group, emphasize that Exxon/Mobil leads the effort to open the Arctic refuge to drilling and the effort to suppress global warming research. These alone are reasons to boycott.

And, as everyone points out, Exxon/Mobil are just PART of the problem. Of course we all have to find ways to cut back on oil consumption. Join the national eRideshare program. Or form a carpool system at work or with your local progressive/environmental group. Turning away from cars for the moment, I have found that changing to compact fluorescent bulbs not only saves the environment, but we save lots of money. They cost more to buy, but they last much longer than regular bulbs, and we saw our energy bills drop dramatically when we switched. Buy compact fluorescent bulbs if you do nothing else to save the world.

BOYCOTT EXXON/MOBIL

BUY CITGO

SWITCH TO COMPACT FLUORESCENT BULBS

That is my call to arms for you all.

Progressive Democrat Issue 40: Let's revisit Rove and Novak: Remind the media!

I think we need to remind on Congresscritters and the media that Bob Novak and Karl Rove broke the law and endangered American lives when they outed CIA operative Plame. Notice how, as soon as our attention drifted to other issues, Karl Rove disappeared from the headlines...and from public. They are clearly waiting for us to forget the whole Plamegate thing before Rove pops up again in some safe public forum. Until then, he is simply pulling the strings from his dark corner. Time for us shine light in that corner and reveal the puppeteer again.

Please write letters to your Congresscritters and letters to the editor asking what is being done to punish the illegal and treasonous acts of Karl Rove and Bob Novak, two men who participated in the exposure of a CIA operative who was involved in rooting out terrorism. Their actions harmed our intelligence efforts, making us more vulnerable to terrorist attacks worldwide. These men MUST be held accountable if we are to be safe.

Write the media!

Most importantly, write, call or FAX CNN demanding that Bob Novak be fired for his treasonous collaboration with Karl Rove:

Phone: (404) 827-1500

Fax: (404) 878-0891

Address: One CNN Center, PO Box 105366 Atlanta, GA 30348

And write to your Congresscritters demanding, in the name of national security, an independent investigation of their treason.

Here is a sample letter:

Why does America allow treason to go unpunished? Far from punishing traitors, the media and the President actually protect and reward traitors. I am, of course, referring to Bob Novak and Karl Rove, the two traitors who exposed the CIA operative, Plame, who was involved in rooting out international terrorism. Their actions harmed our intelligence efforts, making us more vulnerable to terrorist attacks worldwide. These men MUST be held accountable if we are to be safe. I was in Manhattan when 9/11 happened and I heard those planes hit. I do not want any further attacks to hit our nation or other nations. So Rove and Novak's treason is particularly disturbing to me and the way this nation is tolerating their treason bothers me a great deal. When will Bush and America get serious about stopping terrorism? Instead of worrying about what books Americans check out of libraries, why don't they punish known traitors? Rove and Novak must be fired and prosecuted for their treason. If they are not, then America, the media and George Bush are not really concerned about stopping terrorism.

Please use this as a sample for your own letter.

Progressive Democrat Issue 40: NYC FOCUS

I want to return to an issue that really is hardly getting any attention anymore but may be one of the most important threats to our democracy--voting machines. Here in NY State the choice has been left to the local governments, meaning for us the City Council. The choice is between a more expensive, totally unreliable eVote machine and a less expensive, more reliable optical scan machine (Precinct-Based Optical Scan, or PBOS, machines). The choice should be obvious: PBOS would save money and allow a better, more verifiable paper trail. But lobbyists for the companies that make the machines are pouring money into convincing politicians that the more expensive and less reliable machines are better. We have to balance the big money and protect our vote.

The person I know who has turned this into a crusade to save our democracy is Marjorie Gersten. Here is a Daily Kos diary I put together using information from Marjorie’s newsletter. And the following is from her newsletter:

Ideally, each [City] Council member needs to receive 40-50 calls stating our position, plus asked what they are prepared to do in convincing others. All our media needs saturation, as well. I will e-mail the points and mission to those of you who cannot attend. For starters, go to www.wheresthepaper.com.

This advisory was growing and I wanted to give full focus to election reform. I hope you will begin to telephone next week, and e-mail me your results and questions. Everyone help!

You can write letters to the media and find your Councilmember to write them too. I also urge you to write Gifford Miller who is both the City Council Speaker and is running for mayor.

I also strongly urge people to subscribe to Marjorie’s newsletter and to get involved with her campaign to save our voting system. You can subscribe and volunteer by contacting her at: johnkerry57@covad.net (also listed below in the Brooklyn Events section in connection with he monthly meetup. Marjorie has the information we all need to save NYC voting and she is dedicating her September to lobbying the City Council on voting machines. Please get involved!

Progressive Democrat Issue 40: BROOKLYN/QUEENS GROUPS AND EVENTS

ALL NYC:

CRITCAL MASS BICYCLE MOVEMENT! Critical Mass is a bicyclist movement (NOT an organized group!) that holds weekly protests all over the world to protest pollution. Rides every Friday starting in Union Sq. Park North, 7PM! And see their NYC calendar for Bike Workshops and other rides (including ones in other Boroughs).


BROOKLYN EVENTS:

Democracy for America Meetings: CLICK HERE!

MARJORIE'S OZZIE’S MEETUP: Next meeting in September. At Ozzie’s, 249 Fifth Ave. at Garfield. 7:00 pm. Best subway is R to Union, east one block, and down three blocks. I also recommend getting Marjorie’s very informative newsletter which you can get by contacting her at: johnkerry57@covad.net

Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats (CBID) (mostly covers Park Slope, Windsor Terrace, and Kensington.


Lambda Independent Democrats (Brooklyn’s gay and lesbian organization) for meeting info contact LID@LIDBrooklyn.org.

DRINKING LIBERALLY: An informal, inclusive weekly Democratic drinking club. Raise your spirits while you raise your glass, and share ideas while you share a pitcher. Drinking Liberally gives like-minded, left-leaning individuals a place to talk politics. You don't need to be a policy expert and this isn't a book club - just come and learn from peers, trade jokes, vent frustration and hang out in an environment where it's not taboo to talk politics. Here are our local Brooklyn groups:

Park Slope: First Wednesday of each month, 7:00 pm onward, Commonwealth, 497 5th Ave (at 12th Street). Hosted by Emily Farris and Peter Wohlsen, parkslope (at) drinkingliberally.org

Williamsburg: Every Tuesday, 8:00 pm onward the Levee, 212 Berry St. (corner of N. 3rd). Hosted by Elana Levin and Michael Freedman-Schnapp, williamsburg (at) drinkingliberally.org

To find your nearest Brooklyn Democratic club, please CLICK HERE.

QUEENS:

Baseball with Queens County Young Democrats Join Queens County Young Democrats At Shea Stadium As We Enjoy An Evening Of Baseball Together!!! New York METS Vs. Washington Nationals, Date: Thursday September 15, 2005, Time: 7:10 (First Pitch), Location: Shea Stadium, Cost: $ 10. FOR MORE INFORMATION, Call (718) 423-3085 or email msilverstein-at-hotmail.com (replace -at- with @).

Democracy for America Meetings: CLICK HERE!

Queens Jefferson Democratic Club: Our meetings are normally held the first Thursday of every month, @ 8:00 p.m. (the doors open @ 7:30 P.M.) except for July, August, and months in which a holiday falls on the First Thursday. Meetings are held at the Auburndale American Legion Hall, 198-09 33rd Ave Flushing, New York 11358 (just off Francis Lewis Blvd. near 33rd Avenue).

Queens County Young Democrats: for information CLICK HERE.

DRINKING LIBERALLY: An informal, inclusive weekly Democratic drinking club. Raise your spirits while you raise your glass, and share ideas while you share a pitcher. Drinking Liberally gives like-minded, left-leaning individuals a place to talk politics. You don't need to be a policy expert and this isn't a book club - just come and learn from peers, trade jokes, vent frustration and hang out in an environment where it's not taboo to talk politics. Here are our local Queens groups:

ASTORIA: Third Wednesday of each month, 7:30 pm onward. Cassidy's, 34-16 Broadway (at 35th Street). Hosted by Bob Chamerda, astoria (at) drinkingliberally.org

To find your nearest Queens Democratic club, please CLICK HERE.

Progressive Democrat Issue 40: MANHATTAN GROUPS AND EVENTS

CRITCAL MASS BICYCLE MOVEMENT! Critical Mass is a bicyclist movement (NOT an organized group!) that holds weekly protests all over the world to protest pollution. Rides every Friday starting in Union Sq. Park North, 7PM! And see their NYC calendar for Bike Workshops and other rides (including ones in other Boroughs).


Democracy for America Meetings: CLICK HERE!

Mondays in August, DFNYC Dials Siegel –Aug. 29, 6:30pm-9pm -Siegel HQ, 260 Madison Ave. @ 38th, 2nd floor (near Grand Central) Join Tracey and Heather and your fellow DFNYCers as we phone bank to likely Democratic primary voters around the city to encourage them to vote for Norman Siegel. If you are interested, we'll show you how to do phone banking from home. Feel free to come early or late. RSVP at: http://www.dfnyc.org/cms/node/87174

DFNYC Research & Advocacy Group Meeting –Wed., Aug 31, 7pm -Cosi, downstairs, 2160 Broadway at 76th St. DFNYC wants to help you work on your issue! Join us as we kick off the DFNYC Research & Advocacy (R&A) Group. Each R&A member will focus on a specific issue and gather the information necessary to form an advocacy plan. The R&A group will work to empower the DFNYC membership and make us more informed and effective advocates. Meetings will take place the last Wednesday of every month. Contact research@dfnyc.org with questions and for further information. RSVP at: http://www.dfnyc.org/cms/node/87150

DFNYC Needs Your Kitchen –Bake Cookies for Democracy –Sept. 8-12. DFNYC will be baking homemade cookies for the Primary Day volunteers. Please donate your kitchen for an evening or afternoon on the weekend before the September 13 primary. Host a DFNYC Cookie Banking Party at your house! We’ll help you set up your party to feed the primary day volunteers. Write to Heather at hwoodfield@dfnyc.org to set up and promote your party.

DRINKING LIBERALLY: An informal, inclusive weekly Democratic drinking club. Raise your spirits while you raise your glass, and share ideas while you share a pitcher. Drinking Liberally gives like-minded, left-leaning individuals a place to talk politics. You don't need to be a policy expert and this isn't a book club - just come and learn from peers, trade jokes, vent frustration and hang out in an environment where it's not taboo to talk politics. Here are our local Manhattan groups:

Upper East Side Last Tuesday of each month, 6:30 pm onward, Doc Watson's, 1490 2nd Avenue (at 77th). In the backyard, weather permitting. Hosted by Matthew Bachiochi, ues (at) drinkingliberally.org

In Manhattan: Thursday, 7:30 pm onward, Rudy's, 627 9th Avenue (between 44th & 45th Streets). Hosted by Justin Krebs and Matthew O'Neill, nyc (at) drinkingliberally.org

Bar Hopping Manhattan: Second Tuesday of each month, 6:00-9:00 pm
A monthly Democratic drinking club at different gay bars around Manhattan. Join the mailing list to receive updates of future venues. Hosted by Dirk McCall, outnyc (at) drinkingliberally.org

East Village: Last Wednesday of each month, 8:00 pm onward, Grassroots Tavern, 20 Saint Mark's Place (between 2nd and 3rd). Hosted by Quinn Raymond, Elena Morin and Abby Cook-Mack, eastvillage (at) drinkingliberally.org

For those who prefer running to biking, you can join RUNNING FOR CHANGE: Building a progressive America through organized runs and other grassroots activities.

To find your nearest Manhattan Democratic club, please CLICK HERE.

Progressive Democrat Issue 40: NEW JERSEY FOCUS

This is a repeat from last week because it is so important. If you haven't yet joined in, PLEASE do.

The Corzine Connection is a new, grassroots organizing mechanism. Corzine has created the Corzine Connection as a place where you can organize to bring your voice more fully into the process. These are their stated goals:

1. Build a grassroots community that is a place for genuine interaction between activists and the campaign while also serving as a forum to be heard.
2. Communicate with members about campaign activities, volunteer opportunities, and important issues.
3. Organize members at a local level, in conjunction with our field staff, to engage in voter contact activities like phone calls and door-to-door canvassing.
4. Encourage member participation in issue campaigns to influence New Jersey voters and media.
5. Create an organization that will continue beyond November by helping to renew a sense of achievement, progress and momentum in New Jersey grassroots politics.

Use the Corzine Connection to organize New Jersey's grassroots. We hope that this is the future of politics in America--stronger grassroots replacing the big money methods that too often dominate both parties. Retake your party. Retake your country. Buildup the grassroots in your neighborhood with the Corzine Connection

Progressive Democrat Issue 40: NEW JERSEY GROUPS AND EVENTS

Democracy for America Meetups: DFA is one of the best hopes we have of retaking America. I strongly urge you to get involved with your local group. New Jersey for Democracy Meetups take place on the first Wednesday of every month @ 7pm. There are many meetups around the state: North, Central and South Jersey.

Join the Corzine Connection for a BBQ Picnic & Baseball Game Somerset Patriots v Long Island Ducks, Hosted by Democrats 2000 member Zenon Christodoulou. Monday August 29, 2005, 6:00 p.m. Commerce Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater. To RSVP Email Democrats2000@aol.com

Democrats 2000 Beach Barbecue with Special Guest Senator Jon Corzine Saturday, September 10, 2005 5:00 p.m. at 206 3rd Avenue, Belmar $50 suggested contribution Sponsorships Available. For More Information Email Democrats2000@aol.com

Common Cause: Common Cause is a major force in Progressive Politics. It was founded in 1970 (by a Republican, mind you!) to counter the influence of special interests in Washington. Today they work on many of the same issues I am trying to highlight. Check out the NJ Common Cause website.

Here is how you can find your local Dem clubs. Go to HERE and click on your county.

The Democratic Club of Long Beach Island will host its FIRST annual fundraiser at the Foundation of Arts and Sciences , Loveladies NJ. Date August 27th 2005, 5:30 - 7:30, contribution is $40.00 per person, hot and cold hors d'oevres , wine, beer, soda. Democratic dignitaries as guest speakers, Silent Auction. Contact : Barbara Truncellito, Director PR, Democratic Club LBI, truncellito@comcast.net

Hunterdon County Democratic Committee Picnic: September 5th, 2005, Location: Kingwood Park; Time: 1:00pm to 5:00pm; Price $35 for adults, $12.75 for children 12-17; Contact Lois at jlzarish@sprintmail.com for more information

North Brunswick Democratic Club 2nd Annual "Day at the Races": September 10th, 2005; Location: Monmouth Park Racetrack; Address: Oceanport, NJ; Time: 12:00 Noon; Price: $37.50 per person; Contact David Sirna at 732-236-7490 for more information

Drinking Liberally: An informal, inclusive weekly Democratic drinking club. Raise your spirits while you raise your glass, and share ideas while you share a pitcher. Drinking Liberally gives like-minded, left-leaning individuals a place to talk politics. You don't need to be a policy expert and this isn't a book club - just come and learn from peers, trade jokes, vent frustration and hang out in an environment where it's not taboo to talk politics. Find your local drinking liberally group or start your own with a few buddies: Currently there is only one group in New Jersey:

Hoboken, New Jersey, Second Tuesday of each month, 7:30 pm onward, Mulligan's, 159 1st Street (between Bloomfield and Garden), Hosted by David Alpert and Ali Savino, hoboken (at) drinkingliberally.org

COMING SOON: Princeton, first meeting: Thursday Sept 15 at 7pm, Annex Restaurant at 128 Nassau St., Princeton. princeton@drinkingliberally.org

RUNNING FOR CHANGE: For those who prefer running to biking, you can join RUNNING FOR CHANGE: Building a progressive America through organized runs and other grassroots activities.

Progressive Democrat Issue 40: VIRGINIA FOCUS

From the Byrne for Lt. Gov. website:

Sign Up to TAKE FIVE in '05

Women voters are key to a Democratic victory and
YOU are key to ensuring these important voters
get to the polls on November 8th.

We'll provide you with names of specific voters
in your area, send you a detailed Leader Guide to
assist your efforts and serve as a resource
throughout your efforts to contact and get your
target voters to the polls November 8th.

This is an easy way for you to fight for victory in Virginia. Please, Sign Up to TAKE FIVE in '05

Progressive Democrat Issue 40: VIRGINIA GROUPS AND EVENTS

Democracy for America: One of the best ways to get active! FIND YOUR LOCAL DFA MEETUP AND GET INVOLVED!


The Kaine for Governor Campaign and the Virginia Association of Democratic Chairs

INVITE ALL VIRGINIA DEMOCRATS TO A SERIES OF REGIONAL ACTION MEETINGS

PURPOSE: ENGAGING CONSTITUENCY GROUPS to Support Democratic Candidates and the Virginia Victory 2005 Coordinated Campaign

Expanding outreach efforts to help elect Democrats by inspiring grassroots action through enhanced communication between statewide (Kaine, Byrne, and Deeds) and House of Delegates campaigns, Virginia Victory 2005 Coordinated Campaign, DPVA, VADC,
and Democratic grassroots volunteers regarding:

· Explaining the Coordinated Campaign's Regional Strategy, Tactics, and Progress

· Implementing the DPVA Outreach Plan

· Continue to implement the DPVA/VADC regional training plan

AND

· Recruit volunteers! Recruit volunteers! Recruit volunteers!

*JOIN CAMPAIGN AND PARTY REPRESENTATIVES*
HERE ARE THE CURRENT LOCATIONS

NEW! Coordinated Campaign Headquarters, Roanoke, Wednesday, 9/7/95, 7 - 8:30 p.m.
308 South Jefferson Street in Downtown Roanoke
After 5:30, parking can be obtained for free on the street, or in the lot across the street. For detailed directions call: 540-344-1160. Jen Tomasello.


Germanna Community College: Locust Grove Campus, Saturday, 9/10/05 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Directions: LOCUST GROVE http://www.gcc.vccs.edu/pres_office/campus.asp

and, same day,

NEW - LOCATION CHANGE!!! Caroline County Community Center, Saturday, 9/10/05 9 - 11 a.m. 17202 Richmond Turnpike, Milford, VA (previously listed in Essex Co.)
(The First Congressional District Committee will meet at 12 p.m.)
Directions - From I-95. Take Carmel Church/Bowling Green exit (exit 104). Travel east on Rt. 207 (Rogers Clark Boulevard) approximately 13 miles. (Rt. 207 East crosses Rt. 301 about 1/2 mile past the first Bowling Green exit). At the intersection of Rt. 207 and Rt. 301 take Rt. 301 South. Go approximately 1 and 1/2 miles. Just past the intersection of Rt. 301 and Rt. 640 you will see the Caroline County Community Service Center (a large brick building) on the west side of the road.


NEW! Coordinated Campaign Headquarters, McLean (Fairfax), Tuesday, 9/13/05, 7 - 8:30 p.m. 1575 Anderson Road, McLean, VA 22102. For detailed directions call: 703-720-2600. Abby Curran.

NEW! Coordinated Campaign Headquarters, Richmond, Tuesday, 9/13/05, 7 - 8:30 p.m.
6010 Crestwood Avenue, Suite B, Richmond, VA 23230 For detailed directions call: 804-673-2100. Charlie Kelly.

***Verified Voting Hearings in Richmond: Virginia is holding hearings to consider requiring voter-verified paper audit trails for voting equipment. Many Virginia jurisdictions have purchased paperless electronic voting machines, and others are considering doing so. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU GET INVOLVED WITH THESE HEARINGS. Your future vote may depend on it!

Digital voting machines that lack a voter-verified paper trail are subject to programming errors and possible fraud, with no ability for meaningful audits or recounts.

Attend the hearings and show support for voter-verified audit trails by wearing orange shirts or ribbons. A large audience will show that Virginians care about the integrity of our elections, and that we demand transparent and reliable elections.
Joint Subcommittee Studying Voting Equipment, General Assembly Building, Richmond
· Monday, November 21, 2005, at 1:00 p.m. in House Room C
More information can be found at http://www.vavv.org and http://www.verifiedvoting.org.

Tuesday, September 13th, 6:30-9:00pm, Virginia Grassroots Coalition Labor Night at Capitol City Brewing. The VGC labor folks will take the lead in a discussion of issues of economic justice in the workplace.

Saturday, September 17th, a public forum on National Health Insurance in Roanoke, VA. Public Policy Virginia & Virginia Grassroots Coalition sponsoring an event in Roanoke, VA, on September 17th at William Ruffner Middle School, (3601 Ferncliff Ave NW, Roanoke, VA) around the issue of National Health Insurance. The aim of this event is to help inform people of the scale of the problems inherent in our current health care system and about an alternative to this system. When people leave this event, we want them to be more comfortable with the idea of a single payer system and to be able to communicate the advantages of this system to others. We are trying to make citizens aware of the fact that there is a solution to the fact that 45 million Americans lack health insurance and millions more are underinsured. To volunteer to help with the event in Roanoke or for more information, contact Dan Barish at dbarish@ppvir.org www.ppvir.org


The Democratic Party: Here are links to some of your local Dem clubs. This is another very important way to be active.

Albemarle County Democratic Committee, Albemarle County, VA

Arlington County Democrats, Arlington VA. Contact Name: Elizabeth Weitzman mewsician1@msn.com (703) 528-8588

Arlington Young Democrats, Arlington VA. Contact Name: Jaime Mulligan publicity@arlingtonyoungdems.org 571-334-7626

Democratic Party of Fluvanna County, Virginia, Bremo Bluff, Virginia VA

Hanover Democrats, Ashland VA

Loudoun County Democratic Committee, Leesburg, VA. Contact Name: Steve Deak chairman@lcdems.com

Norfolk Democratic Party Meetup, Norfolk VA. Contact Name: Alma D. Kesling akesling@yahoo.com 757 333-8694

Rappahannock County Democrats, Rappahannock VA.

Stafford County Democrats, Fredericksburg VA:

Virginia Beach Democrats, VA

Virginia Young Democrats, Richmond, VA. Contact Name: Justin Wilson justin@justin.net


Drinking Liberally: An informal, inclusive weekly Democratic drinking club. Raise your spirits while you raise your glass, and share ideas while you share a pitcher. Drinking Liberally gives like-minded, left-leaning individuals a place to talk politics. You don't need to be a policy expert and this isn't a book club - just come and learn from peers, trade jokes, vent frustration and hang out in an environment where it's not taboo to talk politics. Find your local drinking liberally group or start your own with a few buddies. Currently there are only two Drinking Liberally groups in all of VA (see below). But it is easy to start your own!

Charlottesville, Virginia Drinking Liberally: Every Tuesday, 7:30 pm, Mellow Mushroom, 1320 West Main Street, Hosted by Jared Jenkins, charlottesville (at) drinkingliberally.org

Richmond, Virginia Drinking Liberally: Every Thursday, 7:30 pm onward Commercial Taphouse, 111 N Robinson St. Hosted by Scott Goode, richmond (at) drinkingliberally.org


RUNNING FOR CHANGE: And if you want a healthier alternative to Drinking Liberally (or want to do some running after your drinking), you can RUN for progressive causes. Building a progressive America through organized runs and other grassroots activities. To find your local Running for Change events, CLICK HERE.

Progressive Democrat Issue 40: NATIONAL ACTION

From People for the American Way:

Though much of Roberts' record remains concealed, new facts emerge every day that make it clear that John Roberts cannot be trusted to faithfully apply the Constitution and uphold equal justice under the law.

While fighting to find out what President Bush is hiding about his nominee, we have been carefully reviewing the documents that have been turned over. We have documented a long career that has undermined Americans' rights and liberties. As many of you have said to us and to your senators, this record alone disqualifies John Roberts to serve on the Supreme Court.

Help People For the American Way defeat Roberts' nomination by petitioning the Senate!

As we catalogue in our new report, Roberts worked for much of the past 25 years to resist America's progress towards realizing the Constitution's promise of equal justice under law. His confirmation would significantly shift the Supreme Court to the right, threatening the rights and freedoms of individual Americans, their families, and their communities. He would also strengthen the power of the presidency, already dangerously expanded by President Bush.

People For the American Way is launching an all-out campaign to stop the Senate from confirming John Roberts to the Supreme Court. If you agree after considering the facts, we urge you to sign this petition to the Senate.

Defeating this nomination will be difficult, but the tide is turning. Pundits who initially put their money on a coronation are now hedging their bets. Progressive senators have been criticizing the worst parts of Roberts' emerging record. But it's the grassroots outcry that will make the difference in the end. Your work and that of hundreds of thousands of others can stop this nomination. Over the next few weeks, we will ask you to call your senators, write letters to the editor, and take other actions to create public pressure. Sign this petition today -- then enlist the help of your friends and family by forwarding on this call to action!

Progressive Democrat Issue 40: GETTING LOCAL AROUND THE NATION

There are many ways you can get active. Below I try to provide a good variety of options and urge you all to find a couple that suit you. These groups below are the way we can get our country back. If we don’t get involved we won’t win in 2005, 2006 and beyond. Joy and I are currently involved in two groups plus our own organizing efforts bringing different groups together and we are finding it a good boost to our social life. We are meeting cool people and it makes us get out a couple of times a month more than we would otherwise.

Finding your local groups:

Democracy for America: Founded by Howard Dean, now run by his brother Jim Dean, this group is very effective at the local grass roots. Many think this is the future of the Democratic Party. I think this is partly true, though the neighborhood Dem party clubs will continue to be vital to our efforts as well. This is a group that you really should be active in either by joining a local meetup or starting one of your own.


The Democratic Party: Now that Howard Dean is in the driver’s seat I am hoping the Democrats will become more effective on the local level. One of the main complaints against the DNC in the past couple of elections is that they didn’t help the local parties in most parts of the nation. If you go to the DNC website and find the “Get Local” pull down menu on the left, you can find your local Dem groups. I strongly urge you to get involved with your local Dem club since it is often these groups that actually do much of the footwork to win each district.

Critical Mass: Critical Mass is a bicyclist movement (NOT an organized group!) that holds weekly protests all over the world to protest pollution. Go here to find the closest Critical Mass action in your area (site covers ALL of North America).


Drinking Liberally: An informal, inclusive weekly Democratic drinking club. Raise your spirits while you raise your glass, and share ideas while you share a pitcher. Drinking Liberally gives like-minded, left-leaning individuals a place to talk politics. You don't need to be a policy expert and this isn't a book club - just come and learn from peers, trade jokes, vent frustration and hang out in an environment where it's not taboo to talk politics. Find your local drinking liberally group or start your own with a few buddies.

Wellstone Action: Paul Wellstone started something in Minnesota and his death hasn’t stopped it. Wellstone’s family is continuing his work and expanding it throughout the nation. Wellstone Action trains activists and grassroots candidates and they did very well in the last election. I urge you to look into any nearby Wellstone Action events.


Common Cause: Common Cause is a major force in Progressive Politics. It was founded in 1970 (by a Republican, mind you!) to counter the influence of special interests in Washington. Today they work on many of the same issues I am trying to highlight. Look for your state’s Common Cause organization.

To find the League of Conservation Voters branch in your state, CLICK HERE. This is the group you should be involved with if the environment is your thing.

To find the NARAL branch in your state, CLICK HERE. This is the group you should be involved with if choice is your thing.

Finally I suggest Americans for Democratic Action. ADA is a progressive branch of the Democratic Party. Email: adaction@ix.netcom.com for info on local groups.