Progressive Democrat Issue 52: THOUGHTS

I think my one-year anniversary issue came a couple of issues ago. But, since I skipped a couple of issues due to travel and due to torn up floors in my apartment, this is the 52nd issue, the official “END OF ONE YEAR” issue. I have been writing this newsletter for about a year and our efforts have been pretty amazing.

First I just want to say that this week the Republicans were in full retreat, with Russ Feingold’s threatened filibuster (reading the Bill of Rights to filibuster the renewal of the “Patriot” Act) made the Republicans delay the debate on the Patriot Act until after Thanksgiving. If you are so inclined, write a letter to the editor praising Russ Feingold for his consistent stand against the unpatriotic “Patriot” Act.


Then Congressman Murtha’s demand for withdrawal drew a failed attempt by the Republicans to embarrass the Democrats. This attempt peaked when Jean Schmitt (R-OH) called Murtha (a decorated Vietnam Vet) a coward. This led to a united outcry by the Democrats that forced her to withdraw her comments to avoid censure and led to the Republicans praising Murtha. If you are so inclined, write a letter to the editor calling the Republicans to task for their constant attacks on Vietnam Veterans. Remember, they attacked the war records of Max Cleland of Georgia (who have his legs for his nation), John Kerry (whose Purple Hearts and Bronze and Silver Stars SHOULD speak for themselves) and now John Murtha, another decorated Vietnam Vet. I really find the anti-Veteran views of the Republicans disgusting and wrote such a letter yesterday. Please join me.


And now on to my reminder of where we started a year ago and what we have been doing.

Here is my introduction to my very first newsletter:

Election 2004 is over and either we lost it or it was stolen. So much enthusiasm and effort went into it and now that enthusiasm is turning to frustration and anger. My goal here is to channel that frustration and anger back into action. There is no reason why we can’t keep the organization we built over the last few years and use it to retake our country. In a sense I am trying to learn from our opponents. When Goldwater lost in 1964, the right wing of America was panicked. They were terrified that the left was taking over the nation. But they didn’t give up the way the left often does when faced with defeat. They did not question their message like we do. They channeled their efforts, focusing on building their network, focusing on local elections. Out of this grew, gradually and slowly, the entire right wing machine we are now faced with. The take over of the media began during the Nixon presidency, but wasn’t really accomplished until the late Clinton administration. Such patience, to push without really changing message much, despite repeated setbacks, for 30 years is something the left has not been capable of. It is time we start. That is the inspiration for what I am doing. It is up to us to keep organized, keep active and to recruit.

Here we go.

I am dedicating part of this issue to return to the very first actions I asked you to do. We have accomplished a lot in the last year—Tom DeLay’s arrest, the 2005 elections, the exposure of the corruption of Bush Republicans across the nation. But in some ways we are still dealing with the SAME issues that we began with. So, let us return to the beginning and revisit some critical actions. Of course I also include some new items.

Progressive Democrat Issue 52: ELECTION REFORM ACTION

Here was my analysis of election 2004 in my first newsletter:

To me the situation is like this. We had a very suspicious election in 2000 that left half of the nation feeling like the election was stolen. We had voting machines enter the fray, produced by a company run by a supporter of Bush’s, in 2002 in Georgia. The results there were suspicious and many think that election was stolen. Finally we have the 2004 election, with more widespread use of the machines that are made by a biased company, and there are once more suspicious results. I don’t think fraud has been proven in any case, but what is certain is that we have a.) voter intimidation by the Republicans, b.) election boards in many states dominated by one party (generally the Republicans), c.) voting machines produced by a company whose president is openly biased, d.) no paper trail for these voting machines, making it impossible for the results of the machines to be checked, and e.) in some cases (Florida) no recourse to a recount when the machines are used.

Whether or not fraud has happened, the system is rife with possibilities for fraud and is surrounded by suspicions in election after election. Democracy cannot work under such circumstances. The suspicions need to be allayed and the biases removed. Every single American needs to feel sure that the elections are fair. We need to hammer the media and our politicians with this message.

We are still battling against Republican attempts to subvert our election system. Some people think that the recent loss of a popular Democrat in the race for San Diego mayor is due to fraud because the machines being used in San Diego are suspect. (Though I also should note that San Diego is a very conservative town). Right now in every state of the Union, the sales reps of the eVote companies are pushing overpriced, unreliable machines made by companies whose executives are sworn Republicans. Do you want to prevent the death of American democracy? Then now is the time to see what is happening in your state and to find out what you can do in your state to save our election system.

Go to the Verified Voting website and find YOUR STATE and you will see what is going on and what you need to do,

But there is more. The basic controversy is this. Companies that make voting machines have succeeded in convincing the nation that we need new technology. This isn’t really true, but we in many ways have already lost that first fight. What is being fought state-by-state is the choice between unreliable and MORE EXPENSIVE eVote machines, or cheaper and more reliable precinct-based, optical scan machines. Our state and/or local politicians are faced with the decision between these two technologies right now. I have written blog diaries covering this issue several times before, and I can refer you to one of these diaries for DETAILED information on this issue, much of which I got from my compatriot and major activist Marjorie Gersten. Please go to this diary to learn in considerable detail about what is going on with our voting rights and what you can do to fight for your rights.

This may be the most important issue facing us. Visit the above diary and take action. YOUR voting rights are at risk. Stand up for your rights!

Progressive Democrat Issue 52: MEDIA ACTIVISM I

This is from one year ago:

If we don’t take back the media, we will continue to lose. Period. That is a fact of life.

What are we up against? Here is my assessment. FoxNews, which dominates the news media due to its popularity, is an intentionally ideological propaganda machine for the right wing. Don’t believe me? See Outfoxed. FoxNews covers a big chunk of the market and those who watch FoxNews as their main news source have been shown to be more ignorant of what is going on than people who get their news from other sources. Essentially, people who get their news primarily from Fox believe the Republican party line rather than the facts. This has been quantified in the PIPA report.

More ideological than Fox is Sinclair Broadcasting. Fox is willing to compromise their ideology from time to time if to do so will help their profits. Sinclair will sacrifice their profits for their ideology. Sinclair is not a network. They are a corporation that owns local stations that include channels from all networks. In some cases, Sinclair controls the programming of those local stations. In other cases the local station is largely independent but can still be pressured by Sinclair.

Together, taking into account overlap between Fox and Sinclair, these two ideological propaganda machines control about half of the media, maybe slightly less.
The rest of the media is controlled by companies that are not obviously ideological. But they are lazy and interested primarily in profits. Despite having no specific agenda, CNN, and MSNBC in particular, but even ABC and CBS feel they have to follow the lead of FoxNews because a.) they don’t want to be accused of a liberal bias, and b.) they want to follow the successful model of Fox. This means that at worst they simply repeat what FoxNews or Bush says without question. At best they present the Fox/Bush side equally with the other side even if one is a lie and the other isn’t (e.g. the Swift Boat Liar campaign). Someone, I forget who, said “If Bush said the earth is flat and the Democrats said it was round, the media would report ‘Democrats disagree with President on the shape of the earth.’” Truth doesn’t matter.

I have two things I want to include in this week’s Media actions. First, get informed. Go to www.outfoxed.org, look over the PIPA report, and start finding your alternative media for your own use. Here are some suggestions:

Salon.com (subscribe if you don’t want their ads)
Air America Radio (go to their website to find your local station)
Media Matters (keep up on FoxNews lies and find out how to counter them)
Tom Paine.com (alternative media with Action alerts included)

The second thing I want to urge you to do is a continuation of the election reform issue I covered above. In addition to writing to your elected officials, bombard the media as well. Again, from www.Congress.org you can find a link to writing to local and national media. You can compose a letter to the media based on the same letter you wrote to your elected officials. The media HAS to hear our side. They hear the right wing’s view from Bush. But we are their customers. If they get enough letters telling our side, they do notice. So bombard them with your viewpoint and get your like-minded friends doing the same.

One update is that there is another source for good information with a liberal slant: Al Gore’s Current TV.

Current TV is aimed at youth, which means its hosts are young, perky and kind of annoying, and their segments (called “pods”) are for people with short attention spans. But beyond that, many of their pods are excellent. They include pods on conditions in Afghanistan, on American soldiers who have deserted from the war in Iraq, police brutality against anti-globalization protesters, drug abuse and the war on drugs, etc. Overall I have been impressed with the quality of the information provided and the absence of right-wing slant is refreshing.

Progressive Democrat Issue 52: MEDIA ACTIVISM II

Here is a new action (Nov. 2005) regarding Fox News:

On November 8th, 2005, Bill O'Reilly publicly advocated a terrorist attack on San Francisco.

From the November 8, broadcast of Fox News' The Radio Factor with Bill O'Reilly:
O'REILLY: "Hey, you know, if you want to ban military recruiting, fine, but I'm not going to give you another nickel of federal money. You know, if I'm the president of the United States, I walk right into Union Square, I set up my little presidential podium, and I say, 'Listen, citizens of San Francisco, if you vote against military
recruiting, you're not going to get another nickel in federal funds.
Fine. You want to be your own country? Go right ahead.'

"And if Al Qaeda comes in here and blows you up, we're not going to
do anything about it. We're going to say, look, every other place in
America is off limits to you, except San Francisco. You want to blow up
the Coit Tower? Go ahead. "

Everyone knows that this is just one more horrible, disgusting comment by Bill O'Reilly. But this time he is advocating outright terrorism against an American city. There is a campaign to nail O'Reilly for this comment. Here is a Daily Kos diary on the subject.

In particular, people are writing the four sponsors of O'Reilly's
program that day demanding that they pull their advertising. I
participated in this. Here is a followup Daily Kos diary that includes
some responses from advertisers, though most of the diary isn't too
informative.

So far the response from the advertisers has been to either gleefully
support O'Reilly or to say "Oh, we just advertise on his show, we don't
endorse what he says." The former deserves an all out boycoatt and the
latter is lame as can be. Hence I come to this list to spread the word
on this issue. Here's the key info:

According to O'Reilly's website, his corporate sponsors are:

* Equifax
* Life Quotes, Inc.
* EmigrantDirect.com
* Tempur-Pedic

Equifax is one of the "Big Three" credit reporting agencies. I sent an
email to their Media Relations contact, David Rubinger at equifax.com>. Equifax claims to no longer sponsor O'Reilly, but this
seems to contradict the fact that O'Reilly claims their sponsorship. It
is still worth writing them. If they feel the heat for their past
sponsorship, it will dissuade them from advertising again on the Radio
Factor.

Life Quotes, Inc. appears to be part of Quotesmith.com, Inc., which
runs www.insure.com, a "comprehensive online customer insurance
information service that caters to the needs of self-directed insurance
shoppers." The two contacts that I sent an email to are the Vice
President of Sales, Brian Gibson , and the
Executive Vice President and COO, William V. Thomas insure.com>. Lifequotes has been supportive of O'Reilly in its response
to complaints. That should make them a primary target of a boycott. If
you want to go further on this one, here is a list of executives of
Quotesmith.com. Complaints to them may have more effect than complaints
to LifeQuotes.

EmigrantDirect.com is a subsidiary of Emigrants Savings Bank. I could
not find any contact information other than their main helpdesk
Emigrant Bank has not responded to
complaints.

Tempur-Pedic is the miracle NASA mattress people. I sent my email to
them at Tempur-Pedic is claiming that
they are innocent little advertisers who don't care about the content
of the shows they advertise on. Which is turning a blind eye and is not
acceptable.

Please email these folks today and add your voice to those calling for
advertisers to stand up to O'Reilly's calls for terrorist attacks on
America. You can also contact O'Reilly's boss and demand that the Radio
Factor (O'Reilly's show) be pulled from the air because of it's
advocacy of a terrorist attack on San Francisco:

Shane Coppola
shane_copp@westwoodone.com

Please spread the word on this one. Remember how well we did against
Sinclair Broadcasting a year ago. We can make an impact here as well.

Progressive Democrat Issue 52: ONE MORE RACE FOR 2005!!

I want to continue this one because it is currently a chance to chip away at the Republican majority in the House. We CANNOT miss this opportunity. We need to fight hard to win CA-48 NOW. The election is in December so we have to act now.

There is one race pending that is very important. Remember Ohio’s special election in the 2nd district where Democrat Paul Hackett nearly won in one of the redder districts in Ohio? We have a similar race in a red district in California. Dissatisfaction over Bush’s policies, Arnold’s failures and corruption of Republican Congressman Cunningham from a nearby district has made the Republicans vulnerable in the normally red CA-48 congressional district. Add to this the fact that a really excellent Democrat is running and you have a rare pickup opportunity. Let me tell you about California politics. There are parts of California, like San Diego and Orange Counties, that are about as conservative as you can get. There used to be a Congressman from Orange County named Bob Dornan who makes Bush, Reagan and Cheney look like liberals. Dornan had a “safe” seat during the Reagan era. He rode Reagan’s popularity and the inherent conservative feeling in the district to easy victories. Until dissatisfaction over Republican policies, Clinton’s popularity and changing demographics led to a surprise victory of Democrat Loretta Sanchez over Dornan. Dornan, to his complete horror, lost his safe seat. It has now become a safe seat for Sanchez. Yes, we CAN pick up seats in red districts and hold them if we put our minds to it.

Well, nearby is CA-48, our latest chance. Steve Young is running in CA-48 against a far right-wing Republican and his grassroots campaign has been doing amazingly well. But it is still a difficult race and needs volunteers and donations. We can win this one, but we have to try VERY hard! Please visit Steve Young’s website and volunteer or donate.

Progressive Democrat Issue 52: NYC FOCUS

Here in NY State we are having our own fight over voting machines. This is really urgent because we may soon be faced with unreliable and overpriced voting machines right here in New York. This is from Democracy for NYC:

Action Alert - NYS Board of Elections Must Require Certification of Scanners!

Voting machine vendors who make both touch screen/pushbutton electronic voting machines (DREs) and Optical Scanners say they will not submit their scanners for certification to New York, but only their DREs.

This is outrageous given that thousands of NYS citizens, state and county legislators, and newspapers are calling for adoption of the paper ballots and scanners rather than expensive, insecure, error prone DREs. It is vital that the NYS Board of Elections require that vendors who make both DREs and optical scan systems must submit both types of systems for certification.

But our NYS Board of Elections doesn't seem to get it. Perhaps they've forgotten that they work for citizens, not for the voting machine vendors. In an interview on WXXI last week, spokesman Lee Daghlian said the NYS Board will only certify machines the companies want to sell.

"We don't feel that we can force a manufacturer to bring an optical scan machine to us if they don't wish to," he said. "This is a free country."

Apparently, Commissioners and staff of the Board of Elections think it's a free country for voting machine vendors, but not for the citizens they serve.

In a huge state like NY, it's beyond absurd for the Board to claim that they have no power to require vendors to submit scanners. Vendors will provide absolutely anything that the NYS Board of Elections requires of them. If the Board requires that they submit NYS full face ballot compatible scanners, you can be sure they will do so.

TAKE ACTION TODAY!

Mail or fax a letter to the State Board of Elections demanding that they require vendors to submit NYS full face ballot compatible optical scanners if they submit DREs. Remind the Board that they work for us, not the voting machine vendors.

Don't let the voting machine vendors decide what machines we vote on. Please write the State Board of Elections today.

You can also find a sample letter and contact info for the Board of Elections on the NYVV website.

Please address your letter to:

Peter Kosinski, Co-Executive Director
Stanley Zalen, Co-Executive Director
Neil W. Kelleher, Chair
Evelyn J. Aquila, Commissioner
Helena Moses Donohue, Commissioner

NYS BOARD OF ELECTIONS
40 Steuben Street
Albany, NY 12207-2108

Fax: 518-486-4068

Progressive Democrat Issue 52: MANHATTAN GROUPS AND EVENTS

Anti-Alito Press Event: Tue, 11/22/2005 - 10:30am, Local groups join to announce opposition to Bush's radical pick, Alito, to the Supreme Court

What: Anti-Alito Press Event
When: 10:30 AM, Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Where: City Hall Steps

Join Progressive Organizations, Elected Officials & other leaders as part of a national campaign to Voice Opposition & Defeat Bush's extreme nominee.
Sponsored by People For the American Way and its coalition partners in Americans for Fair Courts* (upon approval from organizations)

Members & Supporters include:
Citizen Action NY
Code Pink Women for Peace/New York
Empire State Pride Agenda
Gay Men's Health Crisis
NAACP NYS
NARAL Pro-Choice NY
NOW-NYC New Democratic Majority
National Council For Jewish Women
Planned Parenthood NYC



Democracy for NYC Research & Advocacy Group Meeting: Wed, 11/30/2005 - 7:00pm, Where: Cosi, downstairs 2160 Broadway at 76th St.
Join us for an exciting new initiative the DFNYC Research & Advocacy group and work on your issue.

The Research & Advocacy group or R&A provides you with an opportunity to on the issue or project you are most passionate about and develop an advocacy plan for other DFNYC members.

Some possible issues and project are: How City Government Works; Potential Reforms to the NY State Legislature; or National Health Insurance. Advocacy plans for these issues could include: a forum or panel discussion; flyering in a representative’s district; writing to our representatives; or joining another organization’s advocacy plan.

Each R&A member will focus on a specific issue and gather the information necessary to form an advocacy plan. The members will form teams around similar issues. The teams will help each member revise their ideas and hone in on an advocacy plan. The entire R&A group will work to empower the DFNYC membership and make us more informed and effective advocates.


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 are the last Friday of every month starting in Union Sq. Park North, 7PM! At a DFNYC meeting attended by Norm Seigel, Norm used Critical Mass as an example of the kind of activism that NYC needs most and the way Bloomberg is trying to squelch our rights and our voices. Critical Mass deserves our help. According to Bloomberg, my inclusion of this in my newsletter is probably illegal. Well, I refuse to let Bloomberg tell me what I can and cannot write in my Newsletter.

http://www.times-up.org/cm.php


And see their NYC calendar for Bike Workshops and other rides (including ones outside Manhattan). http://www.times-up.org/calendar/calendar.php


There is more you can do to support Critical Mass. This comes from a reader in Manhattan:

To help keep people involved in Critical Mass, people who might be sacred off because of renewed aggressiveness by the police, I have started a pledge drive that sponsors arrestees. This is a great way for people to stay involved in Critical Mass, stay on top of the issue, and use the NYPD and Bloomberg's tactics to work for us not against us. I am pledging $2 per arrestee, and the money will go to the Legal Aid Society. Pledges are made on the honor system. The more bicyclists the cops arrest the more money for defending civil rights is raised.


Democracy for America Meetings: CLICK HERE!


New Democratic Majority General Meeting:
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 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 52: BROOKLYN/QUEENS GROUPS AND EVENTS

ALL NYC:

Anti-Alito Press Event: Tue, 11/22/2005 - 10:30am, Local groups join to announce opposition to Bush's radical pick, Alito, to the Supreme Court
What: Anti-Alito Press Event
When: 10:30 AM, Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Where: City Hall Steps
Join Progressive Organizations, Elected Officials & other leaders as part of a national campaign to Voice Opposition & Defeat Bush's extreme nominee.
Sponsored by People For the American Way and its coalition partners in Americans for Fair Courts* (upon approval from organizations)
Members & Supporters include:
Citizen Action NY
Code Pink Women for Peace/New York
Empire State Pride Agenda
Gay Men's Health Crisis
NAACP NYS
NARAL Pro-Choice NY
NOW-NYC New Democratic Majority
National Council For Jewish Women
Planned Parenthood 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 are the last Friday of every month starting in Union Sq. Park North, 7PM! At a DFNYC meeting attended by Norm Seigel, Norm used Critical Mass as an example of the kind of activism that NYC needs most and the way Bloomberg is trying to squelch our rights and our voices. Critical Mass deserves our help. According to Bloomberg, my inclusion of this in my newsletter is probably illegal. Well, I refuse to let Bloomberg tell me what I can and cannot write in my Newsletter.

http://www.times-up.org/cm.php


And see their NYC calendar for Bike Workshops and other rides (including ones outside Manhattan). http://www.times-up.org/calendar/calendar.php


There is more you can do to support Critical Mass. This comes from a reader in Manhattan:

To help keep people involved in Critical Mass, people who might be sacred off because of renewed aggressiveness by the police, I have started a pledge drive that sponsors arrestees. This is a great way for people to stay involved in Critical Mass, stay on top of the issue, and use the NYPD and Bloomberg's tactics to work for us not against us. I am pledging $2 per arrestee, and the money will go to the Legal Aid Society. Pledges are made on the honor system. The more bicyclists the cops arrest the more money for defending civil rights is raised.

Democracy for NYC Research & Advocacy Group Meeting: Wed, 11/30/2005 - 7:00pm, Where: Cosi, downstairs
2160 Broadway at 76th St.
Join us for an exciting new initiative the DFNYC Research & Advocacy group and work on your issue.
The Research & Advocacy group or R&A provides you with an opportunity to on the issue or project you are most passionate about and develop an advocacy plan for other DFNYC members.
Some possible issues and project are: How City Government Works; Potential Reforms to the NY State Legislature; or National Health Insurance. Advocacy plans for these issues could include: a forum or panel discussion; flyering in a representative’s district; writing to our representatives; or joining another organization’s advocacy plan.
Each R&A member will focus on a specific issue and gather the information necessary to form an advocacy plan. The members will form teams around similar issues. The teams will help each member revise their ideas and hone in on an advocacy plan. The entire R&A group will work to empower the DFNYC membership and make us more informed and effective advocates.


BROOKLYN EVENTS:

Democracy for America Meetings: CLICK HERE!

MARJORIE'S OZZIE’S MEETUP: Next meetup in November. 249 5th Ave at Garfield, Park Slope, 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

Independent Neighborhood Democrats: Contact me or Devin Cohen: devincohen@msn.com if you are interested. http://www.indbrooklyn.org/

Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats (CBID) (mostly covers Park Slope, Windsor Terrace, and Kensington. http://www.cbidems.org/


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:

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 52: NEW JERSEY FOCUS

Election Day Recap from New Jersey for Democracy. Time to celebrate!

Thank you everybody who worked so tirelessly on behalf of the DFA and NJ4D-endorsed candidates statewide! We had winners, we had near-misses, and we laid the groundwork for the future!

Our Report Card:

Governor Jon Corzine - We are proud to have played a part in electing the man who has promised to be New Jersey's most progressive governor ever, and maybe even the nation's! From the Corzine Connection-DFA statewide house parties, to the individual efforts from so many of our members, we truly had something to celebrate election night with this DFA-List Win!

Linda Greenstein & Dan Benson for Assembly - In this swing district, Assemblywoman Greenstein won re-election, and both our endorsed candidates ran a fresh and exciting campaign that also went a long way toward securing the Governor's victory. Thanks Linda and Dan!

Jun Choi for Mayor of Edison Township - In a tight race, our candidate, Jun Choi, finished the job he started in the primary, and prevailed to become the next Mayor of Edison - Congrats Jun!

Thom Jackson & Janice Schindler for Assembly, and Dana Wefer for Freeholder - Morris County DFA deserves a huge thanks for helping propel this Republican District into play this year. In races much closer than "the experts" predicted, our candidates let it be known that there is a future for progressive candidates in every corner of New Jersey! Thank you Thom, Janice and Dana!

Byron Arnao for Glen Rock Council - In this Republican-dominated town, Byron came within 15 votes of a seat on the Council. Byron will be back, and next time he'll make it!

Jeff Marshall for Hunterdon Freeholder and Damian Fracasso for Warren Freeholder - Often overlooked in recaps is the hard work put in by our candidates and supporters in the "Reddest" parts of New Jersey. But every dollar and every minute the right wing spends defending seats in "Red" areas means less time for them in other areas. Hats off our candidates and supporters in the toughest areas of the state!


Good job New Jersey! Next stop, 2006!

Progressive Democrat Issue 52: NEW JERSEY GROUPS AND EVENTS

Walmart-The high cost of Low Price- Movie screening:

November 30, 2005 06:30 PM

TICKET PRICE: FREE

DETAILS: Ocean County Democracy For America is sponsoring a FREE screening of a new film by Robert Greenwald and Brave New Films, "Walmart, The High Cost of Low Price" 6:30pm Wed. Nov. 30th at the Brick branch of the Ocean county Library, 301 Chambers Bridge Rd Brick, NJ.

Be a part of over 3000 screenings happening this month all across the country!
email: oceancountydemocracyforamerica@yahoo.com for more info http://www.dfalink.com/oceancounty


Rally 4 Equality! Wed. 23rd 11am Toms River. The word is spreading like wildfire and thousands of you are up in arms: One of the most grotesque instances of homophobia in New Jersey history has just taken place in Ocean County. As reported in the Asbury Park Press today, a policewoman with advanced lung cancer, deemed inoperable, was denied domestic partnership benefits for her partner because the Ocean County Administrator and Freeholders said it would not be "moral" to give such benefits to a same-sex couple. They also cited economic costs -- but truth be told, the costs would
be negligible.

PLEASE JOIN GARDEN STATE EQUALITY, THE ACLU OF NEW JERSEY, JERSEY SHORE PFLAG, NATIONAL ORGANIZATION OF WOMEN-NEW JERSEY, LAMBDA FAMILIES OF NEW JERSEY, THE CENTRAL JERSEY LESBIAN ALLIANCE AND DOZENS OF OTHER ORGANIZATIONS FOR A RALLY AT 11 AM ON WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23 IN FRONT OF THE OCEAN COUNTY ADMINISTRATION BUILDING, 101 HOOPER AVENUE, TOMS RIVER. GARDEN STATE EQUALITY WILL PROVIDE COFFEE AND DANISH ON SITE FOR ALL RALLY ATTENDEES.


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.

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.

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:

New Brunswick, 1st/3rd Tuesday each month, 7:00 PM @ Doll's Place, 101 Paterson St. New Brunswick, NJ

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

Princeton, Every Thursday, 7:00 pm, 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 52: VIRGINIA GROUPS AND EVENTS

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

Fredericksburg Regional Democratic Breakfast: 12/3/2005 09:30 AM, Brush Strokes Gallery, 198 Hanover Street, Fredericksburg. Come join Stafford, Spotsylvania, and Fredericksburg Democrats for light breakfast and hearty political conversation. Bring a chair, and a friend!

Wednesday, November 30th, 7–9 PM , “News from the front: Creationist efforts in our schools and legislatures”, Featuring EUGENIE SCOTT, Executive Director of the National Center for Science Education. Event is at OAKTON HIGH SCHOOL, 2900 SUTTON ROAD, VIENNA, VA 22181 {The Vienna/Fairfax-GMU Metro Stop on the Orange Line} info@themessagegroup.org

Saturday, December 3rd, International Day of Action to Stop Global Warming has been picking up in North America! An exciting coalition has come together in Montreal to organize a major action there on the 3rd, and local actions will be happening in other parts of Canada. Activists in a dozen countries in Europe and Asia are organizing toward December 3rd. In the USA 44 organizations so far have endorsed our Call to Action. We are also ramping up our efforts to obtain many tens of thousands more signatures on the Peoples Ratification of the Kyoto Protocol petition www.kyotoandbeyond.org , which will be taken to Montreal and delivered there to the U.S. delegation by a group of prominent personalities. Further information on the U.S. campaign can be found at www.climatecrisis.us to communicate with the campaign's coordinator or for Stop Global Warming buttons, stickers and posters, contact Ted Glick at usajointheworld@igc.org

***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.

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.


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 52: GETTING LOCAL AROUND THE NATION

This is how our coalition will be built: through out local action. Our success depends on you and your activism. 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.


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.


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).


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.