Progressive Democrat Issue 96: THOUGHTS

This week will be another gloating newsletter. I really think it is important to realize the scale of our win. Here is a link to a diary I wrote on Culture Kitchen outlining how Democrats won BIG amoung Jewish voters, Asian voters, and the youth vote and how Native Americans won big running as Democrats, all groups that Republicans have been heavily courting in recent years. Democrats closed the gap among church-going Christians as well, cutting into the Republican base. Almost across the board and in every state we did better than expected. Why? Republicans partly dug their own grave. With corruption and a war based on lies, voters were bound to get fed up. But Democrats, uniting with a message of hope, joined populist, progressive and moderate voices to convince Americans that they offered a genuine alternative. Now we have to prove our worth.

Already Democrats have jumped on one important issue: accountability. The Republicans have recently tried to end the Office of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, which is the agency set up to root out corruption in America's Iraq mission. This is the agency that caught Halliburton over-charging the government while providing sub-standard service, forcing Halliburton to pay back some of what it stole, but not stopping Bush and Cheney from continuing to give Halliburton as many no-bid contracts as possible. Republicans want this one source of accontability in Iraq to end. Democrats are already planning to reauthorize this oversight agency. I applaud this plan to reintroduce accountability into American government.

Democrats are also already pushing for a phased redeployment taht would mean withdrawal from Iraq over a 4-6 month period. Democrats are taking the initiative, trying to force an exit strategy whre Republicans have been unable to come up with one for 5 years. In fact, currently the Republicans are planning to send entire National Guard brigades BACK into Iraq for second tours of duty. Democrats want to move forwards...Republicans are locked in making all the same mistakes over and over again.

There are only two things I am asking you to do this week, and both are important to strengthen the hold VOTERS have on the Democratic Party and, through this election's victories, on the nations' government. First, wherever you live, contact your newly elected politicians at whatever level of government, and tell them your thoughts about the election, on the state of America, and what YOU expect of them. Be enthusiastic and specific. But speak out to them. If you already spoke out to them when I urged it last week, make a followup contact. Ask to meet with them before they go to Washington or the state capital. Get to know them, make sure they know you and what your thoughts are. Some politicians won't care. That is worth knowing. But many will at least give you a chance to express yourself. A former mayor of San Diego once told me that politicians, particularly on the local and state level, get so little personal input from voters that when they do they notice. Congressional Representatives and especially Senators are more used to it, but if they are newly elected, they will be at their most open to your comments. So have your say!

The second thing I ask you to do is to join Howard Dean's Democracy Bond program, highlighted just below in Howard Dean's post-election message. Simply put, a big part of our success and a large part of the future of the party rests in this one program. Right now there are 35,000 participants donating a small contribution a month. The average contribution is around $20. As I also emphasize below, that is $700,000 PER MONTH in small donations coming in. That is money with no ties to big industries or lobbyists...only tied to the voters. THAT is what Howard Dean is doing for the Democrats. MORE money with obligations only to the voters. That is the one action I am asking you to do...join this program if you haven't already. For as little as $10/month you can change the dynamics of American politics. See Howard Dean's message below for more information.

Later I will be back to urging you to take action on many issues, but for now, focus on these two actions.

Most of this week's newsletter will be passing along the post-election comments from newly elected Democrats from around the nation, as well as Jim Dean (chair of Democracy for America) and Howard Dean (DNC chair). Enjoy their enthusiasm and their thanks. WE got them elected. They are very appreciative of it!

Issue 96 Table of Contents:

THOUGHTS

THE FINAL THREE CONGRESSIONAL RACES OF 2006

A MESSAGE FROM HOWARD DEAN

A MESSAGE FROM JIM DEAN

A MESSAGE FROM THE INDIGENOUS DEMOCRATIC NETWORK

VETERAN'S DAY

VIRGINIA'S NEW SENATOR: JIM WEBB

MONTANA'S NEW SENATOR: JON TESTER

BROOKLYN ACTIVISM

A NEW YORK STATE CONGRESSWOMAN: KIRSTIN GILLIBRAND