Progressive Democrat Issue 63: THOUGHTS

This week had the disappointment of Alito’s confirmation and the predictable, tired clichés of Bush’s State of the Union address. The only surprise of the State of the Union was the admission by Bush that America needs to deal with its oil addiction. Of course, I am sure this admission carries the same great weight as his admission that global warming is real—none at all.

The failure of the Democrats to filibuster Alito create considerable anger among progressives. But I have to say that we should not be surprised that the Democrats, who control NONE of the branches of government or the media, fail to block Bush’s agenda. Rather, we should be surprised when they DO succeed.

But many progressives are angry enough to be calling for the heads of those Democrats who failed the filibuster and who are up for reelection. The thirst for blood from the left against this so-called "Vichy 10" is sweeping several blogs and I have to say I find it kind of depressing. It is the kind of knee jerk reaction, poorly thought out and poorly expressed, that I expect from Bush supporters talking about Clinton's blowjobs.

I understand people's frustration. But some of the Senators that people want to target have among the best voting records in Congress on the environment, labor and choice. Do we REALLY want to start by targeting those people?

The so-called “Vichy 10.” Are these guys really so bad that we should go on an all-out crusade against them? Let’s see:

I am getting my data from: League of Conservation Voters (environment voting record: 2004 data); Americans for Democratic Action (liberal Dems: 2004 data); NARAL (Choice: 2004 data);and AFL-CIO (labor: lifetime score).

These scores are based on whether they voted the appropriate position according to that group. This can be taken as a rough measure of what they deliver: votes for or against progressive positions. It is NOT a measure of their leadership, which requires more than just voting the right way. It measures whether they are delivering votes that support progressive positions.

Daniel Akaka (HI) LCV: 100%; ADA: 95%; NARAL: 100%; AFL-CIO: 94%

Jeff Bingaman (NM) LCV: 100%; ADA: 90%; NARAL: 75%; AFL-CIO: 83%

Robert Byrd (WV) LCV: 100%; ADA: 90%; NARAL: 55%; AFL-CIO: 78%

Maria Cantwell (WA) LCV: 100%; ADA: 95%; NARAL: 100%; AFL-CIO: 89%

Thomas Carper (DE) LCV: 83%; ADA: 95%; NARAL:75%; AFL-CIO: 89%

Kent Conrad (ND) LCV: 83%; ADA: 90%; NARAL:75%; AFL-CIO: 84%

Herbert Kohl (WI) LCV: 100%; ADA: 100%; NARAL:75%; AFL-CIO: 80%

Joseph Lieberman (CT) LCV: 100%; ADA: 75%; NARAL:75%; AFL-CIO: 84%

Bill Nelson (FL) LCV: 100%; ADA: 80%; NARAL:75%; AFL-CIO: 91%

Ben Nelson (NE) LCV: 67%; ADA: 65%; NARAL:20%; AFL-CIO: 72%

Byrd also led the fight against the war in Iraq almost by himself in the Senate for YEARS.

Based on their voting records I conclude that:

1. Calling them collaborationists is absolutely ridiculous. Some of these are our best voters overall on issues as important to us as the environment and choice!

2. There are far, far better targets—-every single Republican Senator (who score almost across the board below 20%) and even a handful of other Dems who score worse than these folks.

3. Ben Nelson of Nebraska is the ONLY one who scores low enough to warrant an all out challenge. I do not push for challenges against Democrats in this newsletter, but Nelson really DOES warrant a challenge. And Lieberman probably deserves it as well based on his kissing up (literally AND figuratively) to Bush, though I think his support for the environment and choice are often ignored by people when they call him Rep-lite.

4. Targeting Byrd, despite his low NARAL score, shows a lack of gratitude or memory after his hard work trying to highlight the illegality of Bush’s war in Iraq. For MONTHS we all praised him for his firebrand speeches taking Bush to task. Suddenly we forget his efforts?


Again, this newsletter is not intended to endorse in primaries or to publicize internal fighting among Democrats. However, it is designed to encourage progressives and to work for a stronger progressive voice both within the party and nationally.

So what can I suggest? What we need is NOT a civil war within the Democratic Party. Such a civil war would only help the Republicans and, most likely, hurt the progressives. We, as progressives, do not have as developed an infrastructure to compete adequately nationally. It is that infrastructure that we need to develop. What we need to do is the following: donate and volunteer and publicize those groups that push a Progressive Democratic agenda.

Get busy with Democracy for America. This is a group whose organization is sometimes a bit too loose, but which has also greatly helped some progressive democrats win elections nationwide. Each local chapter is different and somewhat independent. So find or make your own which can focus on your areas local issues as well as joining together with thousands of other groups fighting on the national level.

Get busy training/donating/volunteering with Wellstone Action. Named for the late
Paul Wellstone, this group aims to train our next generation of progressive
leaders. Their training sessions can be extremely helpful in teaching progressives HOW to run for office and HOW to give effective public speeches.

Get busy with Progressive Majority, yet another group that seeks out good progressive candidates,
helps train them and get them elected. They did phenomenally in local races
in 2005. They focus state-by-state, recruiting and training as many good candidates as possible in a handful of states each year.

And, of course, we need to just plain defeat the Republicans nationwide. Once again I want to draw your attention to the fight to defeat the ten weakest Republican Representatives and the fight against the most callous of Republicans, the The Katrina 11.

Progressive Democrat Issue 63: THE BUSH ADMINISTRAION’S WORST SHAME

This may not be the action with the worst consequences, but to me the fact that the Bush Administration lied to NY firefighters about the toxicity of the world trade center smoke at the exact moment of their greatest heroism and hence condemned many of the bravest of Americans to debilitating illness is the most shameful act of the Bush Administration. It is like sticking a knife into the guts of the person who just risked his life to save you.

And it seems our judicial system agrees.

From AP News wire:

A federal judge blasted former Environmental Protection Agency chief Christine Todd Whitman on Thursday for reassuring New Yorkers soon after the Sept. 11 attacks that it was safe to return to their homes and offices while toxic dust was polluting the neighborhood.

U.S. District Judge Deborah A. Batts refused to grant Whitman immunity against a class-action lawsuit brought in 2004 by residents, students and workers in lower Manhattan and Brooklyn who said they were exposed to hazardous materials from the destruction of the World Trade Center.

"No reasonable person would have thought that telling thousands of people that it was safe to return to lower Manhattan, while knowing that such return could pose long-term health risks and other dire consequences, was conduct sanctioned by our laws," the judge said.

She called Whitman's actions "conscience-shocking," saying the EPA chief knew that the collapse of the twin towers released tons of hazardous materials into the air...

In her ruling, Batts noted that the EPA and Whitman said repeatedly - beginning just two days after the attack - that the air appeared safe to breathe. The EPA's internal watchdog later found that the agency, at the urging of White House officials, gave misleading assurances.

Quoting a ruling in an earlier case, the judge said a public official cannot be held personally liable for putting the public in harm's way unless the conduct was so egregious as "to shock the contemporary conscience." Given her role in protecting the health and environment for Americans, Whitman's reassurances after Sept. 11 were "without question conscience-shocking," Batts said.

I live in New York and I remember 9/11. I lost a friend the moment that first plane hit. I remember the days of shock that goes beyond what anyone in the rest of the nation felt as ashes rained down on us...ashes of nearly 3000 of our fellow New Yorkers. And of course I remember our pride in our firefighters, the men and women who were on the front line of our defense and who lost so many on that day. Every firehouse in NYC lost personnel. My neighborhood's firehouse, though in Brooklyn, was one of the first companies on the scene...and they lost half their men.

The Bush Administration betrayed NYC and our firefighters.

Remember that the EPA KNEW that the smoke from the WTC was toxic, yet, allegedly on Bush's instructions, declared it safe. This means that our brave firefighters worked day after day at ground zero without respirators. The result? Something called "ground zero syndrome" which is hitting many firefighters and others who spend time in lower Manhattan while the smoke lingered. Firefighters now have debilitating respiratory problems because the EPA lied to us about the toxicity of that smoke.

I remember the smell of that smoke. It smelled like an indescribable combination of melted glass and solder. Only occasionally in weeks after 9/11 could you smell another smell...the smell of decomposition. It was mostly a chemical, metallic smell.

When the Bush administration is known to have lied about such a life-and-death matter, misinforming our bravest Americans at their shining hour and condemning them to illness, how can we trust them at all. This is the lesson that all Americans need to learn about Bush and his administration: we cannot trust them. If they are willing to further risk the lives of our first responders by lying, then they cannot be trusted for anything.

What is worse is that this is NOT an isolated case. The Bush Administration has also been trying to lower Arsenic standards for our drinking water, allow more mercury dumping into our oceans and allow more pollutants into our air. What the Bush Administration is ignoring is that ALREADY there is evidence of health risks from these pollutants. For example, male fertility has been declining in many (but not all) studies conducted worldwide (see HERE and HERE for examples). The cause is not certain yet but many scientists believe it is due in part to increased exposure to pollutants that we ALL experience. Our oceans already have sufficient levels of mercury that our government advises eating a MAXIMUM of 2 servings of the SAFEST ocean fish or sea food a week to keep mercury exposure at safe levels. Pregnant women and young children are advised to avoid fish altogether. This is the recommendation of our own government, making me wonder just how bad things REALLY are. And Bush wants MORE mercury in our oceans which, mind you, means MORE mercury in our seafood meaning fish and seafood are becoming dangerous to eat.

To give you an idea of how bad pollution is worldwide (and America is only one culprit) here is something to ponder. Remember that as you move up the food chain, toxic compounds tend to get concentrated in the tissues at higher and higher levels. Humans are top carnivores in many cases, eating fish that eat other fish that eat...etc. The Inuit of the Arctic regions subsist on a higher percentage of seafood, including seals and such, of any population on earth. The Inuit are also among the most isolated people around with little industry or toxic waste sites or anything near them. Yet the levels of toxic compounds, including mercury and other heavy metals, are so high that it is life threatening. The concentrations of such compounds in the breast milk of Inuit women are high enough to be rated as toxic waste by American standards. The Inuit are eating our toxic waste, in essence, and it is seriously affecting their health.

And yet Bush wants more poisoning. And he was willing to lie right in the faces of New York firefighters desperately searching for the remains of their fallen comrades in the ruins of the WTC. When I first heard of this, I was disgusted beyond words and I cannot believe that ANY firefighter or AND New Yorker would accept this.

Hillary Clinton is sure pissed about this. I have heard that she has tried taking action on this before, but now she is trying to bring the issue to the Senate floor. According to the February issue of the American Perspective:<

Clinton Seeks Help For Ground Zero Workers

Senator Hillary Clinton said Tuesday she will bring the debate over Sept. 11 ground zero worker health to the floor of the U.S. Senate in coming days, seeking help for first responders through a troubled asbestos litigation bill.

What about Sthe rest of Congress? Why isn't every Senator and Representative angry at this betrayal of America's best and bravest? This is NOT a partisan issue...or it SHOULDN'T be.

Write Congress and demand an investigation and compensation for NYC and our firefighters. And contact the media about this issue.

Progressive Democrat Issue 63: VOTING RIGHTS

HAVA DEADLINES MUST BE EXTENDED TO ALLOW STATES TO MAKE GOOD DECISIONS

From The People's Email Network:

A number of states are under alot of pressure to buy insecure and expensive electonic voting systems because of deadlines in the HAVA (Help America Vote Act).

A bill has been introduced in the House (HR 4666) to give the states more time to make wise decisions on systems which have not even been adequately tested and qualified yet. Otherwise they will lose federal funding due them under HAVA.

TAKE ACTION!

No board of elections should be forced to make decisions before certification of all available voting systems is completed. Manufacturers should not risk quality defects by rushing machines out the door. We the people should not be rushed into bad decisions. Our vote and its integrity are more important than an arbitrary deadline. To stop the impending HAVA train wreck, we urge you to support HR 4666, introduced by Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick (PA-08) on January 31 to extend the deadline for HAVA compliance past the 2006 primary season without penalty. TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE. This bill and its eventual companion in the Senate must be fast-tracked so that as many counties as possible can benefit from the extended deadline. The only way that will happen is if members of Congress hear from their constituents that passage of HR 4666 must be a priority.

Please take action NOW, so we can win all victories that are supposed to be ours, and forward this message to everyone else you know.

If you would like to get alerts like these, CLICK HERE.

Remember, if our elections are not fair and open, our democracy is dead. Fight for all our voting rights.

Progressive Democrat Issue 63: SAVING AMERICAN SCIENCE PART II

In the past I have written about the right wing's attack on science, including the Intelligent Deception Lobby and Lobby of Denial and urged you to lobby for restoration of some science funding that Bush has cut. Well, here is further evidence of a right wing attack on science...and a top scientist who is sick of it.

From the Union of Concerned Scientists:

Dr. James Hansen, a leading expert on climate change, alleged in Sunday's New York Times that political appointees tried to stop him from speaking out on global warming issues. Unfortunately, the media has generally failed to make the connection between Dr. Hansen's experience and the greater pattern of the censorship of scientists and manipulation and distortion of science throughout the federal government.

Today, please write a letter to the editor (LTE) of the newspaper of your choice. As the Times article has been picked up by many media outlets, this is an excellent time for scientists to connect the dots between this example and the greater problem of the suppression of science.

In addition to informing the public about this issue, a well-crafted LTE will also be read by the staff of the region's congressional offices. You can find a partial listing of papers that have picked up this story below.

Background

Dr. Hansen is the director of the Goddard Institute for Space Studies at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and holds appointments at Columbia University. Sunday's New York Times provided a disturbing account of politically motivated efforts at NASA to restrict Dr. Hansen's public comments.

According to the Times, administration officials have ordered NASA's public affairs staff to "review his coming lectures, papers, postings on the Goddard Web site and requests for interviews from journalists." The new restrictions on Dr. Hansen's public communications come after he gave a lecture last month at the American Geophysical Union meeting highlighting the need for prompt reductions in heat-trapping emissions.

The attempt to silence Dr. Hansen is only the latest in a persistent effort to undermine the public's understanding that human-caused emissions of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases are making a discernible contribution to global warming. Furthermore, Dr. Hansen's account is consistent with previous attempts to restrict public access to government scientists and to distort scientific findings to fit a political agenda.

Take Action!

Send a letter to the editor of your regional or local paper. Then please let us know that you have done so by emailing us at rsi@ucsusa.org.

MAIN MESSAGE: The American people deserve unfettered access to the advice of scientific experts. The administration's effort to silence scientists on global warming and other critical topics that directly impact our health, safety, and environment is irresponsible and needs to stop.

SUPPORTING MESSAGES:

· Political interference in science negatively impacts our nation's ability to respond to significant scientific challenges like climate change and bird flu.

· We all know that policy decisions are based on many factors, not just science. But when the science itself is knowingly censored, the public and policymakers will be unable to make fully informed decisions about matters that impact our health, safety, and environment.

· The United States spends billions of dollars on research at NASA each year. American taxpayers deserve nothing less than the truth from the government agencies we fund.


· Government scientists must be allowed to serve their agency's mission, not the prerogatives of any elected or appointed official.

· On issues from air pollution to endangered species, we have seen an unprecedented amount of manipulation, suppression, and distortion of government science.


· This type of political interference in science is unacceptable and must stop if the United States expects to retain its world leadership in science.

· More than 8,000 scientists--including leading medical experts, former federal agency directors, university chairs and presidents, and almost fifty Nobel laureates--have called for the Bush Administration to restore scientific integrity to policy making.


Making Your Letter Effective:

Information on how and to whom to submit a LTE is usually found right on the letters page in your paper. Many papers now accept letters via email. If you can't find the information you need, simply call the paper and ask how to go about submitting a letter in response to a recently published article.

To increase the chances that your letter will be published, do the following:

· stay focused on one or two main points you'd like to make;
· avoid jargon and write in an active tense;
· be clear and concise - keep your letter under 200 words;
· include, if possible, a local angle that adds something new to the story that appeared in your paper;
· be sure to include your name, address, and daytime phone number; the paper will contact you before printing your letter; and
· submit the letter on the same day the story appears, if possible.

NOTE: An effective letter-to-the-editor needs to be personally crafted by the signer. Although we include a suggested main message, please be sure to draft the letter in your own words. In particular, your letter will be most effective--and more likely to be published--if it reflects your personal experience.

I want to emphasize that according to people I know who have met Jim Hansen, he is NOT a firebrand. From 2000-2004 his stand was to try and work with Bush's administration and to trust Bush's 2000 pledge that he would seek to cut carbon dioxide emissions. It was only in 2004 that Jim Hansen started to speak out against the Bush anti-science policies. And they have been trying to silence him.

This kind of censorship is unacceptable in America. Please speak out!

Progressive Democrat Issue 63: NYC FOCUS

NYC Police Abuses
I saw on Current TV a segment covering NYPD antagonism of a protest leading to violence. It was clear from the segment that the NYPD intentionally antagonized the protestors to create an incident so that they could break up the protest. The segment can be seen on Current TV or on their website.


I also witnessed similar tactics on the part of the NYPD in 2004 when I was participating in protests against the Republican Convention. I should emphasize that MOSTLY the police were perfectly fined during the convention protests. But I did see plain clothes cops on motor scooters actually ride INTO THE CROWD, physically pushing people back, a tactic that clearly is designed to intimidate and antagonize people.

I feel that the NYPD have a tough job. NYC is a tough city to be a police officer given the diversity of cultures, languages and beliefs as well as the population density. But this kind of behavior by the police is illegal and it makes their own job harder by turning peaceful protestors into angry protestors.

Please view the Current TV pod mentioned above, judge for yourself and contact the NYPD to question their practices if you agree that this is inappropriate.

You can also contact the Civilian Complaint Review Board:
(800) 341-CCRB

the NYC Public Advocate’s office:
Public Advocate
Ombudsman (212) 669-7250

And it might be worth contacting New York 1 who should be covering this kind of thing.

Progressive Democrat Issue 63: 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 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.


BROOKLYN EVENTS:

Democracy for America Meetings: CLICK HERE!

MARJORIE'S OZZIE’S MEETUP: I also recommend joining Marjorie's meetups and 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 63: MANHATTAN GROUPS AND EVENTS

Candidate Forum 67 Assembly District (upper west side)
Thu, 02/16/2006 - 7:00am
Linda Rosenthal has been chosen by the Democratic County Committee to run on the Democratic line in the February 28 th special election to fill the assembly seat vacated by Scott Stinger. Two other candidates Mike Lupinacci, and Charles Simon have both filed petitions to be on the ballot The last canidates forum will be held at Goddard Riverside Community Center, 593 Columbus Avenue ( at 89 th street). The forum is sponsored by DL21C and the West Side Spirit. The winner of this election will be the encumbent and have a serious advantage for the June primary.


DFNYC Monthly Mixer
Tue, 02/21/2006 - 7:00pm
Where: Sugar Bar, 254 West 72nd St. (between Broadway and West End Ave.)
Mix and mingle with DFNYC.
Click here to RSVP
Admission: $5 per person (with RSVP), $7 without

Research & Advocacy Group Meeting
Thu, 02/23/2006 - 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. New participants are always welcome.

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. All members will help eachother revise their ideas and hone in on an advocacy plan. The R&A group will work to empower the DFNYC membership and make us more informed and effective advocates.
Click to RSVP

Special Election to fill vacant State Legislature Seats
Tue, 02/28/2006 - 9:00pm

On Tuesday, February 28, 2006, New York State will hold a special election to fill vacant seats in the state legislature.
In New York City, these vacant seats include:
- the 67th Assembly District in Manhattan, Upper West Side (previously held by Scott Stringer).
- the 74th Assembly District on the east side of Manhattan, below midtown, above the Lower East Side (previously held by Steve Sanders)
These are as important as a regular election. Please vote!


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.

New Democratic Majority General Meeting:

February General Meeting - Black History Month
Please join us for our February General Meeting, Monday, February 13th, 7:30 PM, devoted to Black History Month. We'll be talking about the opportunities and challenges presented by African-American history, and what the wider implications of our past are for our common future.


The location will be the YMCA on 14th between Sixth and Seventh. Our confirmed speakers are Charlie King, candidate for NYS Attorney General and Chris Owens, candidate for Congress (http://voteowens.com/ ).


Democracy for America Meetings: 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 drinking, 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 63: NEW JERSEY FOCUS

From Democrats 2000: Bush's State of the Union Fails to Reflect Issues Important to a Younger Generation of Americans

Jamesburg, NJ - Democrats 2000, the largest and most active grassroots organization for New Jersey Democrats age 40 and under, released the following statement in response to President George W. Bush's State of the Union address:

"The reviews are in following President Bush's address to the nation. While our President delivered a speech full of oratory and rhetoric, his words rang hollow on issues important to Americans under age 40.

"The President's proposal to make tax cuts for the wealthy permanent ignores an entire generation of under age 40 Americans who struggle to save for their children's college tuition, cover the rising costs of home ownership, or earn a sufficient wage to support their young families.

"Health care costs continue to rise and insurance coverage is not affordable and accessible for all Americans including those entering the workforce in their 20s. With the Bush Administration sticking to it's tried and failed economic policies, job growth in key industries such as manufacturing are likely to continue to decrease.
"With the sky-rocketing costs of higher education, college-age Americans must choose between going deep into debt or trying to find a job armed with only a high school diploma. In a workforce environment that demands college or post-secondary school training, the cost of higher education must be controlled as a means of strengthening our nation's economy.

"Tonight's presidential address underscored why we, as younger generation professionals, need to continue to strive to elect Democrats who will be strong voices against the Bush Administration. In the coming year, we must keep the President's abysmal record in mind as we strive to elect Senator Bob Menendez, re-elect our Democratic Congressmen, and send more Democrats to the House of Representatives."

Progressive Democrat Issue 63: 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.

Upcoming DFA Events

- Saturday, February 11 at 2 p.m. - BergenGrassroots is sponsoring a 5th District Candidate Forum at the Ethical Culture Society, 687 Larch Ave., Teaneck. RSVP at www.dfalink.com/bergen

- Tuesday, February 14 (Valentines Day) at 7 p.m. - NJ4D is joining Garden State Equality at a rally at Bnai Keshet Synagogue, 99 South Fullerton, Montclair for marriage equality on the night before the New Jersey Supreme Court hears the marriage equality case - hoping for a huge turnout! You can RSVP at: www.dfalink.com/event.php?id=4799


Indigo Girls Concert Fundraiser on February 8, 2006
On February 8th the Blue 7th PAC will hold a cocktail party in Princeton, NJ at 6 p.m., and then go to see the Indigo Girls at the McCarter Theater at 8 p.m. The Indigo Girls are an excellent, Grammy winning folk-rock band, and this show has been sold out since September. It's a hot ticket, folks!

Tickets are just $100 a head for the concert, and $150 for the cocktail party and concert. There's only 100 tickets available!

Sponsorships are available, as well. $500 for the Host Committee (2 tickets to Party & Concert), $1000 for Patrons (4 tickets to Party & Concert), $2500 for Sponsors (6 tickets to Party & Concert) and $5000 for Honored Guests (10 tickets to Party & Concert).

All funds raised will go towards building a Democratic majority in the Congress by working locally to build grassroots support and expose Republican hypocrisy.

February 9, 2006 Celebrating Black History Month with the African-American Trivia Game Show - How well do you really know your Black history? Join us for a fun mix of various game shows. There'll be teams, prizes and lots of fun. Questions will be multiple choice and guessing is allowed. Edison Job Corps Academy, 500 Plainfield Avenue, Edison, NJ, 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM.

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:

New Brunswick, 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of every 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 63: VIRGINIA FOCUS

From Democracy for Virginia:

Two bills which address the issue of requiring voting machines that provide voter-verified paper trails are currently pending in the Virginia General Assembly.
On Jan. 30, a subcommittee of the Senate Privileges and Elections Committee voted 3-1 to delay consideration of the measure until the 2007 session. While the full committee could override that recommendation, that is considered unlikely.

Subcommittee chairman Sen. Jay O'Brien (R- 39th), Sen.Phillip Puckett (D-38th), and Sen. Mark Obenshain (R-26th) voted to put the bill off until next session. Sen. R. Creigh Deeds (D-Charlottesville 25th), cast the lone vote in favor of the bill.

Focus now has shifted to the companion bill in the House of Delegates, HB 1243, which was introduced by Rep. Tim Hugo (R-40th). Virginia Verified Voting, Virginians for Free and Fair Elections, The New Electoral Reform Alliance for Virginia, VerifiedVoting.org and VoteTrustUSA are all supporting the measures.

The General Assembly also is considering legislation to implement a study recommended by a legislative subcommittee late last year. The study would likely take place in 2007. Supporters of the current verified voting legislation say the study would only delay bringing verifiable integrity to the voting process , without generating any useful data.

While DFV has not formally endorsed the legislation, members are urged to learn about the issue and support the effort to improve election security and fairness.

Don’t forget to write the media about this issue.

Progressive Democrat Issue 63: VIRGINIA GROUPS AND EVENTS

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

Democratic Party of Virginia Quarterly Meeting
Starts: 2/10/2006 7:30 p.m.
Ends: 2/11/2006 12:00 p.m.
Contact: Ruth Anne Walker, Party Services Director
Location: Steering Committee, Friday, February 10, 7:30 p.m.
Central Committee, Saturday, February 11, 10:00 a.m.
Richmond Convention Center, Broad and Fourth Streets, Richmond.
Phone: 804-644-1966, x.224

The next quarterly meeting of the state party will be on Friday evening (Steering) and Saturday morning (Central).

The annual Jefferson-Jackson Day Dinner will be on Saturday evening. Email jj2006@vademocrats.org or call 804-644-1966, x.237 for more information.


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 63: NATIONAL ACTION FOR CIVIL LIBERTIES

From the ACLU:

In this week's State of the Union message, the president clung to the same basic untruths that have fueled all his attempts to justify illegal spying on Americans.

Despite his statements, the president has not been granted the power to authorize his program of warrantless NSA spying. Neither Congress nor the Constitution gave him that authority.

We can expect more of the same when Attorney General Alberto Gonzales testifies before Congress on Monday.

The facts are this: the program violates laws against unreasonable search and seizure without probable cause, as well as the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) - which specifically prohibits the president from spying on American citizens without judicial oversight.

And we now have reason to believe that the Pentagon, too, is illegally spying on peace groups and law-abiding Americans who have attended anti-war protests, in a direct attack on citizens' rights of free speech and association.

President Bush's illegal surveillance is part of a wide-ranging pattern of abuse of power, abuse that threatens the very foundation of our democracy.

The mounting alarm over the President’s reckless acts crosses the political spectrum. Our nation is based on separation of powers and the rule of law. President Bush has dishonored these principles and violated our trust.

Go to the ACLU website and TAKE ACTION to protect our civil liberties!

Progressive Democrat Issue 63: 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 2006 and beyond. Joy and I are currently involved in a few 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.