Progressive Democrat Issue 86: THOUGHTS

This week is insane for me. Joy and I have been introducing our son to day care, which takes up our mornings. Then we put in a half day at work. Then we come home and campaign for our local candidates in the primaries, which are coming up Tuesday. We discovered that one of our favorite candidates is locked in a four-way dead heat for Congress. So our efforts are even more important than usual!

So, I am only putting this out because of the ABC 9/11 propoganda show and I throw in a couple of other things. Please do the couple of actions I highlight. And wish us luck in this primary!

(I am not doing the local groups part this week, though I am putting out local actions.)

Progressive Democrat Issue 86: ABC TO AIR BUSH PROPOGANDA ON 9/11

There have been some partial victories in fighting ABC's right wing propoganda piece that blames Clinton for 9/11. But we still need to speak out.

Here are the current actions. Please do them today since tomorrow will be too late:


Media Matters reminds us that ABC was the network that refused to show Fahrenheit 9/11, but they are willing to show the right wing lies of Path to 9/11.

From Media Matters:

Disney reveals clear double standard on inaccurate, pro-conservative "docudrama"

As Media Matters for America has pointed out -- and nearly everyone from 9-11 Commission members and members of Congress to prominent conservative pundits and executives at ABC has already acknowledged -- Disney-owned ABC's upcoming "docudrama" The Path to 9/11 is a fabricated, inaccurate, and misleading portrayal of the events leading up to 9-11, one which Disney and ABC deceptively marketed as a documentary-style film based on the 9-11 Commission report.

It has become apparent in recent days that Disney's production is rife with factual errors, inaccuracies, and omissions, and it relies on scenes that even those involved in its production readily admit are fabricated. The movie's premise, reportedly, joins the cause of right-wing conservatives in blaming former President Bill Clinton for the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks while simultaneously letting President Bush off the hook.

But ABC's corporate parent, The Walt Disney Co., appears to be employing a double standard. It refused to distribute Michael Moore's film Fahrenheit 9/11, which was highly critical of President Bush, even though it was produced by a Disney subsidiary, Miramax Films. Disney representatives also reportedly threatened to sue the publisher of James Stewart's book DisneyWar if it contained inaccuracies.

It does not speak well of Disney's credibility when it refuses to distribute a progressive movie and threatens legal action against some inaccuracies, and yet will stand silent while its ABC subsidiary spends millions of dollars making a miniseries that distorts history to falsely blame President Clinton for the 9-11 attacks.

Please contact Disney and urge it not to broadcast this false attack on President Clinton -- and remind it of its refusal to distribute a film critical of President Bush.

From MoveOn:

In a little over 48 hours, ABC will air a five-hour "docudrama" on the 9/11 attacks. The movie was written and produced by a right-wing activist who fabricated key scenes to blame Democrats and defend Republicans. It's so partisan that even Rush Limbaugh was surprised ABC decided to air it. And an FBI agent who was brought in to consult on the docudrama quit because, he said, "they were making things up."

Public outrage is mounting across the country, and Variety reports that ABC is now "mulling the idea of yanking the mini altogether."4 But we only have a little time to act. We'll start delivering this petition to ABC headquarters tomorrow at noon and continue as more signatures come in. So we're looking for 200,000 signatures TODAY.

Can you sign? Click here.

From Act for Change:

Since publishing our original action alert regarding ABC's inaccurate and biased "docu-drama" to be broadcast on Sept. 10th and 11th, we've learned even more disturbing details about the show - which is scheduled to occupy six hours of prime time television, less that two months before an important national election.

* The film - written by an avowed conservative activist - was provided in advance to approximately 900 right-wing bloggers and media personalities such as Rush Limbaugh. However, former President Bill Clinton and two of his cabinet officials were denied when they requested preview copies of the film. Former Secretary of State Madeline Albright has called the film - which includes several scenes with no basis in reality -- "false and defamatory."

* In response to mounting pressure, the film's producers are making some small changes...but according to conservative blogger Hugh Hewitt, "blame on the Clinton team is in the DNA of the project and could not be eradicated."

* ABC has teamed up with Scholastic Inc., a company that sells textbooks, to send letters to 100,000 teachers across the country offering free copies of the film and "study guides," despite the fact that the film is a "docu-drama" in which important facts and events have simply been invented out of thin air.

From these latest developments, it's become clear that this film was intended from the start to convince unknowing viewers that a false and conservative view of history is in fact the truth; lay blame at Bill Clinton's feet (while completely omitting mention of the dozens of antiterrorism measures he tried to enact); and propagandize America's schoolchildren with fiction masquerading as fact. It's simply unacceptable.


Call to action:
Tell ABC, Disney and Scholastic executives that fictionalized, "blame-Clinton-first" accounts of Sept. 11th have no place on our public airwaves OR in our public schools.

Deadline:
9/10/2006

I believe that Scholastic has already backed off, but ABC has not. I suggest going ahead and doing the Act for Change action because it will re-enforce Scholastic's decision to back off and may help change ABC's mind.

FAIR's Counter Spin is fighting back by having a counter-program examining the myths of 9/11, including the ABC program's lies. From FAIR:

Five years after the September 11 attacks, FAIR's radio show CounterSpin takes a look at media myths of the events versus reality. First up, "The Path to 9/11," an ABC docudrama scheduled to air on September 10th and 11th, is being billed by ABC as "an objective telling of the events of 9/11." But early reports suggest it's a right-wing take on events that pleases White House supporters while mangling recent history and laying the blame for 9/11 on the Clinton administration. CounterSpin speaks with Sheldon Rampton, research director of the Center for Media and Democracy, about the show—and why Disney-owned ABC would air such a politically partisan program.

Also on the show: "When the legend becomes fact, print the legend," goes the famous movie line, and that could describe media's treatment of former New York city mayor Rudolph Giuliani's much-vaunted performance during the World Trade Center attack five years ago. The troubling truth, according to a new book, is that the story that Giuliani has told—and that the press has repeated—about September 11th and his actions that day doesn't square with actual events. We talk with Wayne Barrett, co-author of the new book Grand Illusion: The Untold Story of Rudy Giuliani and 9/11, about the reality behind the distorted picture of Giuliani's actions that day.

Listen to the show online.

CounterSpin can be heard on more than 125 noncommercial stations across the United States and Canada—find your station here.

You can also subscribe to our podcast.

Progressive Democrat Issue 86: PROTECTING OUR VOTE

This is from Democracy for America and from myself.

First, from DFA:

The best way to protect our vote is to elect responsible, ethical leaders to the office of Secretary of State. When people like Ken Blackwell and Katherine Harris control the election process it should be no surprise that voters are disenfranchised and that our democracy is undermined.

Democracy for America is supporting four great Secretary of State candidates that will start restoring fairness to our elections. These candidates all support verifiable paper ballots and strong protections for voter rights. They all have a great chance to win, but they need your help to put their campaigns over the top. Please read more and help them in any way you can.

I have a larger effort to help Democrats running not only for Secretary of State, but also for Attorney General because THAT is the position we need to fill to end Republican cronyism and corruption. Here's my action:

Two state level positions that tend to be ignored are Secretary of State and Attorney General. Yet both of these positions are critical for things like fighting Republican corruption and attacks on our voting rights. This Act Blue page is dedictaed to winning some Sec. of State and Attorney General positions so we can start protecting our rights on the STATE level. In all seriousness, Sec. of State and Attorney General positions should be among our most important targets. I am also adding auditor and financial officer positions for some states because these posts also are important for fighting Republican corruption and cronyism. Let’s clean up American politics state by state, protecting our elections and ending corruption.

Please, please, please donate to one or both of these efforts. Our political system DESPERATELY needs reforming and we cannot reform in states where Republicans control these two positions.

Progressive Democrat Issue 86: NY FOCUS

I will continue to highlight the efforts to win Congressional and State Senate seats locally. Please help out. It could make a HUGE difference in November.

If you can't volunteer for any of the above, please at least donate to help our candidates. I am hoping to get my NJ, NY and VA readers competing in how much they donate...though NY is starting way ahead already.

Here are the actions you can take to help win in November:

Seize the State Senate Landline Phone Banking
Every Monday and Wednesday Evening

Wednesday, September 13th: RSVP at this Link
Monday, September 18th: RSVP at this Link
Wednesday, September 20th: RSVP at this Link

6:15 - 8:45 PM
420 Lexington Ave (at 43rd St), Suite 360
Bring photo ID to sign in at front desk.

What will we be doing? We're going to be using landlines to do low-pressure calls to dramatically increase Democratic voter turnout in the most competitive State Senate races. This is a great way for first-time callers to get started.

Why care about the State Senate? If you care about fair elections, education, transportation, the environment, healthcare, security, and other major issues in New York, you should care a lot about winning back the New York State Senate. Now that reformer Eliot Spitzer is likely to be New York's next governor, it's even more important to have a Democratic legislature in place.

Can we win? Yes, we can. We’re just four seats from Democratic control for the first time since the mid 1960s. No, that’s not a typo: the 60’s. We need to take full advantage of popular outcry this year and overwhelm them with volunteer turnout.


Take Back Congress! Landline Phone Banking
Every Tuesday Evening

Tuesday, September 12th: RSVP at this Link
Tuesday, September 19th: RSVP at this Link
Tuesday, September 26th: RSVP at this Link


6:15 - 8:45 PM 80 Eighth Ave (at 14th St)
Suite 1802. Bring photo ID to sign in at front desk.

Join us as we begin regular Tuesday evening landline phone banking using traditional phones. No predictive dialing, no computer skills needed. If your cell phone plan includes unlimited minutes (or you just have lots of extra minutes) you can make calls using your cell and keep a landline free for another volunteer.

We're making low-pressure calls to targeted voters in Pennsylvania's 6th District, where a hotly-contested House race is underway. We'll help great Democratic candidate Lois Murphy dislodge Bush Rubberstamp House incumbent Jim Gerlach. And remember, the voters we help turn out for Lois are likely to support the entire Democratic ticket, so bye-bye, Rick Santorum!


Take Back Congress: Canvassing Trip to PA, Sept. 17
Sun, 09/17/2006 - 10:00am

ACT Now NY is organizing a trip to Pennsylvania to help DFA-endorsed candidate Lois Murphy take back Congress. Volunteers will talk to voters about the issues and principles in the midterm elections.

Note: In a recent DFNYC email, we incorrectly reported that this trip is on Sept. 27. It is not; it's on Sept. 17th.

More info and RSVP at: www.actnowny.org (scroll down)

Democrat Lois Murphy is running against incumbent Republican Jim Gerlach, another rubber-stamp in Congress for the Bush administration. The New York Times has called this race a "toss up," which means that grassroots outreach can make the difference.

For more about Lois Murphy, visit http://www.loismurphy.org/

Progressive Democrat Issue 86: NEW JERSEY FOCUS

From the NJ State Democratic Party website, here is probably the single most important thing you could be doing right now: Registering new voters!

Register Others To Vote!
Want to host or participate in a Voter Registration Drive, but you're not sure how?
Call or email us, and we can help you get involved registering people to vote!

Email us
Call us at 609-392-DEMS

If you can't volunteer to register voters, please donate to support key candidates in New Jersey. So far no donations from New Jersey readers. NY readers have donated almost $1000.

Progressive Democrat Issue 86: VIRGINIA FOCUS

Virginia is once again a key state to win this year. We need a win in Virginia to take back the Senate. Two things you can do right now to help win big in Virginia, not just in the Senate but also house races. First, volunteer for a campaign. To find your local campaigns, please go here. Or go here to contact your local Democratic party leaders to volunteer.

If you can't volunteer, donate to win in Virginia. Virginia readers have yet to donate anything while my NY readers have donated almost $1000.