Progressive Democrat Issue 111: THOUGHTS

As Bush's popularity falls even further, the Republicans left in the Senate are already having trouble. This comes from the DSCC, an organization that I am not always fond of, but this time they have it right:

Across the country, a rising number of GOP senators facing reelection in 2008 are finding themselves in deep trouble.

Republican Woes

In New Hampshire, Sen. John Sununu has seen his approval rating drop five points to 45% as voters there have becoming increasingly fed up with his equivocation on Iraq. A few weeks ago, the DSCC's committed supporters helped us launch an ad in the Manchester Union-Leader (NH) telling Sununu's constituents how he had obstructed Senate debate on Iraq.

In North Carolina, a recent poll revealed that only 35% of likely voters plan to vote for Sen. Elizabeth Dole.

In Texas, Senator John Cornyn's approval rating has dipped to 44% and in Kentucky, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is under 50%.

Within these numbers lies a revealing insight. Four months after Republicans' overwhelming defeat at the polls, Republican senators still don't get it. America has had it with George Bush. And yet, the overwhelming majority of GOP Senators continue to do the president's bidding on Capitol Hill.

GOP Senators are once again putting narrow party loyalty over the will of their constituents - who will increasingly be looking for new leadership in their states. That is why the DSCC is hard at work ensuring that come election time, GOP incumbents will be faced with an exceptional crop of Democratic challengers.

An Opportunity in Colorado

In Colorado, where Republican Senator Wayne Allard is retiring, we're putting on a full court press to pick up the seat. The first Republican to announce his candidacy for the seat is oil lobbyist Scott McInnis, who has angered many residents with his efforts to open up much of Colorado's Western slope to energy interests. Meanwhile, the DSCC is actively recruiting popular Democratic congressman Mark Udall as our candidate.

You can help take some of these states by donating here.

If we keep up the pressure, this trend will continue. Parts of this issue are dedicated to continuing to bring up impeachment around the nation. I think that is one way to further split the Republican Party, because if there is enough talk of impeachment, Republicans will have to choose between their own political future and their loyalty to Bush.

I continue to feel good about 2008, though of course so much can happen before then.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

JOHN McCAIN AND GEORGE BUSH

MEDIA ACTION: Swiftboating Tennessee style

MEDIA ACTION: Taking on Fox

STAYING THE COURSE (humor)

MIDWEST FOCUS: Impeachment

MIDWEST GROUPS AND EVENTS

NYC FOCUS: Taxpayers deserve to know

NYC GROUPS AND EVENTS

CALIFORNIA FOCUS: Congressman McNerney

CALIFORNIA GROUPS AND EVENTS

NEW JERSEY FOCUS: Impeachment

NEW JERSEY GROUPS AND EVENTS

VIRGINIA FOCUS: Impeachment

VIRGINIA AND DC GROUPS AND EVENTS

Progressive Democrat Issue 111: JOHN McCAIN and BUSH

Once upon a time, Senator John McCain was viewed as being one of the more independent-minded Senators, perhaps a smarter and more reasonable alternative to the kind of stupidity and corruption of George Bush and most of the Republican Party (Tom DeLay, Randy Cunningham, Bob Ney, Jack Abramoff, Conrad Burns, etc.).

But perhaps we need to consider very closely just what McCain has been doing during Bush's Presidency.

Let's look at how McCain votes.

John McCain is anti-Veteran, ironically, receiving a D rating from the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, a zero rating from The Retired Enlisted Association and in 2005 and 2006 he received 25% or below from the Disabled American Veterans.

John McCain has been one of the most anti-choice Senators, receiving zero ratings from Planned Parenthood and NARAL.

John McCain has been anti-farmer, receiving 25% or lower from the National Farmers Union.

John McCain has been weak to terrible on protecting the civil rights of Americans, receiving from 0 to 33% from the American Civil Liberties Union.

John McCain consistently receives less than 25% from the NAACP and less than 20% from the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights.

John McCain is consistently anti-labor, receiveing abyssmal to at best mediocre ratings from just about every union.

John McCain received a zero rating from the Parkinsons Action Network.

About the only areas where McCain doesn't seem to be substantially in agreement with the corrupt and failed policies of the Bush administration are gun issues and the environment. He is merely mediocre on environmental issues rather than abyssmal, and somehow McCain manages to get low ratings from BOTH pro-gun groups like the NRA and from gun control groups like the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. I guess his stand on guns satisfies no one.

But Bush and McCain are tied together by more than just common views on most legislation. Remember that while this was happening to New Orleans:



This is what Bush and McCain were doing:



And McCain ORIGINATED the McCain/Bush/Lieberman escalation plan for the Iraq quagmire which will generat a surge in these:



and these: (from the New England Journal of Medicine via The Memory Hole)



(and in this context remember the abyssmal ratings McCain receives from the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, The Retired Enlisted Association and the Disabled American Veterans).

So, anti-Veteran, anti-Choice, anti-Civil Liberties, anti-farmer, anti-labor but sharing Bush's disregard for New Orleans and and Bush's willingness to sacrifice American soldiers for Halliburton and Exxon/Mobil profits. Is this really the man we want for President?

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Progressive Democrat Issue 111: MEDIA ACTION: Swiftboating from Tennessee

Al Gore has done more to publicize the real global warming situation than practically anyone else. Through personal presentations (one of which, through MoveOn.org, I was lucky enough to see in the presence of two approving climatologists), an Oscar-winning movie and a book, Al Gore has helped make people aware that we really do have a problem AND that there are very real things we can do about it.

Enter the right wing liars. A story "broke" purporting to show that Al Gore was a hypocrite, consuming huge amounts of energy while preaching to everyone else that they must conserve. Not surprisingly, this smear attack misrepresents facts and is, like most right wing statements these days, a bald faced lie. You can read some of the exposure of those lies here. The main thing left out by these smear pieces is the fact that Al Gore's family offsets their carbon usage with "carbon offsets," and that they get a substantial amount of their energy from green sources (see end of article for more on reducing your carbon footprint). Also excluded was the fact that energy use counted both domestic and business usage. In short, the attacks were one more example of right wing sleaze, reflecting more on the lack of integrity of the right wing extremists than on the integrity of Al Gore.

Well, turns out the origin of the attack on Al Gore comes from Nashville. And on Daily Kos a boycott of the offending paper is being called.

When I wrote local NPR radio to complain about the local news reading a wire version of the story, one of my main complaints was that they shouldn't be spreading the spin of the conservative nuts at the Tennessee Policy Research Center, who were widely credited with starting the story. The e-mail response...I got told the real story - that it was the Tennessean that requested the Gore energy numbers and were running with the story, and was responsible for involving the TPRC.

...the interest here is that the story was produced and pushed from the start by the newspaper, not by "think tank" credited with making news. This prejudicial hit piece is distracting and irrelevant. We need news organizations willing to let public figures shine a light on essential, important issues; not those willing to exploit issues to shine a light on celebrity figures like Gore...

I'm disappointed that The Tennessean was the true initiator. For that reason, I will be discontinuing my subscription to the paper. If you live in Nashville and get the paper, I hope you'll do the same.

I am sick of right wing extremists reporting misinformation, half truths and outright lies as news. I encourage all of our Nashville readers to discontinue their subscriptions to the Tennessean and to complain LOUDLY about their crappy reporting. Some alternative news sources in Tennessee include:

The Nashville City Paper

the Tennessee Independent Media Center,

And of course there are always national sources like Salon.com, Air America Radio and, one of my favorites despite the fashion and skateboarding filler, Al Gore's own Current TV.

I also recommend, partiuclarly if you still get your "news" from the "mainstream media" (aka Bush propoganda machine), checking out Media Matters which fact checks the media and exposes their lies, distortions and propoganda.

Finally, as promised, here are ways you can reduce your carbon footprint:

If you are a coffee drinker, you can buy a fair trade, organic coffee (grown in Peru) that plants trees in Peru to, they claim, 100% offset the carbon load it takes to produce this coffee from planting to drinking. It is the most guilt free coffee you can drink and it is pretty damned good to boot. Joy and I are big coffee drinkers, so we buy it in 5 lb. bags to get the bulk savings.

You can switch your energy supplier to green energy sources (or, really, you create the demand to build more green energy projects). Joy and I do this through Con Ed. Generally it costs you only slightly more per month and some people have told me that they actually saw their bills go down slightly when they shifted to green energy sources. To find out more, go here.

You can offset your carbon load by helping to build wind farms on Native American lands through Native Energy. You are helping wean our nation off oil, helping to create jobs in America, and helping Native Americans, a generally neglected community.

Or you can offset your carbon load through a variety of methods, including energy efficiency, renewable energy, and reforestation, through Carbon Fund.

Other projects you can more informally participate in to offset your carbon load, include treeplanting, forest preservation and the like. You can donate to plant trees through Trees for the Future. You can help preserve critical forest ecosystems, which also helps mitigate global warming, through the various international projects of the Wildlife Conservation Society (the same organization that runs the zoos in New York City). I have donated to preserve forests in Uganda, Mountain Gorilla Habitats, and South American forests.

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Progressive Democrat Issue 111: MEDIA ACTION: MoveOn.org Takes on Fox Propoganda

MoveOn.org, the organization that may well have done the decisive get out the vote efforts for the November 2006 elections, is now turning its attention to the Fox Propoganda Machine. Here's the latest MoveOn.org campaign:

The Democratic Party of Nevada just announced plans to let Fox News host a presidential primary debate.1 But Fox isn't a legitimate news channel. It's a right-wing mouthpiece like Rush Limbaugh and the Drudge Report—repeating false Republican talking points to smear Democrats.

Fox has already tried to skew the '08 race by accusing Senator Barack Obama of attending a terrorist school. CNN immediately exposed the charge as false,2 and Obama hit back by refusing to appear on Fox—sending them scrambling.3 Democrats can force Fox to be fair and balanced by fighting back hard.

Can you sign this petition asking the Democratic Party of Nevada to drop Fox as its partner for the presidential primary debate?

The full text of the petition is: "Fox is a mouthpiece for the Republican Party, not a legitimate news channel. The Democratic Party of Nevada should drop Fox as its partner for the presidential primary debate."

Clicking here will add your name to the petition.

It's very important to also invite our friends to sign this petition. If ever there was a battle where we could beat Fox, this is it—since Democrats will make the ultimate decision, not Fox executives. But to be convinced, Democratic leaders need to see a growing public backlash.

We'll deliver the petition signatures to the Democratic Party of Nevada and let petition signers know what next steps they can take to make a difference.

When you click the petition link, you'll see a great new YouTube video from filmmaker Robert Greenwald called "Fox Attacks: Obama." It exposes Fox's numerous attacks on Senator Obama—saying he attended a terrorist school, belittling his race, and implying that his name sounds like that of a terrorist.

Fox has also spread false smears about Hillary Clinton this year.4 Plus, when Democrats trusted Fox to host a presidential debate in 2003, Fox undermined Democrats with on-screen headlines like "Democratic Candidates Offer Grim View of America."5

We can fight back. The Washington Post reported that "the Obama camp has 'frozen out' Fox News reporters and producers in the wake of the network's major screw-up in running with the erroneous Obama-the-jihadist story." "'I'm still in the freezer,' one Fox journalist said." Fox News CEO Roger Ailes has personally called Obama twice to smooth relations.3

As the 2008 cycle begins, we need to show Fox there will be serious repercussions for being part of right-wing smear jobs—and we need to show voters they cannot trust Fox for news.

Can you sign this petition asking the Democratic Party of Nevada not to partner with Fox for a presidential primary debate?

The full text of the petition is: "Fox is a mouthpiece for the Republican Party, not a legitimate news channel. The Democratic Party of Nevada should drop Fox as its partner for the presidential primary debate."

Clicking here will add your name to the petition.

Thank you for all you do.

–Noah, Adam G., Marika, Wes, and the MoveOn.org Civic Action Team
Thursday, February 22nd, 2007

Sources:

1. "FNC Hosts Democratic Debate," Mediabistro.com, February 16, 2007

2. "CNN Debunks False Obama 'Madrassa' Smear," ThinkProgress.org, January 22, 2007

3. "Obama's Grudge Factor," Washingtonpost.com, January 30, 2007

4. "O'Reilly and Miller recycled false attack on Clinton's attendance at 9-11 memorials," Media Matters, February 15, 2007

"Right-wing media figures claim Clinton behind Obama/Muslim smears," Media Matters, January 19, 2007


5. "Nevada Dems getting outfoxed?" Lasvegasgleaner.com, February 20, 2007

If the Nevada Dems do the right thing here, I'd send them a donation to thank them. I suggest you make a similar offer.

For those who want to take things a bit further, here are some sites you can get more information on the extremist right wing lies and propoganda that Fox spews at us:

http://www.outfoxed.org/

http://mediamatters.org/

Also, there are ongoing boycotts of Fox Progoganda Channel advertisers. Check out the following sites, pick an advertiser or two, and start writing them as often as you want complaining about their advertising on a channel that spreads lies, advocates terrorist attacks on America and anti-Semitism. Here are some sites you might be interested in if you want to take on Fox Lies:

http://foxattacks.com/

http://skinthefox.com/boycott_001.htm

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Progressive Democrat Issue 111: STAYING THE COURSE (humor)

From American Progress:



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Progressive Democrat Issue 111: MIDWEST FOCUS: Midwest for Impeachment

To follow up my earlier coverage of impeachment, here is some organizing going on in Midwest for impeachment:

MICHIGAN 10TH DISTRICT: Seeking impeachment-minded people in the 10th district to actively work towards impeachment of the Bush regime. Email Sarah at sarah78@wayne.edu

IOWA 3RD DISTRICT: My name is Holly and I live in Council Bluffs, IA. I am interested in organizing a petition signing to impeach President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney due to their constant lies to the American public and their campaign of misinformation. Many people believe that it is too late due to the fact that reelections are scheduled to take place in 2008, but I disagree. Look at the amount of damage that the Bush administation has inflicted in the last year, look at the lives lost on both sides of the war, one more year could mean the deaths of hundreds more. Anyone interested in this campaign, please feel free to contact me with any questions or ideas, I will keep you posted on any ideas or new devlopments.

Ivywalker23@hotmail.com


MISSOURI 8TH DISTRICT: I live in Oregon County and am interested in collecting signatures for the "impeach for change" initiative. President Bush has no problems lieing to the American public. His most recent lie (that we are aware of) is when he stated that he intended to keep Rumsfeld on for the remainder of his term... and the day after the November elections, he revealed that he had lied... in order to NOT affect the elections...

I don't care what the reason... dishonesty is not justifiable. In this case, it's a political issue. But in the case of the war in Iraq, it's much more... it's the lives of tens of thousands... thousands of Americans... and tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians, babies, mothers, and fathers... because of President Bush's lies...

It is obvious that the President doesn't believe in the ten commandments... yet he dare to claim to represent Christians. The only thing he represents is corruption and big oil.

Please contact me at (417) 280-5265 if you'd like to help. The least you can do is sign my petition... give me a call, and I'll meet with you to collect it. If you wish to do more, that would be terrific as well.

But, please, let's not sacrifice any more lives -- American or otherwise -- to protect the war criminals in our nation... And let's stop the corrosion of our nation's government. The constitution must be defended... And that defense starts with us -- the people.

By collecting enough signatures, we can let Rep. Emerson know what we expect in terms of representation in OUR congress...

Sincerely,

Chris


PENNSYLVANIA 6TH DISTRICT: I would like to help organize an Impeachment Action Committee in my Congressional District (PA-6)...Interested in gathering others.

Gordon Bennett
OrcaGB@aol.com


PENNSYLVANIA 13TH DISTRICT: Anyone interested in forming an Impeach NOW comittee in the PA 13th congressional District - Congresswoman Allison Schwarz please email OhHugo1@aol.com


PENNSYLVANIA 17TH DISTRICT: Anyone interested in establishing an Impeachment Committee for Pennsylvania Dist 17 under Rep. Tim Holden please email me at wefwin@comcast.net to begin a discussion and the possiblilty of meetings in the future to form a committee. Please remember the newly elected Democrates have already stated that "impeachment is off the table" so it is up to those of us who believe that impeachment is a Constitutional remedy for an illegal administrative action NOT a punishment to push this bill before the federal House from a grassroot's level.


For all other areas, go here and find out what you can do to help.

And don't forget to contact the media with your thoughts.

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Progressive Democrat Issue 111: MIDWEST PROGRESSIVE GROUPS (IA, IN, WI, MI)

I apologize for lumping such diverse states together under "Midwest," but to date I don't have enough readers in any one Midwestern state to give any of them their own attention the way I do with Virginia, NYC and California. Get me more readers in YOUR state and I will happily put more effort into writing about that state. Until then, these are the four Midwestern region states that I get some readership from regularly.

IOWA GROUPS:


First I naturally will highlight Iowa's local Democracy for America group, Blog for Iowa. Joining this blog will help you connect with fellow progressives in Iowa and help establish a progressive infrastructure in Iowa.


Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement: ICCI has helped ordinary Iowans get to work on a variety of social, economic and environmental justice issues they care deeply about. Whether the issue is factory farms, housing or improving neighborhoods, ICCI is there organizing people to make a difference. Find out what you can do for Iowa here. For a calendar of events, go here. This organization is all about COMMUNITY.


Drinking Liberally in Iowa: Promoting democracy one pint at a time! Drinking liberally is a social organization with chapters nationwide. There are four Iowa Drinking Liberally groups (see below). If there isn't one near you, you can set one up at the Drinking Liberally website. If you don't like bars, I have always thought non-drinkers could set up their own drinking liberally groups in coffee houses. Here are the current Iowa groups:

Davenport:
* Meets second and fourth Friday of each month, 6:00 pm onward
* Pat McQuire's Bar & Grill, 3333 N Harrison St (Set back form Harrison - Next door to the Citgo on the corner of 32nd and Harrison)
* We will also drink liberally in the AM on the 1st Saturday at 9:30am at Mojo's (corner of Main and 2nd St - downtown Davenport)
* Hosted by Alta Price and Caroline Vernon, quadcities (at) drinkingliberally.org

Ames:
* Every Friday, 5:00 pm onward
* Legends American Grill, 200 Stanton Ave, 7th Floor (in Campustown) (map)
* The group will meet in the large accessible party room left of the elevators unless it is booked by a larger group. We will then be in the Sky Box. Ask a waiter for our location.
* Hosted by Jan Bauer and Brent Wynja, ames (at) drinkingliberally.org

Des Moines:
* Every Thursday, 8:00 p.m. onward
* The Lift, 222 4th St (between Court Ave and Walnut) (map)
* Hosted by Amanda Mittlestadt, Tricia Kell, Dan Chibnall, Cassie Samspon and Matt Jesson, desmoines (at) drinkingliberally.org

Iowa City:
* Every Thursday, 8:00 pm onward
* The Mill Restaurant, 120 E Burlington St (map)
* Hosted by Nicholas Bergin, iowacity (at) drinkingliberally.org


WISCONSIN GROUPS:

First I naturally will highlight Winsconsin's local Democracy for America group, Democracy for Wisconsin. Democracy for Wisconsin grew from the seeds planted by Howard Dean's presidential campaign. We believe that strong values and grassroots participation are the key to successfully promoting progressive policies and rebuilding the Democratic Party. Please help us take our country back! Local chapters are listed on their website.


WISCONSIN FAIR TRADE COALITION: The Wisconsin Fair Trade Coalition is a statewide collaboration of labor, environmental, consumer, family farm and interfaith groups founded in 1994 during the fight over the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). They are united in a common belief that international trade and investment are not ends unto themselves, but instead must be viewed as a means for achieving other societal goals including economic justice, human rights, healthy communities and a sound environment. The economy exists to help people, not the other way around.

WFTC is the leading state advocacy vehicle to fight for trade policy that is not tilted in favor of multinational corporations and against the interests of Wisconsin ’s -- and the world's -- working people. If you want to join the coalition, sign up for the newsletter or find out more, contact them at 608.237.1659; Fax 608.442.1439;
Postal Address: 3129 Hermina Street , Madison WI 53714.


Drinking Liberally in Wisconsin: Promoting democracy one pint at a time! Drinking liberally is a social organization with chapters nationwide. There are surprisingly few Wisconsin drinking liberally groups! There are currently only two Wisconsin Drinking Liberally groups (see below). If there isn't one near you, you can set one up at the Drinking Liberally website. If you don't like bars, I have always thought non-drinkers could set up their own drinking liberally groups in coffee houses. Here are the current Wisconsin groups:

Madison, Wisconsin
* First and third Tuesday of each month (next meeting October 3), 7:00 pm onward
* Genna's, 105 W Main St
* Hosted by Brian Cadwell, madison (at) drinkingliberally.org

Milwaukee, Wisconsin
* Second and fourth Wednesday of each month (next meeting October 11), 7:00 pm onward
* Club Garibaldi, 2501 S Superior St
* Hosted by Stacie Rosenzweig, Scott Feldstein and Jason Haas, milwaukee (at) drinkingliberally.org


INDIANA GROUPS:

First, I will highlight the very, VERY important Indiana Progressives PAC. Indiana Progressives believe to win nationally we must first win locally. Their message is positive, practical and progressive! And hopefully will be popular as well! Be a part of Indiana Progressives by registering with their site today. This is exactly the kind of organization we need in Indiana to deliver a populist progressive message right to the voters.


Evolution Education Institute (EEI) is a national professional development program that had it's origins in the Michigan Scientific Evolution Education Initiative (MSEEI). The MSEEI was administered by the Michigan Science Teacher's Association and was funded by an Eisenhower Higher Education Competitive Grant through the Michigan Department of Education (MDOE) from 1999-2002. The mission of the MSEEI was to provide Michigan teachers and pre-service teacher education students with the necessary content, pedagogy and support system to effectively teach scientific evolution. The Evolution Education Institute expands upon the MSEEI model and brings it to a national audience. he mission of the Evolution Education Institute (EEI) is to promote the understanding of evolution and natural selection theory within the educational community and society at-large and to advocate for its inclusion in science curricula in a manner commensurate with its importance to modern scientific thought. This issue is particularly important to me (I'm a biologist myself!). So please, help out EEI.


Drinking Liberally in Indiana: Promoting democracy one pint at a time! Drinking liberally is a social organization with chapters nationwide. There are six Indiana Drinking Liberally groups (see below). I should note that means Indiana has more than some much larger states like Virginia. Makes Indiana sound like fun! If there isn't one near you, you can set one up at the Drinking Liberally website. If you don't like bars, I have always thought non-drinkers could set up their own drinking liberally groups in coffee houses. Here are the current Indiana groups:

Bloomington
* Every Tuesday, 7:00 pm onward
* Upland Brewery, 350 W 11th St (map)
* Hosted by Eric Foster and Chris Herlihy, bloomington (at) drinkingliberally.org

Indianapolis
* Every Thursday, 7:00-10:00 pm
* Spencer's Stadium Tavern, 802 S West St (SW corner of West & McCarty streets)
* map: http://tinyurl.com/ann6t
* Hosted by Jason Borneman, indianapolis (at) drinkingliberally.org

Noblesville
* Every Thursday, 7:00 pm onward
* Ram Brewery, 12750 Parkside Dr (near the corner of 126th St and Hwy 37)
* Hosted by Keith Clock and Molly Martin, noblesville (at) drinkingliberally.org

Lafayette
* Every Thursday, 7:00 pm onward
* Lafayette Brewing Company - UPSTAIRS, 622 Main St
* Hosted by Amy Clinton-Corbett, Mary Nauman, Curtis Parker, Jon Neal, Susan Schechter and Gavin Steiger, lafayette (at) drinkingliberally.org

New Albany:
* Every Thursday, 7:00 pm onward
* "The Red Room" of Rich-O's Public House, 3312 Plaza Dr (Near the Kroger on Grant Line Rd; and next to Sportstime Pizza)
* Rich-Os is 21+ and "The Red Room" is in the smoking section, though we are able to meet in alternative areas of the Rich-O's/Sportstime Pizza complex to accomodate under-age attendants and those who are sensitive to cigarette smoke.
* We will now be meeting on THURSDAYS instead of Wednesdays to accomodate the academic work week.
* Hosted by Lacy Davis, newalbany (at) drinkingliberally.org

South Bend
* First and third Thursday of each month (next meeting October 5), 7:00 pm onward
* Oaken Bucket, 1212 S Ironwood Dr (map)
* Hosted by Chris Wilson, Thomas Winegar and Ben Runkle, southbend (at) drinkingliberally.org


MICHIGAN GROUPS:

First I naturally will highlight Michigan's local Democracy for America group, Democracy for Michigan. Joining this blog will help you connect with fellow progressives in Iowa and help establish a progressive infrastructure in Michigan.


Michigan Young Democrats: The next generation of Democrats in Michigan. For information on how to get involved at the local level, please contact Jody Weissler at jweissler@mi-democrats or (517) 371-5410. To get involved with the MYD Executive Board, please contact our President Isaac Robinson at williamisaacrobinson@yahoo.com.


Drinking Liberally in Michigan: Promoting democracy one pint at a time! Drinking liberally is a social organization with chapters nationwide. There are three Michigan Drinking Liberally groups (see below). If there isn't one near you, you can set one up at the Drinking Liberally website. If you don't like bars, I have always thought non-drinkers could set up their own drinking liberally groups in coffee houses. Here are the current Michigan groups:

Ann Arbor, Michigan
* First and third Thursday of each month 8pm
* Leopold Bros., 523 S Main St
* Hosted by John Redmond and Jenay Karlson, annarbor (at) drinkingliberally.org

Detroit, Michigan
* Every Tuesday, 7:00 pm onward
* Honest? John's, 488 Selden St (at 2nd (lighted, secure parking))
* Hosted by Pete Coseo, detroit (at) drinkingliberally.org

Oakland County, Michigan
* Every other Thursday 7:00 pm onward
* Bo's Brewery & Bistro, 51 N Saginaw St, Pontiac (Corner of Huron and Saginaw inside the Woodward Loop)
* We need co-hosts in Oakland County south, east and west for our Road Trips, please contact me for details.
* Hosted by Ron Wasczenski, oaklandcounty (at) drinkingliberally.org


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Progressive Democrat Issue 111: NYC FOCUS

Does sloppy bookkeeping and oversight encourage confidence? Not in my mind. Yet the Empire State Development Corporation (ESDC) continues its shoddy oversight of Bruce Ratner's Atlantic Yard's project. Keep in mind that the ESDC has up to now been nothing but a rubber stamp for everything the Axis of crony capitalism (Ratner and his political pawns) has wanted. Now they file an inadequate and incomplete financial projection for Ratner's overdevelopment plan that basically tells the taxpayers very little about what it will actually cost them in the long run. This comes from the number one organization that has been fighting Ratner's corrupt plan from the start, DDDB:

Financial projections released today by the Empire State Development Corporation (ESDC) purporting to show Forest City Ratner's (FCRC) projected profit for the proposed "Atlantic Yards" project appear to raise more questions than they answer - and to severely understate the developer's profit.

The financial documents, which were released only after State Assemblyman Jim Brennan and State Senator Velmanette Montgomery sued the ESDC for the information, fail to provide sufficient details or underlying assumptions, including information on "sources and uses" typically provided for a project receiving significant amounts of public funding. In some cases, the documents omit information altogether, for example, assigning no projected value to the project's planned hotel. The true value of the assets, once built, would appear to be much higher than the values outlined; several elements of the plan appear to be estimated below market value, let alone future value.
At least one local real estate developer who has reviewed the documents had serious questions about the conclusions contained in the documents. Shahn Andersen, in comments posted to the web site Brownstoner.com, stated that he believed FCRC would earn approximately a billion dollars, and questioned how much money of its own the developer was actually putting up. He also questioned FCRC's purported rate of return as being severely understated.

The documents only project out eight years, to 2015, one year before the project's officially projected completion date. (In comparison, the MTA, in its Request for Proposals for the Vanderbilt rail yards, had required 20-year pro forma projections, although FCRC failed to provide the MTA with the requested information.) Some people with knowledge of the project, including "Atlantic Yards" landscape architect Laurie Olin, have said they expect construction to last 20 years.

The financial projections do reveal some interesting information about the arena, including the fact that the New Jersey Nets are currently losing some $40 million dollars a year. "It appears that the taxpayers are being asked to bail out a professional sports franchise that's currently a complete money loser," said Candace Carponter, spokesperson for Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn. "While the city and state are bending over backwards to subsidize Bruce Ratner, it seems that it should be the other way around."

According to the documents, the act of relocating the Nets from New Jersey into an arena in Brooklyn will allow Ratner and the Nets' co-owners to essentially double their initial investment by 2013, providing the money-losing team's investors with a publicly subsidized golden parachute.

It's also unclear as to whether the ESDC has analyzed and verified the projections released today, or if they simply rubberstamped this submission, just as they have every other aspect of the "Atlantic Yards" project. Given the vast public subsidies that this project is slated to receive, the public has the right to expect some assurance from the government that the developer's numbers are comprehensive and based upon valid business assumptions," said DDDB's Carponter. "The footnote on these documents says 'For discussion purposes only - actual results may vary.'"

This kind of bullshit has real ramifications. Real costs to us, the taxpayers. Plus I was talking to someone tonight who was concerned that a particular development project that has been worked on for years may be soured by the bad name all local development is getting from the corruption and cronyism that surrounds Atlantic Yards.

This project stinks more and more. Back room deals. Eminent Domain Abuse. Inadequate infrastructure considerations. Increasing costs to taxpayers and decreasing community benefits. Dubious promises of jobs and affordable housing. And shoddy bookeeping. Why has this project been given the green light? Can't we require at least proper capitalism (not selling to the lowest bidder), proper bookkeeping and real, binding promises?

Click here to go back to THOUGHTS section and Table of Contents for this issue.

Progressive Democrat Issue 111: NYC GROUPS AND EVENTS

Local involvement is really what wins elections. Please get involved. I have made friends, met many of my elected officials who now (sometimes!) actually listen to me, and have really felt like I am making a difference. From time to time I will also post events going on, but mostly this is a list of organizations in your area. If I have missed any, please let me know.

GENERAL INTEREST:


BROOKLYN GROUPS AND EVENTS:

NEW BROOKLYN POLITICAL CLUB: Shirley Chisholm Political Collective; founded by some of my good friends including Chris Owens, Bill Batson and Raul Rothblatt. Joy and I plan on checking this one out, so please join us. First meeting Saturday March 10th, 4-6PM, Duryea Presbytarian Church, Sterling Pl. and Underhill Ave., Prospect Heights, Brooklyn.

Brooklyn Critical Mass:
Critical Mass is a monthly celebration of bicycles and other nonpolluting means of transportation, exercising our right to the road. Critical Mass is a movement, not an organization; no two riders participate for exactly the same reason. Brooklyn Critical Mass started rolling in 2004.

Brooklyn rides are the Second Friday of every month, 7:00 p.m., meeting at Grand Army Plaza. Come out and join Critical Mass in Brooklyn. Celebrate cycling, and assert your right to the road -- Brooklyn style!

For more events and bike workshops, check out their calendar.


Brooklyn Democrats for Change: covering Bay Ridge, Fort Hamilton, Dyker Heights, Bensonhurst, and Bath Beach; Meets the 1st Thursday of the month at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Muller Conference Room, 7420 4th Avenue Bay Ridge.


Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats (CBID) (mostly covers Park Slope, Windsor Terrace, and Kensington). My wife, Joy, is now on the executive board and is the corresponding secretary of this club. This club is very grassroots and worked very hard for progressive candidates in the recent primary. They need more people if we want to strengthen the grassroots. If you are not yet a member, please come to the next meeting and join. Membership is cheap! Meetings are usually held on the third Thursday of every month at 7 PM at the Park Slope United Methodist Church, 6th Ave. & 8th Street in the basement (enter through the garden gate on 6th Ave).


Independent Neighborhood Democrats (IND): I usually work with this club. They cover the 52nd Assembly district, covering Park Slope, Brooklyn Heights, Carroll Gardens and Cobble Hill. Meetings are usually held on the third Thursday of every month at 7 PM (yes...same time as CBID above because they are sort of rival groups!) at their clubhouse 489 Court St. in Carroll Gardens.


New Democratic Majority in Brooklyn: Originally an outgrowth of the Dean campaign, NDM is one of the more active progressive organizations around. This is the Brooklyn branch of that organization and we are still building our membership. I will be a co-host of this meeting. We meet the 4th Thursday of every month at the 5th Ave. Ozzie’s in Park Slope, 249 5th Ave (intersection of 5th and Garfield) at 7 PM. You can contact me (mole333@gmail.com) for more info.


Democracy for America Meetings: Another outgrowth of the Dean Campaign, this is another excellent local progressive organization. Usually meets the first Wed. of every month at various locations. CLICK HERE to find your closest monthly meeting.

Park Slope/Brooklyn, Ozzie's, 249 5th Ave, with host Josh Skaller

Williamsburg/Greenpoint, Brooklyn, Boulevard Tavern, 579 Meeker Ave. (btwn. N. Henry and Monitor St.) There will be no official DFNYC Linkup host here this month, but Harold at Boulevard is a DFNYC member and encourages everyone to stop in. Harold will have DFNYC info about the upcoming elections.

Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, Wycoff-Bennette Homestead, 1669 East 22nd. St. (between Quentin & Kings Highway), with hosts Annette Mott a& Estelle Glasser


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 other 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.


Click here to go back to THOUGHTS section and Table of Contents for this issue.


MANHATTAN GROUPS AND EVENTS:


NYC Critical Mass The last Friday of the month, every month, 7:00 p.m., starting at Union Square Park North. Come along for the ride! Critical Mass is a monthly celebration of bicycles and other nonpolluting means of transportation, exercising our right to the road. Critical Mass is a movement, not an organization; no two riders participate for exactly the same reason. New York City's first Critical Mass was in 1993.


Democracy for America Meetings: Another outgrowth of the Dean Campaign, this is another excellent local progressive organization. Usually meets the first Wed. of every month at various locations. CLICK HERE to find your closest monthly meeting.

Upper West Side, Cosi (downstairs) 2160 Broadway @76th Street, with host Merle McEldowney

Upper East Side, location TBD, with hosts Lewis Cohen & David Kogelman

West Village, Kettle of Fish, 59 Christopher St. (near 7th Ave.), with hosts Dana Northcraft & Judith Ren-Lay

East Village, Cinema Classics/Rafiffi, 332 East 11th Street (btwn. 1st & 2nd), with host Heather Woodfield


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


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


Click here to go back to THOUGHTS section and Table of Contents for this issue.


QUEENS GROUPS AND EVENTS:

Democracy for America Meetings: Another outgrowth of the Dean Campaign, this is another excellent local progressive organization. Usually meets the first Wed. of every month at various locations. CLICK HERE to find your closest monthly meeting.

Sunnyside, Queens, The Grind, 39-24 Queens Blvd., with host Dan Jacoby

Bayside, Queens, The First Edition, 41-08 Bell Blvd, right near the LIRR stop, with host Steve Behar of Democrats for New Politics


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: Last Wednesday of each month, 7:30 pm onward. Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden, 29-19 24th Avenue, Astoria, NY 11102. Hosted by Donald Graff, queens (at) drinkingliberally.org

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


Click here to go back to THOUGHTS section and Table of Contents for this issue.


STATEN ISLAND GROUPS AND EVENTS:

THERE ARE CURRENTLY NO STATEN ISLAND DEMOCRACY FOR NYC CHAPTERS! You can start one by emailing linkup -at- dfnyc.org (replace -at- with @). These groups are great for keeping in touch and for candiates to introduce themselves and beg you for support.

Young Democrats of Staten Island: The future of the Democratic Party in Staten Island!

Staten Island African American Political Association: For more information, contact deb2badd –at- aol.com (replace –at- with @)

THERE ARE NO DRINKING LIBERALLY GROUPS IN STATEN ISLAND!!! You can start one by clicking here. It is a fun, social way to grow the grassroots and patronize a local watering hole as well.

For more Democratic Clubs in Staten Island, CLICK HERE.

Click here to go back to THOUGHTS section and Table of Contents for this issue.


BRONX GROUPS AND EVENTS:

THERE ARE CURRENTLY NO BRONX DEMOCRACY FOR NYC CHAPTERS! You can start one by emailing linkup -at- dfnyc.org (replace -at- with @). These groups are great for keeping in touch and for candiates to introduce themselves and beg you for support.


WEST BRONX 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. There is currently only one Bronx Drinking Liberally group:

West Bronx: First and third Friday of each month, 7:30 pm onward at An Beal Bocht, 445 W 238th St (between Waldo and Greystone). Hosted by Jamin Sewell and Scott Kennedy, westbronx (at) drinkingliberally.org


Find your closest Bronx Democratic Club by CLICKING HERE.


Click here to go back to THOUGHTS section and Table of Contents for this issue.

Progressive Democrat Issue 111: CALIFORNIA FOCUS: Jerry McNerney Already Under Attack

Last week I predicted that Congressman Jerry McNerney would be one of the top targeted new House members of 2008. Republicans are dying to get CA-11 back. Well, my prediction came true sooner than I expected. For those who wonder why I sometimes plug things way in advance, THIS is why. Republican campaigning against Congressman McNerney has already begun. This comes from Congressman McNerney:

It's almost unbelievable. Some have said it's unprecedented.

First, glossy attack mailers from the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) arrived in the mailboxes of 11th District voters on January 4 -- the very day that I was sworn into Congress. People across the district and pundits across the country shook their heads in disbelief.

Then the NRCC released an email titled "Jerry McNerney and 'Pelosi One'" that sought to directly link me by association to their fabricated flap over Speaker Nancy Pelosi's air travel. Again, to the best of my knowledge, no other member of Congress was the target of a similar email from the NRCC.

As if that wasn't enough, disgraced former Speaker Tom DeLay rose from the political graveyard trying to score cheap political points by calling me "weak" and making the absolutely ridiculous claim that -- get this -- "George Soros and his Shadow Party" was responsible for your grassroots victory over Richard Pombo, "with the card signed by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton."

They will stop at nothing to take this important seat back from us -- even before they actually have a candidate.

When they attack, we have to fight back. That's why I need your help now. And beyond...

We can't rest. I've only been in Congress for 55 days, but these smear tactics show that we will need to defend ourselves for the next 21 months.

Please don't worry. I'm not going to be distracted by their desperate manuevers. As you know from reading my blog, I've been focused like a laser beam on doing the people's business from Day One. From introducing my first bill and helping our new Congress pass historic legislation in our first 100 hours to taking a strong stand on Iraq and other vitally important issues, I'm leveraging your ongoing support to help steer America in a new direction.

That's why they are scared. Tom DeLay, the NRCC and their cronies in Washington were shocked that our people-powered campaign -- an army of grassroots and netroots supporters -- defeated a sitting House Committee Chair for the first time in a decade. Now, finally out of power after years of rampant corruption, they are scraping up whatever slime they can to take this seat back.

If we are going to realize our vision for this district and America, I need you to make a long-term commitment now by making a single contribution or a recurring monthly contribution to my ongoing campaign for change.

As I've said before, we, together, can help our nation kick its addiction to oil. We, together, can push our elected leaders to pro-actively address the climate crisis before it's too late. We, together, can bring a responsible end to the tragic war in Iraq.

Will our victory in November be the beginning of a new era? Or a footnote in American history? It's up to you.

Please seriously consider making a single contribution or recurring monthly contribution of $25, $50, $100, $250, $500 or any amount up to the $2,300 federal maximum...

Some say "freedom isn't free." Well, neither is change. It often comes at a cost -- you have to fight for it. If enough of us band together right now, we can move mountains. And make history. Just like we did in 2006.

Thank you for everything that you continue to do.

P.S. If you can think about how thrilled you were the morning after the November election, then you know how important it is that we keep this seat in 2008 and beyond. We can do it. But if we are going to win again, it's going to take another big push from the grassroots and the netroots.

To donate to support Jerry McNerney, one of the most grassroots of progressives and a champion of alternative energy, please go to my Act Blue Page and donate (McNerney is bottom of the page). It is not too early and a small donation now can help a HUGE amount by 2008.

Click here to go back to THOUGHTS section and Table of Contents for this issue.

Progressive Democrat Issue 111: CALIFORNIA GROUPS AND EVENTS

California is pretty big, so mostly what I will do is list the resources you can use to find out what's going on in your area. If you know of a group, send me info!

California for Democracy: This is the California branch of Howard Dean's Democracy for America movement. There are local meetings all over the state (listed on the left hand side of the state website). I participate in my local group and this is one of the ways I get to meet lots of interesting politicians, all of whom are trying to get our support. If you only do one kind of political activism, it should be this! If you join, tell them I sent you...it can't hurt for them to know I'm helping them out! There are also events listed as well as blogs for discussion. This is the ultimate in progressive grassroots! If there isn't a group near you, start one by emailing: steering (at) californiafordemocracy.com


California Democratic Party: To find your local Democratic Party organization, GO HERE. For a Calendar of events GO HERE. To get active in the California Democratic Party by volunteering GO HERE.


DRINKING LIBERALLY: An informal, inclusive progressive social group. 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. This is one of the more fun ways to be involved as a liberal. There are MANY groups in California. If there isn't one in your area, get a few friends together and START ONE! Don't drink alcohol? Then start one in a coffee house, tea lounge or juice bar! The format is flexible. Here's a list of them as of Dec. 2006.


Hollywood
* Second Wednesday of each month 7:00-11:00 PM
* Molly Malone's Irish Pub, 575 South Fairfax Avenue, Los Angeles 90036 (near corner of 6th avenue)
* Hosted by Vincent Jones, Cecilia Cabello, Christine Frogozo, Jim Kennedy and Joe Zefran, la (at) drinkingliberally.org

Pasadena
* Every Tuesday, 7:30-10:00 pm
* Madeleine's Wine Bistro, 1030 E Green St (between Wilson and Catalina)
* We try to meet on the patio when no other event is scheduled there. Otherwise, look for us in the wine bar.
* Hosted by Asa Hopkins, pasadena (at) drinkingliberally.org

Monterey
* First Thursday of each month 7:00 pm onward
* Peter B's Brewery, 2 Portola Plz
* Hosted by Annie Ho and Helen Davis, monterey (at) drinkingliberally.org

Orange County
* Every Thursday, 8:30 pm onward
* Memphis Bar, 201 N Broadway, Santa Ana (Artists Village)
* Hosted by Mike Lawson, orangecounty (at) drinkingliberally.org

Sacramento
* First Thursday of each month 7:00 pm onward
* Streets of London Pub, 1804 J St (Midtown)
* Hosted by Leslie Simmons, sacramento (at) drinkingliberally.org

San Diego
* Every other Tuesday 7:30 pm onward
* Nunu's Cocktail Lounge, 3537 5th Ave (Between Brookes and Ivy Ln)
* Hosted by Jesse Rubin and Jason Miller, sandiego (at) drinkingliberally.org

San Francisco
* Every Monday, 7:00-9:00 pm
* Doc's Clock, 2575 Mission St (between 21st and 22nd) (Look for our red, white and blue striped bottle!)
* Hosted by Susan Harrison, sf (at) drinkingliberally.org

Oakland
* Second and fourth Wednesday of each month 6:00 - 8:00 PM
* Luka's Taproom & Lounge, 2221 Broadway
* Hosted by Cyril Allen and Philip Combs, oakland (at) drinkingliberally.org

Palo Alto
* Second Thursday of each month 7:00 pm onward
* Antonio's Nut House, 321 S California Ave (At the corner of Birch and California)
* Hosted by Tom Allen, Leilani Iwaishi and Esther Hardwick, paloalto (at) drinkingliberally.org

San Jose
* Every other Thursday 6:30 pm onward
* Trials Pub, 265 N 1st St
* We're usually in the wingbacks by the front door. The bartenders know who we are.
* Hosted by Andy Oliveria and Adam Gulkis, sanjose (at) drinkingliberally.org


Santa Barbara
* Every Wednesday, 8 pm - 10 pm
* Elsie's Bar, 117 W de la Guerra St (behind Paseo Nuveo Mall)
* Elsie's is 21+ and cash only
* Hosted by Daryl Chrisman and Bart Woolery, santabarbara (at) drinkingliberally.org

Stockton
* Third Friday of each month 7:00 pm onward
* Micheal's New York Pizza, 2300 W Alpine Ave #A
* Hosted by Teresa Frison, stockton (at) drinkingliberally.org



SOME REGIONAL ORGANIZATIONS: These are more specific to particular reagions

LOS ANGELES AREA:

Progressive Los Angeles Network (PLAN): The Progressive Los Angeles Network (PLAN) was formally launched in December 1999. PLAN was founded and built on the success of the 1998 Progressive L.A. Conference which was co-sponsored by a number of local and national institutions and organizations including Occidental College, The Nation Institute, Liberty Hill Foundation, LA Weekly and the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor. The Progressive LA Conference was an overwhelming success and gave participants a sense that the growth of a wide variety of progressive social movements had reached an important threshold. As a result, attendees and others within the progressive movement in Los Angeles expressed a desire to participate in further discussion about how to develop a common agenda that is community based, inclusive and brings together the wealth of experience and knowledge of organizers, activists, and researchers. To get involved, GO HERE.


ORANGE COUNTY AREA:

Orange County Peace Coalition: An organization that advocates the peaceful resolution of international conflicts and that this ideal become a cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy. To see a calendar of events, CLICK HERE. To get involved, CLICK HERE.


NORTHERN CALIFORNIA:

Grassrootswest was founded in 2004 as a way to unite Northbay Democrats, Greens, Independents, and even Republicans in getting George Bush out of office. After the stolen election of 2004 it became clear that there still was a need to bridge the divide between the various progressive organizations in the San Francisco North Bay. So their work of bypassing the corporate media, and building alliances of progressives continues to this day. Check them out.

Click here to go back to THOUGHTS section and Table of Contents for this issue.

Progressive Democrat Issue 111: NEW JERSEY FOCUS: NJ for Impeachment

To follow up my calling for impeachment based on Liz Holtzman's analysis, I want to emphasize another road to impeachment This comes from NJ for Democracy:

My Dear Progressives,

Ok....we managed to get the NJ senate to pass the pilot program for clean elections, and we pushed them to introduce a resolution to stop the escalation of troops to Iraq,for these results, I want to say "Thank You for doing your part to make it happen !!!!" and now here I am asking for you do it one more time.

Now is the time to call for the introduction of the resolution for Impeachment of both Bush and Cheney. Lets be real, if we don't do it now, it will not happen!!!! but we will witness far more havoc by leaving the Bush gang in office.

Cheney is ramping up the rhetoric for the invasion of Iran, and there is no way Bush is going to pay any attention to the wishes of the people concerning withdrawal from Iraq. I don't want to hear it is a waste of time, or the argument, "now that the Dems are in power, how much more damage can he do with only 2 more years to serve ......

Evidently you haven't noticed, he doesn't pay attention to the advice of others, especially if it doesn't fit into his scheme of things.

Just Stop... and think of how much damage he did in the 1st two years in office; he went through the budget excess in less than 8 months, he let 9/11 happen, he took us to war in Afghanistan and shortly there after into Iraq, not mention all the treaties he broke: The Geneva Convention. The nuclear test ban treaty. The Strategic arms LimitationTreaty.etc..

http://www.avoiceforfreedom.com/treatyviolations.html

We must strike now, in the next few days we have to contact not only our state Senators and Assemblypeople, but we must also inundate the US Congress with calls ,letters and emails for impeachment. I feel no one has taken into consideration what the outcome of the Libby trail could mean. If Libby is found guilty, there is a chance he will rollover on Cheney. But we have to push NOW for investigations for impeachment to stop Bush from pardoning Libby, thus letting Cheney off the hook and loosing our best chance to get the evidence needed to bring this Regime down and try them for their war crimes.

Below is a plea from Stuart Hutchison, please read it and consider complying with his request. There is so much riding on this, I need your help to pass this email onto as many people as possible and ask for their support.

Hutch has included contact information for the New Jersey State Assembly, and here is where you can obtain contact info for the US Senate and House of Representatives:

Senate - http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

House - http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW_by_State.shtml#nj

You may want to contact House members on these committees:

Committee on Armed Services http://armedservices.house.gov/

Committee on the Budget http://budget.house.gov/

Committee on Appropriations http://appropriations.house.gov/

Committee on the Judiciary http://judiciary.house.gov/

Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
http://oversight.house.gov/

You may want to contact Senate members on these committees:

Appropriations http://appropriations.senate.gov/

Armed Services http://armed-services.senate.gov/

Budget http://budget.senate.gov/

Judiciary http://judiciary.senate.gov/


I am sorry about the length of this email but it is imperative to stress the importance to act at this crucial time in the history of our nation. Please try to act upon it today !!!!!

Thank you for your attention and your support !

Peace

Joanne O'Neill

Keep up the pressure! Little by little we can wear away at them. And always remember to sound off to the media.

Click here to go back to THOUGHTS section and Table of Contents for this issue.

Progressive Democrat Issue 111: NEW JERSEY GROUPS AND EVENTS

First let me highlight a local events:

March 04, 2007
Belmar & Lake Como St. Patrick's Day Parade
Main St.
Belmar, NJ 07719
Time: 12:30pm

Come watch as the Monmouth County Democrats March in the parade! Want to volunteer at this event?

March 07, 2007
Middle Township Democratic Club Meeting
DiVico Senior Center
Cape May Court House, NJ 08210
Join the Democrats of Middle Township for our monthly meeting the first Wednesday of every month at 7:00pm. Meetings are held at the Samuel DiVico Senior Center located at 23 Romney Place in Cape May Court House.

For more information, please contact Mary Durkin at 609-465-4170.

March 08, 2007
Cape May Co. Federation of Democratic Women Meeting
Sam DiVico Senior Center
Cape May Court House, NJ 08210
Join the Cape May County Federation of Democratic Women to discuss important local, state and federal issues. All are encouraged to join!

2nd Thursday of every month.
7:00pm
Sam DiVico Senior Center

For more information, please contact:

Virginia Hesel
609-884-5848

March 20, 2007
Wanaque Democratic Club Meeting
American Legion Hall, 1109 Ringwood Avenue
Haskell, NJ 07420
Please join us at our next regular meeting.
You will be able to meet your local Democratic leaders and discuss Borough issues that are important to you.

Refreshments will be served.

For more information email dave@wanaquedemocrats.com or call Sandy at 973-248-9788

March 21, 2007
Lower Township Democratic Club Meeting
324 Breakwater Rd.
Cape May, NJ 08204
Join the Democrats of Lower Township for their monthly dinner meeting at the Knights of Columbus Hall located at 324 Breakwater Rd., Erma, NJ 08204. Meetings start at 5:30pm.

For more information, please contact:

Bob Hartman
609-898-8167

March 22, 2007
7MI Beach Democratic Club Meeting
Avalon Senior Center
Avalon, NJ 08202
Join Us for a meeting of the Democrats of Avalon and Stone Harbor. The meeting begins at 7:30pm and is located at the Avalon Senior Center.

www.7Milebeachdemocrats.com

For more information, please contact:
Terry Strobaugh, President
tstrobaugh@juno.com


Now let me give you some ideas how to find some local groups to be involved with:

Here is how you can find your local Dem clubs. Go to HERE and click on your county. You can also click on their Calendar to find out Democratic Party events throughout the state.


New Jersey for Democracy: Possibly even more important than finding your local Democratic club, I strongly urge you to find your closest Democracy for America group. This organization, started by Howard Dean, is the future of the progressive grassroots in America. If there isn't a group near you, start one. It is a great way to get started in the political process. Here in NYC we get to meet all sorts of politicians who want our endorsement.


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, Fourth Wednesday of each month, 8:00-10:00 pm, Mulligan's, 159 1st Street (between Bloomfield and Garden), Hosted by Leigh Wolinsky, David Alpert and Morgan Baden, hoboken (at) drinkingliberally.org

Princeton, Princeton, First Thursday Each Month 7:00 PM @ Sotto Ristorante and Lounge (formerly the Annex) 128 1/2 Nassau St, Princeton, NJ. princeton@drinkingliberally.org or http://princeton.drinkingliberally.org/

Montclair Every other Wednesday, 6:30 pm onward, Egan & Sons, 118 Walnut St. Hosted by Jon Hershberg, montclair (at) drinkingliberally.org

Morristown, Third Thursday of each month (next meeting April 20), 7:00 pm onward; The Famished Frog, 18 Washington St. Hosted by Jim Long, Tracy Kurland, Rob Gregory and Dave Cochran, morristown (at) drinkingliberally.org

Toms River, New Jersey
* First Tuesday of each month (next meeting October 3), 8:00 pm onward
* Joshua Huddy Brew Pub, 1250 Hooper Ave (across from Ocean County Mall) (map)
* Hosted by Robin Kinlin and Ian Valentine, tomsriver (at) drinkingliberally.org


Click here to go back to THOUGHTS section and Table of Contents for this issue.

Progressive Democrat Issue 111: VIRGINIA FOCUS: Virginia for Impeachment

Following up from my earlier report on the case for impeachment by Liz Holtzman, here is a round up of impeachment efforts around Virginia. Remember, small groups pushing Congress and the media are what can make the difference.

If you are interested in forming a group to organize impeachment efforts in the 11th Congressional District of Virginia (Prince William County, Fairfax County and Fairfax City), write to David Bell at bald_devil@hotmail.com.

For those interested in working on the impeachment issue in the 8th Congressional District of Virginia contact Malachy Kilbride: malachykilbride@yahoo.com In your subject heading put: IMPEACHMENT COMMITTEE 8TH DISTRICT VA

For those interested in working on the impeachment issue in the 2nd Congressional District of Virginia (including Virginia Beach) contact: robertarthur123@gmail.com

For all other Congressional districts in VA, go here to see how you can organize an impeachment committee.

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Progressive Democrat Issue 111: VIRGINIA/DC AREA GROUPS AND EVENTS

Democracy for America: One of the best ways to get active! If you only do one thing that is political, join your local DFA group! FIND YOUR LOCAL DFA MEETUP AND GET INVOLVED! The statewide site seems to not be active, but it has MANY great links on the right hand side, including links to some local Virginia DFA groups. And for Washington, DC, your local DFA group can be found here.


Virginia Organizing Project:
The Virginia Organizing Project (VOP) is a statewide grassroots organization dedicated to challenging injustice by empowering people in local communities to address issues that affect the quality of their lives. VOP especially encourages the participation of those who have traditionally had little or no voice in our society. By building relationships with individuals and groups throughout the state, VOP strives to get them to work together, democratically and non-violently, for change. Here's a calendar of events.


Virginia Young Democrats: The next generation of Democrats in Virginia! Their stated goals are:

# To support and elect Democratic candidates for public office
# To widen and increase the interest and knowledge of young people in government and the political process
# To train and develop young people for positions of leadership
# To increase the role of under-represented people in our Party, government, and society
# To serve those in need in our community

Join in or, if you are no longer young enough to be a "Young Democrat," give them a little support.


The Democratic Party: Here are links to some of your local Dem clubs. This is another very important way to be active. You can also find a calendar of events for Democratic Party activities in Virginia here.

Washington DC Democratic Party

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. If there isn't one near you, it is easy to start your own!

Alexandria, Virginia
* Every Thursday, 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
* Shenandoah Brewing Company, 652 S Pickett St (Look for us upstairs)
* "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world" - Margaret Mead
* Hosted by David Swim and Quinn Jones, alexandria (at) drinkingliberally.org

Danville, Virginia
* Every other Wednesday, 7:00 pm onward
* The Purple Onion, 215 Main St
* Hosted by Meryl Ibis, danville (at) drinkingliberally.org

Charlottesville, Virginia
* Every Tuesday, 8:30 pm onward
* Biltmore Grill, 16 Elliewood Ave
* Hosted by Michael Snook, Justin Villegas, TJ Bateman and Bridget Moriarty, charlottesville (at) drinkingliberally.org

Norfolk, Virginia
* Third Thursday of each month 5:00-7:00 pm
* The New Belmont, 2117 Colonial Ave (upstairs at the bar)
* Hosted by Megan Feeley and Steve Earnhart, norfolk (at) drinkingliberally.org

Virginia Beach, Virginia
* Second Tuesday of each month 6:00 pm onward
* Jewish Mother, 3108 Pacific Ave
* Hosted by Chris Jaramillo and Eileen Levandoski, vabeach (at) drinkingliberally.org

And two Washington, DC groups:

Capitol Hill
* Every Wednesday, 7:00-9:00 pm
* The 18th Amendment, 613 Pennsylvania Ave SE (~2 Blocks NW of Eastern Market Metro Stop)
* Hosted by Micha Rieser, dcwed (at) drinkingliberally.org


Dupont Circle
* Every Thursday, 6:30-8:30 pm
* Timberlake's, 1726 Connecticut Ave NW
* Metro: Dupont Circle (red line)
* Hosted by Kim Davis and Keith Ivey, dcthu (at) drinkingliberally.org


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