The Progressive Democrat Newsletter grew out of the frustration of the 2004 election. Originally intended for New York City progressives, its readership is now national. For anyone who wants to be alerted by email whenever this newsletter is updated (usually weekly), please send your email address and let me know what state you live in (so I can keep track of my readership).
Even Bush is sick of the Iraq fiasco...he has been mumbling about pulling out troops and about a "time horizon"...yes, "HORIZON," not a timeline, for the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq. Don't know about you, but I have never heard anyone talk about "time horizons" before. Makes me think of an event horizon around a black hole...which is an ominous comparison.
Remember, though, Bush's shifting to withdrawal is not by any choice of his. The Iraq government has told him in no uncertain terms that we have outlived our welcome and they do not want us there permanently.
But wait...McCain seems behind here. He isn't talking horizons. His campaign is declaring war on Muslims. That's right...one of his swiftboat wing nuts, in an official campaign conference call, claimed that "the Muslims" have declared that Americans must kneel or be killed and John McCain refuses to kneel. I'd like to hear where he gets the ideas that "the Muslims" have declared this. As far as I know, no one alive today can speak for all Muslims. McCain clearly wants to carry on Bush's Crusade another 50, 100 years. He has said so several times.
Meanwhile, in San Francisco there is a ballot initiative to create a lasting memorial to the George W. Bush presidency: they want to rename the Oceanside Water Pollution Control Plant the George W Bush Sewage Plant.
“ … the Christian right has a major role to play in the Republican Party.” - John McCain [New York Times, 4/3/06]
DESPITE HIS CLAIMS TO BE INDEPENDENT, MCCAIN TAKES EXTREME POSITIONS ON SOCIAL ISSUES; HE SAYS AMERICA IS A “CHRISTIAN NATION”
McCain stated that a candidate’s Christian faith is “an important characteristic” for a president, that he would prefer a Christian president and that the "Constitution established the United States of America as a Christian nation." Furthermore, despite criticism, a statement from his official campaign spokeswoman defended the comments and said again, "America is a Christian nation, and it is hardly a controversial claim." The New York Sun, October 1, 2007.
McCain has voted two-thirds of the time against bills supported by Americans United for the Separation of Church and State. [Project Vote Smart]
McCain took back his 2000 comments calling the late Jerry Falwell an “agent of intolerance;” telling Tim Russert that Falwell is NOT an agent of intolerance. He delivered the commencement address at Falwell’s Liberty University in May 2006. [ThinkProgress, 4/2/06]
Senator McCain supports repealing Roe v. Wade and has achieved a 0% voting record by the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League (NARAL). His campaign has bashed opponent Mitt Romney for being insufficiently committed to the anti-choice cause. http://www.prochoiceamerica.org/elections/statements/mccain.html
McCain is on record saying that religion should be taught as science in our public schools in the model of "intelligent design." The Arizona Daily Star reported that McCain "sided with the president" on "teaching intelligent design in schools;" McCain "told the Star that, like Bush, he believes 'all points of view' should be available to students studying the origins of mankind.
McCain endorsed an Arizona ballot initiative that banned both gay marriage and civil unions by writing discrimination into the Arizona constitution. Arizona Republic 1//8/06
MCCAIN IS NO MODERATE
McCain has a far right voting record. According to Project Vote Smart < http://www.vote-smart.org/voting_category.php?can_id=S0061103t,> McCain:
§ Has only voted 15% of the time with the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights;
§ Has only voted 33% of the time with the American Civil Liberties Union;
§ Has only voted 33% of the time with the pro-gay rights Human Rights Campaign;
§ Has only voted 7% of the time (only 7%!) with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
In 2006, McCain endorsed far right wing candidate Rep. Randy Graf for election to Congress and extremist Len Munsil for Governor of Arizona. Graf proudly touted his affiliations with the Minuteman Project, an anti-immigration group that watches the Mexican border with the intent of enforcing immigration laws on a vigilante basis. Len Munsil is one of the most prominent religious right leaders in Arizona. Arizona Daily Star, 10/8/06, Mohave Daily News 9/13/06.
In 2006, McCain also endorsed extreme conservative Kenneth Blackwell in the primary in his race for Governor of Ohio – Blackwell faced moderate Republicans in the primary. Blackwell was also endorsed by a wide variety of far-right groups, including Eagle Forum and Concerned Women for America. He is receiving volunteer support from Generation Joshua, an organization that declares, "Christians have a duty to rebuild the walls of American politics that were originally constructed on the foundation of biblical values." Blackwell ran a virulently homophobic campaign and was supported by the Gun Owners of America, the self-titled "no-compromise gun lobby,” whose Executive Director, Larry Pratt, left the presidential campaign of Pat Buchanan over alleged ties to extremist groups, including the white supremacist militia movement. Blackwell also ran on a platform that called for outlawing abortion without exceptions and won the endorsement of Ohio Right to Life, which opposes embryonic stem cell research. [http://hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com/archives/2005/10/mccain_endorses.html
McCain hired Terry Nelson for his campaign; Nelson was accused of producing race-bating ads against Democratic nominee Harold Ford in the 2006 Ohio Senate race. [NJDC Blog, 12/7/06]
WHO WOULD MCCAIN APPOINT AS PRESIDENT?
McCain named lobbyist (and former Rep.) Tom Loeffler as his campaign’s general co-chairman – Loeffler lobbies for the Saudi government. Loeffler received nearly a million dollars per year from the Saudis, his job within the McCain campaign has been described as such: "Loeffler will play a similar role to that of Don Evans during then Texas Governor George W. Bush's 2000 campaign, managing McCain's interests across a variety of intersecting universes -- donors lobbyists Capitol Hill and the executive branch." [Washington Post, 4/3/07; Washington Post, 3/7/07]
McCain named Fred Malek as a finance co-chair; Malek was dispatched by Richard Nixon to count the number of Jews employed in the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Nixon claimed that a cabal of Jews working at the Bureau were skewing economic figures to harm his administration. Malek was deputy director of CREEP, the Committee to Re-Elect the President. It should be noted that Malek later expressed regret for his actions. [The Nation, 4/3/07]
McCain suggested that he may name James Baker as Middle East envoy, were he elected to the White House. [FrontPage Magazine, 5/12/06]
STRAIGHT TALK? OR QUESTIONABLE JUDGEMENT?
On his campaign bus in March of 2000 Sen. John McCain told reporters, "I hated the gooks. I will hate them as long as I live." [Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 3/2/00]
At Murrells Inlet VFW Hall in South Carolina, McCain was asked when he thought the US Military might "send an air mail message to Tehran." "McCain began his answer by changing the words to a popular Beach Boys song," the Georgetown Times reported . "'Bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb Iran,' he sang to the tune of Barbara Ann." [Boston Globe, - Dec 23, 2007]
In November, 2007 a John McCain supporter in South Carolina asked him "How do we beat the bitch” in reference to Senator Hillary Clinton. Senator McCain response was so laugh and respond "That's an excellent question."?" [New York Times 11/14/07
In an April 16, 2007 letter to Servicemember’s Legal Defense Network (SLDN), McCain stated that the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy instituted in 1993, “unambiguously maintains that open homosexuality within the military services presents an intolerable risk to morale, cohesion and discipline.”
I'll keep it simple. I already discussed how the top NASA scientist in the field figures we have about one year to mitigate climate change. So let's DO something about it right now both as individuals and as a society.
Al Gore's recent speech on Climate Change:
Barack Obama on Climate Change:
Here is a DETAILED description of how America can go 50-90% wind power by 2020. I think 90% is highly unlikely, but if this plan is combined with solar, methane (from agricultural waste and garbage dumps), hydroelectric, geothermal and some biofuels and some nuclear (existing plants maintained but no new ones) I think 75-90% of our power could be carbon free by that time. Again, let me emphasize to all investors out there: the only investments I currently have that are doing well are solar and wind energy stocks. I have already made money on stocks that skyrocketed and I cashed in and I have stocks that I am holding onto that are doing well. Now is the time to invest. Invest carefully, of course, since not all companies in ANY industry are equivalent. But alternative energy is probably the biggest (only?) growth industry in our near future.
Also, as consumers, if you are ready to play a role in fixing what has been so royally messed up, we all can play a real role. Go here to find out more about what you can do. The time is now.
My wife and I joined the Park Slope Food Co-op, the largest food co-op in the nation, about a year ago. Recently I came across an interesting graphic in their July 3rd newsletter on the Organic Industry Structure, a complex web of corporate ownership of organics companies, many of which started as independent. I tracked the graphic back to its source with Dr. Phil Howard, Assistant Professor Community, Agriculture, Recreation and Resource Studies (CARRS), at Michigan State University. At his site I found even more fascinating graphics that are worth sharing (with his permission) for those interested in organic food and corporate America.
First off, let me start with a digression into "why organic?" I was a latecomer to the organics movement because in the beginning many claims made about organics were dubious. But, as the industry developed and my knowledge of it grew, I began to realize the worth of organic food. My first decision to lean towards buying organic was with meat for one simple reason. Most non-organic meat producers at the time used massive amounts of antibiotics in animal feed, a gross misuse of antibiotics that has contributed to the rise of antibiotic resistant bacteria, a serious health hazard. Organic meat USUALLY is raised without antibiotics, and by now some non-organic meats are raised without antibiotics, so really you have to look to see if your meat is specifically labeled "raised without antibiotics" to be sure. But we found organic meat more reliably raised without antibiotics and actually to be of much higher quality than the average store bought meat. The only kind of meat that is generally of better quality is kosher meat, which is of high quality, but I checked, and antibiotic use is not specifically forbidden in kosher meat.
From organic meat we noticed organic produce is often higher quality than non-organic. Or, more to the point, non-organic produce in NYC is generally horrible, while organic produce varies from horrible to great.
But the truth is there are other environmental and health benefits to organics. Not ALL such benefits claimed by the organics industry are real, but many are. The Union of Concerned Scientists recently printed an article on this that I refer readers to for details. Here I quote only the intro paragraphs, but the article goes into some detail:
Amid recent food safety scares and a growing interest in healthy living, increasing numbers of consumers are opting for organic foods. While there is no doubt that organic produce is better for the environment because it is grown without synthetic fertilizers and pesticides (which can deplete the soil and pollute both our air and water), the science has not been clear on whether organic foods are more nutritious than their conventional counterparts—until now.
This spring, The Organic Center (a nonprofit that promotes organic farming) released the most comprehensive comparison to date of the nutritional quality of organic and conventionally grown produce. The authors reviewed the findings of nearly 100 published studies on this topic and carefully matched 236 pairs of measurements for 11 specific nutrients in both organic and conventional fruits and vegetables. The organic produce was nutritionally superior in 61 percent of the cases.
Another advantage of organics used to be that the growers, distributors and retailers that dealt in organics were generally independent, smaller businesses rather than megacorporations whose business practices are often despicable. Not all small companies are good and not all big companies are bad (e.g. Costco has a great reputation on all fronts as a company...and are cool to shop at!). But as a really good first approximation, patronizing smaller, independent businesses is more beneficial for America and working class Americans. But the success of the organics industry has led to an expansion and absorption by corporate America into the organics business. This meant that some popular brands of organics were put out by some pretty nasty companies. I was pretty disappointed to find out that Unilever now owns Ben and Jerry's, for example.
Professor Howard has put together some very revealing graphics to illustrate what companies own what organic brands and what brands remain independent. I cannot reprint all of the information he has, so I urge readers to explore his site. You can also find the documentation and citations for the graphics on his site. (NOTE: you may have to click on the links to see the details)
I want to start with the simplest graphic: the independent organics companies. These are generally the best companies you can find both for quality and in terms of good corporate citizenship:
Applegate Farms is a particularly good source for organic meat, for example, and they remain independent. Golden Temple is, it seems, a religious organization, so keep in mind you are supporting their religious efforts as well as their very admirable social efforts.
The next graphic shows some of the brands that were acquired or introduced by big corporations:
Again, Ben and Jerry's (not to mention Breyers) being owned by the rather bad Unilever is somewhat disappointing. I also find it interesting that Campbell's (generally a reasonably responsible company) still pretty much owns the same companies I remember it owning back in the 1980's: V-8, Prego, Swanson's. In the decades of restructuring, buyouts and the like, Campbell's seems to have kept itself intact.
So Dagoba, one of the tastiest brands of chocolate if you like REALLY dark chocolate, is owned by Hershey's, best known for some of the wimpiest of American chocolates. Hain has always been a large player in this industry...and a very misleading and controversial one. Conagra is notorious as a bad corporate citizen which has been boycotted by labor and Democratic organizations for years.
Whatever your views on corporate America, it is pretty important to know what companies you are buying from and what company you are supporting.
In another graphic Professor Howard shows the big chain store acquisitions...mainly the expansion of the Whole Foods Empire. Whole Foods is a place I avoid because I find their quality highly variable but their prices generally way high. Trader Joe's is shown as remaining independent throughout and is a store I highly recommend if there is one in your area.
This is important for several reasons. First, going back to antibiotic use in animal feed, the fact that a company like Tyson and Purdue has been convinced by organizations like Union of Concerned Scientists to start limiting or phasing out antibiotic use (remains to be seen how far this will go) turns out to be a major thing since they are two of the four top poultry producers. Second, look at the soybean industry. It is 71% dominated by three companies. This is an example of why farmers are always in poor financial straits. The fact that so few companies serve as the market for most products made by farmers gives those few companies an edge in setting prices...to the detriment of both farmers (who can barely survive off what they get) and consumers (who pay more than they should). This has led to a perpetual farming industry in crisis, something that wind power can help as more and more farmers opt to include some wind generators on their property which can provide them with more income than farming.
These are the graphs that I find most interesting on Phil Howard's website. But he has a lot more (including an interactive graph of Multi-State Microbial Food Contamination Epidemics in the US, 1993 to 2008, that is rather alarming). Check it out!
NEW YORK BLOGGING: The Albany Project gives excellent coverage of New York State politics.
The Daily Gotham covers both New York City (with a slight emphasis on Brooklyn) and New York State politics.
Reform NY is the blog of the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law
On NY Turf is run by someone I know. Long overdue that I add his blog here. Contains political info, good map resources for NYC and discussions of development issues.
Let me highlight some excellent candidates running in New York State.
Let me introduce Don Barber, running for State Senate (SD-51) and endorsed by Democracy for America. You can read about Don on Daily Gotham.
Let me also introduce you to my State Senator, Velmanette Montgomery. She is wonderful, proudly progressive, and up for re-election. Here is her website. And here is a video of her receiving the Margaret Sanger Award:
Those who know me will be surprised by this one: Martin Connor, running for re-election in the SD-25 district. I have had my differences with Marty Connor in the past, but have never questioned his intelligence or his progressive values. Connor has been a consistent advocate of marriage equality and has been endorsed by Independent Neighborhood Democrats and Lambda Independent Democrats. His primary opponent is a far more conservative Democrat, who is tied to the most conservative aspects of Chuck Schumer's policies as well as to Bloomberg's disastrous education reforms. In this match up I side with Marty Connor.
And let me remind you of another candidate running for State Senate, Jim Gennaro, who I introduced before as working towards an intelligent biodiesel program for NYC's heating needs.
Steve Harrison is running for Congress in the NY-13 race. Steve Harrison is a leading advocate for withdrawal from Iraq and has been endorsed by American Heritage Democratic Organization, Kelvin Alexander (Co-Founderof 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement), Gary Lane (Chairman of IBEW Local 3), Gloria Steinem, Democracy for New York City, the Democratic Organization of Richmond County, John Strika (President of IUPAT Local 806), former Assemblyman Frank Barbaro, among others. Steve is the progressive in the race while his primary opponent is a "Democrat" who is also seeking the Conservative Party endorsement and has told the Conservative Party that he opposes gay marriage and is in favor of continued occupation of Iraq. Steve, by contrast, is in favor of marriage equality and withdrawal from Iraq. You can read more about him in his own words on Daily Gotham. You can donate to his campaign through my Act Blue site. If you live in the NY-13 district, please volunteer for Steve's campaign.
Volunteer Phone Banks for Steve Harrison, Democrat for Congress
Steve Harrison is a progressive Democrat running for Congress in NY's 13th Congressional District, formerly held by Republican Vito Fossella. (Fossella resigned after a drunk driving arrest which lead to the discovery of an extra-marital affair and child with another woman.)
Democracy for NYC has endorsed Steve Harrison and DFNYCer David Hernandez is working with Harrison's campaign. The following volunteer phone banks have been set up in Staten Island and Brooklyn:
Staten Island Phone Bank 1738 Victory Blvd./ Manor Road 12-9pm Mon- Sat. Contact Al Dykes or David Hernandez, 718 720 8683
Brooklyn Phone Bank 544 Bay Ridge Pkwy/ Bet. 5&6 Avenue Contact Greg Collett to rsvp and for specific hours, 718 745 2539
Norm Siegel for Public Advocate For those of you who live in NYC, let me introduce you to Norman Siegel, one of America's top Civil Rights Lawyers, is running for New York Public Advocate. Here's a Youtube video of him:
And a friend of ours, Devin Cohen, is running for a Brooklyn judicial seat. You can read more about his race here. If you can spare some time to help Devin, please let me know and I can let him know. Also, let's all congratulate Devin and his wife for the birth of their son!
Here are a handful of Democratic Clubs worth checking out:
The Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats is a community-based Democratic club. CBID has fought for reform and progressive causes since 1968. As a Brooklyn-based Club, we have been instrumental in the election of many candidates for public office. Much of this success was a result of our question-and-answer forums with prospective candidates as well as our extensive on-the-street contact with our constituents.
Staunchly opposed to political corruption, we are proud of our independence and our commitment to progressive reform in city, state and national politics. We are a vehicle for citizen empowerment and making government more accountable to our neighborhoods.
We meet monthly, usually the fourth Thursday evening of the month in the basement of the Park Slope United Methodist Church, on the corner of 6th ave and 8th street, at 7:30pm. All are welcome.
New Kings Democrats (”NKD”) is a new, grassroots organization in Kings County (Brooklyn), New York whose primary mission is to recruit and prepare individuals to run for Kings County Democratic Committee. NKD hopes to achieve the goal of an inclusionary and participatory democracy by making it easy for individuals to run for local, elected office. NKD will serve as a training ground for individuals seeking higher office, and hopes to build and nurture a new group of Brooklyn Democratic leaders.
DEMOCRACY FOR NYC MEETINGS: First Wednesday of every month
Upper West Side, The Parlour, 250 West 86th(btwn Broadway & West End), with host Merle McEldowney,7pm
West Village, Kettle of Fish, 59 Christopher St. (near 7thAve.) with host Abhishek Mistry,7pm
Astoria, Queens, at Sanford Diner, 30-13 Broadway, with hosts Costa Constantinides and Jeremiah Frei-Pearson.Note: this Linkup will begin at 7:30.
Sunnyside, Queens, at The Grind, 39-24 Queens Blvd. in the back room, with host Dan Jacoby. Note: this Linkup will begin at 7:30.
Bayside, Queens, The First Edition, 41-08 Bell Blvd, right near the LIRR stop, with host Steve Behar of Democrats for New Politics, 7pm
Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, Wycoff Bennett Homestead, 1669East 22nd Street, 7pm with host Annette Mont
Here is a list of weekly Peace Vigils around NY State:
Schenectady: Counter-recruitment leafleting of high school "Truth in Recruitment" On the second and forth Monday of every month 1:50pm to 2:20pm, counter-recruitment literature is handed-out to the students at Schenectady High School.
Location: Schenectady High School 1445 The Plaza Schenectady, NY 12308
Contact: Elizabeth at 518 374-2949 for confirmation or further directions.
Sponsored by: Schenectady Neighbors for Peace, a branch of Peace Action
Phillipstown for Democracy Demonstration against the War in Iraq Every Saturday at the intersection of Route 9 and 9D from 12-2. For information contact Connie Hogart at conart1_at_optonline.netv
Cobleskill: Vigil for peace Weekly vigil for peace, every Saturday 11:00am to 12:00pm. Location: Main and Union Streets Cobleskill, NY 12043 Contact: 518-287-1771
Sponsored by: Peacemakers of Schoharie County
Marbletown: Peace vigil A peace vigil held every Saturday from at least 11:00am to noon, held by an assortment of local people. Location: Southernmost intersection of Route 213 & Route 209 (the one with the stop light) Marbletown/Stone Ridge, NY 12484
In the event that the community has another pre-arranged event scheduled for this intersection on a given Saturday, the vigil will move on that day to the front of the Stone Ridge Town Hall, south on route 209.
Contact: 845 687-9591
Saratoga Springs: Peace vigil A peace vigil every Saturday 11:00am to 12:00pm. in front of the Post Office.
From the organizer: "Please keep the crosswalks clear and be the peace you want in the world. Many among us will be making signs with positive messages reflecting our hopes or our concerns for the future. Our goal is to: Support the United Nations in promoting peace; Encourage people to consider effective alternatives to war; Empower people to express their views to their elected officials." Location: outside the Post Office Broadway and Church Street Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
Contact: Jim at 518-583-7501.
Sponsored by: Saratoga Peace Alliance (SPA)
Saugerties: Vigil for Peace A weekly peace vigil every Saturday 11:00am to 12:00pm. All are welcome.
From the organizers: "End the War. Bring the Troops Home Now. Fund Education, Healthcare, and Housing... Not War. Join us for an hour, or a few minutes. Bring a neighbor. Let our voices be heard." Location: Corner of Market and Main Streets Saugerties, NY 12477 Contact: 845 246-3449. Sponsored by: Saugerties Committee for Peace and Social Justice
Wappingers Falls: Weekly peace vigil A long standing peace vigil happening every Saturday 11:00am to 12:00pm. Pete Seeger attends when he can [cool!!], and the group usually ends singing a song. Location: On the grassy knoll Intersection of Routes 9 & 9D (near the South Hills Mall) Wappingers Falls, NY 12601 Contact: 845 838-1277.
New Paltz: Women in Black peace vigil A peace vigil occurring every Saturday 12:30pm to 1:30pm. From the organizers: "Women in Black has been standing for an end to war and violence in all its forms for over 5 years. We wear black in resistance and mourning for all the senseless killing. We are silent because words cannot express the tragedy of war. Please join us. Men are welcome." Location: In front of the Elting Library Corner of Main St and North Front Street New Paltz, NY 12561 Sponsored by: Women in Black of New Paltz
Woodstock: Women in Black peace vigil A silent vigil for peace every Sunday 1:00pm to 2:00pm, throughout the year. The group seeks "non-violent solutions to world problems, and stands for peace and social justice.
It is suggest that participants wear black clothing if possible. Signs are available.
Men are welcome, as well.
Location: Woodstock Village Green Rt. 212 / Tinker St / Mill Hill Rd Woodstock, NY 12498
Contact: Jane at 845 679-7502.
Sponsored by: Woodstock Women in Black
Delmar: Weekly peace vigil Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace hold these weekly vigils every Monday 5:00pm to 6:00pm.
From the organizers:: "Please join us in taking a stand against the war! Even if you can only stop by for a few minutes, your presence helps make a difference. Those of us who regularly attend the vigil enjoy sharing news and community with each other, and the encouraging honks and support from many drivers. Among other purposes, this weekly vigil serves as a regular reminder to hundreds of people in our community (those driving or walking by) of our viewpoints, issues and information - something they rarely see in the media. Bring a sign or borrow one of our extras. Join us!"
Location: Four Corners Delaware Ave at Kenwood Ave Delmar, NY 12054
Sponsored by: Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace.
Troy: Peace vigil A vigil for peace, held on the first Monday of the month 5:00pm to 6:00pm.
Located on Hoosick St, one of the busiest corridors in the Capital District.
Location: 110 Hoosick St (at 10th St) Troy, NY 12180
Contact: 518 272-1318.
Sponsored by: Troy Neighbors for Peace
Guilderland: Weekly peace vigil A weekly Monday vigil 5:00pm to 6:00pm, with participants holding signs and making a peaceful presence known.
Attendees are asked to bring their own signs.
From the organizers: "A dedicated group of people have been meeting every Monday during rush hour at the corners of Route 20 (Western Avenue) and Route 155. The positive response from commuters has been tremendous! Several new members have joined as a result of passing by our vigil."
Location: Routes 155 and 20, northeast corner (New Karner Rd and Western Ave) Guilderland, NY 12084
Contact: 518 464-6788.
Sponsored by: Guilderland Neighbors For Peace
DRINKING LIBERALLY MEETINGS IN NY STATE:
Clifton Park, New York * First Wednesday of each month, 7:00 pm onward * Old Dublin Inn, 130 Meyer Rd (Google maps is wrong, please contact me for directions.) * Hosted by Chris Selkirk, cliftonpark (at) drinkingliberally.org
Ithaca, New York * Every Wednesday, 6:30 pm onward * Felicia's Atomic Lounge, 508 W State St * Hosted by Joseph Cannon Murtagh, ithaca (at) drinkingliberally.org
New York City, New York:
The Original Drinking Liberally * Every Thursday, 7:30 pm onward * Rudy's, 627 9th Ave (between 44th and 45th) * In the backyard, weather permitting * Hosted by Justin Krebs, Matthew O'Neill and Katrina Baker, nyc (at) drinkingliberally.org
Drinking Liberally Steps Out * Third Tuesday of each month, 7:00-9:00 pm * XES Lounge, 157 W 24th St (@ 7th Avenue) * In conjunction with the Stonewall Democrats of New York City www.sdnyc.org. * Hosted by Matthew Carlin and Greg Rae, outnyc (at) drinkingliberally.org
Harlem * Second Wednesday of each month), 6:30 pm onward * Soundz Lounge, 3155 Broadway (between 123rd and 124th) * Hosted by Yolanda (Shoshi) Shoshana, harlem (at) drinkingliberally.org
Park Slope * Second Wednesday of each month, 7:30-10:00 pm * Commonwealth, 497 5th Ave (at 12th Street) * Hosted by Anthony Accurso, Emilie Harkin and Emily Farris, parkslope (at) drinkingliberally.org
Queens * Fourth Wednesday of each month, 7:30 pm onward * Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden, 29-19 24th Avenue, Astoria, NY 11102 (group of young liberals taking up one lane) * Hosted by Donald Graff, queens (at) drinkingliberally.org
Upper East Side * Last Tuesday of each month, 7:30 pm onward * Doc Watson's, 1490 2nd Ave (at 77th) * Hosted by Matthew Bachiochi, ues (at) drinkingliberally.org
West Bronx * First and third Friday of each month, 7:30 pm onward * An Beal Bocht, 445 W 238th St (between Waldo and Greystone) * 1 to 238th, turn left, straight on 238th, just past the top of the stairs * Hosted by Jamin Sewell and Scott Kennedy, westbronx (at) drinkingliberally.org
Rochester, New York * Every Thursday, 8:00-10:00 pm * Monty's Korner, 355 East Ave * Hosted by Tom Tucker and Tracy Logan, rochester (at) drinkingliberally.org
And then we have: Shooting Liberally Tuesday, Feb 19 From your friends at Drinking Liberally comes the debut of SHOOTING LIBERALLY...
For the First Amendment enthusiast ready to move on to the Second. A social evening at the gun range including training & weapon rental.
For more info and to reserve your spot, contact: Stanley Sherman - maskarts (at) worldnet.att.net
Governors Debate Biofuels (and a reminder of my own view on biofuels). Seems to me oil and coal producing states are pushing to stop biofuels, corn and soy producing states want biofuels based on corn and soy, and wood producing states want biofuels based on wood. No surprise there. But we really do need a smart policy here.
Here are some Obama events in Florida:
Brevard County Young Democrats (Meeting) Monthly Brevard Young Democrats Meeting Time: Wednesday, July 23 at 7:00 PM Location: House of Joe (Melbourne, FL) 1220 W New Haven Ave # 150 Melbourne, FL 32901
"Pizza & Politics" in Sarasota (Meeting)
Join the Suncoast Stonewall Democrats and the Sarasota-Manatee Young Democrats for Pizza and Politics! Bring your Obama signs, generate excitement about the campaign and meet other local Democratic candidates to discuss our issues.
Time: Friday, July 25 at 7:00 PM Contact Phone: 941-320-8643 Location: Primo Ristorante (Sarasota, FL) 8076 North Tamiami Trail Sarasota, FL 34243
We will be meeting at the Save-A-Lot on Broad Street (get mapquest directions) at noon. We will break into groups and canvas surrounding neighborhoods to encourage registration. I will provide all of the documents needed. The stand at the Save-A-Lot will be presented in a non-partisan manner, but feel free to wear whatever gear you want.
Time: Saturday, July 26 at 12:00 PM Contact Phone: 352-327-3728 Location: Save-A-Lot (Brooksville, FL) 676 S Broad St. Brooksville, FL 34601
Register (Voter Registration Drive)
South St. Petersburg Florida needs to get people registered and excited about the process. Florida will be a crucial state in the general.
Time: Friday, August 15 at 6:00 PM Location: Coquina Key Shopping Plaza (Saint Petersburg, FL) 6th St South and 43rd Ave South Saint Petersburg, FL 33705
Next I want to continue to present information on some good candidates in Florida. Here is a video from Christine Jennings campaign for Congress (13th District) thanking her supporters:
Here are some Florida groups, events and chances to help out some good candidates:
Miami-Dade Democratic Black Caucus Regularly Scheduled Meeting Second Saturday of every month at 10 AM Event Location: El-Portal City Hall 500 NE 87 Street, The Village of El-Portal.
We welcome new membership, please join us, free continental breakfast served! Honorable Joyce A. Davis, President 305-754-0934
Democratic Hispanic Caucus of Miami-Dade Fourth Wednesday of every month, 7:00PM Hoja Nueva Restaurant at the Westin Colonade Please attend the monthly meeting for the Miami Dade Democratic Hispanic Caucus of Florida. For more info: 305 632-0036
Miami Dade Cuban American Democratic Club Miami Dade Cuban American Democratic Club Breakfast Meeting Event Location: “Versailles” restaurant located at 3555 SW 8 ST Miami, FL 33135 Fourth Saturday of each month, 9:00 a.m. (If this is the same Versailles Cuban restaurant that I know in California, the food is fantastic! Particularly the roast chicken and rost pork).
The Miami Dade Cuban American Democratic Club invites you to its next breakfast meeting at “Versailles” restaurant located at 3555 SW 8 St Cost: $15 per person.
For more info contact: Hector Caraballo (President, Miami Dade Cuban American Democratic Club) at hector_at_miamicubandems.org
MIAMI-DADE YOUNG DEMS MONTHLY MEETING Fourth Tuesday of every month, 7pm Location: Gordon Biersch 1201 Biscayne Ave. Miami, FL 33131 For info: 786-425-1130
Peace Vigil West New Haven 5:00PM - 6:30PM First Wednesday of the month at the "Peace Corner" 1700 West New Haven (just west of the Melbourne Square Mall). Signs provided or bring your own. Please bring nonperishable food items for "Food Not Bombs". Food is distributed to local families in need.
More info 321-720-3520 or vimpoco@cfl.rr.com Organization: Patriots For Peace
Weekly Peace Vigil in Homosassa Every Tuesday, 4:00 PM Meet at Hardee's at Route 19 & Hall's River Road - Homosassa
Call Ed Murphy 382-0876 for more info
Weekly Peace Vigil in Inverness Every Thursday, 5:00 PM Old Citrus Courthouse
Call Beverly at 400-4174 for more info
Planned Parenthood Mixer Join us at On Tapp Lounge for our monthly mixer with Planned Parenthood. On Tapp is located on New Haven Haven just before you go over the Melbourne Causeway on the left side.
We meet at 5:30 pm the 4th Tuesday of every month. Brevard NOW and Planned Parenthood will celebrate the 35th anniversary of Roe v Wade and discuss the 2008 plans for both our organization. For more info, please call Michele Paccione/President at 480-9295 or e-mail at shellymk1@aol.com Organization: Brevard NOW Event link: www.myspace.com/brevardnow
Sumter County Democratic Club P.O. Box 1066 Wildwood, FL 34785 General Meeting at 7:00 p.m. on the 2nd Thursday of every month Sumterville Community Center
Tri-County Women's Democratic Club General Meeting at 9:30 a.m. on the 1st Monday of every month at the Sumter County Sheriff's Annex on Highway 466 @ Morse Boulevard.
Charlotte County Democrats meeting The Charlotte County Democratic Club meets on the second Saturday of every month. Please join us at 9:30 AM for coffee and snacks. The meeting starts at 10 AM. Location is the upstairs meeting room at the Public Library on Aaron Street in Port Charlotte. Call 743-5560 for directions or more info.
And for those interested in a more fun way to be liberal, here are Florida's Drinking Liberal groups:
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida * Every Thursday, 7:00 pm onward * Island Jack's Patio Bar and Grille, 5425 W Atlantic Blvd, Margate (just East of 441) * Hosted by Jacqueline Hope Derby and Dave Pfeffer, ftlauderdale (at) drinkingliberally.org
Orlando, Florida * Every Wednesday, 6:00 pm onward * Johnny's Fillin' Station, 2706 S Ferncreek Ave (NE corner of Michigan and Fern Creek) * Hosted by Dan Hill, orlando (at) drinkingliberally.or
Pensacola, Florida * Every Thursday, 7:00 pm onward * Intermission, 214 S Palafox St * Hosted by Terry Welch, pensacola (at) drinkingliberally.org
Tallahassee, Florida * Third Thursday of each month, 6:00 pm onward * Gill's Tavern, 2545 North Monroe Street * Hosted by Sharon Collins, tallahassee (at) drinkingliberally.org
South Tampa * First Thursday of each month, 7:00 pm onward * MacDintons Irish Pub, 405 S Howard Ave, Tampa (map) * Hosted by Shadia Alame and Kirk Sander, southtampa (at) drinkingliberally.org
St. Petersburg * Last Thursday of each month, 8:30 pm onward * Limey's Pub, 1492 4th St N * Hosted by Connor Davis and Dave Lee, stpetersburg (at) drinkingliberally.org
Brandon * Every Thursday, 7:00 pm onward * Old Chicago, 2042 Badlands Dr (Outside patio) * Hosted by Joe Litton and Shirley Litton, brandon (at) drinkingliberally.org
Land O Lakes * Second Tuesday of each month, 7:00-9:00 pm * Rapscallions, 4422 Land O Lakes Blvd (US-41) * Hosted by Brian Reach and Michael Greenman, landolakes (at) drinkingliberally.org
Until January of 2008, Chris held the position of District Director in the office of Congressman Chet Edwards, a senior member of Congress who represents the 17th District of Texas and is the influential chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs. As District Director, Chris supervised three offices and a staff of ten and oversaw all district operations, including constituent services, outreach and special projects in the sprawling, 12-county district.
Chris has also managed Edwards’ last four highly competitive and successful re-election campaigns, during which he was recognized for his leadership ability and organizational skills in the midst of challenging circumstances. So he knows what he is doing.
Diana Maldonado is another candidate running in Texas, for HD 52.
Diane worked full-time at the Texas Comptroller’s Office as a single mother, something that shows considerable determination and skill. She has won awards for her work with the Texas Comptroller’s Office, indicating further her skills and efficiency. She has been on the Forest Creek Elementary PTA, and served as President of the Round Rock ISD Board of Trustees so is an excellent advocate for education. Her main issues are education and transportation. You can volunteer to help here.
Nick Lampson for TX-22: This is a district we have to defend against a fierce Republican attempt to retake it...and it is one we really want to hold onto for symbolic reasons. This WAS Tom DeLay's district. Nick Lampson won, in part, because in 2006 his opponent had to run a write-in campaign as a result of a court decision that did not allow DeLay to change his residence to Virginia and get off the ballot. This time Lampson will face a serious challenge in this heavily Republican district from Pete Olson, chief-of-staff for Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX). I do not agree with Lampson on all issues. He is conservative, but this is one of the most heavily Republican districts in the country with a Democratic congressman and is probably the GOP's best pickup opportunity for 2008. Let's defend it. Lampson is better than any Republican who would win the district and on some issues he is excellent (e.g. NASA funding, Veterans issues, education funding...).
Texas is a Senate battleground this year. Rick Noriega is the Democratic Nominee for Senate. The latest from Rick Noriega's campaign is extremely encouraging:
While U.S. Senate Candidate and Lt. Col. Rick Noriega (D-TX) was on Active Duty, With Supporters' Help Rick Soared to Top Online Recipient Nationwide
HOUSTON, TX – U.S. Senator Jim Webb, a distinguished Vietnam veteran and a Senator known for fighting to give today's war veterans the benefits they deserve, joining with Senator Jon Tester (D-MT), a member of the Senate's Veterans Committee, and supporters to exceed fundraising goals and build momentum for Noriega's U.S. Senate bid while he was on active duty with the Texas Army National Guard June 1- 13.
While Rick was serving his country, supporters of his bid for Senate, including Senators Webb and Tester, his wife and prominent Texans (see full list here) launched the "Fill Rick's Boots Campaign" which was a resounding success. The "Fill Rick's Boots" program exceeded the campaign's original fundraising goal by more than $25,000. During the Fill Rick's Boots campaign, donors gave more than $75,000 to Rick's Senate campaign elevating him to the position of top recipient on ActBlue.com – the online clearinghouse for Democratic fundraising.
The Dallas Progressive Alternative Energy Meetup Group Want to know when and where this meeting is? Sign up for this Meetup.
The foremost purpose of The Dallas Alternative Energy Meetup Group is to bring together individuals seeking better, cleaner, more economical energy methods and technical experts working in the field of solar, wind, water, geothermal and other renewable sources to gain knowlege and how to use that knowledge. Any individual that has family or friends who live and breath air, those who live in a home, apartment, condo or townhouse as well as those who own automobiles or any other energy powered machinery would be well served to visit our monthly meetups.
This group is to discuss the role of wind power in Texas. Who should attend?
-citizens interested in learning about wind -homeowners and landowners -wind industry professionals -wind industry job-seekers -investors -anyone who feels they can contribute to the group
Monthly Colleyville, Grapevine, Southlake Democrats Meeting The CGS Democrats meet the second Thursday of each month at different locations around our three cities. Arrive at 6:30pm to socialize and eat dinner or at 7:00pm to meet.
Central Market (Southlake, TX) Hwy 1709 Southlake, TX 76092
Meet with other local Democrats, listen to special guests speakers, and learn how to participate in the poltical process. We have a lot of fun networking and learning how to activate our voters.
Meeting agendas are posted at the club Website one week in advance of the meeting date at http://www.cgsdemocrats.com
Look for us in the community room of the Central Market store. It is a nice meeting room and works out nicely. Call if you need directions: (817)939-5671
Lake Area Democratic Club (Social) A gathering of Democrats and anyone interested in the democratic process. Location: Seven Points Dairy Queen (Seven Points, TX) Directions: On hwy 85 just west of hwy 274
We meet at the Seven Points Dairy Queen at 6PM 3rd Tuesday of each month. Come join us and dine at the Queen and have fun while we work to get our county, state, and country back in shape.
Call 214-683-2811 for more information.
Here are the Texas Drinking Liberally groups for those who like to socialize with fellow Liberals:
Austin, Texas * Every Tuesday, 6:30 pm onward * The Dog and Duck Pub, 406 W 17th St (at Guadalupe) * Hosted by Ben Andrews, austin (at) drinkingliberally.org
Corpus Christi, Texas * Third Thursday of each month, 7:00 pm onward * Cassidy's Irish Pub, 601 N Water St * Hosted by Teresa Klein and Jim Klein, corpuschristi (at) drinkingliberally.org
Dallas * Second Friday of each month, 6:00 pm onward * The Stoneleigh P, 2926 Maple Ave (at Wolf across from the historic Stoneleigh Hotel) * Check out our blog for announcements of Eating Liberally, Screening Liberally, Drinking Coffee Liberally and other nonsmoker-friendly gatherings. Also, please "friend" us at MySpace.com/DallasDrinkingLiberally. * Hosted by Melissa Morgan, dallas (at) drinkingliberally.org
Addison * Third Thursday of each month, 6pm until 8pm * The Quarter, 15201 Addison Rd (next to Sambuca) * http://www.myspace.com/addisondl * There is road construction! However, Addison Rd is now re-opened in both directions for the time being. * Hosted by John McClelland and Erica Stockbridge, addison (at) drinkingliberally.org
Mid-Cities * First and third Wednesday of each month, 6:30 pm onward * Esparza's Tequila Factory and Grill, 3314 Harwood Rd, Bedford * Hosted by Kathleen Thompson and Todd Hill, midcities (at) drinkingliberally.org
El Paso, Texas * Third Tuesday of each month, 6:00 pm to 8:00pm * Hemmingways, 214 Cincinnati Ave * Hosted by Michael Apodaca and Lily Ruiz, elpaso (at) drinkingliberally.org
Houston, Texas * First Thursday of each month, 7 PM onward * Dog House Tavern, 2517 Bagby St * TRYING SOMETHING NEW. GOING TO MEET 1ST THURS FOR A FEW MONTHS. * Visit or post on the Houston forum: http://drinkingliberally.org/forum/viewforum.php?f=6 * Hosted by David Robertson, houston (at) drinkingliberally.org
New Braunfels, Texas * Third Wednesday of each month, 7:00 pm onward * The Black Whale, On the Plaza in Downtown New Braunfels * Hosted by Steve Woolbert and Greg Woodall, newbraunfels (at) drinkingliberally.org
San Antonio, Texas * Second and fourth Thursday of each month, 6:00 pm onward * The Cove, 606 W Cypress St (The Cove is located just west of San Pedro, where Cypress runs into Fredericksburg.) * Hosted by Bill Livermore, Livi Bogrand and Ned Allen, sanantonio (at) drinkingliberally.org
Waxahachie, Texas * Every Thursday, 6:30 pm * Library Lounge, downstairs in the Rogers Hotel, 100 E Main St (Take the elevator or stairs from lobby) * Location changes from time to time. Be on the email for updates! * Food available; no smoking. Conversation-friendly environment! * Hosted by Nathalie Guyol, waxahachie (at) drinkingliberally.org
GEORGIA FOCUS: Blogs, Obama, Veterans For Peace, NAACP, Groups and Events
With Bob Barr in the race for President as a Libertarian, Georgia is actually in play for Obama. Obama and McCain are currently neck and neck in the polls with Bob Barr getting 6%. As part of the Dean/Obama 50 state strategy, I urge a strong effort in Georgia this year. With that in mind I give you the Georgia for Obama Group. Join and participate! Register voters, give your time, make the effort.
South Georgia - North Florida Regional Volunteer HQ Brainstorming on efforts to assist Community in getting out the vote, and fundraising. Time: Tuesday, July 22 at 7:00 PM Contact Phone: 1-800-894-7357 Location: South Ga - North FL Regional Volunteer HQ (Kingsland, GA) 597 Harrietts Bluff Road Kingsland, GA 31548
Directions: I - 95 North or South to Exit 7 GA. Go one mile West. Look for the brick fountain on the corner of Kinlaw and Harriett's Bluff Rd.
Barack the Vote!!! This event will provide an atmosphere for discussion of issues,informative literature,and other useful resources to help promote the Obama '08 presidental campaigne. There will be light refreshments served. Get fired up and ready to go so we can Barack the Vote!!! Time: Saturday, July 26 at 4:00 PM Contact Phone: 229-291-2011 Location: Local Residential Home (Albany, GA) 3713 Mayfair ln. Suite B. Albany, GA 31721
Directions: * From 520 West take the Downtown Albany exiting Ramp to Dawson Rd. *At the light make a right on Pointe North Rd. *At the light at the end of the road make a right onto Old Dawson Rd. *Keep straight through one redlight. * Turn Left into St. Andrews. You are now on E. Alberson. *Go through the stop sign and make a left on Old Dominion Rd. *Turn left on Mayfair Ln. * The location will be marked with balloons. *3713 Mayfair Ln. Suite B. Albany,GA 31721 *Contact 229-291-2011 or 478-456-1781 for more detailed directions if needed.
Burning Spears (Voter Registration Drive) Voters Regostration Drive. Time: Sunday, July 27 at 1:00 PM Contact Phone: 478.320.2301 Location: Mt. Lebanon Baptist Church (Macon, GA) Bloomfield Rd Macon, GA 31204 Directions: Call me for driving direction @ 478.320.2301
South Georgia - North Florida Regional Volunteer HQ Event planning. Time: Monday, July 28 at 7:00 PM Contact Phone: 18008947357 Location: South Ga - North FL Regional Volunteer HQ (Kingsland, GA) 597 Harrietts Bluff Road Kingsland, GA 31548
Directions: Take I-95 North or South to Exit 7 in GA. Go one mile West. Look for the brick fountain on the corner of Harriett's Bluff and Kinlaw.
Veterans for Peace, Atlanta has several vigils and rallies around Atlanta. Here is their weekly schedule. I urge you to join them if you can to show your support:
Tuesdays 12:45-1 pm Weekly "Stand for Peace" vigil at Emory University , in front of Woodruff Library. For more information e-mail: thee.smith@emory. edu.
Thursdays 5:00-6:00pm Weekly "Stand for Peace" vigil at CNN, Marietta and Centennial Olympic Park. For more information e-mail John.Zientowski@ turner.com
Fridays 12:00-1:00 pm Weekly "Stand for Peace" vigil at Colony Square , corner of Peachtree and 14th Street . For more information, e-mail bobbiepaul@rp.cbeyond.com
Weekly "Stand for Peace" vigil at Marietta Square ( Cobb Court House). For more information e-mail cobbpeace@comcast.net
Saturdays 12:00-1:00 Weekly "Stand for Peace" vigil at Dekalb Farmers Market At 3000 Ponce de Leon Avenue , Decatur For more information, Fro more information e-mail John.Zientowski@ turner.com
Sundays 12:15-1:00 pm Weekly "Stand for Peace" vigil at the corner of MLK Drive and Washington Street (across from the state capitol). For more information, e-mail elogan@gsu.edu or peggyhendrix2000@yahoo.com.
12:00-12:30 pm Weekly "Stand for Peace" vigil at 910 Ponce De Leon Ave NE ,Open Door Community. For more information contact Lauren Cogswell at lauren_cogswell@yahoo.com, 404-874-9652
Next let me highlight some NAACP groups:
The Cobb County NAACP monthly meetings are the first Monday of the month at the branch office at 6:30 p.m.
General membership meets the fourth Tuesday of the month, mostly at the office location but varies based on programs. Members are encouraged to attend these meetings. Join a committee today. Elections of officers are held in even years.
For more info contact the branch office: 605 B. Roswell St Marietta, GA 30061 770.425.5757 info_at_cobbnaacp.org
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, or NAACP, is the oldest, largest and strongest civil rights organization in the United States. The principal objective of the NAACP is to ensure the political, educational, social and economic equality of minority group citizens of the United States.
The NAACP is committed to achievement through non-violence and relies upon the press, the petition, the ballot and the courts, and is persistent in the use of legal and moral persuasion even in the face of overt and violent racial hostility.
Fayette County NAACP Branch General Membership Meeting: 2nd Saturday Each Month - 4:00 PM, Flat Rock AME Church
And if you want contact info for other NAACP branches in Georgia (mainly addresses), please go here.
David Sirota in Georgia:
David Sirota, noted author, columnist, and populist political activist will be visiting Atlanta on July 23rd and 24th, 2008. Georgia for Democracy is proud to host David Sirota at Manuel’s Tavern on Wednesday, July 23, at 7:00 PM for a book signing and reception. The Uprising: An Unauthorized Tour of the Populist Revolt Scaring Wall Street and Washington is the latest work from this renowned author and progressive strategist.
Join Georgia for Democracy , Atlanta WAND and A Cappella Books as we host David Sirota for this special event on July 23rd at 7:00 PM at Manuel’s Tavern, 602 N Highland Ave. Mr Sirota’s visit to Atlanta is part of his national book tour in support of his new book. This event is sure to be a crowd-pleaser and great educational and community-building opportunity for progressive-minded activists.
The reception is free, and copies of The Uprising will be on sale courtesy of A Cappella Books. For more information, please visit our website at www.georgiafordemocracy.org.
David Sirota will also be the guest of honor at a private dinner/fundraiser the following evening, Thursday, July 24th. For details about this event email: catherine@georgiafordemocracy.org or make your reservations for Dinner with David Sirota here. The $100 includes a copy of The Uprising, which David will sign for you! Funds raised from this event help to pay for David's visit to Atlanta, which is completely paid for by contributions to Georgia for Democracy.
Here are a couple of Democracy for America meetings in Georgia:
Decatur Meeting: First Wed. of every month, 07:00 PM - 09:00 PM, Location: ChocoLate Coffee, 2094 North Decatur Rd, Decatur, GA, 30033 US Contact: Susan Keith susan_at_georgiafordemocracy.org
The North Fulton/East Cobb Democracy for America: Second Tuesday of every month, 7:00 PM, sign up here to find out where and more details.
Lowndes County Democratic Party Annual BBQ Start Time: Jul 7 2008 - 6:00pm Knights of Columbus Hall 306 N. St. Augustine Road Valdosta, GA, 31601 United States
Lowndes County Democratic Party Annual Barbecue draws hundreds of Democratic activists from across south Georgia. Lowndes County Democratic Party headquarters is located at 1008 Slater Street, Valdosta, GA 31601. For more information, call LCDP HQ at 229-241-1694 or email lowndesdems_at_bellsouth.net or visit our website at http://campaignwindow.com/lowndescountydemocraticcommittee
Cobb County Young Democrats Monthly Happy Hours on the first Fridays of every month and monthly Business Meetings on the third Tuesdays of every month. Both are great opportunities to meet fellow Cobb County Young Democrats and learn about the 2008 heated races taking place in Cobb County.
Happy Hours: BLACKBIRD, 114 W Hancock St, Milledgeville, GA, 31061 US Contact: Christin Ivey, Christin_ivey@ecats.gcsu.edu,
Business Mettings: Little Azio Pizza and Pasta 1675 Cumberland Pkwy, Ivywalk Unit #415, Smyrna, GA, 30080 US Contact: Alexandra O'Callaghan, alli@georgiayds.org,
Cherokee County Democratic Party Meeting Third Monday of Every Month, 7 PM Hot Springs Community Center 100 Hickory Circle Holly Springs, GA More info here.
Drinking Liberally is a grassroots social organizations for people who like to meet fellow liberals over a good beer. Here are the Drinking Liberally chapters in Georgia:
Atlanta, Georgia * Every Thursday, 8:00 pm onward * Thinking Man's Tavern, 537 W Howard Ave, Decatur * Hosted by Erin Abrahams, atlanta (at) drinkingliberally.org
Dunwoody * First and third Wednesday of each month (next meeting January 2), 7:00 pm onward * Ye Olde Dunwoody Tavern, 5488 Chamblee Dunwoody Rd (map) * Hosted by Hillary Meister, dunwoody (at) drinkingliberally.org
Augusta, Georgia * Second and fourth Thursday of each month, 7:00 pm onward * Helga's Lounge, 2015 Central Ave * Hosted by Margie Hobbins, augusta (at) drinkingliberally.org
Savannah, Georgia * First and third Thursday of each month, 7:30 pm onward * Crystal Beer Parlor, 301 W Jones St (corner of west jones and jefferson) * lots of parking * Hosted by John Mattingly, Victor Fishman and McKay Schwalbach, savannah (at) drinkingliberally.org
NEW JERSEY BLOGGING: Blue Jersey is a great source for the latest in New Jersey politics.
LatinosNJ.com – a website designed for and about New Jersey Latinos who number almost 1.5 million – provides the latest news and issues, and features blogs and columns from Latino leaders and experts in various fields such as health, education, business, and immigration.
Green Jersey is an environmental news blog that’s based in, and all about, New Jersey. Its blogger-editor is Jennifer Weiss, a New Jersey-based journalist.
Every Saturday Morning: Blue Jersey Radio Saturdays 10:30 - 11:00
Listen Live every Saturday morning from 10:30a-11:00a - or download the podcast anytime to listen to the latest hot topics, gossip and opinion on New Jersey politics with hosts Jeff Gardner and Jay Lassiter. Click here to listen!
NJ-05 Congressional Race:
This seat is currently held by Scott Garrett, who is widely considered far too much of a right wing extremist for his New Jersey constituents. Garrett is one of the Katrina 11, the 11 Republicans who opposed aid to Katrina victims. Garrett opposed renewal of the Voting Rights Act and he supported oil drilling off New Jersey’s coast, both very unpopular stands in New Jersey. He is anti-union, anti-choice, anti-Katrina victims and about as right wing as you can get.
Dr. Dennis Shulman is the Democratic nominee to take on Garrett. Renowned author, educator, Rabbi, and clinical psychologist, Dr. Dennis Shulman has dedicated his life to serving all segments of the community. Dennis Shulman has been endorsed by the New Jersey State AFL-CIO and has been selected by the DCCC as a strong challenger. You can learn more about Shulman here.
WEEKLY JERSEY CITY ANTI-WAR RALLY Sundays 12noon-1pm Jersey City Peace Movement is calling for an ANTI-WAR Vigil and Flyering from 12 noon till 1pm at Journal Square's Fountain.
(Take PATH train from NYC to Journal Square)
Bring PEACE posters, buttons and a friend! Bring flyers from YOUR peace and justice organization!
Spread the Word!
Weekly Impeachment Rally in Butler City: Support your country 4:30-6:30 p.m. every Monday on Highway 23 North in Butler! Bring your HONK 2 IMPEACH! signs and flags to the Butler footbridge that spans over Highway 23. We display our signs and flags from the footbridge and along the highway. Be sure to bring water and a sun hat! Directions are easy: click Intersection of Cascade Way & State Rte. 23 North, Butler, NJ 07405. When you approach driving northbound, there will be a traffic light with Cascade Way on the southbound side of the highway. Be in the right lane, go through the intersection and turn right immediately into a small parking area. There's a safe grassy place where we can stand along the highway, in addition to the footbridge where we hang our huge sign. We don't show when it rains. See YOU Monday afternoon! Contact Vigil Organizer
New Jersey for Democracy: Here are the local Democracy for America groups in New Jersey:
North Jersey -
Bergen County Ethical Culture Society 687 Larch Ave Teaneck, NJ 07666 RSVP at www.dfalink.com/bergen
Essex County Cryan's Beef & Ale House 24 First Street South Orange, NJ 07079 RSVP at www.dfalink.com/essex
Hudson County The Hard Grove Cafe 319 Grove St. Jersey City, NJ 07302 201-451-1853 RSVP at www.dfalink.com/hudson (First Wednesday of the Month, 7:30pm)
Morris County Morris County Democratic Headquarters 11 Washington St Morristown, NJ 07960 RSVP at www.dfalink.com/morris
Passaic County Puzo's Restaurant (Upstairs) 4 Garfield Ave. Hawthorne, NJ 07506 RSVP at www.dfalink.com/passaic (First Thursday of the Month)
Union County Rockin Joe Cafe 20 Prospect Street Westfield, NJ 07090 908-232-1660 RSVP at Union Meetup
Warren County MS Health Software Corp 605 Grand Ave. Hackettstown, NJ RSVP at www.dfalink.com/nwnj
Central Jersey -
Hunterdon County Friendly Grounds Coffee 36 Mine St. Flemington, NJ 908-788-8983 RSVP at www.dfalink.com/hunterdon
Mercer County Carl A Fields Center 86 Olden Street (Corner of Olden St and Prospect Ave on Princeton Univ campus) Princeton, NJ RSVP at www.dfalink.com/mercercounty (please check DFA-Link for schedule)
Middlesex County Panera Bread 1551 Route 1 South Edison, NJ 08837 (732) 516-1611 RSVP at www.dfalink.com/middlesexNJ
Monmouth County Racioppi's Kitchen 107 Oakland St. (at the train station at Bridge Ave.) Red Bank, NJ (917) 863-2408 RSVP at www.dfalink.com/monmouth
Somerset County Somerset County Complex 40 North Bridge St. (off of High) Somerville, NJ RSVP at Somerset Meetup (Second or Third Tuesday of the Month)
South Jersey -
Camden County Haddon Township Library 15 MacArthur Blvd Westmont, NJ 08108 856-854-2752 RSVP at Progressive Democracy South Jersey 4th Tues. of month
Gloucester County RSVP at Democracy for Gloucester County (Please check DFA-Link for date & location)
Ocean County Joshua Huddy Brew Pub and Grill 1250 Hooper Ave. Toms River RSVP at www.dfalink.com/oceancounty (First Tuesday of the Month)
Cape May County 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 Romney Place Cape May Court House, NJ 08210
For more information, please contact: Virginia Hesel 609-884-5848
Drinking Liberally:
For the more social and fun-oriented (and booze oriented), there's Drinking Liberally. Here are the New Jersey Drinking Liberally Chapters:
Hillsborough, New Jersey * Second and fourth Wednesday of each month, 8:00 pm onward * Petrock's Bar and Grill, 419 Amwell Rd (at Amwell and 206) * Hosted by Matthew Dawson, hillsborough (at) drinkingliberally.org
Montclair, New Jersey * Second Thursday of each month, 7:30 pm onward * Just Jake's, 30 Park Street (b/t Bloomfield & Claremont) * We meet in the REAR DINING ROOM. Turn left after entering, go past the juke box, bar and W.C. * Ample parking in municipal lot next to Just Jake's (free after 7 pm) * ** Mtclair DL ON THE ROAD, TUES, NOV 13, from 8PM at PAUL'S BAR & BOWLING, 377 CROOKS AVE, PATERSON, NJ (973) 278-1982 http://local.yahoo.com/details?id=10780514 **THIS IS AN ADDITIONAL MEETING, WE STILL HAVE OUR USUAL 2nd THURSDAY * Hosted by Kevin Kelly and Dan Evans Farkas, montclair (at) drinkingliberally.org
Morristown * Third Thursday of each month, 8:00 pm onwards * Hennessey's Tavern, 140 Morris St (Corner of Elm & Morris, next to the train station) * There's plenty of public parking behind train station or on Elm Street. * Come on by & raise a pint with other fun loving local progressive's! Hope to see you there... * Hosted by Jim Long, Chip Robinson, David Cochran and Linda Humphries, morristown (at) drinkingliberally.org
Dover * First Thursday of each month, 7:00 pm onward * The Hop, 14 N Morris St * Hosted by Jim Long, Chip Robinson, Dave Cochran and Linda Humphries, dovernj (at) drinkingliberally.org
New Brunswick, New Jersey * Second and fourth Wednesday of each month, 7:00 pm onward * Doll's Place, 101 Paterson St (corner of Paterson & Joyce Kilmer) * Hosted by Bob Scardapane and Chris Swasey, newbrunswick (at) drinkingliberally.org
Pennsauken, New Jersey * First and third Wednesday of each month, 7:00 pm onward * Kings Row Sports Bar and Billiards, 6030 S Crescent Blvd (Route 130 N) * Hosted by Art Williams and Denise Williams, pennsauken (at) drinkingliberally.org
Toms River, New Jersey * First Tuesday of each month, 8:00 pm onward * Joshua Huddy Brew Pub, 1250 Hooper Ave (across from Ocean County Mall) * Hosted by Robin Kinlin and Ian Valentine, tomsriver (at) drinkingliberally.org
VIRGINIA FOCUS: Blogs, Obama, Impeachment, Groups and Events
VIRGINIA ACT BLUE SITE: Help turn Virginia even more blue. Since 2005 Virginia has been trending blue, and we can continue that trend. Virginia is important in winning back the Senate, and I believe it might even be a swing state in the Presidential race. There are at least THREE key House races in Virginia this year. The DCCC is targeting VA-11, where the incumbent Repub is one of nearly 30 Republicans to retire, making it an open seat, VA-02, where the Repub incumbent won by LESS THAN 5%, and VA-10. Looking pretty good! And I am starting to read VERY promising things about VA-5. I believe all four of these are winnable and I predict we will win at least two of them...more if we push hard.
Women Looking for Change (Women for Obama House Party)
Perhaps a party, a potluck dinner, in which people pledge $25.00 to attend. I will need to know where to send the MONEY. I am looking at some time at the end of July or the first part of August. I will invite my own people or friends.
Time: Wednesday, July 30 at 7:00 PM Location: 14213 Pony Hill Court (Centreville, VA) 14213 Pony Hill Court Centreville, VA 20121
Combo-Vote for Change Voter Registration/Tabling Please join us as we register new voters and spread Sen. Obama's message of hope.
Time: Saturday, August 16 at 9:00 AM Location: Giant Shopping Center (Stafford, VA) Hopefully under two shady trees Stafford, VA 22554
Combo-Vote for Change Voter Registration/Tabling (Voter Registration Drive) Please join us after church as we register new voters and spread Sen. Obama's message of hope. Time: Sunday, August 17 at 11:00 AM Location: Giant Parking Lot (Stafford, VA) Associated Groups: Stafford County for Obama Directions: Rt. 610 across from IHOP
Barack The Vote (Voter Registration Drive)
I want to set up a voter registration drive on the campus of St. Paul's Coolege in Lawrenceville, Virginia. It is a small private HBCU that is affiliated with the Episcopal Church. I want to get students registered to vote in teh upcoming fall election as well as to inform the citizens of Brunswick County about the benefits of an Obama presidency.
Time: Monday, August 25 at 12:00 PM Location: John E. Thommason student Center (Lawrenceville, VA) 1 Athletic Field Drive Lawrenceville, VA 23868
BLOGGING VIRGINIA:
The Virginia Organizing Project is a statewide, multi-issue citizens' organization committed to challenging injustice by empowering people in local communities to address issues that affect the quality of their lives.
Virginia Poverty Law Center (VPLC) is a not-for-profit organization concentrating in the areas of law that affect low-income families. Established in 1978 to advocate on behalf of low-income Virginians on poverty issues of statewide importance, VPLC is the only state-wide organization providing training to local legal aid program staff, private bar attorneys, and low-income clients, relating exclusively to the legal rights of Virginia's poor. VPLC also assists low-income Virginians and Legal Aid Programs with legislative and administrative proposals affecting the poor in Virginia as well as providing technical assistance, training and publications to Virginia's Legal Aid Programs in the following substantive areas: Consumer, Elder Rights, Family, Health Care, Housing & Public Benefits.
The Virginia Young Democrats blog has links to local Young Democrat groups and college clubs, and has information of interest to young voters in Virginia. This is Virginia's political future!
Governors Debate Biofuels (and a reminder of my own view on biofuels). Seems to me oil and coal producing states are pushing to stop biofuels, corn and soy producing states want biofuels based on corn and soy, and wood producing states want biofuels based on wood. No surprise there. But we really do need a smart policy here.
Here's a weekly impeachment related events:
Honk to Impeach Bush and Cheney to End the War Every Friday at noon in front of Rep. Bobby Scott's office building at the corner of E. Clay Street and N. 2nd Street- Address: 501 N. 2nd Street Richmond, VA 23219-1321 Come by and HONK LOUDLY!!! http://www.myspace.com/rva4peace
Now some other groups and events:
Arlington Democrats Meetup Group Meet other local Dems! Sponsored by the Arlington Democratic Committee, about 60 attendees meet to discuss local/national politics, listen to guest speakers and receive news on getting involved. Email jamesemcb_at_yahoo.com to join the ACDC listserv or sign up at www.arlingtonyoungdems.org.
Monthly Charlottesville Democratic Breakfast This gathering takes place on the third Saturday of each month at 9:30a.m. and is usually held at the JABA building on Hillsdale Drive. Pay what you can.
Virginia Beach Democratic Committee Monthly Meeting Held the First Wednesday of every month, 7 PM, at the Virginia Beach Central Library.
Monthly Interfaith Pray for Peace Gathering Final Thursday of evern month, 7:15pm
Location: Sojourners UCC Church, 1017 Elliott Ave, Charlottesville Sponser: Interfaith Cooperation Circle of Central Virginia-URI; Gesher Center; Unity Church
Description: On the final Thursday of every month, the Interfaith Pray for Peace Gathering welcomes people of all faiths, backgrounds, and beliefs to an inspired and inspiring flow of prayers, meditations and songs for peace.
Blue Mondays With the Stafford County Democrats Every Monday evening at 5 PM King Street Blues Restaurant Casual get-together of like minded Democratic Activist For more info contact: jac_at_j2power.com
Democracy for Virginia: Here are the local Democracy for America chapters in Virginia. Click on the link for more info:
Drinking Liberally: For the more social and fun-oriented (and booze oriented), there's Drinking Liberally. Here are the Virginia Drinking Liberally Chapters:
Alexandria/Springfield, Virginia * Second Thursday of each month, 7:00-9:00 pm * King Street Blues, 5810 Kingstowne Center Drive, Alexandria (Corner of Kingstowne Blvd and Van Dorn Street) * Hosted by Brian Murray and Mike Sizemore, alexandria (at) drinkingliberally.org
Arlington, Virginia * Every Thursday, 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm * Capitol City Brewing Company, 2700 S Quincy St * We're usually in the back room at Cap City; check with the host station if you don't see us there! * "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world" - Margaret Mead * Hosted by David Swim, Quinn Jones, Michelle Elliott and Bev Wright, arlington (at) drinkingliberally.org
Charlottesville, Virginia * Every Thursday, 6:00 pm onward * South Street Brewery, 106 W South St * Hosted by Chris Dumler and Clare Wuerker, charlottesville (at) drinkingliberally.org
Lorton, Virginia * First and third Friday of each month, 6pm to 8 or 9 * Glory Days Grill, 9459 Lorton Market St * First hour of the gathering is part of happy hour * Hosted by Alan Salisbury and Chris Ambrose, lorton (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 Tom Mitchell and Vivian Paige, norfolk (at) drinkingliberally.org
Richmond, Virginia * Every other Wednesday, 7:00 pm onward * Chiocca's Downstairs, 425 N Belmont Ave (Museum District - corner of Kensington & Belmont) * Come join us for brews & news! * Hosted by Morgan Bailey and John Manall, richmond (at) drinkingliberally.org
Virginia Beach, Virginia * First Friday of each month, 7:00 PM * Studio For The Healing Arts, 1611 Colley Ave # D, Norfolk, VA, Norfolk (One block from the Naro theater) * Zeitgeist the Movie, DVD Door Prize * http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Virginia9-11Truth/ http://vbdems.org * One block from the Naro theater in Ghent * Hosted by Chris Jaramillo and Eileen Levandoski, vabeach (at) drinkingliberally.org
