Progressive Democrat Issue 225

It's all about healthcare this week. I try to highlight in the local focus pages any healthcare rallies and town halls I can. You can also find out more about what you can do to fight for healthcare reform by going here. In particular, go here to find town hall meetings near you. I can't emphasize enough how important this is. I have focused on contacting and lobbying several congressional reps. I either know or spent some real effort to help get elected.

I also return to my previous focus on Burma and their main American enablers, Chevron/Texaco, and I return to my discussion of why Bank of America sucks. And although I don't have a page on the Glenn Beck advertiser boycott, it is still on. I recommend contacting Clorox this week and urge them to stop advertising on the Glenn Beck show because of Beck's racist comments. I found them receptive but I am not sure they have followed through. Be polite but follow up when they respond. I think they are going to do the right thing and their response sounded like they could be open to boycotting most Fox News shows. If Clorox is as receptive as they seem, and they follow through, I could see favoring their products when I go shopping.

And for my NYC readers I continue to focus on the upcoming Democratic primaries. In particular I want to emphasize there are some fantasitc candidates running. I am staying neutral for several reasons in the mayoral primary. For Comptroller John Liu and David Weprin are the only competant candidates. The other two candidates, Melinda Katz and David Yassky (who is my City Councilman and I can tell you he is lousy), have no financial experience and are nothing but shills for developers. A recent Q poll showed John Liu leads followed by Melinda Katz, then David Yassky and David Weprin last. I recommend voting for the candidate who both HAS financial experience AND is the frontrunner: John Liu. For Public Advocate, two candidates seem to be relatively dedicated to advocating for the public: Mark Green and Norman Siegel. Of those two, Norman Siegel is by far the better advocate and his honesty is absolutely rock solid. The other two, Eric Gioia and Bill de Blasio have little actual interest in the Public Advocate position but merely see it as a stepping stone to the mayors office. I know enough about Gioia and de Blasio not to trust them. A recent Q poll shows that Mark Green is in the lead followed by Norman Siegel then Bill de Blasio with Eric Gioia lagging. I recommend Norman Siegel as by far the candidate with the most integrity. Finally, for City Council I have many recommendations, but in particular I recommend Yetta Kurland in Manhattan (3rd district), Josh Skaller and Jo Anne Simon in Brooklyn (39th and 33rd districts) and Steve Behar and Mel Gargarin in Queens (19th and 29th districts). Go to my endorsement list to see more, but I highlight these candidates because they are excellent and seem to have a real chance to win. Other candidates I highlight I have less of an idea how well they are doing.

Here is this week's newsletter:

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Get Your Rabbi Involved!

Denounce Aung San Suu Kyi's Imprisonment

Continuing the Chevron Boycott

Bank of America Seems to Like Pissing of Americans

NYC FOCUS: My updated endorsement list

Brooklyn, NY Focus

Queens, NY Focus

Bronx, NY Focus

Rochester, NY Focus

NEW YORK STATE FOCUS

San Diego, CA Focus

Orange County, CA Focus

CALIFORNIA FOCUS

Dallas County, TX Focus

Austin/Travis County, TX Focus

Houston/Harris County, TX. Focus

TEXAS FOCUS

Georgia Democrats Work

Coweta County, GA Focus

Georgia Action for Health Care

GEORGIA FOCUS

Sussex County, NJ Focus

Warren County, NJ Focus

Passaic County, NJ Focus

NEW JERSEY FOCUS

Virginia's Governor Race: Getting Fired Up With Creigh Deeds

VIRGINIA FOCUS

WASHINGTON FOCUS

Maricopa County, AZ Focus: Corrupt Sheriff Joe Arpaio

ARIZONA FOCUS

Colorado Senator Bennet On Healthcare Reform

COLORADO FOCUS

Florida CFO Alex Sink's new workers' comp whistle-blower site already producing big results

FLORIDA FOCUS

Illinois Focus: Melissa Bean and Bill Foster, Give Us Our Healthcare

ILLINOIS FOCUS

PENNSYLVANIA FOCUS

MICHIGAN FOCUS

Illinois Focus: Melissa Bean and Bill Foster, Give Us Our Healthcare

ILLINOIS FOCUS

Wisconsin Focus: Get the Facts on Health Care Reform

WISCONSIN FOCUS

North Carolina Justice Center: Myths About Health Reform

NORTH CAROLINA FOCUS

NEVADA FOCUS

Iowa's 90th House District Special Election September 1st

IOWA FOCUS

MINNESOTA FOCUS