Hannah's Blog

Convention Alternative

Hi,

I'm writing you because I'm very concerned that while Dr. Dean may well be invited to give a speech at the Democratic National Convention, his many supporters (except the delegates,of course) are not going to welcome inside the convention site. Indeed, uninvited guests may well be shunted to some sort of holding area at some distance where they won't even be able to view the area where the proceedings are going on. The DNC is, of course, making plans for "security."
So, what do I propose? Well, it seems to me that the Deanfest in Vermont is a good beginning but it would be even better if there were another venue near to but not in Boston where Dean supporters could gather, hear their leader in person and construct a platform, in both senses of that word--i.e. a physical platform from which speakers could address us and a document that would incorporate our democratic goals and on which candidates for other offices who want the grassroots support can run on.
There are several cities within 45 miles of Boston with good ground transportation, near airports and convention facilities that are not yet booked for July. There's the Tsongas Arena in Lowell (the cradle of industrialization); there's the Verizon Center in Manchester, NH (a burgeoning high tech area that used to be very depressed) and Worchester, MA about which I know little except Lucent is not doing so well there and it does have what it calls the Centrum Center in the middle of the city (probably the result of urban renewal). Philladelphia, the cradle of democracy, would be a nice place to have a Deanocrat Convention but I think it's probably too far away to piggy back on the media attention to the DNC Convention.
As an aside, one of the things that has surprised me about this technological age when everything is supposed to move so fast, is how long it still takes to get information out and form a consensus around an idea. Word of mouth is still probably quicker, perhaps because the word comes in a known package of past experience which helps determine whether or not the information can be trusted--a mantle of credibility, if you will, which the corporate media have obviously lost, and which they try to compensate for with repetition.
Anyway, I'd appreciate some feed-back, especially if you think it's a useful idea to fix on an alternative site where there is less chance of confrontation with imported "security forces" from Miami and elsewhere.
I am going to post this letter on the blog and people can respond through my personal blog http://hannah.smith-family.com/blog/

Austin Visibility

Primary Vote

PA Delegates

Essay Winner

Profile in Courage Essay Contest Prize Winning Essay

Stephanie Dziczek,
Holmes High School, Covington, Kentucky

Subject of essay: Governor Howard Dean

Excerpt:
In an interview with The Advocate, Dean maintained that despite damage to his campaign, he had no
regrets about supporting Vermont's civil unions bill: "This . . . is about principle, and that
principle is respect for everyone-and that is regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation,
race, or any one of a number of factors that makes us different" (Dean). Minority champions like
Dean, with the courage to hold principle and respect for all people above common opinion, are the
reasons that today women can vote, African Americans are legally protected from discrimination, and
homosexuals can engage in civil unions.

President John F. Kennedy recognized the importance of these courageous people to the success of our
nation when he stated, "A democracy that has . . . no monument of individual conscience in a sea of
popular rule is not worthy to bear the name" (Kennedy 161). The outstanding courage exemplified by
Howard Dean legitimizes the ideals of our Declaration of Independence in today's America.

On Election Day 2000, Vermonters voted their verdict on Dean's integrity: he was reelected. Despite
dissension, voters valued Dean for his commitment to principle. The ultimate success of Vermont's
civil unions bill and Dean's reelection could serve as a persuasive impetus to grant gays similar
freedoms in other states. The effect of Dean's courage, however, reaches beyond the law. For a
generation of young Americans, Dean proved that justice is possible and that rights to "life,
liberty, and the pursuit of happiness," are still worth defending.
Posted by Judy at

Dean's Deli

The story of Dean's Deli:

I own Klein's Deli on Potrero Hill in San Francisco where I began posting information about Governor Dean in March 2003. I was thrilled to find a candidate I could believe in from the first time I saw the video of him speaking at the California Democratic convention in Sacramento. My belief in him never wavered; it deepened and grew with time and exposure and the building of a San Francisco for Dean organization composed of smart, energetic, hopeful and creative people devoted to changing the course of our great country. The good governor inspired my sense of hope and optimism about what we could and might accomplish with his leadership and our grassroots organizing. I still get chills remembering how I felt then and the feeling hasn't changed.

Governor Dean quite simply has been a stunning and remarkable gift to the Democratic Party and the country. I underestimated the fear of the media and of the party about their control of the agenda and their grip on power. I thought the Republicans were all we had to worry about and that if we could just get people to hear the governor we would succeed. I was naïve but I was also right.

My goal was to help the governor to be seen and heard. That goal has taken many forms, from waving banners, letter writing and donating money to posting flyers at Klein's, hosting meetings and MeetUps and working with and creating a new community of activists. And finally, adding Dean’s name to the name of my deli. This last action was the result of a comment by a customer and a Dean supporter who in May of last year asked me when I was going to change the name from Klein's to Dean's Deli. The seed was planted and I knew that a banner would go up prior to our primary in March.

During the course of the past year my life has, at its core, been centered on Governor Howard Dean who was on the rise, and on my mother, Lillie Avery McGinn, who was in decline. My partner willingly, graciously and with deep respect for these priorities played "third fiddle" to my two passionate involvements.

On February 8th, Lillie's absentee ballot voting for Governor Dean went in the mail. On February 9th, Lillie passed away peacefully in her sleep. On February 13th, "Dean's Deli" banner went up at Klein's. On February 18th, we celebrated and memorialized Lillie's life on what would have been her 99th birthday. On that same day the governor reluctantly ended his campaign for the presidency.

Lillie and Howard will always be linked in my heart and in my personal history. They leave me with a remarkable legacy of principled and heartfelt values, including honesty, integrity, forthrightness and hard work, due diligence, passion, and hope.

Lillie flies with the angels while Howard is here on earth with us, continuing to build on his and our legacies.

I will forever be grateful for their gifts.

Avery McGinn
San Francisco, California

World Social Forum

http://www.uprisingradio.org/wsf/wsf_photos_page1.html

German Attitude

"Look a white sheep. Seems a bit un-cool"

http://www.zweitausendeins.de/

VOTE TO IMPEACH

Just in case the Democrats fail in November, I think it's prudent to start a move to impeach the leaders of the current administration. I am obviously not alone. Over 380,000 people have already signed a petition to the Judiciary Committee of the Senate.

The web site where the petition can be signed is:

http://www.votetoimpeach.org

American Dream

Good morning:

When I woke up this morning into that no longer asleep-- not quite awake state, I had an ah-ha experience, one of those thoughts that, as soon as I had it, I knew it was right.

What was it? Well, it's really simple, as most of those kinds of thoughts are. And it rhymes. Though if that's what makes it seem to right, I don't know.

Anyway, here it is. DOCTOR DEAN, THE AMERICAN DREAM!

Doesn't surprise you does it? But you may be asking yourself what does it mean?
Doctor Dean is the American Dream. How so? Well, he embodies it; in the sense that the American Dream is the potential of great wealth and fortune and the satisfaction of doing with less. Doctor Dean embodies the American Dream because he could have had great material wealth, was born into the right circumstance to attain it with lots of help from his friends, but decided he didn't need it and could be satisfied with having less.
Isn't that what we all want? The opportunity to succeed and the ability to decide when we've achieved all that we really need.
Unfortunately, that dream isn't shared by everyone. There are an awful lot of people for whom wealth and success are so wrapped up together that they never get enough. They never derive any satisfaction from their striving. They exist in a state of perpetual deprivation, perhaps growing out of envy of what anyone else has.
That's sad because not only are these people never satisfied, all of their striving only serves to deprive others of what they have achieved.
I don't know if you'd call these rapacious people evil. It's possible they don't mean to covet what others have. Maybe they're just hostage to the predatory instinct which moves the fox to the chase, whenever a scared rabbit runs off, regardless of whether he's hungry or not.
Whatever the explanation and whatever sets them off, predatory humans have to be stopped just because their appetites are never satisfied. And, unfortunately, it's probably going to take more than the American Dream to do it. It's going to take a lot of hard work and it's going to mean that we have to set some of our satisfactions aside for a time so they won't be taken from us entirely. Because human predators can't be satisfied with things they are a threat to life and liberty itself.

Download file

Oral Evidence?

THE REPUBLICAN PARTY--THEY WANT TO SHRINK THE SIZE OF GOVERNMENT ENOUGH SO IT CAN FIT IN YOUR BEDROOM

Gift From the UK

$ 20 Bill
A well-known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20.00 bill.
In the room of 200, he asked, "Who would like this $20 bill?" Hands started
going up. He said, "I am going to give this $20 to one of you but first,
let me do this. He proceeded to crumple up the $20 dollar bill.
He then asked, "Who still wants it?" Still the hands were up in the air. Well, he
replied, "What if I do this?" And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind
it into the floor with his shoe.
He picked it up, now crumpled and dirty. "Now, who still wants it?" Still the hands went into the air.
My friends, we have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth
$20. Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the
dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We
feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what
will happen, you will never lose your value. Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless to those who DO LOVE you. The worth of our lives comes not in what we do or who we know, but by WHO WE ARE.
You are special - Don't EVER forget it."

If you do not pass this on, you may never know the lives it touches, the
hurting hearts it speaks to, or the hope that it can bring. Count your> blessings, not your problems. And remember: amateurs built the ark, professionals built the Titanic. If God brings you to it - He will bring you through it.

Shrub Removal

The main goal of the Howard Dean campaign was and continues to be to remove the current administration from office. Now, how's that going to be accomplished?
Shrub and his cronies have to be removed, one way or another. Either at the ballot box or through impeachment. The ballot box is quicker and marginally neater. But, if the ballot box doesn't work, it will have to be done by the House of the people and that means a significant spinal stiffening.
Since every single member of that body is subject to re-evaluation this year, it would seem that there's a lot of work to be done. If enough of us just get off our duffs and do it.
Right now, since Congress is still in session it's a good time to evaluate potential challengers as to their commitment to change. Then when the members come home to their districts, even as early as the Easter holidays, they can be interviewed as to their commitment to voting to impeach. It's a simple question. Will you vote to impeach or not?
While it's very difficult if not impossible to hold someone to account for NOT doing what they were supposed to (Reagan got away with not implementing all kinds of legislative directives), in this case we are dealing with things that were done--troops that were ordered into war without good reason, people who have been detained contrary to national and international legal standards. Who knows what else? The people whom it was done to know. All they have to be sure of is that their witnessing will be protected and acted on.

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2004/02/22/where_are_iraqs_pentagon_papers/

Visibility

One Guy's Power

Governor Dean,

I'm glad you are asking for some suggestions and hope that the ones made here reach you.

My wife and I just got back from a Glendale, CA Democratic Club fundraiser and Democratic Candidates Forum. I spoke on your behalf at this event. This is the speech I made and it goes to the very heart of why we are with you now.

We are trying to get our act together to reform this grassroots effort out here in California. Ultimately, supporters like Maddie and me will get involved locally and show the effects of this campaign for years to come. It'll be many times more effective if we have a leader who gives us focus and legitimacy as we reform. Each day that passes we lose the focused support. Please find some way to help us. http://www.deanport.com/national/

The text of my speech:
==============================
Let me start by saying we who support Howard Dean are not done trying to influence this election and the Democratic Party. While not actively campaigning for the nomination we hope to gain delegates and influence at our party?s convention in July. We need your votes on March 2nd to do this. Your voice is your vote and we ask you to let your heart speak on that day.

My wife, Maddie and I had never been involved in politics before nor given money to a candidate. No politician in our lifetime had ever given us a reason to. Here we are today though. Both of us having given speeches about what we feel with such passion and knowing truth. Both having gotten involved such that our every weekend for the past 10 months has been about Dean in some shape or form. Our story is repeated thousands of people over in this country.

Now that Dean has stopped actively campaigning for the nomination, we all feel a sense of sadness and disappointment. Were it any other campaign, we, Dean?s supporters would have gone our separate ways and our work would be done. But this never was just any other campaign.

Teddy Roosevelt said:

The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who at best, knows the triumph of high achievement; and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.

~Theodore Roosevelt

Dean?s supporters are not finished yet because our campaign was about something larger than Howard Dean.

We are learning that change takes time. It cannot rest on an idealized perspective of how an electorate should vote, of how politicians should act or how the media should do its job. It can only rest on pure political power generated by the hard work of focused objectives and the relational community effort to build the leaders required to rally our fellow citizens to this work. We must ground this movement more strongly and we will.

By getting involved locally in our communities and creating meaningful results, we can give our electorate a reason to believe their vote matters. We can lead by example. We can hold our politicians accountable for the things that improve lives in our own communities. We can run for leadership positions within the Democratic Party, Democratic Clubs, School Boards, City Council?.and yes we can run for State as well as National level representation. We will do these things so that long after 2004, the impact of the Dean campaign will be felt in this nation. We do have the power and we do understand it is our responsibility.

Martin Luther King said, "Our lives begin to end, the day we become silent about things that matter."

?.{SILENCE}?.

WE WILL NOT BE SILENCED in 2004!!

The Democratic Party has always represented a positive force for change in this great land! In recent years it has lost its way. Howard Dean has reminded us of what we stand for again. It was Dean that brought down the house at the California Democratic Convention a year ago.

He said then:

?I have never lost an election, but my career has never been about winning elections. My career -- and this campaign -- is about changing the Democratic Party. It's about changing America. And this campaign is about taking back the White House so we can have health insurance, so we can have a balanced budget, and so we can have an inclusive society where everybody believes in each other and believes in America.

?I want my country back! I want our country back!?

He never wavered from that message. We who supported Howard Dean saw an honest, sincere and forceful advocate for change and empowerment of our country?s people. How remarkable it was that so many disaffected Democrats, Independents and even Republicans flocked to his campaign. People who had given up on participating in politics found voice to their frustration and anger. Found hope??they found a reason to get involved again!

It was Dean himself that said this campaign is more than issue differences on health care, tax cuts, national security, jobs, the environment and our economy. It?s about who we are as Americans. Never had any of us heard a politician show such depth in understanding what we all were searching for. It?s the essential question we all ask ourselves at one time or another.

WHO ARE WE? ?. WHAT DO WE BELIEVE IN?..... WHAT MATTERS WHEN WE LOOK INTO OUR HEART OF HEARTS?

At Meet Ups every month, we gathered together to ask what that meant and act in community to help our advocate for change gain the nomination. For you who supported Dean at one time or another I want to ask you to think back to your first Meet Up.

How it felt to come out of that lonely place of disconnection from community?.community that we felt so powerless to preserve and protect from this dishonest, corporate owned, administration and its right wing allies in Congress, the Courts, and the media. To realize that we WERE NOT ALONE! To have someone believing in us.

You have the power??To reclaim our nation?s destiny

You have the power??To rid Washington of the politics of money

You have the power??To make right as important as might

You have the power??To give Americans a reason to vote again

You have the power??To restore our nation?s fiscal sanity and bring jobs back to our people

You have the power??To fulfill Harry Truman?s dream and bring Health Insurance to every American

You have the power??To give us a foreign policy consistent with American values again.

You have the power??To take back the Democratic Party

We have the power to unite behind our nominee for President in 2004 and that is what we will do.

Thank you very much!
Posted by pbriggsiam at February 22, 2004 03:30 AM

ebay treasure

HOWARD DEAN IS ON THE BALLOT ON MARCH 2 - VOTE
An Open Letter To The American People Item number: 2989333908

Starting bid: US $0.01

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United States




An Open Letter To The American People

The Responsibility Of The Citizen As A Voter

(Prize essay of the American Bar Association; written in 1945 by Ralph B. Potts, Esq. of Seattle, WA)

"The blood of free men stains my ballot sheet. Whatever others may do, I shall not carelessly make my mark. I vote not because I can but because I must. Those that died for this, my voice in my government, had a right to expect that I would prepare with every faculty to use it wisely, honestly and courageously. They did not die that fools, blind partisans, or the reckless, might make a game of free elections.

Only my secret heart knows whether I justify the definition of "Voter" as they wrote it in the reddening sand. If I love my country as they did, I question my qualification again and again.

I carefully study the issues and candidates to determine not what is best for me or my minority but for my country.

I will not be confused or deceived by propaganda, slogans or histrionics. I shield my eyes to the glitter of personalities, purge my mind of passion and prejudice, and search diligently for the hidden truth. I must be free of all influences save that of conscience and justice.

I garden for dreams, but with a realistic spade. My test is not of trend of popularity but of principle and liberty.

I vote as if my ballot alone decided the contest. I may lose my preference, but I will not throw away my sacred vote. For within the booth I hold in my humble hand the living proxy of all my country's honorable dead."

States That Vote March 2, 2004

California
Connecticut
Georgia
Maryland
Massachusetts
Minnesota
New York
Ohio
Rhode Island
Vermont

This is the most important vote you will ever cast.

Contrary to popular media, Howard Dean did not quit his bid for the presidential nomination. He is on the ballot. Please, vote.

If you are an Ebay Powerseller or just know how to put up Ebay auctions, would you please put up an auction like this in different categories to help me ask people to vote. This ad is not associated with the Dean Campaign - It is paid for by me.

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HOWARD DEAN IS ON THE BALLOT ON MARCH 2 - VOTE
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Vetting candidates

Good morning:

As some of you night owls may not know, there was a lot of work done here yesterday to organize support for really democratic candidates for the House and the Senate. I know I gleaned at least eight I might like to support, over and above the thirty indentified by Yellin on Kos.
While I was sleeping, however, the brain came to the conclusion that, in addition to researching what these people are saying and the positions on issues they are taking, they probably need a more thorough vetting.
We now know from experience that some people will say anything to get elected and then do nothing. Our legislative morass isn't just the result of input from "special interests" or kowtowing to the leadership.
So, considering the worst case scenario that the Rove strategy is successful and his boy is re-elected, we need to be prepared not only with a democratic majority in the House, but with new members who are prepared to do the right thing and impeach the President for lying to Congress and orchestrating aggression against another nation without cause. Since the House is unlikely to take such action under the current leadership and that leadership can only be changed with a new majority, we need a majority. But we also need one that is prepared to act.
As was noted yesterday in the report from South Dakota, the current Democratic leader of the Senate is now supportive of that aggression and probably not up to the task of leading the Senate through the impeachment process.
So, it would probably be a good idea before we go throwing our support to any candidate that we vet them properly, especially in regard to their responsiblity to impeach those who violate their oath of office or fail to perform the duties they have assumed.
One should not be able to escape accountability for bad performance by playing the dunce.
If the election process cannot be made to work to remove an incompetent office-holder, whether because of fraud or corporate conspiracies, then the impeachment is the only recourse we have.
Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to draw up a bill of particulars outlining the multiple violations of law and the Constitution the current administration has committed and use that to vet prospective members of Congress and the Senate.
After all, it's only fair they should know what they are in for and what their constituents expect.
Posted by Monica Smith at February 21, 2004 03:01 AM

Something Fishy

Subject: usma1959-forum: Fw: John Kerry...You decide

I know nothing about "Swift Boat" tactics so I can't judge the veracity of this letter. Maybe a more knowledgeable classmate can shine some light on this. It was forwarded to me by a high school classmate, USNA grad ('59) and Rear Admiral (Ret.)

Walt Plaue ----- Original Message ----- To: undisclosed-recipients: Sent: Saturday, February 14, 2004 6:17 PM Subject: John Kerry...You decide

Sent to me by an old shipmate....

I was in the Delta shortly after he left. I know that area well. I know the operations he was involved in well. I know the tactics and the doctrine used. I know the equipment. Although I was attached to CTF-116 (PBRs) I spent a fair amount of time with CTF-115 (swift boats), Kerry's command.

Here are my problems and suspicions:

(1) Kerry was in-country less than four months and collected, a Bronze Star, a Silver Star and three purple hearts. I never heard of anybody with any outfit I worked with (including SEAL One, the Sea Wolves, Riverines and the River Patrol Force) collecting that much hardware so fast, and for such pedestrian actions. The Swifts did a commendable job. But that duty wasn't the worst you could draw. They operated only along the coast and in the major rivers (Bassac and Mekong). The rough stuff in the hot areas was mainly handled by the smaller, faster PBRs.

(2) Three Purple Hearts but no limp. All injuries so minor that no time lost from duty. Amazing luck. Or he was putting himself in for medals every time he bumped his head on the wheel house hatch? Combat on the boats was almost always at close range. You didn't have minor wounds. At least not often. Not three times in a row. Then he used the three purple hearts to request a trip home eight months before the end of his tour. Fishy.

(3) The details of the event for which he was given the Silver Star make no sense at all. Supposedly, a B-40 was fired at the boat and missed. Charlie jumps up with the launcher in his hand, the bow gunner knocks him down with the twin .50, Kerry beaches the boat, jumps off, shoots Charlie, and retreives the launcher. If true, he did everything wrong.
(a) Standard procedure when you took rocket fire was to put your stern to the action and go balls to the wall. A B-40 has the ballistic integrity of a frisbie after about 25 yards, so you put 50 yards or so between you and the beach and begin raking it with your .50's.
(b) Did you ever see anybody get knocked down with a .50 caliber round and get up? The guy was dead or dying. The rocket launcher was empty. There was no reason to go after him (except if you knew he was no danger to you just flopping around in the dust during his last few seconds on earth, and you wanted some derring do in your after-action report). And we didn't shoot wounded people. We had rules against that, too.
(c) Kerry got off the boat. This was a major breach of standing procedures. Nobody on a boat crew ever got off a boat in a hot area. EVER! The reason was simple. If you had somebody on the beach your boat was defenseless. It coudn't run and it couldn' t return fire. It was stupid and it put his crew in danger. He should have been relieved and reprimanded. I never heard of any boat crewman ever leaving a boat during or after a firefight.

Something is fishy.

Here we have a JFK wannabe (the guy Halsey wanted to court martial for carelessly losing his boat and getting a couple people killed by running across the bow of a Jap destroyer) who is hardly in Vietnam long enough to get good tan, collects medals faster than Audie Murphy in a job where lots of medals weren't common, gets sent home eight months early, requests separation from active duty a few months after that so he can run for Congress, finds out war heros don't sell well in Massachsetts in
1970 so reinvents himself as Jane Fonda, throws his ribbons in the dirt with the cameras running to jump start his political career, gets Stillborn Pell to invite him to address Congress and Bobby Kennedy's speechwriter to do the heavy lifting, winds up in the Senate himself a few years later, votes against every major defense bill, says the CIA is irrelevant after the Wall came down, votes against the Gulf War, a big mistake since that turned out well, decides not to make the same mistake twice so votes for invading Iraq, but oops, that didn't turn out so well so he now says he really didn't mean for Bush to go to war when he voted to allow him to go to war.

I'm real glad you or I never had this guy covering out flanks in Vietnam. I sure don't want him as Commander in Chief. I hope that somebody from CTF-115 shows up with some facts challenging Kerry's Vietnam record. I know in my gut it's wildy inflated. And fishy.
Posted by Sean Robertson at February 20, 2004 10:27 AM

Things To Do

While I lay sleeping (a solid six hours, thank you), the brain did its work.

First, it went over that NY letter supposedly "releasing" delegates that haven't been selected yet. Now I know what the problem is. In addition to getting on the ballot, every candidate (should) is able to select a slate of delegates. These are real people. Kerry doesn't have any in New York. Indeed, in some counties he didn't even get on the ballot. So the letter would seem to be an effort to redirect resources from the Dean campaign elsewhere. Don't let it happen. Somebody in New York should find those delegates now and reassure them that they are still important.

Second, efforts to remove Howard Dean's name from the ballot because he's not actively campaigning also need to be resisted most strenuously. After all, in most states there are lots of other candidates for President who are not "active" in the sense of spending lots of money and organizing armies of supporters. In New Hampshire there were thirteen, if I recall correctly. (It porbably wouldn't hurt if whoever is researching delegates asked to visually inspect the ballots that have been prepared).

Third, because we are all computer literate here we tend to forget that many people are not. Indeed, for a lot of us older folk, the internet experience is limited to receiving and "sometimes" sending email. (People who don't like to write, are only slightly more inclined to use the keyboard). Anyway, the people who aren't hooked up but want to get in touch with DeanforAmerica need an address--someplace to write to and send a check. I know, DUH.
Do you know what the mailing address is in Burlington? I got an email yesterday asking and I had to look it up. Yes, it's there on the main campaign page, in little faint letters.
So, what I'm thinking is that all those flyers you all are making to hand out to the un-hooked-up are in need of a slight addition. ADD THE P.O. BOX ADDRESS!!!!!

Governor Howard Dean, MD
Dean for America
P.O. Box 1228
Burlington, Vt. 05402

Do it in big letters for people with not so good eyes and add a note that checks and money orders can be sent there. Cash too, though that's probably less desired because of the additional paper work. But I'm sure most of you remember fondly getting a card from a barely remembered relative with a nice crisp bill for your birthday.
If nothing else, such mail would lift the spirits at both ends of the communication.

For those of you most intrepid door-to-door canvasers, you might consider taking some pre-addressed, stamped envelopes along just for people who don't happen to have such things handy.
The occasional young person you run into who's an avid letter writer might appreciate an envelope too. (We sometimes forget that in some households writing materials are a luxury. Not to mention that buying stamps has become a bit of a bother).

Fourth is that while I haven't yet had time to read this thread entirely, I did notice at the top some concern about union members whose leadership has fli-flopped. Aside from the fact that the members are probably already used to such behavior, it shouldn't affect our attitude towards those who have volunteered to be delegates for Dean. It should, however, lead us to make sure that they continue to perceive themselves as an important part of the process. As you identify them in you state or district, let them know you appreciate their commitment to changing things in America.
Posted by Monica Smith at February 20, 2004 02:51 AM

Dear Monica,

You folks are the best! I hope you will all keep active both in our new
enterprise as we develop it, and also in the short term. We can still
send delegates to the convention, and we should. If you are in a state
with district, and state conventions, please make sure everyone goes, so
that we send all the delegates we are entitled to. If you are in a state
that has not yet voted, be sure to vote. We'll have a great time at the
convention.

Thank you all for how hard you have worked, and how much money you
raised. And thanks for getting involved. It feels a hell of a lot
better to try and lose than not to try at all. In any case I have to
say that I don't really feel like we have lost. We only lose if we
quit. There is an enormous amount of power in numbers, and we can still
change this country (and that is exactly what we're going to do!).

Many thanks,

Howard Dean

Hi: Michael Wilcox was one of our volunteers that came up from MA to help with the canvassing on the weekend before the NH primary. He is very active in the Dean campaign in the Berkshires. I thought you might appreciate his letter to the Berkshire Eagle and the article printed in that paper.

Also were you all aware of the recent news printed in The Washington Post about the smear campaign to stop Dean that was launched in Iowa? They ran a horrible ad in all the papers that intimated tha Governor Dean was sympathetic to Osama bin Laden. It now comes out that Richard Gephardt paid $200,000 for the ad and that John Kerry paid $100,000. Also Wes Clark admitted on late night TV that he entered the race at the urging of the Clintons for the specific purpose of stopping Howard Dean. Any wonder that we were so sceptical of politicians before Howard Dean came along and restored our faith in decency, democracy and Dean. Keep the faith and continue supporting Governor Dean in the next phase of the campaign. Marcia
----- Original Message -----
From: Michael F. Wilcox
To: Letters to the Editor Berkshire Eagle
Sent: Thursday, February 19, 2004 10:29 PM
Subject: Kudos to the Berkshire Eagle

To the Editor of the Berkshire Eagle:

Kudos to the Eagle for your elegant tribute to Doctor Dean ["Empowered by Howard" February 19]. Although I realize the Eagle never formally endorsed Dean's candidacy, your editorial stance has left no question in readers' minds as to whom you'd like to see in the White House. I hasten to assure you, as one of the most outspoken of the Berkshire's many, many Deaniacs, that your stance was much noted and appreciated by the multitude of Dean supporters here in the County.

I plan to vote for Howard Dean in the Massachusetts primary on March 2. Some of my friends have urged me to vote for John Edwards, knowing that I have not been a Kerry supporter. Others have suggested that it is time to unite the Party and support Kerry. Some have chastised me for casting away a "protest vote" for Governor Dean. After much soul-searching, I have decided that it is more important to me to pay tribute to the candidate I have labored for during the past few months; a man who, as you note, "has saved the Democratic Party."

Yes, the most important immediate objective is to effect regime change. I will be there to support the eventual Democratic nominee and will work with all my heart to oust the radical neoconservative cabal now ruining our country.

But there is much more to be done. I note, on the front page of the edition in which your editorial appeared, articles about jobs ("Bush team backs off rosy job forecast"), prescription drugs ("Pfizer cuts off Canadian mail-order pharmacies"), gay marriage ("Bushes weigh in on gay weddings"), and education ("Budget cuts take toll on teachings staffs"); all hot-button issues in the upcoming election.

Yes, we need to take back the White House. But that is only the start. I know that many of my friends in the Dean campaign, newly-energized by our candidate, will continue to work for fairness, justice, and tolerance in this country, and an end to diplomacy by fiat. So my vote will be for Howard Dean, a man who has given us the insight that we have the power to transform our country and our world. As you note, we "have not heard the last of Howard Dean."

Illinois Senate race

As you probably know, we need some changes in the House and Senate. From time to time I hope to introduce you to some new faces:

http://www.obamaforillinois.com/

Under Cover Howie

What happened yesterday in the Dean for America campaign has to be interpreted in a positive light. What's Howard done? Well, he's decided that he's done being a shill for the corporated media--done running from pillar to post trailing a host of reporters and equipment so they can gather news footage on the cheap.
There isn't really any reason why a candidate for the office of President of the United States should be subjected to crass commercial interests--generating ratings in competition with sports spectaculars and pastied breasts. It's demeaning how the people we are interviewing
to be our country's leaders are pummelled by the media.
Talk about a lack of respect! And we expect the rest of the world to kowtow to us after watching (yes, the whole world is watching) this circus!
Get real.
So, the message for the day should be that Howard Dean is still the preferred candidate of a significant number of people who are about to be engaged in a more decorous and substantive campaign to persuade the nation that the platform he stands on is the right one for this great nation.
If we send him enough money, he'll still be able to attend a picnic or a fish fry now and then, but the rabid media horde won't be invited. If they want to know what the supporters are up to, they'll come when they're invited to our visibilities, of which there will be many.

I had to jump back on here to tell you all what just happened (I work from home, and so am nocturnal). I live in a very 'hood' area of Brooklyn-- voter turnout is low here, and I had spent the past three weeks talking to local residents, handing out voter registration cards, returning to houses to collect voter registration cards, passing around flyers, doing as much as I could in a neighborhood that otherwise wouldn't be well-informed. I just heard a group of people outside my outside door, and looked out to see who it was.

A group of teenagers had made new photocopies of one of the Dean flyers I'd passed around (mainly focused on healthcare and minimum wage), and at the top, had written the following in marker:

He's staying on the ballot. We'll represent.

They are these under welcome mats, tucked in front gates, and shoved under doors of every building I can see. I came out to speak with them, and they say they're going to cover 10 blocks a day. I explained the delegate selection issue, and they told me they'd make it 20. I told them to come back tomorrow, and I'd give them new flyers.

(And it's nearly 4AM here... which reminds me, a couple of them were definitely still school-aged)
Posted by chau at February 19, 2004 03:51 AM

Moving On

Here's a totals update: FROM TRUTHANDHOPE.ORG

N.CA $5,375
S.CA $1738
NY $1990
CT $ 225
OH $ 65 WFD $ 580 (Women For Dean - Print Ads)
MN $ 90
MA $ 480
GA $ 100
MD $ 250
RI $ 100
VT $ 110

Thank you all for the tremendous outpourings of support. It is literally near unanimous in favor of our carrying on this fight to secure delegates for the convention. I will reiterate that NONE of the money raised will now or ever go to support Kerry or Edwards. If we ever for any reason considered a change in that stance, because of a Dean endorsement or the end of the primary season, we will notify all of you & raise those funds separately. But in the foreseeable future this will definitely not occur, and I personally am not keen on the idea.

When I imagine a Kerry VS Edwards debate, I am inspired to do little more than grab a pillow & a blanket.

We have taken in about $3,000 in the last couple hours, much from first time contributors for a dead candidate. As this grows & we take to the airwaves, it will send a powerful message that Dean's campaign did not go away quietly, and cringe all you like DNC, you will have to listen when the people speak.

As of tomorrow we will be registered with the FEC as a PAC. This will allow us to continue to expressly advocate on behalf of a candidate in a federal election.

TO DO's:

We will need to retool our message on the ads, quickly. The message needs to reflect the new strategy of supporting Dean to support a platform. A vote for Dean sends delegates to fight for thisplatform in Boston. Since the party has insisted on supporting candidates who stand for what the polls tell them to stand for, the way to make certain that all these Dean inspired promises being made by Kerry & Edwards actually happen is to send a clear message that the party whose nomination they seek supports this platform.
Considering how close the last election was, they cannot risk alienating such a large voting block, but without the delegates the voice will be a whisper.
This reminds me of Buchanan in 92 running as a protest vote against Bush, because he wanted Republicans to be Republicans & quite raising taxes, etc. He pulled 20-35% across the country. Voters could safely support his protest, while knowing that they could still support the nominee, the electable candidate, in the general election. It was not long after that the far right took over the party & eight years later they took over the Presidency. We can do the same in the Democratic Party.
A vote for Howard Dean is a protest against Democrats who have stopped governing as Democrats & are acting like Republicans. A years worth of stump speeches does not erase the voting record for the last 3 years of Kerry & Edwards. If the voters want to be duped into supporting who the media tells them is electable, but still in their heart support Howard Dean & his movement, this is the opportunity to do both! They can still vote for the nominee, but send a clear message in the interim that they expect a Democratic President to govern like a Democrat.

I am going to work on new ads to this end, and will accept any submissions for potential ads that you wish to send. Admittedly I am a little bitter at having to write a $3,650 check for the ads we just produced - then have to do it all over again. If anyone can conjure up some volunteer or donated efforts to record the new spots that would be a big help, otherwise we will have to pay for the service, as time is of the essence.

I will place a button for Idaho, Hawaii & Utah - with the caveat being that should we fail to have the ads ready in time, the money will be carried forward to the Super Tuesday states. We accomplished the task in a couple of days before, but I want to cover all bases. Also, we need to still raise at least $1,500 for any state in order to place a buy in that state.

Contact the press to let them know that we are not going away, that this is an issue driven campaign & the issues are still valid. We do not think that the leading candidates are committed to what they are saying. Let them know that we are not going to line up behind the nominee like good followers. We are not going to form a 3rd party, which can be easily dismissed as a fringe element, denied the opportunity for press or debate. We are taking the Democratic Party back for Democrats & installing a progressive agenda for the good of the country. Howard Dean was & is about changing the country not just Presidents, and that is what we are going to do!

I do not want to suffer through electing a Democrat to the White House & 4 years later having them run for re-election on the platform that we need Healthcare for every American, we need to fix the education system, we need to provide middle class tax relief, we need to support equality of rights, we need to repair our relationships around the world, we need to provide funding for renewable energies, we need to fix our trade agreements, and on & on because they failed to do so in the first term, as has happened for so long! We need to send a clear message that in case of failure there will be yet another 1 term President because the party that put them in office will not nominate them again.
If the platform & the current leadership of the Democratic Party remains unchecked, all of the Dean inspired rhetoric & promises will once again remain unfulfilled & Americans will have more reason to return to cynicism and another administration like the one we have currently taking power.

Because I do not want to suffer through that reality, nor another 4 years of the current administration, I am voting for Howard Dean as President of the United States.

Thank you for all you do & for still believing,

Eugene Hedlund
Founder
TruthandHope.Org

Nothing to Say

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Published on Tuesday, February 17, 2004 by CommonDreams.org
There's Nothing to Say
by Bill C. Davis

When asked about an affair on the locker room radio show hosted by the "insightful" political pundit Imus John Kerry responded by saying "There's nothing to say." Aside from being a somewhat evasive answer he stumbled into a motto for political success in modern day America - "There's nothing to say."

When the Congressional Black Caucus looked for one senator to stand with them in contesting the Florida electoral votes in 2000 there was nothing to say - from either of the Johns - Kerry or Edwards. Interestingly, Sharpton, who has emerged as hitman for the Democratic Leadership Council, was more interested in Dean's cabinet than he was in this important moment in American democracy. Why didn't one senator stand up for the disenfranchised African American voters? As both senators are going for those votes why didn't they fight for their rights to vote at a time when it would have been monumental? There was nothing to say.

When hundreds of thousands of protesters marched against the war and Bush referred to them as a focus group, there was still nothing to say. In the face of those protests and questions from the UN and our allies the only thing Kerry had to say was, Yes, to the war. He complains now that he didn't know Bush would "F' it up. So an efficient war was in his mind when he voted? A nice organized clean war was the image that informed his vote of yes? Is there something to say about that?

Most of what Kerry does have to say now is what Dean has been saying. Plagiarist parrot more than statesman he intones the organic rhetoric of a visionary mind. Even now I can hear the Democratic leadership hissing - Shhhh - you'll blow our chance to get rid of Bush. But more needs to be said. Bush is like a wound that needs to be replaced by healthy tissue. Just pulling the scab off is not enough. What are the initiatives that will produce healthy tissue and where are those initiatives coming from? Mostly they're coming from the Dean camp and mostly they're being lip synched by Kerry.

A passionless consent to the perceived reality of an electable but unoriginal candidate is not brilliant for democracy. The grand illusion is that the will of the people runs the country. The stupefied, agitated democrats may be stampeded into a hollow spasm of support for an inflated figure based on a war story and a glamorous wife but what will it mean ultimately? Kerry saved a man's life in Vietnam - the story was told by Chris Matthews with great theatricality. As a doctor Dean studied and worked daily to save lives - his passionate intention and mission is to save and improve lives. Theatrical? Perhaps not. But its meaning is profound and it says a great deal.

Perpetuating this profile and mechanism of the American electorate will backfire on the Democratic Leadership Council. Different tales will push different results. The philandering husband tale - the gold digger tale - or whatever tale Republicans will sell with their 200 million dollars - or Bush with his foot on the chest of a captured Osama - these will be like pellets used to bypass policy consideration and will be aimed at the visceral base. The irony of this is that the passion Dean inspires in his core supporters is rooted in the elegant logic of his policies and less by a manufactured mythology. Does a candidate have something real to say about the American experience? Answer that question and then vote. Vote for someone who stands behind the shield of, there is nothing to say - and, as always, we'll get what we deserve.

Bill C Davis is a playwright.

Prospects for Iraq

Well, its nice to see that Ivo Daalder, who used to advise Governor Howard Dean, MD on international affairs, has not yet been banned from publishing his ideas. However, his op-ed piece in this morning's Boston Globe, written in conjunction with Anthony Lake, national security adviser during the Clinton years, does not take into account some drastic policy changes contemplated by the current administration.
The compromise or bargains called for in this essay overlook the administration's intent to establish military bases in Iraq for the long term subjugation of that part of the globe. In other words, that there is no intent to see an independent Iraq flourishing any time soon.
Indeed, the whole point of the invasion, to demonstrate to the rest of the Middle East and beyond that the United States means business and is not be disobeyed, will dissipate, if we just move out and leave the cleanup and reconstruction to the UN and NATO.
Just as the recently announced exploration of Mars is intended to establish U.S. domination of space, the invasion of an essentially defenseless and worthless piece of real estate in the Middle East was part of a much larger project, the creation of a new world order under the direction of the American Empire.
That most Americans have no imperial aspirations is really beside the point. It's what our self-appointed leaders want.
The Presidential election we are about to embark on is about much more than us.

DNC/DLC &Bill

Since President Clinton is the nominal head of the Democratic Party, any dissatisfaction with its strategy or pronouncements in the 2004 Presidential primaries should probably be addressed to him at

http://www.clintonpresidentialcenter.org/contact.html

OK, let's look at things from a slightly different perspective here. One of the things we democrats have learned through this process is that we were deceived by our "leaders." What if the same is true of the Republican rank and file? What if most republicans are really committed to the party line, that their leaders are in favor of "less" or "smaller" government, which they interpret to mean less interference in their everyday lives?
If so, then haven't we discovered that this is also a lie? That what the governing elite mean by "smaller" government actually refers to fewer people telling more people what they can and cannot do. That if this pattern were carried to its ultimate end, we would have government by one person--i.e. a dictatorship.
So, the question we should be asking of our republican friends is if they really want to hand control over their lives to the shrub or a handful of people like him. If not, then they should unite with their neighbors and make sure the power is returned to the people.
We've got to make our neighbors understand that there's a big difference between power and numbers. The greater the number of people involved in government, the less likely it is that a few will become all powerful.

Status report

re: "In the 3 1/2 weeks since Iowa, the Kerry campaign will have access to $2.5M." - 2/15/04

Why are we NOT impressed?

Could it be that the greatest frassroots movement in presidential history exceeded that amount an raised between $3-4M in the same time frame?

Could it be that Dean raised about $6M in January alone, setting a new monthly record?

Could it be that the greatest grassroots movement in presidential history is on track to raise a third successive record quarter of funds?

All the pundits call for Dean to drop out because they assume that he is losing supporters and donors. In their narrow world, they can't grasp the concept of ordinary Americans supporting a people's candidate.

They conveniently ignore the truth that an average 700 Americans for Dean have signed up to support Dean this past week each and every day. In the past week, another 4,300 Ameircans have said "I'm willing to stand up and be counted; I'm willing to donate from my family income to support a people's candidate, I'm willing to hold signs along busy streets; and I'm willing to take my country back."

They conveniently ignore that the greatest grassroots movement in presidential history raised $1.4M ($700 in less than one-day) with over 22,000 donations averaging $59 and averaging a rate of over $200K per day.

They will probably conviently ignore that Dean has stated that we are not quitting. We have the funds and we are going the distance. We are going to regroup and press on. I fully expect that the campaign will publically post our new priorities and we will enthusiastically rally behind the onle candidate with leadership and execute his plan, including providing any and all required funds.

WE ARE HOWARD DEAN
The greatest grassroots movement in presidential history
Follow us to Victory - We are going the distance!
Posted by BigHodag at February 15, 2004 12:05 PM

Must Read

http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?pt=I2Aygkdgy3gJ5REFNboWuB%3D%3D

For the elected officials who endorsed Dean--like McGreevey or O'Malley--it's hard to calculate whether there will be long-term costs. Some aggrieved colleagues suggest they have potentially damaged their reputations in the eyes of the DLC-friendly network of donors and perhaps could lose access to the p.r. services that the DLC performs by trumpeting politicians in its publications and conferences. But, for Kamarck, the costs are much clearer. According to New Democrat sources, it is unlikely that she'll be invited to speak at centrist Democratic conferences or to write in the New Democrat journals that have been her prime stage for the last 20 years. "How can you think of her the same way again?" asks one Democratic wonk.

quote of the day

John Kerry opposes gay marriage......

should be no surprise, apparently he doesn't support str8 marriage either
Posted by Darrell in Iowa at February 14, 2004 04:36 AM

No Trust

The problem with the economy is that it is based on TRUST and when there is no trust or confidence in a particular country, it's economy sinks.

When the citizens have no trust in their leaders, then their economic and cultural efforts lag. When people are depressed, then they put out only as much effort as is required to survive. Nothing more--no surplus.

The really scary thing about all this is that the people who have designated themselves as the leaders of this country don't care whether or not it fails. The corporate mentality has taught them not only how to evade responsibility, but to simply take refuge in bankruptcy when things don't go right.

There is a good reason why assets and resources have been relocated overseas. The people who control those assets have decided that it makes no difference who the people they dominate are. Why bother about a measly three hundred million independent-minded Americans when there's billions of more pliable subjects on other continents?

We need to stop whining about jobs having left the country. The jobs haven't left. The people who skimmed the profits from our industrial enterprise, have moved that wealth out of the country and now they're following the money.

I mean has anybody asked how come Halliburton is "rebuilding" what our military destroyed in Iraq?
Remember the "urban removal" of the sixties and early seventies in this country? Do you remember when federal monies were used to level urban neighborhoods just as surely as if they were bombed, but a little slower, so that "developers" could come in and make a profit building useless projects? The same process is going on in Iraq only on a larger scale. Why in Iraq? Not because of oil. No, because the population is more compliant and the environmental restrictions are virtually nil.
The people who have designated themselves as our leaders have only one goal--not to ask and not be be denied permission to do whatever they want.

And that, my friends, is the face of evil.
Posted by Monica Smith at February 13, 2004 10:49 AM

Kerry's rep

The Boston Globe, which knows its "favorite son" best, has three op-eds this morning contrasting the Massachusetts native with the shrub. There's the real warrior versus paternal protector model from Ellen Goodman, the liberal versus liar model in Joan Vennochi's column and then there's Jeff Jacobi's column from which it is only possible to conclude that the proper designation for the presumptive Democratic nominee is "flip-flop Kerry."
While I am inclined to agree with all three commentators, I'm not sure the liberal-liar comparison has it quite right. Because, though it isn't logically proper to call a promise about something that hasn't yet happened a lie, if it doesn't turn out as expected, surely in retrospect unkept promises that are repeated turn into lies.
I mean, isn't that what's happened with the shrub's claims about the WMD? Poor intelligence may have led him to make false promises before the attack and exploration of Iraq. But, after the evidence started accumulating that there are and were no WMD, the reassertion that they were there is a lie.
Indeed, when one looks at flip-flop Kerry's record of accomplishments, it's pretty obvious that he's only liberal in the sense of taking liberties with the truth. From which I at least have to conclude that the man is not to be trusted. But then his personal relationships with women should have told us that, shouldn't it?
That's just what the Democratic party needs, a Catholic liar going into Baptist country preaching courage and virtue and fidelity and truth!!!!
If we go for that, then we are really stupid and deserve to be misled by the shrub for another term.

Dear Robert Oler:
I have been around this Blog for quite a while. I don't post very often because I'm a quiet sort a guy. I think you are a good Democrat and applaud your commitment to Gov. Dean and Democrats in general.
You have taken many bloggers here to task for their criticism of Sen. Kerry's Viet-Nam service. I don't see them criticizing his service, what I see is criticism of his post service actions.
Many of us veterans were volunteers, many others were drafted, but we all tried to do our duty the best we could.
When we came home, we didn't come home to cheering crowds,parades,or thankful Americans with tears in their eyes throwing flowers, like we did when we came home from Desert Storm.
What we came home to were crowds of anti-war protesters, spitting on us, throwing blood on us, and calling us baby killers.
This in large part was due to Kerry's Anti-war activities. He threw another patriot's medals away while he had his tucked safely away in his pocket, only to proudly display them later on his "I Love Me Wall" for all to see.
No Robert, we don't cricicize Kerry's service, we criticize his actions after. He didn't come home to jeering, spitting crowds. He was part of that crowd.
Patrick Sherwood
Russellville, Missouri
patem4159@earthlink.net

AWOL

I am still not comfortable with the focus on the shrub's National Guard record since I believe it to be a charade intended to prepare the way for Kerry's war record to be attacked.

The analysis up thread that the issue is trust is correct. Shrubs supporters know that they need to destroy the electorate's trust in a candidate. Since it hasn't worked with Governor Dean, so far, they are working on the current front runner.
That some of the donors to our campaign also contributed to a group working against us should not come as a surprise. The people who put the shrub in office are well versed in the skills of subversion. It is not a coincidence that Bush the elder was once the head of the CIA.
A successful strategy on our part requires that we anticipate what they are likely to do next. I think it also requires some "pro-active" behavior on our part.
One of which I'd now like to suggest.

Remember that in addition to threatening the corporate media with the dissolution of their growing empires, Governor Dean announced that part of his campaign would target the composition of the House and Senate. So, why do we wonder there's not a whole lot of support from the established Democratic coterie in Congress?
All of the members of the House are up for re-election. This time, it should not be a question of whether the presidential nominee has coat-tails, but whether the congressional candidates are supportive of the program he has (rather presumptuously :-) laid out.
So, what I am urging, especially in those states that have completed the first round in the delegate selection process, is that the present members of the Congress be contacted by their constituents (although they accept donations from everyone, they no longer respond the queries from people not in their district) to find out the answer to one or two questions.
1) How did you vote on the Patriot Act?
2) What were the three main reasons for the position you took in your vote (votes, if there were more than one)?

That's all. If there is no reply or a stock "thank you for communicating, please send money" answer, then that should be sufficient to consider a replacement. Of course, if your representative has already announced retirement, there's no reason to bother with this question.
As a hypothetical to a prospective candidate, the question isn't much use either, since the legislation is much too complicated to be understood by a novice.
Posted by Monica Smith at February 11, 2004 08:32 AM

Radio ads

If you are inclined to help with the campaign of Dr. Howard Dean, have a listen to the radio spots put together by TruthandHope.org and send them some money. So far ads have been run in WA, ME, VA and TN. Any money you give them will NOT go to the Dean campaign and this group has no affiliation with DFA.

Unspent Fundraising Totals:

Wisconsin $7,341.11
Nevada $ 470.00
DC $ 290.00
N. California $ 295.00
S. California $ 65.00
Mass. $ 25.00
New York $ 10.00
AA Outreach$ 540.00

Here are our new Radio Spots:

NEW TRUTHANDHOPE.ORG RADIO AD - PAPERTRAIL

**Please, if you are posting to the DFA blog, feel free to post messages about our site, our cause, links to what we are doing or testimonials - but please do not specifically request for donations within that forum, as we are not affiliated with the DFA campaign directly in any sense.

WWW.TRUTHANDHOPE.ORG - Our portal for contributions is linked at the top of the homepage.

Thank you for all that you do,
Eugene Hedlund
Founder
TruthandHope.Org

Waiting for Rove

Good morning!

Back to the old routine today of reading the Globe before getting up. As usual, the coverage is more about process, rather than issues.
Now the papers are starting to take credit for the "interest" the Democratic primaries have caused and everybody singing off the same page is maybe a good thing. No credit to Governor Dean, however, for having put together and pushed a coherent agenda, for once.
Terry McAuliffe is the new goat. That is, he's to blame for the process being artificially truncated. And, though reporters won't admit that either, he has opened the floodgates by prompting a re-examination of the incumbent's military record. For, when that is thoroughly aired, once again, and found to continue to be shrouded in the mists of inaccurate records (before the advent of computers!), the way will be prepared to take a closer look at the lead challenger's military records as well.
That is what Peter Canellos means when he predicts that Rove will be prepared to subject Kerry to similar scrutiny.
But not yet. And that's the problem. The skeletons in Kerry's closet are supposed to remain hidden until he's the de facto nominee.
That, let me suggest, is what we have to avoid. Rove's timetable has to be derailed and our candidate has to stay in the race.
This is not a task for the campaign. If the internet is any good as a source of accurate information and its efficient dissemination, this is the time to prove it.
I am just an old grandma with a certain facility with words. But those with real skill in the area of information retrieval need to put it to use, instead of, as has often been mentioned, singing to the choir and crowing about "who's on first."

Weather update

Good morning from New Hampshire. Actually, it looks more like a baked Alaska. The snow has a crust of ice that's slightly dimpled because it rained just a little before it forze.

After the coldest January since the 1800's we're enjoying somewhat milder temps. Yesterday, however, it was really blowing (37mph in Portsmouth) and felt like we were at the south pole.

The dog does not like going out in the cold. She spends most of the day stretched out on the tile, her legs just touching the legs of the stove. Funny dog, in the summer in Georgia she lay atop the AC register.

The morning news continues to be slightly annoying since they are reporting Maine's caucus numbers when only 100 of 400 venues had been counted. Mainers went to bed, seasoning that they could wait until the morning to do the rest. Kerry, of course, has to be annointed quick. Perhaps so two princes can be taken down at once. Or should one say two accolytes of the Skull and Bones.
A report from the uk claims that Howard Dean resigned from a fraternity over a coffee bar. I suppose that's evidence of a character flaw. When things don't go his way, he leaves. First the fraternity, then the Episcopal church and now the esteemed traditional Democratic Party.

What an arrogant fellow that Howard Dean seems to be. LOL

For those not in the know, LOL means "lots of laughs"

Philly Day

Philladelphia had one of a thousand visibilities--all ignored by the major media.

Woke up this morning after about nine hours of sleep and haven't checked DFA except to get the pictures from Philladelphia. They've got a neat web site.

Blog response

This is from the Toronto Star. The blog comment:

The Canadians get it

The following is my early contribution to the discussion on the DFA blog--much of it has to do with future strategies. Everybody wants to be part of the decision process.

Julie in MD

I totally agree with your ire against Mc Auliff. However, it might help you and other women to consider that it's quite possible that there is a fundamental difference between men and women in how they approach a goal.
Women, I would suggest, want to get there, to reach the end and achieve their purpose. Men, on the other hand, are more interested in the HOW and that how tends to be in reference to others. Indeed, there are some people who believe that, if the process they follow is a good one, the result will be a good one, automatically.
That's why some of the people on this blog (mostly males, I would guess) are so fixated on going forward as part of a group. They're really uncomfortable with the notion that they should be independent and follow only their conviction.
This is also why they tend to conclude that the other guy is bad because his supporters are not nice.
In other words, they are paying more attention to the social interaction. Being connected is more important than reaching the goal. (Bush is bad because he lied about Iraq. But, would the invasion be better, if he had told the truth. People are angry because they've been left out of the decision process. Not because the action is bad. Perhaps the decision would have been different [better?] if more people were involved. Perhaps not).
Why does this matter? Well, if you understand that a person's primary interest is in being connected and accepted, then to achieve your goals, you have to make sure that's how he feels.
I actually think it's good that men and women have a different perspective. If all people were only fixated on achieving their own interest, there would be no social structure to help them do it.
Independent action and social connection are mutually reinforcing.
Posted by Monica Smith at February 8, 2004 03:49 AM

New Question

Good morning:

I got up at 2:30 to post my overnight thoughts but got sidetracked by the Dean blog. By the time I had read through the overnight posts, it was obvious that the regulars were getting tired and somebody had to counteract the trolls, who are busy as ever trying to spread dissention.
By "counteract" I don't mean respond. The trolls need to be ignored, but other posts are needed to keep the spirits up.
Though I'm not big on cartoons, the Doonesbury is too apt to pass up.

Now, to my question of the day. Why are corporations bad? They're not, not really. On the other hand, their very essence makes them liable to being used for bad purposes.
Let me explain. A corporation is a fictitious person, as opposed to a "natural" person, to which society--i.e. the state--grants all, or almost all, of the rights that are guaranteed to an individual citizen. Corporations are not allowed to "exercise the fanchise"--i.e. vote--and, as a result of the passage of campaign finance regulating laws, they are also no longer allowed to contribute financially --i.e. give money--to candidates for public office. Of course, the individual natural persons who come together to have themselves designated as a coroporation, can still give money, as long as they use their own. There are also restrictions as to the amount. But, I happen to think these are going to be found to be unconstitutional as restrictions of free speech.

In any event, people come together to have themselves recognized as fictitious persons. Since they then give up some of their rights as "natural" persons, the question is why. What's the advantage of being part of a fiction? The answer, quite simply, is that by becoming part of a fiction, the individual participants avoid liability--i.e. having to be accountable--for their actions. That is, if the corporation messes up and hasn't done anything blatantly illegal, the individual participants can't be hauled into court and made to pay. And, if the corporation has been managed so as to waste or destroy all of the assets or wealth other people (stock-holders and employees) invested, well that's just too bad. If the managers didn't do anything illegal (criminal behavior having to be proved in a court of law) the assets they preserved for themselves can't be extracted. If a fictitious person goes bankrupt, that's just too bad.

So, the long and the short of it is that corporations are a nifty way for individuals to escape responsibility for their behavior. While we can argue whether or not that's moral, there's no question that it's legal.

Of course, since corporations are created by law, the law can be changed and they can be undone. Or, the laws can be changed and the conditions under which corporations can carry out their business can be changed. Even their size and area of influence can be regulated. Which is why, for example, many corporate entities register themselves in Delaware. The restrictions there are less than in some other state. The least restriction seems to be found on some of the island to our south.

The fact that these off-shore corporations can do business on the mainland, as if they were registered in one of our states, is also something that could be changed by federal law. That many of our legislators prefer to vacation on the islands to restricting the activities of their hosts is another matter. It could be corrected, but it probably won't be unless the Congress gets some different leadership and an executive that is willing to take on the burden of enforcing such regulations and laws. Our present executive obviously isn't. One of the Democratic candidates is. Which is why he is scaring the bejesus out of a whole lot of fictitious persons.

Just maybe, if the public figures out that they are being asked to deal with a simple fiction, they'll gird their loins and take on the task. If they don't, then these convenient fictions may just eat their very real lunch.

Letter to Globe--yesterday & today

Glen Johnson is reporting to the Globe as an embed with the Dean campaign. The first letter is in response to his Feb 6 story, followed by his response, my comment and then a comment on today's report.

Mr. Johnson:
Aside from the fact that the email I received did not say
what your story and its headline implies, there are other parts of your
story that are blatantly false.

I know for a fact that my email came in around one o'clock in the
morning. That was surely not the hour when "Dean found himself
confronted by dwindling crowds and an ever-diminishing travelling press
corps." Indeed, you even relate that Dr. Dean departed Michigan at
"midafternoon."

As for the "dwindling crowds"--does that mean people who had come to
hear him were walking out because he spoke too long? Or do you mean
that on a cold morning in wind-swept Michigan there were fewer people
who didn't have to go to work and didn't have anything else to do than
there were during the winter holidays or even summer evenings in New
Hampshire?

That the press corps is diminishing is good news!

Surely, since the legislation (Patriot Act) had to be passed before he
could oppose it, it is Dr. Dean who is in synch with Russell Feingold,
rather than the other way around. I only make this point because you
seem to have a problem keeping track of the natural sequence of events.

Finally, as a reporter who has access to all the latest information, it
seems rather lazy of you to rely on vague estimates "by some counts"
when it comes to the question of money. All you have to do is read the
blog and confirm the sources of the posts.

Perhaps you are bored with this assignment and Dr.Dean's company does
not energize you. If so, permit me to suggest you request another
assignment. If John Kerry could ask to be reassigned during the VietNam
war, I'm sure that can be accomplished in your case now.

Sincerely,

Monica Smith

Saturday addendum:

Glad to report that Glen Johnson's report from the Dean campaign trail for the Boston Globe is stronger on fact and less opinionated.
That "journalists outnumbered patrons" when they stopped by a cafe is not surprising, but it is significant.
During the last days in New Hampshire, there was so much media in attendance that it was difficult to find venues (in a small state, with small towns, and small public buildings) that could accommodate the media menagerie and their vehicles. Indeed, local supporters were encouraged to stay away so that undecided voters would have a chance to hear the Governor in person.
It should also be remembered that in addition to the Governor there were three other candidates requisitioning sites at the same time. If you want to get a picture of how things are, consider that in our town there was a problem just getting a venue for voting. The Town Hall isn't nearly big enough. One of the Churches that had been used, after the high school parking lot proved too small now that, here to, more and more highschoolers are driving themselves to school, was found to be unacceptable because of its very visible antagonism to homosexuals.
The problem was eventually solved by moving the voting to an industrial facility on the outskirts of town (where no-one would be able to walk) which has a temporary excess of space.
Fortunately, because the recession hasn't hit NH quite as hard as other states, there's not a lot of large vacant space, unlike perhaps in Flint, Michigan where Mr. Johnson reported the other day not enough people showed up to fill the site.
Posted by Monica Smith at February 7, 2004 06:27 AM

Delegate count

Today's Question

What's the most important thing people have learned so far through the Dean campaign?

I would argue it's that the media they have traditionally relied on to tell them what's going on haven't got a clue.

Politicians have always known that. Which is why it hasn't bothered them not to tell the media the truth. What they're thinking in talking to a reporter is "Since he's not going to get it right anyway, why make the effort to set him/her straight?"

To a certain extent, this mentality--an expectation or prejudice, if you will--is also apparent in the judicial system. There the thinking is "Since everybody's guilty of something, what difference does it make if they're not actually guilty of what they're being charged with?"

Given this kind of mindset, the logical thing to do is just follow your own inclination--i.e. self-interest. Never mind that when two of our four estates are so contaminated in their thinking, the other two can't possibly work right.

So, what do we conclude? If the media can't be trusted, then we'll all have to pay more attention to what's actually going down and hold them accountable when they are wrong.

That's what a new internet site seems designed to help you do:

http://www.stopmediapoliticalbias.com/

Check it out an see if it works.

Bat Mania?

Dean media

Re media coverage:

I think there are four reasons for the major
media's antagonism towards Dean.
1.He has announced his intention to move towards breaking up the budding
monopolies.
2.He has demonstrated that he doesn't need media approbation.
3.He has failed to buy a lot of advertising time from them.
4.He has proven himself a better communicator than many of the media
personalities.
In other words, Dean is perceived as a competitor. Reason enough for
the major media to try to take him down.
Posted by Monica Smith at February 5, 2004 07:44 PM

The Tide Turns

Dear Editor,

We brought you the anti-slavery movement.

We brought you the Civil Rights Movement.

We brought you the Black Power Movement.

We brought you the impetus for your 60s Anti-War/Peace Movements.

We laid the pattern and groundwork for the Gay Movements and Women's Movements.

We brought you a solid historical base for the Democratic party over the past few decades.

We brought you the soul and social conscience of American Christianity over the past decades.

Let us bring you the resurrection of Howard Dean and the taking down of special interests out of American Democracy. Let Howard Dean go down in history as the one candidate who saved the Democratic party and saved the moral conscience of his country because he wasn't naive or culturally ignorant of African American political power in this country.

Sincerely,

Ms. Bgryl
Posted by wende in sf at February 5, 2004 11:57 AM

Meetup at Exeter

Yesterday's Dean 2004 Meetup was convened in Exeter. Since it covered several area towns (Exeter, Newmarket, Durham, Hampton Falls, Kensington, Dover inter alia) there was a good crowd of at least twenty people.
All in all, I would say that opinions and feelings were representative of what you'd find on BlogforAmerica.com There were the NBD's and the ABB's. For the time being there's a general agreement to stick with the program, work for Dean, and start thinking about expanding the effort to local races.
The Democratic party on the local level seems, at best, to be disorganized. Exeter's has only one "official"--no treasurer, secretary, etc. Naturally, there's no one to take over all the good data accumulated about voters in the primary. So, that's an immediate task. Phone numbers and email addresses need to be stored on our computers so we can all keep in touch.

There was a thank you letter read from the Dean seacoast staff who have now moved on to Maine. Also, for those interested, contact persons in Maine that are co-ordinating visibility this coming weekend. Everyone seemed to agree that working on the Dean campaign had given them valuable knowledge about the process that they are eager to pass on.
Not surprising, everyone also expressed a sense of having forged a new community which they have no intention of giving up.
The sudden rise of John Kerry remains somewhat unexplained. In Kensington, for example, all 121 identified Dean supporters voted, but they didn't vote as expected. In addition, there were about 20% more voters than expected and nobody was quite sure where they came from. That Kerry and Edwards had been providing "support" (computers, etc) to local candidate efforts long before this year had somehow slipped under the radar. Actually, that's not surprising since most of those present were political neophites-- regular voters but not involved in running election efforts.
Although those who were registered as Independents were able to vote in either party primary, Republicans were not allowed to change their party on the spot, as they seemed to have been led to expect. While some Republicans actually wrote Dean in on their Republican ballots, others seemed to be following another program--one intended to promote the candidate least likely to give GWB a problem in November.
It will be interesting to see at what point, now that the connection between Republican operatives and Sharpton has been revealed, the connection between Kerry's fundraiser and the RNC receives more intense media scrutiny. Whether the "Fourth Estate" is going to make a proper effort to expose the truth is still an open question.

Everybody at the Exeter Meetup agreed that the future of the nation is at stake in this presidential election; that it can't survive another four years of the current administration.

More questions

TWO TOUGH QUESTIONS
Question 1:

If you knew a woman who was pregnant, who had 8 kids already, three who were
deaf, two who were blind, one mentally retarded, and she had syphilis, would you recommend that she have an abortion?

Read the next question before looking at the answer for this one.

Question 2:

It is time to elect a new world leader, and only your vote counts. Here are
the facts about the three leading candidates.

Candidate A -

Associates with crooked politicians, and consults with astrologists. He's
had two Mistresses. He also chain smokes and drinks 8 to 10 martinis a day.

Candidate B -

He was kicked out of office twice, sleeps until noon, used opium in
college and drinks a quart of whiskey every evening.

Candidate C -

He is a decorated war hero. He's a vegetarian, doesn't smoke, drinks an
occasional beer and never cheated on his wife.


Which of these candidates would be your Choice?

Decide first, no peeking, then scroll down for the answer.



----------------------------------------------

Candidate A: is Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Candidate B: is Winston Churchill.
Candidate C: is Adolph Hitler


And, by the way, the answer to the abortion question: If you said yes, you just killed Beethoven.

Pretty interesting isn't it? Makes a person think before judging someone.

Never be afraid to try something new.

Remember:

Amateurs built the Ark

Professionals built the Titanic

and in case you never saw this one......

Can you imagine working for a company that has a little more than 500 employees and has the following statistics:
*29 have been accused of spousal abuse
* 7 have been arrested for fraud
* 19 have been accused of writing bad checks
* 117 have directly or indirectly bankrupted at least 2 businesses
* 3 have done time for assault
* 71 cannot get a credit card due to bad credit
* 14 have been arrested on drug-related charges
* 8 have been arrested for shoplifting
* 21 are currently defendants in lawsuits
* 84 have been arrested for drunk driving in the last year

Can you guess which organization this is?


Give up yet?





It's the 535 members of the United States Congress. The same group of idiots that crank out hundreds of new laws each year designed to keep the rest of us in line.

Questions of the Day

Feel free to ask them of anyone you like, or don't like.

Do you trust GWB to get our soldiers our of Iraq in the next twelve month? in the next three years?
If so, are you confident that the next place he sends them will be less lethal?
Do you trust ten new missiles sitting in silos along the Canadian border to protect us from a hijacked plane aimed at Houston? at San Francisco? at Los Alamos?
Do you trust the ten missiles to intercept a crate of explosives on a cargo ship?
Do you trust any one of those missiles to be mistake free, unlike those Patriots in Iraq whose "friendly" hits cost us dearly?
Do you trust the expertise of Condi Rice to persuade PM Putin that the Russian war games he has just announced are a waste of money? that these games will promote our national security?
If not, are you confident that John Kerry will do a better job? Are you confident in his ability to convince our former friends around the globe that the saber-rattling of this administration was just an unfortunate mistake? Are you confident that he can persuade them we really didn't mean it? Just as he didn't mean his support of the war resolution, restrictions on immigrants and foreign travelers, and the contraction of individual freedom for Homeland Security purposes?
Are you confident that nineteen years of mulling over the nation's problems have finally given John Kerry the sollutions?
If not, what are you going to do about it?

Party Strategy

Heh, no worries. This is just what it feels like to be a Nader voter.

But I'm still proud of my vote for Nader (then again, my state went blue so it was okay). And you should all be proud to be where we are, because unlike Nader, we have a message AND the money and support to carry it.

No matter what, we have changed this party. Our voices need to be listened to. And to all those saying "nobody but Dean!" and talking about not voting... what you people need to be doing is swiping up Democratic seats on local committees.

On Sunday, I'll be snatching up my town's chairmanship- uncontested. It's amazing how easy it is to bring a few buddies to vote for you in that sort of thing, cause no one gives a damn. Spread the word... the way to *change* politics is to *be* politics.

That means not giving up and falling asleep the moment Dean loses. It means being wide awake for the next four years, in control of a piece of the party, ready to wake it up for the next trip around.

The Democratic Party can't make an attempt to kill us off if we're the ones running it. Dean keeps telling you, "You have the power", but you keep hiding behind him, thinking he's going to protect you from these Democrats. He isn't going to- because he is one man, not a demigod, and he can't do it.

You have the power to take your country back. That means going out there and taking it. The Presidency is ONE POSITION of thousands. Tens of thousands. And if 10% of all the Dean supporters out there were to go out and snatch up local committee seats and learn about politics, we'd have a REAL, TRUE opportunity to take our country back, Dean or no Dean.

And then when Dean runs again in 2008, he's welcomed with open arms by the Democratic Party... because WE ARE THE PARTY, because WE HAD THE POWER and we WIELDED IT.

I hope some folks will repost this in a few threads, simply because it is so damn early in the morning and no one will read this otherwise. Please, please, please repost this and get some "nobody but Dean" voters to listen... and anyone else, for that matter.
Posted by Eddie in ME at February 4, 2004 04:53 AM

Good morning!

Don't want to sound condescending, but I'm glad there's some spirit left in the Dean clan. Even late yesterday aftertoon, there were a lot of weeping Nellies.

Anyway, Tip O'Neill said "all politics is local" and he was absolutely correct. The national media and the national party are merely reflecting the truth on the ground. That is that the local Democratic party organizations have no interest whatsoever in support the candidate of insurgents.

That's why, even though we may not like it, the Republicans were correct in pointing out that the main mess in Florida in 2000 happened on the watch of local Democratic officials. It's these locals who enjoy their little fiefdoms, who count on the people they "send" to Washington to do nothing more than "bring home the bacon" in the form of projects that appear to be paid for with someone else's money--i.e. the taxpayers in other states.

They do not want "good" legislation and they don't even want "good" government because they don't want outsiders to tell them what to do and they especially don't want someone in charge who can actually make them. In short, they really prefer their "leaders" to be dumb. And then there are a lot of people who really like to complain without getting anything done.

So, guess what? From that perspective, John Kerry is the ideal candidate and the shrub isn't all that bad either. It's the smart guy that's going to scare them.

What can we do about that? I honestly don't know. But I do know it's not going to be the Governor that does it. It's going to have to be us to cause a revolution on the ground, to become involved on the local level and impress the powers-that-be that politics as usual just isn't going to work. That, if they want to maintain their status, they are going to have to participate in doing things just a little bit differently, in inviting newcomers into the party and paying attention to their concerns.

Also, do not forget that delegates are typically only bound for the first vote at the Convention. If the delegates are party hacks, whether or not their loyalty extends even that far, is perhaps open to question. I do know that in New Hampshire the Dean campaign chose the delegates very carefully.

How many of you on the blog know who your local Democratic party officials are? Do you know which candidate they are supporting so far? Perhaps those of you who don't have extra long distance minutes for calling voters in other states, could start compiling a list of the locals and "calling them to account," so to speak.
If voters are undecided whom do you think they turn to for advice? I would suggest that the campaign has to have a narrower focus.
The people who shop at WalMart go there because their neighbor does, not because they believe the ads they see on TV.
Posted by Monica Smith at February 4, 2004 04:58 AM

FOOLED AGAIN

GET FOOLED AGAIN--VOTE KERRY

Underhanded or Stupid?

Now here's a courageous lady:

Re: Sign the Democratic Unity Pledge

Dear Mr. McAuliffe,
Thank you for your invitation to sign the Democratic Unity Pledge.
I am not a Democrat, having come to the caucus in order to support Governor Howard Dean. I was an Iowa precinct captain for him. I am a libertarian Independent and have never before been a registered Democrat or voted straight Democratic ticket.

If you would like me to permanently join the Democratic Party, I would suggest that a more fair playing ground and more support be given to the candidacy of Dr. Dean. Allow me to explain why.

I was not at all impressed with the 527 advertisements (the "Osama" ads) that supporters of Dick Gephardt ran against Dr. Dean, and I have not been appreciative of the push-calls propagated throughout Iowa by the Kerry campaign.

Also, I and the Dean for America campaign were threatened with lawsuits by the Kerry campaign because I discussed with reporters and on the Kerry website my concerns with respect to Mr. Kerry's refusal to endorse the commencement of an environmental impact study for the Cape Wind offshore windfarm project in Cape Cod. I did not appreciate being threatened with a lawsuit.

I was also not impressed by the DLC attacks on Dr. Dean from the get-go, and the failure of the DLC and DNC to intercede in the damage to Dr. Dean following the Iowa caucuses.

I am very poor. I am dependent upon Social Security Disability Insurance of only $650 per month as a result of an ongoing domestic abuse situation. I am not appreciative of the choices of Senators Lieberman, Kerry, Edwards and Congressman Gephardt to vote so as to give Bush the power to engage in unilateral war against Iraq. Our federal and state finances are now completely screwed up, and much-needed assistance programs for the poor are being axed. That Senators Lieberman, Kerry and Edwards are seeking to retain the middle-class Bush tax cuts, is extremely harmful to me.

The middle class can afford more than I can to weather the storm produced by the Democrats absolutely foolish support of the war in Iraq.

If you Democrats want the support of poor people like me, the Democrats will need to give Dr. Dean the nomination, or, at the very least, a very prominent position in the Democratic Party. I would like to sign your pledge, but I will need a guarantee from you that Dr. Dean will be given a place of prominence in the party.

I would be happy to discuss this with you further, either in person or by telephone. Poor people would like to vote, too, but you folks will need to start representing us better, if your party wants to give us a reason to vote.
I would like to be reasonable and am willing to negotiate, and would be pleased to hear your own perspective.

Thank you,

Dawn M. Mueller
125 20th Ave. SW #W6
Cedar Rapids, IA 52404
319.362.1907
eos@a...

On Mon, 2 Feb 2004, Terry McAuliffe wrote:

> Dear Dawn M. Mueller,
>
> Your Iowa caucuses were extraordinary. The unbridled enthusiasm and record
turnout of Democratic voters were inspiring. These primaries and caucuses across
America are the first steps to a Democratic victory in November 2004, and the
passion in Iowa proved that we are well on our way.
>
> No matter who you supported in the caucuses, it was clear that the people of
Iowa, the Democratic Party, and democracy itself were the big winners -- and
George W. Bush was the big loser.
>
> Our Democratic candidate for president may be chosen as early as March 10. No
matter who wins the nomination, our victory in 2004 depends on all Democrats
standing unified behind our candidate.
>
> I urge you to click the link below today and sign our Unity Pledge to show
your support for the Democratic candidate in 2004. Standing together, we can and
will defeat George W. Bush and the Republicans in 2004.
>
> http://mailer.democrats.org/rdr/002Ou0039s0001D
>
> Sincerely,
> Terry McAuliffe
> Chairman
>
> P.S. Spread the word! Click the link below to tell your friends about our
Unity Pledge and urge them to stand up and support the Democratic candidate in
2004.
>

Junk Food

I had some cheese puffs (cheetos) for a snack yesterday
with a beer and Thomas (my 4 year old son) asked for and
was given some (the cheese puffs, not the beer).

This morning, at breakfast time, he pointed to the cheese
puffs and indicated he wanted these for breakfast.

I told him "No, those are junk food. You can't have that
for breakfast. Would you like some raison bread and cream
cheese?"

"Oh, OK" he replied in a resigned tone of voice.

This afternoon, some time after lunch, he came into the
kitchen, pointed to the cheese puffs and said "Want junk
food, please."

Reduced to hysterical laughter, I had little choice but to
give him some ;-)

Unity Pledge--Loyalty Oath

Since it's still a bit slow this morning, perhaps a bit of history is in order. Back in the early sixties in the South, when the Democrats had a "lock," one way to keep control was to require state employees (such as state university instructors) to take an oath that they "wouldn't invite any Negro" person to their classes, or even onto the campus. Individuals who refused to "take such an oath" were unhired.
Even as late as the late seventies, there was an effort to demand "loyalty oaths" from state employees. That was so, if they didn't behave (like by promoting unions, for example), they could be easily dismissed for violating their "oath." The matter of free speech or academic freedom would never have to be raised.
What's really shocking is that the old habits just don't ever seem to disappear. If you have to extract promises from people to be with you, what good is their support?
Oh, I forgot. . . support isn't the issue. The point is to exercise control--to extract a commitment with which one can be bludgeoned later.
No thank you! Enforced unity is worthless.
Posted by Monica Smith at February 3, 2004 07:38 AM

Clinton letter

Dear President Clinton:

As a long time supporter and contributor I just want you to know that
the DLC, of which you were a founding member, is undermining the present
election by choosing to side against Governor Howard Dean. Your comment
that Senator Kerry is not "too far left" to be elected was also not
helpful.
Please be advised that this situation has led me to conclude that
neither your foundation, your library, the DNC or any other Democratic
Party organization will receive further contributions from me until
there is evidence of a commitment to true democracy.

Sincerely,

Monica Smith

I scream --2

Good morning!

The brain had a great idea while I slept. But before I tell you what it is, a couple of predicates.
1.Our culture has become one where ?discipline? is highly prized. Indeed, there's many a classroom where children aren't learning because they lack ?discipline?--i.e. they don't come prepared to sit still and listen. People sitting still and listening is also a media ideal. It's what they prefer their audience to be doing, even if sometimes they have to be doing it in a car. Random walking and random talking is a negative.
2.Humans are by nature mobile and we have been given the gift of speech. That being the case, there's obviously a basic conflict between what the culture expects and what people need. People need to express themselves. That's one reason why radio call in shows, including C-SPAN (only different in that we can SEE half the people speaking), are so popular. They provide an opportunity for people to speak and to be heard.
3.As people come to realize that the media treatment of the ?scream? was really an effort to silence Howard Dean, to intimidate him and make him reluctant to express his true feelings in the future (because he threatens to challenge their monopoly in deciding when and how ordinary people are allowed to speak), they are going to become increasingly resentful of what the media are attempting.
4.As the campaign progresses and more and more people are attracted to each venue, it is going to be necessary for the Governor's arrival an