#### Grassroots Event Finder

##### enter your zip code

Blog for America
  Home
  DFA Staff
  Blog Tips
  Press Room
  DFA Forums
  Jobs @ DFA
  Mobile Blog for America
  Jim Dean's Appearances
  Request a Training
  Meetup Hosts Central

Don't miss...
  DFA Local Tools
  Unofficial DFA Chat

Featured Sites
  21st Century Democrats
  Air America Radio
  America Votes
  Democratic National Committee
  Democracy Now
  Ed Schultz Show
  M.M.O.B.
  The Majority Report
  Meet the Blog Family
  National Jewish Democratic Council
  Politics1
  Principles Project
  Progressive Democrats of America
  The Randi Rhodes Show
  There is No Crisis
  The Al Franken Show
  Verified Voting

Political Organizations
  21st Century Democrats
  AFSCME
  America Votes
  Center for Am. Progress
  SEIU
  Wellstone Action

National Grassroots Groups
  African-Americans for Democracy
  APA for Progress
  Catholics for Democracy
  Educators for Change
  DIY Politics
  Punx for Democracy
  Latinos for America
  Grassroots for America
  National Grassroots Network
  Rapid Response Network
  Out for Democracy
  Physicians for a Democratic Majority
  Seniors for America
  Veterans Alliance for Security and Democracy
  Women of DFA

State & Local Groups
  Alabama
  Democracy for Alabama(Huntsville, Mobile)
  Alaska
  Northern Enlightenment
  Arizona
  AZ-Vote
  Blog for Arizona
  DFAtucson
  Arkansas
  Democracy for Arkansas
  California
  California for Democracy
  California Teens for Democracy
  Democracy for America Marin
  DFA Orange County
  Democracy for California
  East Bay for Democracy
  Los Angeles South Bay Democracy for America
  North Bay for Democracy
  North San Diego for Democracy
  Sacramento for Democracy
  San Diego for Democracy
  San Fernando Valley for Democracy
  San Francisco for Democracy
  San Mateo County Democracy for America
  Dean Democratic Club of Silicon Valley
  Ventura County For Democracy
  Colorado
  Democracy for Colorado
  Connecticut
  Democracy for Connecticut
  DC
  DC for Democracy
  Delaware
  Progressive Democrats for Delaware
  Florida
  Central Floridians for Democracy
  Democracy for Brevard
  Democracy for Florida
  Democracy For Palm Beach County
  Miami-Dade
  North East Florida Patriots for Democracy
  North Florida for Democracy
  Georgia
  Blog for Democracy
  Georgia for Democracy
  North Fulton Democrats
  Hawaii
  Hawaii for Democracy
  Idaho
  Democracy for Idaho
  Illinois
  Democracy for Illinois
  Progressive Democrats of Illinois
  Indiana
  Indiana for Democracy
  Indiana Progressives
  Democracy for Indiana
  Democracy for Monroe County
  Greater Lafayette Democracy for America
  Iowa
  Democracy for Iowa
  Blog for Iowa
  Kansas
  Midwest Grassroots
  Kentucky
  Change for Kentucky
  Louisiana
  N/A
  Maryland
  Democracy for Howard County
  Democracy for Maryland
  Salisbury Democracy for Maryland
  Annapolis for Democracy
  Massachusetts
  Democracy for America-Massachusetts
  DFA Boston
  Democracy for Massachusetts
  Michigan
  Democracy for Michigan
  Democracy for Metro Detroit
  Minnesota
  Democracy for Minnesota
  Missouri
  Change for Missouri
  Democracy for Missouri
  Montana
  Montana for Democracy
  Democracy for Montana
  Nevada
  Democracy for Nevada
  New Jersey
  New Jersey for Democracy
  Hunterdon for Democracy
  Union County for Democracy
  Mercer County DFA
  Northwest New Jersey for Democracy
  New Hampshire
  Democracy for New Hampshire
  New Mexico
  Democracy for New Mexico
  New York
  Democracy for Central New York State
  Democracy for New York
  Democracy for NYC
  Democracy for Long Island
  Democracy For Westchester
  Democracy for the Hudson-Mohawk Region
  Democracy For The Southern Adirondack/Tricounty Area
  North Country DFA
  Rochester for Democracy
  New Democratic Majority
  North Carolina
  Democracy for North Carolina
  Democracy for NC
  North Dakota
  n/a
  Ohio
  Democracy for Greater Cincinnati
  Wake Up Ohio
  Democracy for Ohio
  Oklahoma
  Democracy for Oklahoma
  Oklahoma Grassroots Campaign
  Oregon
  Democracy for Oregon
  Democracy for Marion County
  Lane County
  Linn-Benton for Democracy
  Pennsylvania
  Gettysburg Area DFA
  PA for Democracy
  Philly for Change
  Democracy for Pittsburgh
  Democracy for Lancaster
  Rhode Island
  Democracy for Rhode Island
  South Carolina
  Democracy for South Carolina
  Tennessee
  Democracy for Tennessee
  Change for Tipton County
  Democracy for Clarksville
  Democracy for Coffee County
  Democracy for Cumberland County
  Democracy for Knoxville
  Democracy for Memphis
  DFA Nashville
  Democracy for Oak Ridge
  Democracy for Rutherford County
  Texas
  Democracy for Texas
  Democracy for Houston
  Utah
  Democracy for Utah
  Vermont
  Democracy for Vermont
  Virginia
  Democracy for Virginia
  Arlington for Democracy
  Roanoke VA DFA
  Tidewater for Democracy
  Washington
  Democracy for Washington
  Democracy for Vancouver
  DFA Snohomish
  West Virginia
  Harrison County Democracy For America
  West Virginia for Democracy
  Wisconsin
  Democracy for Wisconsin
  Wisconsin Grassroots Democrats

Grassroots Projects
  Blankets for America
  DemocracyFest
  Letters to the Editor
  Meet the Blog Family
  People Powered Graphics
  Tim's DFA Flyers

Resources
  Open Secrets
  DFA Gear

Blogs
  ABC News's The Note
  The American Street
  Annatopia
  Atrios
  Backup Brain
  Citizen Whip
  CT's 5th CD Watch Site
  CJR's Campaign Desk
  Dem Apples
  Juan Cole
  College Dems' Smart Ass
  Daily Kos
  Dean Nation
  DCCC's The Stakeholder
  DSCC's From the Roots
  DNC's Kicking Ass
  Brad DeLong
  Lemonblog
  Misleader
  The Moderate Republican
  The New Spiel
  Not Geniuses
  OurSenate
  PoliAnna
  Political Wire
  Pressthink
  Still Fighting
  Talking Points Memo
  Tapped
  Voice for Veterans Blog

Syndicate
  RSS 2.0

email
zip code

Archives by Topic
  Around the Blogs
  Blog Feature
  Bush Outrages
  Calls to Action
  Candidates
  Commentaries
  DFACorps
  DNC Chair
  Emails
  Endorsements
  From the Road
  Generation Dean
  Grassroots Reports
  Guest Writers
  Health Care
  Houseparties
  Howard's Posts
  In the News
  Inside HQ
  Jim's Posts
  Lessons
  Meetup
  Open Threads
  Photos from the Road
  Polls
  Press Releases
  Social Security
  Staff Writer
  Trainings
  Transcripts
  Upcoming Appearances

Archives by Date
  August 2005
  July 2005
  June 2005
  May 2005
  April 2005
  March 2005
  February 2005
  January 2005
  December 2004
  November 2004
  October 2004
  September 2004
  August 2004
  July 2004
  June 2004
  May 2004
  April 2004
  March 2004
  February 2004
  January 2004
  December 2003
  November 2003
  October 2003
  September 2003
  August 2003
  July 2003
  June 2003
  May 2003
  April 2003
  March 2003

Tuesday, August 02, 2005

## Historic Day for California Progressives

California Democratic Party Grants Formal Recognition

Sacramento, CA. Sunday was a historic day for California Progressives. The Executive Board of the California Democratic Party granted formal recognition to the Progressive Caucus, culminating a seven month journey from idea to success.

Highlights along the way include two very well attended caucus meetings (more than 450 people attended the caucus meeting during the April Convention of the California Democratic Party), the caucus support for a Single Payer health insurance bill pending in the California Senate and a bill authorizing same sex marriage pending in the California Assembly.

(Founding Officers of the CDP Progressive Caucus, July 31, 2005, Sacramento, CA; L-R: Jo Olson, Mal Burnstein, Joye Swan, Jeffrey Killeen, Mayme Hubert, Ahjamu Makalani; Not pictured: Narges Niedzwiecki, Stan West)

The new, 600-plus member caucus, a great many of whom are DFA members, wants to move the dialogue in California politics to more progressive issues, to establish a home for the progressive grassroots of the Democratic Party, to support progressive legislators and legislation and to urge the party to support progressive candidates in all possible races.

The Progressive Caucus is seeking members to join its many committees and to get involved in its work. For more information, contact: progressivecaucuscdpinfo@hotmail.com. And see our web site at www.ProgressiveCaucusCDP.org.

Posted by Guest Writer at 01:54 PM
Link | TrackBack (0) | Comments (206)

## Pounding Pavement for Hackett

Marian Harris is the organizer of the Central Ohio DFA Meetup group.

This weekend, working for Paul Hackett's campaign, was like a family reunion! I spent Saturday in Cincinnati canvassing for Paul—what an incredible candidate!

Along with old and new friends from Cincinnati and Kentucky, Lynn Worpenberg and I canvassed together and I know we convinced some registered voters to go to the polls today to vote for Paul.

Marian Harris among DFA friends at the Paul Hackett Rally

Lynn (in Cincinnati) must have climbed a million steps while I checked things off from a list—I have a bad knee. The work was very rewarding especially for such a superb candidate. I wish I could go back and help out today.

What a thrill to see such a strong DFA presence! I met some folks who had been just names on emails and re-met folks I'd met in Austin and at our statewide meeting last spring. We can make a difference!

I'm hoping to gather DFAers from all around the state on a Saturday in September to further organize our efforts and make plans to defeat the TABOR amendment, should it get on the ballot. Thanks DFA for all you do!

—Marian Harris

Posted by Guest Writer at 07:36 AM
Link | TrackBack (0) | Comments (247)
Monday, August 01, 2005

## Don't like the Senate? Go around it!

In a Senatorial sidestep worthy of Dancing with the Stars, George W. Bush took advantage of a Constitutional loophole today to appoint John Bolton as US envoy to the United Nations while Congress is in recess.

Bush claimed that, "This post is too important to leave vacant any longer, especially during a war and a vital debate about U.N. reform." However, a President concerned with strength during wartime should consider the implications of sending the U.N. a weakened U.S. ambassador who does not have full congressional approval.

By stonewalling the Senate and refusing to offer the information requested, the Senate was unable to make an informed decision on Bolton's nomination. What Bush calls "partisan delaying tactics" are, in reality, concerns that Bolton, "tried to manipulate intelligence and intimidated intelligence analysts to support his hawkish views as the top State Department diplomat for arms control," which were never clarified.

By putting his partisan agenda ahead of America's interests and forcing the Bolton appointment, is it any wonder that Bush's approval rating has been heading south? This week, it bottomed out at its lowest-ever — 44%. Americans are sending a message loud and clear, Mr. President—we don't like the job you're doing. It's time to reevaluate your priorities.

Posted by Tara Liloia at 10:32 PM
Link | TrackBack (0) | Comments (154)

## Against the Odds

Jen Haaga is a steering committee member for Change for Kentucky.

I wanted to tell you about working for Paul Hackett on Saturday. There was a great kickoff rally with special guests Max Cleland and John Glenn, It was very inspiring and amazing to be in the presence of those two great Americans. Then, Mr. Hackett himself spoke. Let me tell you, Paul is a great candidate. Paul is someone we need in Congress. And I suspect Paul is the type of candidate that many of us became involved in politics to support.

The strategy of Paul's campaign is to get every Democrat to get out to vote. The turnout for special elections is low and if Paul's campaign can get every possible voter out there, it could mean their victory. After the rally, we went out to canvass, going to the homes of Democrats and reminding them about the election and asking for their vote. It was very rewarding, people were very excited, and we got honks from drivers with thumbs up!

Even though I live in Kentucky and cannot personally vote for Mr. Hackett, I am excited about the strong possibility he will be elected to Congress. It helps to think that we're starting the momentum to begin turning around other seats until we again have the majority! I am going out to work for Paul again tonight, and I'm hoping that against the odds we can add one more Democrat to Congress tomorrow!

—Jen Haaga

Posted by Guest Writer at 08:07 PM
Link | TrackBack (0) | Comments (74)

## A Moment of Truth

Senator Patrick Leahy is the Ranking Democratic Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. He joins Democracy for America today to speak about President Bush's nomination of John G. Roberts, Jr. to fill the Supreme Court spot vacated by Sandra Day O'Connor.

As the President moves to replace Justice Sandra Day O'Connor at the Supreme Court, we in the Senate are fast approaching a moment of truth. The Judiciary Committee has announced confirmation hearings for the White House's choice, John Roberts—the hearings begin on September 6—and I wanted to give you a quick update.

This is a brisk schedule. To make it work, we need the White House to give its full cooperation. Senators need the same information to make their choice that the President needed to make his. Yet so far, the Bush Administration has yet to respond to key Senate requests for information—in spite of warnings from my Democratic colleagues and me that the American people deserve a full review of John Roberts' career.

Americans don't want a rubber-stamp justice on the Court. They expect more than a rubber-stamp process from the Senate. President Bush must know that we need a fair, thoughtful process—not a rush to judgment.

The President says he wants a replacement for Justice O'Connor in place by October, when the Supreme Court term begins. But for us to meet that goal, the White House has to cooperate by giving the Senate the information it needs to make a fair, informed decision.

A justice who wins confirmation to the Supreme Court holds that job for life. The Court can shape the future of our civil rights, employment laws, environmental safeguards and reproductive freedoms—which means that as the Senate moves toward the Roberts hearings, all of the American people have something at stake.

The Bush Administration has demanded that the Senate keep a tight schedule. But what we need more than the White House telling us when and how to do our job is a White House willing to help us expedite our consideration by making relevant materials available without delay.

The White House says it might need a month to screen documents before giving them to the Senate. Yet the Republican leadership in the Senate wants hearings to begin in a little more than a month—a timetable that leaves senators almost no time to review critical information before casting one of the key votes of their careers. For the Senate to do its job before October, it needs time to review information about John Roberts—and the White House needs to provide that information, fast.

Under the Constitution, the Senate has a duty to review presidential nominations to the Supreme Court. The American people need us to make those decisions as best as we can—and that matters far more, over the long run, than doing so as fast as we can.

It's up to the White House to give the Senate the information the American people need us to have. We expect a fair vote, not an attempt to have this pivotal nomination rubber-stamped.

With thanks,

Patrick Leahy
Ranking Democratic Member, Senate Judiciary Committee

P.S. This nomination is one of the most important decisions of our time.
Please forward this message—ask everyone you know to sign the
petition and to send the message, "The Senate is not a rubber stamp."

www.democracyforamerica.com/norubberstamps

Posted by Guest Writer at 05:45 PM
Link | TrackBack (0) | Comments (43)

## Climbing the Steps for Hackett

Lynn Worpenberg (Lynn in Cincinnati) is the Co-Chair of Democracy for Cincinnati.

This past weekend was a big one for the Paul Hackett campaign. It's getting down to the wire (the election is tomorrow!) and we are working very hard. The weekend events began with a rally on Saturday morning to kickoff our last few days of canvassing... and what a great rally it was!

There were over 200 supporters at the rally, from all over the country. One volunteer came all the way from Dallas, Texas! We saw at least 30 DFA members from Ohio and Kentucky, including Marian Harris, leader of Democracy for Ohio, and Jeremy Horton, leader of Change For Kentucky. And of course, Linda Perrone, one of the blog's own, was there with her husband Neil.

DFA supporters at the Hackett rally

The rally got us all charged up. We heard from the two democratic candidates for Governor, Michael Coleman and Ted Strickland, who are united in their support for Paul Hackett. We also heard from John Glenn and Senator Max Cleland! What a thrill to hear from two great Americans in one afternoon!

Finally we heard from Paul Hackett himself. Let me tell you, Paul is a man of character and a great candidate. He spoke very well and had the crowd on its feet (okay, there were no chairs so we were already on our feet). And he does a mean impersonation of JFK (he sounded so much like him that it gave me goosebumps).

Paul Hackett speaks at the rally

After the rally we headed over to the registration table to get our canvassing packets. Chandra Yungbluth, Executive Director of the Hamilton County Democratic party, and her volunteers did a great job of organizing the event and the rally crowd was soon on its way to canvass in District 2 neighborhoods. Marian Harris and I teamed up to canvass in one of Cincinnati's eastern suburbs. It was a hot afternoon and the sun was shining brightly, but we grabbed our water bottles and hit the streets, or more accurately, the steps. Our neighborhood was one where most homes were reached by climbing at least 10 (if not 20 or more) steps! So if you see Marian or I limping for the next few days you now know why.

Canvassing was great (except for the steps). It was a beautiful afternoon so some folks were not at home, but we left flyers for them to find when they returned. And those who were home were happy to hear about Paul, many were already planning to vote for him, but others had not made up their minds so we did our best to persuade them to vote for Paul.

But the most exciting part of the afternoon was talking to people who were not on our walk lists. It was a beautiful day so there were lots of people out working in their yards and we stopped to talk to all of them. Some of them were not aware of the election and some were simply not planning to vote. Marian and I made sure that everyone we talked to knew about the special election and the importance of their vote. We also made sure that they knew that Paul is a candidate who cares about them and who will represent his district with honesty and integrity. I think we persuaded a number of them to vote on Tuesday.

It was an exciting afternoon (one that was repeated on Sunday) and, hopefully, a very successful one.

The key to this election is getting more Democrats than Republicans to the polls, so those of us here in southern Ohio will be phone banking tonight and canvassing tomorrow (ElectionDay). Please say a prayer that we are successful and/or cross your fingers! We need all the help we can get!

Finally, I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has helped this campaign. Thank you for your phone calls, letters, posts, shoe leather, dollars, prayers, etc.! Howard Dean was right; we really do have the power! Thank you so much for all that you do!

—Lynn Worpenberg

Posted by Guest Writer at 01:31 PM
Link | TrackBack (0) | Comments (141)

## Rapid Response: Forgetful in Florida

The Rapid Response Network offers guest commentary at Democracy for America every Monday.

In the wee hours after election night 2000 I realized that the Gore Florida headquarters where I had been volunteering was ground zero for the unimaginable. My arrival at the office early that morning—finding a cadre of staffers still crashed on the floor, scores of strangers pouring in—began the most surreal month of my life. I remember every minute of it.
Recent news suggests I'm the exception.
Seems there is an epidemic of recount-induced amnesia on the right. Apparently the Bush team engaged one of the "preeminent constitutional attorneys in the country", but no one remembers him. Ted Olsen didn't remember, nor did Tom Feeney or lead Bush attorney Barry Richards. The Miami Herald wrote that "(Jeb) Bush doesn't even remember meeting Roberts", which he did. Other accounts indicate "Governor Bush says it was a 'very short meeting' with others in attendance, and that it was 'not related to politics.'"
Despite the collective bout of amnesia, details of John Roberts' role in the 2000 recount are emerging. Peter Wallsten writes in the LA Times that Roberts actually "came to Florida at his own expense":

> ...Roberts advised Gov. Jeb Bush on the role that the governor and the Florida Legislature might play in the recount battle... He operated in the shadows at least some of those 37 days, never signing a legal brief and rarely making an appearance at the makeshift headquarters for George W. Bush's legal team.

The Miami Herald reports that Roberts functioned as a "legal consultant, lawsuit editor and prep coach for arguments before the nation's highest court." Florida Republican political operative Mac Stipanovich, described only as "adviser to then-Secretary of State Katherine Harris," went on record with the Washington Post: "If the question is, 'Was John Roberts on the ground mixing it up and brawling with the rest of us in Florida?' the answer to that is 'No.'"
Ah... that would be "Mac the Knife" Stipanovich, with unusually close ties to Jeb "since I wasn't part of all the inner workings... it was news to me that [Roberts] was" Bush. That would be the adviser who sat next to Katherine Harris through the recount and whose "personal" emails weren't turned over after newspapers requested the information on his computer under Florida's open public records law, whose computer later got suddenly "reformatted".
I'd sleep more soundly if I were forgetful in Florida too.

Speak up. Join Rapid Response.

Posted by Guest Writer at 09:23 AM
Link | TrackBack (0) | Comments (125)
Sunday, July 31, 2005

## National Social Security Call-In Day

Members and supporters of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare are mobilizng against private accounts. Even though American citizens have made it clear that they do not support private accounts, the President and his Congressional leaders still aren't getting the message. Private account plans are currently the only legislation being considered in Congress:

> "Members of Congress will soon head home for the summer recess but private account supporters are promising to continue their campaign to create Social Security private accounts once they return to Capitol Hill in September. We urge Americans to, once again, tell their representatives "No" to private accounts; however they're repackaged or renamed"—Barbara B. Kennelly, President/CEO

The National Committee's 4.6 million members and supporters will rally together on August 1, 2005 to call Senators and Representatives at their District offices to urge the defeat of private account legislation. August 1st is the first day of the Congressional recess and is also the day many Social Security recipients receive their monthly checks.

> "The first of the month has tremendous significance for millions of retirees, persons with disabilities, survivors and families who are counting their pennies waiting for a Social Security check each month that often makes the difference between basic survival and poverty. It's important that Congress hears from Americans who know what Social Security's guaranteed benefit really means to their lives... rather than just the politics that have dominated the Washington debate"—Barbara B. Kennelly, President/CEO

The National Committee will provide Congressional district contact numbers for all those who are participating in the National Social Security Call-In day. Participants can call NCPSSM toll free at 1-800-966-1935 to request numbers for all Senate and House district offices.

Tell your Congressman/woman or Senator to consider proposals that deal with Social Security's solvency and reject anything that takes money away from the system. Tell them that you do not want any of your Social Security retirement benefits taken out of a guaranteed system and placed into private accounts.

Posted by Tara Liloia at 10:11 PM
Link | TrackBack (0) | Comments (155)

## Largest Public Health Cutback in U.S. History

Caroline Vernon is a member of Democracy for Iowa. You can also find her blog posts on Blog for Iowa.

Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen is executing the cruelest and largest cutback of public health coverage in the history of the United States. Every day, nearly 2,000 people enrolled in TennCare, the State Medicaid program, are receiving letters of termination or reduction of benefits. Hundreds of thousands of Tennesseans, many of whom are chronically ill and disabled, are living in fear because of Governor Bredesen's decision to strip them of the only health care they have. Now, more than ever, they need your help.

Unfortunately, the national media has done very little to address this issue even though many people stand to lose their lives as a result of these drastic and unnecessary cuts. To make matters worse, internal State memos and documents, obtained by the Tennessee Justice Center, reveal that the State had orchestrated and implemented these cuts merely as a political strategy, with no regard for the consequences they are having on people's lives. The Tennessee Justice Center is a non profit, non-partisan law office. TJC represents low income families, and all of their clients are on TennCare.

The documentary, "323,000," is the culmination of a 6-month investigation into the largest health care cuts in the history of this country. In the course of the investigations, documents were discovered that definitely prove that Governor Bredesen did not tell the truth to the citizens of Tennessee when he said the reason for the drastic cuts were the fault of the Tennessee Justice Center and other TennCare advocates. In fact, as you will learn below, the cuts are part of a bigger political strategy.

In 2002, Governor Bredesen campaigned on a platform to reform TennCare. In a printed press interview, he cited one of the problems with the program was due to the fact that the MCO's (Managed Care Organizations) were overpaid and not bearing any of the risk or properly managing care.

Read More >
Posted by Guest Writer at 02:10 PM
Link | TrackBack (0) | Comments (256)

## Sunday Morning Shows

On Face The Nation (CBS), CBS Evening News Anchor Bob Schieffer will be hosting Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA), Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS), Bill Harwood, CBS Space Analyst, Elisabeth Bumiller, The New York Times. Topics will include: The Fight Over Stem Cell Research; Space Shuttle Discovery

On This Week with George Stephanopoulos (ABC) George will talk with three astronauts currently on board the space shuttle Discovery. Then, former astronauts John Glenn and Buzz Aldrin will discuss in an exclusive interview whether NASA put its astronauts' lives at risk by sending an unsafe shuttle into orbit -- and whether manned space flight still has a future. In another exclusive, George will talk with Sen. Rick Santorum, (R-PA), about Sen. Bill Frist's, (R-TN), surprise announcement that he now supports increased federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. Plus, Lee Iacocca, former chief executive of Chrysler, talks about his love for his late wife and his devotion to research into diabetes -- the disease that helped claim her life.

Meet the Press (MSNBC) - In a special edition of "Meet the Press," a historic interview from the international space station with the crew of the Shuttle Discovery: Commander Eileen Collins, Pilot James Kelly and Mission Specialist Charles Camarda will all join us this Sunday to talk about their "Return to Flight" mission. How will the loss of a large piece of foam that separated from the shuttle's external fuel tank during Discovery's ascent to orbit affect the rest of their mission? And, what is the future of the space program? Tim will ask the man at its helm, NASA Administrator Michael Griffin, in an exclusive, in studio interview.

Then, as Congress heads to recess, Washington is still filled with unanswered questions -- questions about Majority Leader Bill Frist's decision to split with President Bush and support expanded funding for embryonic stem-cell research, questions about the ongoing CIA leak investigation, the Bolton nomination, and John Roberts' upcoming confirmation hearings. With Tim, to share their insights and analysis is our political roundtable: David Broder of the Washington Post, John Harwood of the Wall Street Journal, Kate O'Beirne of the National Review, and Eugene Robinson of the Washington Post.

Fox News Sunday (FOX News) - Space Shuttle Discovery escaped damage from the potentially deadly chunk of foam that broke off from the fuel tank during liftoff, but may have been struck in the wing by a much smaller piece, NASA said Thursday. How is the mission going and is it time to take a closer look at the space shuttle program? FNS will be joined by Discovery flight crewmembers: Commander Eileen Collins, Pilot Jim Kelly and Mission Specialist Charlie Camarda, and former astronaut, Sen. Bill Nelson, (D-FL).

Late Edition (CNN) - This week's guests include; Mowaffak Al-Rubaie, Iraqi national security adviser, Sen. Joseph Lieberman, (D-CT); Homeland Security and Governmental Relations Committee; Armed Services Committee, Sen. Jon Kyl, (R-AZ); Judiciary Committee, Ahmed Nazif, Egyptian prime minister.

On 60 Minutes (CBS) - Mike Wallace's exclusive interview with the Russian leader, Vladimir Putin. Also on 60 Minutes, Jane Fonda discusses her career and private life, including her controversial trip to North Vietnam and her sex life. Lesley Stahl reports.

Posted by Tara Liloia at 09:00 AM
Link | TrackBack (0) | Comments (246)
Saturday, July 30, 2005

## Jim Dean in the Mad City

Jim Dean, Democracy for America's Chair, spent the weekend in both Stevens Point and Madison, Wisconsin—for a fundraising event as well as an organizing convention. While in town, Jim had a chance to speak to Aaron Nathans, a journalist from the Capital Times; the state's progressive newspaper:

> Democrats must stand behind their convictions in a difficult time, said Howard Dean's brother, who now runs his political action committee.

> "People are getting a chance to be trained and work on political campaigns for the first time," Jim Dean said. "This is an off-year, a chance for us to make up a lot of lost ground."

> The Democratic Party must expand beyond its diehards, Dean said. He urged people to contact the organization if they have a candidate who wants to run for office. Speakers at the event encouraged people to run for the Dane County Board, especially in the outlying areas.

> ...[R]ight now, the action is at the local level, he said.

> "To me, it's about Paul Hackett running for Congress in Ohio," he said of the Democratic candidate who is running in a special election.

No kidding, Jim. Close to $100,000 in online donations went into Paul's Ohio campaign through Democracy for America supporters from across the nation this month. That is what it's all about.

Posted by Tara Liloia at 11:42 PM
Link | TrackBack (0) | Comments (101)

## One Two Three Four ...

... I declare w— er, struggle against extremism:

> The Bush administration is retooling its slogan for the fight against Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups, pushing the idea that the long-term struggle is as much an ideological battle as a military mission, senior administration and military officials said Monday.

> In recent speeches and news conferences, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and the nation's senior military officer have spoken of "a global struggle against violent extremism" rather than "the global war on terror," which had been the catchphrase of choice. Administration officials say that phrase may have outlived its usefulness, because it focused attention solely, and incorrectly, on the military campaign.

Global struggle against extremism, healthy forests, clear skies, personal accounts, compassionate conservatism, partridges in pear trees ... it's just so hard, what with all these catch phrases, to keep up. But let's give them points for helpfulness: at least they didn't launch this new bang-up slogan in August.

> Gen. Richard B. Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the National Press Club on Monday that he had "objected to the use of the term 'war on terrorism' before, because if you call it a war, then you think of people in uniform as being the solution." He said the threat instead should be defined as violent extremists, with the recognition that "terror is the method they use."

> Although the military is heavily engaged in the mission now, he said, future efforts require "all instruments of our national power, all instruments of the international communities' national power." The solution is "more diplomatic, more economic, more political than it is military," he concluded.

Wait, hold on — they're just now figuring that out?! Give us a break:

> It took four years for the president of the United States to realize that fighting terrorism has a political component? It took six months for his senior advisers to retool a slogan? We are witnessing that rare occasion when the phrase "I don't know whether to laugh or cry" can be uttered without lapsing into cliché.

Holy cow, these guys are dense. No matter what the White House does, we end up back at the eternal question: if we replaced the entire foreign policy apparatus of the Bush administration with Folgers™ crystals, would anybody notice a difference?

Posted by Greg Greene at 05:31 PM
Link | TrackBack (0) | Comments (307)

## HQ Gathers to Say Goodbye

As more interns and staffers move on from DFA this month, the Democracy for America office is becoming emptier by the day. This week, interns Amanda Dlugiewicz (Field/Political), Elyse Deutscher (Front Office) and Elliott McCurry (Information Technology) returned to their homes and schools before the start of the Fall semester.

You may have spoken to one of these three interns without even realizing it. As a Meetup Host, Amanda may have called with a reminder. If you called DFA HQ on a Wednesday morning, you most likely spoke to Elyse. And if you ever wrote into Blog for America, Elliott intercepted your email and either responded or routed it to the right person. He also wrote come of the code for the upcoming software changes—so if you find a bug, we'll be sure to forward it along to him at college.

In addition to interns departing, we are also saddened to be losing Zach Manganello—who works on compliance and Dean for America issues—to law school this year. It's a positive move for Zach and we're all glad to see him pursuing his goal.

The entire HQ office gathered to say goodbye and thank you to these departing friends. Longtime volunteer Pat Hanson made a unique traditional almond icing cake, studded with fresh blueberries. As we assembled to take the photo below, one clever intern (who was recently hired as a staff member!) managed to get into the photo twice. Click the photo for the larger version.

Click for a larger version
(L-R Back: Luigi, Arshad, Noreen, Rachel,
Aaron's Friend, Chris, Pat, Tom,
Dina, Scott, Holly, Elliott, Elli, Luigi;
L-R Seated: Annalouise, Aaron, Amanda, Elyse)

Interested in joining our team at DFA HQ in Burlington, VT? September is fast approaching and we are looking for interns to work in every department (Web, Field/Political, Communications, Finance and Training), as well as hiring a Deputy Field Director. We want to hear from you!

Posted by Tara Liloia at 10:56 AM
Link | TrackBack (0) | Comments (204)
Friday, July 29, 2005

## Quelle Coincidence, Eh?

John Roberts — you fresh-faced Supreme Court nominee, you — this is your life:

> U.S. Supreme Court nominee John Roberts played a broader behind-the-scenes role for the Republican camp in the aftermath of the 2000 election than previously reported -- as legal consultant, lawsuit editor and prep coach for arguments before the nation's highest court, according to the man who drafted him for the job.

> Ted Cruz, a domestic policy advisor for President Bush and who is now Texas' solicitor general, said Roberts was one of the first names he thought of while he and another attorney drafted the Republican legal dream team of litigation "lions" and "800-pound gorillas," which ultimately consisted of 400 attorneys in Florida.

> Until now, Gov. Jeb Bush and others involved in the election dispute could recall almost nothing of Roberts' role, except for a half-hour meeting the governor had with Roberts. Cruz said Roberts was in Tallahassee helping the Bush camp for "a week to 10 days," and that his help was important, though Cruz said it is difficult to remember specifics five years after the sleep-depriving frenetic pace of the 2000 recount.

> But one thing was certain, Cruz told The Herald: "There was no one better for the job."

> Soon after getting the call from Cruz, Roberts traveled from his Washington office at Hogan & Hartson to Tallahassee to lend advice and help polish legal briefs. Later, Roberts participated in a dress rehearsal to prepare the Bush legal team for the U.S. Supreme Court.

> Sen. Edward Kennedy, the Massachusetts Democrat who sits on the judiciary committee, has said through a spokeswoman that Roberts is a partisan Republican who needs to show he can hear cases fairly. ... Republicans such as Jeb Bush, though, say they've "moved on."

No good deed goes unrewarded, eh? How precious.

Posted by Greg Greene at 11:37 PM
Link | TrackBack (0) | Comments (190)