WaPo Highlights "Responsible Plan To End The War In Iraq"
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On Friday, the Washington Post featured an article about the “Responsible Plan to End the War in Iraq”. Thus far, the plan has been endorsed by Darcy Burner, Chellie Pingree and 40 other congressional candidates. Darcy first unveiled the plan earlier this month at the 2008 Take Back America Conference in Washington, DC. You can learn more about the “Responsible Plan to End the War in Iraq” by visiting the website, www.responsibleplan.com.
Read the full WaPo article here.
Endorse the Plan here.
Jackie Speier's Journey
Few candidates have faced the kind of adversity that Jackie Speier has overcome. After completing law school, Jackie went to work as an aide for California Congressman Leo Ryan and accompanied him in November of 1978 when he traveled to Jonestown, Guyana to investigate Rev. Jim Jones and the People’s Temple. As their delegation was preparing to leave it was ambushed by armed cult members who killed Congressman Ryan and five others. Jackie was shot five times and had to wait 22 hours for help to arrive.
Jackie’s experience in Guyana helped to shape her philosophy and taught her about “the fragility of our existence and the importance of making every moment count.”
In the years since the tragedy at Jonestown, Jackie has built a tremendous record of accomplishment – first as a member of San Mateo County Board of Supervisors and then in the California Legislature. She has made the most of her time as an elected official and few politicians have been as consistent in promoting progressive values. Jackie has authored and sponsored legislation to expand access to affordable health care, protect Americans’ human and civil rights, improve consumer and privacy protections, combat government waste and build a more fair and just society. Please support Jackie’s campaign and help her continue to work on these critical issues in the United States Congress.
Darcy Burner Wants Some Advice
Cross posted from www.darcyburner.com
Darcy Burner just released a new spot featuring a great 21st Century Democrat:
Special Election Endorsement - California's 12th
21st Century Democrats is proud to endorse former California State Senator Jackie Speier in the 12th district special election to replace the late Congressman Tom Lantos. She has overcome incredible adversity to become an exceptional progressive leader in her community and in the California Legislature. Now, we need to support the Speier Campaign and make sure that Jackie is the next representative from California's 12th Congressional District.
Donate To Her Campaign
Take Back America and A Responsible Plan to End the War in Iraq
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For me, one of the highlights of the conference was the roll out of "A Responsible Plan To End The War In Iraq" by Darcy Burner, Chellie Pingree and several other Congressional candidates. Darcy explained how a the Bush Administration's top down approach to ending the war in Iraq has failed to stem the violence and that's why she drafted the plan and organized fellow Congressional candidates to take a bottom's up approach by putting forward a plan to end the war.
One of the most important points made during the rollout was the need to change the frame of the conversation about the war from whether the surge is working to what we should be doing to make our country safer. To shift the debate we need to get more people involved in this debate. We must talk to our neighbors, friends, family - and most importantly to the candidates where we live - and ask them to sign on to the responsible plan to end the war in Iraq.
We in the progressive community have asked for leadership on ending the war, and now have Darcy Burner, Chellie Pingree and several other candidates who have put themselves on the line by not only standing up against the war, but by providing a detailed plan of how the United States can bring our military engagement in Iraq to a responsible end and take steps to restore the checks and balances in our government to make sure we do not make the same mistake again in the future.
You can endorse the plan here. You can also show your support the candidates leading this effort by donating to Darcy Burner, Chellie Pingree or the slate of Congressional candidates who have signed onto the plan.
A Responsible Plan to End the War in Iraq
Yesterday, at the Take Back America 2008 conference in Washington DC, US Congressional candidate Darcy Burner (WA-8) presented “A Responsible Plan to End the War in Iraq.” The plan has been endorsed by Burner, Chellie Pingree (ME-1), and a number of other Democratic Congressional challengers. You can read the plan and show your support by endorsing it.
Down in the Sunshine State
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I was in Florida last week and was able to spend time with Mike Smith and his campaign team in Orlando (FL-8). Then I drove down to Port St. Lucie (100 miles north of Miami), where I finally met Adam Fetterman who is running in Florida's 81st House District. Adam was essentially the first call I took when I started at 21st Century Democrats in February of 2007. We’ve been talking about his campaign since that time and endorsed his candidacy last fall.
Thankfully, the weather in Florida was a lot more enjoyable than in Maine, New Hampshire, Ohio and Michigan where I’d been in previous weeks. The Smith campaign is working hard gathering endorsements and raising money. They are doing well on both fronts. Central Florida is always a battle ground area and the Smith campaign is right in the middle of it all. Ric Keller, his Republican opponent will be well-funded but like Mike he is facing multiple primary challengers. Florida’s primary election is in August so there will be more to say about this race towards the end of Spring.
Adam Fetterman’s seat is one of the five top targets for state House Democrats this year. He has out raised his opponent considerably and just started knocking on doors in a concerted manner. As a first-time Candidate he is constantly learning the old adage in politics which is just simply “that sometimes people just disappoint you.” Adam has been endorsed by the Firefighters and based on his campaign efforts the Palm Beach-Treasure Coast AFL-CIO decided not to endorse anyone in the Democratic Primary. While we would have liked Adam to have got the nod, of course, he was able to deny the endorsement to his opponent, Bill Ramos, who received the AFL endorsement in 2006.
It’s my guess that Obama and Hillary will fight it out all the way to the Democratic Convention at the end of August. The delegate numbers are just too close right now and barring a dramatic knock-out punch in Pennsylvania (and by this I mean a 70 to 75% win on April 26) I don't see either of them giving in. Depending on how you count, Obama is around 120 delegate votes ahead of Hillary. I have had the opportunity to work on a few of these campaigns in the past - Jimmy Carter in '76 & '80, John Glenn in ’84, Bill Bradley in 2000 and Paul Wellstone’s Presidential Exploratory Committee in 1998 (short-lived as it was that campaign was terrific!) - and they were all tough fights. My point here is simply to say that the Democratic nomination for President is always worth having and nobody gives it up when they think they can win. It’s the Democratic way.
In the meantime we all have a lot of work to get ready for the November election. I am spending much time with voter files and spread sheets these days and planning where exactly we will want to send our trained organizers after the May Organizer Training but more about that in future blogs. As always you can send me an e-mail at dan@21stdems.org or give me a call at 202.626.5620 and let me know what you think.
Cheers!
Richardson Refugee Finds A Home At 21st Century Dems
It’s been ten years since I worked in DC, and I am delighted to be back in our nation’s capital. I moved here the first time in 1997 with no job, knowing only a handful of people, and living with people I had met for less than two hours. My friends back home in Georgia called me “brave,” but I imagine they thought I was a little nuts.This latest adventure in DC finds me in a very different place. I’ve come back to town having landed this terrific assignment with the 21st Century Dems - I’ll be recruiting, training, placing and coaching fabulous field operatives in key campaigns across the nation. (Details of our big DC training in early June are forthcoming – stay tuned.)
I’m living with my random-stranger-who-turned-out-to- be-a-best-friend-for-life roommate from 1997. Every day I think of someone else in DC who I’d better contact before they hear that I’m in town from someone else. And the nicest surprise is running into other former Richardson campaign colleagues who have also drifted this way.
We’re calling ourselves, Richardson Refugees. Although we all probably voted for a Democratic Senator in our home state Primary, our hearts are still with Governor Richardson. There are lots of theories as to why he has stayed on the fence. At this point, I am hoping that he uses his well honed diplomatic skills to negotiate a cease fire between Clinton and Obama. We can’t afford for our nomination contest to continue until the bloody battle ends with a divided convention in Denver.
As I settle into this yellow-walled office above the Chinese restaurant (next time I’ll share my true feelings about the color and aroma), I’ll continue to enjoy the “small world” moments that now seem to be a weekly occurrence. Just yesterday, one of my Richardson Iowa staffer buddies emailed that she met my former colleague from Rome, GA. Jenna was home visiting her folks in Indiana, and I helped Renee get a field job with the Andre Carson special election campaign. I’m sure Jenna is voting for Carson tomorrow, and Renee’s next job is waiting for her in Iowa. Small world!
Mike Smith - My Word
Cross posted from www.mikesmithforcongress.com.State Attorney Lawson Lamar's prosecution of corrupt officials has been a wakeup call for Central Florida. Elected officials who abuse our tax dollars and trust do lasting damage to our communities, and I am glad that Mr. Lamar is holding them accountable. But unfortunately his work is the exception and not the rule. Our judicial system is underfunded and overworked, which causes white collar criminals and unethical politicians to assume that their crimes will go unpunished. Too often they are right.
Mr. Lamar and our court system deserve some back-up. We hear again and again about crimes committed by suspects who have been arrested multiple times and are out on bond. While working as a State Attorney I prosecuted drug-dealers and child predators, and I know how important it is to keep dangerous criminals off our streets. But I also know that too many of them are slipping through the cracks because prosecutors, probation officers, judges, and court personnel are spread thin. It is crucial that we have enough police to arrest criminals, and equally crucial that we have enough attorneys to prosecute them.
I support legislation to ensure that attorneys like Mr. Lamar can hire and retain more prosecutors. Properly funding both our police department and court system will make Central Florida safer for our families.
Mike Smith is a former State Prosecutor and was specially appointed as a Felony Domestic Violence Prosecutor.
Bill Foster Wins!
On Saturday, 21st Century Democrats endorsed candidate Bill Foster won the Special Election in Illinois’ 14th Congressional District. He will now serve the remainder of former Republican Speaker Dennis Hastert’s term in Congress. Foster was able to defeat Hastert’s hand-picked successor, Jim Oberweis, by more than 5,000 votes in a district that gave George W. Bush 55% of the vote in 2004.
The Illinois Democrat won a strong victory even as the National Republican Congressional Committee dumped more than $1.2 million into the race on Oberweis’ behalf. 21st Century Democrats is thrilled to have been part of the effort to elect Bill Foster to Congress and we are confident that he will defeat Oberweis again in November.
Special Election Results: Illinois' 14th Congressional District
Illinois – District 14
Bill Foster (Dem) ............ 52,010 …....... 53%
Jim Oberweis (Rep) .......... 46,988 …....... 47%
Precincts Reporting: 568 of 568 (100%)
Read Congressman-elect Foster’s Victory Speech Here
Poll: Foster Leading Oberweis in Illinois' 14th
A Survey USA poll conducted on March 3rd and 4th shows Democrat Bill Foster leading right-wing millionaire Jim Oberweis 52% to 45% in the race to replace former Republican Speaker Denny Hastert. Foster’s lead is even more impressive considering President Bush carried the 14th Congressional district with 55% of the vote in 2004.
More from Todd Beeton on MyDD
Our YouTube Channel
Often, supporters of 21st Century Democrats and other voters who want to see progressive, populist candidates around the country, will come to our website for information about various candidates. Previously, we have provided candidate profiles with a biography and photos. Recently, we have been working to expand the amount of video content on our site.When a voter or supporter looks through a candidate’s website they can only get a certain impression. They can normally see how the candidate views the issues, what their background is, and their recent photos, but the best way to understand a candidate is by seeing them in person. Since many candidates are not stumping often this early in the cycle, the next best option is videos. That is why at 21st Century Democrats we have created a YouTube Channel. Our ultimate goal is to have interesting and easily accessible video content available for all our candidates.
I have been surfing Youtube to find videos of our candidates and their opponents. I found commercials released by campaigns, candidates’ speeches, and some interviews and news reports. You can see all of our candidates’ videos by visiting our YouTube Channel.
Oberweis Dairy Sues DCCC (IL-14)
Oberweis Dairy has sued the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) for running television and print ads accusing the company of hiring illegal immigrants. Apparently running for US Congress on a platform of immigrant-bashing and fear-mongering doesn’t keep Jim Oberweis from using cheap immigrant labor.
Check out this news report from Chicago’s ABC-7:
NRCC Dumps $1.2 Million into Illinois' 14
The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) has dumped more than one-third of it’s total cash on hand into the Special Election in Illinois’ 14th Congressional District. Republicans are scrambling to hold onto this perennially Republican seat in the face of a strong challenge from Illinois Democrat Bill Foster. Even presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain made a stop in the district last month to raise money for Foster’s opponent, Jim Oberweis.
21st Century Democrats has already put an organizer on the ground in the 14th district to help the Foster campaign reach every possible voter – but we can’t do it alone. Make a contribution to 21st Century Democrats or Bill Foster today, and be part of the effort to turn this Republican district blue!
More from Jonathan Singer on MyDD
Chicago Tribune Endorses Bill Foster (IL-14)
This morning the conservative Chicago Tribune endorsed Democrat Bill Foster in the special election for Illinois’ 14th Congressional District. In it’s endorsement announcement the Tribune’s editorial board explained that it trusted Foster to “emphasize transparency, responsibility and bipartisanship in government.” The editorial also lambasted Foster’s opponent, right-winger Jim Oberweis writing:
“This [editorial] page is closer to Oberweis than Foster on several economic and foreign policy issues. But we watched Oberweis in his races for the U.S. Senate in 2002 and 2004, and for governor in 2006. We’ve watched this race for Congress. His campaign style has consistently been nasty, smug, condescending … and dishonest.”
Chellie's Story
Cross posted from chelliepingree.com.
Check out this video by Chellie’s daughter, Cecily:
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