Tricounty DFA Update: correction and more
Hello Everyone;

First a note: it's getting difficult to compose these updates because there are so many things I feel I really should include; but it is getting impossible. I lived through Watergate, worked in the anti-war movement in the 70s and more, and frankly, I have never seen anything that can remotely compare to what is going on in this country at the moment, where so many huge, huge things are crashing around simultaneously: The Downing Street Memos, Social Security, the "Plamegate" scandal, the War imploding, terrorist attacks, the world enraged at the US, the economic, trade and budget crisis, the Supreme Court and on and on. There has been a moment in the history of the country to compare to it. But I do think it all adds up, in the long run, at least, to the Republicans going down, and very hard.

In this update:

1. Correction on date of Saratoga County BBQ -- SUNDAY!
2. Washington County Picnic
3. Opinion Action: ACLU/Patriot Act, NARAL, Walmart, Gallo, True Majority/Iraq
4. Iraq Rapidly Deteriorating
5. DNC breaking fundraising records
6. Boston Globe On DNC, Dean & Strategy
7. Community Ownership


1. Correction on date of Saratoga County BBQ -- SUNDAY!

On Sunday, July 31, in conjunction with the Ballston Democrats the Saratoga County and Ballston Democrats will be holding a Chicken BBQ. Guest include; State Chair Herman "Denny" Farrell, Assemblyman Bob Reilly, and featured guest, New York's next Attorney General Andrew Cuomo. Come and meet all of the Democrats running for office in this years local election and let's show strong support to all of our future Leaders! Time is noon to 4pm at the Lake Side Farm Cider Mill in Ballston Lake, NY. Tickets are $30 for adults, $10 for children and $50 for sponsors. Please R.S.V.P. to Ballston Town Chair Patrick Southworth at 518-281-4618. To reach the Cider Mill, take Northway Exit 11 and four miles West. The mill is on the right.

2. Washington County Picnic

Join the Washington County Democratic Committee at its Fifth Annual Picnic on Saturday, July 30th from 10 am until 5 pm at the Lake Lauderdale Pavilion in the town of Jackson. There will be potluck picnic fare and music throughout the day. Guests of honor will begin speaking at noon and include: Tracey Brooks, from Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’s office; Stu Brody, Chair of the Democratic
Rural Conference; Caroline Griffin, upstate coordinator of the NYS Democratic Committee; and John Byrne, President of the NYS Young Rural Democrats.

Candidates seeking the 2006 nominations scheduled to attend include: Lt. Governor candidates: Tom DiNapoli, Joe Ruggiero, and Dr. Jon Cohen; NYS Attorney General candidates: Denise O’Donnell and Sean Patrick Maloney. Democratic candidates for the local 2005 elections
will also attend. We'll supply beer, soda, hot dogs and burgers, you bring side dishes, chairs and blankets.
Cost: $15 per person or $25 per couple, students: $6. For tickets, contact a town chair or Sheila Comar at 642-9566.

3. Opinion Action: ACLU, NARAL, Walmart, Gallo, True Majority/Iraq

There are an awful lot of these opinion actions that are being requested of us these days, so I thought I would group a bunch together:

The House has voted to make Patriot Act permanent; it is now in the hands of the Senate. For more info on why we should not want this to pass: http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2005/7/22/115422/277
To take action sign the ACLU petition at:
https://secure.aclu.org/site/SPageServer?pagename=Patriot_Act_Petition_ACLU_followup&printer_friendly=1

Or write:
http://www.clinton.senate.gov/contact/
http://www.schumer.senate.gov/SchumerWebsite/contact/contact.html

The New York State branch of the National Abortion Rights Action League has been working for three years to get the Unintended Pregnancy Prevention Act on Governor Pataki's desk. After that happens he will have 10 days to make a decision. We should not allow the governor to turn his back on the women of New York now. Urge him to sign the legislation:
http://prochoiceaction.org/campaign/NY_EC_Action_7_25_05/step1.tcl

There are actions on Walmart (these are thanks to Drew!)

Urge Walmart to respect the rights of it's workers and let them know you care.
http://action.americanrightsatwork.org/campaign/walmartdem

Or, take the Walmart Pledge and let them know you will be buying back to school stuff and school supplies elsewhere this year"
http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/WalMart_Pledge

A boycott is also being urged of all Gallo wines because of unfair labor practices; they are now attacking Ceasar Chaves's United Farm Workers. As many of us who have been around a while will remember, the grape boycott is where consumer activism began. It's time again, only we've moved upstream to the pressed and fermented grapes! Let's hope that's progress.
http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/nogallo71905S

True Majority is urging support for a congressional resolution to withdraw US troops from Iraq:
http://action.truemajority.org/campaign/IraqExitStrategy

4. Iraq Rapidly Deteriorating

The situation is Irag is very rapidly deteriorating. You will all recall a few months ago I posted an article from the New York Review of Books that got the furor over the Downing Street Memos going. This new piece in the NYRB is probably on the same level, although it may not get as much attention, simply because there is just so much going on right now. The gist of this it that the War is over and that Iraq has won. It is worth a look. http://www.nybooks.com/articles/18150
Also check out Mideast expert Juan Cole in Salon: http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2005/07/21/iran/index_np.html

Needless to say, the prospect of all this for human rights in Iraq, especially the rights of women, is catastrophic.

The noose is tightening on the "Plamegate" scandal. The DNC has put up a master page, which is really needed, just to keep the latest developments straight. http://www.dnc.org/a/national/honest_government/abuse_of_power/cia_leak_scandal/

6. Boston Globe On DNC, Dean & Strategy

The Boston Globe follows up on the terrific piece on Governor Dean that was recently in the Washington Post. The main street media finally seems to be getting the idea of the grassroots rebellion and taking America back, state by state, district by district, town by town.

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/magazine/articles/2005/07/24/rebel_with_a_cause/?page=full

Also, Democrats raised $86.3 million in the first half of this year, beating their total for the same period in 2003 by more than 50 percent. Republican fundraising increased slightly over the same nonelection-year periods.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2005/7/22/94828/2646

7. Community Ownership

And sometimes you have to say a word about the future, even if it seems utopian at the moment. Those of us who spent three long, hard years working on Glens Falls' Municipal Power Project will find this piece on the growing interest in community ownership very close to their hearts.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/theblog/archive/david-sirota/community-ownership-cha_4636.html

Finally, since it is the summer season, Dick and Pat tell me they recently saw the new movie Cinderella Man; they say it is one of the greatest Democratic movies ever. It's still at the Spectrum if you want to catch it.

Thanks everyone! Enjoy the summer!

Larry
- posted by Larry Dudley @ 11:46 PM