Tricounty DFA Update: Glens Falls Meeting Wednesday, Saratoga meeting moved to the 11th, more
Hello Everyone!

In this update:

1. Glens Falls DFA-Linkup or "Meetup" reminder -- Wednesday
2. Saratoga DFA-Linkup moved to Oct. 11th
3. Report on Saratoga Reception For Kirsten Gillibrand
4. Governor Dean on the 20th CD
5. All Hell Breaking Loose In Washington: Indictments in "Plamegate" coming? Could Bush & Cheney be indicted?
6. Miers appointment related?


1. Glens Falls DFA-Linkup or "Meetup" reminder -- Wednesday

This Wednesday, October 5th, we will have our monthly DFA-Linkup, which we used to call a "meetup," at the Rockhill Bakehouse Cafe in downtown Glens Falls at 7pm. Please come and bring a friend! There is a lot on the agenda:

*We'll be talking about the large reception last Saturday in Saratoga for Kirsten Gillibrand, who we first met seven months ago at our 2nd Anniversary meeting when we first learned she was looking to take on Rep. John Sweeney.
*What we can do to get rid of John Sweeney, who, we will note, shamelessly managed to inject himself into the disaster on Lake George last weekend, grandstanding for no good reason at all on a police boat that most assuredly had to have something better to do.
*Dick and Pat Dudley will be reporting on the big demonstration in Washington, DC on the 24th
*We will be hearing back on our Leave My Child Alone initiative from last month
*Will will also be talking about voting machines
*We did hear back from some Glens Falls mayoral candidates on their positions
*We will also be talking about DFA-Link briefly
*DFA also has a training exercise on message, for those Linkups that can get to it

To RSVP or for more info go to: http://tools.democracyforamerica.com/link/event.php?id=168

To reach the Rockhill Bakehouse Cafe, from Exit 18, turn East into downtown Glens Falls. Past the Hannaford Supermarket, bear right at the fork in the road by the Stewart's shop, travel past the Post Office and the Glens Falls Hospital. Past the Hospital, the Cafe is on the corner of Exchange and Elm Streets and Hudson Avenue, at the light by the light, just before the center of town.

2. Saratoga DFA-Linkup moved to Oct. 11th

The Saratoga DFA-Linkup was scheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday, October 4, but has been postponed because of Rosh
Hashana. It will now be held on October 11th at 7:15pm at the home of Sally Kirouac, 21 Horseshoe Drive, Saratoga Springs. For more info call Sally at: 518-580-9264

On the Saratoga agenda is an opportunity to meet and interview Mayoral Candidate Valerie Keehn, who will make a presentation. To RSVP or get more info go to: http://tools.democracyforamerica.com/link/event.php?id=1353

3. Report on Saratoga Reception For Kirsten Gillibrand

We will be discussing this more Wednesday, but an unusually early, large and very successful reception was held Saturday at the home of Miriam Scarborough in Saratoga Springs.

First, all our thanks to Miriam Scarborough for hosting and providing for this event! It was extremely well done and very generous.

There was an unusually large turnout of area Democratic officials, DFA leaders, and Democratic and progressive activists. Most had met and heard Kirsten Gillibrand speak before, but she spoke at length about her approach to the issues, about the need for accountability in government, and representation that actually serves the values and needs of the entire 20th Congressional District. It was a very impressive speech and attests to the enormous preparation she has already made. I think I fairly summarize the feelings of everyone at the reception that her coming entry is the best chance the Democrats have in the 20th Congressional District since Ned Pattison took the seat after the Watergate scandal in 1976.

4. Governor Dean on the 20th CD

As many of you know, when I was in the DFA Headquarters in Burlington on the last day of August, Governor Dean was there and asked me how the Democratic Party was doing in our area. I told him how incredibly encouraged I felt about Kirsten's race -- and that I felt it was the most important thing DFA could do in our area in the next year. Governor Dean thought that was absolutely correct, nothing we could do is as important as getting rid of John Sweeney. I'll have more on this at our Glens Falls meeting.

5. All Hell Breaking Loose In Washington: Indictments in "Plamegate" coming? Could Bush & Cheney be indicted?

All hell appears to be breaking loose in Washington. On top of DeLay, Frist and all, the Valerie Plame "spygate" scandal appears to be reaching a climax. There are even growing stories Bush and Cheney could be indicted. Sunday morning on This Week, host George Stephanopolous' was was quoted as saying, "a source close to this told me this week, that President Bush and Vice President Cheney were actually involved in some of these discussions," referring, of course, to the plot to expose a covert intelligence agent in order to smear her husband, career diplomat Joe Wilson, who told the truth about the fake yellowcake claim.

If the discussions in this scandal actually included Bush and Cheney, that is a stunning development. It is actually possible they could be indicted for criminal conspiracy, obstruction of justice, even violation of the Espionage Act. http://thinkprogress.org/2005/10/02/bush-directly-involved/
The Times confirms Cheney was probably involved: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/01/politics/01leak.html?pagewanted=all

6. Miers appointment related?

This also ties into today's surprising 8am nomination of Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court. The right wing is aghast, as is the left; this is not the candidate they expected. Does Bush believe, also, that he could be indicted, and therefore feels the need for a Bush family retainer to protect him on the high court from this coming indictment? Check out: http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/index.html?blog=/politics/war_room/2005/10/03/plame/index.html

Whew! We will have a lot to discuss.

Thanks Everyone! See you all at our DFA-Linkups! If you haven't signed up, you can do it now! Please, go to: http://www.dfa-link.com/register.php?c=g&id=91042f3ae603ef90& register and sign up. We need you all.

Larry
- posted by Larry Dudley @ 3:41 PM