Tricounty DFA Update: Spitzer In Saratoga, fundraisers, Link-up next week, more
Hello Everyone:

In This Update:

1. Spitzer In Saratoga Springs Thursday
2. Golf For Preston Jenkins
3. Friday Film Fest: Waco
4. Vigil Saturday
5. Denise King At Next Glens Falls Meeting
6. Petition Season
7. Bush & Signing Statements, Iraq Rapidly Unraveling

1. Spitzer In Saratoga Springs Thursday

Saratoga County Chair Larry Bulman sent this out tonight and I moved my update up a day to make sure everyone saw it in time!

"Greetings from the NYS Democratic Convention in Buffalo! By now you've heard that Eliot Spitzer and David Paterson have been nominated by our party as our candidates for Governor and Lt. Governor. There is so much excitment surrounding our ticket, one that we can be proud of.

Directly after the convention, Eliot Spitzer will embark on a bus tour and arrive in Saratoga Springs on Thursday, June 1st at 5pm. We will be having an ice cream social at the Carousel in Congress Park so that Eliot can meet and share his vision for NYS with you. This is a family event and we are encouraging citizens to come out and meet the future Governor. Please pass this email around to anyone who may be interested.

Hope to see you Thursday!

Larry Bulman
Saratoga County Democratic Chair

2. Golf For Preston Jenkins

Also from Larry Bulman:

On Sunday, June 4th at 2pm (rain or shine) at the Tee Bird North Golf Course the Moreau Democratic Committee will be having a "Play 18" Fundraiser for Saratoga County Democratic Treasurer candidate Preston Jenkins. There will be men's, women's and mixed foursomes. Format is "4 person-scarmble, one score per team, shotgun" whatever that means. $85 per person, includes 18 holes and cart. There is a $20 buffet afterwards. If you don't have a partner, they will set you up with one. You can also be a sponsor for $50 if you don't want to play or have no idea what "4 person-scarmble, one score per team, shotgun" means, as I don't!

For info call Dan Van Wie at 793-3265 or Jim Minnick at 793-1957.

3. Friday Film Fest: WACO

The Frirday Progressive Film Fest is up again at the Rockhill Bakehouse Cafe in downtown Glens Falls. This Friday at 8pm the Cafe is showing: WACO: THE RULES OF ENGAGEMENT (www.waco93.com)

Shaking the foundation of democracy, the shocking revelations behind the tragic series of events outside Waco, Texas that killed four federal agents and 76 men, women and children of the Branch Davidian religious sect has finally been exposed. Academy Award nominee.
Director: William Gazecki Running time: 136 min.

4. Vigil Saturday

There will be another vigil to bring our troops home and for peace this Saturday at 11am at the Five Corners in downtown Glens Falls. Like those who have been making it, you will be amazed at the people who go by and beep their horns, wave and give up the thumbs up! Please come and bring a friend-- it's only one hour a week. For more info or to RSVP go to: http://www.dfalink.com/event.php?id=8729

5. Denise King At Next Glens Falls Meeting

As I announced last week, I am very pleased to announce a very special guest will attend our June 7 meeting at at the Rockhill Bakehouse Cafe in downtown Glens Falls: Denise King, the Chair of the Executive Committee of New York State Democratic Party, a member of the Democratic National Committee, Chair of the DNC's Rural Council, one of the founders and leaders of the Eleanor Roosevelt Legacy Committee and former Columbia County Chair. She was a Gore Convention Delegate in 2000 and an Electoral College member for Clinton-Gore. As some of us old Dean people may also know, Denise has been a close personal friend and top supporter of Governor Dean for many years.

Denise will talk about the DNC's recent annual convention in New Orleans, what Governor Dean has been up to since arriving at the DNC, what's going on nationally in the Democratic Party and answer questions.

Having top ranking party official like Denise King agree to come and talk to a group like ours is very unusual, Denise is one of the Democratic Party's "big guns." We expect a lot of interest! I am therefore a bit concerned about space, so if everyone could please click on this link for DFA-Link and RSVP, that would be greatly appreciated.

http://www.dfalink.com/event.php?id=8009

If we need to move to a bigger room, we need to know soon!

We will only have Denise for an hour, so we will be starting promptly at our usual time of 7pm; again the date is June 7 at the Rockhill Bakehouse Cafe in Downtown Glens Falls.

Again, please let us know if you are coming: http://www.dfalink.com/event.php?id=8009
You will need to register with DFA-Link to RSVP if you haven't done so: http://dfalink.com/register.php?c=g&id=91042f3ae603ef90&

6. Petition Season

Also, as I mentioned last week, petition season is coming up! Although the State Convention can put state-wide candidates on the ballot, all other candidates in NYS have to file nominating petitions. During the Dean campaign many of us circulated petitions for the Governor; that was kind of tough because the filing season was in the dark and cold of December. Doing it in June or July is almost a breeze by comparison.

The Gillibrand campaign wants to combine circulating petitions with canvassing, and reach as many Democratic voters as possible (FYI if you haven't done it before -- only registered Democrats can sign a petition). Their goal is to get 12,500 signatures. Remember -- we Deaniacs went out and got 3,500 in the freezing weeks just before Christmas. So this is in fact very doable. If 125 people go out and get 100 signatures each, the goal will be reached. With more people, it gets easier.

Petitions to get candidates on the ballot have to be carried and filled out between June 6th and July 13th. After Denise King speaks at the next meeting we'll be doing a little tutorial and circulating petitions for those who want to help with this essential effort. If you want to help with this, let me know.

7. Bush & Signing Statements, Iraq Rapidly Unraveling

The situation in Iraq and here at home is unraveling with alarming speed.

Drew sends this very disturbing piece in the Boston Globe on Bush and his "signing statements." If you haven't heard of this, basically, when Bush signs a law into effect as President, he is scribbling a note on the bottom as to what he thinks it means and whether or not the new law applies to him.

Now, I would really like to be able to do that with, say, a car loan. I could sign a loan agreement for that new $120,000 Aston Martin DB-7 I've always wanted, and put a signing statement at the bottom to the effect "don't expect to get your money back..." yeah. I like that idea... Here is the link to this must read Globe piece: http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2006/04/30/examples_of_the_presidents_signing_statements/

A Nir Rosen piece this weekend in the Washington Post details the disintegration going on in Iraq, where extremely violent fundamentalist Islamist terrorists closely linked to Iran (the Mahdi Army) have taken over one ministry and branch of the government after another. Rosen writes;

"In Baghdad and most of Iraq, the police are the Mahdi Army and the Mahdi Army is the police. The same holds for the actual Iraqi army, posted throughout the country.... The sectarian tensions have overtaken far more than Iraq's security forces and its streets. Militias now routinely enter hospitals to hunt down or arrest those who have survived their raids. And many Iraqi government ministries are now filled with the banners and slogans of Shiite religious groups, which now exert total control over these key agencies. If you are not with them, you are gone.
For instance, in the negotiations between parties after the January 2005 elections, Sadr loyalists gained control over the ministries of health and transportation and immediately began cleansing them of Sunnis and Shiites not aligned with Sadr."

As I asked last week, who exactly are the "freedom fighters" that we should be backing? In the "government" or in the streets? Read more at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/26/AR2006052601578_pf.html

As news reports today indicated, a group of Marines are now implicated in a massacre of civilians in Haditha. Drew also sends this along: http://www.smirkingchimp.com/article.php?sid=26295&mode=nested&order=0

Although I have to say that maybe what people really should be reading is something like George Orwell's Shooting An Elephant or Joseph Conrad's Heart Of Darkness. Bush and the neocons in their jejune fantasy of empire never paused to consider how such power can corrupt those who hold it, even yield madness. In this sense, the murders in Haditha were not aberrations at all, but absolutely inevitable.

Add Lord Of The Flies to that list of books Bush and the neocons skipped.

Remember, please RSVP at DFA-Link: http://www.dfalink.com/event.php?id=8009

See you all soon,

Larry

Join Democracy For The Greater Glens Falls Area!

- posted by Larry Dudley @ 12:57 AM 0 comments

 
Tricounty DFA Update: Next Meetup, Special Guest, Denise King, also petition season and more
Hello Everyone;

In this update:

1. Next Glens Falls Link-Up: Special Guest Denise King!
2. Petitions & More
3. Vigil Saturday
4. Film: Bowling For Columbine
5. Kirsten & Capital Gains
6. Juan Cole: National Treasure
7. Dean On Hayden and Indiana Chair on Dean


1. Next Glens Falls Link-Up: Special Guest Denise King!

Our next DFA Link-up at the Rockhill Bakehouse Cafe will be coming up two weeks from today on June 7th and I am very pleased to announce a very special guest: Denise King, the Chair of the Executive Committee of New York State Democratic Party, a member of the Democratic National Committee, Chair of the DNC's Rural Council, one of the founders and leaders of the Eleanor Roosevelt Legacy Committee and former Columbia County Chair. She was a Gore Convention Delegate in 2000 and an Electoral College member for Clinton-Gore. As some of us old Dean people may also know, Denise has been a close personal friend and top supporter of Governor Dean for many years.

Denise will talk about the DNC's recent annual convention in New Orleans, what Governor Dean has been up to since arriving at the DNC, what's going on nationally in the Democratic Party and answer questions.

Having top ranking party official like Denise King agree to come and talk to a group like ours is very unusual, Denise is one of the Democratic Party's "big guns." We expect a lot of interest! I am therefore a bit concerned about space, so if everyone could please click on this link for DFA-Link and RSVP, that would be greatly appreciated.

http://www.dfalink.com/event.php?id=8009

If we need to move to a bigger room, we need to know soon!

2. Petitions & More

Also, petition season is coming up! Petitions to get candidates on the ballot have to be carried and filled out between June 6th and July 13th. We'll be doing a little tutorial and circulating petitions for those who want to help with this essential effort.

So Please RSVP with DFA-Link for this meeting! http://www.dfalink.com/event.php?id=8009

Finally, Tim Merrick of Plattsburg has stepped forward to run for the State Senate against Betty Little and wants to make an appearance to talk about his campaign. I am sure we will be hearing more about him in the future.

3. Vigil Saturday

There will be another vigil to bring our troops home and for peace this Saturday at 11am at the Five Corners in downtown Glens Falls. It's amazing how well these vigils have held up. Please come and bring a friend. With this great weather, there's no excuse! For more info or to RSVP go to: http://www.dfalink.com/event.php?id=8627

4. Film: Bowling For Columbine

The Frirday Progressive Film Fest is up again at the Rockhill Bakehouse Cafe in downtown Glens Falls. This Friday at 8pm the Cafe is showing:

BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE (www.bowlingforcolumbine.com)
Acclaimed filmmaker Michael Moore (Roger and Me) takes aim at America’s love affair with guns and violence in this Oscar-winning film that mixes riveting footage, hilarious animation and candid interviews with everyone from the NRA’s Charlton Heston to shock-rocker Marilyn Manson. Brilliant (pre-"Fahrenheit 9/11") Michael Moore!
Running time: 119 Minutes

5. Kirsten & Capital Gains

I was at a 20TrueBlue meeting this weekend and the question was raised as to what Kirsten Gillibrabnd's position is on the Capital Gains tax. Contrary to some reports, Kirsten is NOT in favor of eliminating the Capital Gains tax. Claims to this effect are disinformation and should be ignored. She is in fact baffled why anyone would want to eliminate this tax.

Also, a number of people have asked me about immigration issues and the Democrats. Kirsten says she is opposed to blanket amnesties and is in favor of defending American workers.

6. Juan Cole: National Treasure

Professor Juan Cole is a national treasure. A professor at the University of Michigan, Cole is a long term student of Middle Eastern affairs, an expert on Arab culture and politics, a fluent Arab linguist, and unerringly right on Iraq. If you aren't reading Prof. Cole's blog, Informed Comment , http://www.juancole.com you just aren't informed on what is going on in places like Iraq or Iran. Did you know a US contractor was hired to import weapons into Iraq, got them in Bosnia, and that many of the weapons have now wound up in the hands of the Iraqi resistance? Or that Salafi Jihadis have established a Taliban-like mini-state in West Baghdad, and are assassinating young men who walk around clean-shaven? That's the "new Iraq" and that's the kind of thing you learn from reading Juan Cole.

He has recently put up a review of the total situation in Iraq that is this week's "must read." http://www.juancole.com/2006/05/critique-of-us-policy-in-iraq-bush.html

There is also an earlier post that is equally salient on who are the thugs presently running Iraq: Hezbollah linked terrorists, basically the same people we are excoriating in Palestine. http://www.juancole.com/2006/05/maliki-elected-prime-minister-56-dead.html

Who are the "freedom fighters?" That is no longer clear. The Iranian linked Shiite Islamists, former terrorists, who now control the government? Or the people fighting them? Which side would any of us be on if we were there? Islamists who send death squads out to murder barbers for shaving men or women for not wearing a headscarf? Or former Baath insurgents who want a secular state? It's as confusing as that Abbot and Costello comedy sketch, Who's On First, only not the slightest bit funny.

7. Dean On Hayden and Indiana Chair on Dean

Governor Dean has asked everyone to sign a statement protesting Gen. Hayden's appointment to run the CIA:

"As the director of the National Security Agency, Michael Hayden oversaw the creation of the massive domestic spying program revealed last week. Now George Bush wants him to run the CIA.

"After yesterday's hearings, it's obvious that Hayden's involvement in the NSA's domestic spying program disqualifies him from heading the CIA. "

For more info and to sign go to: http://www.democrats.org/a/2006/05/govenor_dean_on.php

Also, there's a Daily Kos poll on Governor Dean's performance as head of the DNC: dKos poll http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/5/23/11156/9071

Finally, Daniel Parker, the Indiania State Chair responded to Paul Begala's unprovoked attack on Dean and the 50-State campaign. I'll paste it below, it's worth a read, too! (Thanks to Denise King for sending this.)

Thanks everyone, and please make sure to RSVP at DFA-Link! That's http://www.dfalink.com/event.php?id=8009

Larry


Dear Mr. Begala:

I write to express my extreme dismay at the comments you recently made concerning Gov. Howard Dean’s leadership of the Democratic National Committee and his implementation of a national vision that includes a funding component for every state.

You clearly aren’t aware of the political landscape in the Midwest and have spent too much time in Washington, D.C. You’ve done a great disservice to our Party and to those of us working at the grassroots level to win back Congressional seats, as well as statewide and local offices.

Indiana could have easily been lumped in with Utah and Mississippi as Republican bastions. I know we look like a red state to folks on the East Coast. As Presidential races go, we turn crimson on CNN an hour after our polls close.

But we had Democratic Governors at the Statehouse for 16 years prior to 2004. A majority of our mayors are Democrats. We are poised to win back a Democratic majority in the Indiana House of Representatives which we have held for 14 of the last 18 years.

If that history doesn’t impress you, here’s a fact that’s made other ears inside the Beltway perk up: This year, Indiana has three – one, two, three – nationally targeted Congressional races. That means we could send a trifecta of Democrats to the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives, potentially delivering 20 percent of the seats Democrats need to win back a majority in that chamber.

We couldn’t be doing the work we’re doing without the support of the DNC and Howard Dean.

Indiana has always been one of those passed-over states when it comes to federal funding because we don’t look useful to the “Presidential-only” pundits. Howard Dean doesn’t see it that way. He sees a country where every state – even those oozing Republican red – is home for at least a few good Democrats.

The 50-state funding we received from the DNC last year has allowed us to employ a full-time communications director and two field staffers who are organizing party support at the grassroots level in two of our nationally targeted congressional districts.

They’re hardly walking around “picking their noses.”

They’re helping Democrats win.

In our primary election two weeks ago, the two Congressional candidates with DNC-funded field staff members outpolled their GOP opponents by thousands of votes. Did I mention those results came in Republican-leaning districts in which John Kerry received 38 and 40 percent of the vote in 2004?

Without the DNC employees, we only have five full-time employees at our state party. The addition of a full-time communications director has allowed the rest of our staff to focus on fundraising while she deals with the media and disseminates our statewide message. This addition also has been partly responsible for the dramatic slide of Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels’ approval ratings.

As an aside, I also want you to know that the DNC is committed to helping Indiana fight a strict GOP-backed voter identification law that passed our General Assembly last year. After we lost at the district court level, the DNC pledged both financial and legal resources for our appeal. We never would have received that kind of assistance before.

At the heart of my frustration with your comments is the notion that we should all be in this together. We’re all Democrats. And you should be building the party up, not slinging mud at someone who’s helping the cause both financially and psychologically.

I think you owe a personal apology to Howard Dean, to the state chairs across America who have benefited from his leadership and to the DNC-funded staff members who are working hard to elect Democrats at every level of government.

On a personal note, I want you to know that I’ve issued an edict to my staff that if they pick their noses, scratch their derrieres or pop their pimples on work time, they have to move to Washington to work for you.

Democratically yours,

Daniel J. Parker
Chair
Indiana Democratic Party
- posted by Larry Dudley @ 11:14 PM 0 comments

 
Tricounty DFA Update: Protest Sweeney, Gore, Fundraisers, Vigils, Films and more
Hello Everyone:

In this update:

1. DFA Petition
2. Sweeney Protest For Saturday
3. Vigil To Bring Our Troops Home
4. Film At Rockhill Cafe
5 Gillibrand Fundraiser
6. Gore On SNL And More On Gore
7. Clinton, Rupert Murdoch & Paul Begala

1. DFA Petition

We've probably all heard about the NSA collecting all the phone numbers we call. How is this information being used? Is there a potential for it being used as a political "enemies list?" Given this White House crowd, what do you think? DFA's Tom Hughes has asked us to sign a petition to Congress. Please do so if have haven't already.
http://tools.democracyforamerica.com/petition/nsa/

2. Sweeney Protest For Saturday

Senator John McCain will be the guest of honor for a fundraising luncheon for John Sweeney at the Saratoga Springs Civil Center this Saturday, May 20.

Joe Seeman is organizing a protest outside the civic center. This looks to be an excellent chance to raise awareness, in the right way, about what John Sweeney is really like. Joe sends this along:

"Let's Protest Sweeney and the corrupt Republican agenda of Rove, Delay, Cheney, Bush & Abramoff. Unlike Sweeney, who led a violent gang of thugs in Miami in 2000 with the order to shut down the vote recounting, we will be nonviolent."

"Feel free to bring your own signs about corruption and any aspect of the Republican agenda. Bring mops & brooms to hold with the signs, to symbolize a call for cleaning up corruption, & clean elections campaign finance reform. We'll have plenty of extra signs, mops & brooms."

"There may be creative street theater activities, such as Billionaires for Bush (or Swillionaires for Sweeney), or holding an 'auction' selling favors to cronies."

Time: 11:3-am --into afternoon. The organizers are urging everyone to dress up, not down, with jackets and ties for men, to confound the the Republicans and project a sense of how mainstream the opposition to Sweeney is.

3. Vigil To Bring Our Troops Home

There will be another vigil to bring our troops home and for peace this Saturday at 11am at the Five Corners in downtown Glens Falls. Can you spare just one hour a week for peace? Come and bring a friend. For more info or to RSVP go to: http://www.dfalink.com/event.php?id=8460

4. Film At Rockhill Cafe

The Frirday Progressive Film Fest is on again at the Rockhill Bakehouse Cafe in downtown Glens Falls. This Friday at 7pm the Cafe is showing: The Weather Underground is a feature-length documentary that explores the rise and fall of this radical movement, as former members speak candidly about the idealistic passion that drove them to "bring the war home" and the trajectory that placed them on the FBI's most wanted list. (www.weatherunderground.com)
Running time: Running time: 92 Minutes

5 Gillibrand Fundraiser

There will be a fundraiser for Kirsten Gillibrand this weekend in Albany.
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Rep. Rahm Emanuel will be appearing at a reception for Democratic Congressional Candidate Kirsten Gillibrand on Sunday, May 21 from 5:30-7:00pm at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, on the corner of State and Lodge Streets in downtown Albany, New York

Suggested contributions (not required, evidentally) $100 (Sponsor) $250 (Patron) $1000 (Benefactor)

6. Gore On SNL And More On Gore

Those lucky enough to have tuned in saw President-Elected Al Gore On Saturday Night Live, and it was a bitter sweet but hilarious moment. If you missed it, you missed a lot! See it at: http://www.ifilm.com/ifilmdetail/2727144?pg=latest&htv=12

Gore spoke in Boston last week-- this transcript is equally great. Gore has a new movie coming out on the Global Warming crisis, but there is a Democracy Crisis as well, he says:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/5/15/81019/6023

7. Clinton, Rupert Murdoch & Paul Begala

People were shocked last week to learn that FoxNews mogul Rupert Murdoch will be doing a fundraisers for Senator Hillary Clinton. As author Robert Kuttner notes, "Politics may make strange bedfellows, but for sheer cynicism and mutual expediency it's hard to beat this alliance. " For more on this:
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0514-30.htm

Of course, former Clinton campaign staffer Paul Begala also seems to have totally lost his bearings with a recent, vicious attack on Governor Dean and the 50-state strategy. He clearly thinks he and the Ragin' Cajun put Bill Clinton in the White House when it was really Ross Perot... This is what gets a lot of Democrats with experience over the years about the Clintons: Bill Clinton never won a majority of the popular vote.

Zack Exley reprinted Begala's slur along with a body check on how elections will be won in the future, not by top-down media campaigns run by a self-dealing kleptocracy of consultants, but by empowering the grassroots, building the party from the bottom up.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/zack-exley/shame-on-you-paul-begala_b_21116.html

Drew sends this other shocker along: a software "bakdoor" has been found in Diebold touchscreen voting machines. Which raises the question again, who's really been winning our elections?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/pcworld/125700&printer=1;_ylt=A9G_RwfZO2pExDgB1g4RSLMF;_ylu=X3oDMTA3MXN1bHE0BHNlYwN0bWE-

Thanks everyone!

Larry
- posted by Larry Dudley @ 9:56 AM 0 comments

 
Tricounty DFA Update: Windpower endorsement, Gillibrand photos, Film Fest, McKrells, Vigil and more
Hello Everyone;

In this update:

1. Linkup Report
2. Gillibrand Fish Fry Photos Online
3. Moveon Action Thursday
4. Friday Film Fest
5. Vigil Saturday
6. Moreau Democrats Feature The McKrells
7. David Carter Endorsed by Wash Co Dems
8. Must Read Of The Week

1. Linkup Report

Last Wednesday at the Rockhill Bakehouse Cafe we entered our 4th year as a Dean/DFA group. It's amazing this is still continuing, doubling amazing that we are actually growing stronger and more solid all the time.

Those who attended enjoyed a very interesting presentation by Jim McAndrew of Adirondack Wind Partners on the Northcreek wind turbine project, which would provide enough electricity for the majority of the homes in Warren County. After the presentation and some lively discussion, we voted to endorse the project as presently presented (the latter a good suggestion from Bernice Mennis).

I was very surprised to see us featured on Blog For America! If you missed that, go to: http://www.blogforamerica.com/archives/007828.html

Jim tells me there will be a hearing on the project at the APA Headquarters in Raybrook this Thursday. If anyone is interesting in attending to show support for this project, they should contact Jim at: jmcandrew@barton.com

2. Gillibrand Fish Fry Photos Online

Many of you got to meet Kirsten, Jonathan and Theodore Gillibrand at the "meet and greet" Good Friday at that iconic Glens Falls institution, Jolly John's Fish Fry. Pictures are now online at DFA-Link of the Gillibrands with Mayor Roy Akins, former Fifth Ward Glens Falls Councilmember "Jolly" John Kemnitzer, Mary Kemnitzer, former Glens Falls Councilmember Margaret Farrell, son John Farrell and husband Ralph Farrell, Fifth Ward Glens Falls Supervisor Bill Kenny and George and Linda Thompson of our GGFDFA. See the pics at: http://www.dfalink.com/group_photos.php?gid=113

3. Moveon Action Thursday

Moveon.org is sponsoring an event Thursday at 4:30 outside the Clifton Park office of Frat Boy Representative John Sweeney. MoveOn volunteers in Clifton Park, NY will be delivering a giant check to Rep. Sweeney, representing the $31,700 he has taken from drug companies. They will call on him to reject the company's corrupt influence and stand instead with New York's seniors. The office is on Rt. 146. For more info and to RSVP: http://political.moveon.org/event/events/event.html?event_id=8438

4. Friday Film Fest

The Frirday Progressive Film Fest is on again at the Rockhill Bakehouse Cafe in downtown Glens Falls. This Friday at 7pm the Cafe is showing BEING CARIBOU (www.beingcaribou.com) Environmentalist Leanne Allison and wildlife biologist Karsten Heuer follow a herd of 120,000 caribou on foot, across 1,500 kilometers of rugged Arctic tundra. The husband and wife team want to raise awareness of threat’s to the caribou’s survival. .
Running time: 72 Minutes

5. Vigil Saturday

There will be another vigil to bring our troops home and for peace this Saturday at 11am at the Five Corners in downtown Glens Falls. Can you spare just one hour a week for peace? Come and bring a friend. For more info or to RSVP go to: http://www.dfalink.com/event.php?id=8268

6. Moreau Democrats Feature The McKrells

The Moreau Democrats and our great Saratoga County Chair Larry Bulman are sponsoring a night at the Fenimore Coffee House with
The McKrells!
at the Eagles Club
80 Main St., South Glens Falls

Reservations recommended, but not required
Call: 307-1855 or 793-1130

Sunday, May 14th
7:00 to 9:00 pm

Tickets $9 @ door
Homemade desserts available!

7. David Carter Endorsed by Wash Co Dems

The Washington County Democrats have endorsed Hudson Falls Mayor David Carter for Assembly. Says County Chair Sheila Comar, "David Carter is part of a new generation of Democratic leadership in Northern New York. Carter knows what the 112th District needs. Rising financial burdens on everything from taxes, gas, education and health care along with the departure of businesses are problems that we must turn around." For more go to: http://www.washingtoncountydemocrats.com/news/

8. Must Read Of The Week

Finally, I want to make sure everyone sees the thought provoking piece by Markos Moulitsas of Daily Kos that ran in the Sunday Washington Post. It's ostensibly about Hillary Clinton, but the real topic is the future of the Democratic Party and America: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/05/AR2006050501717_pf.html
Also don't miss this closely related piece from the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/09/washington/09dems.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Drew also sends this very interesting piece along: http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/HE09Ad01.html

Thanks everyone for three great years! See you all soon,

Larry
- posted by Larry Dudley @ 12:30 AM 0 comments

 
Tricounty DFA Update: Meetup Reminder-- Windpower presentation, Steve Colbert, Net Freedom and More
In this update:

1. Glens Falls DFA Wednesday Meetup Reminder
2. DFA Night School Tuesday
3. Colbert In Washington-- Must See!
4. Internet Freedom
5. Constitutional Crisis
6. Vigil Saturday
7. Panel On Peace And Freedom Saturday at 2pm

1. Glens Falls DFA Wednesday Meetup Reminder

Just want to give everyone reminder that next Wednesday, at 7pm at the Rockhill Bakehouse Cafe in Downtown Glens Falls we will have our first DFA-Linkup, formerly meetup, of our fourth year.

On the schedule is a presentation by Jim McAndrew of Adirondack Windpower on the clean energy wind turbine project being proposed for the old Barton pit mine site near North Creek. With gas prices now over $3 a gallon, interest in clear, renewable energy is at a premium, so this couldn't be more timely. We will also be talking about the DFA Action Day on May 13th and more. We will also be brainstorming what we can do for the DFA Action Day on May 13th, our vigils and more.

The Bakehouse Cafe is on the corner of Elm and Exchange Streets and Hudson Ave. between the Glens Falls Hospital and the Five Corners in Downtown Glens Falls.

2. DFA Night School Tuesday

There will be another session of the DFA Night School Tuesday at 8:30 EDST. The subject this week will be volunteer recruitment. To participate you have to join DFA-Link and RSVP at: http://tools.democracyforamerica.com/nightschool/ This week's subject will be "Making Phoning Fun." Scripts and audio of previous Night Schools are now online.

3. Colbert In Washington-- Must See

Did you know reality has a liberal bias? I bet not! If so, you haven't heard about Steven Colbert of Comedy Central's Colbert Report sketch at the White House Correspondent's Dinner, you need to check this out right away! Colbert's devastating ripping of Bush right to his face seems to be a watershed moment-- and he also included the Washington press corps in his riff. This is the "must see" of the week! http://www.salon.com/ent/video_dog/politics/2006/04/30/colbert_press/index.html There has been a complete blackout of Colbert in the mainstream media so far.

4. Internet Freedom

If you get Moveon.org's postings and if you've been reading DailyKos, you may know that a corporate backed effort is moving through Congress to take away the present, existing neutrality of the Internet. Internet services want to be able to block or charge extra for certain internet sites-- this bill would cripple the Internet based activism that has grown up in the last five years that has done so much to change America for the better. Some people fear this change is being made to crush the free flow of information and keep us in the dark about the evils the Bush administration and their corporate backers are up to. The above report on Steven Colbert is an example-- would some people want that cut off? Given what has already happened in this country, it's possible.

You can call our Senators or email Congress by going to moveon.org; http://civic.moveon.org/save_the_internet/index.html

5. Constitutional Crisis

Drew sends this remarkable piece along about Bush's so-called but little noticed "signing statements" disclaiming acts of Congress he signs into law:

"President Bush has quietly claimed the authority to disobey more than 750 laws enacted since he took office, asserting that he has the power to set aside any statute passed by Congress when it conflicts with his interpretation of the Constitution."
"Among the laws Bush said he can ignore are military rules and regulations, affirmative-action provisions, requirements that Congress be told about immigration services problems, ''whistle-blower" protections for nuclear regulatory officials, and safeguards against political interference in federally funded research."
"Legal scholars say the scope and aggression of Bush's assertions that he can bypass laws represent a concerted effort to expand his power at the expense of Congress, upsetting the balance between the branches of government. The Constitution is clear in assigning to Congress the power to write the laws and to the president a duty ''to take care that the laws be faithfully executed." Bush, however, has repeatedly declared that he does not need to ''execute" a law he believes is unconstitutional."

For more go to: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=2255748&mesg_id=2255748

6. Vigil Saturday

We had a solid showing for our vigil at the Five Corners in downtown Glens Falls last Saturday, but nothing like the 300,000 who showed up for the big demonstration in Manhattan: http://www.news24.com/News24/World/Iraq/0,,2-10-1460_1924648,00.html

There will be another Saturday morning vigil for peace and to bring our troops home this Saturday at 11am for one hour at the Five Corners in Downtown Glens Falls. For more info or to RSVP go to http://www.dfalink.com/event.php?id=7785 The weather's getting nice, it's a good hour with good people in the sun. Come and bring a friend!

7. Panel On Peace And Freedom Saturday

Linda sends this along:

A Community Dialogue will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Church on May 6 at 2PM entitled "Freedom & Security--Can We Have Both?"
The forum is free and open to the public. A panel discussion will be followed by comments and questions from the audience. Panelists are: May Saffar (local resident and native of Badhdad, Iraq, Melanie Trimble, ACLU Executive Dir., Jeff Peck (Adirondack Community College Prof. of Political Science), and Nick Buttino (Adirondack Community College Prof. of Business). An additional panelist is the mother of a local Marine Reservist who has been deployed for a 2nd time in Iraq.
The church is located at 21 Weeks Rd., Queensbury. Take a left onto Weeks Road and follow it to its end--church parking lot is on the right. Weeks Road is located between the Flower Drum Song Restaurant and the car wash
The dialogue will be moderated by Deane M. Perkins, minister of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation.

Thanks everyone! See you all Wednesday,

Larry
- posted by Larry Dudley @ 1:02 AM 0 comments