Tricounty DFA Reminder: Meetup Wednesday: Candidate Forum, Petitions, More
Hello Everyone!

Happy Fourth of July To You All-- and, as they used to say years ago, Consternation To The Enemies Of The Republic!

In this update;


1. Glens Falls DFA-Linkup or "meetup" Reminder
2. Special Guest Speaker: Dr. Tim Merrick
3. Calling All Petitions
4. Online Actions
5. Read of the week:
Legal Determination For Bush To be A War Criminal
Seymour Hersh: Generals Rebelling Over Iran Attack
The real national security threat-- the new Cold War the US government is waging against Russia.
6. Gillibrand Events
7. On The Lighter Side


1. Glens Falls DFA-Linkup or "meetup" Reminder

Greater Glens Falls Democracy For America will be holding its monthly meeting this, Wednesday July 5th at 7pm at the Rockhill Bakehouse Cafe in downtown Glens Falls.

We are now into our fourth year of holding out Dean/Democracy For American "meetups" and Linkups on the first Wednesday of the Month. It's a remarkable record.

The Cafe is located at the corner of Exchange and Elm Streets and Hudson Avenue. To get to the Cafe, take Exit 18 of the Northway east into Glens Falls. Past the Hannaford bear right at the Stewart's shop past the Post Office and the Glens Falls hospital. The Cafe is on the left by the light just before the Five Corners downtown.

We will have a busy, two part schedule this month:

2. Special Guest Speaker: Dr. Tim Merrick

First we will be holding a candidate forum for Dr. Tim Merrick, who is running in the 45th Senate District against Republican Betty Little. (The 45th SD consists of Washington, Warren, Essex, Hamilton and Clinton Counties (Plattsburg). If you live in Saratoga County you are in Sen. Joe Bruno's district.) Tim is a member of our Plattsburg DFA group and those of you who attended our February DFA Training Day at the Plumbers and Steamfitters Hall may remember meeting him. He also made a brief appearance at our last meeting. Tim will make a presentation and then answer our questions.

3. Calling All Petitions

At our last meeting we handed out petitions for Kirsten Gillibrand and Tim Merrick. Everyone is being asked to bring them back Wednesday to be send back to the candidates, so you only have a day or two left get them filled out! Please don't wait until the last minute because every petition should be checked over.

We will also be discussing DFA's Iraq war forums andpossible engagement with Governor Dean's Democratic Reunion event for July 29th
http://www.democrats.org/a/party/a_50_state_strategy/the_democratic_reunion/
and also a proposal for tabling at the Farmer's Market.

4. Online Actions

There are current online actions we can take:

Common Cause is calling on Congress to take up and renew the Voting Rights Act when it returns from the July 4th recess.
http://www.commoncause.org/siteapps/advocacy/ActionItem.aspx?c=dkLNK1MQIwG&b=1832493
Act For Change is calling on Congress to repudiate Bush's unconstitutional signing statements:http://www.workingforchange.com/activism/action.cfm?itemid=21022&afccode=n59txt


5. Read of the week:
Legal Determination For Bush To be A War Criminal

One of the startling but definitely underlooked aspects of the recent Supreme Court Guantanamo tribunals case, is that charging Bush with war crimes now has official basis:

"In the Majority Opinion Justice Stevens stated:
Because UCMJ Article 36 has not been complied with here, the rules specified for Hamdan ’s commission trial are illegal.

"The military commission at issue lacks the power to proceed because its structure and procedures violate both the UCMJ and the four Geneva Conventions signed in 1949."

To read more: http://journals.democraticunderground.com/Vyan/37

Seymour Hersh: Generals Rebelling Over Iran Attack

The Idea of war crimes (which is not to say that they have been committted) may be starting to trouble the sleep of some high ranking US military officers. Accordingly to legendary reporter and New Yorker writer Seymor Hersh, generals at the Pentagon are in near rebellion over the desire of White House neocons to attack Iraq. Hersh. "A retired four-star general, who ran a major command, said, “The system is starting to sense the end of the road, and they don’t want to be condemned by history. They want to be able to say, ‘We stood up.’ ”
For more: http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/articles/060710fa_fact

The real national security threat-- the new Cold War the US government is waging against Russia.


Also, the Nation Magazine has a remarkable piece on the real national security threat-- the New Cold War the US government is waging against Russia. This is scarier than anything I've read about Ossama and Al Queda: http://www.thenation.com/docprint.mhtml?i=20060710&s=cohen

6. Gillibrand Events

Kirsten GIllibrand will be making a speech on veteran's issues tomorrow at 11am at the Veteran's Memorial in Congress Park in downtown Saratoga Springs. I have also received reports that she will be at the Summer Jam festival at West Mountain in Queensbury tomorrow. The festival starts at 4pm.


7. On The Lighter Side

Finally, on the lighter side for the Holiday, Bill Dutcher sends this along:

What You Need To Believe, To Be A Republican

Saddam was a good guy when Reagan armed him, a bad guy when
Bush's daddy made war on him, a good guy when Cheney then did business with
him, and a bad guy when Bush needed a "we can't find bin Laden" diversion.

The best way to improve military morale is to praise the troops in
speeches, while slashing veterans' benefits and combat pay.

Trade with Cuba is wrong because the country is Communist, but trade with
China and Vietnam is vital to a spirit of international harmony.

The United States should get out of the United Nations, and our highest
national priority is enforcing U.N. resolutions against Iraq.

Jesus loves you, and shares your hatred of homosexuals and Hillary
Clinton.

A woman cannot be trusted with decisions about her own body, but
multi-national corporations can make decisions affecting all mankind without
regulation.

If condoms are kept out of schools, adolescents won't have sex.

A good way to fight terrorism is to belittle our long-time allies, then
demand their cooperation and money.

Providing health care to all Iraqis is sound policy, but providing health
care to all Americans is socialism. HMOs and insurance companies have the
best interests of the public at heart.

Global warming and tobacco's link to cancer are junk science, but
creationism should be taught in schools.

A president lying about an extramarital affair is an impeachable offense,
but a president lying to enlist support for a war in which thousands die is
solid defense policy.

Government should limit itself to the powers named in the Constitution,
which include banning gay marriages and censoring the Internet.

The public has a right to know about Hillary's cattle trades, but George
Bush's driving record is none of our business.

Being a drug addict is a moral failing and a crime, unless you're a
conservative radio host. Then it's an illness and you need our prayers for
your recovery.

Support of "Executive Privilege" only for every Republican ever born, who
will be born or who might be born (in perpetuity.)

What Bill Clinton did in the 1960s is of vital national interest, but what
G.W. Bush did in the '80s is irrelevant.

Support hunters who shoot their friends and blame them for wearing
orange vests similar to those worn by the quail.

Thanks everyone! See you Wednesday,



Larry
- posted by Larry Dudley @ 11:42 PM