Tricounty DFA Update: Meetup Wednesday, A Keehn Endorsement, Gore & Live Earth, Picnics and Open Houses!
Hello Everyone!

Hope you all had a great Fourth of July.

In This Update:

1. DFA Link-Up or "meetup" Wednesday
2. Val Keehn Gets WFP Endorsement
3. Live Earth
4. Reagans' NSA Chief Says Impeachment Over War May Be Necessary
5. Governor Dean: No Longer Possible To Manipulate Opinion
6. Washington County Picnic July 14th!
7. Yepsen Opening Day Open House
8. Friday NIght Film Fest
9. On The Lighter Side...


1. DFA Link-Up or "meetup" Wednesday

Since last Wednesday was the 4th, we'll be having our month DFA Link-Up or "meetup" this Wednesday, July 11th at the Rockhill Bakehouse Cafe at 7pm. On the agenda this month is an appearance by Queensbury Town Councilman John Strough, who is running for reelection, a resolution on the war from Democracy For New York and more discussion.

2. Val Keehn Gets WFP Endorsement

Last week the reelection campaign of Saratoga Mayor Val Keehn got a big boost when Keehn received the coveted endorsement of the Working Families Party. Keehn was formally endorsed by Democracy For Saratoga this Spring. Keehn's endorsement by the WFP is in sharp contrast to her primary opponent, Gordon Boyd, who actually sought out and accepted the endorsement of the anti-choice, pro-Bush, pro-war, Conservative Party.
For More info: http://www.mayorkeehn.com/ and http://mayorkeehn.blogspot.com/

3. Live Earth

Saturday night saw the phenomenal world wide Live Earth concerts, which President-Elected Al Gore co-founded and organized. Even though they were broadcast on network television, they were still one of the most under reported events I can remember in some time, considering two billion people probably watched or participated at some point. There was almost a total news blackout. You have to wonder exactly what news is when two billion people doing something together is not front page news.

However, Salon.com had a great piece: http://www.salon.com/ent/music/feature/2007/07/08/live_earth/

After the Oscar for the movie The Inconvenient Truth and his new book, The Assault On Reason, Gore stature continues to soar.

There is still time to participate by taking the Live Earth pledge: http://liveearthpledge.org/answer_the_call.php

It goes as follows:

I PLEDGE:
1.To demand that my country join an international treaty within the next 2 years that cuts global warming pollution by 90% in developed countries and by more than half worldwide in time for the next generation to inherit a healthy earth;
2.To take personal action to help solve the climate crisis by reducing my own CO2 pollution as much as I can and offsetting the rest to become "carbon neutral;"
3.To fight for a moratorium on the construction of any new generating facility that burns coal without the capacity to safely trap and store the CO2;
4.To work for a dramatic increase in the energy efficiency of my home, workplace, school, place of worship, and means of transportation;
5.To fight for laws and policies that expand the use of renewable energy sources and reduce dependence on oil and coal;
6.To plant new trees and to join with others in preserving and protecting forests; and,
7.To buy from businesses and support leaders who share my commitment to solving the climate crisis and building a sustainable, just, and prosperous world for the 21st century.

http://liveearthpledge.org/answer_the_call.php


4. Reagans' NSA Chief Says Impeachment Over War May Be Necessary

There were a pair of remarkable, "must read" articles this week. The first was by General William Odom, Ronald Regan's chief of the National Security Agency and one of America's top intelligence experts. Gem Odom flatly stated the impeachment of the President and Vice President may be necessary to stop the war and save our country and our army, and criticizes congressional Democrats for failing to act. Says Odom,

"Every step the Democrats in Congress have taken to force the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq has failed. Time and again, President Bush beats them into submission with charges of failing to "support the troops."

"Why do the Democrats allow this to happen? Because they let the president define what "supporting the troops" means...

"No U.S. forces have ever been compelled to stay in sustained combat conditions for as long as the Army units have in Iraq. In World War II, soldiers were considered combat-exhausted after about 180 days in the line."

http://www.niemanwatchdog.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=background.view&backgroundid=00192

Also, there was a possibly historic NY Times editorial calling for a withdraw from Iraq. Period. It's an incredibly broad and cogent case from a paper that led the cheerleading. Will it have an effect?
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/08/opinion/08sun1.html?pagewanted=all


5. Governor Dean: No Longer Possible To Manipulate Opinion

Gov. Dean was also recently interview by Mother Jones and, as is almost always the case, almost every paragraph was insightful and illuminating:

"The nature of Democrats has been more decentralized, more reliant on individuals to make their own decisions in their lives, much less top down. It's almost impossible to run a top-down model and succeed in the Democratic Party."

and

"The people who are going to disappear are the people who think you can manipulate public opinion. That's why the Republicans are falling on their face right now. Because their own MO is to manipulate public opinion by rephrasing things in delicate ways and not be truthful about what's really going on. It's going to be almost impossible to make public statements that are not true and not have it eaten apart in 24 hours."
http://www.motherjones.com/interview/2007/07/howard_dean.html

6. Washington County Picnic July 14th!

You are cordially invited to this year's Washington County Democratic Committee’s Seventh Annual Picnic on Hulett’s Landing on Lake George. The date is Saturday, July 14, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m at the Washington County Park in Hulett's Landing. Tickets are $15 ($25 for two), and $6 for children. Contact any Democratic town committee person or call 642-9566 for tickets and information.

To reach the park: Take Route 22 north to Dresden. Look for the county park sign and turn left onto County Route 6. Go up a steep grade and down to the lake (4.3 miles). Turn right onto County Route 6B and then make first left to the park and pavilion.


7. Yepsen Opening Day Open House

Joanne Yepsen, County Supervisor for Saratoga Springs, will be hosting her traditional Open House on Opening Day of the Races Wednesday, July 25 from 6 - 9 p.m. to celebrate Open Government and Open Space! Please consider this an Open Invitation to attend the outdoor party in her yard at 91 Fifth Avenue, Saratoga Springs (2 blocks from the race track) and enjoy a wonderful array of food and drinks on this special day!

For more info go to: www.supervisoryepsen.com or call 584-5167.


8. Friday NIght Film Fest

The Rockhill Bakehouse Cafe's Friday Night Progressive Film Festival continues at 7:30 with:

July 13 BLUE VINYL (2002) Judith Helfland & Daniel B. Gold 98 min.
Curious filmmaker Judith Helfand decided to follow up some doubts she had about PVC (polyvinyl chloride) when her parents took the step of coating their house with it. Taking her camera and co-director Daniel B. Gold with her, Helfand hit the road and headed to Louisiana, which is responsible for the bulk of the PVC used in America. They also venture out to California to meet an environmentalist, and to Italy, where a groundbreaking legal battle against the makers of PVC plays out. Fascinating and highly unique in its choice of subject matter, BLUE VINYL offers plenty of food for thought which is, in turns, both shocking and revealing.

9. On The Lighter Side...


On the lighter side, Brucie sends this along in honor of Al Gore after the brilliant success of Live Earth:

Al Gore Facts
by buhdydharma

Fri Jul 06, 2007 at 06:38:39 PM PDT

Al Gore is the only man alive who can save us from Global Warming. Al Gore is that cool.

When the Boogeyman goes to sleep every night, he checks his closet for Al Gore.

Al Gore isn't running for President. Al Gore IS President.

Al Gore only let Bush serve to prove to the world that Republicanism is a totally bankrupt philosophy and practice. It worked.

After Al Gore is elected, Al Gore will turn back time and erase the last seven years.

Al Gore was waiting for America to grow up.

Time waits for no man. Unless that man is Al Gore.

Al Gore will be the first President to win three terms since Roosevelt.

Al Gore always knows the EXACT location of Carmen SanDiego.

Al Gore gave Mona Lisa that smile.

Note: some of these are blatantly stolen. Go ahead, sue me. Al Gore is my lawyer.

Al Gore does not sleep. He waits.

Republicants want to build a wall on the border. To keep Al Gore out.

Al Gore is so smart, he can divide by zero.

Al Gore doesn’t wear a watch, HE decides what time it is.

In 2000, Al Gore should have chosen Al Gore as his running mate.

Tipper is Al Gore's wife. But afterwards, she tips him.

Al Gore is so smart, he counted to infinity - twice.

When Al Gore falls in water, Al Gore doesn't get wet. Water gets Al Gore.

Al Gore CAN believe it's not butter.

Al Gore didn't just invent the internet. All Gore invented science. And fire.

Al Gore can touch MC Hammer.

Al Gore didn't invent color TV. But before Al Gore was born, the world was in Black and White.

It takes Al Gore 20 minutes to watch 60 Minutes.

Some people wear Superman pajamas. Superman wears Al Gore pajamas.

When Al Gore is elected, Al Qaeda will follow us home from Iraq. To surrender.

Al Gore can slam a revolving door.

When the election is over, Al Gore will have won more than 50 states

Al Gore IS that tall.

Al Gore just slouches to make the rest of us feel better.

Al Gore can lead a horse to water AND make it drink.

Al Gore can balance the budget. On one finger. While juggling.

Al Gore can win a game of Connect Four in only three moves.

Al Gore did in fact, build Rome in a day.

Al Gore is not running for President. He is strolling to President.



Thanks Everyone! See you all Wednesday At the Cafe.

Larry Dudley
- posted by Larry Dudley @ 11:03 PM