Tricounty DFA Update: 5th Anniversary Meeting Wednesday! Dean Speaks & More
Hello Everyone!

This is a very special week for our local DFA group: Our Fifth Anniversary.

In This Update:

1. 5th Anniversary Meeting
2. Governor Dean On Democrat's Crisis
3. Collapse Of The Surge
4. Language Rot Behind War
5. Gore's New Green Initiative
6. Friday Night Progressive Film Festival


1. 5th Anniversary Meeting

April 2nd will be the first Wednesday in April, and the Fifth Anniversary of our Greater Glens Falls DFA Meetup or Link-up!

Five years ago this Wednesday, April 2nd, a group of us were first united by the candidacy of Howard Dean for President. With only two missed dates due to venue problems, we have been meeting continuously on the first Wednesday of the month ever since then.

We have moved on from Dean For America to Democracy For America, welcomed our progressive friends from the Kucinich, Clark, Kerry and Edwards campaigns, helped elect Governor Dean Chairman of the Democratic National Committee and made many new friends. Above all, we are still fighting to carry on the principles of the Dean campaign of resisting right wing extremism, supporting progressive policies and candidates, and building a new American community.

If you haven't been in a while, come on down at 7pm to where we began, the Rockhill Bakehouse Cafe on Exchange and Elm Streets in downtown Glens Falls.

There's been a lot going on politically that I know everyone will want to discuss-- we've had great discussions all season long, and we'll be planning some future actions. We'll also get to those extra clips of Michael Moore's Sicko that we never got to show: they're great. If you have a suggestion for something special you would like to see us do or discuss Wednesday, let me know.

For old times's sake, I'll be unfurling our big Dean For America banner in celebration-- and if you have a Kucinich, Clark or Kerry poster, bring that along, too!


2. Governor Dean On Democrat's Crisis

The man who brought us together hasn't been heard as much as we would like since becoming Chair of the DNC. But Governor Dean gave a major and lengthy press interview last week on the burgeoning crisis in the Presidential primary, which many fear is devolving into a demolition derby that may damage Democrats' chances in November.

"WASHINGTON (AP) - Democratic Party chief Howard Dean says Barack Obama, Hillary Rodham Clinton and their supporters should beware of tearing each other down, demoralizing the base and damaging the party's chances of winning the White House in November."

For More: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20080328/D8VMDSJG0.html

How well the Governor's advice will be taken is unknown. Notably, Senator Clinton told the Washington Post today that she is determined to stay in the race until the convention, no matter what, and would take the fight over Florida and Michigan to the Credentials Committee: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/29/AR2008032901909.html?hpid=topnews


3. Collapse Of The Surge

Governor Dean's famous speech to the DNC Winter Convention in February 2003 brought many of us into the original DFA:

"What I want to know is why in the world the Democratic party leadership is supporting the president's unilateral attack on Iraq."

The "What I Want To Know Speech" is one of the great turning points in America history because is the moment when Democrats, liberals and progressives rallied to begin turning back the conservative's 30 year counter revolution. (Read it at: http://www.gwu.edu/~action/2004/dnc0203/dean022103spt.html )

It's as fresh as if it were written yesterday. And yet the war continues. And Democrats allow it. This is despite the fact the so-called Surge has now collapsed after the Iraqi government's failed attack on Shiite militias in Basra. For details we aren't seeing in the US press: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/mar/30/iraq

According to major media news reports the Iraqi Army "turned in their weapons." In the middle of a firefight? They "turned in their weapons?" What an interesting phrase. Let' translate that into English: They surrendered or ran away. And the U.S. Army and Marines are now picking up the slack, and the casualties.

This happened before, in Vietnam. Peasants were driven off their land by the war and joined the South Vietnamese Army to feed their families. But they weren't there to die for their country: they were there to feed those families, and if they got killed, they couldn't do that (obviously) and so they ran away at the first sign of trouble and left US forces holding the bag.

Our invasion destroyed the Iraqi economy and now Iraqi men enlist to get money to feed their families. And like the Viets, they won't risk their lives lest their families literally starve.

This proves no progress has been made and we are no closer to "victory" than we were five years and 4,007+ dead GIs ago.

Here's another critical fact that's not getting into U.S. papers-- the "Surge" was supposed to create conditions for a political settlement, but the Iraqi Parliament cannot even muster a quorum and rarely meets. http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/01/24/news/web.0124noshow.php

If the Parliament never meets there never will be a political resolution and the war will continue forever.

When will we get serious about removing our forces from this mess? Kathy notes Zbigniew Brzezinski, President Carter's National Security advisor, makes a strong case for the speedy removal of US troops in the Washington Post:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/27/AR2008032702405.html?hpid=opinionsbox1

There is also a solid new plan organized by a group of 30 Congressional candidates, including NY's Eric Massa-- "A Responsible Plan To End The War." http://www.responsibleplan.com/home
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/closing-the-message-gap-o_b_94074.html


4. Language Rot Behind War

The greatest essay ever written on political language is George Orwell's Politics And The English Language. Orwell exposed how the misuse of language can lead to political disaster, and the abuse of language did much to get us into the Iraqi War. That makes this piece in The New York Review of Books this week's must read-- Euphemism And American Violence: http://www.nybooks.com/articles/21199

"The frightening thing about such acts of renaming or euphemism, Tacitus implies, is their power to efface the memory of actual cruelties. Behind the façade of a history falsified by language, the painful particulars of war are lost. Maybe the most disturbing implication of the famous sentence "They create a desolation and call it peace" is that apologists for violence, by means of euphemism, come to believe what they hear themselves say."

A criminal act of aggression becomes "regime change." Torture becomes "enhanced interrogation." An escalation becomes a "surge." Bombing becomes "air support." And so on. As the article goes on,

"Orwell's insight was that the italicized phrases are colorless by design and not by accident. He saw a deliberate method in the imprecision of texture. The inventors of this idiom meant to suppress one kind of imagination, the kind that yields an image of things actually done or suffered..."

As Orwell himself noted; "In our time, political speech and writing are largely the defense of the indefensible. Things like the continuance of British rule in India, the Russian purges and deportations, the dropping of the atom bombs on Japan, can indeed be defended, but only by arguments which are too brutal for most people to face, and which do not square with the professed aims of the political parties. Thus political language has to consist largely of euphemism., question-begging and sheer cloudy vagueness."

This is, by the way, an explanation of why Govenor Dean's What I Want To Know speech was so great: he stated it precisely in plain language-- "unilateral attack."

The lack of such clarity and precision goes far to explain why Congress is unable to act: words and phrases like stabilization process and creating space for political solutions are euphemisms akin to Lenin's phrase breaking an egg to make an omlet: all fine, of course, unless your head or the head of someone you love is the egg being broken.

At any rate, euphemisms for violence like stabilization process, surge or strategy for success are a leading reason we are now in the six year of war in Iraq-- they blind us to the concrete, blood drenched reality of violence and death.

If you want to read Orwell' famous essay, it's also online at: http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/orwell46.htm



5. Gore's New Green Initiative

Another leader who speaks clearly is Al Gore. He was on 60 Minutes last night and called the denial of Global Warming akin to saying the world is flat.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/03/27/60minutes/main3974389.shtml

Gore's latest initiative to save the planet is a $300 million three year promotional and educational campaign to raise public awareness of the Global Warming crisis-- it's the biggest such campaign in history and it starts next Wednesday: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/30/AR2008033001880.html?hpid=topnews


6. Friday Night Progressive Film Festival


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

Fri Apr 4 7:30 pm Adirondack Progressive Film Forum (National Holocaust Month)
PAPER CLIPS (2004) Elliot Berlin & Joe Fab 87 min. RT Rating = 71 %
The town of Whitwell is a tiny community of about two thousand people nestled in the mountains of Tennessee. Its citizens are almost exclusively white and Christian. In 1998, the children of Whitwell Middle School took on an inspiring project, launched out of their principal's desire to help her students open their eyes to the diversity of the world beyond their insulated valley. What happened would change the students, their teachers, their families and the entire town forever… and eventually open hearts and minds around the world. PAPER CLIPS tells the moving story of how these students responded to what had been to them a completely unfamiliar chapter in human history – the Holocaust – with a promise to honor every single soul lost in that horrible event by collecting paperclips to represent each individual exterminated by the nazis. Their dedication was absolute. Their plan was simple but profound. The amazing result, which stands permanently in their schoolyard, is an unforgettable lesson of how a committed group of children can change the world, one classroom at a time.

Thanks everyone! See you all Wednesday for our Fifth Anniversary! Remember to bring a friend!

My best to all of you,

Larry Dudley

Labels: Al Gore, Climate Change, Democracy For The Greater Glens Falls Area, DFA, Howard Dean, Iraq War, Rockhill Bakehouse Cafe, SiCKO

- posted by Larry Dudley @ 11:03 PM 0 comments

 
Tricounty DFA Update: Vigil Thanks, Our Fifth Anniversary Coming Up!
Hello Everyone;

In This Update:


1. Fifth Anniversary Vigil Thanks
2. Glens Falls DFA-- Our Fifth Anniversary Meetup/Linkup Approaches
3. Poison Pill Strategy?
4. The Surge
5. Earth Hour
6. Friday Night Progressive Film Festival
7. On The Lighter Side...


1. Fifth Anniversary Vigil Thanks

Many thanks to the determined and brave souls who came out in a cold rain last week for our vigil to protest the 5th anniversary of the United State's invasion of Iraq. We read the names of American service members lost, and everyone who was there will attest it was a moving experience. The evening was, I think, also imbued with a sense of regret that after five years and so much effort, we have not been able to end this war. Certainly, after the last election, I don't believe any of us expected we would still have forces in Iraq at this time, nor that we would have passed the appalling 4,000 mark in official US fatalities.

Special thanks is due to Frank Grassia, Pfc. Nathan Brown's Social Studies teacher at South High, who began the evening by reading the names of the dead from New York and Vermont, and for his great comments to TV-13. Thanks also to Kate Austin for coordinating and set up with Moveon.org and Kathy Sonnabend for helping organize the lists of names, including Iraqi losses she read.

News coverage was excellent, including the Post-Star, WNYT-13 and TV-8. The event dominated news coverage of the anniversary of the war that evening on channel 13, which was a real plus in making the event the success it was.

Pictures of the event are on our blog at http://townmeetingday.blogspot.com and there is also more on Blog For America at: http://blogforamerica.com/view/24362


2. Glens Falls DFA-- Our Fifth Anniversary Meetup/Linkup Approaches


Another Fifth Anniversary is coming up a week from today on April 2nd: our Fifth Anniversary Greater Glens Falls DFA Meetup or Link-up!

Yes, it is hard to believe, but five years ago next Wednesday, April 2nd, we first came together to support the candidacy of Howard Dean, and we have been meeting continuously ever since then. We have moved on from Dean For America to Democracy For America, welcomed our progressive friends from the Kucinich and Clark campaigns and other new friends, but we are still fighting to resist right wing extremism, support progress policies and candidates, and build a new American community.

I regard it as a miracle this is all still going on-- and we owe it all to you. And we are at the same location-- only now it is the Rockhill Bakehouse Cafe. We will be meeting at the same time we always do-- 7pm.

If you haven't been in a long time-- don't be shy. Come on down. This is going to be a special moment to reflect on the last five years and what we have accomplished, first of which is the fact we are all still together. If you have a suggestion for something special you would like to see us do next Wednesday, let me know.

For old times's sake, I'll be unfurling our big Dean For America banner in celebration-- and if you have a Kucinich, Clark or Kerry poster, bring that along, too!


3. Poison Pill Strategy?

The 2008 campaign is getting uglier by the day and a growing number of voices are raising questions as to what, exactly, the strategy of the Clinton campaign actually is. It's possible it's what's known in business circles as a poison pill strategy, a measure companies adopt to prevent a take-over by deliberating destroying the company, for instance, by automatically selling off its assets in the face of a take-over bid.

It has been widely reported in the last week that even Clinton campaign staffers now believe Sen. Clinton has no more than a 5-10% chance of winning the nomination. But the Clinton campaign is rejecting calls to recognize the near inevitable. Maureen Dowd in the NYT expresses what is a growing private discussion in Party circles: Hillary Clinton is already looking forward to 2012-- "Hillary Or Nobody": http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/26/opinion/26dowd.html?em&ex=1206676800&en=838507d62acc71ba&ei=5087%0A

Jake Tapper at ABCNEWS has more on "Dems Fear Clinton's Tonya Harding Strategy": http://abcnews.go.com/print?id=4526203\

Drew sends this piece along on the pressure being placed on Speaker Pelosi: http://agonist.org/schecter/?p=8164


4. The Surge

If that isn't bad news enough, there is growing proof the so-called Surge is falling apart. As we've noted before, the concept was based on an attempt to bribe our enemies. It's interesting that the neocons and conservatives were obsessed with never repeating the appeasement tactics of the 1930s, but that is precisely what we've been doing in Iraq.

Incredibly, although I suppose the Iraq experience beggars that word, the administration has now stopped the payola, and, unsurprisingly, the monster we have now created is sore about that: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/mar/21/iraq.alqaida

What were they thinking? Did they not realize when you start paying bribes, you can't stop? It would seem to be another towering landmark in a long record of stupidity and incompetence, like disbanding the Iraqi Army and turning the men loose.

The truce with the El-Sadr is also falling apart, so look for a continuation of the recent increase in violence. The War may well become a burning issue in the election once again.


5. Earth Hour

There's an interesting and possibly fun environmental event coming up on Saturday the 29th: Earth Hour, which is being organized by a series of environmental groups. From Earth Hour.org:

"The momentum is building for Earth Hour--8 to 9 pm, March 29, 2008--the global movement to shut off the lights for one hour to make a bold statement about climate change. More and more individuals, businesses, and even cities are planning to participate. Together, we'll deliver a powerful message to the citizens and leaders of the world about the need for action on climate change."

"Earth Hour is an opportunity for each one of us to take action, influence others and start a wave of change that alters the course of climate change. But turning off your lights is just the beginning. What can one person do in the face of a global challenge? Here are some easy tips to help you make a big impact."

"Be sure to be counted. Sign up for Earth Hour and commit to turning off your lights on March 29 from 8 to 9 pm local time."

For more info and to sign up go to: http://www.earthhour.org/

I'll have some more online actions this weekend.


6. Friday Night Progressive Film Festival

The Rockhill Bakehouse Cafe, world famous as the home of Democracy For The Greater Glens Falls Area, will be holding its usual Friday Night Progressive Film Festival at 7:30 with:

Fri Mar 28 7:30 pm Adirondack Progressive Film Forum
MARIO'S STORY (2007) Jeff Werner & Susan Koch 98 min. No RT Rating
In 1998, Mario Rocha, a young latino, was convicted of murder based on the basis of one questionable identification and not a shred of physical evidence. He was sixteen years old at the time of his arrest, yet tried as an adult and sentenced to life in prison. While spending over two years at Juvenile Hall waiting for his trial, Mario joined a writing program and discovered his talent and love for writing. Today, his stories, plays and poems are published and performed in prisons throughout the country. This film interweaves Mario's story as an inmate in one of california's toughest maximum-security prisons with the efforts of an unlikely group of people who have come together to win his freedom.


7. On The Lighter Side...


In other news, after a 15 year hiatus, the World's Greatest Party Band, the B-52s, is finally back with a new album (see, I do think about other things besides politics!). Sometimes the best response to the absurd is laughter, and there seems to be more and more of the absurd out there all the time (see item #3 above). http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/03/14/arts/lobsters.php and http://www.theb52s.com/

Sadly, The Twos will not be able to make it for our Fifth Anniversary Celebration. But I am sure they would send some good cosmic vibes, if they knew.

See you all next week!

Rock On,

Larry

Labels: Democracy For America, Democracy For The Greater Glens Falls Area, DFA, Earth Hour, Iraq War, Larry Dudley, Rockhill Bakehouse Cafe, vigil

- posted by Larry Dudley @ 12:21 AM 0 comments

 
First Pictures: Fifth Anniversary Of Invasion Of Iraq Vigil Held In Glens Falls
Wednesday, March 19th, was the fifth anniversary of the United States' invasion of Iraq and Democracy For The Greater Glens Falls Area held yet another vigil for peace and to bring our troops home.

One thing was different this time: members read all of the names of the American dead aloud-- almost 4,000, starting with those from New York and Vermont, which were read by themselves. The effect was sobering and very powerful and all present were clearly moved, some to tears. It took almost 45 minutes, even with the names of those lost in each year of the war being read simultaneously in a form of counter point.

We were particularly privileged to have Frank Grassia, who taught Pfc. Nathan Brown at South High, read Nathan Brown's name along with those of the fallen from New York and Vermont.

We were also grateful for the news coverage by the Post Star, WNYT-13 and TV-8, both of which did major news reports. The WNYT report lead coverage for the entire Capital District region of NY, with about a million people.

All photos courtesy Dick Dudley.



Frank Grassia begins reading the names of the lost.


Shot with Canon PowerShot S3 IS at 2008-03-20

Co-organizer Kate Austin reads more names.



Kathy Sonnabend reads lists of dates of major Iraq loss of life.


Shot with Canon PowerShot S3 IS at 2008-03-20

2006 was the year with the greatest number of casualties and took the longest to read. At the end there was a moment of silence and Taps was played.

Labels: Democracy For America, Democracy For The Greater Glens Falls Area, DFA, Dick Dudley, Iraq, Iraq War, vigil

- posted by Larry Dudley @ 10:00 PM 0 comments

 
DFA Reminder: Vigil Wednesday 6pm Against War & To Bring Troops Home
Hello Everyone!

In This Update:

1. Vigils Wednesday For 5th Anniversary Of War And To Bring Our Troops Home
2. Special Film Presentation: Winter Soldiers
3. Friday Night Progressive Film Festival


1. Vigil Wednesday For 5th Anniversary Of War And To Bring Our Troops Home

This Wednesday, March 19th, is the fifth anniversary of the United States' invasion of Iraq. Please join with us and millions of other people around the world for peace and to bring our troops home at a special candlelight vigil and reading of the names of the dead at the bandstand in City Park in downtown Glens Falls at 6pm.

As our local Moveon organizer Kate Austin notes: "Regardless of what you think of the war, and what strategy you think is best, I think we all can agree that the goal is peace, and we can communally mourn and honor the nearly 4,000 American soldiers and countless Iraqi civilians. These are people, not chess pieces."

If you watched the evening news you saw the claims the "surge," and thereby the war itself, is a success. Those who follow events closely know this temporary lull has been bought with wholesale bribery that will make things much worse in the long run. The surge has succeeded-- in distracting people from this terrible war and dumping it on the next President's desk, no more.

That makes it doubly important we turn out to show our opposition, that we aren't buying the propaganda, and we aren't acquiescing. I know this has gone on for a long time. When we discuss this in our meetings I can see the fatigue in everyone's eyes. But everyone matters at special moments like this.

Those wishing to come are asked to please R.S.V.P. at http://pol.moveon.org/event/events/event.html?event_id=45117
or http://www.dfalink.com/event.php?id=28485

During the event the names of Americans lost in Iraq will be read in a form of counterpoint, along with major losses of Iraqi lives, with one person reading the names of those lost in each year. A separate reading of those lost from New York and Vermont will begin the event. A poem will be read at the end followed by the playing of taps. The reading of the names of the dead will begin at 6pm.

Those wishing to participate in the reading of the names are asked to come at 5:30pm. Kathy notes "Please bring your own candle and something to prevent wax from dripping onto the park grounds. Some have inserted a candle through the neck of an inverted cut-off plastic liter bottle; others have inserted a candle through a hole in the bottom of an inverted waxed paper cup. "

There will also be a candle light vigil at 8pm at the corner of Broadway and Church Streets in Saratoga Springs, followed at 8:45pm by a march to Congress Park.

Here's a final thought for extra motivation from Lisa Scerbo: "The financial costs have rocked our economy. Nobel Prize winning economist has Joseph Stiglitz has stated that so far the cost to our economy is $3 trillion to $5 trillion. The US military spends $720 million per day in Iraq. In the time it takes to read these short paragraphs we will have spent $600,000.00 in Iraq. While the war in Iraq has been a disaster for most Americans and Iraqis, it has been a smashing success for others. It has been a smashing success for Defense contractors such as Halliburton and KBR. It has been a smashing success for Alqeda who have seen their recruitment numbers soar. It has been a smashing success for the Taliban who are controlling large areas of Afganistan since the Iraq war has distracted our efforts there."

Hope to see you all there! Again, to RSVP: http://pol.moveon.org/event/events/event.html?event_id=45117
or http://www.dfalink.com/event.php?id=28485


2. Special Film Presentation: Winter Soldiers


After the Vigil In Glens Falls, The Rockhill Bakehouse Cafe will be presenting a special showing of Winter Soldier to benefit the Iraq Veterans Against The War: There will also be continuous showings of Winter Soldiers at the Arts Center in Congress Park from 1pm until 9pm


Wed Mar 19 7:30 pm ** FILM FUNDRAISER ** Donations will be collected for Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW)
WINTER SOLDEIR (1972) Vietnam Veterans Against The War 96 min. RT Rating = 100 %
In 1971, with the My Lai massacre still vivid in the public consciousness, 109 Vietnam War veterans gathered in a hotel in Detroit and, in front of news journalists and a collective of young filmmakers, spoke frankly about their experiences in Vietnam. They called themselves the Winter Soldiers and their testimonials are devastating: women raped and disemboweled, children murdered, prisoners thrown from helicopters, ears severed, villages burned, and families slaughtered. Almost instantaneously, a pro-war backlash set out to discredit the veterans and their stories, and though their brave confessions were hailed by many senators and congressman, the news media never aired any of the footage. The filmmakers who were present, including Barbara Kopple (HARLAN COUNTY U.S.A.), masterfully edited the three days of interviews into a single 96-minute presentation. Almost as harrowing as the accounts themselves are the haunted looks and the trembling voices of the young men as they speak opely of becoming debased monsters who were willing to commit atrocities. Though the film seemed to be inexorable evidence that Vietnam war crimes were commonplace rather than anomalous, the film received scant screenings, and the stories never reached the majority of the American public. During the 2004 presidential election, the Winter Soldier Investigation resurfaced in regards to John Kerry's involvement with the Vietnam Veterans Against the War and his role as a pivotal organizer of the event. A group of veterans, indignant over any supposed defamation of soldiers and their actions, set out to attack Kerry's wartime credentials, and to paint the Winter Soldier stories as spurious and fabricated. In 2005, more than 30 years after it was made, WINTER SOLDIER received general distribution, and the film remained as unsettling and pertinent than ever. The charges that the men were imposters seem ludicrous in the face of these blistering and self-crucifying descriptions of human behavior in wartime. The film stll evokes a visceral response and raises questions of what, eventually, may be revealed about military abuses and crimes in Iraq. Contact Matt Funiciello at mattfuniciello@earthlink.net for more information.

3. Friday Night Progressive Film Festival


And the Rockhill Bakehouse Cafe continues its Friday Night Progressive Festival with:

Fri Mar 21 7:30 pm Adirondack Progressive Film Forum
FOLLOWING SEAN (1969) Ralph Arlyck 87 min. RT Rating = 86 %
Filmmaker Ralph Arlyck first met Sean while living as a graduate student in San Francisco's Haight Ashbury neighborhood at the height of the 1960s. The city was awash with the trappings of America's cultural revolution-the San Francisco State University campus flooded with cops in riot gear, the Haight filled with drifters and idealists, and, on the third floor of Arlyck's building, a come-one-come-all crashpad apartment. It was from this top floor commune that the precocious 4-year-old Sean would occasionally wander downstairs to visit and talk-and one day Arlyck turned on his camera. Sean's casual commentary on everything from smoking pot to living with speed freaks was delivered in simple sincerity throughout the soon-to-be famous 15-minute film. This First Child of the notorious decade may have shaken the audience with his simple sentence- "Sure, I smoke pot"-but it was his barefoot impishness which would encapsulate the hope that lay in front of the nation: a promise of infinite possibility. Thirty years, three generations, and a lifetime later, Arlyck has returned to San Francisco in search of who the adult Sean might have become. And what he finds, to his surprise, tells him as much about his own east-coast migration as it does about the Californian life he left behind-that the choices we're handed and the choices we make are, very often, quite odd bedfellows.

Thanks Everyone! See you all Wednesday for the 5th Anniversary,

Larry Dudley

Labels: Democracy For America, Democracy For The Greater Glens Falls Area, DFA, Iraq, Iraq War, Rockhill Bakehouse Cafe, vigil

- posted by Larry Dudley @ 11:07 PM 0 comments

 
Tricounty DFA Update: Invitation-- Five Years of War Commemoration March 19th
Hello Everyone;

First, what a difference three days makes. I am sure the humiliating fall of Eliot Spitzer has transfixed most of us this week-- I know from the many of you who have called me how shocked and saddened we all are. I have been told by those who know him, what a remarkable figure soon to be governor David Patterson is. Stories of his decency and kindness seem to be commonplace-- along with a real talent for bringing people together to get the people's business done. If these many stories are only half true, the future of our party and New York looks bright, despite this week's sad events.

In This Update:

1. Invitation: Vigil Commemorating The 5th Anniversary Of The Invasion Of Iraq
2. Republicans To Focus On War?
3. Stop Drive Through Mastectomies
4. Friday Night Film Progressive Film Festival


1. Invitation: Vigil Commemorating The 5th Anniversary Of The Invasion Of Iraq

One week from today, March 19th, is the fifth anniversary of the United States' invasion of Iraq. You are invited to join a special candlelight vigil and reading of the names of the dead at the bandstand in City Park in downtown Glens Falls at 6pm.

Millions of people in thousands of communities will be coming together simultaneously on the 19th in solidarity to stand for peace, protest the war and its cost and solemnly remember those lost. This coordinated nation wide commemoration and protest promises to be the largest simultaneous public gathering since the protests against the start of the war five years ago, which were the largest in history, with tens of millions of people around the world in attendance.

Democracy For The Greater Glens Falls Area and local Moveon.org members are co-sponsoring this event as part of The National Commemoration Of The Iraq War organized by Moveon.org, United For Peace And Justice, True Majority Action, Working Assets/Credo Mobile, US Action, the SEIU and other national organizations.

Those wishing to come are asked to please R.S.V.P. at http://pol.moveon.org/event/events/event.html?event_id=45117
or http://www.dfalink.com/event.php?id=28485

During the event the names of Americans lost in Iraq will be read in a form of counterpoint, along with major losses of Iraqi lives, with one person reading the names of those lost in each year. A separate reading of those lost from New York and Vermont will begin the event. A poem will be read at the end followed by the playing of taps. The reading of the names of the dead will begin at 6pm.

Those wishing to participate in the reading of the names are asked to come at 5:30pm.

This event is open to all members of the public and everyone concerned about the ongoing war in Iraq is urged to attend and bring a candle and a sign, if they wish, along with friends, family members, neighbors and coworkers. In recognition of the gravity and solemnity of the moment and in respect for the vast lost of human life, there will be no speeches or other entertainments.
Glens Falls.

Again, those wishing to come are asked to please R.S.V.P. at http://pol.moveon.org/event/events/event.html?event_id=45117
or http://www.dfalink.com/event.php?id=28485


2. Republicans To Focus On War?

Kathy Sonnabend sends this piece which underscores the importance of keeping public attention focused on what a disaster Iraq has become, despite claims of a successful surge or escalation. Studies indicate McCain may actually be able to get voters who oppose the war to support him, anyway. This is definitely the must read of the week!

http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/79351?page=entire

Congress failed last year to remove our troops from Iraq-- allowing the war to be an issue in this election, which is what the Republicans wanted. Now we have to deal with it. As this article makes clear, there is going to be a huge battle for public opinion over the war. As Kathy pointed out to me, we must strive to remind people how terrible this war is-- for our economy, for the safety of our nation and the world, and the lives of those called to serve. So we would urge everyone to make the special effort to come Wednesday at 6pm, with a candle and sign if you like, to show our opposition to our continued presence in Iraq.

3. Stop Drive Through Mastectomies

Lisa Scerbo sends this horrifying message:

"I received this link from a operating room nurse who has experienced this horrendous practice of "Drive-Through Mastectomies". Insurance companies are making mastectomies an out patient procedure. There is a bill in Congress now to make insurance companies cover a minimum stay of 48 hours following a mastectomy. Lifetime Television is promoting this petition drive to tell Congress to end this practice. Please take 1 minute to sign this petition. Who knows it could make a difference."

http://www.lifetimetv.com/breastcancer/petition/signpetition.php


4. Friday Night Film Progressive Film Festival

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

Fri Mar 14 7:30 pm Adirondack Progressive Film Forum
CAPITOL CRIMES (2006) Bill Moyers 120 min. No RT Rating
"It's a dizzying scope of perfidy and politics that boggles the imagination, and although Jack Abramoff and Tom DeLay have been brought down, the system remains as vulnerable as ever," says Bill Moyers. "The scale of corruption still coming to light dwarfs anything since Watergate. In one sense it's the age-old tale of greed, but greed encouraged now by the way our system works. Deep in the plea agreements of Jack Abramoff and his cronies is the admission that they conspired to use campaign contributions to bribe politicians; campaign finance is at the core of the corruption. They took great pains to cover their tracks, and they might have pulled it off except for a handful of honest people, and the work of some enterprising print reporters, Senate investigators, and the ethics team at the department of justice. Following the money in this story leads through a bizarre maze of cocktail parties, golf courses, private jets, four-star restaurants, sweatshops - and the aura of chandeliered rooms frequented by the high and mighty of Washington." The ramifications of the Jack Abramoff scandal continue to mount. Since "Capitol Crimes" was broadcast in October 2006, Jack Abramoff started his prison sentence, and U.S. voters in exit polls named "corruption" as the biggest factor in their ballot-casting - above terrorism and the economy. Indeed, association with Abramoff was cited in the defeat of at least two incumbent Republicans - Representative Richard Pombo of California and Senator Conrad Burns of Montana.

Thanks everyone! Hope to see you all at City Park downtown at 6pm on the 19th.

Larry

Labels: Democracy For America, Democracy For The Greater Glens Falls Area, DFA, Iraq, Iraq War, vigil

- posted by Larry Dudley @ 11:49 PM 0 comments

 
Tricounty DFA Update: Link-Up Report-- 5th Anniversary of War Plans, Stillwater Dems
Hello Everyone;

In This Update:


1. Report On Wednesday Meeting
2. March 19, 5th Anniversary Of Iraq Invasion Vigil & Name Reading
3. Stillwater Democrats Can't Wait Till Spring Social"
4. "McSame As Bush"


1. Report On Wednesday Meeting

We had a nice crowd Wednesday at the Rockhill Bakehouse Cafe for the rescheduled showing of Uncounted and more planning for the 5th Anniversary of the Invasion of Iraq. Uncounted, an hour and a half long video by David Earnhardt, delved into the many problems with voting fraud, incompetence and mistrust going back to the Stolen Election of 2000-- including the likely stealing of Ohio in 2004. All in all, it was a warning for the future.

A Note on voting machines here: we will still be using our old lever action machines this November-- there isn't time to replace them before the election. Afterwards, we will be voting on paper ballots, optically scanned, which is the optimal solution that advocates have been pressing for. Paper ballots can be recounted. The State Board of Elections recently certified only scanners because the companies making the infamous touch screen machines, or DRE's, refused to make their machine's source code available to the state, as required by state law.


2. March 19, 5th Anniversary Of Iraq Invasion Vigil & Name Readng

Before the showing of Uncounted, we had old business from our last meeting-- further planning of our vigil commemorating the 5th anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, which we were forced to reschedule from last month. This event will be on Wednesday, March 19th. We we will be coordinating with major national groups, including Moveon.org, United For Peace And Justice and others. The scale of this nation-wide event is going to be truly immense, perhaps unprecedented since the beginning of the war.

Kate Austin has set up an event page at Moveon: http://pol.moveon.org/event/events/event.html?event_id=45117
I have set up an event page at DFA-Link: http://www.dfalink.com/event.php?id=28485
Please RSVP on both of these pages!

This event is open to everyone in the community and we would invite and urge everyone concerned about the war in Iraq to attend.

We decided to begin the event at 6pm at City Park downtown. For the event's format, we also decided to hold a reading of the names of the almost 4,000 Americans who have died in Iraq. However, instead of reading them all in sequence, what we will do is have five people read them simultaneously, one person for each year, like a musical counter point composition. A sixth person will read the names of known Iraqis who have died, or days on which large numbers of Iraqis were killed. However, the names of Upstate New Yorkers (and perhaps Vermonters) who have died will be read first, by themselves.

People are urged to bring candles and signs. Bernice Mennis has several signs and she will bring those for others to use.

The goal is for a commemoration, not a celebration. This is necessarily a solemn occasion, given the vast numbers of deaths (up to a million Iraqis, beyond the thousands of Americans) and the incomprehensible suffering the war has brought. There will be no speeches to detract from the proper tone of this event, though some poems might be read at the end.

A group of us will be getting together for a further planning session on Monday, March 10 at 7pm at the Rockhill Bakehouse Cafe downtown.

Again, please RSVP at both http://www.dfalink.com/event.php?id=28485
and http://pol.moveon.org/event/events/event.html?event_id=45117

I should note that person or persons in our community have decided to attempt to preempt and compete with this event. That's unfortunate, because it will confuse people and dilute attendance. It's also a big surprise, considering how many years, literally, years, we've been doing this, and very successfully. I suppose it's an inevitable consequence of being open and transparent and announcing plans and discussion in advance, and a price we have to pay for our principles. However, there will be only one national commemoration on the 19th, the actual day the war started. The attention will be considerable, and anyone really wishing to have any impact should not allow themselves to be distracted and come to City Park on the 19th at 6pm and join us.

Again, that RSVP is http://www.dfalink.com/event.php?id=28485
and http://pol.moveon.org/event/events/event.html?event_id=45117



3. Stillwater Democrats Can't Wait Till Spring Social"

Lisa Scerbo sends this invitation along:

Can't Wait 'till Spring Social
Sponsored by the Stillwater Democratic Club

Henry Lefko American Legion Post
East Street, Stillwater, NY
Saturday, March 8, 2008
7 P.M.

FOOD'S ON US!

Fun Food Door Prizes Silent Auction
Raffles Friends Cash Bar

RSVP: Lisa Scerbo - 664-9718


4. "McSame As Bush"

Drew sends along this great YouTube video -- "McSame As Bush" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cN10_6pyshQ&eurl=http://www.americablog.com/
Thanks, everyone!

Larry

Labels: Democracy For America, Democracy For The Greater Glens Falls Area, DFA, Iraq War, Rockhill Bakehouse Cafe, Uncounted Film, verified voting, vigil

- posted by Larry Dudley @ 11:49 PM 0 comments

 
Tricounty DFA Update: Link-Up Report-- 5th Anniversary of War Plans, Stillwater Dems
Hello Everyone;

In This Update:


1. Report On Wednesday Meeting
2. March 19, 5th Anniversary Of Iraq Invasion Vigil & Name Reading
3. Stillwater Democrats Can't Wait Till Spring Social"
4. "McSame As Bush"


1. Report On Wednesday Meeting

We had a nice crowd Wednesday at the Rockhill Bakehouse Cafe for the rescheduled showing of Uncounted and more planning for the 5th Anniversary of the Invasion of Iraq. Uncounted, an hour and a half long video by David Earnhardt, delved into the many problems with voting fraud, incompetence and mistrust going back to the Stolen Election of 2000-- including the likely stealing of Ohio in 2004. All in all, it was a warning for the future.

A Note on voting machines here: we will still be using our old lever action machines this November-- there isn't time to replace them before the election. Afterwards, we will be voting on paper ballots, optically scanned, which is the optimal solution that advocates have been pressing for. Paper ballots can be recounted. The State Board of Elections recently certified only scanners because the companies making the infamous touch screen machines, or DRE's, refused to make their machine's source code available to the state, as required by state law.


2. March 19, 5th Anniversary Of Iraq Invasion Vigil & Name Readng

Before the showing of Uncounted, we had old business from our last meeting-- further planning of our vigil commemorating the 5th anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, which we were forced to reschedule from last month. This event will be on Wednesday, March 19th. We we will be coordinating with major national groups, including Moveon.org, United For Peace And Justice and others. The scale of this nation-wide event is going to be truly immense, perhaps unprecedented since the beginning of the war.

Kate Austin has set up an event page at Moveon: http://pol.moveon.org/event/events/event.html?event_id=45117
I have set up an event page at DFA-Link: http://www.dfalink.com/event.php?id=28485
Please RSVP on both of these pages!

This event is open to everyone in the community and we would invite and urge everyone concerned about the war in Iraq to attend.

We decided to begin the event at 6pm at City Park downtown. For the event's format, we also decided to hold a reading of the names of the almost 4,000 Americans who have died in Iraq. However, instead of reading them all in sequence, what we will do is have five people read them simultaneously, one person for each year, like a musical counter point composition. A sixth person will read the names of known Iraqis who have died, or days on which large numbers of Iraqis were killed. However, the names of Upstate New Yorkers (and perhaps Vermonters) who have died will be read first, by themselves.

People are urged to bring candles and signs. Bernice Mennis has several signs and she will bring those for others to use.

The goal is for a commemoration, not a celebration. This is necessarily a solemn occasion, given the vast numbers of deaths (up to a million Iraqis, beyond the thousands of Americans) and the incomprehensible suffering the war has brought. There will be no speeches to detract from the proper tone of this event, though some poems might be read at the end.

A group of us will be getting together for a further planning session on Monday, March 10 at 7pm at the Rockhill Bakehouse Cafe downtown.

Again, please RSVP at both http://www.dfalink.com/event.php?id=28485
and http://pol.moveon.org/event/events/event.html?event_id=45117

I should note that person or persons in our community have decided to attempt to preempt and compete with this event. That's unfortunate, because it will confuse people and dilute attendance. It's also a big surprise, considering how many years, literally, years, we've been doing this, and very successfully. I suppose it's an inevitable consequence of being open and transparent and announcing plans and discussion in advance, and a price we have to pay for our principles. However, there will be only one national commemoration on the 19th, the actual day the war started. The attention will be considerable, and anyone really wishing to have any impact should not allow themselves to be distracted and come to City Park on the 19th at 6pm and join us.

Again, that RSVP is http://www.dfalink.com/event.php?id=28485
and http://pol.moveon.org/event/events/event.html?event_id=45117



3. Stillwater Democrats Can't Wait Till Spring Social"

Lisa Scerbo sends this invitation along:

Can't Wait 'till Spring Social
Sponsored by the Stillwater Democratic Club

Henry Lefko American Legion Post
East Street, Stillwater, NY
Saturday, March 8, 2008
7 P.M.

FOOD'S ON US!

Fun Food Door Prizes Silent Auction
Raffles Friends Cash Bar

RSVP: Lisa Scerbo - 664-9718


4. "McSame As Bush"

Drew sends along this great YouTube video -- "McSame As Bush" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cN10_6pyshQ&eurl=http://www.americablog.com/
Thanks, everyone!

Larry

Labels: Democracy For America, Democracy For The Greater Glens Falls Area, DFA, Iraq War, Rockhill Bakehouse Cafe, Uncounted Film, verified voting, vigil

- posted by Larry Dudley @ 11:49 PM 0 comments

 
Tricounty DFA Update: Meeting Reminder-- Uncounted Video, Primaries, More
Hello Everyone;

In This Update:


1. Link-up Meeting Reminder: Uncounted Video
2. Primary News
3. FISA Fiasco-- The Immunity Bill That WIll Not Die
4. Friday Night Progressive Film Festival
5. Delegate Counter


1. Link-up Meeting Reminder: Uncounted Video

The first Wednesday in March is tomorrow, March 5th, so we'll be holding our usual DFA-linkup at the Rockhill Bakehouse Cafe at 7pm. On the agenda is the rescheduled showing of the video Uncounted, an expose on election fraud,. We'll also be discussing the nation wide commemoration of the start of the Iraq War, which we decided to do at our last meeting. We'll be doing that in coordination with Moveon.org and other groups, and some local problems that have arisen.

The Cafe is located one block west of the roundabout in downtown Glens Falls.

2. Primary News

In late news tonight, Barack Obama has won a solid victory in the Vermont Primary and Hillary Clinton has won an equally solid victory in the Rhode Island primary. The popular vote has been called for Clinton in Ohio, although Obama is still running strong in the delegate count because delegates are awarded by congressional district. Texas is uncalled as I right. There are reports that some counties in Ohio won't be counted until after 4am, and because of the bizarre dual primary/caucus system in Texas, it might be sometimes tomorrow before it's clear who won what, if anything.

We'll have something else to discuss at our meeting, it seems.


3. FISA Fiasco-- The Immunity Bill That WIll Not Die


There is other important political news: FISA and Telecom immunity will not die. A few weeks ago it appeared an outrageous White House effort to give legislative immunity to telecommunications companies for illegally spying on Americans for the administration had been defeated.

However, this effort to undermine our Constitution has been revived.

Several groups are sending out emergency appeals for immediate citizen action:

From DFA National: "Republicans want to bring immunity back to life and the Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Rep. Silvestre Reyes (TX-16) said over the weekend he was ready to make the deal. We must stop him.
Call Rep. Reyes right now and demand he stands with the Democratic majority and against telecom immunity."

"Intelligence Committee Chairman,
Rep. Silvestre Reyes
(202) 225-7690"

From DFA Partner Working Assets: "Last fall, the House passed the RESTORE Act, a FISA reform bill that does what we need FISA reform legislation to do: increase oversight of domestic surveillance and deny retroactive immunity to the telecom companies. Now, because the House bill is so different from the legislation that the Senate just passed, there will be a conference between leaders of the House and the Senate...
"Unfortunately, signs coming from House leaders (most notably Intelligence Committee Chairman Silvestre Reyes) now indicate that they're getting ready to capitulate as well.

"The Senate legislation gives George Bush and Dick Cheney exactly what they wanted. But it will only become law if Democrats in the House roll over by giving up on the RESTORE Act and the rule of law..

http://act.credomobile.com/campaign/fisa_house?rk=R7NYc01193HLE

And From People For The American Way:

This is a last call for our emergency petition to Stop Telecom Immunity. If you are not one of the 25,000 Americans who already signed, please do so now. And then make sure to ask your friends to sign.

http://www.pfaw.org/go/StopImmunity


4. Friday Night Progressive Film Festival


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

Fri Mar 7 7:30 pm Adirondack Progressive Film Forum

THE TIMES OF HARVEY MILK (1984) Rob Epstein 88 min. RT = 100 %
Winner of the 1984 Academy Award for best documentary, this is the moving and ultimately life-affirming portrait of the first openly gay man elected to political office in California. Milk's tremendous courage and humanity, as he fought for the civil rights of all people, soars above the prejudices of his day. The film chronicles the successes of his life, the tragedy of his assassination, and the uproar which greeted Dan White's infamous "Twinkie Defense."


5. Delegate Counter

Drew sends along this link to a delegate counter so that you can follow how many delegate Clinton and Obama have:
http://www.slate.com/features/delegatecounter/


Thanks, everyone! See you all tomorrow at the Cafe,

Larry

Labels: Democracy For America, Democracy For The Greater Glens Falls Area, DFA, Hillary Clinton, Obama, Primaries, Rockhill Bakehouse Cafe

- posted by Larry Dudley @ 11:46 PM 0 comments