Hello Everyone;

In this update for March 26, 2009:

1. Gov. Dean Returns To DFA For Healthcare Reform
2. DFA 5th Anniversary Party Thanks
3. Our Sixth Anniversary Meeting Next Week
4. Special Election Tuesday


1. Gov. Dean Returns To DFA For Healthcare Reform

We had a great DFA 5th BIrthday Party yesterday. The highlight was the conference call and the return of Governor Dean to DFA! Now that he has completed his term at the DNC, the Governor is leading the fight for healthcare reform in America. It's clear no one understands it better.

DFA has put up a new website for this effort: http://www.standwithdrdean.com/

Last night the Governor asked everyone to go to the site and sign his petition for healthcare reform. They are asking for 10,000 signatures tomorrow, 250,000 before legislation is introduced in Congress.

Dean says the key issue in the fight is "opt-in" -- everyone should have the right to buy into the government's Medicare system. This will bring down costs and protect everyone. The insurance industry hates this because they don't want competition to break up the cozy deal they have going.

So, please, tonight, go to http://www.standwithdrdean.com/ and sign Govenor Dean's petition for healthcare reform. We'll be talking what we can do at our meeting Wednesday.


2. DFA 5th Anniversary Party Thanks

We had a large crowd and a great time in the conference room at the Women's Health Institute yesterday. Special thanks go out to our pastry chef extraordinaire Pat Dudley for the two spectacular birthday cakes she baked, and to the big guy, Doug Auer, for getting us the meeting space and donating beverages and pastries. Thanks also to Deb Liddle and Bernice Mennis for wine and Kathy Sonnabend for chips. It was good to see so many old friends together!


3. Our Sixth Anniversary Meeting Next Week

On next Wednesday, April 1st, we'll have our monthly Greater Glens Falls/Tricounty DFA meeting at the Rockhill Bakehouse Cafe in downtown Glens Falls.

But this won't be just another meeting: it will also be our sixth year of continuous operation as either Dean For America or Democracy For America.

It's weird to think it's been six years-- in some ways it seems an eternity, so much has happened, but in other ways, it seems like it just happened!

There's a second reason Wednesday's meeting is such a big deal: DFA and Dr. Dean is stepping into leadership in making healthcare reform happen. That's a big new role for DFA, and a big challenge for all of us, and we'll be planning and discussing our role in this great effort. It's going to be exciting campaign again with Dr. Dean!

Thank you all for making this such a phenomenal six years! It has literally been the best experience of my life and an honor and a privilege for me.

4. Special Election Tuesday


As we all know, the special Congressional election is coming up on Tuesday. Scott Murphy contacted Dick on Jan 27. A few days later Dick offered to arrange to have him meet with our DFA Steering Commitee at almost any time or any place. Regretably we did not hear back from Mr. Murphy or his staff. Accordingly, we were unable to make any endorsements.


Thanks everyone! Make sure you go online and sign the petition at: http://www.standwithdrdean.com/

See you all Wednesday at the Cafe to fight for healthcare reform!

Larry

Labels: Democracy For America, Democracy For The Greater Glens Falls Area, DFA, Glens Falls, healthcare reform, Howard Dean, Rockhill Bakehouse Cafe

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

 
Tricounty DFA Reminder: HOWARD DEAN LIVE at DFA 5TH B-Day Party!
Hello Everyone;

In This Update:

1. Howard Dean Live at DFA's Fifth Birthday Party Wednesday!
2. Cuomo On The Rise?
3. Next Banking Flashpoint?
4. Friday Night Progressive FIlm Festival


1. Howard Dean Live at DFA's Fifth Birthday Party Wednesday!

Be with us for a special live appearance of Governor Howard Dean at DFA's Fifth Birthday Party Wednesday, March 25th at 7:30 at the basement meeting room at the Women's Health Institute, at the Ridge Common offices on Ridge Street in downtown Glens Falls.

Howard Dean will be joined by Jim Dean and a special guest. We're also promised a major announcement. We expect to be able to have video of the event. Governor Dean will talk about DFA's past achievements and it's future.

We'll have cake and refreshments and the nationwide live conference call at 9pm.

This invitation goes out to everyone who has been part of DFA here in the Northcountry in the last five years, and also people who were members of Dean For America or the other campaigns in 2004! Come on in and reconnect with old friends on this special night of celebration.

If you would like to contribute some deserts, food or refreshments, too, please bring them along!

Special thanks go out to Doug Auer for the space and Pat Dudley for the Birthday cake!

Please RSVP at: http://democracyforamerica.com/events/32507-dfa-birthday-party

Now, some special instructions on how to find the party! The building is located at 101 Ridge Street, across the street from the Rite Aid store, three blocks north of the roundabout on Ridge Street. HOWEVER YOU CANNOT ENTER FROM THE FRONT OF THE BUILDING. Turn into Lawrence Street (which faces the RIte Aide) and take the first right into the parking lot behind the building.

Park in the first lot and follow a sidewalk next to the building on the North to a set of stairs that go up. Go up the stairs and turn to the right and then go down the main staircase to the meeting area. Watch for orange tape and signs pointing the way! It's not hard.

2. Cuomo On The Rise?

The proudest part of the national economic crisis has been the remarkable performance of NY Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, who just exposed the AIG bonus scandal is even larger than expected, and he is going after the miscreants.

Dick sends along this piece from the WashPost on Cuomo's rising star, which has increasing numbers of people assuming he is the next Governor of New York: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2009/03/cuomo_emerges_amid_aig_disaste.html?hpid=topnews


3. Next Banking Flashpoint?

There are a few must reads tonight; one from Salon's Joe Conason on what may be the next banking scandal: off shore accounts held by big business. http://www.salon.com/opinion/conason/2009/03/23/big_clawback/

"what reason other than evasion could there be for Goldman Sachs Group to set up three subsidiaries in Bermuda, five in Mauritius, and 15 in the Cayman Islands? Why did Countrywide Financial need two subsidiaries in Guernsey? Why did Wachovia need 18 subsidiaries in Bermuda, three in the British Virgin Islands, and 16 in the Caymans? Why did Lehman Brothers need 31 subsidiaries in the Caymans? What do Bank of America's 59 subsidiaries in the Caymans actually do? Why does Citigroup need 427 separate subsidiaries in tax havens, including 12 in the Channel Islands, 21 in Jersey, 91 in Luxembourg, 19 in Bermuda and 90 in the Caymans? What exactly is going on at Morgan Stanley's 19 subs in Jersey, 29 subs in Luxembourg, 14 subs in the Marshall Islands, and its amazing 158 subs in the Caymans? And speaking of AIG, why does it have 18 subs in tax-haven countries?"

The Nation's WIlliam Grieder says in today's Post there may be more anger to come. He observes that,

"Something fundamental has been altered in American politics. Encouraged by Obama's message of hope, agitated by darkening economic prospects, many people have thrown off sullen passivity and are trying to reclaim their role as citizens. This disturbs the routines of Washington but has great potential for restoring a functioning democracy. Timely intervention by the people could save the country from some truly bad ideas now circulating in Washington and on Wall Street."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/19/AR2009031902511.html


4. Friday Night Progressive FIlm Festival

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


FRI MAR 27 7:00 pm COMMUNITY FILM FORUM Free
EXCELLENT CADAVERS (2005) Marco Turco 92 min RT Rating = 77 % Based on the book by Alexander Stille and featuring the photos of Sicilian photojournalist Letizia Battaglia, the film chronicles the recent history of the Mafia and its integral, seemingly ineradicable, relationship to postwar Italian politics. Whereas in the past the Cosa Nostra used to kill only their own, beginning in the Seventies the Mafia began assassinating prosecutors, judges and others who were fighting them, and thus began producing the "excellent cadavers," as Sicilian writer Leonardo Sciascia called them. This documentary focuses on the efforts of two courageous prosecutors, Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino, whose efforts in the mid-Eighties led to the Maxi-Trials in Palermo, where, in a heavily-protected underground bunker the size of a football field, hundreds of Mafia defendants were tried and convicted. The film shows us that successive Italian governments -- including the current Berlusconi regime -- either ignore the Mafia or essentially do nothing about it.


FRI APR 3 7:00 pm COMMUNITY FILM FORUM Free
F*** THE ARMY (1972) Francine Parker 97 min RT Rating = N/A Available for the first time since it mysteriously dissappeared in 1972 after only one week in theaters, this raucous film is a riveting slice of the Vietnam anti-war movement. Reviving the wonderfully campy, yet biting theater of Jane Fonda and Donald Sutherland's Free The Army (or, more popularly, "F*** The Army") tour, F.T.A. captures the entertaining magic and mayhem of the anti-ar and pro-labor show as it rallies and rouses dissident GI's stationed along the Pacific Rim. A gritty mix of rolicking performances and GI interviews, F.T.A. juxtaposes lighthearted political satire with the somber realities of war, occupation and the absurdities of military life, a barbed rebuke to the staid USO program. From Okinawa tot he Philippines, stirred by the show's provocative message, the members of the U.S. military find courage to speak out candidly in front of the camera. Fonda and Sutherland are joined on stage by an all-star cast of musicians and activists including folk singer Len Chandler, songstress Rita Marlinson and comedian Paul Mooney.

Thanks everyone! See you all Wednesday at DFA's Birthday Party!

Larry

Labels: Democracy For America, Democracy For The Greater Glens Falls Area, DFA, Howard Dean

- posted by Larry Dudley @ 11:34 PM 0 comments

 
Tricounty DFA Update: You're Invited! DFA's Fifth Birthday Party, More
Hello Everyone!

In This Update For March 19th, 2009:

1. You're Invited to DFA's Fifth Birthday Party Wednesday
2. In Memoriam: DFHMR Pres. Hy Dubowsky
3. Upstate Turning Bluer
4. Friday Night Progressive Film Festival


1. You're Invited to DFA's Fifth Birthday Party Wednesday

With hundreds of DFA groups across the country, we'll be holding a Fifth Birthday Party next Wednesday, March 25th at 7:30 at the basement meeting room at the Women's Health Institute, at the Ridge Common offices on Ridge Street in downtown Glens Falls.

We'll have cake and refreshments and a special nationwide live conference call at 9pm with Governor Howard Dean, DFA's founder. Governor Dean will talk about DFA's past achievements and it's future, and we're told he's going to have a special announcement!

This invitation goes out to everyone who has been part of DFA here in the Northcountry in the last five years, and also people who were members of Dean For America or the other campaigns in 2004! Come on in and reconnect with old friends on this special night of celebration.

If you would like to contribute some deserts, food or refreshments, too, please bring them along!

Special thanks go out to Doug Auer for the space and Pat Dudley for the Birthday cake!

Now, some special instructions on how to find the party! The building is located at 101 Ridge Street, across the street from the Rite Aid store, three blocks north of the roundabout on Ridge Street. HOWEVER YOU CANNOT ENTER FROM THE FRONT OF THE BUILDING. Turn into Lawrence Street (which faces the RIte Aide) and take the first right into the parking lot behind the building.

Park in the first lot and follow a sidewalk next to the building on the North to a set of stairs that go up. Go up the stairs and turn to the right and then go down the main staircase to the meeting area. Watch for orange tape and signs pointing the way! It's not hard.


2. In Memoriam: DFHMR Pres. Hy Dubowsky

We have to note with considerable sadness the untimely passing of Hy Dubowsky, the President of our Albany sister group, Democracy For The Hudson Mohawk Region, and offer our condolences to his family and all who knew him. I was privileged to meet Hy at a number of DFA events, and his smiling presence will be deeply missed and is a great loss for DFA in the Albany area. You can read a wonderful obituary about Hy's richly filled life at : http://www.altamontenterprise.com/Weekly%20Pages/obituaries.html


3. Upstate Turning Bluer

Drew sends along this fascinating post from dKos today about how Upstate New York is slowly turning bluer. The graphics are terrific and very interesting: http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/3/17/709623/-Stomping-out-the-Red-in-New-York


4. Friday Night Progressive Film Festival

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

FRI MAR 20 7:00 pm COMMUNITY FILM FORUM Free
A/K/A TOMMY CHONG (2007) Josh Gilbert 80 min RT Rating = 70 % A dynamic portrait of comedy legend Tommy Chong, set against the unfolding political horror story of post 911 America. Filmmaker Josh Gilbert follows the tragic and absurd tale of Chong as he travels down the rabbit hole of America's war on drugs and the federal prison system after becoming the primary target in a government sting, code named "Operation Pipe Dreams." In February of 2003, at a time of unparalleled assaults to our freedoms by international terrorists, John Ashcroft and U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan spent 12 million dollars to take down Tommy Chong for selling art glass water pipes (a/k/a bongs) over the internet. In the words of the great Magritte, "Ceci n'est pas une pipe." What emerges is an intimate portrait of a cosmic character, caught in the crosshairs of a surreal Cheech and Chong fantasy come to life.


FRI MAR 27 7:00 pm COMMUNITY FILM FORUM Free
EXCELLENT CADAVERS (2005) Marco Turco 92 min RT Rating = 77 % Based on the book by Alexander Stille and featuring the photos of Sicilian photojournalist Letizia Battaglia, the film chronicles the recent history of the Mafia and its integral, seemingly ineradicable, relationship to postwar Italian politics. Whereas in the past the Cosa Nostra used to kill only their own, beginning in the Seventies the Mafia began assassinating prosecutors, judges and others who were fighting them, and thus began producing the "excellent cadavers," as Sicilian writer Leonardo Sciascia called them. This documentary focuses on the efforts of two courageous prosecutors, Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino, whose efforts in the mid-Eighties led to the Maxi-Trials in Palermo, where, in a heavily-protected underground bunker the size of a football field, hundreds of Mafia defendants were tried and convicted. The film shows us that successive Italian governments -- including the current Berlusconi regime -- either ignore the Mafia or essentially do nothing about it.

Thanks everyone! See you all Wednesday!

Larry

Labels: Democracy For America, Democracy For The Greater Glens Falls Area, DFA, Howard Dean, Jim Dean, Rockhill Bakehouse Cafe

- posted by Larry Dudley @ 10:19 PM 0 comments

 
Tricounty DFA Update: Very Sad News-- Events, More
Hello Everyone;

First, before anything, I am deeply saddened to report that former Glens Falls Fifth Ward Councilman "Jolly"John Kemnitzer died this morning after a long illness.

As anyone who has been involved in the Democratic Party here over the years will know, Jolly John was a Glens Falls institution. An irrepressible raconteur, he was the heart, as well as the adviser, sounding board, mentor and guardian of memory for Glens Falls Democrats, holding forth from the Fish Fry for over 40 years. He is irreplaceable and his passing will leave a great void.

Visiting hours are scheduled for Wednesday at the Singleton Funeral Home on Bay Road from 4pm to 8pm. The service is set for St. Alphonsus Church in Glens Falls at 10am Thursday.

Since so many area Democrats will be at the wake, the Steering Committee members I reached tonight all agree it will be a practical impossibility to hold a meeting at our usually scheduled time. But there are other important events on tap for later in the month, and we can continue those in his spirit.

In This Update:

1. Iraq War Anniversary March 20th.
2. DFA Fifth Anniversary Party
3. Gov. Dean's Plans
4. Lakoff On The Obama Code
5. Rockhill Progressive Film Festival


1. Iraq War Anniversary March 20th.

The sixth anniversary of George Bush's invasion of Iraq is coming up on March 20th. Last year we held a reading of the names of American service men and women who have died in that needless war. It was appropriate to remember the extreme sacrifice they were called on to make. And as everyone who attended will attest, reading those thousands of names was deeply moving and, to reuse an old phrase, mind altering. I've discussed this with most of the Steering Committee and we agree it would be appropriate to try and organize this again. We'll have more for you on this in a future update.


2. DFA Fifth Anniversary Party

Five years ago this month Governor Dean, after suspending his campaign, founded Democracy For America.

DFA is now scheduling a nationwide series of celebratory parties for the fifth anniversary of DFA's founding on March 25th, and we will be scheduling a event along with other DFA groups across the country! There will be a special video presentation and a nationwide conference call with Governor Dean himself! We will also have more for you on this later.

3. Gov. Dean's Plans

In the news today is that President Obama has passed over Governor Dean for Secretary of Health and Human Serivices in favor of Gov. Sibelius of Kansas.

Dean has now spoken out and and an article on Huffington Post details his new plans, which are quite diverse. And he will apparently be spending more time at DFA, although it is not clear how much. For more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/01/exclusive-dean-talks-abou_n_170874.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/01/exclusive-dean-talks-abou_n_170874.html

4. Lakoff On The Obama Code

Most DFA people are familiar with George Lakoff's work on framing. DIck would urge everyone to read Lakoff's new article on "The Obama Code, which explains Obama and his use of language. It's really worth reading!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/george-lakoff/the-obama-code_b_169580.html

Interestingly, DFA's very first training day was four years ago last month with Lakoff, a project I proposed to DFA Executive Director Tom Hughes the previous year.


5. Rockhill Progressive Film Festival

The Rockhill Bakehouse Cafe Progressive Film Festival returns to Friday night with:

FRI MAR 6 7:00 pm FRIDAY FILM FORUM Free
LITTLE ROCK - 50 YEARS LATER (2006) Brant & Craig Renaud 70 min
This documentary film explores the ways in which race relations have changed--and the ways in which they've stayed the same--as Brent and Craig Renaud return to Little Rock Central High School fifty years after the famous incident in which nine African-American students were denied entrance to the building by an angry white mob.


FRI MAR 13 7:00 pm FRIDAY FILM FORUM Free
PUCKER UP (2005) Kate Davis & David Heilbroner 76 min RT Rating = 80 %
This appropriately named film is a documentary on the world of competitive whistling. The filmmakers travel to the International Whistling Convention and Competition in North Carolina to view the latest competitors, as well as giving a detailed history of the sport.
Exposing all the thrills and spills of the demolition

Thanks everyone! See you all soon,

Larry

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

- posted by Larry Dudley @ 11:04 PM 0 comments