The full Democratic Caucus is set to vote on Joe Lieberman's Chairmanship of the Homeland Security Committee next week. Write to your Senators, or call them, today!
Here's what I sent to WA Senators Murray and Cantwell today:
Dear Senator Murray: First, thank you for visiting our Canvassing Kickoff with Howard Dean and Governor Gregoire on the Saturday before the Election!
I am writing, as a constituent from West Seattle, to beg you on bended knee to vote to remove Senator Joe Lieberman (Joe Lieberman for Joe Lieberman party, CT) from his chairmanship of the Homeland Security committee when the Democratic Caucus convenes next week to vote on this issue. While I'm sure you're receiving plenty of emails, letters, and phone calls from constituents urging Sen. Lieberman's ouster from his committee Chair assignment for more partisan reasons (and his broken promise that he would support Senator McCain's candidacy, but refrain from attacking Senator Obama, is certainly a breach of faith with the Party, the Caucus, and his own word), there's something just as important to consider, if not more so:
Joe Lieberman has been incredibly ineffectual in his role as chair of the Homeland Security committee - particularly when it comes to the role he, and the committee, were supposed to play in standing up to the shameful actions of the Bush White House during these past years. Unlike its much more effective and active counterpart in the House, the Committee, under Joe Lieberman, failed to challenge the Bush Administration on its failures and offenses on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the "war on terror", torture, Hurricane Katrina, and a host of other issues the Committee was charged to oversee and investigate. It could be argued that Joe Lieberman's inaction as head of the Committee enabled and shielded a whole laundry list of failures of the Bush Administration, resulting in countless wasted tax dollars - and lives.
But there's ample reason to be suspicious, given his past behavior patterns, that an embarrassed, embittered Joe Lieberman may abuse his Chairmanship to "go after" the Obama Administration in a way he abjectly failed to do under the Bush Administration.
While Joe Lieberman's personal and political conduct during the Presidential election of 2008 (and his campaigning in support of other Republican candidates to the House and Senate in the recent past) are shameful enough, it's his dereliction of duty, lack of leadership, and failure to fulfill his role as chair of his Committee that should be the primary rationale for stripping him of his Committee assignment.
Let Joe Lieberman continue to caucus with the Democrats if he so chooses. Offer him Chairmanship of a different Committee - something that Mr. "Agreed with us on everything but the War" can be trusted with. But he's been an embarrassingly ineffective Chair of the Homeland Security Committee, and has failed at his duties in that role.
It's time to give someone else a chance to do a better job. If I dared to exhibit such lackluster performance and failure at my job, I would have been fired a long time ago.
Please vote to strip Joe Lieberman of his Committee Chair assignment.
Chris Roy
Precinct SEA 34-1545 / 34th District Democrats
---- 15th Avenue Southwest
Seattle WA 98136
206-_-__ nullemail@nullemail.com
There are still LARGE numbers of people who have not yet turned in their vote by mail ballots. It's not too late to benefit from this.
Watch the video that shows how to vote by mail. http://wa-democrats.org/vote
or for the same video on vimeo:
http://www.kingcounty.gov/elections/voting/absentee/howtoabsentee.aspx
Chinese: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yF1M2Mn75nE&fmt=18
Hearing impaired: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JnFoeZgwOA
My dad (in his 80s) in Powell WY made some great homemade signs! There is hope in Wyoming!
Check out the blog where his pic is posted. I'm so proud of him and thank him for contributing to being who i am today!
http://blog.powelltribune.com/2008/10/paddling-for-obama.html
11 DAYS!
Please take these simple precautions to make sure your vote is counted.
DO NOT USE PENCIL Use blue or black ink.
DO NOT SIGN YOUR BALLOT. Sign the outer envelope under the security flap.
VOTE BOTH SIDES OF THE BALLOT
USE THE CORRECT POSTAGE. 42¢ONE BALLOT PER ENVELOPE. Your signature must be matched to a ballot. If there are multiple ballots in an envelope, then only one ballot (chosen randomly) will be counted.
MAIL YOUR BALLOT ON TIME. Thousands of votes each election don’t get counted because the postmark is later than election day. If you’re going to mail your ballot, it must be postmarked by November 4th.
I received this email and thought people could benefit from it:
Dear Citizens, Volunteers and Organizers,
Having this 80 year old professor, an African American Republican in my home for the five days of the convention is a rich and rare treat. Dr. Mimms has been vitriolic in her comments against the ignorance of the Repulicans and McCain. She is a teller of truth and we are hearing so much history in her midst. She is fun. Yesterday we had an Irish Catholic join us for a few hours. We were all enriched by the exchange. Luke Russet, was the voice of his children as he told America how the millenial generation responds. He said they are not excited about Obama being African American or Hillary being a women. They have African American bosses and women bosses, they grew up interacting with all kinds of people. He said what is leading the charge for them is Change. They are excited not about race or gender, but by the hope of change and Obama is the candidate who will carry the change.
Now we have to get them to vote on all of their newly minted ideals.
Increase the media coverage of your favorite moments about the convention by writing a letter to the editor on behalf of your favorite candidate for president! (As one follow-up to the blog post "Don't whine about the news/polls/attack ads... ORGANIZE!" http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/chicagoexpat/gG5FMS )
TOP TEN TIPS ON PUBLISHING LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:
1) It is best to keep the letter short, to the point, and polite. Remember you are trying to persuade your undecided neighbors to vote for Barack Obama for President. a) Newspapers generally don't print anything over 200 words, or about 20 lines b) Stay on message, and stay with one message per letter 2) Write informally and conversationally in tone, you’re writing for your neighbors. Use your own language, don't try to sound like a reporter or an editorial essay writer. Be yourself. You can appeal to people’s emotions with your own style, imagery, phrasing, or varied sentence structure if you want. Passion is fine, but be polite. A letter from a young person, noting their age or grade, is also very effective.
Also, successful "letters to the editor" are often based on a strong news hook or a timely response to a current issue covered by your news outlet (like the political conventions, or when Obama comes to your state for an event, or an article about the campaign, or when the Presidential debates are held).
But if you want to write a letter, you don't have to wait for this to happen: JUST DO IT! 3) You can personalize it with something specific that happened to you or something in your community. Did you hear the Obama give a speech somewhere?
The important thing is to write about something that matters to you about supporting Barack Obama for President.
4) Send it on appropriate letterhead. That is, if you're speaking only for yourself, don't use your business or organization letterhead but only your personal letterhead (if you have any).
If you're announcing an endorsement or official position of your organization or business, then you can use organization letterhead (check with the boss though!).
5) Include your contact information to verify you wrote the letter; some outlets do not publish letters until they verify who wrote the letters sent to them. 6) In general, letters should be typed up (newspaper editors will not want to decipher anyone’s handwriting). Also proofread and spell check your letter before sending it.
7) Choose the newspaper to send it to. Check your local paper for the correct address and editor to send it to. Many papers now have on-line, internet access for sending letters-to-the editor.
Don't forget weekly community newspapers. The major daily newspapers in your area have the most readers, but the smaller, weekly community newspapers are also important. They are also usually more likely to print your letter than a major newspaper.
One site list newspapers across the nation, broken down by state and locality, at http://www.newslink.org/
You can find others by using any web search engine. For finding addresses for community weekly papers, e.g., you can go to a search engine like Google and type in your metro area and keyword, like "Pullman, Washington, news media" or "Vancouver, Washington, news media."
8) If you don't get your letter published, it may not have been published simply for space or deadline reasons. You can always send it again, or send it to a different daily, weekly, or community newspaper.
9) Please send a copy of your letter to your local party HQ or Obama campaign, it will lift their spirits.
10) Example of letters people have already written include:
"Another Pro-Obama Letter To the Editor" that was published as a blog post. (at http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/dobrocat/gGx42L )
Good grief, our candidate was a community organizer once!
Here are some general tips for writing "letters to the editor" on behalf of Barack Obama's candidacy (or any candidate or issue you're interested in). & how to use a search engine like Google to find lists of newspapers for your own state or metro area, with a list of web resources for newspapers in Washington state.
& an example & testimonal from someone who got their letter published in their Sunday newspaper.
-- Lou
++++++++++++++++++++QUICK TIPS ON LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:
Successful letters to the editor are often based on a strong news hook or a timely response to a current issue covered by the targeted news outlet (like, Senator Obama's trip overseas, or a release of an "attack ad" by a local partisan group).
The main daily or weekly newspapers in your area will have the most readers, but don't overlook the smaller community newspapers. They're important too, and are far more likely to print your letter. 1) It is best to keep the letter short, to the point, and polite. Remember you are trying to persuade voters. a.) Newspapers generally don't print anything over 200 words, or about 20 lines b.) Stay on message, and stay with one message per letter 2) Write informally and conversationally in tone, you’re writing for your neighbors. Use simple language. 3) You can appeal to the reader’s emotions with imagery, phrasing, and varied sentence structure. Passion is fine, but be polite. A letter from a young person, noting their age or grade, is also very effective. 4.) Like a letter to an official, you can personalize it with something specific that happened to you, or your program, that relates to the issue. The important thing is to write about something that matters to you about supporting Senator Obama. 5) Send it on letterhead appropriate to the author. That is, if you're speaking only for yourself, don't use your business or organization letterhead but only your personal letterhead (if you have any).
If you're announcing an endorsement or official position of your organization, then you can use organization letterhead (check w/ the boss though!).
6.) Include your contact information to verify your authorship; some outlets do not publish letters until they verify who wrote the letters sent to them. 7.) Type it up (newspaper editors will not want to decipher anyone’s handwriting), proofread, and spell check your letter before sending it. 8) Check your local paper for the correct address and editor to send it to. Many papers now have on-line, internet access for sending letters-to-the editor 9.) If you don't get your letter published, it may not have been published simply for space or deadline reasons. You can always send it again, or send it to a different daily, weekly, or community newspaper.
Most states have some organization that has collected and organized state newspapers into lists, as well as official lists usually compled by a state officer with some responsibility over newspapers (such as, the Secretary of State).
Some Washington state newspaper listings found off Google:
http://newslink.org/wanews.html
http://www.secstate.wa.gov/library/wa_newspapers.aspx
http://www.usnpl.com/wanews.php
http://www.dailyearth.com/USNews/washington.html 11.) An example of a successful effort is at "Another Pro-Obama Letter To the Editor" that was published as a blog post. (at http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/dobrocat/gGx42L )
The Fish Fry for Obama in the 37th District of Seattle WA, proved that good old fashion values are still with us in this campaign for Change in the Whitehouse and Presidency supported by change right in our own neighborhoods. Close to 200 Obama supporters ATE MORE THAN 80 POUNDS OF FRIED TALAPIA, (the fish of the Luo people of Kenya) and made friends across every demographic possible at my home in Rainier Valley in Seattle WA.
When my husband Joseph and I decided to build a family home in 1985 in a neighborhood that had more gangs, drugs and gunfire than any in the state people thought we were crazy. But we believed that if all the strong families left our neighborhoods, than who would be a voice for changing things for our children and families. We stayed, I ran and won election to represent the 37th District in the WA Legislature and with so many others in the 37th District never lost focus on what was possible.
So yesterday it was a special moment for Joseph and I, 28 years after the foundation for our house, was poured. Having the kickoff for a season of campaigning for Barack Obama and having so many people coming to Rainier Valley with no feelings of insecurity made us know we made the right decision back in 1985. The diversity of the guests, the collaboration to make the event happen, the fun, and common support for a new way of living together was testimony to what can be if we work for it. We know that what Obama wants for all of us in the United States was showcased our changed community. There is still so much to do though to make things better. We must make sure that the children in the 37th District and all districts can know the success of a good education. We have a lot of work to do in this arena and that is why I endorsed Randy Dorn for Superintendent of Instruction for Washington. The schools in my district are the most racially diverse and has the bleakest achievement, and graduation rates. We can do something about this. When I went to the legislature, one of the first bills I voted for was one that made it illegal for a minor child to possess a gun. So now that we have guns out of the hands of little children, we must work as hard to replace them with books and tools of learning. Randy Dorn, a former legislative colleague tells us that is what he will do.
So we got a lot accomplished yesterday over plates of fried fish, baked beans, some jammin greens, macaroni salad, cornbread and lemonade on a sunny day, in the backyard. We will get back to the grassroots organizing that changed Rainier Valley and let our young people know that it does not happen overnight but positive change always happens when there is a visionary leader and people willing to be focused on what is possible and then are willing to do the work to make the possible a reality.
So think of having your own fish fry, barbecue, wings fling, hot dog roast, or whatever just get some folks together in the yard eating is a common value for all people.
GO BARACK OBAMA!! YES WE CAN, YES WE WILL, SI SE PUEDE!!!
After Centeries of oppression and bigotry. Decades of misguided priorities mixed with the diversion of community level politics in our society, I have chosen to pick up the torch of freedom which was given to me by my ancestors and follow the teachings of Fredrick Douglass, Cookman, DeBois, Walker, Tutman, Washington, King, Kennedy and countless others. Whom have laid down there lives for me and the future of my children. The Obamas have too much class to admit that this is a Racial Campaign, but it is. Barack Obama symbolizes, for the first time in this countries history, how far we as a people have travled from the slave ships of the Ivory Coast through the dark legacy of Willie Lynch. We have repeatedly stepped up throughout history to deliver when this country needed us the most. And now as this country stand at the threshold of freedom from the 'Ol Boys' network of greed and intimidation worldwide, I stand with my chidren to deliver a country that stands indivisible with life, liberty and justice for all.
GOBAMA-
Congratulations to Peter Masundire, Pam Keeley and Robert Stowers for staying with the process and getting themselves elected At Large National Delegates.
Their committment to the Barack Obama For America campaign is right on the mark with the Obama strategists for winning the Presidency. We know they will use MYBO technology to keep us informed and to work with OFA staff and volunteer organizers sent to this area. They worked within the process set up by the WA State Dems and we can all be so proud of how they made friends not only for themselves but for the good of the keeping the campaign moving forward.
CONGRATULATIONS THANK YOU FOR STAYING THE COURSE.
We've all heard tons of well deserved praise for David Axelrod. Here's a nice feature article about Obama's campaign manager, David Plouffe.
www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/chi-plouffe-obamajun09,0,2235451.story
By John McCormick
Tribune reporter
6:22 PM CDT, June 8, 2008
Baseball and politics are two of David Plouffe's passions. So it was natural that his love for one game reinforced something that proved crucial in the other: Singles can score runs. As Sen. Barack Obama's campaign manager, Plouffe was the mastermind behind a winning strategy that looked well past Super Tuesday's contests on Feb. 5 and placed value on both large and small states.
Once a fire gets going, it's hard to put out. Since Clinton's candidacy has ended, the millions who put all their hopes into Clinton understandably feel their hopes dashed. Some are quickly able to adjust and be inspired by Obama, if perhaps a little less than they were inspired by Clinton. But others feel that something was stolen from them, which unavoidably leads to labeling someone "thief". The potential to trust Obama is undermined. But what other options? Is McCain better for women? It would be easy to understand why some might be disheartened enough to think they won't vote at all.
There is a void waiting to be filled. So much passion aroused but now no where positive for it to go.
