Hi!!
Do you know about the new discussion group for people around the world?
Democrats_Worldwide - has members in Afghanistan, Thailand, Serbia, Korea, England, France....Virgin Islands, etc.
If you are an American away from the U.S., please come talk.
This is not a typical chatlist. It's for intelligent conversation with Democrats. No personal attacks are allowed. Not too many messages, we have 57 members.
Democrats_Worldwide-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
If you are outside the U.S., please come talk to other Democrats out of the U.S.
Looking forward to meeting you!
Carole
www.Americans-Away-From-Home.com
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- "An attempt by Rep. Dennis Kucinich to impeach President Bush was kicked into legislative no-man's land by members of his own party Wednesday...
The House voted 251-166 to send the Ohio Democrat's impeachment resolution to committee, a maneuver that allows the Democratic leadership to freeze the measure indefinitely...
Most of the congressman's resolution deals with the Iraq war, contending that the president manufactured a false case for the war, violated U.S. and international law to invade Iraq, failed to provide troops with proper equipment and falsified casualty reports for political purposes".
*****
IN PRINCIPLE, we must impeach, regardless of whether Bush and Chevey are actually removed from office, even if their days are already numbered and regardless of whether or not, as Nancy Pelosi believes, it will fail. A learned friend, J. C. Adamson, wrote in December last year:
Whether you or I personally voted for Bush and Cheney or not, we as the citizens of this republic did put them in office—twice. The ultimate responsibility for their malfeasance is ours. That is the fundamental principle of democracy. So we must learn and face the truth. We must have the courage to act. We must exercise our constitutional responsibility and authority.
There is a resolution before the House Judiciary Committee calling for Vice President Cheney's impeachment. If that Democratically controlled committee holds comprehensive hearings, votes their individual consciences, and doesn't report the resolution to the full House, the matter is finished. The Committee will have done its duty. If the Democratically controlled House doesn't approve articles of impeachment, the matter is finished, but the House will have done its job. If two-thirds of the Senators don't vote to convict, the matter is finished, but the Senate will have done its job. This is due process.
It is our duty—yours and mine—to assure that the process is undertaken. We must keep pressure on our Representatives to hold hearings.
Many Americans believe Bush and Cheney have cynically disregarded the imperatives of the Constitution. If we leave that unchallenged, we no longer have a Constitution, and we are finished. The final death knell may take a few decades, or it may not, but it will be inevitable."
BY WAY OF BACKGROUND, last year the following events occurred, but few people noticed:
This is where you can find the FIRST RESOLUTION of 24 APRIL 2007. Regardless of what happens it is INTERESTING READING:
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c110:H.RES.333.IH:
Kucinich said that he would introduce a more detailed resolution to impeach Bush and this is what has now happened.
I applaud Rep. Kucinich's efforts. Is it too late? No and Yes. No, for the reasons stated above. Yes, because it would not help O get elected. The Great Groucho Marx said,
"These are my principles. If you don't like them, I have others."
It may instead be a time to take a page out of Al Davis' playbook and "JUST WIN BABY".
What do you think?
Senator Clinton did what needed to do as good Democratic party member. Her speech on Saturday was strong and unequivocal in her support for Obama and the party. Hopefully most of her supporters will come to the same conclusion. In the end, there was very little difference between the positions of Clinton and Obama, which is why the campaign ended up being about gaffes and extraneous issues. In the end, Obama is the better spokesperson for those positions. He is truly one of the most gifted orators I've seen in my lifetime.
From USA Today, 5 Jun 08
WASHINGTON (AP) — Campaign officials say Republican John McCain collected $21.5 million in May, in his best month of presidential fundraising. He enters June with $31.5 million cash on hand.
****
Guess I will have dig deeper to counter these.
As the campaign moves into the next phase, the question on my mind is whether the tone of Obama's message will continue to be positive and uplifting, or will he have to roll around in the mud with Republicans. We know there will be attempts to Swift Boat him. So far the Obama campaign has been quick to respond to McCain's nonsense, but most of these attacks have been pretty mild compared to the dirty tricks of the last two elections. i expect we'll see much worse. So my question is whether a positive, issues-oriented campaign message can survive and win in the current partisan environment, particulary considering the propensity of the media to latch on to the garbage far more than they do anything substantive.
I'm not sure we can do anything about the media, but I do believe they should be excoriated every time they do choose sensationalism over substance. Perhaps if enough of us complain loudly enough to them and their advertisers they would get the message.
911 Commission needs to reopen the case. I am not satisfied as an American with their conclusions.
For example, how could a HUGE aircraft that supposedly hit the Pentagon leave such a small hole in comparison with that aircraft?
Why were video tapes from the station across form the Pentagon confiscated as quickly as possible?
Why was the ground of the Twin Towers not considered a crime scene and roped off?
Why was all of the steel and rubble hauled away so quickly?
Why did the Twin Towers, a building built with the best quality steel, melt to nothingness?
Why were there implosions versus explosions?
I really want to see this reopened and the REAL truth be revealed.
Hello Folks:
As announced during the Democrats Abroad Meeting last weekend and by email last week we are having another Obama supporter gathering in Singapore. Suggested donation for the event is US$65.00 and you can make your donation through the "thermometer" link immediately to the right of this post. http://my.barackobama.com/page/group/SingaporeObamaSupporters.
The event will be held at the Screening Room. Many thanks to Mabood Mahoob for generously providing the venue. Soft drinks will be served and there will be a cash bar.
We are trying to hit our US$5,000 fundraising goal for the Singapore Obama Supporters page. There is a loyal group of Obama contributers in Singapore and we want the campaign to remember Singapore during the general election campaign. In Singapore we now have an active Democrats Abroad chapter up and running and an engaged American expat community that is solidly behind Obama. It is time for us to get together and get ready for the upcoming general election!
Email me at bbrown@qam.com.sg (98551401) to make sure you get an official invitation with a map to the venue. Official invitations will start going out tommorrow morning.
Venue:
www.screeningroom.com.sg
Doors Open at 7:00pm April 4th.
Thanks
Benjamin Brown
Resolved not to "blog" anymore as of a month or two ago. Just a ton of good stuff to read out there and having read it im prettty sure the world is probably going to be ok without more "world according to Ben" posts....
BUT....this infuriates me:
http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSN2645600320080327?feedType=RSS&feedName=politicsNews&rpc=22&sp=true
The Clinton camp telling Pelosi "
"This is an untenable position that runs counter to the party's intent in establishing superdelegates in 1984," the letter from the wealthy Clinton backers said.
"Superdelegates, like all delegates, have an obligation to make an informed, individual decision about whom to support and who would be the party's strongest nominee," said the letter signed by some of Clinton's biggest fund raisers."
AS FAR AS I AM CONCERNED IT IS THESE INFORMED MEMBERS AND THIS VAUNTED INNER CIRCLE WHO MISSED AN EASY LAYUP IN 2004 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION WHICH IN TURN MEANS ORDINARY (AND LAZY) PEOPLE LIKE ME, NOW HAVE TO SPEND THIER PERSONAL TIME IOR STEAL TIME AT WORKP WORKING HARD TO MAKE SURE IT THE "PARTY ELDERS" DONT DO THE SAME DUMB THINGS A THIRD TIME!!!!!
I DO HAVE HOBBIES YA KNOW...IF I TRUSTED THE "INFORMED DECISION" OF MY PARTIES SUPERDELEGATES I PROBABLY BE PLAYING VIDEO GAMES AT THE OFFICE OR KNOCKING OFF EARLY TO PLAY GOLF!
JEEZ
I feel better now.
Note:
Those of you who promised to come make sure I pull the lever for clinton next fall if Obama loses to her please take note of my growing irritation.
THanks!
Benjamin
Good set of talking points and an update on the Obama campaign events across the world from Online Finance Boss Daniel Dozier:
Email Daniel to get involved in the IFC campaign fundraising efforts in Asia!
see below:
Daniel and Hildy
In their blogs and on Internet websites like Facebook, they root for Mr Barack Obama, 46, the telegenic candidate who is competing against Mrs Hillary Clinton, 60, to be the Democratic Party's nominee.
The Republican contest is over with 71-year-old senator Mr John McCain as its nominee.
Much of the buzz here extols Mr Obama's message of change, and at least two Singaporean fans of his have posted links to his webpage on their profiles in Facebook, a social networking website.
One American based in Singapore, who sports an Obama lapel button and has a pro-Obama website, says Singaporeans have stopped him on the streets to offer their support.
A pro-Obama blogger is National University of Singapore (NUS) master's student Aaron Ng, 28.
The Singaporean has an entry in his blog titled Hear Ye, Hear Ye, where he writes about Mr Obama's ability to rally people around him.
There is support for Mr Obama 'among young people who read my blog', said Mr Ng, who is also a teaching assistant at NUS' communications and new media programme.
'He's attractive because he flies in the face of norms like experience and age that Singaporeans are used to.'
Another Obama fan, Mr Ashraf Mohamed, 32, is the operations manager and co-owner of the Candy Empire, which has three candy stores here.
'Politics here is not as thrilling as in the US,' he said, adding that the outcome of the United States election will affect the world and the region.
On his partisan political view, he said: 'Obama preaches hope, tolerance, change and dialogue, which is appealing to me.'
NUS student Abdullah Luqman, 25, is another Singaporean who has added the Obama web-link to his Facebook profile.
He, and most of the others interviewed, said they are 'turned off' by Mrs Clinton and Mr McCain.
They find Mrs Clinton not always sincere and think a McCain administration will not differ much from that of incumbent President George W. Bush.
Another Singaporean, Mr Shanthan Selvakumar, 28, an energy analyst at AES Corp, a power company that also deals in climate change, tracks the US hustings on TV. 'If I were an American, I would probably vote for Obama. He is inspirational,' said Mr Selvakumar, who has a Facebook link to Mr Obama.
Meanwhile, American Benjamin Brown, 35, managing director of an engineering service company, is an unofficial organiser for the Obama campaign here.
His website for Americans here, 'Singapore Obama Supporters', is linked to the official US campaign effort.
Mr Brown said one donation of US$50 (S$69) has been made to his website.
Although some Singaporeans interviewed had expressed an interest in donating money to the Obama campaign, Mr Brown said US law allowed only Americans to do so officially.
Lawyer Indranee Rajah, Deputy Speaker of Parliament and an MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC, thinks young Singaporeans' interest in 'politics elsewhere' is healthy as they 'should not have a narrow world view'.
Mr Sin Boon Ann, an MP for Tampines GRC, added: 'Interest in US politics originates mainly because it is a superpower and is fashionable, much like English Premier League football.'
Associate Professor Bilveer Singh, from NUS' political science department, agrees. He suggested that while the interest in Mr Obama seemed to be worldwide, Singaporeans pay such great attention to American politics because of its supposed contrast to the more predictable politics here.
Mr Selvakumar felt that interest in foreign and local politics need not be mutually exclusive. 'In the last local elections, Facebook was not as popular as it is now. Who knows what might happen when the next elections come around?' he said
http://www.straitstimes.com/Free/Story/STIStory_219628.html
Greetings to Obama Supporters in Singapore:
Just a quick heads up to everyone in Singapore. The date for the next fundraising/outreach event in Singapore has been set:
7:00pm April; 4th.
I am consolidating the mailing list and getting ready to send out official inviites and venue details today or tommorrow.
Feel free to call me at +65 98551401 if you want to quick rundown on the planning for the event and you are interested in helping me on some of the organizational details for the event.
This article is over 8 years old but still relevant. With all the recent talk about racial issues, McCain has been very quiet. McCain still has a lot of explaining to do for past remarks.
http://www.commondreams.org/views/030200-104.htm
This was designed in Hong Kong and can be shipped worldwide. Benefits Obama campaign
http://salteeshirts.com/store
There are many great ideas and activities that are being done to help out the campaign back in the US. Fund raising, friend raising, phone banking back to the US and many other activities all help the campaign.
There are still a number of primaries left and the possibility that both Michigan and Florida will hold them again. Democrats Abroad has already had a very successful Global Primary with Sen. Obama taking 66% of the vote globaly in 164 countries.
Not everyone voted however and they may still have a chance to do so. If you have friends, colleagues, relatives, fellow Obama supporters who live overseas and did not vote in the Global Primary they still have a chance to do so. Their vote could become very important especially if Michigan and Florida hold contested primaries.
Find them and get them to register at www.votefromabroad.org. It is the best registration wizard on-line. They will still need to print the form and send it in, but it is the easiest and most efficient system to get it done. Now is the time to get it done.
Regards,
Arian Ardie
Indonesia for Obama '08
All around the world an energetic and unprecedented movement is growing in support of Senator Obama's bid to become the 44th US President. Examples of the worldwide movement include:
And wherever opinion polls have been conducted, comparing him with senators Clinton and McCain, Senator Obama is consistently the favourite candidate by a wide margin, for example:
On an interconnected and interdependent planet, the policies of the US have a huge impact on our lives. After the long and arrogant Bush years, Senator Obama looks different, he sounds different and millions of non-Americans believe he will behave differently towards them. They may not agree with all his current policies, and they understand that he will face difficult choices and compromises when he is in office. However, they trust him to do his best because he has demonstrated strong principles and a willingness to listen and engage constructively, even with countries that have been seen as America's enemies.Come and learn more about this international movement at http://www.theworldwantsobama.org/ and share your thoughts on the connected Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-World-Wants-Obama-Coalition/10606473687
Help Blake meet his goal!In his own words:
I have been traveling state to state with this campaign since November. So far I've been to New Hampshire, South Carolina, Georgia, Texas, heading up to Pennsylvania, with hopes of campaigning in Oregon and Montana. I am your typical, starving college student. I have little money. And so I hope with your help to be able to raise an amazing goal. One hundred thousand dollars. At any other time in my life I would've thought it to be impossible for me, as an 18 year old, to raise that much money for something. But I've seen the way this campaign works and inspires. Help me reach this goal by donating what ever amount you can.Can you help him reach his goal of $100,000?!http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/100000ForBarack
Greetings,
Democrats Abroad Singapore will hold its first formal meeting on March 29th, Saturday at 1pm. Members of Democrats Abroad are invited to attend.The location will be the American Club at 10 Claymore Hill (near the Orchard MRT).
Our first order of business will be to elect a Chair and Vice Chair and our second order of business will be to approve by-laws for the Singapore group. Upon electing officers and approving by-laws, and receiving approval from Democrats Abroad, the Singapore Democrats Abroad group will become a recognized "Committee".
Details on those members wishing to run for office shall be circulated to you soon. If you would like to run for office please contact Ben Bleicken at bdbleicken@mac.com. We currently have a male member who has agreed to run for office and we also require one female (at a minimum) to run for office too to meet the requirements of having a Chair and Vice Chair of the opposite sex. Ladies, please volunteer we need your help.
Please forward this email to other American Citizens living in Singapore, should they be interested in attending the meeting.
It would be very helpful to let us know you plan to attend so that we can ensure appropriate space for the meeting.
Best regards,
Ben Bleicken
This email is being sent to you from
Democrats Abroad
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