Talking with Senators - your stories
Friday morning UPDATE: There appears to be no deal. There are lots of conflicting reports, but apparently the House GOP scuttled the agreement at McCain's request. PLEASE KEEP CALLING and tell us about your experience.SECOND UPDATE: There appears to be an agreement, but no details have been released. An agreement doesn't mean it is passed. Please keep dialing to register your concerns. The phones have been busy all day. Don't give up! An email to your Senator is great, but a phone call is more effective with the tight deadline.
UPDATED: We've gotten several reports of busy signals, hang ups and no-answers. Although frustrating, this is an excellent sign that average Americans are making their voices heard. PLEASE DON'T GIVE UP!
Today we asked our supporters to call their Senators and demand the bailout bill contain relief for average Americans, not just banking fat cats. Here are some of their responses:
Read the rest of this entry
21st Century Democrats Position on the Bank Bailout
21st Century Democrats is outraged that the Bush-McCain Republican Party is willing to bail out Wall Street while they have done nothing for Main Street. However, we recognize that the problem has gotten so severe that something must be done.Therefore, we insist the following items be included in any bailout bill:
- NO BLANK CHECKS for the banking industry.
- PROTECT THE TAXPAYERS. Taxpayers should get ownership in a company equal to any amount paid in excess of the value of the bad debt. This will prevent profitable firms from using this bailout to get rid of their bad debt. It will insure that if the bailout works and the firms become profitable again, taxpayers – not simply bankers – benefit from the upside.
- HOLD CEOs ACCOUNTABLE. Any firm that wants a bailout must agree to hold CEO’s and Boards of Directors accountable – by firing them. Those held accountable should NEVER be given millions of dollars for overseeing failure.
- PUBLIC OVERSIGHT. An independent watchdog should oversee the public ownership of failing companies to ensure taxpayers recoup their investment. Members of this independent oversight entity should include workers and consumers and be approved by Congressional vote.
- ENACT REGULATIONS TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. Any bailout must contain stronger regulation to end the “casino culture” of Wall Street. Financial products based on speculation with no collateral of tangible assets should be prohibited.
- AID THE VICTIMS, NOT JUST THE PREDATORS. Since everyone is better off when working families avoid foreclosure, bankruptcy judges should be able to adjust the terms of the mortgages for families facing foreclosure so as many people as possible can stay in their homes.
- INVEST IN THE REAL ECONOMY. Any bill to bailout the big corporations should include major public investment in development of new sources of energy and energy conservation, rebuilding schools and infrastructure, extending unemployment and food stamps, and helping states avoid crippling cuts in police and health services.
- PROTECT CONSUMERS. Commercial banks that accept taxpayers’ money should be compelled to accept tough new restrictions no credit card and banking fees, credit card interest rates and predatory credit practices.
21st Century Democrats want financial common sense
Today I proudly added my name to the following letter:Every man, woman, and child in America is now being told to ante up $2000 – an estimated $700 billion in all – to bail out Wall Street’s recklessness, or the very people who created this crisis are telling us that they will bring down our entire economy.
The Treasury Department’s proposal that the Secretary be given essentially unlimited authority to spend $700 billion to bail out any financial institution across the world is irresponsible and unacceptable.
We urge the Congress to insist on some basic conditions for any bailout.
1. Public Oversight. This kind of power can never be centralized in a single individual – much less one who did not even stand for election. Any funds must be controlled by an independent entity, with consumers and workers given seats on its board. Congress should be empowered to name independent monitors and to approve all board members.
2. Protect the Taxpayer. The Treasury bill would have taxpayers buying paper that nobody else wants at prices far above its current value. If a firm wants to auction off its toxic paper to the US Government, taxpayers should get equity in that firm equal to any amount paid in excess of the paper’s value. This will deter profitable firms from using the government as a dumpster for their toxic paper. And it will insure that if the bailout works and the firms become profitable, taxpayers, not simply bankers, benefit from the upside.
3. Curb the casino. This crisis was caused because sensible regulations of the banking system that worked for dozens of years were dismantled or went unenforced. No bailout can go forward without requiring the necessary regulation to insure this does not happen again. Any institution, which receives assistance, should agree to come under a microscope going forward in terms of disclosure requirements, and it should have stringent capital requirement imposed upon it.
4. Invest in the real economy. Ending the bankers strike is not sufficient enough to avoid the recession into which we have been driven. Major public investment in new energy and conservation, rebuilding schools and infrastructure, extending unemployment and food stamps, helping states avoid crippling cuts in police and health services – is vital to get the real economy moving and put people back to work. No bailout should proceed without being linked to support for a major public investment plan to get the economy going.
5. Hold CEOs and Boards of Directors Accountable. Wall Street CEOs shouldn’t be pocketing millions while taxpayers are forced to bail them out. Any firm that applies for relief must agree to cancel all stock option programs and CEOs should have stringent limits placed on their compensation until the Company has repaid all taxpayer assistance.
6. Aid the victims, not just the predators. Both bankers and home owners made foolish bets that home prices would keep rising. Many homeowners, however, were misled by predatory lenders into taking mortgages that they didn’t understand and couldn’t afford. It would be simply obscene to help the predators and not those that they preyed upon. No bail out of the banks should take place without measures to help people in trouble stay in their homes. Explicit provisions should ensure use of the full array of financial and legal tools available to the government to stop foreclosures and restructure home mortgage loans for ordinary Americans, including amending the bankruptcy code to allow judges to modify mortgages. Where workouts are not feasible, people should be allowed to stay in their homes as renters.
We strongly believe that Main Street must be cared for before reckless Wall Street. We are closely watching the hearings and the bills being crafted to ensure that the American taxpayers are not picking up the tab for the fat cats and gamblers of American banks.
Highlights of endorsed candidates
With voters going to the polls in 6 weeks, we thought we'd highlight some of our candidates and the exciting things happening in their races.
GA-Sen: Jim Martin has a new ad out. It hits the economic populist message pretty well.
OK-Sen: Andrew Rice flashes a sense of urgency in this new ad.
NM-Sen: Tom Udall's latest ad is highly risible: and, in the latest poll, he's crushing Pearce.
Public Policy Polling (9/17-19, likely voters):
Tom Udall (D): 57
Steve Pearce (R): 37
(MoE: ±3%)
Presidential Bonus finding: In the Presidential race, Obama enjoys a 53-42 lead over McCain in New Mexico.
NH-Sen: Actor and avowed stem-cell research advocate Michael J. Fox will hold two events with Jeanne Shaheen tomorrow.
OR-Sen: The Portland-based Davis, Hibbitts & Midghall (9/11-14, registered voters):
Jeff Merkley (D): 39
Gordon Smith (R-inc): 42
Dave Brownlow (C): 4
Undecided: 16
(MoE: ±4.4%)
A Rasmussen poll released yesterday gave Smith a 1-point lead, and a Merkley internal poll from last week showed the incumbent trailing by three points.
OH-01, OH-15, OH-16: New SUSA Polls
Roll Call has commissioned SurveyUSA to conduct polls in Ohio's top four congressional races.
Let's take a look (9/19-21, likely voters):
OH-01:
Steve Driehaus (D): 44
Steve Chabot (R-inc): 46
Other: 6
(MoE: ±3.9%)
OH-15 (8/2-4 in parens):
Mary Jo Kilroy (D): 47 (47)
Steve Stivers (R): 42 (44)
Don Eckhart (I): 5 (7)
Mark Noble (L): 3
(MoE: ±4%)
OH-16:
John Boccieri (D): 49
Kirk Schuring (R): 41
(MoE: ±4%)
Decent looking numbers for Mary Jo Kilroy and especially John Boccieri.
Also looking good is Steve Driehaus, who could be poised to capitalize on Barack Obama's organization in this district. The Cincinnati-based 1st CD is 28% African-American, and Driehaus' hopes will rest in part on a strong turnout by these voters: if African-Americans make up only 26% of the vote on election day, Chabot's lead grows to 47-44, but if the black turnout pushes to 30%, the race is tied at 45-45.
FL-24: New Poll Shows a Dead Heat
Hamilton Campaigns for Suzanne Kosmas (9/11-14, likely voters, May in parens):
Suzanne Kosmas (D): 42 (37)
Tom Feeney (R-inc): 43 (51)
Gaurav Bhola (I): 1 (-)
Undecided: 14 (12)
Did I miss someone? Consider the comments your place to set me straight.
Conyers Confronts McCain Over Voter Suppresion in Michigan
Earlier today, Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. demanded that John McCain put a stop to a Michigan GOP plot to prevent victims of the foreclosure crisis from voting in the November elections:
The Republican Party has had a long record of blocking eligible voters from voting. In the past two Presidential elections, the country witnessed appalling efforts to limit voter participation in Ohio, Florida and throughout the country. It is beyond disgraceful that the Republican Party now seems to be targeting those who are suffering the most. It appears that individuals who can’t recall how many houses they own don’t understand how awful it is to lose your home to foreclosure, and don’t know that you don’t need to own property to vote in the United States of America. It should surprise no one that the people who gave us the worst economy since the Great Depression would now want to prevent those victimized by this economy from voting in the coming elections. Senator McCain needs to step forward now and halt the Republican Party’s efforts to profit politically from the economic misery of others.
Grassroots Report: Montana
Here in the state with the biggest sky I have ever seen (really!), we have 4 senior organizers who have been on the ground since the first week of September. Our program is called “Big Sky! Big Win!” They are covering Missoula, Helena, Butte, Bozeman and Billings. We will be hiring 5 additional organizers to work on the Native American reservations across the state in October.
We’re also fortunate to work with 6 Montana Federation of Teachers/Montana Education Association retiree organizers who are engaged with speaking directly to teachers and coordinating with other local union members in nearly every one of the 57 counties in the state.
Big Sky! Big Win! is all about identifying supporters early and making sure we get them out to polls on election day. We are working to add 10,000 voters to our “Yes List” in September and another 10,000 voters in the first three weeks of October. We do this so that our targeted campaigns have identified supporters to get to the polls on Election Day, certainly, but also to encourage people to begin the early vote process which starts October 6th.
Our organizers have hit the ground running. Just a couple of quick anecdotes from our organizers:
Eli, who is working in the Billings area, has already personally called hundreds of supporters and he organized volunteers who talked to 250 voters last night alone. They identified 45 people who said “Yes, I am going to vote for…” Eli is also meeting with local elected officials, labor union leaders and key members of Montana Conservation groups.
Olivia, who works the Missoula area, coordinated a joint literature drop over the weekend that delivered our candidates’ information to 1,314 selected doors. They were able to round up several volunteers to make calls, identified good visibility locations and built a Yes List of 125 voters. She had also integrated our candidates activities with mainstream Obama events.
Lastly, John has worked extensively with the Superintendent of Schools and Attorney General candidates to recruit volunteers for their campaigns; set-up office space in the state capitol; coordinate with AFL-CIO staff; identify 32 volunteers to make calls with 14 people beginning immediately as well as finding 5 people to knock on doors in key precincts.
One funny note – We unknowingly called the Republican candidate for Governor, Roy Brown, and asked him to volunteers to make calls. I think we almost had him convinced!
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Big Sky! Big Win! is coordinating its efforts with the Montana Democratic Party Coordinated Campaign, the Obama operation along with the Governor and U.S. Senate Campaigns.
I just returned from the Montana a few days ago and I can honestly tell you that people there are excited about the Democratic ticket – but we need to make sure we harness their energy. We’re pleased to be in Montana working with our partners to win the state for the top of the ticket, increase Democratic margins the State House and Senate and elect Steve Bullock (Attorney General), Linda McCulloch (Secretary of State) and Denise Juneau (Superintendent of Public Instruction) to statewide office.
Check back soon for the latest information on all our activities in Montana and across the country!
UPDATED: Here is a nice writeup by the Billings Gazette about Steve Bullock, our candidate for Attorney General
Join the 21 Club!
Yesterday we opened our 21 Club to everyone who wants to cut through the media spin and BS and just wants honest updates from the ground.21 Club Membership Includes:
- Monthly Insider’s Memo – Insider’s progress report about the situation on the ground
- Monthly Strategy Session – Special conference call with 21st Century Dems’ Leadership team
- Quarterly Congressional Call – Conference call with a progressive Member of Congress
- Event Access – Complimentary access to all 21st Century Dems’ events and trainings
- Recognition – Recognition on our website and in promotional materials
McCain Flip-Flops on Bank Regulation
Everybody aboard the McCain-Palin Express to the land of cognitive dissonance. As our government scrambles to keep the country’s largest insurance company, AIG, from collapsing, John “I’m always for less regulation” McCain is calling for more government regulation.
“Now hold on,” you might say.
Isn’t this the John McCain who, told the Wall Street Journal “I am a fundamentally a deregulator,” just a few months ago?
Or, hasn’t John McCain been out on the campaign trail arguing that tax cuts and less regulation are the keys to fixing our economy?
Or, isn’t one of McCain’s top economic advisers Phil Gramm – the guy who call Americans, “a nation of whiners,” and authored the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act to strip regulations that could have helped prevent this mess?
Or, didn’t Barack Obama warn us about this crisis and call for regulatory reform back in March?
Well, John McCain doesn’t care if the answer to all these questions is YES, because he’s running for president, and – in case you hadn’t noticed – he’s not going to let little things like “facts” or “the truth” keep him from winning the White House. It’ll be interesting to see how he tries to spin himself into a champion for regulation, considering he has a 30-year history of supporting deregulation at almost every opportunity. Also, this might be the appropriate time to reintroduce the Keating Five scandal, as a pretty strong example of a time where McCain used his power as a United States Senator to block the government from regulating a company making bad investments with other people’s money.
If you have some time, do yourself a favor and watch/read Barack Obama’s March 27th speech on “Renewing the American Economy.” It’s nice to have a candidate whose thoughts on our economy extend beyond, “Drill Baby Drill.”
Daily Obama Ad: "Plan for Change"
Aren’t political ad’s suppose to have dark montages of your opponent with a menacing voice-over?
Update: Lose Your House, Lose Your Vote?
Last week we heard about a plot by the Michigan GOP to prevent victims of the housing crisis from voting.
Thankfully, it appears that the Democrats are fighting back. From ABC News:
The Obama campaign and DNC have filed an injunction in federal court as an effort to challenge what they deem as illegal voter suppression of people whose houses are in foreclosure.
The injunction is in response to the comments last week from the Macomb County (MI) Republican Party chairman, James Carabelli, who allegedly said: “We will have a list of foreclosed homes and will make sure people aren’t voting from those addresses.”
On a conference call with reporters, Bob Bauer, general counsel for the Obama campaign, said this practice is illegal and would be used to intimidate and prevent people from going to the polls.
Members of Jobs for Justice and ACORN tried to deliver a letter of complaint to the McCain Campaign’s Midwest HQ, but we’re told that their letter would not accept by the campaign and that they needed to move their cars from “private property.” Not surprisingly, the McCain camps’ headquarters are housed in the office building of foreclosure specialists Trott & Trott, who’s founder, David A. Trott, has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for McCain.
More from the Michigan Messenger, here and here.
Urban Youth Initiative - September Update
Mark Watson, Deputy National Political Director, hits some of the highlights of our recent trainings and what the near future holds.
This video has all the background and we have blog posts with photos on all of our trainings if you are interested in seeing how each of them have gone.
We offer these trainings free-of-charge to participants. If you'd like to see us expand our offerings, kick in a few bucks to help us cover our expenses.
The Urban Youth Initiative Sharpens Focus in the Garden State
With 51 days left to Election Day, I must confess some trepidation with the way things are looking in the polls. As a relatively seasoned political operative, I am well aware of their capricious nature. However, by introducing Sarah Palin, it appears the McCain Presidential campaign has created a timely shift in our national focus from issues to personalities; this could hurt Democratic Party plans to elect the Obama/Biden ticket.To counter this, we absolutely must refocus voters attention to the facts that matter, to put our eyes back on the prize, and win key battleground states by talking to voters. And so, it was quite reassuring for 21st Century Democrats Urban Youth Initiative to witness a highly disciplined political organization put together by our congressional partner US Rep. Donald Payne.
What a great training session! Of all the cities we've traveled to, I have to say that Congressman Payne's group of trainees were among the most engaged we've observed. Participants were extremely interactive with our presenters - VP for Political Affairs Dan Lucas, National Field and Training Director Wendy Davis (as usual guys, great job), and yours truly. Significantly enough, one of the trainees was Congressman Payne himself, seated there throughout the day-long session asking questions and taking notes!
That's right folks, TAKING NOTES.
Here is a man who has been in the US Congress for 20 years and local politics for considerably longer, wise enough to understand that you never know everything and you cannot lead from behind. He, his staff and forty-five youthful and highly disciplined district leaders repeatedly queried our staff on how to target and talk with voters to refocus their attention back to issues that matter. Our training manuals were so marked up during the session, it reminded us of a committee markup on Capitol Hill. Of course, these future leaders were well aware of the historic nature of the election but, as importantly, were keenly aware of the dramatic need to take the GOP seriously by actively employing the strategies and tactics we discussed during the day.
Kudos to Stephanie Gidigbi of Rep. Payne's staff, without whom we would not have been able to conduct the event. Great job, Steph, and thank you for your pleasant professionalism.
But-most of all-thanks to Congressman Donald Payne for showing us how it's done.
We're now on our way to Chicago to join Reps. Danny Davis and Jesse Jackson, Jr. for training in their respective districts. Lets keep our awareness up, our determination singular, and we can make this thing happen. Until next report, see you on the road!
Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.
New Obama Ad: "Honor"
It’s about time John McCain got called out on television for his dishonest and dishonorable campaign:Update: You know you’re playing dirty politics when Karl Rove thinks you’ve crossed the line (Note: beyond the 100% truth test = LIE):
Lose Your House, Lose Your Vote?
Nervous about the November elections, Republicans are turning to one of their oldest and most successful election season tactics: voter suppression. From the Michigan Messenger:
The chairman of the Republican Party in Macomb County Michigan, a key swing county in a key swing state, is planning to use a list of foreclosed homes to block people from voting in the upcoming election as part of the state GOP’s effort to challenge some voters on Election Day.
“We will have a list of foreclosed homes and will make sure people aren’t voting from those addresses,” party chairman James Carabelli told Michigan Messenger in a telephone interview earlier this week. He said the local party wanted to make sure that proper electoral procedures were followed.
This is disgusting and un-American. Not only have the Republicans fought tooth and nail against restrictions on predatory lending that may have helped prevent the foreclosure crisis, but now they want to victimize the people who have lost their homes a second time by denying them their right to vote. And that’s not all…
The Macomb County party’s plans to challenge voters who have defaulted on their house payments is likely to disproportionately affect African-Americans who are overwhelmingly Democratic voters. More than 60 percent of all sub-prime loans — the most likely kind of loan to go into default — were made to African-Americans in Michigan, according to a report issued last year by the state’s Department of Labor and Economic Growth.
21st Century Democrats has been working with State Rep. Andy Meisner, who is running for County Treasurer, to register new voters and increase turnout. Republicans want to make Michigan the Ohio of 2004 or the Florida of 2000, but they can’t if we don’t let them.
Please consider making a contribution to 21st Century Democrats’ Field Organizer Fund and help put more trained activists on the ground in Michigan to get our the vote for Democrats.
Andy Meisner with some volunteers at a parade this summer. As Oakland County Treasurer, Meisner will focus on protecting property values and preventing foreclosures.
On Washington, Presidential Politics and Grad School
Ellen Austin is a fellow at 21st Century Democrats and a graduate student at American UniversityThe past month has been an exciting one. Midway through August, I was finally able to move back to Washington, DC, where I have wanted to be since I left at the beginning of August last year. This move was particularly exciting given that we are in the midst of a historic election, and I can’t imagine a more dynamic place to be as the election moves into its final two months. The excitement has been accentuated as I began graduate study as a student of Applied Politics in the Department of Government at American University. Although I have only been a graduate student for a short time, I can say with a great deal of enthusiasm that I really enjoy what I am doing, and that there are a great number of incredible opportunities to take advantage of in this city. In addition to my work as a student, I wanted to gain practical experience that would complement what I was learning in the classroom. I have begun a fellowship with the Twenty-First Century Democrats, which has allowed me to gain a new perspective on elections at all levels. It is, like Washington itself, a particularly exciting place to be at this time, and only increases my awareness of the importance of a Democratic victory in November.
As a graduate student in Politics, I spent my nights during the past few weeks eagerly watching the political drama unfold as Obama and McCain made their vice-presidential selections and the parties held their conventions, although I missed the text message from the Obama campaign at quarter after three in the morning announcing his selection of Senator Biden as his running mate. This choice was not nearly as surprising as McCain’s choice of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin almost a week later. I knew very little about Governor Palin at the time of the announcement, and can honestly say the more I learn, the more convinced I am that she is unqualified for the position and holds dangerous views on a broad range of issues that can only harm our nation should they become policy.
I was first upset at what I saw to be pandering to disaffected Hillary Clinton supporters. Her stances on issues stand in stark contrasts to those advocacted by Senator Clinton. Her references to the “cracks in the glass ceiling” in her first appearance with Senator McCain as the presumptive vice-presidential nominee felt disingenuous, mostly because her views would generally represent a step (or more) backward for females. Her speech at the Republican National Convention demonstrated that she is a skilled politician, but a number of the comments she made also showcased her disregard for the American people. Palin made a number of comments, including some outright lies, that were highly disturbing, among them mocking Senator Obama’s work as a community organizer. The same sentiment was also voiced by Former Mayor Guiliani earlier in the evening, and is a strong indicator of the Republican’s complete lack of concern for the American people. Community organizing has historically been, and continues to be, an important way for ordinary citizens to become involved in the political process, and has been instrumental in ushering in important changes in politics and society.
I will be watching attentively as the campaigns continue to unfold over the coming weeks and months, and will be doing everything I can to work for democratic victory in this historic election.
GOP and Earmarks: A Love-Hate Relationship
John McCain loves to rail against earmarks and the lawmakers who use them. But when it came to the single biggest decision of his campaign, selecting a running mate, he picked a politician that can’t get enough of them. Not only did Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin request and receive more earmark dollars per capita than any other governor in America, but she’s perfectly willing to lie about it. From TPM:
Update: This quick video is even clearer. It’s time we say, “thanks, but no thanks” to Sarah Palin and her dishonesty:
Upset Victory in Delaware – Grassroots Action Produces Results!
I’m pretty tired but delighted to say that our endorsed candidate Jack Markell is now the Democratic nominee for Governor of Delaware. Not content to “wait his turn” and just let the current Lt. Governor step up the ladder, Jack took on the establishment in his upset victory (the vote margin was only 1737 votes).| Candidate | ||
| Jack Markell | ||
| John Carney |
Have we mentioned that close election are won in the field? In addition to having a strong record as state treasurer and progressive plans to move Delaware forward, Jack put together a top notch campaign with a strong emphasis on voter contact. His hard-working and knowledgeable field staff was supplemented by an outstanding outreach effort by ACORN in Wilmington.
A critical element of field work is volunteer recruitment, and the Markell team did a remarkable job engaging and activating volunteers. On Election Day alone, 900 volunteers were working the polls, knocking on thousands of doors and making tens of thousands of calls. I can’t remember a campaign phone bank where the volunteers flooded in like I saw these past two days, and I was only seeing the main phone bank not the seven other locations across the state.
Usually the last three days of a campaign are full of stress and chaos; what was amazing was how together things remained (day and into the wee hours of the night). Besides being smart and professional, this field team had a well prepared GOTV plan, and they were intent on executing it. When a volunteer didn’t show up to greet voters at a polling place, no one panicked or shouted; the field organizer just got on the phone and convinced another volunteer to run out the door and cover that position. Did I mention that most of the field staff were young people working on their first or second campaigns?I worked most closely with the field director, Dana Rohrbough, and members the great field team in Wilmington - Chris Waters, Phill Davis, Sam Scharf, Dave Sammarco and Josh Schoenberg, and they had 8 other field staffers across the state who contributed strongly to their success. Bill Rose was the field organizer (who must have lost a rock-paper-scissors contest) was had to fetch me at the airport at midnight on Saturday night. Or maybe it was because his family was kind enough to host me in their home. His parents Bill (a professor at the University of Delaware) and Karen (an active Board Member with the Delaware Children’s Museum currently under development) were highly engaged campaign volunteers and delightful hosts. The three Rose sisters, Emily, Allison and Michelle, were kind enough to let me disrupt their normal sleeping patterns to accommodate my visit. Everyone on the Markell staff made me feel welcome and seemed happy to have me around to pitch in wherever needed during the GOTV crunch.
I was a utility infielder for the field team, and they did a great job of plugging me in to projects. I learned to use their voter file program to help print walk lists. I longed for the simplicity of the mapping function in Votebuilder/VAN that so many other campaigns are using as I struggled to highlight the targeted streets for the GOTV canvass. I fielded calls from voters looking for their polling places, assigned volunteers to tasks and helped organize the phone banks.
And let me repeat that I was floored by the tremendous turnout of volunteers for the phone calls. In our trainings, we instruct campaigns to recruit twice as many volunteers than phone lines because of drop off. The Markell team had all the seats filled and had to find space for folks to sit and make calls from their cell phones. In fact, I had worked to set up some calls from home/work for a handful of volunteers, and I ended up not having any lists to send them because the on-site volunteers were devouring the 30,000 calls we needed to make. In most cases, we called through the targeted lists two-three times.
My final task before the end of Election Day was to be a greeter at a polling place. My right hand volunteer of the day Jon and I had a great time chatting with voters and knew from their response that we were at least winning at our location. And let’s not forget that “Victory” Parties are always more fun when your candidate wins.
Let me return to the big picture to mention something I found shocking and disturbing - the Delaware Democratic Party spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in this Primary battle. If you know anything about me, I personally get involved in LOTS of Primary races, taking an active role in the selection of progressive candidate. Nonetheless, I think it is dead wrong to use Democratic Party funds in Primary campaigns. We should be fighting the GOP, not each other! I am very concerned, yet hopeful, about the work Jack has ahead of him in terms of rebuilding the Party.
There is nothing like the feeling of a great GOTV effort, and I so enjoyed playing a small part in this victory. Those who know me well can tell you that I have an odd capacity to work without much sleep. In a strange way, I thrive on the kind of pressure that one finds in such time constrained circumstances. Yesterday, I felt great even though I only had a couple of hours of sleep Monday night. Today, however, I’m feeling old and slow. After I figure out how to send the pictures from last night from my new phone, I have to run catch the train back to DC, so let me close for now.
New Hampshire Needs A New Senator
Cute web ad from the NHDP:
Help elect new leadership for New Hampshire. Contribute to the Shaheen Campaign today!
Markell Wins in Delaware!
Taxpayers Are Covering Sarah Palin’s Mortgage
One really has to wonder if the McCain campaign actually vetted Sarah Palin at all. Today, we learned that the Alaska governor was taking taxpayer money to live at home! From this morning's frontpage Washington Post article Palin Billed State for Nights Spent at Home:Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has billed taxpayers for 312 nights spent in her own home during her first 19 months in office, charging a "per diem" allowance intended to cover meals and incidental expenses while traveling on state business.Claiming a per diem to live at home may not have been technically illegal under Alaska law, but it is hardly ethical to accept money for staying in your own home. And hardly the type of behavior we should expect from a so-called “reformer,” a so-called "fiscal conservative," and a vice-presidential nominee. While many Americans are struggling to afford their mortgages and make ends meet, Sarah Palin was charging taxpayers over $892 a month in per diem expenses even when she was not traveling on state business. That's more than many of America's besieged homeowners pay each month on their mortgage.
The governor also has charged the state for travel expenses to take her children on official out-of-town missions. And her husband, Todd, has billed the state for expenses and a daily allowance for trips he makes on official business for his wife.
Palin, who earns $125,000 a year, claimed and received $16,951 as her allowance, which officials say was permitted because her official "duty station" is Juneau, according to an analysis of her travel documents by The Washington Post.
The more we learn about Gov. Palin the more her actions fail to match her words. Even today, she continues to lie about telling Congress "thanks, but no thanks" to the Bridge to Nowhere. She decries earmark spending, but has requested almost $750 million in federal dollars for Alaska (or more than $1,100 per resident -- by far the largest per-capita request in the nation), and as mayor of tiny Wasilla, Alaska she hired Washington lobbyist to secure more than $27 million in earmarks or about $2,500 per resident. Palin paints herself as a "maverick" crusader against corruption, but she spent years as director of indited Alaska Senator Ted Steven's shady 527 group.
We must confront Sarah Palin and John McCain as they continue to lie about who they are and what they stand for. They are wholehearted supporters of the disastrous policies of the Bush Administration and will not bring us the positive change our nation so desperately needs.
The Urban Youth Initiative Motors into Detroit
As the Deputy National Political Director for a nationally respected politcal action team like 21st Century Democrats, I felt a curious mix of pride and sadness upon my return to my hometown of Detroit, Michigan - the Motor City. While I was very excited to bring our Urban Youth Training Initiative home, I was anxious about the community's atitude after the very public resignation of Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick due to public misconduct.However, what I experienced both throughout the city and during our training was a forward-looking atitude of determination and a refusal to give in to despair. During our day long training session, our attendees displayed that same laser-like focus, peppering our instructors with questions that were probing and insightful. Their sincere enthusiasm represented a real desire to see a better city and nation for all of us, and we shared every bit of information we could provide. Our class members included political science students, community activists, and union organizers representing various races, religions and ethnic groups.
Each listened attentively as Congressman John Conyers, Chairman of the US House Committee on the Judiciary, Wendy Davis, our National Field and Training Director (top marks, Wendy!), Elizabeth Scroch, Patrick Schuh and yours truly, shared with them the importance of disregarding media hype and instead focusing on talking to voters through field planning, use of the voter file, targeting, message development, voter contact strategies, phone and field canvassing and GOTV.
Over the years I've learned that if you want to measure how engaged a group of event attendees have been, observe whether they immediately head for the exits or stop and talk with presenters at the event's conclusion. We were delighted to be approached by a majority of the trainees, in almost reception line-like formation, thanking us for the information we shared and how helpful it was. One individual even invited us to present to her organization of over a thousand activists whom she insisted have not received this level of detailed campaign training material. Check out our pictures from the training on our website and get a feel for the session's energy. What a great event and what a great rebirth for the city of Detroit-my home, and our nation.
I'd like to thank Elizabeth Scroch and Patrick Schuh of ISSI for their invaluable presentations,it was certainly a pleasure working with you both. Well, its on to New Jersey and Brooklyn this weekend to join our congressional partners US Reps. Donald Payne, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa and Yvette Clarke, respectively. I'll make sure to report to you on how things go there. Until then, YES WE CAN!!
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Merkley's new ad: Cut Middle Class Taxes, End Tax Breaks for Companies Shipping Jobs Overseas
An excellent ad from Jeff Merkley highlighting how the Republicans, especially Gordon Smith, back policies that cost Americans jobs!August Political Report
Listen to Dan Lucas, VP for Political Affairs, explain how 21st Century Democrats is working in key states for crucial Democratic pick ups.
More From Senator Obama on Community Organizing
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Sarah Palin on Community Organizing
Apparently Sarah Palin doesn’t think community organizers have “real responsibilities.” In a speech that probably made Karl Rove blush with pride, the Alaska Governor sarcastically demeaned the importance of grassroots activism and slandered Senator Obama’s distinguished record of public service:I guess Palin’s contempt for community organizing isn’t so surprising considering the Governor and her party has consistantly sided with big business and moneyed interests over working people and fair governance. In her mind, the men and women who fought for adoption of the 19th Amendment and the Americans who struggled and bled to pass the the Civil Rights Act did not have “real responsibilities.”
Update: Some responses to Gov. Palin’s remarks from the folks at Think Progress
Republicans lie at the convention to distract Americans from their horrible record
Because it is so good, I've copied this article in full:Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and her Republican supporters held back little Wednesday as they issued dismissive attacks on Barack Obama and flattering praise on her credentials to be vice president. In some cases, the reproach and the praise stretched the truth.
Some examples:
PALIN: "I have protected the taxpayers by vetoing wasteful spending ... and championed reform to end the abuses of earmark spending by Congress. I told the Congress 'thanks but no thanks' for that Bridge to Nowhere."
THE FACTS: As mayor of Wasilla, Palin hired a lobbyist and traveled to Washington annually to support earmarks for the town totaling $27 million. In her two years as governor, Alaska has requested nearly $750 million in special federal spending, by far the largest per-capita request in the nation. While Palin notes she rejected plans to build a $398 million bridge from Ketchikan to an island with 50 residents and an airport, that opposition came only after the plan was ridiculed nationally as a "bridge to nowhere."
PALIN: "There is much to like and admire about our opponent. But listening to him speak, it's easy to forget that this is a man who has authored two memoirs but not a single major law or reform — not even in the state senate."
THE FACTS: Compared to McCain and his two decades in the Senate, Obama does have a more meager record. But he has worked with Republicans to pass legislation that expanded efforts to intercept illegal shipments of weapons of mass destruction and to help destroy conventional weapons stockpiles. The legislation became law last year. To demean that accomplishment would be to also demean the work of Republican Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana, a respected foreign policy voice in the Senate. In Illinois, he was the leader on two big, contentious measures in Illinois: studying racial profiling by police and requiring recordings of interrogations in potential death penalty cases. He also successfully co-sponsored major ethics reform legislation.
PALIN: "The Democratic nominee for president supports plans to raise income taxes, raise payroll taxes, raise investment income taxes, raise the death tax, raise business taxes, and increase the tax burden on the American people by hundreds of billions of dollars."
THE FACTS: The Tax Policy Center, a think tank run jointly by the Brookings Institution and the Urban Institute, concluded that Obama's plan would increase after-tax income for middle-income taxpayers by about 5 percent by 2012, or nearly $2,200 annually. McCain's plan, which cuts taxes across all income levels, would raise after tax-income for middle-income taxpayers by 3 percent, the center concluded.
Obama would provide $80 billion in tax breaks, mainly for poor workers and the elderly, including tripling the Earned Income Tax Credit for minimum-wage workers and higher credits for larger families.
He also would raise income taxes, capital gains and dividend taxes on the wealthiest. He would raise payroll taxes on taxpayers with incomes above $250,000, and he would raise corporate taxes. Small businesses that make more than $250,000 a year would see taxes rise.
MCCAIN: "She's been governor of our largest state, in charge of 20 percent of America's energy supply ... She's responsible for 20 percent of the nation's energy supply. I'm entertained by the comparison and I hope we can keep making that comparison that running a political campaign is somehow comparable to being the executive of the largest state in America," he said in an interview with ABC News' Charles Gibson.
THE FACTS: McCain's phrasing exaggerates both claims. Palin is governor of a state that ranks second nationally in crude oil production, but she's no more "responsible" for that resource than President Bush was when he was governor of Texas, another oil-producing state. In fact, her primary power is the ability to tax oil, which she did in concert with the Alaska Legislature. And where Alaska is the largest state in America, McCain could as easily have called it the 47th largest state — by population.
MCCAIN: "She's the commander of the Alaska National Guard. ... She has been in charge, and she has had national security as one of her primary responsibilities," he said on ABC.
THE FACTS: While governors are in charge of their state guard units, that authority ends whenever those units are called to actual military service. When guard units are deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan, for example, they assume those duties under "federal status," which means they report to the Defense Department, not their governors. Alaska's national guard units have a total of about 4,200 personnel, among the smallest of state guard organizations.
FORMER ARKANSAS GOV. MIKE HUCKABEE: Palin "got more votes running for mayor of Wasilla, Alaska than Joe Biden got running for president of the United States."
THE FACTS: A whopper. Palin got 616 votes in the 1996 mayor's election, and got 909 in her 1999 re-election race, for a total of 1,525. Biden dropped out of the race after the Iowa caucuses, but he still got 76,165 votes in 23 states and the District of Columbia where he was on the ballot during the 2008 presidential primaries.
FORMER MASSACHUSETTS GOV. MITT ROMNEY: "We need change, all right — change from a liberal Washington to a conservative Washington! We have a prescription for every American who wants change in Washington — throw out the big-government liberals, and elect John McCain and Sarah Palin."
THE FACTS: A Back-to-the-Future moment. George W. Bush, a conservative Republican, has been president for nearly eight years. And until last year, Republicans controlled Congress. Only since January 2007 have Democrats have been in charge of the House and Senate.
Less than 4 in 10 Oregonians approve of Gordon Smith
According to a SurveyUSA poll, Gordon Smith has an approval rating of 38%. That's horrible for an incumbent. In fact, 52% disapprove of the job he is doing. Luckily for Oregonians, they have an excellent replacement for him in Jeff Merkley. Merkley has spent his career fighting to provide opportunities for working class and low-income people. Speaker Merkley is committed to strengthening education by fully funding public schools and making college more affordable. In the Senate, he will fight for universal access to affordable, quality health care coverage and work to establish a National Nurse Service Corps to help solve our country’s nursing crisis. He will protect our natural environment and move America toward energy independence by investing in new technologies and reducing emissions. Merkley was the first U.S. Senate candidate to sign onto “A Responsible Plan to End the War in Iraq” and once elected he will work diligently to bring our troops home.So get on over to Merkley's website and offer your help. It is clear that Oregonians must replace Gordon Smith and Jeff Merkley is just the man to truly represent the people of Oregon in the US Senate.
And in related news, as we've mentioned on this blog before, but is now getting national attention, Gordon Smith took $10,000 from indicted Senator Ted Stevens and used it to repay personal loans. Oh the corruption in the Republican vein runs deep.
Ann Kirkpatrick dominates in primary victory
21st Century Democrats congratulates endorsee, Ann Kirkpatrick, in her dominating victory in the Arizona 1st Congressional District primary yesterday.Here are the results (Source: AZ Secretary of State - 392 of 392 Precincts Reporting)
Democratic Primary Results | ||
| Ann Kirkpatrick | 24,197 | 47.3% |
| Mary Kim Titla | 16,625 | 32.5% |
| Howard Shanker | 7,329 | 14.3 % |
| Jud Brown | 3,041 | 5.9 % |
Republican Primary Results | ||
| Sydney Hay | 16,120 | 38.8% |
| Sandra Livingstone | 14,332 | 24.5% |
| Tom Hansen | 7,180 | 17.3 % |
| Barry Hall | 2,506 | 6.0% |
| Preston Korn | 1,462 | 3.5 % |
What's even more exciting is that Democratic votes totaled 51,192, while Republicans were nearly 10,000 votes behind with only 41,600. Even in John McCain's backyard (well, one of seven anyway) Democrats are more energized and excited about this election than the Republicans.
Andrew Rice is a grassroots campaigner at heart
Watch Andrew Rice in his video explaining that he likes to knock on doors and talk with voters unlike his opponent!Go to People before Politics to share your story and to help out.
Frank Kratovil picks up a key endorsement
21st Century Democrats endorsee, Frank Kratovil, picked up a vital endorsement today. Rep. Wayne T. Gilchrest, ousted after nine terms in a bitter Republican primary campaign last winter, decided to endorse Kratovil because he needed to put country over partisanship. The Daily Kos has the complete story.
PresidentialData.org
To find out, visit:
www.PresidentialData.org
Jeanne Shaheen's New Ad - Can You Dig It?
Forgive the bad pun, I’m still recovering from 2 weeks in Denver. Nice TV spot from New Hampshire with a humorous visual and a serious message:
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