Stand Up! Take Action! Vote!
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From David Swanson
July 5, 2010
What it means: The Peace Movement’s Progress.
How it worked: Democrats Forced to Cheat to Fund War .
What it looked like: Live Blog of the Vote .
How they voted on the Rule that allowed the war escalation funding to move forward.
Progressive Democrats Sonoma County
Monthly General Meeting
Special Guest Speaker!
NORMAN SOLOMON, syndicated columnist & PDA National Board member
Where Do We Go From Here?
Progressive politics this fall and beyond
Wednesday, July 14
6:30 pm
French Garden Restaurant
8050 Bodega Avenue
Sebastopol, CA
Here is a video of a recent interview of Norman Solomon on C-Span’s Washington Journal. He discusses President Obama’s relationship with the progressive & liberal wings of the Democratic Party, unaffiliated liberals, and the Political Left:
By David Swanson
WarIsACrime.org
June 29, 2010
Whether an organization opposes a war is not simply a yes or no question. Does it profess opposition when cornered and asked, or does it go all out organizing events, phone calls, press conferences, and civil disobedience? Is the organization a media outlet with multiple views? Does it oppose wars but muddle the issue with unhelpful amendments and rhetoric? How much opposition amounts to opposition?
Nonetheless, it has become clear that many groups opposed wars in significant ways when Bush was president and have not done so since. Additionally, the coalition that opposed the “emergency” war funding bill last year seems to have shrunk considerably by the time this year’s “emergency” war escalation bill came around. It’s not too late to change that, and most of last year’s war opponents jumped on with a statement at the last moment. That may happen again in the coming days.
David Swanson
June 29, 2010
Published by AfterDowningStreet.org.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, who will openly tell you he does whatever President Obama and Speaker Pelosi instruct, can bring the war escalation funding to the House floor despite the opposition of Appropriations Chairman David Obey. This is because the House passed the bill without the war escalation funding and sent it to the Senate, which has now sent it back to the House.
1) HNW co-chair, Donna Smith,upated us on the Declaration of
Health Independence and talked about some upcoming events including the Washington, DC Brown Bag Lunch Vigil.
2) Katie Robbins from Healthcare-NOW! joined us to talk about
plans for the upcoming US Social Forum.
3) Eve of Brown Bag Lunch Vigil updates.
4) State Medicare for All updates.
The team welcomed Danna Moore from Future 500 to discuss the organization’s efforts to recruit businesses to join in the effort for sound climate legislation. In addition, we discussed the role of the EPA in regulating CO2 and recent attempts to gut the Clean Air Act, the bill which gives the EPA the authority to regulate air quality.
While the EPA is neither the best mechanism, nor does it have the ability to entirely address the climate crisis, it is in the position to begin the process and could produce the same or better results than the short term goals of the current legislation under consideration.
Also included: an update on our legislative strategy, the Cleveland Grassroots Leadership Conference, and Mountain-top mining.
With $2 BILLION in Sonoma County taxes going to pay for the wars in Iraq & Afghanistan, participating in a monthly Brown Bag Lunch Vigil to stop the escalation and funding for wars is an act of community support.
CLICK HERE to learn more about the Cost of War and what that $$$ could be used for instead.
CLICK HERE to learn more about the Brown Bag Lunch Vigils and how WE can help to End War & Occupations by sending a consistent message to our Congressperson to stop funding wars, set firm dates for complete withdrawal, and dismantle corporate influence over our government.
CLICK HERE to Read More about the CA State Democratic Party Resolution to “End the U.S. Occupation and Air War in Afghanistan”.
Santa Rosa, CA
June 16, 2010
Dear Representative Woolsey,
It’s like a trick of misdirection, except that instead of a magician distracting an audience from seeing how the legerdemain is accomplished, we’re living through Congress deflecting our attention from important domestic issues over to patches on a system that is ready to burst.
Instead of enacting health insurance reforms that would have been fiscally responsible, ethical, and humane—such as Medicare for All with a single-payer system—we’re faced with the president and Congress telling us that to balance our budget we need to make cuts in two of the only programs in our country that offer protection to those who most need it: Medicare and Social Security.
1) On this call we had a DC Update: The supplemental war spending vote is expected at any time. Featured guest: Mike Darner, United States Congress Legislative Director for Rep. John Conyers, Jr.
2) We Introduced the launch of the PDA vets for peace working group. We had representatives from Iraq Vets against the War and Veterans for Peace. The objective is to add the voices of progresive veterans to PDA’s on-going educational, electoral and legislative campaigns.
Now that health insurance reform has become law, PDA is taking the fight for Medicare for All single-payer health insurance to the states. In this episode, Tim Carpenter interviews Chuck Pennacchio, Healthcare4AllPA Director and Ben Day, MassCare Director about the single-payer efforts in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts. Produced by David Pakman of Midweek Politics http://www.midweekpolitics.com/
June 13, 2010
Norman Solomon, Syndicated Columnist & Progressive Democrats of America, National Board Member, discusses President Obama’s relationship with the progressive & liberal wings of the Democratic Party, unaffiliated liberals, and the Political Left.
Washington, DC
Gail Russell Chaddock
June 11, 2010
Take Action: End the Afghanistan war in 10 minutes or less
Published by The Christian Science Monitor
Congress faces a formidable summer agenda on issues ranging from an overhaul of financial regulation to oversight of the Gulf oil spill. But nothing is as wrenching for the Democratic majority as upcoming votes to fund the surge of US forces in Afghanistan.
Most of the more than $1 trillion to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan passed the Congress as “emergency” spending–that is, funded off-budget. In the Bush years, these were typically big, bipartisan votes, with Republican votes a given.
David Swanson
June 11, 2010, Charlottesville, NC
Take Action: Eat lunch for peace—become a brown-bagger
Local Focus: Cost of War to Sonoma County
During the past five years since I moved back to Charlottesville, Virginia, I had yet to observe the slightest violent incident, prior to the recent spree of horrific mass murders. There was crime, but I hadn’t ever seen it. I had only heard about it in the local media. First there was a young woman picked up hitch hiking and murdered. That was many months ago now. Then there was a man from Charlottesville attacked out of the blue up in the mountains, not actually in Charlottesville. Most recently, a University of Virginia student was alleged to have killed his girlfriend; this made national news, apparently because they were both Lacrosse players.
Conservation Council for Hawai’i
June 11, 2010, Honolulu, HI
Join PDA’s Stop Global Warming/Environmental Issue Organizing Team (IOT); learn more here .
A broad coalition of elected officials and community leaders, representing over 100,000 residents throughout Hawai’i, are calling for the U.S. Senate to pass a comprehensive climate and clean energy bill this year. Hawai’i imports about 45 million barrels annually and burns over 5 million gallons of oil per day to meet roughly 90 percent of its current energy needs. It costs nearly $10 million daily to buy this oil—money that simply leaves the state. On average, each Hawai’i resident produces approximately 18 tons of carbon dioxide each year.
Wednesday, June 9. 2010
Reactions to yesterday’s election results include exhilarating highs and disappointing lows. Local & Statewide election results will not be certified until July 9. Ballots are still being counted. Semi-official results are posted here .
In Marcy Winograd’s note today to her supporters she states in regard to her lost Congressional bid, “We are building a movement — and change will come.” And that is the theme of tonight’s program at our regular monthly meeting, as we feature:
Howard Zinn: You Can’t Be Neutral on a Moving Train
By Marcy Winograd
June 9, 2010, Marina del Rey, CA
Jane Harman won the primary in California’s 36th district with 58.79% of the vote. Marcy Winograd received a respectable 41.21%. Marcy sent the following note to her campaign supporters this morning:
Dear Friends & Supporters,
Thank you for everything—for your generous donations, for your nationwide phone banking, for your tireless precinct walking in our district. We are building a movement—and change will come.
Remembering. Learning. Changing the Reality.
Healthcare NOT Warfare
“If other eyes grow dull, other hands slack, and other hearts cold in the solemn trust, ours shall keep it well as long as the light and warmth of life remain to us.” Gen. John Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic wrote in his general orders prior to the first observance of Memorial Day on May 30, 1868.
Are the words above any less true if spoken about the struggle to stop funding more war, or for healthcare for all, than when spoken about the sacrifice and courage of soldiers? This Memorial Day, let’s pause to recall all of the heroes who fight with every ounce of energy and often with tremendous human suffering to end the great injustices of our day.
Interview from Friday May 25th 2010. Thom speaks with Tim Carpenter, David Pakman, and Chris Collins all live at WHMP, plus anything goes Friday.
David Swanson, WarIsACrime.org
May 29, 2010
Take Action: Tell Congress: No Money for War
Published by AfterDowningStreet.org
Sixty-six congressional candidates and 24 national organizations are opposing any more funding for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, no matter what unrelated measures are packaged into the same bill, and no matter whether the bill appears likely to pass or not. This position contrasts strongly with that of most incumbent congress members who “oppose” and “criticize” the wars.
May 25, 2010
Dear PDA and Progressive Allies
Not even the massive oil slick growing in the Gulf of Mexico has been able to divert attention from SB 1070, the outrageous new law signed by Arizona Governor Jan Brewer on April 24.
In this timely episode of The Agitator: Voices of PDA, we focus on the thorny subject of immigration reform.
Linda Milazzo
May 24, 2010
Take Action: Join Marcy’s virtual phone bank!
Americans spoke out loudly this past Tuesday. In two of the nation’s most anticipated primaries, the Sestak vs. Specter Democratic primary in Pennsylvania and the Paul vs. Greyson Republican primary in Kentucky, the party underlings defeated their party leaders’ choices and demolished the status quo. On the Democratic side, despite the full throttle barrage for Specter by Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey and Governor Ed Rendell, Congressional upstart Joe Sestak beat three decade incumbent Arlen Specter by 54 to 46 percent.
In Kentucky, political neophyte, libertarian extremist, and tea party enthusiast, Rand Paul, clobbered the hand picked candidate of Senator Mitch McConnell, the most powerful Republican in D.C. The results of both elections send an earsplitting message to the leadership of America’s two dominant parties, that warns: ‘Your choices, endorsements and power don’t matter. We’re electing who WE want.’
A discussion of the Kerry-Lieberman climate legislation discussion draft took place as well as the politics of its passage. In addition, Kathy Callan and James Handley reported on their recent visits to the Hill where they attended sixteen meetings, including meeting with the staff from Senate Majority Leader Reid, Speaker of the House Pelosi, and Rep. John Larsen, sponsor of HR 1337: America’s Energy Security Trust Fund Act of 2009, which PDA has endorsed. A discussion about the Deep Horizon oil gusher in the Gulf also occurred. The team voted on and passed their Legislative Advocacy Plan.
We are an affiliated chapter of Progressive Democrats of America (PDA)
MOVIE NIGHT!
The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers
NOTE: Early start time for Wednesday’s meeting, in order that we may enjoy Movie Night and still have time for an endorsement meeting to follow.
PDSonoma meets the 2nd Wednesday of every month except December.
New Members and Guests Always Welcome!
Refreshments can be ordered and enjoyed in our meeting room. Please arrive early if you wish to order refreshments.
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