Blogswarm - Online Political News Magazine

Dear ACTivist:

There are just 10 Saturdays left until Election Day 2004.  With so much on the line this year, none of us can afford to let a single day pass without doing something to make an impact.  

Start tomorrow by spending a few hours in your community at an Election Action Day event. 

Take ACTion this weekend!  Find a local event here.

Why ACT tomorrow?  Because in just 73 days, Americans will go to the polls to decide our future.  And it's not just about the presidential election, there are hundreds of elections -- federal, state and local races in key battleground states -- that will determine America's course for years to come.  Despite the high stakes and deep passions, so many Americans are still waiting for a reason to vote, waiting for that knock on the door or to be handed an absentee ballot application.  Simple things that have a huge impact.

The #1 reason people don't vote is because they've never been asked to.  It's our job to reach these people.  This is what Election Action Day is all about. 

Tomorrow, 55 ACT offices will be open and eager for you to walk in and start making a difference.  Huge canvass teams will take to the streets, phone banks will be at work in dozens of cities, and hundreds of other grassroots events will be held across the country. 

Please find an event in your area now, invite your friends, get your family involved and turn your passion for change into ACTion on the ground.  Millions of voters are waiting for you. 

There are only 73 days left.  What are you waiting for?  Find local Election Action Day events now.

If you can't make it tomorrow in person, please consider making an impact by supporting the ACT canvassers and organizers who will be leading the way, as they do every single day.  Every dollar you contribute to ACT will be put to work right away funding direct voter contacts in the targeted precincts we need to win on November 2nd.

Please pledge your support to ACT today.

Thank you for your hard work and dedication,

Ellen Malcolm
President
America Coming Together

PS.  Tickets are on sale tomorrow for the Vote For Change Tour!  Buy your tickets at Ticketmaster:  http://www.ticketmaster.com/voteforchange/

 

Paid for by America Coming Together (ACT) and not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

Contributions to ACT are not deductible for federal income tax purposes.

Tickets are available through TicketMaster for most markets; to buy tickets, go to:

http://www.ticketmaster.com/voteforchange/

A few venues will be served by MetroTix or Tickets.com, so if you don't find what you're looking for on TicketMaster, try there. Remember, the purchase of Vote for Change tickets means you're making a contribution to America Coming Together, a great organization running the largest get-out-the-vote program in history this fall.

And stay tuned: we'll be offering folks on this list other ways of getting concert tickets in the months ahead.

Sincerely,
--Eli Pariser
  MoveOn PAC
  August 20th, 2004

P.S. We’ll have more information on the pre-sales for John Mellencamp’s shows early next week. We’ll keep you posted.

P. P.S. Here’s the on-sale info:

UPDATED VOTE FOR CHANGE TOUR DATES & ON SALE INFORMATION BY LINEUP. Please note some dates/venues have changed.

All dates on sale August 21 at 10 am except where noted.

(A) denotes exceptions

Pearl Jam/Death Cab for Cutie:

Friday, Oct. 1 Reading at Sovereign Center on sale 8/21 @ 10 AM

Saturday, Oct. 2 Toledo at Sports Arena on sale 8/21 @ 10 AM

Sunday, Oct. 3 Grand Rapids at Delta Plex 8/21 @ 10 AM

Tuesday, Oct. 5 St. Louis at the Fox Theater 8/21 @ 10 AM

Wednesday, Oct. 6 Asheville at the Civic Center 8/21 @ 10 AM

Friday, Oct. 8 Kissimmee at Silver Spurs Arena 8/21 @ 10 AM

Dave Matthews Band/ Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals Jurassic 5/My Morning Jacket/:

(A) Friday, Oct. 1 State College at Bryce Jordan, on sale 9/2 @ 4PM

(A) Saturday, Oct. 2 Dayton at the Nutter Center, on sale 8/28 @ 10AM

(A) Sunday, Oct. 3 Detroit at the Palace of Auburn Hills, on sale 8/28 @ 10AM

(A) Tuesday, Oct. 5 Madison at Kohl Center, on sale 9/3 @ 10AM

(A) Wednesday, Oct. 6 Ames at the Hilton Coliseum, on sale 8/28 @ 10AM

(A) Friday, Oct. 8 Gainesville at the O'Connell Center (My Morning Jacket will not perform), on sale 8/28 @ 10AM

Jackson Browne/Bonnie Raitt/ Keb' Mo':

(A) Monday, Sept. 27 Seattle at McGraw Hall on sale 8/20 @ 10 AM

(A) Wednesday, Sept. 29 Phoenix at Cricket Pavilion w/ special guests Jack Johnson and Crosby, Stills, and Nash, on sale TBA

Friday, Oct. 1 Erie at the Warner Theater on sale 8/21 @ 10 AM

Saturday, Oct. 2 Cincinnati at the Taft Theatre on sale 8/21 @ 10 AM

Sunday, Oct. 3 East Lansing at the Warton Center on sale 8/21 @ 10 AM

Tuesday, Oct. 5 Kansas City at the Midland Theatre on sale 8/21 @ 10 AM

Wednesday, Oct. 6 Des Moines at Des Moines Civic Center w/ special guest TBA on sale 8/21 @ 10 AM

Friday, Oct. 8 Jacksonville at Moran Theatre w/ special guest Sheryl Crow on sale 8/21 @ 10 AM

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band/ R.E.M. /Bright Eyes:

Friday, Oct. 1 Philadelphia at Wachovia Arena on sale 8/21 @ 10 AM

Saturday, Oct. 2 Cleveland at Gund Arena on sale 8/21 @ 10 AM

Sunday, Oct. 3 Detroit at Cobo Arena on sale 8/21 @ 10 AM

Tuesday, Oct. 5 St. Paul at Xcel Energy Center on sale 8/21 @ 11 am.

Friday, Oct. 8 Orlando (without Bright Eyes) at TD Waterhouse on sale 8/21 @ 10 AM

Dixie Chicks/James Taylor:

Friday, Oct. 1 Pittsburgh at Heinz Hall on sale 8/21 @ 10 AM

Saturday, Oct. 2 Cleveland at the State Theatre on sale 8/21 @ 10 AM

Sunday, Oct. 3 Detroit at the Fox Theater on sale 8/21 @ 10 AM

Tuesday, Oct. 5 Iowa City at the Hancher Auditorium on sale 8/21 @ 10 AM

Wednesday, Oct. 6 St. Louis at the Fox Theater on sale 8/21 @ 10 AM

(A) Friday, Oct. 8 Clearwater at Ruth Eckerd Hall on sale 8/21 @ 10 AM

John Mellencamp/Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds:

Friday, Oct. 1 Wilkes-Barre at FM Kirby Center on sale 8/28 @ 10 AM

Saturday, Oct. 2 Cincinnati at Promo West Pavilion on sale 8/28 @ 10 AM

Sunday, Oct. 3 Kalamazoo at Wings Stadium on sale 8/28 @ 10 AM

Tuesday, Oct. 5 Milwaukee at Riverside Theatre on sale 8/28 @ 10 AM

Friday, Oct. 8 Miami at Jackie Gleason Theater on sale 8/28 @ 10 AM

PAID FOR BY MOVEON PAC www.moveonpac.org
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

---

http://actforvictory.org/vote_for_change/index.php

http://www.moveonpac.org/vfc/

http://www.moveonpac.org/vfc/schedule.html

 OLD SCHEDULE, DOUBLE CHECK ABOVE!

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band / R.E.M. / John Fogerty / Bright Eyes

Friday, Oct. 1 Philadelphia, PA

Saturday, Oct. 2 Cleveland, OH

Sunday, Oct. 3 Ann Arbor, MI

Tuesday, Oct. 5 St. Paul, MN

Friday, Oct. 8 Orlando, FL

 

Pearl Jam / Death Cab for Cutie

Friday, Oct. 1 Reading, PA

Saturday, Oct. 2 Toledo, OH

Sunday, Oct. 3 Grand Rapids, MI

Tuesday, Oct. 5 St. Louis, MO

Wednesday, Oct. 6 Asheville, NC

Friday, Oct. 8 Kissimmee, FL

 

Dave Matthews Band / Jurassic 5 / My Morning Jacket

Friday, Oct. 1 State College, PA

Saturday, Oct. 2 Dayton, OH

Sunday, Oct. 3 Detroit, MI

Wednesday, Oct. 6 Ames, IA

Friday, Oct. 8 Gainesville, FL

 

Jackson Browne / Bonnie Raitt / Keb' Mo'

Friday, Oct. 1 Williamsport, PA

Saturday, Oct. 2 TBA

Sunday, Oct. 3 Grand Rapids, MI

Tuesday, Oct. 5 Kansas City, MO

Wednesday, Oct. 6 Des Moines, IA

Friday, Oct. 8 Jacksonville, FL

 

Dixie Chicks / James Taylor

Friday, Oct. 1 Pittsburgh, PA

Saturday, Oct. 2 Cleveland, OH

Sunday, Oct. 3 Detroit, MI

Tuesday, Oct. 5 Iowa City, IA

Wednesday, Oct. 6 St. Louis, MO

Friday, Oct. 8 Tampa Bay, FL

 

John Mellencamp / Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds

Friday, Oct. 1 Wilkes-Barre, PA

Saturday, Oct. 2 Cincinnati, OH

Sunday, Oct. 3 Kalamazoo, MI

Tuesday, Oct. 5 Milwaukee, WI

Friday, Oct. 8 Miami, FL

http://www.moveonpac.org/vfc/schedule.html

Democrats Winning the White House

Kerry Edwards Online Volunteer Center

http://volunteer.johnkerry.com/
http://volunteer.johnkerry.com/voter/reminder/ 
ttp://www.johnkerry.com/downloads/
http://www.johnkerry.com/downloads/banners.html

DNC Volunteer Sign Up  

Contribute 
Tell Your Friends
Speak Out 
Register to Vote
Join eCaptains
Take Action
Meetup
Get Local

ACT - Volunteer 

http://www.acthere.com/ 
http://www.act04.org/activist 
http://volunteer.actforvictory.org/ 
http://contribute.actforvictory.org/ 

Moveon PAC 

http://www.moveonpac.org/ 
http://www.moveonpac.org/morris/ 
https://www.moveonpac.org/donate/ 

Democrats Winning the Senate

DSCC Action
DSCC From the Roots

Today marks the end of the dishonest and disgusting smear campaign against John Kerry and his crewmates from Vietnam. This morning on the front page of the Washington Post, one of the central figures in the effort to distort John Kerry's military service was completely discredited.

The group behind this smear campaign calls itself "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth." But the truth is the last thing they are interested in.

President Bush refuses to condemn this group. He wants them to do his dirty work. But this effort to distract attention from the issues that matter most has failed.

This morning, John Kerry said he learned an important lesson in Vietnam: "When you're under attack, the best thing to do is turn your boat into the attacker." Today he took these lessons to heart, knocked down these charges, and made a firm commitment to the American people that the lies about his military service will not stop him from fighting for affordable health care, good-paying jobs, and keeping America secure.

This doesn't mean that these blatantly false attacks won't continue -- the Bush-Cheney campaign is desperate and has no record to run on. But it does mean that we are not going to let them distract us from letting people know about John Kerry's plan to make America stronger at home and respected in the world.

Read the Washington Post article:

http://www.johnkerry.com/article

Read John Kerry's statement from his speech at the International Association of Firefighters Convention in Boston this morning:

Over the last week or so, a group called Swift Boat Veterans for Truth has been attacking me. Of course, this group isn't interested in the truth -- and they're not telling the truth. They didn't even exist until I won the nomination for president.

But here's what you really need to know about them. They're funded by hundreds of thousands of dollars from a Republican contributor out of Texas. They're a front for the Bush campaign. And the fact that the president won't denounce what they're up to tells you everything you need to know -- he wants them to do his dirty work.

Thirty years ago, official Navy reports documented my service in Vietnam and awarded me the Silver Star, the Bronze Star and three Purple Hearts. Thirty years ago, this was the plain truth. It still is. And I still carry the shrapnel in my leg from a wound in Vietnam.

As firefighters you risk your lives every day. You know what it's like to see the truth in the moment. You're proud of what you've done -- and so am I.

Of course, the president keeps telling people he would never question my service to our country. Instead, he watches as a Republican-funded attack group does just that. Well, if he wants to have a debate about our service in Vietnam, here is my answer: 'Bring it on.'

I'm not going to let anyone question my commitment to defending America -- then, now, or ever. And I'm not going to let anyone attack the sacrifice and courage of the men who saw battle with me.

And let me make this commitment today: their lies about my record will not stop me from fighting for jobs, health care, and our security -- the issues that really matter to the American people.

Thank you,

Mary Beth Cahill
Campaign Manager

Apparently, the Republicans are trying to steal another election in Florida. The DSCC's Counsel Marc Elias forwarded this article on voter suppression to me. He's dead on.

We're working to counter the worst the GOP has to offer. But we need your help to put an end to these despicable tactics. We need to get the word out and make sure that the truth is exposed. You can help today by 

• Forwarding this email to 5 of your friends and family members.
• Continuing to act as the eyes and ears of the DSCC—let us know if you hear about voter intimidation tactics. Email us at voter@dscc.org
• Joining our core of Election Day lawyers. Email us at voter@dscc.org
• Getting out and voting Democratic on Election Day!

Please help us expose the truth and keep our elections free and fair.

 

From: Marc Elias, DSCC Counsel
Subject: Pass it On

David- This article infuriated me. This validated why we must set up our ‘war room' of lawyers to respond to voter fraud and intimidation tactics. We need to fight back.

Suppress the Vote?
by Bob Herbert
Excerpted from The New York Times
Aug. 16 2004

State police officers have gone into the homes of elderly black voters in Orlando and interrogated them as part of an odd "investigation" that has frightened many voters, intimidated elderly volunteers and thrown a chill over efforts to get out the black vote in November.

The officers, from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, which reports to Gov. Jeb Bush, say they are investigating allegations of voter fraud that came up during the Orlando mayoral election in March.
 
Officials refused to discuss details of the investigation, other than to say that absentee ballots are involved. They said they had no idea when the investigation might end, and acknowledged that it may continue right through the presidential election.

"We did a preliminary inquiry into those allegations and then we concluded that there was enough evidence to follow through with a full criminal investigation," said Geo Morales, a spokesman for the Department of Law Enforcement.

The state police officers, armed and in plain clothes, have questioned dozens of voters in their homes. Some of those questioned have been volunteers in get-out-the-vote campaigns.

To read the entire article, please go to www.dscc.org/voter.

The GOP's Quest to Kill Progressive Taxation

Majority Parties - August 29th

On Sunday, August 29, hundreds of house parties will take place around the country, all with one goal in mind: restoring a Democratic majority in the U.S. House of Representatives. Have a great time attending or hosting a Party for the New Majority and YOU will help put an end to a decade of Republican abuse! In addition, Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi will hold a conference call for all of the parties that night!

Check out the parties in your area, or sign up to host one at:
http://www.majorityparties.com

John Kerry needs a Democratic House to reverse the damage done by the radical right that has dominated Congress for 10 LONG years. Otherwise, Tom DeLay and his gang will block President Kerry at every turn. We CAN'T let that happen.

By raising money for Democratic House candidates around the country, we CAN achieve victory. Help make the difference. Sign up today!

Got Milk? Not for long!
The GOP's Quest to Kill Progressive Taxation

So the country is still more than a million jobs short of when Bush took office, about 6 million short of a comparable employment picture (since 140,000 have been entering the labor pool each month), 4 million more are uninsured, wages are down, tuition is up, it just became official that the Bush tax cuts shift the burden to the middle class - and what is the GOP's loftiest ambition?

To kill progressive taxation, long considered a cornerstone of fair and equitable government by generations of Democrats and (the majority of) Republicans alike:

"A once-quiet campaign by several top Republicans to abolish the IRS and replace the federal income tax with a European-style national sales tax has burst into the open, leading President Bush to withhold his blessing of the controversial proposal.

"Yet the plan has strong backing within the GOP hierarchy, including House Speaker Dennis Hastert of Illinois, who has become its most visible advocate and said he has plans to push the idea strongly in the next Congress.

"The speaker said that if Bush is re-elected and the GOP keeps control of the House and Senate, there is a 'potential' Congress could adopt the plan during the next four years."

The DCCC's Press department provided the following analysis:

"According to Bruce Bartlett, a conservative economist who served in the Reagan and first Bush Administrations, 'trying to eliminate the IRS by adopting a national retail sales tax is a very dumb idea.' Bartlett notes that the plan co-sponsored by DeLay 'deceptively calculates the rate as if the tax is part of the purchase price.'

"'Calculating the rate the normal way people are accustomed to with state and local sales taxes would require a 30 percent tax rate, not 23 percent. When Congress's Joint Committee on Taxation scored the Linder proposal 4 years ago, it estimated that it would actually require a tax-inclusive rate of 36 percent, not 23 percent, to equal current federal revenues. Calculating the rate in a normal, tax-exclusive manner would mean a 57 percent rate.'

"The price of milk in Lake Villa, Illinois is $3.89. So according to Bruce Bartlett, a Republican economist, the tax increase co-sponsored by DeLay would raise the price of that gallon of milk to $6.10 - $2.21 in federal taxes!"

This agenda was best described by Allan Sloan, Newsweek's Wall Street editor, who identified their central aim to...

"...create a new class of landed aristocrats who could inherit billions tax-free, invest the money, watch it compound tax-free and hand it down tax-free to their heirs."

Nice platform.

EPA For Sale

With a Majority Leader who has described the EPA as "the Gestapo of government," one should probably keep one's hopes for sane environmental protection low. But a new series of articles from the Washington Post is documenting a disturbing trend of donations to the GOP trumping any and all concerns for the public good. The first article discusses the reliance on "voluntary" measures for fighting even the most potent diseases:

"Tuberculosis had sneaked up again, reappearing with alarming frequency across the United States. The government began writing rules to protect 5 million people whose jobs put them in special danger. Hospitals and homeless shelters, prisons and drug treatment centers -- all would be required to test their employees for TB, hand out breathing masks and quarantine those with the disease. These steps, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration predicted, could prevent 25,000 infections a year and 135 deaths.

"By the time President Bush moved into the White House, the tuberculosis rules, first envisioned in 1993, were nearly complete. But the new administration did nothing on the issue for the next three years.

"Then, on the last day of 2003, in an action so obscure it was not mentioned in any major newspaper in the country, the administration canceled the rules. Voluntary measures, federal officials said, were effective enough to make regulation unnecessary."

The second article discusses the "Data Quality Act," a nice Orwellian legislative nugget allowing industries to file challenges to legislation that the GOP might call "frivolous," and which "has become a potent tool for companies seeking to beat back regulation."

"Things were not looking good a few years ago for the makers of atrazine, America's second-leading weedkiller. The company was seeking approval from the Environmental Protection Agency to keep the highly profitable product on the market. But scientists were finding it was disrupting hormones in wildlife -- in some cases turning frogs into bizarre creatures bearing both male and female sex organs.

"Last October, concerns about the herbicide led the European Union to ban atrazine, starting in 2005. Yet that same month, after 10 years of contentious scientific review, the EPA decided to permit ongoing use in the United States with no new restrictions.

Herbicide approvals are complicated, and there is no one reason that atrazine passed regulatory muster in this country. But close observers give significant credit to a single sentence that was added to the EPA's final scientific assessment last year.

"Hormone disruption, it read, cannot be considered a 'legitimate regulatory endpoint at this time' -- that is, it is not an acceptable reason to restrict a chemical's use -- because the government had not settled on an officially accepted test for measuring such disruption."

The New York Times also takes a stab at the GOP's assault on public safety, and the Boston Globe details how Democrats in Congress are fighting back.

Turncoat Alexander Flails for Survival

Talk about "frivolous." In a classic GOP strategy of needless delay (exercised consistently in Tom DeLay's case in Texas), the Republicans and their new turncoat Rodney Alexander are filing for a series of judge and court changes reflecting a desperate attempt to retain Alexander on the Louisiana ballot. The gist of the case is simple. On August 4th Alexander filed as a Democrat. On August 6th he filed as a Republican. Louisiana law bars candidates from amending their original filing, and there could be no clearer case than this.

While the GOP is busy making busy work for the judicial system, allow us to pass along this bizarre tale from Roll Call, when Alexander's wife showed up at the office and began rummaging through the trash:

"Although he could not remember exactly what she said, Smoot [Alexander's just resigned Chief Chief of Staff] said Mrs. Alexander excoriated the three aides - Smoot, Nell Wilson and Traci Vincent - accusing them of being disloyal and saying they drove her husband to switch parties.

"Then, Smoot said, Mrs. Alexander, who has a doctorate in mathematics, followed the aides into the hallway yelling, 'Good riddance. Praise the Lord!' before issuing one final silent but universally satisfying _expression: the finger!

"'Yes, I can confirm it. She flipped us the bird,' Smoot said, still weary with shock from his boss's party-switch."

And as we've received many messages hoping that Alexander's courageous staff was taken care of after resigning en masse following Alexander's switch, allow us to pass this along as well:

"All six staffers who quit last week are now being cared for temporarily by another Nancy - House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). Perhaps they are bonding about being kept in the dark as Alexander was deciding to become a Republican.

"Pelosi, who sources say was touched by the Democratic aides' courage to quit their jobs on principle without knowing what they would do next for work, has put all six on her payroll as they look for jobs.

"Smoot said he and the others were 'extremely touched' by Pelosi's support. He said he felt personally hurt by the secretive way in which Alexander went about switching parties, behind the backs of his staff. That is why he decided to resign immediately, Smoot said."

We'll keep you updated on this developing story…

Races to Watch: Romero Rising in NM-01

Richard Romero, working to unseat faux-moderate rubberstamp Heather Wilson, is running one of the strongest challenger campaigns in the country. Wilson's middle-of-the-road district has forced her to adopt moderate rhetoric, but her record tells a different story - starting with the fact that she voted with Tom DeLay 93% of the time through April. Beyond that, let's look at what President Bush had to say on his visit to campaign for her:

"This tax cut that I campaigned on and fought for, that Pete and Heather and Joe supported, was the right thing for America at this point in our history."

"And she is going to take a leadership role in helping to provide prescription drug coverage within the Medicare system, so our seniors do not go without. It's an important initiative, and thank goodness she's willing to lend her talent to get this job done. She's close to the Speaker on this issue, and when you're close to the Speaker on this issue, you have a good chance to make a significant difference for the elderly of not only New Mexico, and the United States of America."

"…we need an energy bill. One passed the House, and I want to thank Heather for her leadership."

You already know about the fiscally disastrous effects of those tax cuts and their role in the current $445 billion deficit. As for the other two bills Wilson is credited for, let's turn to Brian M. Riedl of the ultra-conservative Heritage Foundation:

"The Medicare and energy bills, although experiencing different fates, share one common denominator: little reform at huge cost, while loaded with special-interest spending."

Well, that's a notch in her belt! Bush couldn't have done it without her. Unfortunately for Wilson, Romero's campaign is geared up and ready to hold her accountable for every betrayal of her constituents. As Crosswinds Weekly described this week:

"This time out, Romero's drive to unseat Wilson seems plainly calculated to broaden her base of detractors by linking her inextricably to Bush and by leaving no Wilson misstep unexamined.

"When the congresswoman voted against screening air cargo on passenger airlines, Romero was on her case. When she initially reacted with indifference to the shocking Abu Ghraib prison abuses and voted against an investigation, not even New Mexico editorial writers could beat Romero to the punch in taking her to task. And when she subsequently tested the political winds and saw the wisdom of an abrupt about-face on the Abu Ghraib horrors, her Democrat rival was among the first to rub her nose in it. Nor has her bobbing-and-weaving on efforts to get to the bottom of the circumstances surrounding 9/11 gone unchallenged by Romero. First, he likes to note, Wilson sided with Bush in opposing an independent inquiry into the Sept. 11 attacks.

"More recently, Romero has found political fodder in the fact that Wilson's initial reactions to the independent 9/11 commission's report were at best lukewarm, if not indifferent. Perhaps more damning, he likes to point out that, as a former member of the House intelligence committee, Wilson seemed downright miffed at the commission's charge that congressional oversight of U.S. intelligence agencies has been sorely remiss.

Wasn't it Wilson, he asks, who said after the report was released, 'I'm not sure our oversight over intelligence is any more dysfunctional than oversight in other areas,' The congresswoman could be right, of course. But if she is, it's a damning commentary on this Republican Congress' responsibility to superintend executive branch agencies."

Get ready for a tough fight…

Races to Watch: Into the Great Wide Open in PA-8

When GOP Rep. Jim Greenwood suddenly announced his retirement last month, it launched a flurry of activity in Washington. Greenwood, entrenched in the district after six terms as a moderate, was presiding over a Democratic-leaning constituency that had been thought out of reach due to his name recognition and favorable perception. All of the sudden it was a whole new ballgame for Democrats, as Republicans watched yet another of their dwindling moderate ranks jump ship. His Democratic challenger before retiring, Ginny Schrader, redoubled her efforts and has been running an excellent charge to claim the seat for the Democratic Party - something self-evident at a recent rally in Doylestown, PA:

"They were there for one reason - to rally around Virginia Schrader and her race for the 8th Congressional District. More than 100 Democrats, wearing their red "Ginny" stickers and John Kerry T-shirts, crowded into a room of the Bucks County Courthouse in Doylestown to support Schrader.

"'I will be the voice for the hard working families who are working harder and harder but can't get ahead,' Schrader, a 60-year-old lawyer, told the crowd.

A lot of her opponent's stands are out of step with the district, particularly his stance on abortion, and this is exactly the message she needs to get across:

"'This is a moderate district, whether you're a Republican, Democrat or an Independent. He could not be an independent voice. I can...'

"The candidate emphasized that if Fitzpatrick wins, he would go to Washington as a freshman representative and fall right in line with the right-wing agenda. Those sentiments were echoed by Robert T. Matsui, a California congressman and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chairman.

"'If elected, Mr. Fitzpatrick would be one more rubberstamp for Tom DeLay's special interest agenda, which has sent jobs overseas, failed our schools, and created a sham prescription drug plan that does nothing to lower costs for seniors,' Matsui said in a prepared statement released to the news media Thursday evening.

We've been hearing this attitude from a lot of people in Pennsylvania, so if you're in Pennsylvania and have some excess political energy, check out challenger Murphy (08), and open-seaters Schrader (08), Schwartz (13) and Driscoll (15). All of these races are key, and if we can sweep Pennsylvania it will be a big step towards taking the majority. Pay them a visit and see if you can help. Otherwise, volunteer with us and we'll find something you can do towards throwing Tom DeLay back into the minority!

News From the Blog

If you're not keeping an eye on the blog, you're missing a lot. Here are just a few stories from the last week:

TX-32: Breaking News... Sessions Busted!

Open House Part II: HOW DOES THE DCCC SUPPORT CANDIDATES?
(Second in a series of postings by DCCC Executive Director Jim Bonham explaining the internal functions of the DCCC.)

MI-08: "Traveling Circus"

Cheney So Subtle

Amateur Lawyers?

Dionne: Those Twins!

Are you In It to Win It? Win the White House? Win Congress? Even win a bumper sticker or button or other mystery prize? (More on those last three later).

Here at the DCCC, we're a bit obsessed these days. Obsessed with helping soon-to-be President John Kerry CLEAN (the) HOUSE. Simply put, we plan on getting enough Democrats elected to the House of Representatives to reclaim a majority from the Republicans. Then the Democrats can get to work undoing the damage of a decade of Republican mis-rule in the House, and four years of President Bush's abuse at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

We need YOU to be part of a movement. We need you to recruit others to the cause; to get as many people as you can involved; and get Tom DeLay and his buddies OUT of the leadership of Congress.

(Here comes the part about stickers and buttons and mystery prizes). For those of you that take on this challenge, we've got a few prizes here in the office in the form of our Majority Care Package that we'll be sending your way. Join the August Majority Maker contest and make a difference in November:
http://www.majoritymakers.com

We Need People to Remove the Republican Roadblocks in 2005

To make the progress we want and to reverse the damage done by President Bush and Tom DeLay, we need PEOPLE. People who will vote. People who will volunteer. People who will raise money. People who will let others know how important it is for us to have the resources necessary to elect a new President AND a new Congress. Heck, we need People Who Need People (to vote). We need Majority Makers (that's you and your friends) Don't delay - click away now!
http://www.majoritymakers.com

There's plenty of scheming going on here in Washington, and you can bet there are a few Republicans trying to figure out how to block a new Kerry administration from implementing a vision of a more just, safe, and respected America. But they haven't counted on you and the power that you and your friends can bring to this fight through Majority Makers.

So please... gather your friends, colleagues, and family. Let them know the difference that they can make if they will join with you in this effort. We know that you're doing this to change the country, not win a prize. But as a token of our gratitude, take the prize — you'll have something else to help you remember why we're working together to truly make this nation a better place for all of us to live. Please join with us TODAY!
http://www.majoritymakers.com

Sincerely,

Crystal, Jay, Jesse, Peter and Steve
The DCCC Online Team

PS: Can't participate, but want to contribute? Here's where to go:
https://secure.dccc.org/default.aspx?id=makerscontest

The nepotism blog has a bunch of updates on Lisa "nepotism poster kid" Murkowski.  Republicans are pointing out that she has more baggage than the Queen of England on safari.  Also, she's now the focus of a major new investigation.

Add these links to your blog today:

Lisa Murkowski Nepotism
Nepotism Poster Kid
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski
U.S. Senator Murkowski
U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski
U.S. Sen. Murkowski
Senator Lisa Murkowski
Senator Murkowski
Sen. Lisa Murkowski
Sen. Murkowski
Lisa Murkowski
Nepotism Poster Kid Blog

Exciting news! Our Get Out Her Vote Campus Campaign is registering and motivating young women nationwide and especially in seven key states -- Iowa, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Nevada and Arizona.

We don't have a moment to lose -- there are only 46 days before the first voter registration deadlines. I don't have to tell you that the threats to women's rights have never been greater.

You can help sponsor student organizers on college campuses and make a huge difference.

Even a small gift to the Get Out Her Vote Campaign can help make a difference!

Elections today frequently are won by very tiny margins. The activation of young women voters has the potential to change the political landscape in many states and perhaps the country as a whole. Only one-third of young women (18-24) voted in the 2000 presidential election.

Our groundbreaking Get Out HER Vote Campaign focuses on young women. We know first-hand the potential of young women to mobilize and make a difference -- more than half of the 1.15 million who joined the March for Women's Lives in Washington DC on April 25, 2004 were college-aged. We are positioned to make a difference.

Our college program is the largest pro-choice campus campaign in the nation today. We have affiliates in 37 states. We are determined to register tens of thousands of new campus women voters in the next 6 weeks before voter registration deadlines close -- and mobilize an even larger number to the polls on Election Day, November 2.

We need your help. We need to raise emergency funds in the next 10 days before students return to campus.

For $750, you can provide a stipend for a student organizer on a campus in one of the seven states for one month. If you could support 10 student organizers yourself, that would make a very big difference to our campaign. If that's too much:

• $400 pays for food, travel, and supplies for one senior organizer for one week in the field
• $128 covers the cost of students tabling for voter registration for one week on campus
• $90 provides Voter Pledge Cards for 1,000 students
• $50 pays for photocopying 1,000 blank voter registration forms
• $25 covers the cost of 10 Get Out Her Vote posters for visibility and tabling on campus.

We are stretching to make every dollar count. Even small gifts can make a difference. It's not too late. This could be the most important election of our lifetimes. We must all do what we can.

For a Feminist Future,

Eleanor Smeal
President

P.S. If you can volunteer too, go to GetOutHerVote.org and download a Get Out Her Vote kit!

It's no secret that in the last four years, the Bush administration has eliminated major protections designed to keep Americans safe at home and work.

• George Bush is taking away the right to overtime pay from up to 6 million Americans, including nurses, cooks, clerical workers, and nursery school teachers.
• George Bush allowed dirty power plants to expand without controlling their emissions.
• George Bush endangered pregnant workers when he stopped regulating exposure to the chemicals used in the manufacturing of semiconductors.
• George Bush rolled back mercury regulations and proposed to defer controls on toxic mercury emissions by power plants for at least a decade.
• George Bush reduced protections for mine workers and eliminated rules to protect workers from tuberculosis.

George Bush gutted health and safety protections in response to pressure from top donors and corporate lobbyists. For example, David Lauriski, head of the Mine Safety and Health Administration, removed protections for coal workers, that he originally sought when he was serving as an executive of a mining company. Chemical industry executives donated more than $1.5 million to Bush's 2000 campaign and were rewarded with looser regulations that boosted corporate profits but put pregnant workers at greater risk.

We need you to get the word out in your community that George Bush sacrifices public safety in favor of corporate profit.

Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper today by visiting:

http://volunteer.johnkerry.com

A new tool that we launched on Johnkerry.com makes it easy for you to contact your local media. You can write and send a letter to your local media outlets in just one click. We'll give you all the talking points and information you need. This is a brand new tool, and there is a small chance that you could encounter an error while using it. Please send an email to tellus@johnkerry.com if you do encounter an error. Write a letter to the editor by clicking below:

http://volunteer.johnkerry.com/

The Kerry-Edwards Media Corps is our grassroots rapid-response network and is responsible for pushing countless issues to the forefront. If you aren't able to write a letter to the editor today, but would like to join our team, sign up by visiting:

http://www.johnkerry.com/signup/mediacorps.php

Last week, members of Media Corps wrote close to a thousand letters to the editor about the GOP funded Swift Boat Veterans for Truth smear campaign, stem cell research and the rising costs of prescription drugs; and when it was announced that Bush wouldn't take questions during a rare, hour long interview with Larry King, members of Media Corps responded with half an hour's notice and delivered a thousand emails in protest to CNN.

Please become a part of our grassroots rapid response network today.

Thank you,

Mary Beth Cahill
Campaign Manager