It has been a while since I have sent out your e-mails and I apologize but we have had some unfortunate family/friend losses and I am just getting back to my political "secretarial" job that you gave me during the Kerry-Edwards campaign in 2004. Maureen Dowd's column in NY Times on Sunday (written by Stephen Colbert) was very kind of a very telling reentry to politics. Colbert says," I can't remember if I'm supposed to be scared of Hillary so Democrats will think they should nominate her when she’s actually easy to beat, or if I'm supposed to be scared of her because she’s legitimately scary.Or he notes about Rudy Giuliani," I can't remember if I'm supposed to support him because he’s the one who can beat Hillary if she gets nominated, or if I'm supposed to support him because he’s legitimately scary."
Also,on the front page of the NY Times, Week in Review on Sunday there was a lead article by Helen Cooper ,"The Clinton Iran Vote Fallout". Hillary is still voting in favor of the Bush White House's insane suggestions, i.e. the measure that asked the Bush administration to declare Iran's 125,000 member Revolutionary Guard Corps a foreign terrorist organization.
This move, "more hawkish than even most of the Bush administration has been willing to venture so far-would intensify America's continuing confrontation with Iran" states the article. It seems this was a vote precipitated by Ms. Clinton's need to guard against critics from the right. She is trying to reassure voters that she would be a tough minded administrator. Well, this doesn't reassure me at all. In fact, as my friend Susan said to me last Saturday, I'd be more impressed with her if she didn't want power so much and acted more like a woman concerned with the lives of soldiers dying in Iraq and bringing about peace. She looks to be (by her vote) supporting a case that could be viewed by many as an attempt by the administration to build a case for war with Iran.
Isn't this the way he started building the case against Iraq ,declaring them the enemy and members of the terrorist regime that attacked us in 9/11. Will we Dems stand by and allow this propaganda to build up again, and allow our leaders to vote for these issues? Ms. Clinton voted with 75 other senators in favor of this bill, and I for one intend to hold them all accountable for this vote going too far. As, Ms. Cooper suggests in her article, this vote against the Guard is like calling the US military a terrorist organization because it carries out Bush's orders. Even some of Ms. Clinton's campaign advisers feel this vote runs the risk of further alienating the Iranian population and or offshoots of Revolutionary Guards who are not Al Qaeda! Her own advisors hesitate to speak their minds since they are fearful of repercussions for differences of opinion from H. It is with much sadness that I see her rejecting talks as Obama has suggested in the debates. I don't see her reaching out to our enemies to try to come to terms with this horrid war and the awful hole we have dug by name calling, lies and votes such as last week, that leaves little place for Iran to enter into any type of peaceful negotiating. Ms. Clinton is playing with fire in trying to garner votes from anyone she can persuade that she is strong and willing to protect this country from the "Axis of Evil". I prefer someone who will reach their hand across the table and is willing to do just about anything to bring about peace for this country and the world we live in. Hopefully, Barack Obama will be able to mobilize enough young voters who realize what a mess the politicians of old have made of this country. He has clearly struck a chord among younger voters and us old folks who yearn for peace and sanity once again.
Love from a Sad Sunnyside
From Al Gore for President:
Al Gore for President?
Upon being chosen for the Nobel Peace Prize, Al Gore wrote:
"We face a true planetary emergency. The climate crisis is not a political issue, it is a moral and spiritual challenge to all of humanity. It is also our greatest opportunity to lift global consciousness to a higher level."
Democrats.com began in 2000 at the convention that nominated Al Gore. We exposed the media's endless lies about Gore, as well as the truth about Bush - especially his still-unreported desertion from the Texas Air National Guard.
When Palm Beach voters sounded the alarm about the vote-altering "butterfly ballots," we led the fight to "count every vote" by organizing street protests across the country. When the Felonious Five on the Supreme Court threw out 175,000 never-counted votes to appoint Bush and Cheney, we helped write the famous Congressional Black Caucus challenge to Florida's electors. When not one Senator would stand with them, we helped organize the huge protests at Bush's inauguration. We never "got over" the Stolen Election of 2000 and we never will.
Many of you have already chosen your Democratic candidate for 2008, and we respect them all. But if you'd like Al Gore to run, please sign our petition:
http://democrats.com/run-al-gore
1 comment:
Comments from various readers:
From David:
Hey...I'm with you. I do think Hillary is very qualified, but I
strongly fear that her election would just mean "more of the same".
Same red-blue conflicts, same fights, etc. We need a change from all
the turmoil of the Bush-Clinton-Bush-Clinton fighting. Horrible
damage to our country. Plus I don't like the way Hillary seems to be
a "trailing indicator", deciding on her positions after the public
opinion has settled down. I want more leadership, and less
triangulation. And I think her efforts to present herself as "tough"
militarily are really off base.
From Tony in Chicago:
It is time for Barack to take the gloves off and this is coming from a guy from Chicago. I think Biden and Dodd are ganging up on Barack to get in position for Vice Presidential running. Barack has got to take a stand and give them hell in debates. He is fabulous debater and not a nasty man by nature,but H is and has learned how to throw punches. It is like John Kerry, who should have stood up there in press and said, "alright guys I fought in the war and W didn't and that is the end of discussion. Why are we listening to a draft dodger and his draft dodging VP?" Okay, so Obama is not a mean guy but if he wants to win he has to say about the Iraq war, "this comment is coming from H who voted for the Iraq war. HE should go out to Roosevelt Island where they are warehousing all returning vets from Iraq with terrible injuries and state , H and all who voted for war this is in part what you are responsible for, now what are you going to do about it? Don't forget I was a boxer and I know how to fight but didn't win often cuz I didn't have the killer instinct. I have a grandma who has been voting as a Dem for thirty years in Chicago and been dead for twenty! Obama this is a mean and dirty fight and you have showed up at a gun fight with a knife. Take off the gloves and enter this dog eat dog debate, where the GOP want Ms. Clinton to win so we can have four more years of their crap! Everyone is jumping on her wagon so they can win in a time they should be massacred at the polls! Look at Rudy doing well in the South when he has had three marriages and is for choice. What is that about if not that they think he can kill Ms. Clinton in the election?
From Anne in Chicago:
I have to say I love this.
> Camille Paglia about the rush to anoint Hillary:
>
> "This kind of partisan rancor and mutual recrimination are the sad legacy of two self-destructive administrations in a row. Bill Clinton's lies about his dalliance with Monica Lewinsky paralyzed the government and tainted his legacy, while George Bush's poor judgment and managerial ineptitude have mired us in an endless, brutal war with little chance for a happy ending.
>
> "I find it hard to believe that my fellow Democrats want to backtrack and relive every tedious scandal from the Clinton era. But that's what we'll get if Hillary is the nominee -- a long, sulfurous night of the walking dead, with chattering skeletons tumbling out of every closet. I've been discouraged by the clumsy missteps of the Edwards campaign, but I'm still hopeful about Barack Obama, who had the guts and good sense to publicly oppose the Iraq war from the start and whose ascent promises a clean, invigorating break from the sordid past."
>
> More thoughts here:
>
> http://www.salon.com/opinion/paglia/2007/10/10/britney/index1.html
>
From Hank:
This is a very sad day for America.
Sent: Thursday, October 18, 2007 2:38 PM
To: ' oped@nytimes.com'
Subject: To The Editor
"The House Fails America's Children"
In the second most important vote in the last ten years (the vote to authorize Bush to go to war in Iraq being the most important) the House of Representatives has failed miserably to protect our children. Not only was the Bush veto of S-CHIP disingenuous, it actually cuts funding for children's healthcare over the next five to ten years. Almost four million additional children would have had access to quality healthcare if House Republican's had not withered like corn in a Kansas drought. The voters should cast out every single one of these so-called elected officials who voted to support the President's veto.
Not only would an override have been a shining example of America at its best, it would have relegated George W. Bush to "lame duck" status with fifteen months left on his term. It might even have emboldened the Congress to challenge Mr. Bush on Iraq war funding, illegally spying on American citizens, embryonic stem cell research and immigration policy.
The eight years of the Bush presidency will be recorded as a very dark time for America. A society can be judged on how it cares for its children. George Bush and the Republican's in the House have shown the world that our society is not up to the task. We will hopefully elect a President and a Congress in 2008 with character, compassion, dignity and good old-fashioned American values. Today's vote in the House was a sad day in America, one of many sad days since the Supreme Court awarded Bush the presidency.
From John Kerry:
Hello Sunny,
I don't write to you that often about films, except when they strike a very special chord and cry out for some special attention (think "An Inconvenient Truth," or Leo DiCaprio's "Eleventh Hour.")
A couple weeks ago, Harry Reid handed me a DVD copy of a film that's hitting theaters now -- Paul Haggis' "In the Valley of Elah."
I took it home, watched it, and I think this film crosses that same threshold -- because it's gutsy and risky and challenging to bring out a movie during a time of war that captures the tragic but very real effects of war on families, friends, and loved ones when they come home.
But you know, in this war -- where we're reminded our troops and their families have been asked to sacrifice so much while the rest of America was asked to "go shopping" -- I think that a dose of reality is needed.
In every war, the costs are paid by soldiers and their families, whether they are killed, wounded, or have to live with some of the "invisible wounds" of war that are so hard to heal.
I think it's a healthy thing for every American to watch "In the Valley of Elah" -- and think about someone you know and love, or someone you may never meet -- someone else's son or daughter, brother or sister -- as this film traces the mysterious disappearance of a soldier returning from Iraq, and delves into the searing effect of combat on the soldier, his family, and those who love him.
The former top operating officer at the Pentagon, a Marine Lieutenant General, once said of Iraq that "the commitment of our forces to this fight was done with a casualness and swagger that are the special province of those who have never had to execute these missions --or bury the results."
You can't help but remember those words when you watch this movie. It's not an "anti-war" film; those words are too cheap and easy and clichéd.
No, this is a film about soldiers and families -- and a family's search for the truth, and a nation's responsibility to be there for our troops not just when they're sent into battle, but when the boots come off and they come home.
Please watch this movie -- because I think if you do, it will give other Directors some hope and some motivation to do what Paul Haggis did and make more movies which confront these issues with the unflinching honesty of "In the Valley of Elah."
To learn more about this important new film, please check out its website at:
http://wip.warnerbros.com/inthevalleyofelah.
Thank you,
John Kerry
John Kerry For U.S. Senate
129 Portland Street, Suite 500, Boston, MA 02114-2014
info@johnkerry.com
www.johnkerry.com
From Danielle:
Looking for a good way to be patriotic and party on Halloween?
Choose Wisely: NOW's Top Five Pro-Choice Halloween Costumes
We reached out to staff for ideas on what would be the perfect pro-choice Halloween costume, and this is what we came up with:
(1) EC pill and birth control pack
Planned Parenthood's Pillamina and Packy serve as the inspiration for this idea, because we think they are the cutest pill-pack duo ever. After all, what better than to be the birth control you're fighting for?
(2) Lady Liberty
Because Lady Liberty needs the right to choose too. One of the definitions for "liberty" is "a female figure personifying freedom from despotism." And that serves pretty darn close to what we're trying to achieve within the pro-choice movement. Not to mention she IS a New Yorker, too. Hot.
(3) Rosie the Riveter
This one is a given. Rosie has served as a feminist icon for quite some time. But more specifically, we can look to Back Up Your Birth Control (BUYBC), which is a campaign that does outreach and advocacy around emergency contraception (EC) so that every woman can back up her birth control. Rosie the Riveter is BUYBC's poster girl; therefore, we love her.
(4) George Bush
Okay, okay, it's not pro-choice per se, but if you want to expose him for the anti-choice president he is, we thought it would be funny to wear a Bush suit and mask but add a few key components:
Put stashes of birth control sticking out of pockets
Wear an anti-choice shirt under his suit
Carry a book of abstinence-only education titled No Sex for You, You Floozy: A Guide to Abstinence-Only Education
There's much more we could add to the list, but better that you incorporate your own creativity to the ensemble!
(5) Anti-Choice Supreme Court Justice
We'll let you use your imagination on this one.
We hope you enjoyed our ideas and put them to good use - or at the least, they inspire you to think of you own pro-choice Halloween costume! Have a Happy Halloween!
From Women for Obama:
The Women for Obama Committee continues to send out regular emails on our progress in New York.
Tre was an excellent front page article last week in the Washington Post about Julianna Smoot who is the national finance director for the campaign. Wash Post article This is a good account of the early enthusiasm of this campaign how each of you has contributed to its success.
We also have the most recent Women for Obama newsletter attached which will be published weekly by Becky Carroll, the national director for Women for Obama. Others can subscribe to this E-newsletter by emailing women@barackobama.com.
New Offices:
The campaign has opened offices in New York and New Jersey to run the political operation and handle the petitioning process which begins on October 30th. In preparation, there will be 1 to 4 leaders in each Congressional District to lead the effort. Organizing meetings have begun to take place. While the campaign is well-covered in New York City they are searching for District Leaders in NY's 19th, 20th, and 29th Congressional Districts. If you have a home in one of those districts or have friends in those districts who would like to help please contact Nancy Hogan at nhogan@barackobama.com
Goals:
Communication:
We still need to get all of the women supporters in the NY area to join the official Women for Obama campaign group on the website. To sign up now, go to: Women for Obama and click on the Take Action section on the upper right portion of the page.
Letters to the Editor:
Another way you can help with buzz in New York/New Jersey/Connecticut etc is to write letters to your local papers. It is important for you to speak in your own voice and that you are concise. Try to craft your letter in response to a recent article and site that article in the subject line.
For instance, there continue to be many articles written in national and New York papers about the national poll numbers and the "inevitable nominee" despite the fact that not a single vote has been cast and this race is far from over.
New York Times email: letters@nytimes.com
New York Post email: letters@nypost.com
Newsday email: letters@newsday.com
New York Observer: Go to Observer.com
New Amsterdam News email: info@amsterdamnews.org
Daily News email: voicers@edit.nydailynews.com
Take action and write a letter this week to let your voice be heard.
Fundraising:
There are going to be events in Stanford, CT (Oct 21st) and Neward and South Orange, NJ (Oct 22nd) in the coming weeks which the NY Finance Team can tell you about. Please contact Jenny Yeager and Jennifer Tabach if you would like to help draw people to these events.
Recurring Giving:
The campaign has set up its recurring giving program. This is a great way to help reach the goal for the group. You can use this link to set up a recurring gift. click here These steady donations are incredibly helpful to keep this campaign going especially in these final months before the primaries begin.
Endorsement:
On Friday morning the campaign announced an endorsement from Alice Walker, author of The Color Purple. You can watch a video of Alice Walker speaking about here decision here.
Many thanks,
Lee Dugger
Volunteer Coordinator for Women for Obama in NY
Lee.dugger@gmal.com
From Andy:
. . not only did he write the book for JERSEY BOYS, the hottest show on Broadway . . .
. . . MARSHALL BRICKMAN also co-write ANNIE HALL with Woody Allen.
And when I found out some years ago that he played the banjo -- this boy from Brooklyn -- I asked him the only banjo question I could think of. Did he know any of the music from the movie DELIVERANCE?
He looked at me oddly and, in a moment that nearly rivaled that ANNIE HALL moment ("Oh yeah? Well I happen to have Marshall McLuhan RIGHT HERE.") --
-- a moment, indeed, that, since he co-wrote ANNIE HALL he may have in fact invented --
Marshall said, "Well, actually that was me on the soundtrack."
Yeah . . . RIGHT.
But it's true!
Go ahead and Google it!
"Dueling Banjos Brickman" -- 2,360 hits.
And, yes, Marshall is coming to COME WRITE HISTORY -- AGAIN, Wednesday, December 5, at the Starlight Roof of the Waldorf, to join you and Governor Dean, Edward Albee, Nora Ephron, Oliver Sacks, Liz Smith, John Berendt, Marie Brenner, Steve Brill, Rabbi Dennis Shulman, Lisa Birnbach, Jesse Kornbluth, and a dozen other *amazing* writers (did I mention the author of BUSH ON THE COUCH? the author of THE POLITICAL BRIAN? the author of HOW THE REPUBLICANS STOLE CHRISTMAS? the Pulitzer-Prize-winning playwright of PROOF? the Puliter-Prize-winning poetry editor of the New Yorker?)
. . . all in an effort to suport the DNC's efforts to WIDEN our lead in Congress and WIN back th White House.
If you haven't already signed up, please just reply to this email and make my day . . . or go to . . .
snipurl.com/ComeWrite
(you have to cut and paste it into your browswer)
. . . and dazzle American Express with your patriotism.
THANKS!
Andy
From LA Times and friends in LA:
--------------------
An unlikely treasure-trove of donors for Clinton
--------------------
The candidate's unparalleled fundraising success relies largely on the least-affluent residents of New York's Chinatown -- some of whom can't be tracked down.
By Peter Nicholas and Tom Hamburger
Los Angeles Times Staff Writers
October 19 2007
NEW YORK — Something remarkable happened at 44 Henry St., a grimy Chinatown tenement with peeling walls. It also happened nearby at a dimly lighted apartment building with trash bins clustered by the front door.
The complete article can be viewed at:
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-donors19oct19,0,4231217.story?coll=la-home-center
Visit latimes.com at http://www.latimes.com
From artist Jane Hammond:
Dear Friends,
As some of you know, I have been making an ongoing sculpture, "Fallen," which I began in the Fall of 2004. When the piece was first shown at Galerie Lelong in March of 2005, the accompanying wall text read: "Each unique handmade leaf has been inscribed by the artist with the name of a US soldier killed in the war in Iraq. This exhibition begins with 1511 leaves."
The Whitney Museum of American Art acquired this piece in the summer of 2006 with the understanding that it is an ongoing work, that is, I will continue to make a leaf for each soldier.
The piece is now on exhibit at the Whitney Museum in a show of recent acquisitions entitled "Two Years." This exhibition of the piece opened with 3786 leaves. I will add to it monthly.
These leaves are made of paper, digital printing, paint, matt medium and fiberglass. They are based on real leaves I have gathered from 14 different states in the Autumns of 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007.
I really hope that you can go to the Whitney, see the piece and help me spread the word.
Please see a detail of the piece below. For additional details and views of the whole piece, please visit
Jane Hammond | Artist
Thank you.
From Judy:
Uncle Jay Explains the News
TURN UP YOUR SOUND
http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/26b0d09397
Peace,
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