Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Blue Hearts 17.10.10.06
Hello Blue Hearts,
Many of you have asked if you've missed a blog because it has been awhile. I don't think so. I've had a lot of information I've wanted to get to you but didn't get the chance to get it out before it was too late. I'm sorry for that. I co-chaired an event recently and put all my time there, but it's over!
And I'm back and ready to hit it hard before the next election as I know you are. So, here's the important information I have accumulated thus far. For KC people, I've tried to put all calendar stuff in chronological order. There are some extra calendar items in Ira Harritt's letter but I did merge the other calendar items.
Please scan through the whole blog to find the items most interesting to you. There's some good stuff all the way through!
Thanks,
Kristin
HUMOR:
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GREAT BUMPER STICKERS! I've sent this one before but I thought you might enjoy them again. K
These bumper stickers were compiled by Jerry Paull, a former Methodist minister in Lakeside, Ohio, who writes:
The following actual bumper stickers are now on cars. I didn't write anyof them. I'm only the messenger. If they make you laugh, good. If they make you cry, good. If they make you angry, that's good too. If you don't want to read them, hit the delete button.
BLIND FAITH IN BAD LEADERSHIP IS NOT PATRIOTISM
IF YOU'RE NOT OUTRAGED, YOU'RE NOT PAYING ATTENTION
IF YOU SUPPORTED BUSH, A YELLOW RIBBON WON'T MAKE UP FOR IT
POVERTY, HEALTH CARE, & HOMELESSNESS ARE MORAL ISSUES
OF COURSE IT HURTS. YOU'RE GETTING SCREWED BY AN ELEPHANT
BUSH LIED, AND YOU KNOW IT
RELIGIOUS FUNDAMENTALISM: A THREAT ABROAD, A THREAT AT HOME
GOD BLESS EVERYONE (No exceptions)
BUSH SPENT YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY ON HIS WAR
PRO AMERICA, ANTI BUSH
WHO WOULD JESUS BOMB?
SHUT UP AND SHIP OUT
FEEL SAFER NOW?
I'D RATHER HAVE A PRESIDENT WHO SCREWED HIS INTERN THAN ONE WHO SCREWED HIS COUNTRY
JESUS WAS A SOCIAL ACTIVIST -- THAT IS A LIBERAL
MY VALUES? FREE SPEECH. EQUALITY. LIBERTY. EDUCATION. TOLERANCE. IS IT 2008 YET?
DISSENT IS THE HIGHEST FORM OF PATRIOTISM ? Thomas Jefferson
DON'T BLAME ME. I VOTED AGAINST BUSH -- TWICE!
ANNOY A CONSERVATIVE: THINK FOR YOURSELF
VISUALIZE IMPEACHMENT
HEY BUSH! WHERE'S BIN LADEN?
CORPORATE MEDIA = MASS MIND CONTROL
STOP MAD COWBOY DISEASE
GEORGE W. BUSH: MAKING TERRORISTS FASTER THAN HE CAN KILL THEM
KEEP YOUR THEOCRACY OFF MY DEMOCRACY
DEMOCRATS ARE SEXY. WHOEVER HEARD OF A GOOD PIECE OF ELEPHANT?
ASPIRING CANADIAN
CORPORATE MEDIA: WEAPONS OF MASS DECEPTION
DON'T CONFUSE DYING FOR OIL WITH FIGHTING FOR FREEDOM
STEM CELL RESEARCH IS PRO LIFE
HATE, GREED, IGNORANCE: WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION
HONOR OUR TROOPS: DEMAND THE TRUTH
REBUILD IRAQ? WHY NOT SPEND 87 BILLION ON AMERICA?
FACT: BUSH OIL 1999 - $19 BARREL 2006 - $70 BARREL
THE LAST TIME RELIGION CONTROLLED POLITICS, PEOPLE GOT BURNED AT THE STAKE
I'LL GIVE UP MY CHOICE WHEN JOHN ROBERTS GETS PREGNANT
HOW ON EARTH CAN 59,411,287 PEOPLE BE SO DUMB?
SPEAK YOUR MIND EVEN IF YOUR VOICE SHAKES
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This is the fairy tale that should have been read to us when we were little:
Once upon a time in a land far away, a beautiful, independent, self-assured princess happened upon a frog as she sat
contemplating ecological issues on the shores of an unpolluted pond in a verdant meadow near her castle.
The frog hopped into the princess' lap and said: " Elegant Lady, I was once a handsome prince, until an evil witch cast a spell upon me.
One kiss from you, however, and I will turn back into the dapper, young prince that I am and then, my sweet, we can marry and set up housekeeping in your castle with my mother, where you can prepare my meals, clean my clothes, bear my children, and forever feel grateful and happy doing so. "
That night, as the princess dined sumptuously on lightly sauteed frog legs seasoned in a white wine and onion cream sauce,
she chuckled and thought to herself:
I don't freakin think so.
GENERAL ITEMS OF INTEREST:
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Here's a link to locations where you can view the movie, Iraq For Sale. MoveOn.org is putting on these showings. You can tailor it to fit your zip code. This is some scary stuff. K
http://pol.moveon.org/event/events/index.html?action_id=59&search_distance=30&search_zip=64112&submit=Search
OR
You can link up through Democracy for America
Last night, over 100 people attended a DFA screening of the new movie Iraq For Sale: The War Profiteers in Austin, Texas. Next Wednesday, over 50 people will attend a screening in Kansas City, Missouri and three days later over 40 people will see it in Asheville, North Carolina.
Nancy Richards in Vero Beach, Florida wrote:
"We had 61 people in attendance at the local library. It led to great discussion, questions, etc. I had to make them leave before the doors were locked. It was a very successful event in our small conservative area!"
From coast to coast, DFA groups around the country have put together grassroots screenings of this provocative film and the response is incredible. People are motivated, educated, and fired up to make a difference in this election.
Search for a screening near you:
http://www.dfalink.com/iraqforsale
Traditional movie theaters aren't playing this explosive documentary, but we are. Over 100 people are signed up to see the movie in Nashville, Tennessee. 128 in Berkeley, California. 80 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Halliburton, Dick Cheney and Republican leaders everywhere don't want you to see this movie, especially in October, just a few weeks before Election Day.
Yet across the country, a huge percentage of our progressive network has already signed up to attend a DFA screening. Why not join them and bring a conservative friend along? With almost 300 DFA screenings still scheduled to happen around the country with in the next two weeks, there is probably an event near you.
After the movie, you can sign up with your local DFA group for upcoming Get Out The Vote activities. Thousands of activists like you will provide boots on the ground for campaigns everywhere. Door knocking, literature dropping, sign waving, phone calling... you name it. DFA members are working to make sure progressive values win on November 7.
Together we move the message forward,
Charles Chamberlain
Field Director
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Although this speaks about Jim Talent (incumbent MO Senator), I think it is something all of you should hear. K
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNpnYC_pD9Y
Copyright © 2006 YouTube, Inc.
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Check out this useful e-mail about toilet/tissue paper and paper towel use from the Natural Resources Defense Council. K
http://www.nrdc.org/land/forests/gtissue.asp
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This editorial comment is 9 minutes long but worth every second. It's good to have reminders of just how bad GW is, just in case you forgot. K
http://youtube.com/watch?v=YP27yTa8d9s&mode=related&search=
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Published on Thursday, September 14, 2006 by the New York Times
The Stranger in the Mirror
by Bob Herbert
We had elections in New York and around the country on Tuesday. But it seems to me that the biggest issue of our time is getting very short shrift from the politicians, and that's the fact that the very character of the United States is changing, and not for the better.
One of the things that stands out in my mind amid the memories of the carnage and chaos of Sept. 11, 2001, is the eerie quiet - an almost prayerful quiet - that hovered over a scene on the western edge of Manhattan that afternoon.
I stood for a long time outside the triage center that had been set up at the Chelsea Piers sports and entertainment complex. Sunlight glistened off the roofs of ambulances lined up in military fashion on the West Side Highway. Doctors, nurses and other medical personnel were standing by, waiting for what they thought would be the arrival of legions of seriously wounded victims in need of emergency care.
There seemed to be very little talking. As I recall, most of the people maintained a kind of stunned, awed silence.
The expected onslaught of victims never came. As the afternoon faded, I headed east, along with others, toward the morgue at Bellevue Hospital.
What I thought was the greatest expression of the American character in my lifetime occurred in the immediate aftermath of those catastrophic attacks. The country came together in the kind of resolute unity that I imagined was similar to the feeling
most Americans felt after Pearl Harbor. We soon knew who the enemy was, and there was remarkable agreement on what needed to be done. Americans were united and the world was with us.
For a brief moment.
The invasion of Iraq marked the beginning of the change in the American character. During the Cuban missile crisis, when the hawks were hot for bombing - or an invasion - Robert Kennedy counseled against a U.S. first strike. That's not something the U.S. would do, he said.
Fast-forward 40 years or so and not only does the U.S. launch an unprovoked invasion and occupation of a small nation - Iraq - but it does so in response to an attack inside the U.S. that the small nation had nothing to do with.
Who are we?
Another example: There was a time, I thought, when there was general agreement among Americans that torture was beyond the pale. But when people are frightened enough, nothing is beyond the pale. And we're in an era in which the highest leaders in the land stoke - rather than attempt to allay - the fears of ordinary citizens. Islamic terrorists are equated with Nazi Germany. We're told that we're in a clash of civilizations.
If, as President Bush says, we're engaged in "the decisive ideological struggle of the 21st century," why isn't the entire nation mobilizing to meet this dire threat?
The president put us on this path away from the better angels of our nature, and he has shown no inclination to turn back. Lately he has touted legislation to try terror suspects in a way that would make a mockery of the American ideals of
justice and fairness. To get a sense of just how far out the administration's approach has been, consider the comments of Brig. Gen. James Walker, the top uniformed lawyer for the Marines. Speaking at a Congressional hearing last week, he said no
civilized country denies defendants the right to see the evidence against them. The United States, he said, "should not be the first."
And Senator Lindsey Graham, a conservative South Carolina Republican who is a former military judge, said, "It would be unacceptable, legally, in my opinion, to give someone the death penalty in a trial where they never heard the evidence against them."
How weird is it that this possibility could even be considered?
The character of the U.S. has changed. We're in danger of being completely ruled by fear. Most Americans have not shared the burden of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Very few Americans are aware, as the Center for Constitutional Rights tells us, that of the hundreds of men held by the U.S. in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, many "have never been charged and will never be charged because there is no evidence justifying their detention."
Even fewer care.
We could benefit from looking in a mirror, and absorbing the shock of not recognizing what we've become.
© Copyright 2006 New York Times Company
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This is from Howard Dean...
We're going on the offense on national security. The future of our party, and of our country, depends on the ability of Democrats to get a strong national security message out in all 50 states this year. Donate to make it happen and watch President Clinton fight back now.
You can't trust Republicans on national security -- and two things proved it yesterday:
1) In a powerful interview that aired yesterday, President Bill Clinton took on the extremist Republican propaganda about 9/11 -- and Fox News tried to cover up the fact that the Bush administration downgraded terrorism as a priority before September 11th and has failed to eliminate Osama bin Laden since the attacks.
2) An explosive report on the still-classified National Intelligence Estimate states that the "invasion and occupation of Iraq has helped spawn a new generation of Islamic radicalism and that the overall terrorist threat has grown since the Sept. 11 attacks" -- and Republicans have been trying to cover it up.
This is what we're fighting against every day -- an administration covering up of the Bush failure of 9/11 and covering up an honest look at the war in Iraq and the war on terror.
You know that Democrats have a real plan for destroying Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda, fixing the mess in Iraq, and really securing us at home.
But we've always had those things -- the problem until now has been our willingness to stand up and fight for them in the face of fear mongering, bullying and intimidation from the other side.
That's why we're going on the offense on national security. The future of our party, and of our country, depends on the ability of Democrats to get a strong national security message out in all 50 states this year.
Here's the meat of the Fox News interview with President Clinton, where he's had enough of the right-wing revisionist history from the propaganda machine:
CLINTON: I'm being asked this on the Fox network. ABC just had a right-wing conservative run in their little Pathway to 9/11, falsely claiming it was based on the 9/11 Commission report, with three things asserted against me directly contradicted by the 9/11 Commission report. ...
And I think it's very interesting that all the conservative Republicans, who now say I didn't do enough, claimed that I was too obsessed with bin Laden. All of President Bush's neo-cons thought I was too obsessed with bin Laden. They had no meetings on bin Laden for nine months after I left office. All the right-wingers who now say I didn't do enough said I did too much -- same people.
Over a quarter million Americans stood up to ABC and beat back the right-wing Republican 9/11 propaganda that tries to cover up the Bush administration's huge failures to protect America before and after the attacks.
Yesterday Bill Clinton did exactly what Democrats need to do in this election -- to stand up to the right-wing and tell the truth. We will not let the Republicans twist history and distort reality.
We're sick of playing defense against a Republican leadership that uses national security to scare people to win elections. We're not going to be pushed around, spun, and defamed by right-wing extremists and those whom they use to disseminate their propaganda.
Our plan for this election is to go on the offense -- to talk straight about the Republican failures and lay out a clear Democratic plan to take American foreign policy and national security in a better direction.
We have a fundamentally different vision for our security than the Party of Bush. We want a new direction in Iraq, more competent security at home, and the restoration of America's moral leadership in the world.
They failed to capture or kill Osama bin Laden, and five years after September 11th he still lives to taunt Americans.
They squandered America's moral authority and global leadership by launching a war of choice in Iraq instead of fighting the war on al Qaeda.
The calls of the 9/11 Commission Report and Hurricane Katrina simply did not awaken Republican leaders to our continuing vulnerabilities at home.
We've had enough, and we're going to run an honest campaign about the security of our country. People are smart and ready for real leadership -- will you make a donation right now to help get the message out?
http://www.democrats.org/offense
Republicans have won two elections since 9/11 by instilling fear in people, and they're trying to do it again this year.
But it's not going to work. The Bush policies have failed. Iraq is sliding into civil war. Iran and North Korea are more dangerous than they were five and a half years ago. And the Taliban resurgence poses new threats in Afghanistan.
As President Clinton said on Fox News that we have a government "that thinks Afghanistan is only one-seventh as important as Iraq."
People have had enough. This administration cannot be trusted with our security.
Democrats are going to reclaim American leadership with a tough, smart plan to transform failed policies in Iraq, the Middle East and around the world.
We will increase the size of Special Forces to destroy Osama Bin Laden and terrorist networks like al Qaeda. We will implement the bipartisan 9/11 Commission proposal to secure America's borders and ports and screen every container. And we will fully man, train, and equip our National Guard and our police, firefighters and other first responders.
When it comes to national security, the Republicans have not led.
We will.
Thank you,
Gov. Howard Dean, M.D.
Democratic National Committee
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Alison Martin is a Blue Heart and her husband, Richard, is Claire McCaskill's campaign manager. Check this article out! K
McCaskill’s chief known for making gutsy moves Alison Martin is very matter of fact about it: Her husband left her for another woman. But he did it with Alison’s permission. And … this isn’t as strange as it sounds.
The full article will be available on the Web for a limited time:
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/front/15588490.htm
(c) 2006 Kansas City Star and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved.
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This is from Blue Heart, Vicki Walker. I reviewed the link and there's A TON of information. Please peruse the lists, FYI. K
Kristin - I know your group was looking at ways to support Dems through their buying practices, but here is a way to punish corporations for their actions. I think it makes much more sense to shape the corporate behavior WE want by putting our values where our money is (are?) and doing it collectively.
Just thought you might find this website interesting. Check them out!
Vicki
http://www.corporatedisobedience.org/
LOCAL STUFF:
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Missouri Coalition for Lifesaving Cures
- YARD SIGNS are being delivered this week. Please visit http://www.missouricures.com/gotv_locations.php to find locations and more information. Grab a sign for everyone you know who supports Amendment 2!
- Please sign up for Friends postcards and bumper stickers. The Friends postcards are preprinted with "Vote YES on 2" messaging and have a place for you to write a personal PS and send them to your friends and family. You can sign up online at http://www.missouricures.com/request_form.php. If you fill out your postcards at the volunteer meeting, or bring your
completed postcards, we will stamp them for you!
YARD SIGN RULES
Please be sure to follow a “good neighbor” approach and local government rules when displaying YES on 2 yard signs.
Make sure you have the permission of the property owner to display a yard sign.
Do not obstruct a driver’s view of roads or intersections.
Remove yard signs on November 8th.
Check with your municipal or county government for political sign rules (e.g., number of signs allowed per lot or set back from the curb).
Sincerely,
Traci Weishaar
Volunteer Coordinator
Missouri Coalition for Lifesaving Cures
Email: tweishaar@MissouriCures.com
Tel: 816-561-4700
This voter information authorized and paid for by the Missouri Coalition for Lifesaving Cures, Sandra Aust, Treasurer.
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Your Democratic Party News
from Jackson County Democrats
October 2006
In This Issue
Will Talent Show Leadership during Scandal?
Montee's Competition "Plagarizing" a Report??
Democratic Heavyweights & Superstars Come to Missouri for Claire
There's the News... Here's the Rant.
Calendar Of Events
P.S.: One heck of a television commentary!
ONE MONTH......4 WEEKS.... THIRTY DAYS...whatever way you want to look at it, the election is right around the corner. Democrats, have you asked yourself if you have done everything you can to help the Democratic Party be successful on November 7? READ ON AND GET INVOLVED!
Will Talent Show Leadership during Scandal?
The Missouri Democratic Party called on Jim Talent to break his silence involving the Mark Foley scandal so that serious questions don’t remain unanswered. Talent served in the House at the same time that House Pages were being warned to steer clear of Foley: Were Talent’s Pages warned? Does Talent agree with conservatives who think Dennis Hastert should resign as Speaker of the House?
It is time for Jim Talent to show leadership and hold his own party responsible when it covers up potentially illegal activities," said Jack Cardetti, Missouri Democratic Party. "The Foley scandal is a perfect example of what happens in Washington when one party gains too much power and develops an arrogance and sense of entitlement that says it is more important to protect that power than the innocence of a young teen in their care."
Montee's Competition "Plagarizing" a Report??
ST. JOSEPH) – The Montee for Auditor campaign learned today from sources inside the Platte County courthouse that the awards Sandra Thomas claims to have won as Platte County Auditor are the result of work by outside auditor “Troutt, Beeman & Co.” The “Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting Program,” sponsored by the Government Finance Officers Association, is awarded to counties that submit their finance reports in the organization’s suggested format. In the case of Platte County, the outside auditor is paid each year to prepare a “Comprehensive Annual Financial Report” so the county can win the award.
Thomas’ campaign Web site claims she has earned the certificate ‘for nine consecutive years for the financial statements her office produces.’” Sean Spence, Montee campaign manager, said. “Isn’t it cheating to take credit for someone else’s work?” Spence continued, “Thomas bases her campaign on her status as an ‘award winning CPA’ and claims that her office produces the award-winning reports. The fact is that she pays an outside auditor thousands of dollars every year to win this award and then claims credit. It’s like entering a baking contest with a cake by Martha Stewart and bragging when you win."
The certificate is issued as long as the county submits their financial reports and application according to the organization’s guidelines, regardless of any level of incompetence found by outside auditors,” Spence said. “The award does not take into account that $195,000 of county money was missing for nine months, due to Thomas’ accounting errors.” The Government Finance Officers Association is a reputable organization and their “Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting Program” is based solely on the presentation of information, rather than the quality of the content.
Democratic Heavyweights & Superstars Come to Missouri for Claire
President Bill Clinton, Senator Barack Obama, Michael J. Fox, Sheryl Crowe, Madeline Albright, and others understand the importance of Missouri's Senate race and have come to Missouri to make sure Claire McCaskill is our next United States Senator.
BE A DEMOCRATIC SUPERSTAR YOURSELF AND GET INVOLVED IN CLAIRE'S CAMPAIGN. GO to www.claireonline.com!
There's the News... Here's the Rant.
It's the pinnacle of the election cycle. Campaign literature is in your mailbox. Candidate commercials are on television every minute. Campaigns are canvassing neighborhoods. Don't you love it? For us unbalanced folks that love politics there is no better time of year. It is as exhilarating as it is frustrating, but this is what we have been working towards.
And look on the bright side: Republicans have some problems: Foley's immoral actions involving teenage boys, the Republican leadership with knowledge and not acting, the incompetence of the Iraq War, the Bush low approval ratings, the Scooter Libby leak investigation, off the chart gas prices,.... just to name a few.
But those Republican blunders and problems are not going to be enough for the Democratic Party to be successful. We also have to work hard. Let's not let this opportunity to change Missouri, the U.S. and the world pass us by. It is within our grasp, but it is up to us to get it done!
Open your checkbooks for Claire, Susan, and your local state representative candidate. Put a yard sign up. Volunteer for one day to any of the campaigns in the next few weeks. And most importantly on election day after you have voted, make sure you call at least five of your family and friends to make sure they have voted. If they haven't, go pick them up and take them to the polls!!
If each person reading this e-mail would promise to do that, Claire McCaskill will be our next United States Senator and there will be a resurgence of Democratic values and leadership in Jefferson City. So get to it. You only have a month. The hard work will be worth it!!
P.S.: One heck of a television commentary!
If you have ten minutes behind a computer, you have got to listen/watch a great commentary and analysis about the Fox News Bill Clinton interview and the comparisons to the current administration's incompetence. Watch Keith Olbermann comments on Bill Clinton's Fox News interview. It is great stuff. Go here: http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/092606Z.shtml
THIRTY DAYS TO VICTORY! GET TO WORK!
(See Calendar Below)
Phil LeVota, Immediate Past Chairman JCDC
Missouri State Democratic Committeeman, Jackson County Democratic Committeeman
email: plevota@yahoo.com
phone: 816-821-8531
web: http://www.jacksoncountydemocrats.org
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Calendar Of Events:
When: Thursday, October 12th, 7:00 - 9:00pm
Where: All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church (just east of the Kemper Art Museum off Main Street)
What: We will participate in facilitated roundtable conversations about our core values as people of faith or conscience and participants in democracy.
You are invited to All Souls Faith in Democracy Dialogue
If you believe we are all inherently connected, that our fates are linked in our region…...
If you want to work with others to bring your values into action in our democracy…….
Come and be part of articulating our values and help shape the political landscape of our region.
We have invited local leaders to come, listen, and respond to what they hear.
Alvin Brooks: Councilman, Mayor pro tem
Jolie Justus: Missouri State Senate Candidate
Beth Low: Missouri House Representative
Jason Norbury: Missouri State Senate Candidate
Mike Sanders: Jackson County Executive Candidate
We have also invited members of other congregations to come and participate.
Prairie Baptist Church
Grand Avenue TempleUnited Methodist Church
This is an opportunity to show up, engage with our guests, and build an important progressive voice together.
Questions? Call: 816-531-2131
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When: Thursday, October 12th,2006, 6:00PM to 8:30PM
What: Chris Moreno Democratic Candidate for Missouri’s 48th District House of Representatives fundraiser and FUN raiser Where: Painter's District Council Hall, 9902 E 62nd Street, Raytown, MO.
For information: chezpickard@sbcglobal.net.
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When: October 16, 2006, 6:00 PM
What: Heartland Democrats present a pre-election Values Rally
Where: The Plaza Holiday Inn, 1 East 45th St., KCMO 64111
This free admission event will unveil three different advertisements that HDA could run before the election. Your votes will determine which ads will go on the air! Cash bar will be available. Come get riled up before the election and help us choose the most effective ads to put on the air!
www.HeartlandDemocrats.org
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When: Tuesday, October 17, 2006, 5-7pm
What: Kansas Citians for Cindy Circo
Where: Uptown Theater at 3700 Broadway
Not too soon to be thinking about Kansas City City Council Races in the Spring. For information go to www.cindybakercirco.com
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When: Thursday, October 19th, 2006, 5 PM
What: An evening with Governor Kathleen Sebelius, Congressman Dennis Moore and Candidate for AG, Paul Morrison
Where: Asbury United Methodist Church 5400 West 75th Prairie Village
The candidates will speak on vital issues concerning the environment, social justice, healthcare and education.
Doors open at 5 PM for sign-in, the opportunity to meet other True Blue Women, to learn about on-going and future opportunities with TBW and the opportunity to contribute a question for the candidates. Governor Sebelius will begin speaking promptly at 6:30. Enter through walkway in back of Church (North side).
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When: Sunday, October 22nd, 2006, 4-5:30 PM
What: Want Peace? VOTE! Vigil and Rally
Where: Nichols Fountain, 47th & Main
Open Mike: Come Listen --Come Speak Out
The event is sponsored by the American Friends Service Committee and the KC Iraq Task Force.
For more information call 816 931-5256 or go to www.kciraqtaskforce.org/
We need your support to keep our peacemaking work alive. Contribute. Volunteer. Spread the word! Contact us and mail your tax deductible contribution to:
American Friends Service Committee
4405 Gillham Rd., KCMO 64110
(816) 931-5256 or afsckc@afsc.org
Wars are not acts of God. They are caused by man, by man-made institutions, by the way in which man has organized his society. What man has made, man can change.
-- Frederic Moore Vinson
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When: Monday, October 23rd, 2006, 7 PM
What: Lecture by New York Times columnist and author of The Greatest Story Ever Sold: The Decline and Fall of TRUTH from 9/11 to Katrina
Where: Unity Temple on the Plaza, 707 W. 47th Street
This is a free lecture brought by the Truman Presidential Museum & Library and the Carolyn Benton Cockafair Chair. Reservations are required by calling 816-235-6222, M-F, 10 AM - 5 PM.
He is very critical of the media for not asking the tough questions--in the interest of preserving what some have mistakenly thought of or promoted as "patriotism." He is interesting and intelligent and has some good insights.
End of Calendar
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Dear Peacemaker,
Ray McGovern gave powerful presentations on Wednesday. With 27 years of experience as a CIA analyst his knowledge and authority were impressive. The message this administration lied to the American public to get us into war. It continues to misuse intelligence for political ends. It may be capable of doing it again and launching a pre-emptive attack on Iraq within two years or even in the next five weeks.
He warned us that it is possible to act too late. I encourage you to get involved. Speak out before another war is begun in your name! Ray McGovern spoke to an overflowing crowd of 200+ at Park University
Thanks for your support,
Ira Harritt
Program Coordinator KC AFSC
Co-chair KC Iraq Task Force
iharritt@afsc.org
October --2006 -- October
PEACE & JUSTICE TEACH-INS
When? Wednesdays, 7:00 p.m.
Where? Westport Coffee House, 4010 Pennsylvania
** one meeting at Unity on the Plaza this month
October 18: Poetry evening. Bring poetry to share – your own or some you particularly like and/or find inspiring.
October 25: "Dissent" – Craig Lubow. This ACLU film tells the stories of everyday Americans who were practicing their right of free speech and protest only to be thwarted, harassed, or arrested.
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Help plan and implement anti-war and peace education, organizing and advocacy actions!
Come to the next meeting of the KC Iraq Task Force is on Thursday, October 26 at 6:30pm (note special date) at the AFSC office, 4405 Gillham Rd., KCMO.
Help will plan:
ê Demonstrations at Sen. Talent and McCaskill’s campaign offices;
ê Promotion of Missouri and Kansas Eyes Wide Open State Exhibits;
ê November Peace Vigil or actions
ê and other actions.
Peace and Justice Teach-ins will be on a break. For up to date information go to: http://peaceandjusticecoffeehouse.blogspot.com/
October 20-21, 2006 KC Sabeel Middle East Peace Conference. The Kansas City Sabeel Conference is a two-day educational and advocacy conference on the conflict in Palestine-Israel. Village Presbyterian Church, 6641 Mission Rd., Prairie Village, KS. For more information, call (913) 649-9439 or (913) 236-9825 | www.kcsabeelconference.org
October 22, Sunday, Want Peace? VOTE Vigil and Rally, 47 & Main, KCMO, 4PM to 5:30PM –Vigil and Rally
October 26, Thursday, at 6:30pm, KC Iraq Task Force Monthly Planning Meeting, at the AFSC office, 4405 Gillham Rd., KCMO
EVERY Sunday: Iraq Peace Vigil, 4pm, JC Nichols Fountain, 47th & Main, Streets, Kansas City, MO http://www.kciraqtaskforce.org/
EVERY TUESDAY: Join this Peace Demonstration Every Tuesday between 5PM - 6 PM in the median strip on the south corner of the intersection at 63rd & Ward Parkway, Kansas City, Mo. For more information email '63rd Street Patriots' - Bob Rowe (exgman47@yahoo.com) or Carol (schwartzkatz@mail.carrollsweb.com).
COMING THIS FALL
EYES WIDE OPEN: Kansas / Missouri
Eyes Wide Open (EWO) is a national multi-media exhibit that provides a moving view of the costs of war. AFSC staff and KC Iraq Task Force volunteers are currently creating an EWO exhibit for Kansas and Missouri.
Eyes Wide Open: Kansas and Missouri localizes the national exhibit with a focus on the human and economic impact of the war and occupation on Missourians and Kansans. The exhibit includes one pair of boots for each Missouri and Kansas soldier killed in Iraq; 50 pairs of civilian shoes representing Iraqis killed in the war and occupation; a display depicting the cost of the war to KS and MO taxpayers; and pictures of Iraqi civilians and U.S. soldiers.
YOU CAN HELP!
We need used children’s’ men’s’ and women’s’ shoes to represent Iraqi civilians who have died. Bring pairs of shoes to donate to the exhibit to AFSC / Iraq Task Force Events or call 816 931-5256 for information.
Do you know of a congregation, library, school or other location which would like to display the Missouri or Kansas Eyes Wide Open Exhibits?
The information and events described in AFSC Peace and Justice Alerts are intended to educate and assist members of our community in becoming active in working for a more just and peaceful world. Inclusion of a listing does not necessarily imply that AFSC KC agrees with all points of view that will be represented at the event.
The American Friends Service Committee is a Quaker organization that includes people of various faiths who are committed to social justice, peace, and humanitarian service. Its work is based on the Quaker belief in the worth of every person and faith in the power of love to overcome violence and injustice
Ira Harritt
Kansas City Program
American Friends Service Committee
4405 Gillham Rd., KCMO 64110
(816) 931-5256
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From: SusanPersonal@SusanMontee.com
Date: October 11, 2006 11:37:12 AM CDT
Hi Kristin!
With just 27 days until Election Day, campaign days and nights are starting to be a bit of a blur. There is so much excitement out on the campaign trail -- Missourians needs a change like never before, and it feels as though we are going to get it.
Our first TV spots started running all around the state on "Meet the Press" this week. Maybe you saw them? Radio spots are up, too, and we have heard lots of good feedback about both efforts. After nearly a year of traveling around the state, speaking one on one with voters, it is exciting to be reaching hundreds of thousands of voters a day.
Trips to Dallas and Laclede counties were particularly fun this week. It is amazing to visit so many smaller, rural counties and see record turnout from people who want something better for Missouri. We also met with the Kansas City Star editorial board as they consider endorsing me in a few weeks. You never really know how a meeting like that goes, but I felt good about it.
Letters to the Editor have started to appear for me around the state. We aren't seeing any at all for my opponent, but surely our letters will motivate her supporters to write in for her. If you know anyone who would write or sign a letter to the editor of the local newspaper, please let me know. We can provide as much help as needed.
Thanks for your time. Please let me know if you have any questions or thoughts about the race.
- Susan
Susan Montee
Montee for Auditor
SusanPersonal@SusanMontee.com
816-671-0380
Paid for by Montee for Auditor, Glenda Kelly, Treasurer.
P.O. Box 1485
St. Joseph, MO 64502
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Going from politician to publisher! Who knew! But it is one thing Mike and I love - movies! We spent the summer traveling the Midwest finding these theatres and their stories. It's the best kind of 'politics' - the neighborly kind. My daughter Libby and I toured the Kansas wheat fields and passed many many many livestock feed lots! But the theaters we found were worth it!
The book makes a great Christmas present for people who love movies, old theaters, small towns, historic buildings or just traveling! Check it out and buy the book at:
www.moonbookstore.com.
Thanks!
Vicki & Mike Walker
How High The Moon Publishing
9826 James A. Reed Rd.
Kansas City, MO 64134
816-965-0183 or 816-728-6936
www.moonbookstore.com
____________________
"A dreamer finds his way by the moonlight, and sees the dawn before the rest of the world."
-Oscar Wilde
Many of you have asked if you've missed a blog because it has been awhile. I don't think so. I've had a lot of information I've wanted to get to you but didn't get the chance to get it out before it was too late. I'm sorry for that. I co-chaired an event recently and put all my time there, but it's over!
And I'm back and ready to hit it hard before the next election as I know you are. So, here's the important information I have accumulated thus far. For KC people, I've tried to put all calendar stuff in chronological order. There are some extra calendar items in Ira Harritt's letter but I did merge the other calendar items.
Please scan through the whole blog to find the items most interesting to you. There's some good stuff all the way through!
Thanks,
Kristin
HUMOR:
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GREAT BUMPER STICKERS! I've sent this one before but I thought you might enjoy them again. K
These bumper stickers were compiled by Jerry Paull, a former Methodist minister in Lakeside, Ohio, who writes:
The following actual bumper stickers are now on cars. I didn't write anyof them. I'm only the messenger. If they make you laugh, good. If they make you cry, good. If they make you angry, that's good too. If you don't want to read them, hit the delete button.
BLIND FAITH IN BAD LEADERSHIP IS NOT PATRIOTISM
IF YOU'RE NOT OUTRAGED, YOU'RE NOT PAYING ATTENTION
IF YOU SUPPORTED BUSH, A YELLOW RIBBON WON'T MAKE UP FOR IT
POVERTY, HEALTH CARE, & HOMELESSNESS ARE MORAL ISSUES
OF COURSE IT HURTS. YOU'RE GETTING SCREWED BY AN ELEPHANT
BUSH LIED, AND YOU KNOW IT
RELIGIOUS FUNDAMENTALISM: A THREAT ABROAD, A THREAT AT HOME
GOD BLESS EVERYONE (No exceptions)
BUSH SPENT YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY ON HIS WAR
PRO AMERICA, ANTI BUSH
WHO WOULD JESUS BOMB?
SHUT UP AND SHIP OUT
FEEL SAFER NOW?
I'D RATHER HAVE A PRESIDENT WHO SCREWED HIS INTERN THAN ONE WHO SCREWED HIS COUNTRY
JESUS WAS A SOCIAL ACTIVIST -- THAT IS A LIBERAL
MY VALUES? FREE SPEECH. EQUALITY. LIBERTY. EDUCATION. TOLERANCE. IS IT 2008 YET?
DISSENT IS THE HIGHEST FORM OF PATRIOTISM ? Thomas Jefferson
DON'T BLAME ME. I VOTED AGAINST BUSH -- TWICE!
ANNOY A CONSERVATIVE: THINK FOR YOURSELF
VISUALIZE IMPEACHMENT
HEY BUSH! WHERE'S BIN LADEN?
CORPORATE MEDIA = MASS MIND CONTROL
STOP MAD COWBOY DISEASE
GEORGE W. BUSH: MAKING TERRORISTS FASTER THAN HE CAN KILL THEM
KEEP YOUR THEOCRACY OFF MY DEMOCRACY
DEMOCRATS ARE SEXY. WHOEVER HEARD OF A GOOD PIECE OF ELEPHANT?
ASPIRING CANADIAN
CORPORATE MEDIA: WEAPONS OF MASS DECEPTION
DON'T CONFUSE DYING FOR OIL WITH FIGHTING FOR FREEDOM
STEM CELL RESEARCH IS PRO LIFE
HATE, GREED, IGNORANCE: WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION
HONOR OUR TROOPS: DEMAND THE TRUTH
REBUILD IRAQ? WHY NOT SPEND 87 BILLION ON AMERICA?
FACT: BUSH OIL 1999 - $19 BARREL 2006 - $70 BARREL
THE LAST TIME RELIGION CONTROLLED POLITICS, PEOPLE GOT BURNED AT THE STAKE
I'LL GIVE UP MY CHOICE WHEN JOHN ROBERTS GETS PREGNANT
HOW ON EARTH CAN 59,411,287 PEOPLE BE SO DUMB?
SPEAK YOUR MIND EVEN IF YOUR VOICE SHAKES
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This is the fairy tale that should have been read to us when we were little:
Once upon a time in a land far away, a beautiful, independent, self-assured princess happened upon a frog as she sat
contemplating ecological issues on the shores of an unpolluted pond in a verdant meadow near her castle.
The frog hopped into the princess' lap and said: " Elegant Lady, I was once a handsome prince, until an evil witch cast a spell upon me.
One kiss from you, however, and I will turn back into the dapper, young prince that I am and then, my sweet, we can marry and set up housekeeping in your castle with my mother, where you can prepare my meals, clean my clothes, bear my children, and forever feel grateful and happy doing so. "
That night, as the princess dined sumptuously on lightly sauteed frog legs seasoned in a white wine and onion cream sauce,
she chuckled and thought to herself:
I don't freakin think so.
GENERAL ITEMS OF INTEREST:
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Here's a link to locations where you can view the movie, Iraq For Sale. MoveOn.org is putting on these showings. You can tailor it to fit your zip code. This is some scary stuff. K
http://pol.moveon.org/event/events/index.html?action_id=59&search_distance=30&search_zip=64112&submit=Search
OR
You can link up through Democracy for America
Last night, over 100 people attended a DFA screening of the new movie Iraq For Sale: The War Profiteers in Austin, Texas. Next Wednesday, over 50 people will attend a screening in Kansas City, Missouri and three days later over 40 people will see it in Asheville, North Carolina.
Nancy Richards in Vero Beach, Florida wrote:
"We had 61 people in attendance at the local library. It led to great discussion, questions, etc. I had to make them leave before the doors were locked. It was a very successful event in our small conservative area!"
From coast to coast, DFA groups around the country have put together grassroots screenings of this provocative film and the response is incredible. People are motivated, educated, and fired up to make a difference in this election.
Search for a screening near you:
http://www.dfalink.com/iraqforsale
Traditional movie theaters aren't playing this explosive documentary, but we are. Over 100 people are signed up to see the movie in Nashville, Tennessee. 128 in Berkeley, California. 80 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Halliburton, Dick Cheney and Republican leaders everywhere don't want you to see this movie, especially in October, just a few weeks before Election Day.
Yet across the country, a huge percentage of our progressive network has already signed up to attend a DFA screening. Why not join them and bring a conservative friend along? With almost 300 DFA screenings still scheduled to happen around the country with in the next two weeks, there is probably an event near you.
After the movie, you can sign up with your local DFA group for upcoming Get Out The Vote activities. Thousands of activists like you will provide boots on the ground for campaigns everywhere. Door knocking, literature dropping, sign waving, phone calling... you name it. DFA members are working to make sure progressive values win on November 7.
Together we move the message forward,
Charles Chamberlain
Field Director
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Although this speaks about Jim Talent (incumbent MO Senator), I think it is something all of you should hear. K
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNpnYC_pD9Y
Copyright © 2006 YouTube, Inc.
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Check out this useful e-mail about toilet/tissue paper and paper towel use from the Natural Resources Defense Council. K
http://www.nrdc.org/land/forests/gtissue.asp
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This editorial comment is 9 minutes long but worth every second. It's good to have reminders of just how bad GW is, just in case you forgot. K
http://youtube.com/watch?v=YP27yTa8d9s&mode=related&search=
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Published on Thursday, September 14, 2006 by the New York Times
The Stranger in the Mirror
by Bob Herbert
We had elections in New York and around the country on Tuesday. But it seems to me that the biggest issue of our time is getting very short shrift from the politicians, and that's the fact that the very character of the United States is changing, and not for the better.
One of the things that stands out in my mind amid the memories of the carnage and chaos of Sept. 11, 2001, is the eerie quiet - an almost prayerful quiet - that hovered over a scene on the western edge of Manhattan that afternoon.
I stood for a long time outside the triage center that had been set up at the Chelsea Piers sports and entertainment complex. Sunlight glistened off the roofs of ambulances lined up in military fashion on the West Side Highway. Doctors, nurses and other medical personnel were standing by, waiting for what they thought would be the arrival of legions of seriously wounded victims in need of emergency care.
There seemed to be very little talking. As I recall, most of the people maintained a kind of stunned, awed silence.
The expected onslaught of victims never came. As the afternoon faded, I headed east, along with others, toward the morgue at Bellevue Hospital.
What I thought was the greatest expression of the American character in my lifetime occurred in the immediate aftermath of those catastrophic attacks. The country came together in the kind of resolute unity that I imagined was similar to the feeling
most Americans felt after Pearl Harbor. We soon knew who the enemy was, and there was remarkable agreement on what needed to be done. Americans were united and the world was with us.
For a brief moment.
The invasion of Iraq marked the beginning of the change in the American character. During the Cuban missile crisis, when the hawks were hot for bombing - or an invasion - Robert Kennedy counseled against a U.S. first strike. That's not something the U.S. would do, he said.
Fast-forward 40 years or so and not only does the U.S. launch an unprovoked invasion and occupation of a small nation - Iraq - but it does so in response to an attack inside the U.S. that the small nation had nothing to do with.
Who are we?
Another example: There was a time, I thought, when there was general agreement among Americans that torture was beyond the pale. But when people are frightened enough, nothing is beyond the pale. And we're in an era in which the highest leaders in the land stoke - rather than attempt to allay - the fears of ordinary citizens. Islamic terrorists are equated with Nazi Germany. We're told that we're in a clash of civilizations.
If, as President Bush says, we're engaged in "the decisive ideological struggle of the 21st century," why isn't the entire nation mobilizing to meet this dire threat?
The president put us on this path away from the better angels of our nature, and he has shown no inclination to turn back. Lately he has touted legislation to try terror suspects in a way that would make a mockery of the American ideals of
justice and fairness. To get a sense of just how far out the administration's approach has been, consider the comments of Brig. Gen. James Walker, the top uniformed lawyer for the Marines. Speaking at a Congressional hearing last week, he said no
civilized country denies defendants the right to see the evidence against them. The United States, he said, "should not be the first."
And Senator Lindsey Graham, a conservative South Carolina Republican who is a former military judge, said, "It would be unacceptable, legally, in my opinion, to give someone the death penalty in a trial where they never heard the evidence against them."
How weird is it that this possibility could even be considered?
The character of the U.S. has changed. We're in danger of being completely ruled by fear. Most Americans have not shared the burden of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Very few Americans are aware, as the Center for Constitutional Rights tells us, that of the hundreds of men held by the U.S. in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, many "have never been charged and will never be charged because there is no evidence justifying their detention."
Even fewer care.
We could benefit from looking in a mirror, and absorbing the shock of not recognizing what we've become.
© Copyright 2006 New York Times Company
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This is from Howard Dean...
We're going on the offense on national security. The future of our party, and of our country, depends on the ability of Democrats to get a strong national security message out in all 50 states this year. Donate to make it happen and watch President Clinton fight back now.
You can't trust Republicans on national security -- and two things proved it yesterday:
1) In a powerful interview that aired yesterday, President Bill Clinton took on the extremist Republican propaganda about 9/11 -- and Fox News tried to cover up the fact that the Bush administration downgraded terrorism as a priority before September 11th and has failed to eliminate Osama bin Laden since the attacks.
2) An explosive report on the still-classified National Intelligence Estimate states that the "invasion and occupation of Iraq has helped spawn a new generation of Islamic radicalism and that the overall terrorist threat has grown since the Sept. 11 attacks" -- and Republicans have been trying to cover it up.
This is what we're fighting against every day -- an administration covering up of the Bush failure of 9/11 and covering up an honest look at the war in Iraq and the war on terror.
You know that Democrats have a real plan for destroying Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda, fixing the mess in Iraq, and really securing us at home.
But we've always had those things -- the problem until now has been our willingness to stand up and fight for them in the face of fear mongering, bullying and intimidation from the other side.
That's why we're going on the offense on national security. The future of our party, and of our country, depends on the ability of Democrats to get a strong national security message out in all 50 states this year.
Here's the meat of the Fox News interview with President Clinton, where he's had enough of the right-wing revisionist history from the propaganda machine:
CLINTON: I'm being asked this on the Fox network. ABC just had a right-wing conservative run in their little Pathway to 9/11, falsely claiming it was based on the 9/11 Commission report, with three things asserted against me directly contradicted by the 9/11 Commission report. ...
And I think it's very interesting that all the conservative Republicans, who now say I didn't do enough, claimed that I was too obsessed with bin Laden. All of President Bush's neo-cons thought I was too obsessed with bin Laden. They had no meetings on bin Laden for nine months after I left office. All the right-wingers who now say I didn't do enough said I did too much -- same people.
Over a quarter million Americans stood up to ABC and beat back the right-wing Republican 9/11 propaganda that tries to cover up the Bush administration's huge failures to protect America before and after the attacks.
Yesterday Bill Clinton did exactly what Democrats need to do in this election -- to stand up to the right-wing and tell the truth. We will not let the Republicans twist history and distort reality.
We're sick of playing defense against a Republican leadership that uses national security to scare people to win elections. We're not going to be pushed around, spun, and defamed by right-wing extremists and those whom they use to disseminate their propaganda.
Our plan for this election is to go on the offense -- to talk straight about the Republican failures and lay out a clear Democratic plan to take American foreign policy and national security in a better direction.
We have a fundamentally different vision for our security than the Party of Bush. We want a new direction in Iraq, more competent security at home, and the restoration of America's moral leadership in the world.
They failed to capture or kill Osama bin Laden, and five years after September 11th he still lives to taunt Americans.
They squandered America's moral authority and global leadership by launching a war of choice in Iraq instead of fighting the war on al Qaeda.
The calls of the 9/11 Commission Report and Hurricane Katrina simply did not awaken Republican leaders to our continuing vulnerabilities at home.
We've had enough, and we're going to run an honest campaign about the security of our country. People are smart and ready for real leadership -- will you make a donation right now to help get the message out?
http://www.democrats.org/offense
Republicans have won two elections since 9/11 by instilling fear in people, and they're trying to do it again this year.
But it's not going to work. The Bush policies have failed. Iraq is sliding into civil war. Iran and North Korea are more dangerous than they were five and a half years ago. And the Taliban resurgence poses new threats in Afghanistan.
As President Clinton said on Fox News that we have a government "that thinks Afghanistan is only one-seventh as important as Iraq."
People have had enough. This administration cannot be trusted with our security.
Democrats are going to reclaim American leadership with a tough, smart plan to transform failed policies in Iraq, the Middle East and around the world.
We will increase the size of Special Forces to destroy Osama Bin Laden and terrorist networks like al Qaeda. We will implement the bipartisan 9/11 Commission proposal to secure America's borders and ports and screen every container. And we will fully man, train, and equip our National Guard and our police, firefighters and other first responders.
When it comes to national security, the Republicans have not led.
We will.
Thank you,
Gov. Howard Dean, M.D.
Democratic National Committee
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Alison Martin is a Blue Heart and her husband, Richard, is Claire McCaskill's campaign manager. Check this article out! K
McCaskill’s chief known for making gutsy moves Alison Martin is very matter of fact about it: Her husband left her for another woman. But he did it with Alison’s permission. And … this isn’t as strange as it sounds.
The full article will be available on the Web for a limited time:
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/front/15588490.htm
(c) 2006 Kansas City Star and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved.
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This is from Blue Heart, Vicki Walker. I reviewed the link and there's A TON of information. Please peruse the lists, FYI. K
Kristin - I know your group was looking at ways to support Dems through their buying practices, but here is a way to punish corporations for their actions. I think it makes much more sense to shape the corporate behavior WE want by putting our values where our money is (are?) and doing it collectively.
Just thought you might find this website interesting. Check them out!
Vicki
http://www.corporatedisobedience.org/
LOCAL STUFF:
------------------
Missouri Coalition for Lifesaving Cures
- YARD SIGNS are being delivered this week. Please visit http://www.missouricures.com/gotv_locations.php to find locations and more information. Grab a sign for everyone you know who supports Amendment 2!
- Please sign up for Friends postcards and bumper stickers. The Friends postcards are preprinted with "Vote YES on 2" messaging and have a place for you to write a personal PS and send them to your friends and family. You can sign up online at http://www.missouricures.com/request_form.php. If you fill out your postcards at the volunteer meeting, or bring your
completed postcards, we will stamp them for you!
YARD SIGN RULES
Please be sure to follow a “good neighbor” approach and local government rules when displaying YES on 2 yard signs.
Make sure you have the permission of the property owner to display a yard sign.
Do not obstruct a driver’s view of roads or intersections.
Remove yard signs on November 8th.
Check with your municipal or county government for political sign rules (e.g., number of signs allowed per lot or set back from the curb).
Sincerely,
Traci Weishaar
Volunteer Coordinator
Missouri Coalition for Lifesaving Cures
Email: tweishaar@MissouriCures.com
Tel: 816-561-4700
This voter information authorized and paid for by the Missouri Coalition for Lifesaving Cures, Sandra Aust, Treasurer.
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Your Democratic Party News
from Jackson County Democrats
October 2006
In This Issue
Will Talent Show Leadership during Scandal?
Montee's Competition "Plagarizing" a Report??
Democratic Heavyweights & Superstars Come to Missouri for Claire
There's the News... Here's the Rant.
Calendar Of Events
P.S.: One heck of a television commentary!
ONE MONTH......4 WEEKS.... THIRTY DAYS...whatever way you want to look at it, the election is right around the corner. Democrats, have you asked yourself if you have done everything you can to help the Democratic Party be successful on November 7? READ ON AND GET INVOLVED!
Will Talent Show Leadership during Scandal?
The Missouri Democratic Party called on Jim Talent to break his silence involving the Mark Foley scandal so that serious questions don’t remain unanswered. Talent served in the House at the same time that House Pages were being warned to steer clear of Foley: Were Talent’s Pages warned? Does Talent agree with conservatives who think Dennis Hastert should resign as Speaker of the House?
It is time for Jim Talent to show leadership and hold his own party responsible when it covers up potentially illegal activities," said Jack Cardetti, Missouri Democratic Party. "The Foley scandal is a perfect example of what happens in Washington when one party gains too much power and develops an arrogance and sense of entitlement that says it is more important to protect that power than the innocence of a young teen in their care."
Montee's Competition "Plagarizing" a Report??
ST. JOSEPH) – The Montee for Auditor campaign learned today from sources inside the Platte County courthouse that the awards Sandra Thomas claims to have won as Platte County Auditor are the result of work by outside auditor “Troutt, Beeman & Co.” The “Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting Program,” sponsored by the Government Finance Officers Association, is awarded to counties that submit their finance reports in the organization’s suggested format. In the case of Platte County, the outside auditor is paid each year to prepare a “Comprehensive Annual Financial Report” so the county can win the award.
Thomas’ campaign Web site claims she has earned the certificate ‘for nine consecutive years for the financial statements her office produces.’” Sean Spence, Montee campaign manager, said. “Isn’t it cheating to take credit for someone else’s work?” Spence continued, “Thomas bases her campaign on her status as an ‘award winning CPA’ and claims that her office produces the award-winning reports. The fact is that she pays an outside auditor thousands of dollars every year to win this award and then claims credit. It’s like entering a baking contest with a cake by Martha Stewart and bragging when you win."
The certificate is issued as long as the county submits their financial reports and application according to the organization’s guidelines, regardless of any level of incompetence found by outside auditors,” Spence said. “The award does not take into account that $195,000 of county money was missing for nine months, due to Thomas’ accounting errors.” The Government Finance Officers Association is a reputable organization and their “Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting Program” is based solely on the presentation of information, rather than the quality of the content.
Democratic Heavyweights & Superstars Come to Missouri for Claire
President Bill Clinton, Senator Barack Obama, Michael J. Fox, Sheryl Crowe, Madeline Albright, and others understand the importance of Missouri's Senate race and have come to Missouri to make sure Claire McCaskill is our next United States Senator.
BE A DEMOCRATIC SUPERSTAR YOURSELF AND GET INVOLVED IN CLAIRE'S CAMPAIGN. GO to www.claireonline.com!
There's the News... Here's the Rant.
It's the pinnacle of the election cycle. Campaign literature is in your mailbox. Candidate commercials are on television every minute. Campaigns are canvassing neighborhoods. Don't you love it? For us unbalanced folks that love politics there is no better time of year. It is as exhilarating as it is frustrating, but this is what we have been working towards.
And look on the bright side: Republicans have some problems: Foley's immoral actions involving teenage boys, the Republican leadership with knowledge and not acting, the incompetence of the Iraq War, the Bush low approval ratings, the Scooter Libby leak investigation, off the chart gas prices,.... just to name a few.
But those Republican blunders and problems are not going to be enough for the Democratic Party to be successful. We also have to work hard. Let's not let this opportunity to change Missouri, the U.S. and the world pass us by. It is within our grasp, but it is up to us to get it done!
Open your checkbooks for Claire, Susan, and your local state representative candidate. Put a yard sign up. Volunteer for one day to any of the campaigns in the next few weeks. And most importantly on election day after you have voted, make sure you call at least five of your family and friends to make sure they have voted. If they haven't, go pick them up and take them to the polls!!
If each person reading this e-mail would promise to do that, Claire McCaskill will be our next United States Senator and there will be a resurgence of Democratic values and leadership in Jefferson City. So get to it. You only have a month. The hard work will be worth it!!
P.S.: One heck of a television commentary!
If you have ten minutes behind a computer, you have got to listen/watch a great commentary and analysis about the Fox News Bill Clinton interview and the comparisons to the current administration's incompetence. Watch Keith Olbermann comments on Bill Clinton's Fox News interview. It is great stuff. Go here: http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/092606Z.shtml
THIRTY DAYS TO VICTORY! GET TO WORK!
(See Calendar Below)
Phil LeVota, Immediate Past Chairman JCDC
Missouri State Democratic Committeeman, Jackson County Democratic Committeeman
email: plevota@yahoo.com
phone: 816-821-8531
web: http://www.jacksoncountydemocrats.org
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Calendar Of Events:
When: Thursday, October 12th, 7:00 - 9:00pm
Where: All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church (just east of the Kemper Art Museum off Main Street)
What: We will participate in facilitated roundtable conversations about our core values as people of faith or conscience and participants in democracy.
You are invited to All Souls Faith in Democracy Dialogue
If you believe we are all inherently connected, that our fates are linked in our region…...
If you want to work with others to bring your values into action in our democracy…….
Come and be part of articulating our values and help shape the political landscape of our region.
We have invited local leaders to come, listen, and respond to what they hear.
Alvin Brooks: Councilman, Mayor pro tem
Jolie Justus: Missouri State Senate Candidate
Beth Low: Missouri House Representative
Jason Norbury: Missouri State Senate Candidate
Mike Sanders: Jackson County Executive Candidate
We have also invited members of other congregations to come and participate.
Prairie Baptist Church
Grand Avenue TempleUnited Methodist Church
This is an opportunity to show up, engage with our guests, and build an important progressive voice together.
Questions? Call: 816-531-2131
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When: Thursday, October 12th,2006, 6:00PM to 8:30PM
What: Chris Moreno Democratic Candidate for Missouri’s 48th District House of Representatives fundraiser and FUN raiser Where: Painter's District Council Hall, 9902 E 62nd Street, Raytown, MO.
For information: chezpickard@sbcglobal.net.
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When: October 16, 2006, 6:00 PM
What: Heartland Democrats present a pre-election Values Rally
Where: The Plaza Holiday Inn, 1 East 45th St., KCMO 64111
This free admission event will unveil three different advertisements that HDA could run before the election. Your votes will determine which ads will go on the air! Cash bar will be available. Come get riled up before the election and help us choose the most effective ads to put on the air!
www.HeartlandDemocrats.org
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When: Tuesday, October 17, 2006, 5-7pm
What: Kansas Citians for Cindy Circo
Where: Uptown Theater at 3700 Broadway
Not too soon to be thinking about Kansas City City Council Races in the Spring. For information go to www.cindybakercirco.com
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When: Thursday, October 19th, 2006, 5 PM
What: An evening with Governor Kathleen Sebelius, Congressman Dennis Moore and Candidate for AG, Paul Morrison
Where: Asbury United Methodist Church 5400 West 75th Prairie Village
The candidates will speak on vital issues concerning the environment, social justice, healthcare and education.
Doors open at 5 PM for sign-in, the opportunity to meet other True Blue Women, to learn about on-going and future opportunities with TBW and the opportunity to contribute a question for the candidates. Governor Sebelius will begin speaking promptly at 6:30. Enter through walkway in back of Church (North side).
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When: Sunday, October 22nd, 2006, 4-5:30 PM
What: Want Peace? VOTE! Vigil and Rally
Where: Nichols Fountain, 47th & Main
Open Mike: Come Listen --Come Speak Out
The event is sponsored by the American Friends Service Committee and the KC Iraq Task Force.
For more information call 816 931-5256 or go to www.kciraqtaskforce.org/
We need your support to keep our peacemaking work alive. Contribute. Volunteer. Spread the word! Contact us and mail your tax deductible contribution to:
American Friends Service Committee
4405 Gillham Rd., KCMO 64110
(816) 931-5256 or afsckc@afsc.org
Wars are not acts of God. They are caused by man, by man-made institutions, by the way in which man has organized his society. What man has made, man can change.
-- Frederic Moore Vinson
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When: Monday, October 23rd, 2006, 7 PM
What: Lecture by New York Times columnist and author of The Greatest Story Ever Sold: The Decline and Fall of TRUTH from 9/11 to Katrina
Where: Unity Temple on the Plaza, 707 W. 47th Street
This is a free lecture brought by the Truman Presidential Museum & Library and the Carolyn Benton Cockafair Chair. Reservations are required by calling 816-235-6222, M-F, 10 AM - 5 PM.
He is very critical of the media for not asking the tough questions--in the interest of preserving what some have mistakenly thought of or promoted as "patriotism." He is interesting and intelligent and has some good insights.
End of Calendar
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Dear Peacemaker,
Ray McGovern gave powerful presentations on Wednesday. With 27 years of experience as a CIA analyst his knowledge and authority were impressive. The message this administration lied to the American public to get us into war. It continues to misuse intelligence for political ends. It may be capable of doing it again and launching a pre-emptive attack on Iraq within two years or even in the next five weeks.
He warned us that it is possible to act too late. I encourage you to get involved. Speak out before another war is begun in your name! Ray McGovern spoke to an overflowing crowd of 200+ at Park University
Thanks for your support,
Ira Harritt
Program Coordinator KC AFSC
Co-chair KC Iraq Task Force
iharritt@afsc.org
October --2006 -- October
PEACE & JUSTICE TEACH-INS
When? Wednesdays, 7:00 p.m.
Where? Westport Coffee House, 4010 Pennsylvania
** one meeting at Unity on the Plaza this month
October 18: Poetry evening. Bring poetry to share – your own or some you particularly like and/or find inspiring.
October 25: "Dissent" – Craig Lubow. This ACLU film tells the stories of everyday Americans who were practicing their right of free speech and protest only to be thwarted, harassed, or arrested.
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Help plan and implement anti-war and peace education, organizing and advocacy actions!
Come to the next meeting of the KC Iraq Task Force is on Thursday, October 26 at 6:30pm (note special date) at the AFSC office, 4405 Gillham Rd., KCMO.
Help will plan:
ê Demonstrations at Sen. Talent and McCaskill’s campaign offices;
ê Promotion of Missouri and Kansas Eyes Wide Open State Exhibits;
ê November Peace Vigil or actions
ê and other actions.
Peace and Justice Teach-ins will be on a break. For up to date information go to: http://peaceandjusticecoffeehouse.blogspot.com/
October 20-21, 2006 KC Sabeel Middle East Peace Conference. The Kansas City Sabeel Conference is a two-day educational and advocacy conference on the conflict in Palestine-Israel. Village Presbyterian Church, 6641 Mission Rd., Prairie Village, KS. For more information, call (913) 649-9439 or (913) 236-9825 | www.kcsabeelconference.org
October 22, Sunday, Want Peace? VOTE Vigil and Rally, 47 & Main, KCMO, 4PM to 5:30PM –Vigil and Rally
October 26, Thursday, at 6:30pm, KC Iraq Task Force Monthly Planning Meeting, at the AFSC office, 4405 Gillham Rd., KCMO
EVERY Sunday: Iraq Peace Vigil, 4pm, JC Nichols Fountain, 47th & Main, Streets, Kansas City, MO http://www.kciraqtaskforce.org/
EVERY TUESDAY: Join this Peace Demonstration Every Tuesday between 5PM - 6 PM in the median strip on the south corner of the intersection at 63rd & Ward Parkway, Kansas City, Mo. For more information email '63rd Street Patriots' - Bob Rowe (exgman47@yahoo.com) or Carol (schwartzkatz@mail.carrollsweb.com).
COMING THIS FALL
EYES WIDE OPEN: Kansas / Missouri
Eyes Wide Open (EWO) is a national multi-media exhibit that provides a moving view of the costs of war. AFSC staff and KC Iraq Task Force volunteers are currently creating an EWO exhibit for Kansas and Missouri.
Eyes Wide Open: Kansas and Missouri localizes the national exhibit with a focus on the human and economic impact of the war and occupation on Missourians and Kansans. The exhibit includes one pair of boots for each Missouri and Kansas soldier killed in Iraq; 50 pairs of civilian shoes representing Iraqis killed in the war and occupation; a display depicting the cost of the war to KS and MO taxpayers; and pictures of Iraqi civilians and U.S. soldiers.
YOU CAN HELP!
We need used children’s’ men’s’ and women’s’ shoes to represent Iraqi civilians who have died. Bring pairs of shoes to donate to the exhibit to AFSC / Iraq Task Force Events or call 816 931-5256 for information.
Do you know of a congregation, library, school or other location which would like to display the Missouri or Kansas Eyes Wide Open Exhibits?
The information and events described in AFSC Peace and Justice Alerts are intended to educate and assist members of our community in becoming active in working for a more just and peaceful world. Inclusion of a listing does not necessarily imply that AFSC KC agrees with all points of view that will be represented at the event.
The American Friends Service Committee is a Quaker organization that includes people of various faiths who are committed to social justice, peace, and humanitarian service. Its work is based on the Quaker belief in the worth of every person and faith in the power of love to overcome violence and injustice
Ira Harritt
Kansas City Program
American Friends Service Committee
4405 Gillham Rd., KCMO 64110
(816) 931-5256
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From: SusanPersonal@SusanMontee.com
Date: October 11, 2006 11:37:12 AM CDT
Hi Kristin!
With just 27 days until Election Day, campaign days and nights are starting to be a bit of a blur. There is so much excitement out on the campaign trail -- Missourians needs a change like never before, and it feels as though we are going to get it.
Our first TV spots started running all around the state on "Meet the Press" this week. Maybe you saw them? Radio spots are up, too, and we have heard lots of good feedback about both efforts. After nearly a year of traveling around the state, speaking one on one with voters, it is exciting to be reaching hundreds of thousands of voters a day.
Trips to Dallas and Laclede counties were particularly fun this week. It is amazing to visit so many smaller, rural counties and see record turnout from people who want something better for Missouri. We also met with the Kansas City Star editorial board as they consider endorsing me in a few weeks. You never really know how a meeting like that goes, but I felt good about it.
Letters to the Editor have started to appear for me around the state. We aren't seeing any at all for my opponent, but surely our letters will motivate her supporters to write in for her. If you know anyone who would write or sign a letter to the editor of the local newspaper, please let me know. We can provide as much help as needed.
Thanks for your time. Please let me know if you have any questions or thoughts about the race.
- Susan
Susan Montee
Montee for Auditor
SusanPersonal@SusanMontee.com
816-671-0380
Paid for by Montee for Auditor, Glenda Kelly, Treasurer.
P.O. Box 1485
St. Joseph, MO 64502
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Going from politician to publisher! Who knew! But it is one thing Mike and I love - movies! We spent the summer traveling the Midwest finding these theatres and their stories. It's the best kind of 'politics' - the neighborly kind. My daughter Libby and I toured the Kansas wheat fields and passed many many many livestock feed lots! But the theaters we found were worth it!
The book makes a great Christmas present for people who love movies, old theaters, small towns, historic buildings or just traveling! Check it out and buy the book at:
www.moonbookstore.com.
Thanks!
Vicki & Mike Walker
How High The Moon Publishing
9826 James A. Reed Rd.
Kansas City, MO 64134
816-965-0183 or 816-728-6936
www.moonbookstore.com
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"A dreamer finds his way by the moonlight, and sees the dawn before the rest of the world."
-Oscar Wilde
