Greetings!
The countdown to Campaign 2006 has begun. We are little more than 18 months before the mid-term elections when the progressive grassroots has the opportunity to take back Congress, several state legislatures and some governors' chairs. At the moment, progressives are well-situated for success. Approval ratings for Republicans, the current administration and President are low. Their ersatz "political capital" gained in November has ostensibly evaporated. How did that happen?
Frankly, the progressive grassroots has never been better organized. From all corners progressives seem to be acting strategically, despite a dearth of direction and leadership from the DNC. Grassroots pressure via letters to the editor, and calls and letters to Congress have kept the pressure high, challenging conservative attempts to dismantle Social Security. But let's be careful not to rest on a few month's worth of laurels. There is much to be done, and those threatening our freedoms do not take vacations.
See a picture of the ribbon and read all about it in "News From The Roots" below or buy your magnet now now and if you type in Contribution Code: GFA, then 60-cents of your purchase will help Grassroots For America continue to provide pro bono services to developing progressive organizations. No doubt you will find every reason to plant that magnet on your car when you read our report on a British Intelligence leak that might reveal the Smoking Gun on the Iraq invasion. The "secret" memo suggests President Bush's fingerprints are on it. Closer to home we also report on an innovative Talent Management Program newly launched by Latinos For America .
We also debut a new section called State Field Briefs where we bring you news of grassroots actions happening in your backyards. This month we have reports from your grassroots compatriots in California, Pennsylvania, Vermont , and North Carolina. Our Get Involved Section offers a solution for those who want to stay connected and active but must juggle the daily realities of family, kids and jobs. Check out our story on how to become a 3-Minute Activist.
Special to Taking Root this month, we are very honored to feature an Inspiration Point story from Steven J. Ybarra, J.D., a long-time progressive activist and current Vice-Chair of the DNC Hispanic Caucus. He offers a reflection after his trip to Charlottesville, Virginia to attend Grassroots Campaign Training.
Don't forget to check out The Tool Shed. We review "A People's History of the United States" by Howard Zinn. This is part of a continuing series of book reviews offering thought leadership, historical perspectives and organizational instruction we believe will help you build your progressive and grassroots arsenals.
But let's be careful not to rest on a few month's worth of laurels. There is much to be done, and those threatening our freedoms do not take vacations.
As always, subscriptions to Taking Root™ come spam-free to your email box. If you like what you see here and would like to lend a hand, please drop us a note at volunteer-at-grassrootsforamerica.us or make a contribution to support all of our grassroots efforts.
We welcome your story ideas and are very interested in your letters and opinions. Email us at editor-at-grassrootsforamerica.us."
Hope Springs Eternal!
| -- Kimberly Krautter, Editor in Chief, Grassroots for America |
Glimpse What’s Inside!
Click on a title to jump to the story below.
NEWS FROM THE ROOTS
Featured Stories
British Intel Leaks Memo Proving Collusion Between Bush and Blair on the Iraq Invasion. Progressives believe this is the “Smoking Gun”
On May 2, London newspapers revealed a memo marked “Secret” leaked by British Intelligence that describes concerted efforts by both British and American officials to “fix intelligence and facts around the [Iraq invasion] policy.” The report landed like a dirty bomb in the closing days before the British elections, and it had serious fallout. Concerned and angered Britons, already greatly at odds with Prime Minister Blair over his support of what they consider “Bush’s War,” protested by staying home from the polls. As a result, Blair’s Labor Party suffered the biggest loss of seats in Parliament in several elections, and the Prime Minister was re-elected by a slim majority.
The memo revealed startling information about the path to war in Iraq. Prime Minister Tony Blair chaired a meeting at which he discussed military options, having already committed himself to supporting President Bush’s plans for invading Iraq. The memo also reveals that British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw acknowledged that the case for war was “thin” as “Saddam was not threatening his neighbors and his WMD capability was less than that of Libya, North Korea, or Iran.”
A separate secret briefing for the meeting said that Britain and America had to “create” conditions to justify a war. A British official “reported on his recent talks in Washington. There was a perceptible shift in attitude. Military action was now seen as inevitable. Bush wanted to remove Saddam, through military action, justified by the conjunction of terrorism and WMD. But the intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy.”
Read the British memo in question.
Read the The London Times report on the memo.
As the news trickled slowly across the pond, the Progressive Congressional Caucus believed they had finally found the smoking gun to prove testimony offered by whistle-blowers such as Richard Clarke. Led by Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), 88 members of Congress co-signed a letter citing the leaked British Intelligence memo and demanding an independent investigation of the President and the administration. Read the Conyers letter and the names of the House signatories.
CNN offered fleeting coverage of the Conyers letter on Saturday, May 7, and other mainstream American media referenced the leaked secret memo in coverage of the British elections, but so far the demand by 88 members of Congress has fallen on deaf media ears.
In response, Progressive Democrats of America and National Rapid Response Network have activated their grassroots communities to generate awareness and support for the Congressional demand. PDA issued an action alert asking progressives to call their members of Congress to ask for their support of the Conyers letter Rapid Response issued a nationwide alert asking for people to write national media asking for coverage on this story. Both Congress and the mainstream media are very sensitive to massing public outcry. They track momentum, and every individual call and letter carries the weight of thousands who did not take action but who share the concern or interest. Get involved in the Rapid Response media effort.
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A Ribbon For The Rest of Us: Bring Them Home
For our troops in Iraq and their families back home, "it's time to wrap it up." Now there is a car magnet ribbon to reflect this deeply held sentiment that has been misunderstood or flat-out ignored by politicians. A new organization, Bring Them Home, has designed and produced a new ribbon that will help amplify the call for an exit strategy and a return of the troops to American soil.
To launch this initiative, Bring Them Home organizers Andy Duane and Tim Cunningham of Spokane, Washington spent innumerable hours talking to people across the political spectrum. They discovered that this desire is shared almost universally among red and blue states, conservatives and liberals, and without ethnic or religious barriers. The innovative design they created for the new car magnet echoes the famous support ribbons developed by many cause-related organizations, yet it is double-looped to create an infinity symbol to communicate the commitment to the safe return of all armed services personnel.
| To help Grassroots for AmericaSM continue to provide pro bono professional services to developing progressive organizations, go to the Bring Them Home Store and enter contribution code: GFA to purchase your Bring Them Home car magnet today, by the piece or by the pack. We thank you for your support! |
Readers can help create a collective voice today by visiting www.bringthemhome.info and engaging in these action items from that web site:
- Order the unique Bring Them Home magnet for your car -- order a pack! They make great gifts!
- Send free messages of support and photos of home (ePostcards) to troops and friends
- Forward this story to everyone you know because when thousands of ePostcards and magnets are displayed in cyberspace and on our roads, the media, politicians and others will pick up the conversation and act on the most important part of declaring Mission Accomplished: Bringing Our Troops Home.
Bring Them Home started the way so many great grassroots ideas begin, over a chat with friends. One night Andy and Tim went to a sports bar to watch college basketball. They were joined by Tim's son and three of his buddies all of whom (ages 19-20) had just returned to home from military service in Iraq. The young men were full of enthusiasm for the times they live in and shared why they joined the military: one for college tuition, another to travel the world and the third to proudly follow in his father's footsteps.
They also related stories of the daily realities they faced on the ground in Iraq; the hopes and the tragedies alike. They said they are being asked to fight a war for which they are not trained, with an unclear mission and with no end in sight. What impressed Andy and Tim was the lack of bitterness among the young men. They said they joined the military and did their duty, but coming home was up to the American people, not them.
"We woke up the next morning upset and angry," said Andy. "How could we stand by drinking beer and watching basketball knowing that young Americans are dying or coming home seriously wounded for a preemptive war that morphed into a fight against terrorists?" They also puzzled over another question, "Is patriotism in the face of our leaders' blunders expressed only if the ribbon on the car says 'support our troops?' We think not," said Andy.
The pair believe that as patriots we can best protect our country and our troops by bringing them back home. They believe that America can defeat terrorism by developing an international coalition of resources and manpower that acts nimbly and globally, and the best support the U.S. can give Iraq is the funds and know-how to govern according to their own wisdom.
As private citizens they knew they couldn't manage to build that international coalition, so as communications design specialists, they did what they do best. Using their own personal funds, they developed a new patriotic ribbon design as well as the web site and manufacturing processes to deploy the message around the nation. To extend their altruism, Andy and Tim have created a fundraising opportunity for organizations that want to sell the Bring Them Home car magnets to their members and at events. Remarkably, $.60 from every unit sold will be shared with the participating organizations.
To help Grassroots for AmericaSM, continue to provide pro bono professional services to developing progressive organizations, go to the Bring Them Home Store, and enter contribution code: GFA to purchase your Bring Them Home car magnet today, by the piece or by the pack. We thank you for your support!
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Taking on the Values Debate in the Heartland
Heartland Democrats of America, a Kansas City based Political Action Committee, is dedicated to changing the way Americans view the Democratic Party. Their central strategy is to win the values debate by promoting traditional Democratic values in the rural Heartland.
The HDA web site asserts: “The situation demands action. From the Mississippi to the Colorado, the Democratic brand name is at its lowest point in nearly a century. Without progress in the Heartland, Democrats cannot win statewide elections or retake general assemblies. A positive, brand-based marketing campaign will lay the groundwork for candidates’ campaigns. In short, innovative and original grassroots strategies are the key to our salvation.”
HDA analyzes the issues of the day facing Missouri and the nation from a values-based perspective. In an effort to become a repository for progressive thought leadership, HAD has offered an open-call for opinion editorials that will be submitted to news outlets throughout the Heartland.
HDA also launched a new weblog. Other changes are coming to their web site in the near future.
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Second Annual DemocracyFest Takes Root Deep in the Heart of Texas
On June 17-19, Democracy for Texas will be hosting DemocracyFest 2005, a gathering of progressive activists from around the country who will meet in Austin to attend workshops, listen to speakers, and exchange ideas about effect grassroots organizing and activation. Organizers report that more than 900 attendees have pre-registered, and they expect the number to rise well above 1000.
The three-day event will take place on the historic Huston-Tillotson University campus. Confirmed guests include DNC Chairman Governor Howard Dean, Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr., Molly Ivins, and Jim Hightower. Please refer to the links below for more information about the event, which will also include a full day of campaign training, conducted by Latinos for America and GFA's Root Camp.
Space is limited and the event is nearly sold out. Attendees must pay at registration in order to confirm a spot.
Visit The Democracy Fest web page to learn more about this event and to register. DemocracyFest is co-sponsored by Democracy for Texas, and My Vote is My Voice.
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Latinos For America Launch a “Talent Management Program”
By Ralph Miller; guest contributor, Latinos For America
Latinos for America (LFA) is a progressive and innovative non-profit organization helping Latinos from diverse communities develop their own political voice through candidate talent management, grassroots activist training and media outreach.
During the 2004 election cycle, LFA worked alongside Democracy for America to train over 3000 activists in campaign management – focusing on a holistic understanding, as well as practical knowledge of field, media, messaging, data, volunteer and campaign management. In addition, LFA produced and placed numerous bilingual media spots in support of GOTV and voter education efforts and against Proposition 200 in Arizona (“Prop 187 on steroids”).
In 2005/06, LFA is pursuing a Talent Management Program to cultivate potential progressive Hispanic candidates through support networks, training and media. Talent Management is a strategy that focuses on three levels of development:
In addition, Latinos for America is continuing to engage in activist trainings for all communities, partnering with Democracy for America and Grassroots for America in the Root CampTM training model – training mentors to establish a network for self-sustaining grassroots growth.
Latinos for America will continue to partner with other non-profits and political action committees to provide high-value grassroots media to fight the right-wing agenda and bring progressive values to the forefront.
¡Juntos Sí Podemos! – Together We Can!
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State Field Briefs
California
CALIFORNIA: Grassroots Give the Governator Grief
Grassroots activist members of California for Democracy (CfD) and affiliate groups statewide are gearing up to protect California from Swarzenegger’s shameless right-wing agenda of corporate greed. Viewing the Governor’s call for a special election in 2005 as an attempt to circumvent representative democracy, institute a one-man rule, and make taxpayers foot the bill for his fit of pique with the California Legislature, CfD is preparing for grassroots resistance activities statewide.
Volunteers are coordinating with mouse pads and shoe leather, using the strategies they learned in the Howard Dean presidential campaign. Calling the Governor’s priorities wrong-headed, California for Democracy noted that Swarzenegger is more interested in a Texas-style redistricting takeover than in ensuring fair elections, more interested in disempowering the peoples’ representatives than in empowering the people.
Noting that the special election would be held only seven months before the regularly scheduled election, CfD questions why we need to spend money that could put every student now attending UC Davis through four years of college.
CfD views their volunteers as champions of democracy and the public good. California for Democracy provides a variety of materials for volunteers to use on their web site, as well as a link to an online petition to stop the election at www.contestthevote.org.
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The Sun Shines on the Blue Roots of Montgomery County, PA
By Maureen Markham, guest contributor
On a sunny morning over 140 people gathered in the Harleysville Senior Center to celebrate progressive democratic values and to talk about how to grow the grassroots blue in this northwest corner of traditionally Republican Montgomery County Pennsylvania. The event was organized by a new grassroots progressive group, Grow the Blue, and had the sponsorship the local Democratic Committee.
Area 3 Leader Jeanne Bland, a committee member for 30 years, talked about ways to get more involved in the party, and told some Election Day stories that pointed out how important it is to have democrats watching at the polls.
The meeting featured an “Issues Fair.” Tables were set up in the main hall providing information, and grassroots action. Table presenters offered written “Issue Briefs”, discussion, and action tips on how to have an impact on issues such as social security, education, the environment, religion and politics, and more. The workshop ended with a keynote address by former Congressman Joe Hoeffel, who ran a spirited race against Republican incumbent Senator Arlen Specter last fall. Participants also got to see the George Lakoff DVD about the importance of the language we use in talking about political issues. The DVD, How Democrats and Progressives Can Win, is based on Lakoff’s popular book, Don’t Think of an Elephant.
The workshop was an inspiration to all those who attended. Perhaps most important it helps people to feel a sense of solidarity and commitment among kindred spirits. Before the Kerry campaign, many people in this area felt that they were the only democrats in their neighborhood. Now they know differently. Democrats in Republican areas are coming out of the closet and they are not giving up.
Grow the Blue Steering Committee: Lisa Burns, Tracy Cole, Lisa Lavelle, Linda Rothrock, Betsy Whitman
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VERMONT: 100% of DFV endorsed candidates win!
Democracy For Vermont is proud to announce that all 3 of the DFV endorsed candidates for Select Board won their elections on March 1st. Congratulations to:
In addition, 2 members of the DFV Steering Committee won their elections for Select Board. They did not apply for an official endorsement because they felt it would be a conflict. DFV still congratulates them on their victories:
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Stonewall Democrats Rebuke Republican Funding of Anti-Marriage Rally in North Carolina
The National Stonewall Democrats (NSD) rebuked the Republican Party of North Carolina for coordinating an anti-marriage rally held on Tuesday, May 10th, near the state capitol grounds and funding its promotion. In a series of emails and action alerts, the state Republican party led efforts to register participants, build crowd capacity, direct traffic and solicit donations for a rally titled "Marriage Under Fire" whose purpose was to institute a state constitutional amendment barring marriage equality in North Carolina.
NSD urged National GOP Chair Ken Mehlman to investigate potential illegal political coordination on behalf of the Republican Party of North Carolina, and to distance the RNC from their efforts.
The "Marriage Under Fire" rally was officially organized by a group calling itself "Call2Action" based in Wake County, North Carolina. It was formed in 2004 after the Human Relations Commission of the City of Raleigh proposed adopting a policy that would bar employment discrimination based on sexual orientation for city workers. Call2Action's board of directors is composed primarily of large-scale Republican donors. Although the Republican Party of North Carolina coordinated efforts with the organization and urged individuals to donate to its efforts, the legality of these efforts remain unclear since Call2Action does not supply a proper disclaimer or tax status on any of its materials or web site.
Rally speakers for the noontime event included Bill Maier of Focus on the Family and Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council. Both groups recently organized a pro-Republican rally titled "Justice Sunday" that featured U.S. Senate Republican Leader Bill Frist. Today's action also headlined North Carolina Republican State Senator Fred Smith of Clayton, North Carolina. Many of the directors of Call2Action are also strong financial supporters of Smith, who is expected to become a 2008 gubernatorial candidate.
The Republican Party of North Carolina has long promoted policies that seek to marginalize gay families in the Tar Heel state. In 2004, the party refused to allow the Log Cabin Republicans - a gay Republican organization - to participate in the state party convention. The state party platform bluntly declares "We believe that homosexuality is not normal." The platform further calls for laws allowing employers to fire workers based on sexual orientation and opposes adoption by same-sex couples because the party views adoption as an "attempt to legitimize and normalize homosexual relationships."
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GET INVOLVED
"There's No Place Like Home" Rapid Response House Parties"
Submitted by Liz Herbert of The Rapid Response Network
The Rapid Response Network is a nationwide group of volunteers who are committed to maintaining a "national conversation" about core progressive values.
While saving democracy is hard work, we see no reason it has to be boring. Our first house party event on MAY 14 is a Saturday afternoon/evening event, depending on just where you are in this country of ours. It will offer a no-stress chance for hosts to invite friends and acquaintances who share a concern for ensuring fair and honest dialogue in our political process. The event will feature a national conference call at 7:30 pm Eastern.
We are choosing the theme "There's no place like home" for our first round of parties to try to vividly make a point. It is in your community that you ultimately have the power, you just have to decide to take it. If you aren't engaging in a dialogue about the media in your home town, who will? And if you take your power in Nashville, you take it in Des Moines, in Tallahassee, in Portsmouth, in Amarillo, then we take it in America - one person, one letter, one city at a time.
On any given day when you wake up feeling frustrated and powerless, look down and remember that the power is ultimately at the end of your very own two feet - or with RR, the end of your fingers!
So put on your ruby red slippers and do something at home to make a difference.
Visit Rapid Response to host or attend a houseparty on May 14th.
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Save the Filibuster
Savethefilibuster.com and People for the American Way are working hard to fend off the most serious attack on the judiciary in our life-time by the radical right-wing regressives, what they themselves named the “nuclear option”.
This effort by Republican hardliners is completely antithetical to the spirit and intent of our Founding Fathers and the checks and balances they carefully constructed. If accomplished, it would eliminate over 200 years of Senate tradition, a tradition honored, until now, by both Republicans and Democrats. Of course in what has become the all too usual standard operating procedure for the GOP, nuclear option supporters have had no choice but to attempt to re-write history as they try to sell their dastardly plan.
Since January, the progressive grassroots has effectively mobilized via letters to the editor and calls to senators in support of Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV). The pressure needs to be maintained as you can be assured that the minute the Regressive Congressional Caucus sees a let-up, they will push this in one of their midnight strikes.
For the straight dope on the filibuster and the GOP's history-challenged antics, go to People for the American Way - Filibuster Facts, and be sure to check out Armando's excellent deconstruction of David Brook's op-ed piece on Daily Kos.
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Become a 3-Minute Activist
Social Security. The Bolton nomination. The Filibuster. Constant, organized pressure mobilized by the progressive grassroots has held Congress in check on these issues. It has also seen the dramatic drop in approval ratings of the sitting President and his administration.
Getting involved could not be easier. Organizations like Progressive Democrats of America have web-based action centers that provide quick tips and links that enable you to have your voice heard on important issues.
Kevin Spidel, National Political Director, Progressive Democrats of America reports that since Janurary 1st , his organization facilitated the sending o 50,000 emails to congress. PDA recently formed a Legislative Team that meets weekly to discuss prevailing issues before Congress and works with grassroots input from 50 state chapters as they develop their action items.
All progressives are invited to get involved by clicking on the links below. If you want to suggest other issues or go beyond your 3-minute allotment and become a member of the PDA Legislative Team, contact Kevin Spidel (be sure to replace "-at-" with "@" before sending your e-mail).
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Looking for a Few Good Moms: Mainstreet Moms Launches the "Leave My Child Alone" Campaign
submitted by Pam Paul of Grassroots for America
The Mainstreet Moms mission is to increase civic and community education and participation of women, particularly as they identify and self-organize as mothers.
If there is one thing we can count on it is a mother protecting her child. In today's society we have much more to worry about than busy streets, dressing warmly, petting stray dogs and eating our vegetables. Unfortunately things have become much, much worse. Even more unfortunate is that many moms are totally unaware of the new type of predator and how easy it is for them to reach your child.
The strain the current War in Iraq has caused on military recruitment numbers has turned our high schools into feeding grounds for the armed services. Due to the opposition to reinstituting the Draft our unsuspecting sons and daughters are literally, at times, stalked by recruiters. They are then enticed into service by the luxurious prospects of paying for college, serving their country, making their parents proud and leading lives that they may not ordinarily lead because they may be not be headed for college or have a plan for their future. I bet you are thinking that your child would have to go to an event at their school, or visit a recruiting center in order to have this happen. As a way to ensure that your child can be contacted by a military recruiter the Leave No Child Behind Act has a sneaky-Pete section that requires high schools to turn over student demographic information to military recruiters. Are you paying attention now?
Mainstreet Moms has partnered with Working Assets and ACORN in an effort to curb these desperate attempts to lure our young and innocent into the military during a time when their lives will be under the control of those who are making rash decisions and not supporting our beloveds with the tools and resources they need during a time of war. Yes, it is an honor to serve in our Armed forces but it is also honorable to want to join, to have all the facts in order to make an informed decision and to agree or not agree to have our children's information in the hands of recruiters.
Become aware, take action, and spread the word to your friends and family. Together we will make a difference!
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INSPIRATION POINT
"It Is Raining Democrats in Virginia"
By Steven J. Ybarra, JD, HispanicVista.com, reprinted with permission.
Mr. Ybarra penned this reflection after attending the DFA Grassroots Campaign Training program hosted by Democracy for Virginia in Charlottesville. Mr. Ybarra is Vice-Chair of the DNC Hispanic Caucus and Chair of the Pacific region Hispanic Caucus.
I love flying at midnight. It is an unusual group of people who get on a plane to go someplace in the middle of the night. There are professionals, vacationers, students and those in search of sleep.
This weekend, I got on a midnight flight to Dulles and then drove to Charlottesville, Virginia to help train Democrats in this important red state. It is amazing to me that 90 folks will show up on a Saturday and Sunday to figure out how to become involved in the process of overthrowing a fascist regime. OK, so not all Republicans are fascist, they are just mentally challenged. Last week when I was in South Carolina the important issue to Republicans was whether it was the fault of women that they were getting beat by abusive husbands.
I am amazed that Americans are not paying attention to what is going on in Afghanistan! We are seeing news every day on Iraq being bombed by dissidents and “insurgents”. Hey, who does not remember the Whiskey rebellion? America has a great history of insurgency. We do the “bomb the other side” because they are schmucks and we do not like what they are doing to us.
The problem is that we are not mad about what Bush is doing to us. So let us look at what is going on in America what Bush the lesser is so good at! Bush the lesser has managed to divert the discussion about how America has become the biggest opium drug producer in the world to educating our kids in private schools. Afghanistan is now sending more opium out to all of us than any other country in the world! Talk about democracy in action!
Here is the question of the day - What are you doing to talk about our failure to attack the issue of drug production?
We have spent 200 billion dollars on a war to perfect drug production! If we are going to make sure that democracy works, we need to first deal with Afghanistan, after all they are the enemy! It was Afghanistan where the war on terror started. It was Afghanistan where ol’ sam ben layden trained his folks. It was Afghanistan where women were property and still are. It is Afghanistan that is our greatest failure in this war.
It is time to recognize that the reason why we have no money for schools, social security, health care, roads, water and sewer systems is because of George W. Bush and the evil triumvirate of Candy Rice, Cheney and Rumsfeld. These people have no clue on how to run the government so they keep coming up with enemies we need to attack. [Pogo was right.]
One of the things that I learned during the Dean Campaign was that there are lots of Americans who want to be involved in the political process. These are people who have jobs and work to feed their families and find out that the skills that they have are transferable. Washingtonian types are afraid of these folks because they do not follow the rules, including the one that all money must go into media campaign coffers.
These Americans want to talk to the people who live near them, and as neighbors, pray with them and play with them. Ordinary Democrats have frustrations because they have no real outlet to get local state and county parties organized nor can they figure out how to run their local political lives. Democracy is all about the basics.
So what is the answer? Let us get on the road and get Democrats working to take over school boards, county commissions, city councils, and parks and recreation boards, and then we will get rid of these incompetent people at the top.
All politics are in fact local. So get on the midnight flyer and talk to America about democracy.
©Steven J. Ybarra JD is a retired civil rights attorney who operates a consultant company in California. He is a member of the Democratic National Committee and a long time political activist. Contact Steven at: sjybarra@aol.com. This article is copyright by Steven J. Ybarra JD, originally published in http://www.hispanicvista.com/ but permission is granted for reprint in print, email, blog, or web media if this entire credit paragraph is attached.
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FIELDING YOUR OPINION
Taking Root™ provides this section as a means of promoting thought leadership among the grassroots. The opinions expressed in this section are those of the identified authors and do not necessarily represent the positions, opinions and policies of Grassroots For America its board members and allied organizations nor that of TAKING ROOT and its editors and staff.
Blog On, But Serve Some Hard Facts on the Side
By Bert Caradine; author of That Colored Fellas Blog, and frequent TR staff commentator
You might be as stunned as I am to find out that in 1794, President Thomas Jefferson actually rewrote The Bible’s New Testament, resulting in what is now called The Jefferson Bible. Reading the amazon.com customer reviews, one gets the sense this was either a bold and unrefined portrait of God and man on par with Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane or just a dog-eared version of The Scriptures that someone like Jim Wallis of Sojourners might prefer.
We seem to be surrounded by revisionist historians today. Fortunately the hateful machinations of folks like Fred Phelps and James Dobson are being accurately documented on an ever-increasing number of Blogs, and this opposition effort is having an equally crucial impact on public opinion. I find it ironic though that the Left is developing a penchant for overreacting and exaggeration. I wonder if this is a calculated strategy to contrast with the Right’s continued deep denial of the obvious and hysterical hypocrisy?
It’s time to take stock, you members of the Lefty Blogosphere, and realize that you are moving the needle; you don’t need to exaggerate. The consistently low approval ratings of Bush and the Republicans prove the influence of Blogs over the public opinion. Even with a compromised and complicit mainstream media regurgitating verbatim the approved ‘message’ of the administration (as NYTimes’ Frank Rich so aptly documents), somehow, someway, the actual truth seems to be filtering through to the American people. And, Mr. Rich provides a hint:
Newspaper circulation is on the skids, the big three network anchor thrones are as precarious as King Lear's, Bloggers are on the rampage…’
I personally took great enjoyment in learning that Bush-endorsing Chicago Tribune suffered the biggest drop in circulation among the major dailies, while the New York Times was the only newspaper to post a modest increase. And Fox’s Bill O’Reilly’s apparent slippage in viewers offers another glimmer of hope.
If you read the Right Wing Bloggers these days, they are talking about the ‘Runaway Bride’ and Paula Abdul. If you corner them on the current problems of their President and party, they argue as if it’s still November 3rd, then fast-forward to 2006 or a preferable 2008 Hillary vs. Guiliani match up – all as if the last six months of Bush’s second term never took place. I get the distinct impression an increasing number of Americans no longer prefer to inhabit such a world of denial and lies.
Blog On, friends, you are making an impact. We have all railed against the hyperbole and yellow journalism that mainstream media use to capture eyeballs. This time of year (May Sweeps) it is worse than ever. They do it because it works. Bloggers and Talk Radio hosts of all stripes use similar tactics to get folks to take notice. It’s O.K. and probably smart to do that, but lets make sure we’re serving meat and potatoes and not just pie. The more we can cite facts and link to source material, the more credibility we will gain, and frankly the better Bloggers will be able to serve our readers. After all, we know they can’t count on the mainstream media for that.
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SITE SEEING
RobertGreenwald.Org
It’s a Blog, it’s TV, it’s movies, it’s documentaries, and it is so much more. Tap into the mind behind some of the most impactful political documentaries of the last election cycle. Acclaimed director Robert Greenwald’s landmark works “Uncovered”, “Unconstitutional” and “Outfoxed” provided stimulus to millions of fence-sitting voters to mobilize and act on their latent progressive values. The works also provided great outreach and fundraising tools for Progressive grassroots leaders. The director and his new partners are leveraging their past success to look forward and strategically plan more documentaries, shorts and other media that will the daylight of truth on the powers that be.
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The Huffington Post
Yep, the world’s a buzz about Arianna's latest salvo, The Huffington Post. It’s an amalgamation of blogspots of luminaries, legislators, pundits, pollsters and others famed for their gift of the gab. To her credit, Ms. Huffington has taken the Blog to a new sphere, giving it a more traditional media presence and offering a certain editorial continuity to her space. The Huffington Post will likely become the first stop for avid Blog readers as, for the first time, there is one place to read a wide body of progressive thought leadership. All hail the Ms. Huffington. Good on you!
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StartChange.Org
StartChange.org, is the home of online campaigns to ensure that companies play fair, our press is truly free, and our politicians work genuinely in the public interest.
StartChange.org is the successor to the StopSinclair Campaign. StopSinclair was a grassroots online and off-line effort to prevent a conservative media company from running the equivalent of an hour-long attack ad on behalf of George W. Bush in October 2004.
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THE TOOL SHED
The Bookshelf: Get rooted with these essential reads
A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn.
By Kimberly Krautter
A treasured friend gave me a copy of this book as a surprise gift one day when we were traveling down to Long Beach to visit the Aquarium of the Pacific. Intrigued by the title, I began scanning the chapters as we chatted about the latest outrages from the history of the previous week. Some 20 minutes later he nudged me as I had completely lost track of the conversation and become engrossed in one of the random passages of the book. It literally turns the American History we learned in high school and college upside down
For the first time, the history of our nation is presented from the perspective of (and often in the voice of) Native Americans, African Slaves, Asian and European immigrants, war resisters, day laborers and women. What we learn from this book is in stark contrast from the history we were offered in youth that was written from the distinctly white, WASP, military point of view.
The following comes from the publisher’s statement on this book found at Amazon.com. It is a great gift to yourself and everyone you know.
“Howard Zinn infuses the often-submerged voices…into this thorough narrative that spans American history from Christopher Columbus's arrival to an afterword on the Clinton presidency.
“Addressing his trademark reversals of perspective, Zinn--a teacher, historian, and social activist for more than 20 years--explains, "My point is not that we must, in telling history, accuse, judge, condemn Columbus in absentia. It is too late for that; it would be a useless scholarly exercise in morality. But the easy acceptance of atrocities as a deplorable but necessary price to pay for progress (Hiroshima and Vietnam, to save Western civilization; Kronstadt and Hungary, to save socialism; nuclear proliferation, to save us all)--that is still with us. One reason these atrocities are still with us is that we have learned to bury them in a mass of other facts, as radioactive wastes are buried in containers in the earth."
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Grassroots Calendar
May 14 | May 14 | May 20-21 | June 1 | June 1-3 | June 17-19 | Austin, TX - DemocracyFest'05 |
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About Our Newsletter
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Managing Editor: Pam Paul
Contributing Writers: Liane Allen, Bert Caradine, Max Gordon, Nicole Johns, Michelle Morton, Will Thomasson
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