| You are invited to join GRASSROOTS PATRIOTS at a pot-luck workshop this Saturday, April 4, 2009, 1:00 to 4:00 pm, at the Jim Ward Community Center, 301 NW 46 Avenue, Plantation. The Jim Ward Community Center is about three blocks north of Broward Blvd. between State Road 7 (US-441) and Florida's Turnpike overpass (no Turnpike exit at Broward). Please RSVP what you are bringing by calling me at 954-579-3932 or through Meetup: http://democrat.meetup.com/254/calendar/10062663/ Topics on the agenda (there will be more) and their organizers: 1. Support the President's initiatives (Alan Ehrlich) 2. Petition for Fair Districts Florida (Cynthia Busch) 3. Stay on top of your Commissioners (Phil Busey) 4. Reduce mid-term risk by having lobbying rules (Phil Busey) 5. Adopt grassroots principles, organization (Ralph Rickel and others) President Obama's plan is to transform our economy by investing in health care, energy, and education, so how can we support it? How can we get petitions signed for the FairDistrictsFlorida.org amendment which will take the politics out of redistricting? How can we continue politics locally in Broward to make sure our Commissioners represent the voters not the lobbyists? Remember Jack Abramoff? What can the Democratic Party do to survive mid-term elections by cleaning up the lobbyist issues within the Party? How can we as GRASSROOTS PATRIOTS remain engaged and active? How are we going to cover our neighborhoods by welcoming newcomers and by connecting with people of all communities. Phil, 954-579-3932 __________________________ Directions to the Jim Ward: If you take Broward Blvd. west from 441 go 0.5 miles and turn right at the light at NW 46th Ave. and the Community Center will be on your left after the churches. If you take Broward Blvd. east from University Drive go 2.6 miles and soon after going underneath the Turnpike overpass you turn left at the light at NW 46th Ave. and the Community Center will be on your left after the churches. If you take the Turnpike, because there is no exit at Broward Blvd., you exit at Sunrise Blvd., Exit 58. Turn left (east) on Sunrise Blvd. towards Fort Lauderdale and go about 0.2 miles. Turn right (go south) on NW 47th Ave. The road immediately curves left to become NW 9th Dr. and you are going east. The road stops at NW 46th Ave. and turn right (go south) 0.6 miles to the Jim Ward Community Center which will be on your right. _______________________________________________ "Feet-on-the-Street Democrats." Paid Political Advertisement, approved and paid for by GRASSROOTS PATRIOTS. _______________________________________________ |
Join GRASSROOTS PATRIOTS for a pot-luck workshop this Saturday
The Party Of Zero
| THE GLOSSY PAMPHLET: Last week, reporters excitedly gathered for a GOP press conference where House leaders said they would announce their alternative to Obama's budget. The proposal that GOP leaders presented, however, was a huge disappointment; basically, it was nothing more than a "brochure." Annoyed at being summoned for this non-event, reporters quizzed Boehner on specifics of the plan: "Are you going to have any further details on this today?" "What about some numbers? What about the out-year deficit? What about balancing the budget?" Reporting on MSNBC, host Contessa Brewer exclaimed, "Give me some substance!" The GOP "budget," in fact, contains almost no numbers -- except where they criticize the Obama administration's figures. The few ideas their plan does have include undoing the economic recovery package (which would be hard to do since some of the money is already out the door), and lowering the 35 percent, 33 percent, and 28 percent income tax brackets to 25 percent (regressive cuts that would gut government revenue). According to a Citizens for Tax Justice analysis, more than a quarter of all taxpayers -- mostly low-income families -- would pay more in taxes under this plan than they would under Obama's. On the other hand, "the richest one percent of taxpayers would pay $100,000 less, on average, under the House GOP plan." Additionally, although Republicans claim to be so concerned about the rising deficit, their income tax proposals "would cost over $300 billion more than the Obama income tax cuts in 2011 alone." "The party of 'no' has become the party of no new ideas," quipped White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs in response to the GOP proposal. TAX WINDFALL FOR CORPORATE EXECUTIVES: According to the Republican leadership, the reason that lawmakers didn't release numbers last week is because they intend to do so this week. "The numbers will come next week with a multi-hundred page piece of legislation" that Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) is currently drafting, Boehner's office told First Read. Ryan's bill will still likely be short on new, deficit-cutting ideas though. As the Wonk Room's Pat Garofalo has noted, his plan "consists almost entirely of massive tax cuts for corporations and the rich," including lowering the top marginal tax rate to 25 percent, lowering the corporate tax rate to 25 percent, and completely eliminating the capital gains tax. Not only are these tax cuts regressive, but they will result in significant lost government revenue. According to a Center for American Progress Action Fund analysis, Ryan's plan gives the average CEO a $1.5 million tax break, while doing nothing for minimum wage workers. THE RECONCILIATION HYPOCRISY: Republicans are also standing firm against allowing Obama to use the reconciliation process to pass key parts of his budget, such as health care and energy reform. This 25-year-old procedure "allows for the passage of a budget by a simple majority vote rather than the usual 60 votes needed to prevent a filibuster." Republican senators have said that they are prepared to go "nuclear" -- essentially shutting down the Senate through the use of parliamentary maneuvers -- if budget reconciliation is pursued. Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH) compared reconciliation to "an act of violence" against the GOP. However, Republicans employed the same procedure to pass major Bush agenda items, including the 2001 and 2003 Bush tax cuts, the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, and the Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2005. In fact, in 2005, Gregg defended using the reconciliation procedure, arguing, "The president asked for it, and we're trying to do what the president asked for."  954-394-4980 |
canvass your neighborhood.
President Barack Obama is using is vast netroots coalition to mobilize support for his budget. Obama is asking supporters to call Congress and to canvass your neighborhood. |
954-394-4980
Make Calls For Obama
 Broward Democrats- Ft. Lauderdale & Dania Beach  President Obama's budget proposes bold reforms that will pave the way for quality, affordable health care for all, and a clean energy economy. Republicans in Congress have already vowed to say "no" to these plans. But some Democrats—in the House, they call themselves "Blue Dogs"—are indicating that they want to nuzzle up to the conservative obstructionists to block Obama's proposals, regardless of the mandate the voters gave Obama to move forward. We're asking supporters across the country to call Congress and express their support for President Obama's budget. You talked to members in your community about the need for a new direction -- now we need you to personally ask fellow supporters to send that message to Washington by contacting their elected representatives.
Download The Pledge to support Obama's agenda to give to your neighbors Democratically Yours, Ron Mills 954-394-4980 954-394-4980 |
Dog The (Blue) Dogs
President Obama's budget proposes bold reforms that will pave the way for quality, affordable health care for all, and a clean energy economy. Republicans in Congress have already vowed to say "no" to these plans. But some Democrats—in the House, they call themselves "Blue Dogs"—are indicating that they want to nuzzle up to the conservative obstructionists to block Obama's proposals, regardless of the mandate the voters gave Obama to move forward.
Bill Nelson is self-identified "Blue Dog" or right-leaning Democrat who will make the difference between a budget that moves us toward health care for all and a clean energy economy and a budget that mires us in an unsustainable status quo. Many of the House members have already voted against the economic recovery bill or against mortgage relief. More recently, seven Democratic senators joined with conservative obstructionists in an attempt to block the president's clean energy strategy, which would limit carbon pollution, make private companies pay for polluting public sky, and put the proceeds into consumers' pockets and into clean energy investments. Contact Senator Bill Nelson call Senator Nelson's office at (202) 224-5274. You also can contact his office by web mail http://billnelson.senate.gov/contact/index.cfmDownload The Pledge to support Obama's agenda to give to your neighbors Ron Mills 954-394-4980 |
It is time for progressives to "dog the dogs" — to call conservative Democrats in the House and Senate and tell them to not be lapdogs for the "Dr. No's" on the right who want to obstruct the administration's common-sense agenda.Statement from Wasserman Schultz on her cancer diagnosis
U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Weston, just released a statement about her diagnosis and treatment for breast cancer. "A little more than a year ago, after I found a lump in my breast while doing a routine self-exam, my doctor diagnosed me with breast cancer. "After my diagnosis, it seemed like there were a million different decisions I had to make. My doctor's initial recommendation, because I found the lump so early and it was less than a half centimeter, was to simply have the cancer removed, followed by radiation. However, after sitting down with a nurse educator who asked me many, many questions about my personal and family health history, I also decided to have a blood test that would show whether I had a genetic alteration in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene. |
Twitter Goes Mainstream Media; Does That Signal Its Demise?
Twitter has finally hit the mainstream media. Quite honestly, it has gotten so much press lately you would think this social networking site only just emerged on the scene. Yet it's been around for a few years now, so can we really call it "Twittermania" simply because the mainstream press has finally taken notice? The great thing about being an early adopter is being able to feel like you are in this secret, underground society where you know something most people don't. You know the advantages and disadvantages of being a part of this exclusive group, and you even try to lure people over little by little simply because you understand the value. But you also know that once enough people are on board, it's growth is like a high speed train careening out of control...until it hits a brick wall. Will Twitter become the next MySpace hitting the height of popularity only to then meet a turning point allowing a competitor to emerge and steal the spotlight? Or has the exposure Twitter is now receiving THAT turning point which determines how we will evolve the way we interact and communicate in the future? Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy I make the comparison to MySpace because for some time MySpace, as we know, was insanely popular. It still is, but that popularity is being userped by it's once underdog competitor, Facebook. At some point MySpace had expansive growth even despite tons of bad press due to spammers and being known as the hot spot for child predators. MySpace had a difficult time getting a handle on this and while they focused on changing it, it gave Facebook the opportunity to step in...again as a place that was a one-time "secret" of the early adopters. MySpace's continuous press coverage flooded the site with new users yet at the same time plateauing its popularity. So I have to wonder if something we all have pushed so hard for, the mass adoption of Twitter, will really be the turning point for its demise. Whether it is or it isn't, this really could signify something much bigger. Twitter going mainstream WILL change the way society communicates. It will change the way businesses interact with its customers. It will change the way we all network as a whole. So while Twitter's popularity may come and go, I think it's rise to stardom will push the evolution of communications and human interaction as we know it--starting now. What do you think? Follow Me @RainbowUSA posted @ http://www.piercemattie.com/ |
Klein Asks AIG Exec: “What Were You Thinking
Office of Congressman Ron Klein Florida's 22nd Congressional District March 18, 2009 Contact: Melissa Silverman, 202-225-3026 office or 202-821-8152 cell Klein Asks AIG Exec: "What Were You Thinking?" In his opening statement, Klein told AIG Chief Executive Officer Edward Liddy that he was "disgusted by the deplorable saga" of recent events and that he joined his constituents in "unfettered outrage about the millions of dollars in bonuses that are being awarded to AIG employees." Klein contrasted the hard-working The full statement follows. Statement of Congressman Ron Klein, as prepared for delivery Hearing of the Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance, and Government Sponsored Enterprises "Am Wednesday, March 18, 2009 Thank you, Chairman Kanjorski, for holding this important hearing. I am disgusted by the deplorable saga of AIG, and I join my constituents in their unfettered outrage about the millions of dollars in bonuses that are being awarded to AIG employees. The Am When I am back in my district in Yet here I am sitting across from the AIG Chairman and CEO who is distributing million dollar bonuses to those who drove company in the ground. There is a tremendous disconnect between I just want to know one thing. What were you thinking? I look forward to the testimony, and a frank discussion today. ### 954-394-4980 |
Obama for America A New Foundation for Growth — Call Your Representatives
 Veterans of the BarackObama.com will surely recognize the big red button at the bottom of this post: Make Calls. This time however, we're not asking you to call voters -- we're asking you to call your representatives in Congress. We need you to let them know that you support the commitment that President Obama made to health care, education and renewable energy in his recent budget outline, and we need you to ask them to support the President's plan as well. Here's a sample script that you can use for your calls:
Once you've finished, be sure to record the results of your calls. And feel free to also let everyone know how your calls went in the comments below. . . Send others to http://Area-nine.org 954-394-4980 |
RALLY IN TALLY
Monday, March 16, 2009 Good afternoon all ye who Rally in Tally! My name is Michael Emanuel Rajner; a gay man living with AIDS and Director of HIV/AIDS Education and Policy for the Florida Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Democratic Caucus. I am here today as the voice of the statewide GLBT caucus of the Florida Democratic Party. I also have the role and responsibility to acknowledge the courage and great work of many 501c3 organizations that have provided incredible leadership on issues of equality. My role here today is clearly a partisan role. And I want you to know we don't only have friends in the Florida State Legislature, but we have some amazing champions who are willing to stand brave and strong and bring our fight to the floor of the State House and Senate. Some of our champions in the legislature are here today with us at today's rally and I would be remiss to not acknowledge them for their amazing leadership. As a GLBT community, we need to continue to elect Democrats. It is the Democratic party providing the leadership on equality and social justice for ALL FLORIDIANS. When the Florida State Legislature debated the Anti-Bully legislation, shameful Republicans led the charge to dilute protections for GLBTQ youth who are disproportionally affected with a greater rate of bullying than non-GLBTQ youth. Conservative Republicans have continually been the force to obstruct efforts to ensure protections for communities whose voice is not represented in the State Legislature. As a trained social worker, I am here to say it is the Republican Party who marginalizes people who do not look like them. Their divisive acts are not limited to groups such as GLBTQ people and people with skin darker than mine or those who speak a language other than English. The Florida Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Democratic Caucus salutes the leadership and courage of organizations like the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) who have been lockstep with the GLBT community in the fight for equality. The African American community has suffered immense oppression and persecution in our society. And now, thanks to God, in Barack Obama, we have the first African American President of the United States of America! From this platform, I can't begin to share with you how inspiring it is to see the army of my brothers and sisters mobilizing and ready to engage in the battle for equality. Many of us know all too well of the pain and alienation brought about through the systematic disenfranchisement of communities of human lives indoctrinated in our laws. Before me is an incredible army with awesome courage and leadership. Please, turn to your neighbor, and thank that person for their selfless service and for being active in the movement and being a voice for those unable to come to the table to fight for social justice. Last night I spoke with Michael Albetta, President of the Florida GLBT Democratic Caucus. He wanted to make certain that I share with you that he spoke with Senator Eleanor Sobel and Senator Chris Smith, and both agree that "its adoption for all" and a crime that groups who dare use children without a loving home as a divisive tool to advance their ideology of hate that encourages discrimination! Last week while in San Francisco I was waiting for the N Judah train to visit the National AIDS Memorial Grove, I watch a gay man lovingly hold the hand his child and only as a father can, taught his child how to cross the street and avoid danger. I stirred with anger, pain and frustration as I was haunted with how most Republicans prefer and vote to see children like that child be passed around in group homes and institutionalized when there are loving and nurturing homes to care for these children, the leadership of the Republican Party has placed the needs of our vulnerable society with minimal priority! The Florida Legislature can save tax-payers money and help children at the same time. End the ban on adoption by gay men and lesbians. Help move children out of foster care and into the homes of loving parents. The vast majority of states have always allowed gay men and lesbians to adopt, so this is not a social experiment. It's good for kids, and it will save taxpayers money – why spend money to support children in foster care when there are many able parents willing to adopt, and why spend tens of thousands of dollars defending constitutional court cases, when the state could be using the same money to actually support children (e.g,. better funding for education, increased access to healthcare or other services for children, or reducing the debt so our children will be less burdened by taxes in the future). Equality Florida and all their partners are doing an amazing job to mobilize our statewide community and to demand solutions for all people! Keep up the great work and continue to inspire the youthful community members to become involved and be part of the collective voice fighting for equality! Our involvement and organizing must be strategic and at all levels. The time has come to end the apathy and complacency, the time has come to gear up for the great battle before us! Separate is not equal. As same-sex couples who are legally prohibited to married, we are denied certain tax credits and have fewer rights than any other Floridians. Today, we stand proud and united as a family. As Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender community and allies, we must never allow any group or issue to divide us. There is no equality without the "T". I must now leave and wish you all well as Nadine Smith and I go into the Governor's office and meet with his executive staff and urge Governor Crist to join the 23 states not accepting federal dollars to promote ineffective "abstinence-only" programs. As an GLBTQ community and single-parent families, sex-education programs focused on "abstinence-only" fail to prepare and protect us. As a gay man living with AIDS, I stand before you as one of the more than 1,200,000 people living with HIV/AIDS in America and 150,000 people living with HIV/AIDS in Florida. Our death is on the hands of this largely morally corrupt Republican-controlled legislature. My elected district representatives Senator Atwater and Representative Bogdanoff will not even return my calls to engage in legislation on HIV/AIDS and comprehensive sex-education. Florida, we need inclusive and genuine leadership and we need it now! We need to take back our government! Michael Emanuel Rajner |
Support to help pass two very important pieces of legislation
| we call on your support to help pass two very important pieces of legislation. Both proposed bills secure basic human and parental fairness for LGBT people and their families. ADOPTION Representative Mary Brandenburg's legislation - HB 413 - to repeal the bigoted, discriminatory 32-year-old ban on adoption by gay Floridians has been assigned to four committees. The bill currently is in the Civil Justice & Courts Policy Committee. The first step in moving this important legislation forward is to hold a hearing in the Civil Justice & Courts Policy Committee -- and for the committee to approve the bill. We are asking you to contact the Committee Chair, Rep. Nick Thompson (R-Ft. Myers), and ask him to set a hearing date on HB 413 as soon as possible. We also need you to ask him to support this important legislation as a co-sponsor. His phone number in Tallahassee is 850-488-1541. Please note that Rep. Nick Thompson was the Sponsor of HB 669 in 2008, known as the Jeffrey Johnston Stand Up For All Students Act, which protects all of Florida's students from bullying, including anti-gay harassment. The other Civil Justice & Courts Policy Committee members are: Rep. Mike Weinstein (R) - District 19 - Jacksonville - Phone 850-488-1304(Vice Chair) Please contact all Representatives that you know or that are in your area. Ask them to contact Rep. Nick Thompson and ask for a hearing as soon as possible. In addition, please ask them to support the bill by becoming a co-sponsor. Click here for a sample letter. PROTECTION FROM DISCRIMINATION we will also be lobbying elected officials in Tallahassee for support on Sen. Ted Deutch's and Rep. Kelly Skidmore's legislations - SB 2012/ HB 397- that seek to update the Florida Civil Rights Act and Florida's Fair Housing Act to include LGBT individuals and families under its protections. The Florida Civil Rights Act currently covers only race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, handicap or marital status, while Florida's Fair Housing Act covers the same categories, including familial status. The Deutch-Skidmore legislation simply updates Florida's laws covering employment, housing and public accommodations to include sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy and familial status. It is still legal in Florida to be discriminated against or even fired for being or perceived to be LGBT in your place of employment. However, recent polls have shown that 89% of Floridians believe that homosexuals should have the same rights in housing, job opportunities, and public accommodations. We urge you to contact your state senator and state representative and ask if they have joined the list of co-sponsors, and encourage them to support this important legislation.
To view the web page for the Deutch-Skidmore legislation, which provides a link to the complete text of the bill as well as an updates list of co-sponsors, click here. |
Beginning today, the White House will harness every part of the Democratic Party’s machinery
Beginning today, the White House will harness every part of the Democratic Party's machinery to defend President Obama's budget and portray Republicans as reflexively political, according to party strategists.
So the Democratic allies—the administration, congressional leaders, outside groups and the DNC—are uniting for the new push. PS This was part of the Training on Saturday for precinct workers Part 1 |
Action Alert on Adoption Bill
Gay and Lesbian Parenting: THE FACTS(1) Florida's gay adoption ban was passed in 1977 at the height of Anita Bryant's anti-gay "Save the Children" campaign. This law has done significant damage to children in foster care by not allowing the best interest of the child to be considered on a case-by-case basis. Curtis Peterson, the lead Senate sponsor, said=2 0upon passage of the ban, "We're trying to send [homosexuals] a message. We're really tired of you. We wish you'd go back into the closet."(2) Destructive impact on children - over 4,500 children languish in Florida's foster care system today. The adoption ban arbitrarily excludes hundreds, if not thousands, of potential parents based solely on the irrelevant criteria of sexual orientation. These adults could provide stable, loving, PERMANENT homes to many of these children if this ban were lifted. (3) In 2003, the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute released a research study, stating, "reality on the ground is outstripping the pace of the debate. That is, a growing number of lesbians and gay men are becoming parents and are living as families every day, irrespective of what the policymakers do or say." (4) There is no credible scientific evidence that the sexual orientation of parents has any effects either on the quality of parenting or on the well-being of their children. In fact, the reliable social scientific evidence indicates that lesbian and gay parents are as fit, effective and successful at parenting as their heterosexual counterparts. (See American Academy of Pediatrics February 2002 Policy Statement, Vol. 109, No. 2, pp. 341-344) (5) At least eleven (11) mainstream child welfare, social science, and professional organizations have issued policy statements SUPPORTING adoptio n by lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender (LGBT) people: Child Welfare League of America American Bar Association American Medical Association American Academy of Pediatrics American Psychiatric Association American Psychoanalytical Association American Academy of Family Physicians American Psychological Association American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry National Association of Social Workers North American Council on adoptable Children (6) Decades of research indicate that optimal development for children is based not on the sexual orientation of the parents, but on stable attachments to committed and nurturing adults. Children with two parents, regardless of the parents' sexual orientation, do better than children with only one parent. (American Psychiatric Association 11/2002 policy statement) (7) Adoption decisi ons should be based on an individualized assessment of what is in the best interests of the child to be adopted. Applicants should be assessed on the basis of their ability to successfully parent a child in need of family membership and not on irrelevant considerations such as sexual orientation. (8) Regardless of what policy makers do or say, gay Floridians are raising children and legal protection is necessary for these children. Families have been created by adopting in other states, artificial insemination, previous heterosexual relationships and family tragedies such as the death of a sibling. 2009 LEGISLATIVE SPONSOR UPDATE SB 500 on Adoption Sponsored by Senator Nan Rich - District 34Co-Sponsors are Senator Dan Gelber - District 35 Senator Chris Smith - District 29 Senator Eleanor Sobel - District 31 HB 413 on Adoption Sponsored by Representative Mary Brandenburg - District 89 Co-Sponsors are Representative Joseph Abruzzo -20District 85 Representative Ronald Brisé - District 108 Representative Faye Culp - District 57 Representative Joe Gibbons - District 105 Representative Bill Heller - District 52 Representative Evan Jenne - District 100 Representative Rick Kriseman - District 53 Representative Mark Pafford - District 88 Representative Kevin Rader - District 78 Representative Scott Randolph - District 36 Rep. Michelle Rehwinkel Vasilinda - District 9 Representative Kelly Skidmore - District 90 Representative Richard Steinberg - District 106 If you don't see your representative or senator, please give them a call and ask them to sponsor the Adoption bill. To find your representative' s contact info, click here. To find your senator's contact info, click here. |
Jon Stewart V. Jim Cramer
Stay tuned for Thursday night, when Cramer is set to appear on "The Daily Show." Watch the whole epic smackdown below. Related: Jon Stewart Rips Into Jim Cramer Again (VIDEO) Related: Jim Cramer Defends Himself On Today Show (VIDEO) Related: CNBC Jon Stewart Response: "Bizarrely Obsessed" With Santelli Related: Jon Stewart Trashes CNBC Again -- On Letterman (VIDEO) Related: Jon Stewart Eviscerates CNBC, Santelli On Daily Show (VIDEO) |
Fundamentalist castigates Republicans for being a fifth column
| This video is from CNN's D.L Hughley Breaks the News, broadcast Mar. 8, 2009. |
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