DCDL

In 2005, when Howard Dean became DNC chair, he launched the Democracy Bonds program, in which grassroots Democrats set up monthly contributions to support the party. Obviously not everyone can afford to make such a commitment, but you don’t have to be rich to do it, either. I’ve been a Democracy Bond holder for nearly a year and a half now, and I was very pleased in November with the return on my investment as the Democrats took back both chambers of Congress.

Monday, Democracy Bond holders are invited to reception with Governor Dean and Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (fresh off her latest appearance on the Colbert Report). Hear what Dean has to say about the future of the party, and what Norton can tell us about the status of DC’s hoped-for vote in the House. If you’re not yet a bondholder, you can become one or make a one-time contribution of $50 to attend.

Monday, March 26
5:30–7pm
Human Rights Campaign
Equality Forum Room
1640 Rhode Island Ave NW

RSVP at www.democrats.org/dcgrassroots or contact Casey Breitenbeck at breitenbeckc@dnc.org or 202-863-8023.

DC Drinking Liberally (Dupont Circle and Capitol Hill) is teaming up with folks from the Democratic National Committee and the New Organizing Institute to host a happy hour for people attending the DNC winter meeting this weekend.

DNC members, bloggers, progressive organizers, grassroots/netroots activists, the Drinking Liberally crowd — all are welcome. The more the merrier. The fun starts at about 7 at Timberlake’s (1726 Connecticut Ave NW, north of Dupont Circle) and will run until at least 9.

I only just stumbled across this, but a month ago Byron York uncovered the dastardly fraud behind the Democrats’ plans for the “first 100 hours” of the new Congress:

Here’s a question: When House Speaker-to-be Nancy Pelosi talks about what Democrats plan to accomplish in the first 100 hours when Congress convenes in January, does she mean 100 consecutive hours, as in, say, from a Monday at 10 a.m. until Friday at 2 p.m., or does she mean something else?

The answer is something else. Pelosi plans to enact the Democrats’ “Six for ’06″ agenda in 100 legislative hours — not real hours.

Here’s a question: Has anyone else who appears regularly on television and in newspapers and magazines (as opposed to some random wingnut blogger) said anything quite so stupid about the first 100 hours?

Let’s hope York never goes for a pilot’s license. Logging those 40 hours of flight time could be a problem.

Tomorrow, December 6, DC for Democracy has a speaker from the DNC at their monthly meeting in the back room at Ben’s Chili Bowl (RSVP). Sounds interesting:

Join us for our first MeetUp following the groundbreaking mid-term election results. To help us understand exactly how Democrats were so successful in taking back Congress and building a stronger progressive movement throughout the country, we’ll be joined by Parag Mehta, Director of Training for the Democratic National Committee. Parag was instrumental in helping implement the “50 State Strategy” around the country, and will give us an inside look at what happened and what the plans are to continue to build on the gains made this past year.

We’ll also be announcing plans for our upcoming holiday party, and soliciting volunteers to help design our annual winter strategy retreat. And of course there will be chili.

December 06, 2006
From: 07:00 PM until 08:30 PM

Address
Ben’s Chili Bowl 1213 U Street, N.W.
Contact: dcfordemocracy@gmail.com

DCfD is a good group to get involved with, and they’ll soon be determining their priorities for the new year. Stop by and find out more.

For those of us who live in the national capital and pay federal taxes but have no vote in the Congress that decides how those taxes are spent, this sounds hopeful, doesn’t it?

U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi said yesterday that she hopes to swiftly bring the District a step closer to full voting rights in the House, a measure D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton called a move in the right direction.

But the article goes on to say that although Norton would be able to vote on changes to legislation, “she would not be able to vote on final passage”. Okay, but that’s still something, right? Wrong. Look at the fine print, a few paragraphs down (emphasis added):

From 1993 to early 1995, Norton and delegates from four U.S. territories were allowed to vote on the House floor in most cases. However, if their votes ever provided the margin of victory on a measure, a House member could request a second, binding vote without them. Republicans nixed the limited vote in 1995, after taking control of Congress.

Pelosi’s press secretary, Jennifer Crider, said last night that the proposed rule changes would seek a return to those provisions. However, she said, Pelosi had not yet specifically addressed the issue of the U.S. territories’ voting rights.

So if Norton’s vote ever actually makes a difference, they’ll re-vote without her. In other words, the whole thing is just symbolism. I realize that Norton has been complaining for more than a decade now about losing this meaningless voting power, but that doesn’t mean that restoring it is anything to rejoice about.

We’re excited.

We’ve already done one “Na na na na, hey hey hey” (for Santorum).

We’re All Sorts of Excited.

Did I say we’re excited? :D

Now let’s see what happens when the Democrats that have been sat on for four years and the Republicans who have been perilously close to committing seppuku over what ShrubCheneyCo has been up to have to confront what has gone before, and how to fix it. :D

I’m betting Cheney and the maniacs Bush has appointed do not go gently into that good night….

Did I mention that we’re excited. :D

Just found this over at BlogActive:

This is what happens when you hire an internet consultant who used his website to dupe people into investing in stock he artificially pumped up the price on:

     Political Radar: “Two Democratic sources confirm to ABC News
     that former Gov. Mark Warner (D-VA) will announce today
     that he will not be a candidate for president in 2008.”

From the comments:

AmberCat — It’s a reference to Jerome Armstrong of MyDD who co-wrote “Crashing the Gates” with Markos, was a consultant for Warner and in the relatively distant past during the dot.com boom earned his money by hawking questionable stocks in an early version of “blogs-for-hire”.

Now it’s a GOP strategy.

Somehow I don’t think Armstrong’s past has anything major to do with Warner’s decision, but it definitely helps clear the picture up a touch. Funny, I thought Armstrong was mostly involved with the Big Creamsicle. Shows what I know(?).

If you want to see the Democrats take back Congress and you have some money you can devote to that cause, there are several opportunities coming up (plus one rally that asks only for your enthusiasm):

• Tuesday, September 19:
  • Reception for John Cranley, running against Rep. Steve Chabot in Ohio’s 1st District, at the Hawk and Dove, 329 Pennsylvania Ave SE (Capitol South or Eastern Market Metro), 6–8pm, with special guest Paul Begala.
  • Reception recognizing 20 terms of service by Rep. John Conyers Jr. with special guest Howard Dean, 5:30–7:30pm, Jones Day, 51 Louisiana Ave NW. Donation levels start at $150.
• Wednesday, September 20:
  • If you’re feeling particularly rich this week: Lunch with Sen. Byron Dorgan and Jon Tester, challenging Wyoming senator Conrad Burns, City Club of Washington on Franklin Square, 1300 I St NW, 11:45am. Donation levels start at $500. RSVP to LaVonne Franklin, lfranklin{at}mckennalong.com.
  • Rally (free) with Sen. Barack Obama and Jim Webb, running against Virginia senator George Allen, 5:30pm, Market Square, 301 King St, Alexandria.
• Thursday, September 21: Fundraiser for Jim Webb and former governor Mark Warner at the Torpedo Factory, 105 North Union St, Alexandria. Local activist Howard Park says, “If you only go to one big Jim Webb event before the election, this is the one!” Tickets start at $100.
• Monday, September 25: Join Reps. John Murtha and Allyson Schwartz at a fundraiser for Fighting Dem Chris Carney (challenging Rep. Don Sherwood in Pennsylvania’s 10th District), American Legion Hall, 224 D St SE (Capitol South Metro), 5:30–8pm. Suggested donation is $100, but you can come for less if you mention Blue Catapult. RSVP to vince{at}carneyforcongress.com.

On Thursday, September 14, DCDL regular Ian Fried, director of Blue Catapult PAC, will be among the panelists discussing “Taking Over Congress: Democratic Chances in the 2006 Elections” from 6 to 8pm (including dinner) at the Woman’s National Democratic Club, 1526 New Hampshire Ave NW (Dupont Circle Metro). The discussion will be moderated by Shelly Livingston, chair of the WNDC PAC. The other panelists are

• Joshua Ulibarri, vice president of Lake Research Partners
• Jim Gerstein, executive director of Democracy Corps
• Phyllis Busansky, Democratic candidate for Congress (FL-9)

The event is free (though you’ll have to pay if you want dinner or drinks). Sounds like it’ll be an interesting conversation. For more information and to RSVP, see the Blue Catapult announcement.

Since the Maryland primary is also coming up on September 12, and since some DCDL folks live in Maryland, I thought I’d put together a list of candidates like the one I did for DC. But things in Maryland are a lot more complicated. This year Marylanders can vote for candidates for governor and lieutenant governor, comptroller, attorney general, state senators, state delegates (usually three of those for each legislative district), circuit court judges, county executives, county council members or commissioners, county treasurers, state’s attorneys, clerks of the circuit courts, registers of wills, judges of the orphans’ court, sheriffs, members of the board of education, members of the party central committees, city offices, US senator, and US representative, and your ballot depends on which of the overlapping counties, congressional districts, and state legislative districts you live in (mdelect.net can tell you if you’re not sure).

Given all that, I’m going to stick with a rundown of the candidates for statewide office that all registered Democrats in Maryland have the opportunity to vote for. I may post something later about candidates in some of the districts near DC (for now, see the Maryland State Board of Elections for more information).

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