DCDL

Do you think you ought to watch the State of the Union, but you’re concerned about the effect on your blood pressure? How about watching it with a support group — others who will share your disgust and outrage, as well as your hope that new Virginia senator Jim Webb does a good job on the Democratic response?

Since the DC-area chapters of Drinking Liberally aren’t having watch parties, let’s join our friends at DC for Democracy for theirs:

Tuesday, January 23
7:30–10pm
Marty’s Restaurant
527 Eighth St SE
(Eastern Market Metro)
RSVP

DC for Democracy is having its annual planning retreat Saturday. If you’re looking for a local grassroots political group to get involved in, consider DCfD (which grew out of DC for Dean and is associated with the national group Democracy for America). If you’re a DCDL Thursday night regular, you’ll see a few familiar faces in the group.

Saturday, January 20
11:30am to 3pm
Cleveland Park Library
3310 Connecticut Ave NW
(at Macomb Street, near the Cleveland Park Metro)
RSVP

Tonight Bush will be officially announcing his “surge” plan for Iraq, blatantly ignoring the results of November’s election, in which the American people voted to start winding down our involvement in Iraq, not escalating it. Tomorrow evening DC for Democracy will be holding a rally at the White House, and others participating in Win Without War will be holding similar rallies across the country (MoveOn will also be holding rallies).

Here’s the announcement from Kesh at DC for Democracy:

Let’s deliver an immediate and direct response to the president’s call for escalation: NO! On Thursday, January 11, volunteers from the America Says No coalition will host actions in cities and towns across the country within 24 hours of the president’s speech with a simple message: “America says NO more troops in Iraq!”

DC for Democracy is sponsoring the event in the nation’s capital. We will meet at Lafayette Square, directly opposite the White House from 6 - 7 PM. There will be a reading of the names of Iraq War casualties from the DC area, some brief speeches, and a candlelight vigil. The event will conclude at 7PM. Lafayette Square is a few blocks from the Farragut North metro on the Red Line and Farragut West metro on the Orange Line. Click here for a map. For up to date information on the event, please click here.

We, who live in the DC area have a unique opportunity to speak for the millions nationwide who oppose the troop surge, but are unable to do so right outside the White House. So please give one hour of your time this Thursday and join us in sending a clear and visible NO to the escalation.

Kesh Ladduwahetty
DC for Democracy

I went to the netroots party tonight and had at least four people mistake me for Zack Exley (photos). While I have nothing against mistaken hugs from attractive young women, I’m wondering why this alleged resemblance didn’t surface when Zack spoke at DCDL a year and a half ago. Maybe we’ve somehow grown more similar over the intervening months.

In any case, the party was fun. I got to meet DavidNYC of Swing State Project, Neil the Ethical Werewolf of Ezra Klein’s blog (who came by Drinking Liberally last week), Ezra himself (who’s spoken at DL), Rep. Brad Miller (D-NC), Rep. Tim Walz (D-MN, newly elected), Donna Edwards (who challenged Rep. Al Wynn in the MD-04 primary and may try again), Teacherken of various blogs (who’s written about the party), and many local grassroots folks that I expect to run into at such things (including people from DC for Democracy). I didn’t run into Zack Exley, though.

Thanks to the New Organizing Institute for the champagne.

Update (17:17): Tracy Russo has a set of photos from the party on Flickr, including a shot of some of us DCDLers as we were coming in.

DC for Democracy has its holiday party tomorrow, December 20 (RSVP):

Even though we all got our big gift for the year on Election Day, that’s no reason not to celebrate this holiday season. Join your fellow progressives and toast the new Congress, share cookie recipes, or just chill out with friends. We’ll also be, once again, collecting canned goods and other non-perishable food items to take to the Capital Area Food Bank. For the past two years, members have been incredibly generous and have brought lots of food in to help the homeless — let’s keep that tradition alive in 2006.

Suggested donation $10, or whatever you can give to help support DC for Democracy.

December 20, 2006
From: 07:00 PM until 09:00 PM

Address
Marty’s 527 8th St SE
Contact: dcfordemocracy@gmail.com

Marty’s Restaurant is near the Eastern Market Metro.

The Cleveland Park chapter of Amnesty International USA is having an “America I Believe In” house party Tuesday, December 19, at 7:30 at the Cleveland Park Library, 3310 Connecticut Ave NW (RSVP):

Outlawed: Extraordinary Rendition, Torture and Disappearances in the “War on Terror” tells the stories of Khaled El-Masri and Binyam Mohamed, two men who have survived extraordinary rendition, secret detention, and torture by the U.S. government working with various other governments worldwide. “Outlawed” features relevant commentary from Louise Arbour, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, U.S. President George W. Bush, Michael Scheuer, the chief architect of the rendition program and former head of the Osama Bin Laden unit at the CIA, and Condoleezza Rice, the U.S. Secretary of State.

“Outlawed” a documentary produced by WITNESS and AI USA in association with 12 other groups worldwide, places the post-9/11 phenomenon of renditions and the “war on terror” in a human rights context and calls for action end these human rights abuses.

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.

There are 18 days left until the election, and lots of opportunities to help the Democrats retake the House and the Senate and bring a bit of sanity to government. Things are looking good now, but we can’t afford to be complacent. I don’t want to be sitting around after the election goes badly, wishing I’d done more.

Jim Webb’s campaign to unseat Virginia’s Sen. George Allen is one of the critical races, and Generation Webb (an outreach campaign for young voters) has plenty of Metro-accessible events in the next days and weeks, starting tonight:

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Our friends at NEXT PAC are holding a “Bring Down the House” Bash on Friday to raise money for four Democratic congressional candidates. Sounds like a worthwhile endeavor. I’ll be there.

This event is a fundraiser with a twist. Your $50 donation allows you to vote for the candidates who will receive the proceeds from the night. With our partner, New Democratic Action, we’ve selected four of the candidates most likely to help turn the House from Red to Blue. These races are amongst the closest in the country, your contribution will make an impact, and you’ll have a great time.

Our candidates are:

• Lois Murphy PA-6
• Joe Courtney CT-2
• Patricia Madrid NM-1
• Mary Jo Kilroy OH-15

Please join us next Friday and help make a difference.

September 29, 2006
Eye Bar — 1716 Eye Street NW
2nd Floor
8 pm
Cash and Check ONLY at the door. Credit Card donations must be made online — RSVP HERE.

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.