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Democracy for America group blog for Stockbridge Progressives

Mousehead update...

Written by: Jim Nichols on Oct 11, 2008 6:56 PM EDT

Linked to groups: Democracy for America - Georgia Chapter, Georgia for Democracy, Blogs United, Jonesboro DFA, Morrow DFA, Peachtree City DFA, Stockbridge Progressives, Blog For America

Linked to campaigns: Obama for America

As McCain backtracks... Melissa wrote this for people to pass on. --Jim

---------------------------

MY DESCRIPTIVE PERSPECTIVE:

Registering “Gutter scum” gets a mouse head in meal for Democratic Chair

My name is Melissa and I’m the Chair of the Democratic Party of Pike County, Georgia. I have lived and traveled to many places both here and abroad. My current passport is littered with the physical stamps of these regions while my brain carries with it the psychological and photographed impressions of people of many cultures and beliefs. My expired passport is stamped with the obligations that came with being a member of the Air Force. I served, my sister served, my ex-husband with whom we share three children is still serving, and now my son is joining.

I along with several others in the county have been diligently registering voters and ensuring that the disabled and the elderly have access to absentee ballots. Upon this journey I have met many people and have heard stories from long-ago and how these times are just remarkable. Stories of hope, inspiration, triumph, and most of gratitude for even me being there and offering assistance.
Aside from that and on to the unfolding drama, the Democratic party in Pike County meets every month at Ruth’s restaurant. We meet in the back room free of charge and have brought extra business to this restaurant once a month by inviting outside people to our meetings. The attendance can be sometimes three, sometimes 15. The owner’s husband is always there, helping or assisting, and had always been cordial. He had let me know in the beginning he was a republican, and I can respect that. Everyone in this country has the right to have their views.

We met this past Thursday, October 9th, and I knew that we were going to have a small meeting because all of the officers were at other obligations but I chose to stay in case someone dropped by. I ordered a to go plate at 6:30 to be done at 7pm. I would stay until then and leave if no one showed and could fill the time by making some phone calls to district leaders and candidates. My husband you see is a Republican and I love him very much. He was sick at the doctor and I should not be out too late. At 7 I decided no one was going to show and got my styrofoam covered dish that was placed before me by the waitress.

She actually is a nice person that always has a smile on her face despite the apparent pain she suffers from the incredible limp given to her most probably from birth. Moving from table to table smiling, happy to have her job, I can only imagine the sore arthritic joints she bears when making this journey from kitchen to table, from table to kitchen. Standing now at the counter with my gift for my husband and waited to pay for it. Pastor Tom says doing these small things in marriage daily continually builds and holds your marriage together.

Discuss

Sorry America, its not new to us. (on the mcCain/Palin smear events)

Written by: Jim Nichols on Oct 10, 2008 1:35 PM EDT

Linked to groups: Democracy for America - Georgia Chapter, Georgia for Democracy, Blogs United, Jonesboro DFA, Morrow DFA, Peachtree City DFA, Stockbridge Progressives, Blog For America, DFA-CFD of Fresno & Madera Counties, Democratic Club of Coarsegold, DFA-CFD of Mariposa and Tuolumne Counties , California for Democracy, Courage Campaign, Take Back Red California, DFA Blog Network, Northern California Trained Activists, DFA Trust, Reproductive Rights for America, blog for America Test and Poll Group, DFA of Chowchilla, Latinos for America, Netroots Activism!, DFA of Stanislaus County

Being Chairman of the Henry County Democratic party has taught me a lot about organizing. But it is not surprising to watch the tone and invective that has appeared in the past week. Fear tactics, intimidation, and personal threats that lie just below the surface of far too many Republicans is something Democrats here in the South find to be quite common. I saw it as a human rights organizer after 9/11, as an anti-war organizer in the run up to the war, and have watched it grow during this campaign.

After the conservative take over of the Republican party, the base of that party is fixated on beliefs that have no bases in reality. They hold these beliefs very strongly and it resonates within the culture here at a near pathological state.

Its important to note the pathology--these are good people, they work hard and try to live upstanding lives. But in the midst of fear, and lacking the security of knowing things are going to be okay, that pathology starts to surface. Traitor, Communist, unamerican, the devil, satanist, f---'in coward; I've been called all these things right to my face by men far larger than myself swinging their arms in an erratic style. The aggressive postures, the tone, lack of any valid reasoning's for their beliefs has caused many who support getting affordable health care, a sane foreign policy, or books in our schools, to stay silent. I have citizens who want to volunteer for the Democrats but are terrified that their neighbors will find out they are a democrat and will therefore not do anything that can connect them to the party or Obama.

Haven't you seen the emails-- Obama is a terrorist, Obama is a socialist... why haven't you heard Obama Osama, isn't that clear enough! Our way of life is at risk, it reads. I knew the "kill him," "terrorist" screams at recent events were on their way when my nephew sincerely asked me what I thought about people saying Obama is the anti-christ. He truly wanted to know what to think of this, you could see it in his eyes. And the reason he was curious was because kids can see when people are serious in their beliefs. Just below the surface of every smear email, or chuckle from a joke at a dinner party is someone who at some subconscious level is fearful and doesn't know how to protect their families from the outside world. I responded without blinking an eye and in a very serious tone said, "they have no integrity."

Discuss

Written by: Jim Nichols on Aug 26, 2008 11:37 AM EDT

Linked to groups: Georgia for Democracy, Blogs United, Jonesboro DFA, Morrow DFA, Peachtree City DFA, Stockbridge Progressives, DFA Atlanta Alumni Crew, Blog For America

This liberal lacks a retort? McCain, Obama, and the economy

I'm glad to see we are getting a more active blog. The more we debate... the more we discuss... the more we have dialouge. The less the right wing swift boat attacks and urban ledgends that Republicans have used time and time again will work.

The discussion is on McCain and his 8 houses... or however many.

Henry Libertarian commented:
That shows how "out of touch" and "privileged" Obama is, which Liberals like to ignore. Sure it is fun to point across the isle and snicker, but when you are guilt of the same thing suddenly you get defensive and don't see the humor anymore. If you want to call McCain rich then show me a politician at the federal levels that isn't. You obviously don't have a retort or you would have said something better. Obama wants to tax businesses that make goods and provide services which will make goods and services more expensive. With Obama's Trillion-Dollar Spending Plan, who do you think is going to pay for it?

First... "when you are guilty of the same thing? How so? The Rezko smear has been shown to be a complete fabrication for more see Factcheck.org which is a nonpartisan group that I highly recommend to those like myself who want to deal in policy and not whitewash the issues. Read the Rezko Reality to see that Henry Libertarian like many Republicans is misinformed on the issue.

If you want to call McCain rich then show me a politician at the federal levels that isn't.

That is known as a straw man in logic. I'm not arguing that Obama has note earned an impressive income. Or that middle class and working class americans are seldom representative of elected officials.

Discuss

Green jobs, health care, government

Written by: Jim Nichols on Aug 26, 2008 11:31 AM EDT

Linked to groups: Georgia for Democracy, Jonesboro DFA, Morrow DFA, Peachtree City DFA, Stockbridge Progressives, DFA Atlanta Alumni Crew, Blog For America, Blogs United

Green jobs, health care, government (cross posted at Henry Dems)

I want to respond the Henry Libertarian starting with the purpose of government since this is a fundamental difference between the conservative every man for themselves mentality and a more realistic economics and social governing of Democrats who want to protect citizens and empower our economy.

Henry Libertarian commented:

The Government is NOT here to take care of us.

The government is here to protect and empower. Come on now you are a Libertarian. Look back to your intellectual forefathers such as the Liberal John Locke.

Civil Government is a social contract to protect individuals and their basic liberties from the group. The group. The government is their to protect and empower them as individuals. Its also their to protect and empower the economy. Free-market advocates since Adam Smith have noted that markets require basic structures infrastructure--legal, regulatory, military. Individuals need some entity to protect them from market failures and violence. So your government isn't thier to take care of us is opposed by your own Libertarian ancestory... as well as any accurate conception of how markets work.

Barack Obama promises to "create five million new green jobs." The entire civilian workforce in the US is a little over 145 million people. So if Barack Obama’s adds five million new green jobs then one in every 33 jobs in the United States would be a new "green" job.

The basic response is... I'm not sure where the issue is. I'll outsource this to economist Dean Baker (from email)...

this includes all the derivative jobs that are associated with "green jobs." So if we have 500,000 construction workers employed retrofitting buildings, we might have another 500,000 employed transporting materials, producing the inputs in factories, or even producing raw materials. The same would be the case with fuel efficient cars or hybrids.

The 5 million figure is probably high even by this standard, but it is not ridiculous on its face, especially by political standards.

So Obama may be playing up the numbers... I dunno. Economist fight amoungst themselves on the derivative impacts of policies--since an economy is a collective effort with broad repurcussion outside the direct impacts of the targeted goal.

Why do "earmarks" always come up? They take up the money that could be spent on things like education and Healthcare.

I'm just going to quote myself on this one...

Discuss

possible Republican shenanigans here in GA

Written by: Jim Nichols on Jul 15, 2008 12:39 PM EDT

Linked to groups: Blogs United, Jonesboro DFA, Morrow DFA, Peachtree City DFA, Stockbridge Progressives, DFA Atlanta Alumni Crew

Appears Republican Secretary of State Karen Handel here in GA pulled some shenanigans this week in the state wide Public Service Commission Democratic primary. Executive Director of State Party contacted me today to follow up with the Henry County Board of elections (I'm chairman of county party here in Henry--a suburb of Atlanta) which I just did an hour ago...

posted more on this issue here: http://politicalautomaton.blogspot.com/2008/07/election-day-blogging.html

I will post a follow up after the smoke clears so that Republicans in GA are exposed to national press/voters. I still don't know whats really going on--as I was not contacted by the board of elections here in Henry in regards to this issue (one would think that would be protocol?)

Jim

Discuss

Oil Crisis: Oil Industry's method of raising prices and cutting their own taxes

Written by: James Dunn on Jul 8, 2008 11:15 AM EDT

Regarding opening environmentally protected areas for mining and pumping oil:

There is over 200 years of oil in the 48 contiguous States that are capped up by oil companies to monopolize world energy. There is no need to violate our environmentally protected areas, just to allow oil companies to further monopolize their strangle hold over our lives.

They are creating a media frenzy just to increase the price of oil; very successfully I might add. However, there is no immediate threat for an oil shortage !!! The oil companies have ONLY created the perception that there is a shortage !!!!

I personally believe that ALL mineral rights belong to the American People, NOT souless corporations!!!

I applaud Venezuela for nationalizing the oil assets in their country!!!!

We should be doing the same thing here in the United States !!!!

Ethically Eliminate ALL Political Corruption

http://blog.360.yahoo.com/jamesbdunn?p=57

Discuss

My congressman...

Written by: Jim Nichols on Jun 24, 2008 9:48 AM EDT

Linked to groups: Georgia for Democracy, Blogs United, Stockbridge Progressives, Morrow DFA, Peachtree City DFA, DFA Atlanta Alumni Crew, Blog For America

Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act - Vote Passed (278-146, 10 Not Voting)

The House voted to provide four weeks of paid parental leave to federal employees who adopt or give birth to a child.

Rep. Lynn Westmoreland voted NO......

How can you say you are for family values? And then vote against strong families?

Discuss

Press Release: House Democrats call for immediate investigation into Department of Education

Written by: Jim Nichols on Jun 19, 2008 5:42 AM EDT

Linked to groups: Jonesboro DFA, Morrow DFA, Peachtree City DFA, Stockbridge Progressives, DFA Atlanta Alumni Crew

For Immediate Release: June 17, 2008

Contact: Martin Matheny, Democratic Party of Georgia
             706-461-0439 (mobile)
             678-278-2108 (office)
             martin@georgiademocrat.org

             Matt Caseman, House Democratic Caucus
             404-455-5880 (mobile)
             mcaseman@gmail.com

House Democrats call for immediate investigation into Department of Education

Porter: "What did Kathy Cox know, and when did she know it?"

ATLANTA - Democrats in the Georgia House of Representatives called on Governor Sonny Perdue to commission an immediate, independent, non-partisan investigation of the state Department of Education today, in the wake of statewide failures on the Criterion Referenced Competency Test (CRCT). it has been widely reported in the media that the Superintendent of Schools knew months in advance of the projected failure rate, yet the Department of Education failed to warn administrators, teachers, or parents of the coming fiasco.

Discuss

A question for young voters...

Written by: Jim Nichols on Jun 16, 2008 6:48 PM EDT

Linked to groups: Stockbridge Progressives

I have asked my county party how to get young people involved in our county party. I think Democrats have failed to create a farm team of leaders, volunteers, and candidates who know the issues, know how to work on and run campaigns, and win as candidates.

I've asked people on www.henrydems.org discussion group to think of ideas to get young people innolved in our county party.

Click here to join the discussion

Discuss

"Red County Challenge"

Written by: Jim Nichols on Jun 16, 2008 3:57 PM EDT

Linked to groups: Democracy for America - Georgia Chapter, Georgia for Democracy, Blogs United, Jonesboro DFA, Morrow DFA, Peachtree City DFA, Stockbridge Progressives, Atlanta DFA - Voter Registration & Education, California for Democracy, DFA Atlanta Alumni Crew, Training Academy Alumni, Class of 2007

There seems to be an apathy in some of the more Red areas of this country that Democrats--myself included are susecptible to.

I've come up with the idea of a "Red County Challenge" to try to inspire Democrats throughout the country to not give up.

Discuss

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Democracy for America group blog for Stockbridge Progressives

Mousehead update...

Read more

Sorry America, its not new to us. (on the mcCain/Palin smear events)

Read more

Read more

Green jobs, health care, government

Read more

possible Republican shenanigans here in GA

Oil Crisis: Oil Industry's method of raising prices and cutting their own taxes

My congressman...

Press Release: House Democrats call for immediate investigation into Department of Education

Read more

A question for young voters...

"Red County Challenge"

Read more

Blog for America

Recent Blog Posts

The Watercooler