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Help shape the '08 Dem Platform!

Written by: Mary Clark on Jul 17, 2008 8:40 PM

Linked to groups: Montco DFA, PA for Democracy, Obama for Pennsylvania, Philly for Change, Gettysburg Area DFA Meetup

Dear %%first%%,

Make your voice heard! Help draft the 2008 National Platform for the Democratic National Committee and the Obama campaign. As Barack Obama emailed:

"...No political experience is required. Your thoughts and experiences are all that matter, and they will shape a platform that -- like this party -- is owned by the people. ..."

COME to a local '08 Dem Platform Meeting
Sign up today at: http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/4gjc2
   7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
   July 24, 2008
   Campaign office of U.S. Rep.Allyson Schwartz for Congress
   101 Leedom Street
   Jenkintown, PA 19046

Mary Clark (Montco DFA steering committee member and past chair) will host, and really appreciates that the national Dems have provided a Host Guide!

Many of the community platform meetings are focussing on one "plank." Our focus is:

"Restore Our American Constitution"

Name the key parts that have been defied and defiled -- and target them for restoration. Which Constitutional outrages are most important to you? Some possibilities include, restore our right to:

-- freedom from warrantless spying on innocent Americans -- and hold lawbreakers accountable.
-- a U.S. Legislature that USES it's power as a co-equal branch to check and balance the Executive Branch.
-- "habeas corpus" rights for all, so Guantanamo detainees can speedily challenge their detention.
-- a lawful foreign policy that follows our Constitution, including our international treaties like the Geneva Conventions, and end torture, renditions, and our Occupation of Iraq.

We'll distill what matters most to us into a one to two sentence "Resolution, Policy, or Recommendation" for input into the national Platform. To quote Barack Obama once more:

"All you need to provide are your ideas for America and your hunger for change."

Sign up today at: http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/4gjc2

Hope to see you there!
Mary Clark

[ p.s. Too far away to join us? Set up your own at http://my.barackobama.com/listening ]

Discuss

Progressive Values Stories: Zeus Yiamouyiannis on Innovation and Caring

Written by: Edwin Rutsch on Jul 14, 2008 11:10 AM

Linked to groups: East Bay for Democracy, Oakland DFA Meetup, Lake Park, San Francisco for Democracy, Alameda for Democracy, California for Democracy, Courage Campaign, Take Back Red California, Capitol Area Progressives (CAP) , What are Progressive Values? Study Group, DFA-Link Organizers, Walnut Creek DFA, Blog For America, Blogs United, DFA Film Club, DFA-Marin, DFA Night School, Silicon Valley DFA, brought to you by Dean Democratic Club of Silicon Valley, Framing Committee, Florida DFA, NJ for Democracy, Democracy for Florida, Democracy for New York, Democracy for Texas, Democracy for NYC, PA for Democracy, Democracy for Washington, Sacramento For Democracy, Democracy for Illinois, Democracy for Maryland, Philly for Change, Democracy for Ohio (DFO), Democracy for America Miami-Dade (DFAM), Washington Fair Elections, Michigan Democracy for America, DFALA, DFA at Netroots Nation (formerly YearlyKos) July 17-20

Linked to campaigns: Obama for America

“Innovation is the ability to see change as an opportunity - not a threat”

In this interview Zeus Yiamouyiannis talks about how innovation is a progressive value. He also sees caring and nurture as progressive values and talks about having learned these values growing up on an organic farm and tending to the animals. On one hand, conservatives talk about their traditional values of self interest and selfishness, on the other hand, innovation, caring and nurture are some of the traditional progressive values.

Progressive Values Stories: Zeus Yiamouyiannis on Innovation and Caring

My name is Zeus Yiamouyiannis. I'm a progressive person. I'm actually a progressive at heart, who worked on the Dean campaign. Part of being a progressive is not just innovation and new ideas, and this pragmatism, fiscal responsibility, along with idealism, this ability to be creative, to believe in the goodness of the human spirit, innovate with regard to being able to collaborate. These kinds of skills tend to go beyond the typical traditions. But I think part of being a progressive is really collecting and honoring the best of both of those traditions as we go forward.

I like to tell people I'm an old-school conservative, with personal responsibility in the sense of honoring traditions, the wisdom that's gone before you -- particularly during the depression era generation -- incredible wisdom around sticking together, in terms of getting by on very little.

Progressive Values Stories: Jeremy Rothe-Kushel on Caring

Written by: Edwin Rutsch on Jul 13, 2008 2:49 PM

Linked to groups: East Bay for Democracy, Oakland DFA Meetup, Lake Park, San Francisco for Democracy, Alameda for Democracy, California for Democracy, Courage Campaign, Take Back Red California, Capitol Area Progressives (CAP) , What are Progressive Values? Study Group, DFA-Link Organizers, Walnut Creek DFA, Blog For America, Blogs United, DFA Film Club, DFA-Marin, DFA Night School, Silicon Valley DFA, brought to you by Dean Democratic Club of Silicon Valley, Framing Committee, Florida DFA, NJ for Democracy, Democracy for Florida, Democracy for New York, Democracy for Texas, Democracy for NYC, PA for Democracy, Democracy for Washington, Sacramento For Democracy, Democracy for Illinois, Democracy for Maryland, Philly for Change, Democracy for Ohio (DFO), Democracy for America Miami-Dade (DFAM), Washington Fair Elections, Michigan Democracy for America, DFALA, DFA at Netroots Nation (formerly YearlyKos) July 17-20

Linked to campaigns: Obama for America

"Without a sense of caring, there can be no sense of community." Anthony J. D'Angelo

In this interview, Jeremy Rothe-Kushel talks about the progressive value of caring. He recounts learning to care more deeply by being with his family at his great-grandmother's death bed. It's a learning process to expand your sense of care beyond just thinking of yourself - to caring for your family, community, nation and the world.

Progressive Values Stories: Jeremy Rothe-Kushel on Caring

My name is Jeremy Rothe-Kushel, and I was born and raised in L.A., and I’ve been a Peace and Social Justice activist for about a decade of my life. I’m a teacher of young people. I do hip-hop, word props, after school programs, and I’m a hip-hop artist myself.

To me progressive values would be – first, I would start that in order to make progress as a human species, we have always had to remember from the past. Meaning that the only way that we are here is because our ancestors made it through, through all kinds of trials and tribulations.

And, so I would say, progress would be taking on the best, the highest values that have come through our thousands of years of human history, and parsing through them, because some things have to be left and composted, and other things need to be taken up.

And also allowing for the fact that the human condition and human beings in general are just like the universe, that we are unfinished beings.

Edwin: So what are those values from the past that you want to bring forward?

RESTORE OUR AMERICAN CONSTITUTION

Written by: Kevin Shaw on Jul 11, 2008 1:37 PM

Linked to groups: Montco DFA, Philly for Change, PA for Democracy

Have you scheduled your Democratic platform meeting yet? Stuck for an idea? Here's one contributed by MontcoDFA Chair Emeritus, Mary Clark:

by MaryfromMontcoPA on Thu Jul 10, 2008 11:21 am

Since we all want our country back, we need to act in whatever ways we can to improve the terrain overall. Obama as president won't/can't fix everything, but our terrain will be better than with Hillary, and *totally* better than with McSame. So for our own sakes, and the sakes of our children, our best shot to move our country forward is to get Obama elected, and hope his coattails bring in more -- and more democratic -- Democrats down the entire ticket.

AN ACTION PROPOSAL
So how about we set up gazillions of those bottom up Platform/Plank meetings that Obama has invited us to do in the next couple of weeks? The my.barackpbama.com FISA affinity group has made headlines and gotten Obama's attention to the point he actually answered -- even if not with what we wanted to hear from him.

Let's all do it again. http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/listening/

DFA members across the country (and expats), could organize a sh!tload of Platform events. Many events focus on a single plank/issue. Obama got a standing ovations during the primary in PA for answering YES to citizen questions about restoring our constitution... let's call our single plank issue:

*** RESTORE OUR AMERICAN CONSTITUTION ***
* Restore the Fourth Amendment to the Contstitution: Rights against unwarranted search and seizure [FISA].
* Restore the Separation of Powers -- only Congress declares war
* Restore Checks and Balances -- Congress USES it's Co-equal Powers, e.g., Enforces Subpoenas, etc.
* Restore Habeus Corpus -- human rights to a speedy trial, face one's accuser, have access to all of accuser's evidence, close Guantanamo
* Restore the Law -- including the Constitutionally required adherence to the Geneva Conventions

That's off the top of my head. Together, we can write it better. Only a focus on a very few DEEPLY FELT issues can draw people into actively supporting such a platform effort. I haven't read the campaign's Hosts Guide yet to be certain of formats for drafting, but the campaign is making it pretty easy.

If we organize 1,000 or 10,000 or 23,000 platform events, we might make an impact. If we get ignored, then we learn that. But if our Restore the Constitution platform push is big enough, we at least know from each other that we're not alone, and that we're creatively using tools that are available to us. Build bottom up and win.

Let's organize. http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/listening/

Mary Clark
Elkins Park (Montgomery County), PA

This would be an ideal opportunity to practice a 27-9-3 exercise, since that is similar to the format for platform planks that the DNC requested. Here's a link to the DFA Nightschool training module:

http://files.democracyforamerica.com/nightschool/DFANightSchool-MovingOurMessage.pdf

There is also a lot of helpful information on organizing your meeting, formatting your platform plank and how to submit it on the event set up page (links above).

The deadline to schedule your platform meeting is July 15, so get busy!!

Good luck!

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

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

The Fatally Flawed Conservative Value of Hypocrisy

Written by: Edwin Rutsch on Jul 6, 2008 3:45 PM

Linked to groups: East Bay for Democracy, Oakland DFA Meetup, Lake Park, San Francisco for Democracy, Alameda for Democracy, California for Democracy, Courage Campaign, Take Back Red California, Capitol Area Progressives (CAP) , What are Progressive Values? Study Group, DFA-Link Organizers, Walnut Creek DFA, Blog For America, Blogs United, DFA Film Club, DFA-Marin, DFA Night School, Silicon Valley DFA, brought to you by Dean Democratic Club of Silicon Valley, Framing Committee, Florida DFA, NJ for Democracy, Democracy for Florida, Democracy for New York, Democracy for Texas, Democracy for NYC, PA for Democracy, Democracy for Washington, Sacramento For Democracy, Democracy for Illinois, Democracy for Maryland, Philly for Change, Democracy for Ohio (DFO), Democracy for America Miami-Dade (DFAM), Washington Fair Elections, Michigan Democracy for America, DFALA, DFA at Netroots Nation (formerly YearlyKos) July 17-20

The only vice that can not be forgiven is hypocrisy. The repentance of a hypocrite is itself hypocrisy. William Hazlitt

Several people I asked about the failure of conservative values mentioned hypocrisy. Michelle, Owen and Steve brought up areas of conservative hypocrisy in; family values, education, finance, the economy, the occupation of Iraq and in human rights. While we all may exhibit varying degrees of hypocrisy in our lives, it seems that the conservative movement has embraced and institutionalized this value.

Failed Conservative Values: Michelle on Hypocrisy

I’m Michelle Gabriel from Oakland, California. I think that they fail because they say one thing and they do another. Talk about family values – look at all the Republican candidates. They have all these divorces and scandals.

You say family values, yet there is no issue about killing a million Iraqis. I mean, 4,000 of our citizens, you keep hearing about them. You don’t hear about all the Iraqis that got killed also. You hear about the strength of our country and the fact that we have such a great population from immigration. Yet, they have all this immigration reform to stop immigrants from coming in.

They say one thing and they do another. And that’s the real failure. And unfortunately, people listen to the rhetoric, and they don’t follow the reality.

A metaphor for Failed Conservative Values?: I can’t think of an animal or machine. I just think it’s kind of like selling your soul

Hypocrite: the man who murdered both his parents... pleaded for mercy on the grounds that he was an orphan. Abraham Lincoln

Bush Tours America To Survey Damage Caused By His Disastrous Presidency

Written by: Kevin Shaw on Jul 6, 2008 10:39 AM

Linked to groups: Montco DFA, PA for Democracy, Philly for Change

Bush Tours America To Survey Damage Caused By His Disastrous Presidency

Discuss

Barbara McIlvaine Smith for State Representative, District 156

Written by: Kevin Shaw on Jul 3, 2008 7:44 AM

Linked to groups: Montco DFA, Philly for Change, Lower Merion Grassroots, PA for Democracy, Gettysburg Area DFA Meetup, Lower Bucks for Democracy

RE-ELECT Barbara McILVAINE SMITH TRUSTED. TESTED. PROVEN.
Smith156.org
Barbara McIlvaine Smith • State Representative, District 156

Dear Fellow DFA Members,

This has been an exciting 18 months in Pennsylvania. Our state just participated in a very exciting Primary election, calling attention to the needs of our Commonwealth and our Country. In December 2006, my highly contested race for State Representative decided control of the state legislature. I am proud to report many accomplishments in my freshman year in Harrisburg. I have co-sponsored legislation dealing with healthcare, education and energy. These are the issues I campaigned on in 2006, and I have kept my promise to address them in the legislature.

Failed Conservative Values: Congresswoman Maxine Waters on Blame, Hate & Lying

Written by: Edwin Rutsch on Jul 1, 2008 1:18 PM

Linked to groups: East Bay for Democracy, Oakland DFA Meetup, Lake Park, San Francisco for Democracy, Alameda for Democracy, California for Democracy, Courage Campaign, Take Back Red California, Capitol Area Progressives (CAP) , What are Progressive Values? Study Group, DFA-Link Organizers, Walnut Creek DFA, Blog For America, Blogs United, DFA Film Club, DFA-Marin, DFA Night School, Silicon Valley DFA, brought to you by Dean Democratic Club of Silicon Valley, Framing Committee, Florida DFA, NJ for Democracy, Democracy for Florida, Democracy for New York, Democracy for Texas, Democracy for NYC, PA for Democracy, Democracy for Washington, Sacramento For Democracy, Democracy for Illinois, Democracy for Maryland, Philly for Change, Democracy for Ohio (DFO), Democracy for America Miami-Dade (DFAM), Washington Fair Elections, Michigan Democracy for America, DFALA, DFA at Netroots Nation (formerly YearlyKos) July 17-20

Men are conservatives when they are least vigorous, or when they are most luxurious. They are conservatives after dinner." Ralph Waldo Emerson

I interviewed Congresswoman Maxine Waters and asked her about progressive and conservative values. In this section, Maxine mentions that conservatives have tricked people with the failed conservative values of blame, hate and lying. These values are also failing because more people are not following them anymore and in fact, people are starting to turn toward progressives values. She goes on to talk about how the occupation of Iraq is a metaphor for the failure of conservative values.

Failed Conservative Values: Congresswoman Maxine Waters on Blame, Hate & Lying

Edwin: Do you think that conservative values have failed?

Maxine Waters: I think that conservative values have failed. But I’m always stunned and amazed at how the conservative message penetrates our society, and how people are tricked by it. I think poor people are preyed upon, and I think that vulnerable people are preyed upon.

I think that when people are feeling neglected and they are feeling isolated, they hear some of these conservative messages, they buy into them. Because all of a sudden they’ve got somebody to blame, to hate, they’ve got somebody to point a finger at.

Failed Conservative Values: Gordon Wright on Psychopaths and Fear

Written by: Edwin Rutsch on Jun 28, 2008 1:54 PM

Linked to groups: East Bay for Democracy, Oakland DFA Meetup, Lake Park, San Francisco for Democracy, Alameda for Democracy, California for Democracy, Courage Campaign, Take Back Red California, Capitol Area Progressives (CAP) , What are Progressive Values? Study Group, DFA-Link Organizers, Walnut Creek DFA, Blog For America, Blogs United, DFA Film Club, DFA-Marin, DFA Night School, Silicon Valley DFA, brought to you by Dean Democratic Club of Silicon Valley, Framing Committee, Florida DFA, NJ for Democracy, Democracy for Florida, Democracy for New York, Democracy for Texas, Democracy for NYC, PA for Democracy, Democracy for Washington, Sacramento For Democracy, Democracy for Illinois, Democracy for Maryland, Philly for Change, Democracy for Ohio (DFO), Democracy for America Miami-Dade (DFAM), Washington Fair Elections, Michigan Democracy for America, DFALA

“It is a characteristic of all movements and crusades that the psychopathic element rises to the top” Robert Lindner

Gordon Wright values freedom but was raised by a conservative, autocratic, dictatorial and bully of a father. He feels conservatives fear life's changes and it's spontaneity. An example is how all of George Bush's public events are totally choreographed and controlled events. He also thinks that the corporate conservatives value of heartlessness and unfettered self-interest, are the same values as a psychopaths.

Failed Conservative Values: Gordon Wright on Psychopaths and Fear

Gordon: I think real and true conservative values would probably involve conservation and conserving the best in tradition – you know, the best that is part of tradition. And I think where conservatism in this country has virtually completely failed is that I think it got paranoid with some of the changes. It got tied up with corporate values, and The Corporation – if you have seen the movie – the corporate values are the same values as a psychopath.

So the people with money that have taken over the Republican Party, and now the insane lunatics that are called the neocons, are the example of that. The trouble is that I hesitate to label these people conservatives. They are reactionary corporatists. They are psychopathic war criminals.


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Help shape the '08 Dem Platform!

Progressive Values Stories: Zeus Yiamouyiannis on Innovation and Caring

Read more

Progressive Values Stories: Jeremy Rothe-Kushel on Caring

Read more

RESTORE OUR AMERICAN CONSTITUTION

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

The Fatally Flawed Conservative Value of Hypocrisy

Read more

Bush Tours America To Survey Damage Caused By His Disastrous Presidency

Barbara McIlvaine Smith for State Representative, District 156

Read more

Failed Conservative Values: Congresswoman Maxine Waters on Blame, Hate & Lying

Read more

Failed Conservative Values: Gordon Wright on Psychopaths and Fear

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