Successes we can celebrate

Published: Dec 29, 2005 1:31 PM

I hope you are enjoying a wonderful holiday season. As the year draws to a close, I'd like to share some of 2005's successes we should celebrate.

• In January, my brother, Howard, announced his candidacy for chair of the Democratic National Committee saying, "The Democratic Party needs a vibrant, forward-thinking, long-term presence in every single state and we must be willing to contest every race at every level. We will only win when we show up and fight for the issues important to all of us."
  
  
• By February, Howard was in! And the reforms began right away. This year the DNC is raising money faster than ever and putting it to good use hiring grassroots organizers in every state.
  
  
• In the fight to protect Social Security from privatization, thousands of Democracy for America members told their personal Social Security stories in March. DFA organizers around the country compiled the most compelling stories and delivered them to members of Congress. After over 100 meetings in April, Congress heard your concerns and dropped the President's plan.
  
  
• By May, the DFA Training Academy was in full swing, bringing some of the best organizing talent in the country to grassroots members in red and blue states across the country. With your help, we're on track to train 25,000 activists by the 2008 presidential election.
  
  
• In June, you helped expose the Bush administration's rush to war by forcing the Downing Street Memos into the mainstream media. Public support for the war has been on the decline ever since.
  
  
• When the grassroots discovered Paul Hackett in southern Ohio, he nearly won a congressional seat that hasn't been in Democratic hands in decades. DFA members poured over $100,000 into Maj. Hackett's campaign in July and the OH-2 congressional seat is now "in play' in 2006.
  
  
• Over 100,000 members of Democracy for America, TrueMajority Action and MoveOn Political Action stood in vigil with Cindy Sheehan in August.
  
  
• When Hurricane Katrina hit, Democracy for America hired one of the grassroots' key leaders in New Orleans to coordinate our response with the Louisiana NAACP at the Rights, Recovery and Renaissance conference.
  
  
• Generation DFA spent much of October on the road with the Foo Fighters, registering young people to vote and bridging the gap between community service and political action.
  
  
• In November, our work bore fruit with big electoral wins. We elected new Democratic governors in Virginia and New Jersey. We beat back Governor Schwarzenegger's power grab in California. And we put DFA-List candidates into office across the country.
  
  
• When Dick Cheney traveled to Houston earlier this month to raise money for indicted Congressman Tom DeLay, DFA responded by saying, "enough!" DeLay's political action committee supported 29 Republican candidates in 2005. So, DFA raised over $35,000 for 29 candidates of our own.

I want to thank you for your work on all of these initiatives and more. You are what makes Democracy for America and all our work possible. That's why I'm inviting you to take this last opportunity in 2005 to make a donation to Democracy for America. http://www.democracyforamerica.com/contribute Your generosity is powering a grassroots revolution that is on pace to win back both chambers of Congress in 2006, pick up the majority of governorships and elect DFA-List candidates to local office across the nation. That's a New Year's resolution I think we all share. Thank you for all you do. Happy New Year! Jim Dean Chair

Read more...

Put DFA on your Holiday Gift List

Published: Dec 16, 2005 1:01 PM

All I want in 2006 is... to take my country back!

Click Here! If you're reading this, I know you feel the same way. More than anything, I want change in the leadership in this country. I want to do whatever I can to build up the new leaders of tomorrow. I want to give voice to truth and reason—and expose this administration's "flawed policy wrapped in an illusion." (Thank you, Rep. Murtha). If you're reading this, I know you feel the same way. But you can't get if you don't ask. So this year, why not ask your friends and family to help you get what you want? A gift that's lasting. Send this DFA holiday card to friends, family, colleagues and ask them to make a gift to Democracy for America. Whether you are new to DFA or have been around since the Dean campaign, it's time to reach out to new people. Ask them to support what YOU have worked so hard for and are committed to. Together we've built a real, growing community. And we will continue to speak up for what we believe. Our voices have power—let's show it. 2006 is going to be a big, big year for all of us. This holiday season, ask for what you want. Please send the holiday card today. —Dina Wolkoff DFA Finance Director

Read more...

Let Joe Know: Sign the Letter

Published: Dec 8, 2005 2:27 PM

Earlier this week while discussing the war in Iraq, Senator Joseph Lieberman said, "It's time for Democrats who distrust President Bush to acknowledge he'll be commander-in-chief for three more critical years, and that in matters of war we undermine presidential credibility at our nation's peril."

Unfortunately, President Bush has no credibility. His administration misled our nation into the war in Iraq on trumped-up charges of weapons of mass destruction. His "stay the course" strategy has led to over 2,100 American deaths. And no one sees an end in sight.

It is disturbing enough that Senator Lieberman remains one of the president's biggest cheerleaders. But his call for opponents of the president's failed policy to keep quiet is outrageous.

The only way we will end this war is by having an honest debate about how and when we can bring our troops home.

Join me in sending Senator Lieberman an open letter asking him to join the majority of Americans in questioning the Bush administration's Iraq policy:

www.democracyforamerica.com/telljoe

If Americans don't challenge a president who is bankrupting our treasury, damaging our moral leadership in the world, and jeopardizing our national security then we are failing our democracy.

Please co-sign the letter today.

www.democracyforamerica.com/telljoe

Next week, I'll join Democracy for America members in Connecticut and deliver our letter with your comments to Senator Lieberman's office.

Sincerely,

Jim Dean
Chair

Read more...

Match Dick Cheney and Tom DeLay Today!

Published: Dec 5, 2005 1:04 PM

"Congressman Tom DeLay has been an exceptional leader on Capitol Hill and Vice President Cheney looks forward to helping his re-election effort."

Think about that. Tonight Dick Cheney goes to a ritzy district in Houston to host a fundraiser for Tom DeLay—in spite of DeLay's felony indictment in a Texas court. Regardless of our disgust at the wave of indictments, investigations and resignations among Republicans in the last few months, for DeLay and Cheney it's business as usual.

And what a business it is. According to the Houston Chronicle, "for $4,200, a donor gets an invitation to a VIP reception, a photograph with Cheney, and recognition at the event. For $2,100, attendees can rub elbows at a 'congressional reception' and have their photo taken with DeLay."

DeLay and Cheney make it clear that money is the only language they know. So it's time for us—working together—to raise their cost of doing business. DeLay and Cheney use money to maintain their corrupt hammerlock on Washington, so to beat them we have to match them candidate for candidate.

www.democracyforamerica.com/29_candidates

When we brought the bat back last week, you responded overwhelmingly, raising over $20,000 in a day. But we're not done.

DeLay has funded 29 candidates for Congress this year. Once we raise $34,800, we can tell DeLay and Cheney just how we feel about that—to the tune of $1,200 each for 29 progressive candidates of our own. Make it happen:

www.democracyforamerica.com/29_candidates

Is this a momentary lapse in Cheney's judgment? Not a chance. Right now, his ex-chief of staff faces spending the rest of his life in jail on perjury charges. So Cheney riding to the rescue of Tom DeLay arrives as no surprise. The two are peas in the same, ethically challenged pod.

His mission to support a man under indictment sends a message that top Republicans don't care about the law. They only care about power, and about the money that makes their hold on power possible.

But guess what? We have power in numbers. By coming together we can break their hold on power, and give this country the ethical, progressive leadership it deserves.

So let's get started. Swing the bat:

www.democracyforamerica.com/29_candidates

Thank you,
Tom Hughes
Democracy for America

Read more...

Corrupt and Shameless?

Published: Dec 1, 2005 9:33 AM

"Our people in uniform have been subjected to these cynical and pernicious falsehoods day in and day out ... and back home a few opportunists are suggesting they were sent into battle for a lie."

That's what the Vice President says about you.

Dick Cheney has made himself the name-caller in chief, referring to critics of the forged White House case for war—people like you and me—as not only "dishonest and reprehensible," but also "corrupt and shameless." He's the perfect man to say that. He knows "corrupt and shameless" personally. And on Monday he'll prove it again ... by keynoting a gala fundraiser for indicted congressman and GOP machine boss Tom DeLay.

www.democracyforamerica.com/29_candidates

That's the same Tom DeLay who said, "I am the federal government." Unfortunately, he wasn't far from the truth. Money talks in politics, and Tom DeLay has bankrolled 29 Republican candidates in 2005 through his political action committee. Some of those Republicans are running Washington right now.

If we want a government that responds to us—a government of the people—we have to take it back. Tom DeLay and Dick Cheney need to hear that we're sick of their corrupt and shameless party in a language they understand: cold, hard cash.

Let's put our money where our mouths are. Take on Cheney and DeLay, donate to DFA today:

www.democracyforamerica.com/29_candidates

While they toast each other at their $1,000-a-plate surf-and-turf dinner on Monday, we have our own asset: thousands of us rolling up our sleeves, chipping in what we can, and putting a stop to them.

That's why we've brought back the bat.

Over the last two years DFA has supported more than 850 progressive candidates with an average contribution of $1,200. With $34,800 we can match Tom DeLay's 29 Republican candidates with contributions to 29 new leaders of our own. But we need your help to do it.

Every dollar counts—and every dollar brings us closer to breaking the reign of Cheney, DeLay and their corporate cronies in Washington.

We've got them on the run. Now, let's show DeLay and Cheney what the grassroots can do. Give now:

www.democracyforamerica.com/29_candidates

With thanks,

Tom Hughes
Democracy for America

Read more...