What We're Reading - Super Edition

Written by: Linsey P on Feb 10, 2012 3:20 PM EST

This week’s What We’re Reading: Super Edition takes a closer look at issues for one reason or another are SUPER important to DFA staff members.  These issues affect us all personally and many of them strike at the nerve of political outrage.  

Jim Dean,  Chair
Pick of the Week:

“File this under the Super Unbelievable category.  The story of a successful businessman who got ripped off by mortgage lenders, researched the problem and then went to Fannie, Freddie, and the big banks with the research, thinking that they would heed the warnings and take steps to avoid the meltdown.  All of this happened several years ago. The article is really a shameful indictment of corporate corruption.” 

A Mortgage Tornado Warning, Unheeded
By Gretchen Morgenson

“You might wonder why Mr. Lavalle didn’t speak up. But he did. For two years, he corresponded with Fannie executives and lawyers. Fannie later hired a Washington law firm to investigate his claims. In May 2006, that firm, using some of Mr. Lavalle’s research, issued a confidential, 147-page report corroborating many of his findings.”

Kate Lesniak,  Deputy Finance Director
Pick of the Week:

“Here is a look at why our current tax system in completely and utterly SUPER broken.”

The Zuckerberg Tax
By David Miller

“Our tax system is based on the concept of “realization.” Individuals are not taxed until they actually sell property and realize their gains. But this system makes less sense for the publicly traded stocks of the superwealthy. A drastic change is necessary to fix this fundamental flaw in our tax system and finally require people like Warren E. Buffett, Mr. Ellison and others to pay at least a little income tax on their unsold shares. The fix is called mark-to-market taxation.”

Monique Teal, Campaign Academy Organizer 
Pick of the Week:

“I'm SUPER angry at religious conservatives trying to co-opt my civil liberties. As someone who was born to a teenage mother, access to and use of birth control has nothing to do with my relationship to God and everything to do with freedom.”

Knocked Up: Republican Presidential Candidates’ Plan for American Women
By Adele M. Stan

“For the Republican base, with its antipathy to what it calls "Obamacare," the controversy over birth control is quite perfect. That base, as it exists today, is largely composed of the religious right, which stands in opposition to women's equality, and the Tea Party movement, which was organized by political operators in opposition to the healthcare reform legislation that became law in 2009 as the Affordable Care Act.” 

Laurie Childers, Accountant
Pick of the Week:

“This week am I am SUPER distressed over the escalation of bloodshed in Syria and am fearing war between Israel and Iran.  It is deeply frightening and I feel helpless to do anything about it.  On the good news side a home town girl (she went to high school just down the road) won a Golden Globe award this week.  She says in the interview that you can always tell Vermonters where ever she goes in the world.  "They have fresh air around them".  And Prop 8 in CA is nearly dead after  the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional. Yeah!  I can not stop governments from killing their own people, but I did find some good news to wake up for.”

Prop 8 unconstitutional: The sanctity of marriage equality
By Susan Brooks

“But I am wholly and completely persuaded that standing up for equality in marriage for LGBT people is a holy act, an act that is worthy of reverence. Sanctity in general means being in a state of being holy, and if there were ever an institution where holiness should apply, it is the right to be married to the person you love.”

Jase Roberts, Technology Director
Pick of the Week:

“I’m SUPER interested in watching how this whole debate unfolds and I’m glad that tech groups are becoming more active in political issues that effect the tech community.”

Coalition of tech, rights groups demand u-turn in copyright debate
By Stephen C. Webster

"Instead of finding new ways to punish copyright offenders, they urge lawmakers to back away from the issue entirely and think of ways that current copyright law can be amended to repair loopholes that sometimes allow content creators to abuse their rights. Some of those abuses have related to companies using the law to crush potential competitors, stifle scientific and digital security research, and censor journalists."

Levana Layendecker, Communications Director 
Pick of the Week: 

“Scott Brown was quoted saying ‘In Massachusetts we have such a strong demand for this because our family and cultural ties...This is kind of a no brainer.’ 

Hmm...If only there were other states that happen to border to the US where there are such strong ‘family and cultural ties’ that it would justify an easier path to citizenship.  Oh Wait!  I will be waiting for similar legislative proposals from Sen. John Cornyn of Texas.  #RepublicanHypocrisy101”

Sen. Brown: Irish immigration bill ‘about to pop’
By Hillary Chabot

“Brown filed the bill, which would boost the number of work visas per year for the Irish to 10,500, last year but struggled to get support. U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) filed similar legislation but Republicans balked because it would allow a sort of, ‘backdoor amnesty. It wasn’t going anywhere,’ Brown said.”

Work day Watercooler

Written by: DFA Community and you

DFA's home for a free form, open-ended discussion of what matters most to committed progressive activists.

It's GOTV time

Written by: Linsey P on Feb 9, 2012 2:25 PM EST

A message from Kaili Lambe:

Dear DFA Members:

 

Election day may be a little less than nine months away, but there's a very important vote for you to cast before this Tuesday, February 14th.

200 Democratic challengers are competing in our Grassroots All-Stars Contest and your favorite candidate needs your support in order to make it into the next round of the competition.

Vote for your Grassroots All-Star now.

The top ten candidates who have applied for a DFA endoresment will proceed to the final round after Tuesday. Just a few dozen votes separate some of the candidates currently in the top 25.

We rely on the input of DFA members like you to determine which candidates have the grassroots support it will take to win in November and build a more progressive Congress.

The winner of Grassroots All-Stars will automatically receive our biggest endorsement of the year -- and along with it our commitment to raise $20,000 for their campaign.

But they can't do it without you.

Who's your favorite Grassroots candidate?

Thanks for helping us find the best grassroots candidates in the country.

- Kaili

Kaili Lambe, Political Campaign Manager
Democracy for America

 

Electing a progressive majority starts now

Written by: Linsey P on Feb 8, 2012 10:29 AM EST

A message from Nick Passanante:

 

Dear DFA Member:

Ilya Sheyman is a grassroots leader and he needs our help. February 12th is the last day for Ilya's campaign to make ad buy decisions ahead of the Illinois primary and we need to make sure he has the resources to win.

Ilya is the progressive in IL-10, but in order to take on Tea Party Congressman Bob Dold in November, he has to beat faux Democrat Brad Schneider in the March primary.

Schneider has a history of supporting Republicans for Congress -- like Sen. Mark Kirk, who now holds President Obama's old Senate seat. Now, Schneider is pumping his own fortune into his campaign.

If we're going to take back the House with progressive fighters like Ilya, we need to have their backs in tough primary elections like this one.

Ilya has the support of progressive champions like Gov. Howard Dean and Alan Grayson. We need to have his back in this primary -- Please contribute $12 right now to elect a progressive to Congress.

Why is electing Ilya so important? Because he's one of us.

Ilya has worked with DFA members for years to elect progressive candidates and make change. Now, he's a candidate himself and he's running a grassroots campaign to win -- one fueled by volunteers and people-power, not big corporate money.

Gov. Dean always said that voting isn't enough. He said that progressives needed to contribute, volunteer, and run for office themselves if we were going to take this country back. When one of us, like Ilya, does that -- we need to have their back.

Please contribute $12 ahead of the February 12 deadline.

Thank you for everything you do.

-Nick

Nick Passanante, Deputy Political Director
Democracy for America

 

Give John Boehner the Boot

Written by: Linsey P on Feb 7, 2012 1:10 PM EST

We’re two months into the new year and political punditry is clashing with ordinary Americans.   If you were one of 111.3 million Americans who tuned in to watch the Super Bowl on Sunday, two ads managed to stir up political controversy - Chrysler's ad highlighting the Auto industry’s revival narrated by Clint Eastwood and GOP candidate Pete Hoekstra xenophobic ad promoting blatant racism.

If these ads tell you anything about 2012 it’s that the stakes are high for both parties.  One thing remains perfectly clear - the winner of November’s election will be a direct result of the parties’ efforts to turn out their base.  Progressives - 2012 is not a year to sit on the sidelines. 

This weekend many headlines were made.  First, Mitt Romney won two consecutive GOP primaries with his strong showing in Nevada - essentially cinching up the Republican nomination.  But everywhere else the news remained poor for Mitt - the more Republican-identified voters see of Mitt, the less inclined they are to vote for him. Ladies and Gentlemen - it’s only February - potential voters have 9 more months left of the election cycle.  This is a clear indication of the frustration republicans face.  If the Republicans have difficulty turning out their base for the name at the top of the ticket - it is clear that every candidate below will have a hard time riding the coattails of a losing presidential nominee.  

Other positive news from this weekend includes the jobs report numbers that came out on Friday - pointing out that the economic struggles might lessen  and strong polling numbers that indicate President Obama has a clear lead over Mitt Romney.  President Obama even declared that he “deserves a second term.”  The reason? President Obama stated;

“When you and I sat down, we were losing 750,000 jobs a month. . . now we’re creating 250,000 jobs,” Obama said, referring to Friday’s job report which showed unemployment falling from 8.5 percent to 8.3 percent. “We’ve made progress. The key now is to make sure we don’t start turning in the wrong direction.”

If stronger economic prosperity isn’t enough to get you to commit to voting for a progressive ticket in November - then maybe this will help change your mind: The Republicans are concerned their control over the House could be lost.  Aaron Blake from the Washington Post states, “Given that we’ve seen three straight election cycles with at least 24 seats changing parties, is it really that outlandish to think a 25-seat GOP majority isn’t safe?”  

The answer - no, nothing this year is safe and that is why this election will come down to progressives like you.  If you can’t find motivation it vote this November, DFA has hundreds of progressive candidates to motivate liberal voters to turn out on November 6th.  While all the attention is being shown to the candidates at the top of the ticket - the true power players in Washington - Congress need to be shaken up.  And that’s just what these candidates will do.

Imagine - candidates who represent the 99 percent and have stood alongside the occupy movement.  It seems incredible that voters in California can vote for an American Hero and Astronaut to join the ranks of the Congress.  And, progressive candidates of every shape, size, gender, race, and religion all are asking for your help - by voting them into the top 10 for DFA’s sixth annual Grassroots All-Star.

DFA's Grassroots All-Star contest is simple, fun and promotes non-incumbent endorsements for the U.S. House of Representatives. The goal is to identify the progressive challenger with the most broad-based support from our members nationwide. The winner earns the title of Grassroots All-Star, bringing media exposure and increased grassroots resources to the campaign. This fast-track endorsement is chosen directly by DFA members and others in the progressive grassroots community through two rounds of voting.

This week is the final full week of voting with the first round ending on Tuesday, February 14th.  

Democracy for America is calling on you - get involved by voting to elect the best slate of progressive candidates we’ve seen in years.  It is time to elect true progressives to seats all across the country and instill honest progressive voices back into the House of Representatives. Lets give John Boehner the boot - vote for the next Grassroots All-Star today. 

Deliver for Bernie

Written by: Linsey P on Feb 6, 2012 11:13 AM EST

A message from Jay Henderson:

Thank you again for joining the campaign to overturn Citizens United. With your help, we have gathered over 100,000 signatures. 

Just as we saw a grassroots movement rise up to stop SOPA/PIPA, ordinary people across the country are joining together against Citizens United. There are simply too many issues at stake in 2012 for our democracy to be bought by the highest bidder. Stephen Colbert has done an excellent job educating the public about the absurdity of this ruling.

Now is the time to take action.

Senator Sanders proposed a powerful constitutional amendment to reset the scales of power and give voice back to the people. He needs your help to gather allies in the Senate. 

Sign up to deliver the Citizens United constitutional amendment petition to your Senator.

We will provide you with all the petition signatures from your state and work to coordinate your action with any other interested DFA members in your area. 

Join the movement to overturn Citizens United. Deliver Bernie Sanders' petition.

We know that the people united will defeat Citizens United.

Thank you for all that you do.

-Jay

Jay Henderson, Political Campaign Manager
Democracy for America 

I Stand with Planned Parenthood

Written by: Levana L on Feb 3, 2012 2:29 PM EST

A message from Gov. Howard Dean:

DFA Member -

Hundreds of thousands of women, men and young people rely on Planned Parenthood for preventative healthcare every single year.

As a doctor, and a former board member of Planned Parenthood of New England, I know just how important Planned Parenthood's healthcare services are -- especially to those who couldn't otherwise afford them. That's why I was outraged by the Komen Foundation's decision earlier this week to cease their funding of breast cancer screenings for 750,000 women a year. They may be changing that decision today, but that doesn't mean Planned Parenthood and the hundreds of thousands who rely on their services are safe from future attacks.

Access to affordable healthcare is a basic human right -- one that conservative Republicans will do anything they can to take away. And that's why it's so important for us to stand with Planned Parenthood now -- because this isn't just a war on women -- it's an assault on healthcare for all Americans.

Join me in contributing $12 to Planned Parenthood's Action Fund to prepare for future attacks?

The Komen Foundation may have backed down, but that doesn't mean that conservatives won't be emboldened in their vendetta against Planned Parenthood. Republicans like Congressman Cliff Stearns will continue to hold phony investigations and pressure others to cease funding preventative care.

With millions of us standing together, right wing attacks will not succeed in taking down Planned Parenthood.

I stand with Planned Parenthood now and in the future -- no matter what conservatives throw at us. Will you join me by contributing $12 to Planned Parenthood's Action Fund right now?

The right wing specializes in demonizing and tearing down progressive organizations one by one. But Komen reversing their decision today shows that when millions stand strong and fight back, we win.

I stand with Planned Parenthood. Join me in making sure it will be around to provide healthcare services for generations to come.

Thank you for everything you're doing to move America forward.

- Howard

Gov. Howard Dean, M.D.
Founder, Democracy for America

What We're Reading - Conservative Values Infiltrate Edition

Written by: Linsey P on Feb 3, 2012 12:15 PM EST

This week’s What We’re Reading takes a tough look at how conservative politics influence and infiltrate the world around us.  Whether it’s how strict we stick to procedures, the influence one has in non-profits, to how our brain affects our political leanings it was another interesting week.  Check out some of what the DFA staff was reading this week below. 

Read more

What We're Reading for the Week of January 23rd

Written by: Linsey P on Jan 27, 2012 4:26 PM EST

This week’s What We’re Reading reflects just how many political issues are unfolding around the nation.  Whether it is a reflection of President Obama’s State of the Union address, an Electoral College prediction or the House of Representatives honoring Rep. Gabby Giffords, we have lots to share.  Read more from DFA's staff after the break.

Read more

Fracking is Whack - Join Us in New York.

Written by: Linsey P on Jan 25, 2012 3:30 PM EST

In last night’s State of the Union, President Barack Obama stood in front of Congress and promised to “take every possible action to safely develop this energy" and said the government would insist on drilling companies disclosing the chemicals used in 'fracking' on public lands.

The State of the Union is a defining speech for any president, but is especially important going into an election year.  Last night’s speech set the stage to what will be seen as President’s Obama’s opening of his re-election campaign.  While his main focus was on jobs and the economy, by mentioning shale gas in the speech – he turned the tables on the environmental movement.  He said, "Our experience with shale gas, our experience with natural gas, shows us that the payoffs on these public investments don't always come right away," he said. "Some technologies don't pan out; some companies fail. But I will not walk away from the promise of clean energy."

While this was the first mention of fracking and shale gas in the State of the Union, fracking has been impacting our local communities for sometime now. 

In Maryland, Governor Martin O’Malley placed a moratorium on fracking and established a task force to look at the risks of fracking in the state.  But others in the state believe that fracking can and will be done in a safe manner.  State Senator Ben Cardin believes that the shale gas industry would be better off with “national standards than fight state by state.”

In Pennsylvania, this week the EPA delivered water to families whose water source was contaminated by fracking.  The EPA is currently testing water around the site owned by Cabot Oil & Cas Corp, assessing whether any residents are being exposed to harmful substances.  

In Ohio, voters have become wary of fracking as speculation on the cause of an earthquake earlier this month has been attributed to fracking in the state.  Mark Kovac points out that 72 percent of Ohio voters polled “want fracking activities to cease until further studies are completed on the potential impacts.”

In New Mexico, local communities are speaking up against the big business of the Oil and Gas industries because they are concerned about the chemicals being pumped into the ground and what impact it will have on local drinking water. John Olivas, the Mora County Commissioner said, “I’m pushing for a ban on oil and gas drilling…evidence I’ve gathered shows there are threats to the water.”

In New York, local communities are turning up the heat on the issue of fracking – before it’s too late.  They’re even calling their work “an environmental Occupy Wall Street. “ What’s different about what’s going on in New York as opposed to other states around the country is that local communities are banding together and preempting the effects on fracking.  Tomorrow, the group Frack Action will be protesting outside of the Democratic Governor’s Association meeting hosted by Governor Andrew Cuomo. Chair of Democracy for America, Jim Dean said “It is critical that Governors around the country rein in this dangerous practice and DFA members in all 50 states will be making sure that they do just that”

To participate in the action RSVP on the group’s facebook page or email Renee at renee@frackaction.com. 

Democracy is not an eBay item

Written by: Linsey P on Jan 24, 2012 3:52 PM EST

A message from Nick:

As Congress gathers for tonight's State of the Union address, we need to ensure they hear one message loud and clear:

Our Democracy is not an eBay item going to the highest bidder.

We have gathered over 95,000 signatures in support of Sen. Bernie Sanders' constitutional amendment to reverse Citizens United. As long as this decision stays in place, the progressive agenda for 2012 will be in jeapordy. This week we will deliver the petitions signatures to your Senators.  

Help us get to 100,000 signatures in support of reversing Citizens United -- Now is your last chance before we deliver the petitions.

Plans from tonight's State of the Union address to return the middle-class to work and make the wealthy pay their far share will only go so far as long as unlimited money rules politics. Let's fight back for the system we deserve.

-Nick 

Nick Passanante, Deputy Political Director
Democracy for America