(no subject)
Dear Amy,
George Bush and his Republican friends have become so desperate that they are returning to their old tricks -- whenever a campaign is going badly, they smear the record of a Vietnam veteran. They did it to John McCain in 2000, to Max Cleland in 2002, and now they are doing it to John Kerry. The question must be asked of President Bush: what do you have against Vietnam veterans?
Our campaign has just released a new Internet ad called "Old Tricks" which shows John McCain asking George Bush to apologize for attacking McCain's own heroic record.
View the ad by visiting:
http://www.johnkerry.com/oldtricks
Today we're calling for all of you to join together and stand with John Kerry. Tell George Bush: stop the smear, get back to the issues.
Sign our petition by visiting:
http://www.johnkerry.com/oldtricks
A front group for the Bush campaign called "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth" is continuing to spread their lies about John Kerry's military record. Their statements have been contradicted by official Navy records, the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Chicago Tribune and every man who served under John Kerry -- yet George Bush refuses to condemn their tactics. Through his silence, George Bush is approving their action. And Bush campaign officials in Florida are even promoting events for this front group.
Enough is enough. No matter what these Bush campaign shills now say, John Kerry's commanders remarked in 1969 that, "In a combat environment often requiring independent, decisive action, LTJG Kerry was unsurpassed." In fact, all of John Kerry's performance reports (available on our website) display an absolutely heroic record of service.
These people play for keeps. They unleash relentless attacks, one wave after another, and it isn't going to stop. Everybody needs to see our ad and reflect on how our country can do better.
We need you to get the truth out by forwarding this email to your friends, family and co-workers.
Tell George Bush to denounce these attacks by clicking here:
http://www.johnkerry.com/oldtricks
Thank you,
Mary Beth Cahill
Campaign Manager
Dear Amy,
People all over the country are asking what they can do to elect John Kerry and John Edwards. Our newly updated online volunteer center provides the tools that you can use to make a difference on Election Day -- right from your computer.
Once you sign up for an account, you can help our campaign by taking part in activities such as recruiting new volunteers and planning events. As an online volunteer, you will get your own personal Kerry web site. And best of all, you can track all of your actions and see your progress.
Sign up to become an online volunteer by visiting:
http://volunteer.johnkerry.com
The tools available on our online volunteer center will allow you to:
Recruit Volunteers
Let your friends know how they can help the Kerry-Edwards campaign.
Send Election Day Voting Reminders
This year thousands of people will not vote simply because they forgot, or thought that they did not have the time. These voters might make the difference, and we need you to help get them to the polls. Fill out a reminder form now, and on November 2, they'll get an email from you reminding them to go vote.
Contact the Local Media
Use the Kerry-Edwards online volunteer center to draft a letter and email your local publications.
Plan/Attend Events
The Kerry-Edwards volunteer center gives you an easy way to plan house parties and other events. For example, on Labor Day, John Kerry and John Edwards will be hosting "Front Porch" events around the country. You can share this day with them by hosting a "Front Porch" event at your home. Invite your friends for a Labor Day get-together by using our online volunteer center, or open your event to the public. Plan your "Front Porch" event by visiting:
http://johnkerry.com/frontporch
Thank you,
Josh Ross
Internet Team
Week In Review
August 20, 2004
National Issues
Has The Bush Cheney White House Put Our Families' Health And Safety At Risk? This week we learned more grim details about how the Bush-Cheney White House has weakened and reversed regulations and safety rules that were meant to protect Americans' health and safety:
Easing the rules on polluters: The Bush-Cheney White House workers changed language in the mercury emission proposal to minimize the report of health risks, and proposed to defer controls over mercury emission by power plants by at least a decade; gutted the Clean Air Act, enabling old power plants to operate without controlling emissions. And "stopped efforts to regulate chemicals used in making semiconductors and suspected of causing miscarriages in workers..." (Washington Post 8/15//04)
Workers safety: The Occupational Safety and Health administration has eliminated more standards in the past five years than they have completed --almost five times as many! The Bush -Cheney OSHA has been so busy overturning regulations , they haven't begun working on a single major new one, according to the Washington Post., (Washington post 8/15/04) while the administration eliminated proposed rules that would have protected thousand of workers from tuberculosis, and rescinded proposals to make coal miners jobs safer. (New York Times 8/9/04)
Highway safety: In a move that endangers everyone driving on the highways. The bush administration has extended the hour's truck drivers are allowed to drive with out a break to 11 hours. Truck drivers "say the added hours of driving time could increase driver fatigue." (New York Times 8/14/04)
In a stunning coincidence, DNC researchers point out that the Bush-Cheney campaign has received large contributions from the coal, chemical, trucking and auto companies.
The Latest Bush Economic Plan: Less Overtime Pay For Nurses And Other Working Americans. Well, we can't say George W. Bush has no new ideas. This Monday, August 23, the new Bush overtime rules take effect, and among those workers likely to lose overtime eligibility are registered nurses paid on an hourly basis. The Bush rules will make it easier for employers to deny overtime pay to "nurses who would be considered hourly under current rules". This is no academic dispute: at least two cases in which nurses were awarded overtime pay would be reversed by this new language.
Other workers who may lose overtime eligibility include: aides in schools for children with disabilities; department store salespersons and supermarket clerks, low-level managers, financial services workers, computer professionals, administrative employees, journalists, computer workers, licensed funeral workers, and chefs. That's a lot of working women.
As Karen Nussbaum of the AFL-CIO reminds us," among workers who earn overtime pay, overtime wages account for roughly 25 % of total wages."
There They Go Again: Gop Tries To Intimidate Florida Voters. Troubling reports this week state that police officers have gone into the homes of elderly African American voters in Orlando, FL. The State police officers interrogated them as part of an "investigation" that has frightened voters and intimidated elderly volunteers.
This is the second report of voter fraud in Florida this year. Previously, the Florida Secretary of State's office tried to strike two thousand voters who had criminal convictions on their records from elections rolls, the majority of whom were registered Democrats and African Americans. These were voters who had served time for their felonies and already had their voting rights restored by the state of Florida.
DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe and Voting Rights Institute Chair Donna Brazile joined Florida's Senate Democrats in calling on Governor Jeb Bush and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to immediately put an end to the intimidation of elderly African American voters in Florida.
"In no state should one select group of people become the exclusive target of state police," said Donna Brazile. "We call on Ed Gillespie and the RNC to urge Gov. Bush to put an immediate stop to the disturbing tactics of this investigation. The investigation of elderly Orlando voters during the Florida state primary and a few months before the presidential election continues the perception that voting in Florida is neither free nor fair."
Is George Bush Afraid Of T-Shirts -- Or Feminists? You probably know that the Bush-Cheney campaign prefers to restrict attendance at their campaign rallies to the loyal and committed, in some cases asking people to sign on the dotted line in advance that they will support the President.
Now we know how far the loyalty oath tactics will go: In Saginaw, Michigan, campaign workers threatened to call secret service if 19-year-old Theresa Miller and her family didn't leave the rally before Bush began speaking. Theresa's mother had been carrying a pro-choice t-shirt that was confiscated, while Theresa was wearing a shirt that said "This is what a feminist looks like."
"I'm not an American? I can't see my president?" Theresa asked. "This is democracy under Bush," said Theresa's mother in The Saginaw News.
Democrats Taking The Lead
Women For Kerry/Edwards Prepare For August 26th. Have you heard about Women for Kerry-Edwards events in your state on August 26th? This is the anniversary of the day women's right to vote was finally included in the United States constitution -- and a great day to celebrate how we can use the power of our vote to change the direction of this country.
August 26th was designated Women's Equality Day by the U.S. Congress in 1971 to commemorate passage of the women's suffrage amendment and to recognize the 70-year struggle by American women to achieve the right to be full and equal citizens.
Today we have the right to vote, but too many women still don't use it: because they are too busy, too hurried, or just don't realize what a difference they could make in their own lives and their families' future. This year, let's pledge that we will reach out to every woman we know, to talk to her about what's at stake in this critical election.
Join us on Women's Equality Day to show your support for the Kerry/Edwards team and their plans for real equality in our paychecks and in our lives!
For more information, visit the Women For Kerry website.
Campaign To Save The Court Website Unveiling. As part of its Campaign to Save the Court, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) today launched a brand-new interactive website, equipping voters with the necessary information and tools to take action in their own neighborhoods. The new website features the Save the Court Toolkit, which will equip voters with the necessary tools to take action in their communities including how to host a house party, write letters to local papers, organize community events, and spread the word about the rights that are at stake in this election. Visit the new website today!
New DNC Ad Talks About Health Care. Ever wonder how the Democratic Party uses your contributions to elect John Kerry? A new television ad produced by the DNC shows real people talking about the need for health care. The ad features shots of men and women speaking to the camera about the health care crisis:
"I've never heard President Bush even talk about it."
"It's like he doesn't know it's a problem."
Narrator: Health insurance premiums skyrocketing four times faster than wages. Employers dropping health benefits.
Forty-three million Americans uninsured.
"I just think President Bush has no plan to deal with this." Narrator: John Kerry does have a plan. Tax credits to help small businesses provide health insurance. And reimburse employers for catastrophic costs.
"Health care is an issue that weighs heavy on the minds of middle class Americans and George Bush doesn't have a plan to address the problem," said DNC Independent Expenditure Director Ellen Moran. "John Kerry and John Edwards do have a plan and are committed to fighting for it. That is a distinction the American people deserve to know."
Click here to see the ad for yourself!
Building A Stronger America... With Womanpower! WLF's Annual Conference scheduled for September 29-October 1 will bring women from across the country together for a day and a half of programming and networking followed by organized trips to the Battleground states. Our goal is to make this year's conference our largest and most geographically representative event in our eleven year history.
We are in the midst of planning and will update you as speakers are confirmed. In the meantime, please let us know if you would like to be part of our planning. We are hopeful that you will join us and bring your family and friends!
Contact us for more information.
Quotes Of The Week
"Our country's reputation around the world has never been lower and our alliances are weakened." - Representative Douglas Bereuter (R-NE) on why he disagrees with George Bush's foreign policy, August 18, 2004
"In view of the dangers of nuclear proliferation in North Korea and the destabilizing impact on Northeast Asia -- and as a result of our consultations -- we have concluded that it would be unwise to proceed with major U.S. force reduction," - The Secretary of Defense, Dick Cheney, arguing against reducing troops in South Korea, as George Bush now advocates, [UPI, 11/21/91] The North Korea nuclear program has grown even more dangerous since then.
FCNL: Take Part in the Sudan Day of Conscience (8/20/04)
Although FCNL rarely sends out three emails in one week, circumstances do arise that call for immediate action. In the last few days hundreds of new refugees from Sudan have poured into neighboring Chad. According to the UN, tens of thousands might soon flee Darfur, western Sudan, if the security situation does not improve. While the Sudanese government has partially conceded to international pressure concerning access to humanitarian aide, the security situation in Darfur remains dire. The new influx of refugees is an alarming sign of the continuing violence inside Darfur. Action must be taken to help the besieged people of Darfur.
The Save Darfur Coalition, composed of faith-based, humanitarian and human rights organizations, has identified Wednesday, August 25, 2004 as "Sudan: Day of Conscience." On that day, communities across North America are urged to engage in interfaith activities-- involving individuals and representatives of all faith communities and nonsectarian groups-- designed to raise public awareness about the horrific situation in Darfur and to demand that the international community take immediate and effective action to stop the atrocities, assure that humanitarian relief reaches all those in need, and help the actors in the conflict to reach a comprehensive political settlement.
Action: Join the Day of Conscience on Sudan. Find out about local events in your area and resources at: www.savedarfur.org. If no event is taking place in your community, organize one. A groundswell of international attention on Darfur is necessary for governments to remain engaged. Concerned individuals must remain vigilant and help educate their communities that genocide CAN be prevented. If you can not hold such activities on August 25, please schedule them on a date that works best for your community.
Background: According to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), "The grave situation that has unfolded in Sudan's western region of Darfur in recent months is the worst humanitarian crisis in the world today." Currently, tens of thousands of civilians have died, over a million are internally displaced within Darfur, and another 110,000 have fled to neighboring Chad. The United Nations has estimated that two million people will require assistance during the remaining months of 2004.
The government of Sudan has armed, trained, and deployed militias know as Janjaweed, an Arab militia made up of pastoral people who have been hard hit by desertification and drought. Reportedly, militias regularly attack members of the Fur, Masalit, and Zaghawa ethnic groups. The Janjaweed have burned entire villages, stolen and killed livestock, poisoned water supplies, raped women and girls, and killed civilians. According to an Amnesty International human rights monitor in Darfur, "The violence against civilians breached not only international human rights standards but also appears to be an intentional attempt to humiliate and destroy the social fabric of communities." So far one-sixth of the terrorized people of Darfur have fled their villages to escape Janjaweed attacks. After visiting Darfur, James Morris, head of the World Food Program, recalled that "I have never in my life seen people more frightened. The way they've been victimized, brutalized, raped, and treated in the most inhumane way possible is extraordinary."
In recent weeks the international community has increased pressure on the government of Sudan. On July 22, the U.S. House and Senate passed similar resolutions calling the situation in Darfur genocide. The Bush Administration then took the issue of Darfur to the Security Council urging action. The Security Council passed a resolution on July 30, giving Sudan 30 days in which to disarm the Janjaweed militia and bring human rights violators to justice. The African Union (AU) has sent 80 people to monitor the cease-fire between the Khartoum government and rebel groups and 300 Nigerian and Rwandan troops to protect those monitors. The AU is also considering the deployment of peacemaking troops to protect civilians in the future. Talks between the government of Sudan and the Darfur rebel groups are slated to start under the aegis of the African Union (AU) in the Nigerian capital of Abuja on Monday, August 23.
In the face of all this activity refugees are claiming that attacks continue. The UN special representative to Sudan, Jan Pronk, confirmed that the situation in a number of areas is deteriorating. There remains a big gap between promises made to the international community by the Sudanese government, and what was happening on the ground in Darfur. There is still a very real danger that hundreds of thousands will die in Darfur. The nightmares of Rwanda, Srebrencia, Kampuchea, and the Holocaust must not be repeated in the 21st century. Unless additional urgent international action is taken, promises of "never again" will be empty words on worthless paper.
Dear MoveOn member,
In April, more than half a million MoveOn members across the country took to the streets -- or at least to their driveways -- to hold fundraising bake sales as part of MoveOn PAC's "Bake Back the White House". It was a tremendous success: together we raised close to $750,000 in small, cookie-sized chunks.
Today, we're continuing that tradition with the Great MoveOn PAC Virtual Yard Sale. For the next 2 weeks, we're asking MoveOn members from coast to coast to clean out their basements and garages, and put their extra stuff up for sale to help take our country back. Using our eBay-based online catalog, you can sell everything from beanie babies to toaster ovens to old movie posters to benefit an exciting new program.
To join the Virtual Yard Sale, all you need to do is post your item on eBay and "link" it to our catalog. Then, when the eBay auction is over, you can contribute the proceeds to us. It's that simple, and we'll walk you through the whole process.
Put your items up for sale in the Virtual Yard Sale at:
http://www.moveonpac.org/yardsale/index.html
Proceeds from the Virtual Yard Sale will get us closer to our $5 million goal for Leave No Voter Behind, MoveOn PAC's massive precinct-by-precinct program to get out the vote. This program will hire 500 organizers, cover 100,000 precincts, and turn out 400,000 new progressive votes in crucial swing states. You can help make this groundbreaking program possible -- by auctioning off your old stuff!
To get things started, we've also created our own Celebrity Yard Sale -- including DVDs autographed by Leonardo DiCaprio, the Shawshank Redemption book and screenplay signed by Tim Robbins, handmade jewelry by Margaret Cho, clothing autographed and decorated by Janeane Garofalo, and many other terrific items from the likes of Al Franken, Scarlett Johansson, Al Gore, Roseanne Cash, the Black Eyed Peas, Greg Palast, John Sayles, Alex Gray, R.E.M., Norman Mailer, Steve Buscemi, and Eve Ensler. You can find a link to the Celebrity Yard Sale, as well as links to items that members have listed at:
http://www.moveonpac.org/yardsale/index.html
It's not every day that your spare toaster oven and grandma's old furniture can help strengthen our democracy.
--Eli Pariser, Executive Director
MoveOn PAC
Friday, August 20th, 2004
PAID FOR BY MOVEON PAC www.moveonpac.org
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.
Dear Amy Truax,
Today I'm fighting the single most important battle I've undertaken in a lifetime of activism: I'm chairing the Democratic National Committee's campaign to save the Supreme Court. I'd like you to join me in this fight.
During the next four years, three Supreme Court justices are likely to step down. Our next president will nominate their replacements. If that's George Bush, we all know he'll offer up right wing ideologues with extremist beliefs and ultraconservative agendas. In this nightmarish scenario, decade s of hard-won progress will evaporate. Civil rights; workers' rights; environmental protections; a woman's right to choose -- all are in peril if George Bush wins in November.
We can't stand by and let this happen. I won't. And I know you won't, either.
http://www.courtsave.org/
This critical issue crosses party lines; it transcends campaign rhetoric.. Polls tell us undecided voters in battleground states support a balanced Supreme Court. But most of these voters don't know the Court's balance is at risk in this election. If they did, they'd be more likely to support a Ke rry/Edwards ticket. Our Save the Courts campaign will target these states, making sure voters understand just how much we all stand to lose if George Bush wins in November.
But time is short, and our funds are limited. That's why I'm asking you to act today.
And please visit our new Save the Court website. We'd like you to be among the first to see it. Please let us know what you think; email your comments to savethecourt@dnc.org.
There's lots more information there on how you can become directly involved in the campaign.
Then, please donate generously to the DNC's Save the Courts campaign, a contribution that will support this program and all our party efforts. If you'd like contribute online, you can do so by clicking here.
Together, we can defeat George Bush and the Republicans, elect Kerry-Edwards and all our Democratic candidates, and Save the Court. We've all worked too hard and too long to accept any other outcome.
With my warmest and sincerest thanks,
Kate Michelman
P.S. Save the date! The first Monday in October -- October 4th -- is the opening day of the Supreme Court. We'll be gathering in homes and rallying at courthouses nationwide to make sure every voter understands this critical issue. Think about hosting a house party on Saturday, October 2, 2004 to show your commitment to saving our Court and plan rallies for first Monday! We'll be sending more information next week.