Still Waiting

Written by: Dave Santucci on Dec 1, 2008 4:49 PM EST

It has been almost a month since Barack Obama won. And yet we still do not know the outcome of two Senate seats, Al Franken in MN and Jim Martin in GA. 

Today on The Huffington Post:

The Minnesota Senate recount is getting incredibly tight. According to officials from the Al Franken campaign, the margin separating the Democratic challenger and Sen. Norm Coleman is now down to 73 votes out of approximately 2.9 million cast.

...

Even with the narrowing margin, there may not be enough room for Franken to take a lead. That's because, as the Franken camp has argued, the state has declined to publicize rejected absentee ballots. Elias, while claiming that the majority of these 12,000 ballots were rightly thrown out, estimated that "as many as 1,000," could end up being legitimate votes that were wrongfully uncounted.

Meanwhile Jim Martin's run off election is tomorrow against GOP incumbent, Saxby Chambliss....Let's see how it goes. 

Fingers are crossed.

Dave Santucci
Operations Manager 

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Evening 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.

Death at Wal-Mart--True Meaning of the Holidays

Written by: Thomas Janowski on Nov 29, 2008 8:00 AM EST

Linked to groups: dfaROCHESTER

First I offered my idealistic vision of the true meaning of the holiday season.  But now, like an election, the people have spoken.  The actual true meaning of the holiday season is bargain shopping--take no prisoners shopping...shopping at any cost. 

Now we have death at Wal-Mart and most people want to blame Wal-Mart.  Those security tapes need to be reviewed.  Every single person who pushed, then stepped over and stepped on the man who died needs to be charged with anything from simple assault to manslaughter.  I think it is called depraved indifference.  I'm sure those who were part of that mob crush feel they have been punished enough already--the store closed immediately and was closed for 8 hours.  I'm sure that seemed like death row for all those bargain hunters. 

As Paul Harvey would say, now you know the rest of the story.  People can debate the elements of what happened, but now the spotlight is shining right into the eyes of the general public.  Many will wonder what came first--Wal-Mart's drive to sell the cheapest foreign made products or the public's demand for cheap Christmas gifts.  I refuse to put any blame on Wal-Mart.  This is all about the public behaving like animals.  This is all about the lack of respect and concern for our fellow citizens.  This is all about the fact that we create our own disasters because for some odd reason, we don't know any better. 

Are we going to blame the poor economy and say people were only looking for some bargain prices so their families could have a nice Christmas?  Are we going to point the finger at the other person who pushed a bit harder than the rest?  Once the man was down, didn't anyone notice?  Did anyone stop to see how he was?  Did anyone want to help him? 

So now I add Christmas shopping to my list.  The list of things that brings out the absolute worst in people. 

1. Religion

2. Christmas shopping.

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My better nature coming through

Written by: Jack Bucci on Nov 26, 2008 10:21 AM EST

I won't waste any time bashing the Bush administration, as it's been done by finer minds than mine, and to be honest, harping on his legacy of mismanagement at this point is like shooting fish in a barrel.  I would like however to put my best foot (and reconciliatory) attitude forward, and throw out some thoughts on where we go from here.

While I celebrated the Dems and Obama's victory along with the rest of you,  I was apprehensive at the thought of the monumental challenges the party in power would inherit.  Should the ousted party engage in their traditional obstructionist tactics,  our historic win might be thwarted.  I envisioned President Obama's white house looking more like a war-zone bunker than Camelot.

I have to admit that my initial reaction may have been premature.  Seeing how quickly a new cabinet and financial team was put together, and watching President-Elect Obama taking charge already, is a confidence builder for the entire nation, Republican and Dems alike.  He is not content at leaving a lame duck administration to fiddle recklessly while the country slips deeper into the multitude crisis that are affecting millions of Americans.  Never before has the 60 days proceeding a presidency been more important than the first 100 days after inauguration.  While it's true that we only have one President at a time,  having an ineffective one in a time of crisis, puts Mr.Bush in the negative catagory.

While there were many historic aspects of this election, maybe the most relevent may be the fact that despite the barrage of negative ads and misleading commentary leveled against Obama and the rest of the Dems, the vast majority of the country wasn't buying it.  It is obvious that folks are just fed up with the partison and hateful nonsense that has plagued our politics for too long.  This revelation leaves an opening for a leader of Obama's stature to bring together an America that is not just ready for change, they're starving for it.

While more and more missteps, miscues, mismanagement, and dowright illegal acts from the Bush years are revealed to the American public in the coming months,  it will be difficult to hold back the outrage and the urge to be vindictive.  In the interest of moving forward and truly enacting the type of change that is needed to heal this country, it will be necessary that we keep our focus on fixing the mess rather than strictly assigning blame.   I'm not advocating a forgive and forget policy though.  Accountability is needed in order that our Constitution never again becomes a doormat to be trampled on by future administrations.

While the challenges that face us as Americans are great, so is the spirit which our country has faced past difficulties.  I have confidence that we now truly had a leader that can accomplish great things, and that we have now reached a turning point in our politics that will lead us to a brighter future.

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Action Alerts

Written by: Kenneth Quinnell on Nov 23, 2008 2:20 PM EST

Linked to groups: Florida DFA, Democracy for Florida, Democracy for America Miami-Dade (DFAM), DFA Tallahassee, Training Academy Alumni, Class of 2007, DFA at Netroots Nation (formerly YearlyKos) July 17-20, DFA Campaign Academy Alumni

Linked to campaigns: Obama for America

Send an e-mail: Tell Congress to include Sam - and the states - in their economic stimulus (NSFS)

Send an e-mail: Please enact additional measures to help hard-pressed families, protect critical public services, and boost the economy (NWLC)

Send an e-mail: Tell the EPA to act now to help stop global warming (NRDC)

Send an e-mail: Stop the Bush/Cheney 11th-Hour Assault on Wolves in Greater Yellowstone and the Northern Rockies! (DOW)

Send an e-mail: Prevent pollution at Colorado's Little Snake! (TWS)

Send an e-mail: As the Obama administration transitions in, step one must be restoring the Constitution (PFAW)

Send an e-mail: Help Save America's Fisheries (ED)

Send an e-mail: Tell supermarkets to post FDA info on mercury in fish, not fishing industry talking points (Oceana)

Send an e-mail: Stop Bush Admin. From Gutting Farm Worker Protections (UFW)

Donate money: Stop the last minute attempt to log Oregon's ancient forests! (TWS)

Sign the petition: Stop the Bush Administration from Gutting Farm Worker Protections (UFW)

Sign the petition: Don't Let Another Bear Cub Die in Russia's Hibernating Bear Hunt (IFAW)

Sign the petition: Help Us Kiss Diabetes Goodbye (ADA)

Sign the petition: Help Sexually Assaulted Women in the Military Find Justice (Care2)

Sign the petition: Keep the U.S. Open to Refugees (IRC)

Sign the petition: Support Our Wounded Heroes (WWP)

Sign the petition: Impeach Bush To Stop Pardons (Dem.com)

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The Cheney Legacy:

Written by: Jeff Morris-Saugerties, N.Y.- De on Nov 22, 2008 1:40 AM EST

Linked to groups: Kingston Democracy for America, Blog For America

Linked to campaigns: Obama for America

  For some time people have been wondering how the historical Presidential legacy of George W. Bush will read. That it will be terrible, is now almost universal in consensus. I'm now thinking how the legacy of the most authoritarian, abusive of power, secretive, Vice President in U.S. history should read also. I will never understand how so many questionable actions of Bush/Cheney went unchallenged for so long. I will never understand how the legality of so many of their actions weren't challenged by Congress, or in the courts,  much sooner.

  During the run up to the Iraq invasion, our nation and our news people must have been asleep or under the spell of post 9-11 induced opportunistic Patriotism. VP Cheney and his office were perhaps the biggest offenders in the cherry picking and manipulation of pre war intelligence, the exaggerated claims of dire threats, and the main authors of why Iraq posed such an imminent threat to the U.S. that a preemptive invasion was necessary for our National Security.

   The sixteen words of yellow cake uranium from Niger, the bogus threat of the consequences coming back to us in the form of a mushroom cloud, and other phony exaggerated threats, were for the most part drafted by the VP and his office. In the end Bush/Cheney sold it to Congress and the American people and got their permission slip for the unnecessary invasion. Which brought nothing but death and destruction to a nation and people who had nothing to do with 9-11, and who never posed any real threat to the U.S.

  Once the invasion started, VP Cheney then awarded hundreds of billions of dollars in no bid contracts to his old company (Haliburton) only. Talk about a vested interest in wanting to start the unnecessary war! Talk about a conflict of interest! Yet Congress, and sadly a good portion of the American public, didn't question this all very much. I still have a hard time wondering how this was legal. Five and a half years later we now see how it's cost us as a nation dearly. In troop deaths, in a record deficit, in a badly damaged image around the World....

  If you examine the worst offenses of this Bush/Cheney administration ( exaggerated threats in the run up to the Iraq invasion ,Torture policies, Guantanamo Bay, exposure of an undercover CIA agents identity, NSA warrant less spying program, Military Commissions act, Patriot Act.... they seem to have a common thread. Follow the trail back and they all lead to the same place. VP Cheney and his office. The man is a War Criminal, War Profiteer, and a true demonic scoundrel to the worst degree.

   Sometimes I think I know why the Republicans at the top picked Bush back in 2000 to be their Presidential nominee. They needed someone just dumb enough to wake up every morning, look himself in the mirror, and say "I'm the President Of The United States". Also someone dumb enough to never figure it out that he isn't the one really calling the shots, but rather our real "shadow President" Darth Cheney called the shots and got everything he wanted! Including hundreds of billions of dollars of taxpayer money siphoned from the U.S. Treasury and into the coffers of his old Company!

Jeff Morris-Saugerties, N.Y.-  DeJaVu57

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The True Meaning of the Holiday Season

Written by: Thomas Janowski on Nov 22, 2008 8:33 AM EST

Linked to groups: dfaROCHESTER

Maybe, just maybe, there will be no Black Friday this year.  Maybe it will only be a Gray Friday.  Maybe it will be a White Friday (RED) and maybe that will signal the end of the (retail) world as we know it. 

More likely, without the money or desire to shop till we drop this year, we will once again discover the true meaning of the holidays.  Think about it.  You won't head out the day after Thanksgiving.  You won't be stuck in slow moving or not moving traffic.  You won't drive around the mall parking lot endlessly looking for a parking spot.  You won't deal with the rude crowds of people pushing and grabbing.  You won't be disappointed to find that hot bargain has already sold out. 

Instead, you could stay home and relax with your family and friends.  You could attend a parade with your family or simply go for a walk in the snow.  This year, you could go the old fashioned route to a Christmas tree and cut your own instead of simply picking up a tree at a super store. 

Maybe this year you'll discover hope again and realize hope is such a wonderful gift.  Maybe the anticipation of an Obama presidency will replace the anticipation of what's in that nicely wrapped package under the tree.  Maybe this year, you'll be able to look at the big picture and see that for the first time in 8 years, many of us will celebrate the return of true hope and joy. 

Despite the economy, there is a new spirit in America.  The veil of darkness and gloom is lifting.  With the arrival of 2009, it will truly be a new year and not just a symbolic change of the numbers on a calendar.

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What would the MN recount be like?

Written by: Dave Santucci on Nov 20, 2008 6:57 PM EST

MN Public Radio has a fun little "pick your own adventure" with the MN Senate recount. I recommend checking it out. It is interesting to see what some of these recount volunteers have to deal with.

Would you choose Norm Coleman or Al Franken? Or should the ballot just be thrown out? You be the judge.

Dave Santucci
Operations Manager

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Reuters: Cheney and Gonzales Indicted

Written by: Kevin Shaw on Nov 19, 2008 6:21 AM EST

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

I'm all a-twitter....

HOUSTON (Reuters) - A grand jury in South Texas indicted U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney and former attorney General Alberto Gonzales on Tuesday for "organized criminal activity" related to alleged abuse of inmates in private prisons.

http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE4AI11B20081119

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Unhappy Birthday Senator Stevens

Written by: Dave Santucci on Nov 18, 2008 9:45 AM EST

Yesterday was Gov. Dean's Birthday and today is Sen. Ted Steven's birthday...but it is a very unhappy birthday for him I assume. He is not only waiting to see if he holds his position as Senator, but the GOP is mulling over whether or not to expel the senior Senator. The Hill today explains how the GOP is divided on what to do:

Republican senators are not expected to vote Tuesday to expel Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), deciding instead to hold off on the vote until his Senate race is decided.

Though Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), the sponsor of the motion to expel Stevens, said he still plans to push for a vote, a number of GOP senators and aides said Monday they would prefer to wait and see if Stevens wins reelection.

Senator Stevens has been convicted of seven felony counts of bribery. Seems like a good reason to expel the Senator, but the GOP would rather keep things chummy in the Senate.

“Sen. DeMint believes this is an important time for the Republican Party and we’ve got to let people know we’re taking care of this,” said spokesman Wesley Denton. “We’ve got to clean our own house, not sweep it under the rug.”

Meanwhile in Alaska, election officials are still counting ballots. According to CNN:

He's locked in a re-election battle with his Democratic challenger, Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich. Two weeks after election day, the vote counting in Alaska continues. Begich currently leads Stevens by 1,022 votes in the fight for Steven's seat, which he's held for 40 years. Some 24,000 votes remain to be counted, as well as absentee ballots from overseas. The results may not be made final until the first week of December.

Let's hope that a convicted felon will not be elected as Alaska's Senator and DFA-List Candidate Mark Begich, wins this highly contested race.

Dave Santucci
Operations Manager 

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Happy Birthday Howard!

Written by: Dave Santucci on Nov 17, 2008 9:56 AM EST

Governor Howard Dean is celebrating his 60th birthday today. What a great birthday present we got him....Our Country!

It was his leadership that helped us win this election. It was his commitment to the fifty state strategy that helped us win this election. It was because he reminded us that "We Have the Power." 

Give Howard a big thank you!

No one knows what is up next for Gov. Dean. There is speculation as where he goes from here, the biggest being that he might get Sec. of Health and Human Services in the Obama administration. Where ever he ends up, we know that is was because of him that we have taken back our country!

Thank him today!

Dave Santucci
Operations Manager 

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