Exxon John on the Oil Rig

Written by: Jamie Sanderson on Aug 20, 2008 8:19 PM EDT

Yesterday, John McCain staged a photo-op on an oil rig partially owned by ExxonMobil to promote his Big-Oil-First energy plan.

This rig was a perfect metaphor for his plan, since it took 10 years to produce a single drop of oil.

That's the same 10-year lag that non-partisan energy experts and scientists say it may take before McCain's "Drill here! Now!" energy plan produces any new oil.

So why does McCain want an energy plan that puts Exxon first?

How about two million bucks in campaign contributions from Big Oil?

Check out the "Exxon John" video our team made to expose John McCain for being in the pocket of Big Oil:

For nearly 30 years, Exxon John has stood with Big Oil and voted against alternative energy.

Just months ago, John McCain was the only Senator who skipped a vote on an energy bill to channel $13 billion in tax breaks for Big Oil into alternative energy development. The bill came out one vote short -- but Exxon John's friends in Big Oil came out one vote ahead.

John McCain is still playing energy politics the way they've been played for decades in Washington. Well-connected lobbyists and special interests get everything they could want while hardworking families get left behind.

Let's make sure the public knows John McCain really puts Big Oil first. Pass the Exxon John video on to your family and friends today:

http://www.democrats.org/exxonjohn

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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.

Thursday choices from Gerry

Written by: Gerry L on Aug 21, 2008 8:10 AM EDT

Thursday~

***************round of articles about our domestic ‘issues’ ~ August 21,  2008

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Her passion, dynamism, warmth and grace will be sorely missed!!!  She inspired so easily…to have met her even once, as I did, was to love her…’

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The Limits of Power:  Andrew Bacevich on the End of American Exceptionalism

Andrew Bacevich is a conservative historian who spent twenty-three years serving in the US Army. He also lost his son in Iraq last year. In a new book titled The Limits of Power: The End of American Exceptionalism, Bacevich argues that although many in this country are paying a heavy price for US domestic and foreign policy decisions, millions of Americans simply continue to shop, spend and satisfy their appetite for cheap oil, credit and the promise of freedom at home. Bacevich writes, “As the American appetite for freedom has grown, so too has our penchant for empire.” [includes rush transcript]

http://www.democracynow.org/2008/8/20/the_limits_of_power_andrew_bacevich

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McCain misleads with attack ads on Obama tax plan

Written by: Cliff Cleland on Aug 20, 2008 4:40 PM EDT

Linked to groups: Quad Cities Trained Activists, Democracy for America-Quad Cities

Linked to campaigns: Obama for America

   To counter recent false and misleading attack ads by John McCain on Barack Obama’s tax proposals, here is the gist of Obama’s tax plan for America:

   Obama would reverse the Bush tax policy, which heavily favors the mega-rich. He would lower taxes for the poor and middle class families (below $150,000), increase taxes for the rich, those earning upwards of $250,000 a year, and simplify it so most Americans could file in five minutes.

   He would eliminate all taxes on seniors making less than $50,000 and they would not have to file.

   He would give 150 million working Americans up to a $500 tax credit.

   To help fix the Social Security System, he would apply a tax of 2-4% on all incomes above $250,000.    

   It’s clear from his proposals that Barack Obama is not beholden to the wealthy and powerful, the corporations or lobbyists. He is for the average American.

    On the other hand, John McCain would make the Bush tax cuts for the rich permanent. On August 16th, McCain defined the rich as those making more than $5 million a year and those making less as middle class. This elitist notion places him way out of the mainstream. Of course being married to a multi-millionaire beer heiress will do that to you.

    Whose tax plan is the best for you and the best for America?

Sources: www.FactCheck.org

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Who Will Show this Thursday?

Written by: Michael Langenmayr on Aug 20, 2008 9:57 AM EDT

Linked to groups: Burlington DFA

Who will show this Thursday at Burlington DFA's "Meet the Candidates" event?

Symington? Confirmed.

Pollina? Maybe. Douglas? Probably not.

You? We sure hope so.

RSVP online now!

Burlington DFA invites you to join us this Thursday, August 21, at our "Meet the Candidates" community forum. More than a dozen candidates from around the Burlington area are confirmed to attend, including gubernatorial candidate Gaye Symington. The event is free and open to the public (suggested donation $5 - $20), a great opportunity for Burlingtonians to meet the people who are running to represent them in county, legislative, and statewide office.

The event will be a casual mix-and-mingle where local candidates for office will get the chance to meet their prospective constituents face-to-face and talk about the issues important to them. If you have a question you want answered or a candidate you'd like to meet, this is the event for you!

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Join Us for Night School, Tonight

Written by: DFA Staff on Aug 20, 2008 9:45 AM EDT

Linked to groups: DFA-Link Organizers, DFA Night School, DFA Blog Network, DFA Trust, blog for America Test and Poll Group, DFA Campaign Academy Alumni

About 5 years ago, I remember sitting in a University of Iowa computer lab and getting an email from Howard Dean issuing the 'Cheney Challenge'.

Dick Cheney and his oil buddies were having a $2,000 per plate fundraiser that weekend, so Gov. Dean had a $5 sandwich online fundraiser and asked, "could supporters raise more money than Cheney by the time Cheney's luncheon took place?" The luncheon event raised $250K from a couple hundred people while the online campaign pulled in over $500K from nearly ten-thousand donors.

Since then, the internet has fundamentally changed politics as tens of thousands of house parties, phone banks, and door-to-door canvasses have been organized. Nationally and locally online organizing has built communities of activism throughout the country and will continue to do so for years to come.

Join us on Wednesday, August 20th as DFA Night School returns for an hour with one of the pioneers of the Netroots movement: Zack Exley.

DFA Night School: Online Organizing w/ Zack Exley
Wednesday, August 20th
8:30pm Eastern Daylight Time

CLICK HERE TO RSVP NOW!

Zack Exley was an early player in the Dean movement and later went on to work as Director of Online Organizing for the Kerry-Edwards campaign. We'll be talking about what works and what doesn't when it comes to organizing online as well as what are some of the new technologies poised to revolutionize campaigns of the future.

Night School is DFA's interactive online training program. Every month Night School brings top campaign experts right to your home at absolutely no cost to you. Simply visit www.democracyforamerica.com/onlineorganizing and sign up to learn how to listen to the call live on either your home computer or over the telephone.

The training will last approximately one hour and will be accompanied by a slideshow you can view online or download and print out ahead of time.

Join us online next Wednesday.

- Matt

Matt Blizek, Training Director
Democracy for America

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BILL HEDRICK ON THE THOM HARTMANN SHOW THIS THURSDAY MORNING

Written by: Denise on Aug 20, 2008 7:00 AM EDT

Linked to groups: Democracy for Riverside, Blog For America, California for Democracy, Training Academy Alumni, Class of 2007, Courage Campaign, Democracy for America - Orange County, DFA Blog Network, DFA Radio, Netroots Activism!

Bill Hedrick for Congress
P.O. Box 2855
Corona, CA 92878
Contact: Joan Donahue
jdonahue@hedrickforcongress.com
(951) 479-2090 

Bill Hedrick, Democratic candidate for the 44th Congressional District, has been invited to speak with award-winning talk show host Thom Hartmann on Thursday, August 21st, at 10:50 am.(PDT)  

The Thom Hartmann Program can be heard live on Los Angeles’s KTLK Progressive Talk 1150, Air America’s Live Stream at http://airamerica.com/ and on XM and Sirius Satellite radio.

Bill will discuss his reasons for entering the race including; his determination to restore our economy and improve the quality of life for all residents of the 44th CD, and his support for the Responsible Plan for a safe and orderly disengagement in Iraq.

Tune in and hear Bill speak about his plan to restore honest, accountable and responsive representation to the 44th CD.

The Thom Hartmann Program is broadcast in every major city and over fifty others nation-wide. He is also a four-time New York Times best-selling author. His national, daily progressive-radio talk show is now in its sixth year on the air.  More people listen to the Thom Hartmann Program than any other progressive talk show in the nation.

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Today's articles from Gerry

Written by: Gerry L on Aug 20, 2008 8:06 AM EDT

good day to you...

Wednesday~

***************round of articles about our domestic ‘issues’ ~ August 20,  2008

The Revelations of Pastor Warren

The Politics of Evil in the US Elections

By MARWAN BISHARA

http://www.counterpunch.org/bishara08192008.html

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Obama: 'I will let no one question my love of this country'

http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Obama_I_will_let_no_one_0819.html

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A Look Inside Burma

Written by: DFA Staff on Aug 19, 2008 10:24 PM EDT

Writing in the New Yorker, George Packer gives a bleak and thorough account of life in Burma:

Over the decades, the Burmese government has subjected its citizens to epic misrule, systematically destroying every institution of society except the Army, whose leaders have made staying in power their overriding goal. The streets of Rangoon and Mandalay are monitored by the secret police and by a group of armed thugs known as Swan Arr Shin—the Masters of Force. Dissidents are routinely tortured. The generals’ irrational economic policies have reduced one of Asia’s richest countries, once the world’s leading exporter of rice, to penury. Burma’s gross domestic product per capita is now less than half that of its neighbor Cambodia. Economic sanctions—a form of protest against the government’s human-rights abuses—have made the country even poorer.

Danny
Communications Director

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10 Stories to Read

Written by: Kenneth Quinnell on Aug 18, 2008 11:58 PM EDT

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

Linked to campaigns: Obama for America

This is our regular feature where every day I do a post with the top 10 blog posts that I think people should read from the previous day. Posts are included here and ranked based on a combination of originality, focus on Florida, length (longer, more thorough analysis is better), quality of writing and impact of the story.

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Voting Machines Look Bad for This Year's Election

Written by: Alexandra Ottaway on Aug 19, 2008 1:46 PM EDT

Here are a series of articles in the New York times.  I didn't know they were there and my godfather, who doesn't use the net-- to this day!--actually found these in the print edition!

Way to go, my friend!

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/v/voting_machines/index.html?scp=1-spot&sq=voting%20machines&st=cse

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