Democracy for New Hampshire - Family

"Brother, Where Art Thou?"

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 10:22:54 -0400

Not in the Teoc Community in Carroll County, Mississippi. That's not one of the places John McCain has bothered to visit in his quest for the Presidency. Brother Joe has. And, according to the Wall Street Journal, there was a time when John Sydney visited there, too.

Sen. McCain's family lived primarily on military installations around the world. But they remained attached to Teoc, visiting repeatedly during Sen. McCain's childhood, often for long periods. When they went to the farm in the 1940s and 1950s, the future Sen. McCain and his brother stayed in the rambling house, now abandoned, of their great-uncle, Joe McCain, who had become the plantation's owner.

Sen. McCain's younger brother, also named Joe, said that though their father "moved around as the son of a naval officer, he too always thought of Teoc as his 'blood ground' and loved visiting there."

But, no longer.

Palin Office Rejects America's Moms

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 17:38:34 -0400

SOURCE: Moms Rising.org

NEWS RELEASE CONTACT: Gretchen Wright

September 24, 2008

Governor Sarah Palin's Office Refuses to Accept Letter from America's Moms

MomsRising.org Attempts to Deliver Letter Asking Governor's Positions on Family-Friendly Issues

Fifteen DC-area moms and MomsRising.org Executive Director Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner were turned away this afternoon when they attempted to deliver a letter to Governor Sarah Palin asking her to share her positions on issues like health care, paid sick days and flexible work options. The group was attempting to deliver the letter to the State of Alaska office in Washington, DC.

The letter was signed by nearly 22,000 moms, dads and others from across the United States who would like to know what a McCain/Palin administration would do to support America's families.

"The Singing Revolution" documentary opens Friday, August 8th

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 08:39:36 -0400

Dear Friends,

We’re excited to tell you that the feature documentary The Singing Revolution will be opening in Concord, NH August 8th - 14th at Red River Theatres. The response to the film has been fantastic! Efforts to spread the word about the film are working.

We think you will be inspired and energized by the remarkable events in Estonia in the late-1980s.

The New York Times made the film a coveted “NYT Critics’ Pick” and alludes to Casablanca when describing The Singing Revolution: http://movies.nytimes.com/2007/12/14/movies/14revo.html

For theater information and to see the full list of cities and theater openings, go to: www.singingrevolution.com and click on “Theater Listings”. More cities are added each week.

Please help spread the word about the film opening. Word of mouth is how we’ve gotten this far, and it’s why the film is being held over in many locations.

Hope you can make it to see The Singing Revolution, opening soon in Concord.

The Global Poverty Act

Sun, 29 Jun 2008 10:54:47 -0400

I'm writing on behalf of the Borgen Project- a seattle based non profit organization working to bring political attention to severe poverty. You can learn more about our organization through theborgenproject.org.

As you will see we have created the Global Poverty Act which has passed in the House and now we're trying to pass in the Senate. The way you can help is severly important and takes only thirty seconds to help pass this act.

We need roughly a dozen people (however the more the merrier) in New Hampshire to call Senator Sununu's office at (603) 647- 7500 and simply tell the staffer on the phone: “I’m a Borgen Project supporter and I would like the Senator to cosponsor the Global Poverty Act.” People can also email his office here:

sununu.senate.gov.

If you and your members can make the call or shoot an email it would greatly help the cause. You can see here (sample call log on right) how political offices tally each call and why it’s so important. Thank you so much for your consideration and let me know if I can answer any questions.
Thank you,

Candice Hays
The Borgen Project
theborgenproject.org

It's not smart to underestimated the enemy

Sat, 21 Jun 2008 05:08:11 -0400

While I don't subscribe to the characterization of political candidates as opponents or contestants, like gladiators in the Roman arena, there's little question that many of the promoters and financial supporters of candidates are basically antagonistic to the interests of the general public the candidates are proposing to serve.

So, as a progressive Democrat, I'm not at all reluctant to consider the Republican proponents of authoritarian, patriarchal dictatorship as my enemies. Moreover, since a significant number of the American people have awakened to the fact that, instead of having their modest expectations and patriotic values honored, the people they elected to represent and serve them have engaged in the grossest deceptions and dishonored the country, it's clear that there's a small class of people who now have a lot to lose. It would be a mistake to think they will give up power easily.

Washington: The great election robbery of 2008?

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 10:53:31 -0400

Loser Take All is a wakeup call at 3 a.m. from a screaming relative. Take heed.

SOURCE: InTheseTimes.com

The Great Election Robbery of 2008? By LAURA S. WASHINGTON

Come Nov. 4, the elephant in the polling booth is the possibility that the 2008 presidential election will be stolen - again.

Loser Take All is a new collection of essays edited by Mark Crispin Miller. Subtitled "Election Fraud and the Subversion of Democracy, 2000-2008," the book reviews a contemporary slew of electoral mischief, hubris and thievery.

Miller has been around this block before. A professor of media, culture and communication at New York University, Miller authored the 2007 book, Fooled Again: The Real Case for Electoral Reform. He is a leading voice on media activism and electoral reform.

Miller wastes no time diving into the gloom and doom. By page three of his wide-ranging, sarcasm-laden introduction, he suggests that the United States is headed toward a fascist state. While "the guardians of the establishment" on both sides of the aisle crow that American Democracy is a shining beacon for the world, Miller writes, our so-called free and fair elections are seriously corrupted. He argues the American media has done its darndest to rewrite history and that the Bush/Cheney "re-election" of 2004 was a "masterpiece of fraud."

R/S DFALink-up Party and Caucus watch

Mon, 31 Dec 2007 11:05:07 -0500

Please join us for a pot-luck supper and party, followed by a conference call with Jim Dean, Chair of DFA, from on the ground in Iowa to share his first-hand impressions.

For directions: 603- 659 2098

An Iowa Christmas for the Dodds

Tue, 25 Dec 2007 07:21:54 -0500

Gracie Dodd was worried that Santa would not find her in Iowa. Being only six, she probably didn't remember what else happens in her family on Christmas.

Wonder if Chris bothered to mention that when the baby Jesus was born, His mother and father were far from home, traveling to take part in a political process--the Roman census.

The American Dream: Alive and Well?

Thu, 20 Dec 2007 12:14:10 -0500

Is the American Dream -- that bedrock belief that if we work hard, we can get ahead and make a better life for ourselves and our children -- alive and well?

It depends on which Americans you have in mind.

A series of studies by The Economic Mobility Project (www.economicmobility.org), a bi-partisan initiative, reveals that while some groups continue to move up the ladder of success, others are facing a tough time. And for two significant groups – children born to low income parents and middle-income African-Americans – the picture appears even bleaker.

What is the Economic Mobility Project?

Funded and directed by The Pew Charitable Trusts, the Economic Mobility Project is a consortium of prominent scholars from four public policy institutions that cut across the political spectrum – the American Enterprise Institute, The Brookings Institution, The Heritage Foundation, and The Urban Institute.

The Project’s primary goal is to expand the current national economic debate about economic inequality to also include a fundamentally uniting discussion of opportunity and mobility. As such, and particularly in the lead-up to a presidential election, it is critical that candidates and policy makers are informed by the hard facts about mobility in America today.

Putting Women and Families First

Wed, 28 Nov 2007 04:42:59 -0500

SOURCE: Dodd Campaign

November 26, 2007 - 7:58pm

This week in Iowa Chris Dodd is rolling out his plan for Women and Families—a solid, comprehensive plan that will get results for women across the country. It tackles a range of issues including paid leave, equal pay, women’s health, and violence against women.

From women’s health issues, to child care support; pay equity, to a woman’s right to chose; Chris Dodd has been a strong advocate for women and their families, and his plan only reinforces his past leadership on this issue.

2004 CA election results nullified; election officials sanctioned by court: but will they re-vote on paper?

Fri, 13 Jul 2007 10:57:25 -0400

By Kim Zetter , July 12, 2007 | 7:12:24 PM
Categories: E-Voting

The results of a 2004 California election involving medical marijuana went up in smoke today after a local judge tentatively threw out the disputed results and sanctioned election officials for failing to hand over crucial electronic data from voting machines used in the election. The judge ruled that officials failed to preserve evidence stored on electronic voting machines involved in the election dispute before returning the machines to their manufacturer, Diebold Election Systems.

It's a small case but nonetheless an important win for voting activists who have, until now, not always found courts amenable to granting requests for data from voting machines.

What would Ben do?

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 13:41:51 -0400

Online Oreos send Congress a message

With “Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is” at PrioritiesNH.org,
citizens build their own federal budgets by stacking Oreo cookies

www.prioritiesnh.org

CONCORD, N.H. - As thousands of New Hampshire taxpayers put the finishing touches on their federal tax returns, a New Hampshire organization is encouraging them to ask “What would Ben do?”

Ben is Ben Cohen, president of Business Leaders for Sensible Priorities (and co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream). His animated image is the star of an award-winning Web video that demonstrates the federal discretionary budget using stacks of Oreo cookies. The video can be viewed on the PrioritiesNH Website at http://www.prioritiesnh.org/oreos/ .

Now Cohen’s PrioritiesNH campaign is letting the rest of us play. PrioritiesNH has posted a “Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is” game on its Web site at: http://www.prioritiesnh.org/oreos/ustack/ . The game allows users to do what Ben does: Shift Oreo cookies along a bar chart of the federal discretionary budget, with each cookie representing $10 billion in spending. After building their ideal budget, players click to the next page, which allows them to send their budget vision and a personal note to their Senators and Congressperson.

Bird-dog training in New London Feb. 25

Sat, 10 Feb 2007 06:29:30 -0500

A conference at Colby Sawyer College on Sunday, Feb 25 will give citizens the skills and tools they need to interact with Presidential candidates.

“Democracy in Action” will be held from 5 to 9 p.m. in Clement Hall of Colby Sawyer’s Ivey Center. The conference, which includes workshops on current issues and hands-on training on how to get candidates to answer your question, is free and open to the public.

Issue workshops will include Iraq and nuclear weapons; the federal budget; climate change; and water, trade policy and the environment.

Democracy in Action is co-sponsored by Colby-Sawyer Coalition for Peace & Justice, American Friends Service Committee, PrioritiesNH, NH Peace Action, and Carbon Coalition. For more information or to pre-register, contact Erin Placey at eplacey@afsc.org or 603-224-2407.

Coalition Exceeds 1000 Signatures, Recommends Decrim Similar to Other States

Tue, 06 Feb 2007 18:58:55 -0500

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Coalition Exceeds 1000 Signatures, Recommends Decrim Similar to Other States

Concord, NH (Feb. 5) -- The NH Coalition for Common Sense Marijuana Policy has announced that it will encourage legislators to support an amendment placing reasonable limits on the bill that would decriminalize marijuana in New Hampshire. Sponsored by Reps. Charles Weed (D-Keene), Paul Ingbretson (R-Haverhill), and Steve Vallaincourt (R-Manchester), House Bill 92 has been assigned to a subcommittee, which has not yet been scheduled to meet.

During the bill’s initial hearing before the House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee, bill sponsors encouraged representatives on the committee to craft amendments that would improve the bill, which currently places no limits on acceptable amounts for possession. This process could turn HB 92 into a workable “partial decrim” bill similar to those which are in effect in other states such as Maine.

Under current New Hampshire law, possession of even a trace amount of marijuana is treated as a misdemeanor; the “perpetrator” can face up to one year in prison and up to a $2000 fine. In Maine, possession of less than 1.25 ounces is a “civil violation” punishable only by a fine. “Partial decriminalization is a sensible, moderate reform that should garner broad support from all sides of the political spectrum,” explained Matt Simon, a spokesman for the Coalition. “There’s no good reason to put people through the system for simple possession. This will unclog our courts, conserve tax dollars, and allow police to focus their resources on serious crimes.”

PrioritiesNH lets NH citizens know where to find the candidates

Sat, 20 Jan 2007 12:08:14 -0500

PrioritiesNH is making it easy for New Hampshire citizens to reach out and touch the NH Presidential Primary candidates.

The Concord-based non-profit campaign for sensible budget priorities has posted a publicly-accessible candidate calendar on its Web site, at http://www.PrioritiesNH.org/birddog_calendar.php. The calendar is updated several times daily and can be sorted by the candidate name, the city or town he or she is visiting, the date, and the name of the event.

PrioritiesNH put its schedule online because, “We believe in the NH Primary and we want to encourage as many New Hampshire citizens as possible to be involved,” said PrioritiesNH Director Steve Varnum. “We also know that people in New Hampshire want a larger proportion of their taxes to go toward education, health care, renewable energy and job training, and less to Pentagon waste, and we’re helping them communicate that to the candidates.”

PrioritiesNH is working to change America's budget priorities to reflect a national commitment to education, healthcare, energy independence, job training and deficit reduction -- at no additional taxpayer expense -- by shifting funding from obsolete Cold War and nuclear weapons. A panel of military experts says the Pentagon wastes $60 billion each year on obsolete Cold War weapons and excessive nuclear weapons. A piece of legislation in Congress, the Common Sense Budget Act, would redistribute that $60 billion to domestic and international human needs.