To order your tickets Press “Dollars for Democracy“.

5pm – 9pm; China Chili’s 302 E Flower St (@ 3rd St.), Phoenix

$30 for members; $40 for non-members

Our actions over the next few days and weeks will be critical in building the support we need to win.

Meanwhile, conservative groups have launched a new assault on inclusion of a public healthcare option like Medicare. Their million-dollar ad campaign claims that healthcare will be rationed and “bureaucrats” will “decide the treatments you receive.” It’s an old message that you and I know isn’t true, but it will stick if we don’t fight back with our message of Choice, Competition, and Comfort.*

So we’re holding an emergency online briefing on Monday night with Governor Howard Dean, M.D. at 9pm Eastern to make sure we’re all ready for the fight ahead. This is a joint Stand with Dr. Dean event hosted by MoveOn, one of our biggest campaign partners.

All you need to join in is a computer with speakers and an internet connection. Please join us.

Emergency Online Briefing with Dr. Dean
Monday, May 4, 9pm Eastern / 6PM Arizona[Mountain]

Hosted on MoveOn.org’s web site at:
http://www.moveon.org/drdean/?id=16038-3139585-xg0J2sx&t=7

Last time Democrats tried to pass comprehensive healthcare reform, it failed. And it failed in part because the opposition was better organized and spread a bunch of lies that progressives weren’t prepared to rebut.

It’s up to us to make sure that doesn’t happen again. We need all hands on deck, well-armed with the critical information, and motivated to keep the right from blocking real change. Dr. Dean will give us an update and inside look at the battle for real healthcare reform — and the key actions we’ll take to achieve a historic victory.

With an important Senate committee meeting on Tuesday to start shaping legislation, plus the right wing’s escalating attacks, this couldn’t be more urgent.

I’ll be part of the emergency briefing, and I really hope you can join me at this crucial moment. Join us online Monday night at 9pm Eastern — that’s 8pm Central, 7pm Mountain, and 6pm Pacific — this way everyone in the country can join us at the same time.

CLICK HERE ON MONDAY AT 9PM EASTERN TO JOIN US ONLINE

I look forward to ’seeing’ you on the call.

- Arshad Hasan, Executive Director, Democracy for America

P.S. If you would like to share a personal healthcare horror story or submit a specific question for Dr. Dean before the event, you can do that by clicking here.

* Check out www.StandwithDrDean.com/FAQ for talking points on how an open-access public healthcare option offers Choice, Competition, and Comfort.

But our work isn’t over yet. Go to StandWithDrDean.com right now and sign Gov. Howard Dean’s healthcare petition. But don’t stop there. Ask your family, friends and neighbors, and get them to sign it, too.

SIGN GOV. HOWARD DEAN’S HEALTHCARE PETITION

We need you to take action now in order to reach our goal of 250,000 on time, and that’s why we need your help today is getting the word out.

Recruiting your Group Members and friends to sign this petition is just as important as signing it yourself. It’s like Gov. Dean said on Wednesday night’s conference call: to win this fight, we need to know who our allies are, and where they are.

TAKE THE PLEDGE AND TELL YOUR FRIENDS TO STAND WITH DR. DEAN

“If Barack Obama’s healthcare plan gets changed to exclude a public option like Medicare, then it is not healthcare reform. Legislation rises and falls on whether the American public is allowed to choose a universally available public option or not. If they are allowed to choose Medicare as an option, this bill will be real healthcare reform. If they’re not, we could be back fighting about it for another 20 years before anybody tries again.”

http://standwithdrdean.com

DFA-MC Monthly Meeting
January 7, 2008
Wednesday 6:30pm
El Penasco Restaurant
19 E Broadway Rd, Tempe, AZ 85282

Agenda:

The legislative session is going to be in full force very soon. Carol Corsica will present a PowerPoint of AZ Legislature basics. We will be discussing possible legislation regarding Election Integrity. Let’s review the changes we were looking for and what we might be concerned about that could be introduced by the SOS, etc.

We meet together the first Wednesday of each month. Bring a friend and enjoy an evening of politics, activist information, planning and friendly conversation. Click here to RSVP.

I want to thank everyone and encourage everyone moving forward.  Thirty-eight days before an election, we pulled together this event on top of every other walk, conference, fundraiser, political action and during the midst of all that we are being bombarded with on the national scene–rush to bailout like the rush to war. Dr. Phillips was an interesting speaker. He was passionate about what he found, and I am looking forward to hearing him on Cynthia’s show today. Dr Phillips started his efforts downloading election results using a dial-up modem.His message was clear, citizen activism and honest political leaders helped dig out the truth in Ohio.

Problems that he discovered:

* Prepunched ballots

* Tampering using stickers on optical scan ballots

* Anomalies in the ballots with people voting distinctly contradictory ways on the same ballot–in favor of gay marriage and a Bush supporter

* Married couples in the same household voting in different precincts.

* Electronic votes fading away

* Uncounted provisional ballots because they were cast in the wrong precinct

* Hacking the vote in Miami County and elsewhere

* Homeland security alert in Warren County that barred reporters and others from watching the vote count

Dr Phillips Conclusions:

* The ballots need to be paper and hand counted at the precincts on election night in full public view

* The Democratic Party was an accessory to the Republican crime and is unwilling to challenge the system that sustains them as well when they are in power, making the major political parties obsolete

* The Libertarian and Green parties challenged the Ohio election

* We have an illegitimate government because our elections are unverifiable. Gerrymandered districts, and outrageously expensive campaign financing compound the problem.

At the event:

* He proposed an election day holiday or weekend voting but did not think vote by mail was the answer due to the long chain of custody issue.

A number of us worked several weekends to develop the workshops.   Cathy, Judy, Randall, and Dan worked especially hard on workshop material and getting materials printed.  Toby, Doris, Virginia, and Cynthia worked on printing and getting the word out with websites and flyers.  We had the technical expertise of Barry, Fran and Dan. John and Jim have been working hard to bring transparency to Pima County Elections and export their expertise and resources to Maricopa County.   Thank you all.

As Cathy Kladis always ends her emails.

PEACE

Keep the faith and keep up the good fight!!!
Carol

Barack Obama answered the 14 top science questions facing America, according to ScienceDebate2008.com, the group leading the effort to make key science issues a larger part of the election.

“Most of America’s major unsolved challenges revolve around these 14 questions. To move America forward, the next president needs a substantive plan for tackling them going in, and voters deserve to know what that plan is,” said Shawn Otto, CEO of the initiative. “We’re pleased that Senator Obama has provided voters with that substantive plan, and we’re hoping for similarly thoughtful responses from Senator McCain.”

Senator Obama’s full responses can be found at:
http://www.sciencedebate2008.com/www/index.php?id=40

The top 14 questions address energy policy, national security, economics in a science-driven global economy, climate change, education, health care, ocean health, biosecurity, clean water, space, stem cells, scientific integrity, genetics, and research.

The 14 questions were developed from over 3,400 questions submitted by more than 38,000 signers of the ScienceDebate2008 initiative. The questionnaire is a joint effort led by ScienceDebate2008, with Scientists and Engineers for America, AAAS, the National Academies, the Council on Competitiveness, and several other organizations, together representing over 125 million voters.

“Ensuring that the U.S. continues to lead the world in science and technology will be a central priority for my administration,” said Senator Obama. “Our talent for innovation is still the envy of the world, but we face unprecedented challenges that demand new approaches.”

Recent national polls have shown that 85% of voters would like the see the candidates debate these challenges, and the majority of voters are much more likely to vote for a candidate that has a plan for tackling these issues.

“We are grateful for Senator Obama’s detailed responses and look forward to receiving the same from Senator McCain,” said Matthew Chapman, president of the initiative. “After that we hope the candidates will want to discuss their differences. Science Debate 2008 and its partners once again extend an invitation to both candidates to attend a televised debate or forum where these vital issues can be discussed in front of a broader audience.”

Solving the climate crisis means first solving the democracy crisis.

http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/243

[Friday], in a 6-4 vote, the House Judiciary Committee amended Bill SCR 1042, a bill that would have established Vietnam Veterans Memorial Day, to strike everything and replace it with the Marriage Amendment language.

Despite the fact that Arizona voters rejected it when they voted to down Proposition 107, and despite the fact that the House of Representatives had already defeated the measure in this session, Arizona Legislators still have to deal with the proposed constitutional amendment to define marriage.

Apparently this legislature is more interested in working for Cathi Herrod than in solving real problems such as the budget crisis.

TAKE ACTION NOW to stop this divisive bill from moving forward. Let your representatives know that you want them to oppose SCR 1042 as amended, and to oppose any other effort to put an anti-equality marriage bill on the agenda.

Send an email or phone call to the following decision makers:
Representative Jim Weiers- 602-926-4173 jweiers@azleg.gov j
Senator Tim Bee- President of the Senate – tbee@azleg.gov – 602-926-5683
And your representatives: http://www.azleg.gov/MemberRoster.asp?Body=S

Just counting the zeroes on the $3 trillion price tag of the Iraq War is enough to induce hyperventilation. But what does $3 trillion really mean? It’s difficult even to comprehend a number that big. Well, try filling your shopping cart with what the cost of the Iraq War could buy: healthcare for every American? A new home for every subprime borrower now facing foreclosure? An Ivy League university? You haven’t even gotten started. -Nobel prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz

The cost of the Iraq War is a grave issue. Our friends at Brave New Films are committed to spreading awareness about the devastating financial toll the war is taking on each and every one of us, let alone our economy.

$3 trillion. That is what Nobel prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz estimates the war will cost our country. Make no mistake, this $3 trillion bill is crippling our economy and causing our Iraq recession. To put this colossal amount of cash into perspective, we’ve designed a game to help people really understand what $3 trillion dollars can buy. Get ready to go on a 3 Trillion Dollar Shopping Spree!

When the war was already hurting our economy two years ago, President Bush announced that Americans should go shopping-a brilliant plan to remedy our ailing economy. So follow the President’s advice in this virtual shopping bonanza and rack up a $3 trillion tab like he has in real life. All you have to do is stroll down through our online store, add items to your cart for yourself or friends, and check out. It’s just that easy!

Whether you buy serious gifts like health care for all Americans or frivolous ones like building the world’s tallest building, we hope you’ll begin to see just how far $3 trillion could go and help others understand the cost of this war.

This “game” is designed to build further awareness, and we need your help to make that happen, just as you have done on previous successful campaigns from FOX Attacks to the War on Greed to Hurricane Katrina recovery. Please buy gifts for your all your friends and loved ones, and send them e-mails to let them know you’ve found better ways to spend our nation’s money than the President. We need to help Americans understand the war’s economic toll.

Yours in shopping,

Robert Greenwald and the Brave New Spenders

Watch the video:

http://3trillion.org/?play=1?utm_source=rgemail

A new study by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and the Economic Policy Institute demonstrates how the gap between America’s wealthiest families and those at the bottom and in the middle has grown since the late 1980’s.

In their analysis of U.S. Census data, the two groups found that low and middle income families gained little as others prospered since the late 1990’s. Those in the lowest fifth of incomes saw their average incomes decline by 2.5%, while those in the middle rose by just 1.3% while the most fortunate fifth of families saw their incomes rise by 9%.

Had the study included income from capital gains, the disparities would certainly have been greater. The study includes a breakdown by state that shows significant differences among western states.