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.

DFA-MC Monthly Meeting
November 5, 2008
Wednesday 6:30pm
My Mother’s Restaurant
4130 N. 19th Ave. Phoenix, AZ, 85015

Agenda:

Debrief Election Day activities, especially items relevant to election integrity.  This will be a moderated discussion. Reports will be gathered on any incidents, so please bring notes, 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.

Alternative I.D. – Two Required (Non-photo I.D. with name & address):
* Utility bill dated within 90 days of election (electric, gas, water, solid waste, sewer, telephone, mobile phone or cable bill)
* Bank or Credit Union statement dated within 90 days of the election
* Valid Arizona vehicle registration
* Vehicle insurance card
* Indian census card
* Tribal enrollment card or other form of Tribal identification
* Property tax statement of the voter’s residence
* Valid United States federal, state or local government issued I.D.
* Voter registration card or Recorder’s certificate
* Your browser may not support display of this image.Any “Official Election Material” bearing the voter’s name and address (official post card with I.D. requirements and polling site or voter I.D. card)

VOTE DEMOCRATIC!

Source:
http://www.azsos.gov/election/Prop_200/poll_identification.htm

Call Maricopa County Elections Dept. at 602-506-1511 to:
* Request an Early Ballot , either for each election, OR Permanent Early Ballot (requests must be received by the second Friday before the election)
* Check on your Early Ballot request if you have not received one within five (5) business days

Call to request a replacement ballot if:
* You need to make a correction or change for any reason
* If you have stray marks on the ballot
* If you wait until Election Day for a new ballot, you will vote a provisional ballot

ALL Ballots:
* Mark ballots with BLACK BALL POINT PEN ONLY
* Fill in the gap completely
* You DO have the right to vote a provisional ballot

Find Your Poll Location: http://recorder.maricopa.gov/

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

This week, please call your House Members and ask them to oppose HCR2045 and HCR2044. Please tell them to protect the citizens’ rights to the initiative process.

HCR2045 county officers; elections; technical correction (Adams) has a strike everything amendment on initiative and referendum. It refers to the ballot yet another constitutional amendment that if approved would significantly restrict the right to refer legislation via the initiative process. It requires that the signatures for an initiative be turned into the Secretary of State on December 31 of the year before the election rather than four months prior to the election. This is done without reducing the required number of signatures, so will erect a huge barrier to referring measures by those without deep pockets. It also will mean the Legislature has even more of an opportunity to refer competing measures. It changes the voting requirements for amending a citizen initiative passed by the voters from a 3/4 vote to a 2/3 vote, says it must further the intent of the people versus further the purposes and it allows changes to “correct problems.” You can only guess what the legislature might see as a problem. This would significantly weaken the Voter Protection Act, which was passed after years of frustration with the Legislature weakening measures passed by the people. It includes numerous other provisions as well.

HCR2044 voter-protection; temporary budgetary suspension (Pearce, Barnes, Biggs, et al) refers to the ballot a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow the legislature to reduce appropriations for measures approved by the voters in any year where there was a projected budget deficit. This would eviscerate the Voter Protection Act. It passed out of the House 32-27-1 and has been assigned to Appropriations in the Senate. OPPOSE. Please ask your legislators to oppose this one too.

To find your House members’ contact information just click or paste this website into your browser:

http://www.azleg.gov/memberRoster.asp?Body=H

Or you can call (602) 926-4221 or outside the Phoenix area 1-800-352-8404 and just ask to be connected to your representative’s office.

~ Thanks for your consideration ~

Over the last few weeks, a special-interest group with a partisan political agenda has run misleading ads to create a culture of fear across the country.These ads, which the nonpartisan, non-profit FactCheck.org has called “false” and “misleading,” have caused a great deal of confusion about an important debate in Congress. They even alleged our ability to conduct “surveillance against terrorists is crippled.”

This is patently false.

Through the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA, our intelligence community has the full ability and authority to intercept suspected terrorist communications to prevent attacks. FISA is not, as some have implied, going to expire.

Read the rest of Congressman Harry Mitchell’s article at:
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/opinions/articles/0318mitchell18.html

Respond to the article:
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/opinions/sendaletter.html

Let Harry know we appreciate it when he steps up:

D.C. Office: 2434 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, D.C.
20515
(202) 225-2190
District Office: 7201 East Camelback Road, Suite 335, Scottsdale,
Arizona 85251
(480) 946-2411

or online:
http://mitchell.house.gov/contact/

The DFA-MC Media Response Team is active and you are invited to join in at:

http://groups.google.com/group/dfa-mc

The election is April 1, but you can vote by mail if you request your early ballot by the end of this week, March 21. To do that, go to [& see a map of the districts]:

http://www.srpnet.com/elections/

and put in your voter and property info. Everyone on the deed gets a fraction of the vote for that property, if they’re a registered voter.

This election can really make a difference, because there can be as few as 200 total voters in one SRP region, such as our SRP “Precinct 8″ (not to be confused with your ordinary precinct designation).

I don’t know about the other SRP regions, but in ours there is a good candidate I have met, Amanda Ormond. I haven’t talked with her or anyone else about my sending out this info, which I am doing entirely on my own. But she has a web site at

http://www.amandaforsrp.org/

if you want to see more about her. It’s a chance to get someone on the SRP board who cares about the environment and is not just put in by the farmers and developers.

- Bruce M., Tempe, AZ