CLINTONCOUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY NEWSLETTER    RETURN to the Home page

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June 13, 2005

WE?RE TRAINING WORKERS FOR THE 2006 ELECTIONS

If we're to alter the dangerous course our nation is following, we'll need the help of many Democratic workers.  We hope that you'll participate in the District workshop on Saturday, June 18 on the Northeast Iowa Community College Campus in Peosta.  A copy of the workshop brochure is on our website:      http://www.clintoncountydemocrats.org

We're all conservationists!  Consequently, we'd like to arrange to take as few cars or vans as possible.  Please notify Jean Pardee at jmpardee@mchsi.com  Dick Kissack at rkissack@clinton.net  or

Dave Keefer at gerikife@mchsi.com if you?re planning to go.

The first congressional district includes the following twelve counties in northeastern Iowa:  Butler, Bremer, Fayette, Clayton, Black Hawk, Buchanan, Delaware, Dubuque, Jones, Jackson, Clinton and Scott.

ADDITIONAL DEMOCRATIC EVENTS

Tuesday, June 21: The Clinton County Democratic Central Committee will meet at 7:30 P.M. at Democratic Headquarters.

Sunday, June 26:  Jackson County Democrats with whom we work closely will hold their annual steak fry at Kalmes Restaurant in St. Donatas.  The time is 4:30 - 7:00 P.M.  For more information and reservations contact Jackson County Chair David Kunzeiler  dk872@iowatelcom.net

Senator Roger Stewart  Roger Stewart  rstjls@netins.net

or Representative Tom Schueller  toms@willinet.net

WEBSITE UPDATE:   Our artistic workers did a beautiful job decorating the three layer cake - float for the June 4 parade.  Pictures of the float and the District workshop brochure may be accessed on our website.   http://www.clintoncountydemocrats.org/pictures.html

CONGRATULATIONS to Pat and Arnie Outzen who celebrated their 55th Anniversary last week.  Pat and Arnie have been dedicated and loyal workers in the Democratic Party for many years.  Their many children and grandchildren are an inspiration to all of us. The Outzen family demonstrates values that are shared by all members of the Democratic Party.

FORMULATING ISSUES AND PROGRAMS

Last Sunday a group of Democrats met with Rick Dickinson, candidate for Congress from the First Congressional District, to identify the major issues for the 2006 campaign and propose programs for solving our nation's many problems.  Among the major topics discussed were:

Developing the economy and providing job security for people in the first congressional district.

Reducing the number of abortions through social programs that help and don't punish expectant mothers.  Reversing Roe vs. Wade and criminalizing abortion won't work.  (Mr. Bush, read and learn from history.)

Providing affordable healthcare for all Americans.

Restoring respect for the United   States among the nations of the world.

Planning a strategy for ending the insurgency in Iraq and bringing our troops home.

Defining the role of the National Guard and providing appropriate training for our troops after identifying the type of combat in which they'll be engaged.

Setting objectives and exhausting all avenues of diplomacy before we go to war.

Restoring an atmosphere in Washington in which disagreement with administration proposals isn't met with charges of disloyalty and of being people without religious convictions.

We will be having many discussion sessions such as this. Take advantage of the opportunity to be involved in identifying the issues, setting goals and proposing solutions. If we're not happy with the course our government is taking, we need to work to change it.  The process should begin at the grassroots level.

NO PRESIDENT SHOULD LEAVE HIS HISTORY BOOKS BEHIND

'Insurgent warfare has allowed small, sparsely equipped forces to defeat large, well-organized armies despite massive imbalances in both manpower and equipment.  Unable to defeat their opponents in open, conventional battles, guerrillas seek a protracted conflict, winning small victories, conducting ambushes, and attacking supply lines.  In Spain, Napoleon's mighty army was repeatedly frustrated and bloodied by guerillas, which in turn helped inspire resistance to the French in other parts of Europe.  Ultimately, the French lost more soldiers in Spain than they did in Russia."  (Anthony James Joes in "The History and Politics of Counterinsurgency:  Resisting Rebellion")

Since the days of the Mighty Roman Empire, large armies of powerful nations have faced this problem.  If members of the Bush Administration had studied history, they might have learned from past mistakes.  They might have expected and been better prepared for the chaos that has occurred in Iraq.

The Cheney-Rumsfeld-Bush Triumvirate behaves as if everyone is naive if they think we can and should negotiate diplomatically with other nations.  It takes intelligence and knowledge of history and other cultures - something they seem to lack.  Webster defines naive as "marked by unaffected simplicity - showing lack of informed judgment"  Who are the real naive people?  The John Bolton-George Bush style "bluntness" of Texas oil well cowboys is insulting and makes me angry.   What does it do to people of other cultures?