From: Richard Kissack [rkissack@cis

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<= strong> CLINTON COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PAR= TY NEWSLETTER

“Needless to say, the President is correct. Whateve= r it was he said.”

--Former Secretary of Defense = Donald Rumsfeld--

http://www.clintoncountydemocrats.org<= /span>

Decem= ber 4, 2006

COMING EVENTS

Wednesday, December 6 – 5:30 P.M.

ERICKSEN COMMUNITY CENTER

You are cordially invited to attend the culminati= ng presentation of the design phase for the new Clinton Public Library. The presentation and discussion of= the plans will be led by Greg Gowey, partner in the architectural firm SGGM.

Sunday, December 10 – 3:00-6:00 P.M.

Clinton County Democratic Chai= r Jean Pardee will host a Christmas party at her home, 608 Meadowview Drive. All Democrats are invited. This party will replace the regula= r Democratic Central Committee meeting for December.&nb= sp; Please call Jean (RSVP) if you plan to attend so that we can have en= ough food and beverages: 242-8111 or = jmpardee@mchsi.com

THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE READY FOR A CHANGE

A great majority believe we’re headed in the wrong direction and want to turn things around.

“On November 7th, Americans m= ade a critical choice. No longer wi= ll the Republicans have control over our economy, our security and our role in the world. The consequences of in= action are enormous. Just look around the world. From the simmering war in Iraq to= the terrible genocide in Darfur, there is an urgent= need for a new American leadership, one that combines an unshakeable commitment = to the security of our people with respect for the values of others; one that restores the weight of our moral authority by returning to policies that reflect our democratic ideals; and one that not only is willing to act where our values require it, but that also brings the planning, flexibility and commitment that success demands.

“Here at home, the stakes are= just as high. The wreckage of Katrina laid bare the precipice that 37 million Americans living in poverty cling to every day. A year later, the poverty r= ate hasn't dropped a bit. Meanwhile, the number of Americans living without hea= lth insurance continues to grow and the gap between the very wealthiest and everybody else increases every day.

“With Democrats in the major= ity in the Senate instead of debating more tax cuts for the richest Americans, Senators will be debating more health-care for people who can't afford it. Instead of rubber-stamping extreme right wing judges, the Senate = will be ready to confirm experienced, mainstream judges who will protect a woman= 's right to choose. Instead of giving the Administration a blank check to run roughshod around the world, the Senate will demand accountability in our foreign and defense policy.” (President Bill Clinton – a highly respected World leader)

BUSH ADMINISTRATION IGNORES EXISTENCE OF GLOBAL WARMING=

(Proposed Republican Slogan:&n= bsp; Polluting the atmosphere is good for American businessmen.)

The U.S. Supreme Court has tackled the quest= ion of global warming for the first time. At issue is whether the Bush administration can refuse to regulate carbon emissions when the Clean Air Act specifically mandates regulations of all pollutants that may endanger public health or welfare, including effect= s on climate and weather. As a presidential candidate in 2000, George W. Bush pledged to regulate carbon emissions. But once elected, he did an about-face and rejected the recommendations of even his own EPA administrator.

Twelve states and a coalition of environment= al and public health groups have gone to court contending that they are being harmed by the EPA's failure to act. Massachusetts Attorney General Tom Reilly has said that his state and others are rapidly losing shoreline and gaining smog because of unchecked global warming. "It's unfortunate that the Comm= onwealth of Massachusetts and t= he other states that petitioned the United States Supreme Court had to be here today to force the EPA and the administration to do their job.” =

Inside the courtroom, the focus was on wheth= er the states, or anyone else for that matter, can get in the courtroom door to challenge the Bush administration's decision not to act. Milkey: "No matter what other countries do, reducing U.S. emissions would reduce the harm we would otherwise suffer. I want to emphas= ize that the dramatic rise in ocean levels means that New York could lose thousands of acres of its sovereign territory by the year 2020.<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> The administration may believe tha= t the requirements of the Clean Air Act are bad policy, but that doesn't give the administration freedom to ignore the law.”

Justice John Paul Stevens observed that the administration, by contending that there wasn't enough evidence on what cau= ses global warming, had selectively edited quotes from the a key government scientific report. The scientists who worked on that report, he noted, have filed a brief indicating there is far more certainty than the administration claims. (NPR Morning Edition 12-29-06: “Environment: High C= ourt Hears Its First Global Warming Case” by Nina Totenbe= rg)

DEMOCRATS PRACTICE TRUE AMERICAN VALUES

“With the help of many volunteers and the support of Democracy for America, I just unseated Republican Richard Pombo, an entrenched 14-year incumbent w= ho tried to undermine decades of environmental progress as Chair of the powerf= ul House Resources Committee. This was a people-powered victory. Back in June the pundits and power-brokers didn't think we could defeat one of Washington's most powerful congressmen. I = give thanks to everyone who helped our amazing campaign demonstrate that grassroots organizing works, no matte= r the political odds.

“The U.S. Agriculture Department just released the annual report that measures Americ= ans' access to food. The study found that 35 million Americans didn't have enough money or resources to get food last year. In South Carolina, the number of people without food increased by almost 50% from 1998.=

“The Bush administration would like to wallpaper over these facts, by first delaying = the report and then deleting the word "hunger" and replacing it with = the term "very low food security." They seem to think hunger in America should be swept under the rug with an Orwellian name change rather than cha= nge policy based on the facts. Wi= th your dedication and commitment to change, we are turning our country around= . Thank you for everything you do to br= ing America= together.” = (Jerry McNerney Congressman--Elect California's 11th District)

<= strong> = CLINTON COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PAR= TY NEWSLETTER

“The message could not be clearer: Americans have rejec= ted rank partisanship and

now want to see both parties work together and address the nation’= ;s problems.”

--Mortimer B. Zuckerman, Editor-in-Chief, U.S. News & World Report--

http://www.clintoncountydemocrats.org<= /span>

Decem= ber 10, 2006

COMING EVENTS

Sunday, December 10 – 3:00-6:00 P.M.

Clinton County Democratic Chai= r Jean Pardee will host a Christmas party at her home, 608 Meadowview Drive. All Democrats are invited. This party will replace the regular Democratic Central Committee meeting for December.

THE LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS ARE COMING

= Our work isn’t over. Now we need to do everything possi= ble to make sure that the Democratic campaign promises are enacted into law by Con= gress and the Iowa State Legislature. We can do this by writing letters and emails, phoning and attending public gatherings that are sponsored by the office holders. We should be familiar with the Democratic Platform and make sure that the people we helped elect refer to = it frequently. Links to the plat= form and names and addresses of Legislators, Congressmen and Senators will be fo= und on our website.

http://www.clintoncountydemocrats.org

= ;

STATE SENATOR ROGER STEWART’S PLAN F= OR A SECURE FUTURE

Create a lifetime of opportunity through quality education.
Insure our future by insuring the health of our citizens.
Create a healthy and prosperous Iowa through Iowa grown fu= els.
Provide relief and security for Iowa senior citizens.
Enforce the law and protect our communities.
Eliminate state taxes on Social Security and other retirement benefits. Sen= iors shouldn’t have to pay taxes twice on this income.
Pass increased standards for nursing home care and support the hiring of additional nursing home inspectors so seniors in nursing homes receive the care they deserve.
To learn more about my plans please visit my websit= e at http://www.stewartforsenate.= com

AS USUAL REPUBLICANS CONCENTRATE ON THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUES

Governor Mitt Romney wants gay-marriage ban on Massachusetts Ballot.

Massachusetts Governo= r Mitt Romney (R) said that he will ask the state's highest court this week to ord= er a ballot question on same-sex marriage if legislators fail to vote on the mat= ter when they reconvene in January. Romney said he will ask a justice of the state's supreme judicial co= urt to direct the secretary of state to place the question on the ballot if lawmakers do not vote directly on the question Jan. 2, the final day of the current session. Romney's term as governor expires in January.

"A decision not = to vote is a decision to usurp the Constitution, to abandon democracy and substitute a form of what this nation's founders called tyranny, that is, t= he imposition of the will of those in power, on the people," Romney said earlier. "The issue now be= fore us is not whether same-sex couples should marry. The issue before us today = is whether 109 legislators will follow the Constitution."

"One= of the tenets of the Constitution is that you do not put the rights of a minor= ity up for a popularity contest," said Marc Solomon, campaign director for Mass Equality, which supports same-sex marriage. "It is one of the very principles this country was founded upon." = (by David Weber, Associated Press, Monday, November 20, 2006)

DEMOCRATS FIND LESSONS IN GOP = REIGN

NEW MAJORITY IS MINDFUL OF RIVAL’S MISTAKES, SUCCESSES

Democrats preparing to take control of Congress for the first time in over a decade a= re looking to the Republican takeover in 1995 as an object lesson of what to emulate and what to avoid. They hope to match the legislative energy of the Newt Gingrich era while avoiding at all costs the partisan pitfalls that eventually soured voters on the GOP.

Led by a = feisty Nevada senator a= nd the first woman in history to claim the House speaker's post, the long-banished= Democrats hope to prove their bona fides as lawmakers and challenge a President from = the other party to accept their agenda, a game plan taken straight from the Gingrich era's "Contract With America."= ; They also intend to challenge President Bush to change course in Iraq and consider their demands for a timetable for withdrawing U.S. troops.

"Wha= t they did was very effective in pulling up all the ladders for any other party to gain the majority," incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif= .) said last week of the Gingrich revolutionaries. "They just shut the do= ors to debate on the floor, to amendments coming, to even how special orders [speeches] were conducted. Everything they were effective in using to gain = the majority they shut down. We're going to do the opposite." <= /span>

House Democratic leaders have put forward an ambitious opening salvo for January,= a 100-hour legislative blitz that includes raising the minimum wage, boosting alternative-energy research and repealing tax breaks for oil companies. They also want to beef up seaport screening, expand college tuition assistance, boost stem cell research and allow the federal government to negotiate lower drug prices under Medicare.

House Dem= ocrats also hope to approve rules changes to limit the influence of lobbyists, off= er the minority party more input on legislation, cu= rb home-state pet projects in spending bills and, possibly, give the District of Columbia voting rights on the House floor.

But once = the 100 hours or so pass, pressure will mount on Democrats to confront what many liberals see as the misdeeds of Bush and the Republican Party. The party's = base is clamoring for Democrats to repeal tax cuts skewed to the affluent, to revisit the new law authorizing military tribunals for terrorism suspects a= nd to investigate the run-up to the Iraq invasion.

Such calls raise memories of the aggressive -- and ultimately self-destructive -- stance that House Republicans took when they stormed to power in the 1994 election and later voted to impeach President Bill Clinton, only to see Clinton= acquitted in the Senate. = &nb= sp; (By Jo= nathan Weisman Washington Post Staff Writer -- Sunday, November 12, 2006)

<= /span>

<= strong> = CLINTON COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY NEWSLETTER

“= Vietnam? You t= hink you have to tell me about Vietnam? Of co= urse, Iraq won’t be Vietnam.

We are going to go in, overthrow Sa= ddam, get out. That’s it.”

--Former Secretary= of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, 2003--

http://www.clintoncountydemocrats.org

December 18, 2006

COMI= NG EVENTS

Wednesday December 20^{th -} 5:45 P.M.

Community Gatherin= g With Governor Tom Vilsack

at the home of Roy <= span class=3DSpellE>Farnum

712 West 8^th Street<= span style=3D'color:black'>, Daven= port, IA

If you have any questions or would like to RSVP please call (515) 283-2008.

COMING IN JANUARY

POLLY BUKTA’S ANNUAL CHILI SUPPER

Thursday, January = 4 - 5:00 – 7:00 P.M. Lyons Depot

Suggested Donation $10.00

State Representative and House Speaker pro-tempore Polly Bukta’s annual chili su= pper and pre-legislative session review and fund raiser. All the chili (mild, moderate or hot) you care to eat plus many toppings, corn bread, dessert, coffee, milk,= beer etc. Polly will give her assessment of the 2007 Iowa Legislative session which starts Monday, Januar= y 8.

<= /span>

NEWS= ABOUT THE IOWA GENERAL ASSEMBLY

v You can follow the= work of the Iowa Legislature and find information about individual legislators by going to their website: http://www.legis.state.ia.us

v &nbs= p; The first regular session of the 82^nd Iowa General Assemby will convene on Monday, January, 8, 2007.

v &nbs= p; Senat= or Roger Stewart will serve as chairman of the Senate Economic Growth Committe= e.

v &nbs= p; Repre= sentative Polly Bukta will serve as President Pro Tempore= of the House and assistant majority leader. Her committee assignments for = this upcoming session are: Education, Transportation, Local Government and Veterans Affairs.

v &nbs= p; Tom <= span class=3DSpellE>Schueller’s committee assignments are: Economic Growth, Judiciary, Local Government, Ways and Means (Vice Chair) and Economic Growth Budget Sub-committee

AFTE= R MORE THAN THIRTY YEARS OF STAGNATION UNDER

REPU= BLICAN DOMINATION, IOWA WILL BEGIN PROGRESS

NOT = SEEN SINCE THE 1960’S

The Democrats of the Iowa House of Representatives believe in the American drea= m as the opportunity to prosper, be educated, have satisfying work, own a home, support a family, give back to the community and= to retire securely. =

Some of the Democratic proposals for the upcoming sessio= n. Democrats want to

v raise the minimum w= age in Iowa from $5.15 an hour to $7.25 an hour by 2009. Th= is is the first bill that will be debated on the floor and signed by every Democr= at.

v expand job training= opportunities at Community Colleges.=

v allow small businesses to pool their workforces so they have the ability to obtain cheaper health insurance rates for themselves and their employees.=

v make college more affordable - bring down tuition costs and limit future increases.

v expand work-study programs to help students pay for college costs.

v strengthen our schools, our economy a= nd our use of natural resources.=

v give all children access to stimulati= ng child care and preschool.

v have rigorous curricula and highly qualified teachers from pre-K-12 in all schools.

v raise teachers̵= 7; salaries to the national mean or to 25th in the nation within five years

v make Iowa the "Green State". Iowa has energy alternatives - corn based ethanol, soy ba= sed diesel and wind energy. We plan to bring together the best academic, research and business minds to give us direction on alternative energy policies. We want to make Iowa a national leader in the manufacturing of equipment = and technology for the use of alternative energy sources. This in turn wi= ll create good paying jobs, lower fuel prices and provide more national securi= ty through less reliance on foreign oil.

v reduce commercial property taxes on <= /span>Iowa businesses without shifting taxes to homes and farms= with the goal to make I= owa more competitive with states in our region.

(The above information was supplied to = our newsletter by Representative Polly Bukta.)=

Democrats t= hink the glass is half full.

Republicans think the glass is theirs.

THE = BUSH ADMINISTRATION IGNORES VETERANS’ NEEDS

--The Democratic Party has a heart. It is the Party of values.—

Soldiers Say Army Ignores, Punishes Mental Anguish<= /span>

Medical records show that when Tyler Jenn= ings returned from Iraq last year, he was severely depressed and used drugs = to cope. When the sergeants who ran his platoon found out, they started to haze him. He came close to hanging himself after officials said they would kick = him out of the Army. (This is jus= t one of many first hand accounts.)

Referring to soldiers with post-traumatic st= ress disorder (PTSD), recently retired sergeant Nathan Towsley told NPR = that "I don't like people who are weak-minded." He said he'd never be caught going to a therapist. Since that interview, he's acknowledged that h= e's depressed and has trouble controlling his anger. He has just started therap= y.

Soldiers face obstacles to mental health services.&= nbsp; Army studies show that at least 20 percent to 25 percent of the sold= iers who have served in Iraq display symptoms of serious mental-health problems, including depression, substance abuse and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Administration officials say there are extensive programs to heal soldiers both at home and in Iraq. Milit= ary officials say that soldiers diagnosed with PTSD or other serious mental-hea= lth disorders can attend group therapy sessions at their Army bases. But soldie= rs at Ft.<= /ns0:PlaceType> C= arson said that in some cases, the group sessions make the= m feel more upset, not better.

Soldier Michael Lemke attended those sessions before he was discharged from the Army because of PTSD and other medical disabilities. As Lemke and others told NPR, Army therapists told soldiers t= hey were not permitted to criticize Army officers during the therapy sessions -- even though officers were allegedly harassing and punishing them for being emotionally "weak."

Soldiers fill out questionnaires when they return from Iraq that are supposed to warn officials if they might be= getting depressed, or suffering from PTSD, or abusing alcohol or drugs. But many soldiers at Ft. Carson say that even though they acknowledged on the questionnaires that they were having disturbing symptoms, nobody at the base followed up to make sure they got appropriate support. A study by the investigative arm of Congress, the Government Accountability Office, sugges= ts it's a national problem: GAO found that about 80 percent of the soldiers who showed potential signs of PTSD were not referred for mental health follow-u= ps.

Soldiers who seek mental-health help are repeatedly cited for misconduct, then purged fro= m the ranks. Most of these soldiers= are leaving the Army with less than an "honorable discharge" -- which= an Army document warns "can result in substantial prejudice in your civil= ian life." In other words, the Army is pushing them out in disgrace. (Condensed from a report by Daniel= Zwerdling and Anne Hawke on NPR Morning Edition 12-4-= 06)

<= strong> CLINTON COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY NEWSLETTER

“= ;Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in = the final sense,

a t= heft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not cloth= ed.”
--Dwight D. Eisenhower-->

http://www.clintoncountydemocrats.org

December 25, 2006

COMING IN JANUARY

POLLY BUKTA’S ANNUAL CHILI SUPPER

Thursday, January 4 - 5:00 – 7:00 P.M. Lyons Depot

Suggested Donation $10.00

State Representative and House= Speaker pro-tempore Polly Bukta’s annual chili sup= per and pre-legislative session review and fund raiser. All the chili (mild, moderate or hot) you care to eat plus many toppings, corn bread, dessert, coffee, milk,= beer etc. Polly will give her assessment of the 2007 Iowa Legislative session which starts Monday, Januar= y 8.

A PRAYER FOR PEA= CEFUL RESOLUTIONS OF OUR DIFFERENCES

v Please give us leaders who will resp= ect the wishes of the majority of Americans and seek to solve problems around t= he world with intelligence and peaceful diplomacy.

v Give us leaders who will resto= re integrity, respect and high moral values with all nations.

v Give us leaders who will work = with other nations respecting their ideas, diversity and independence.

v Give us leaders who are tolera= nt and humble and who will lead without the secrecy, animosity, deceitfulness and arrogance that has been characteristic of the United States government during the past six years.

v Give us leaders who take steps= to bring good health care, education and sanitary conditions to all people and gain respect as the nation that seeks peaceful resolution to problems.

v Give us leaders who are aware = of and care about the problems of ordinary people.

IOWA SENATE COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS

(81^st= Iowa General Assembly – 2006)

(82^nd General Assembly – 2007 not yet available.)

Senator Roger Stewart:<= /b> Appropriations, Economic Growth, Commerce, Local Government, Ways and Means= .

Senator Frank Wood: Education, Human Resources, Natural Resources and Environment, State Government.

LET = THERE BE PEACE ON EARTH

On December 3, 2006 Tim Russert interviewed the 39= ^th President of the = United States, Jimmy Carter on ‘Meet the Press’ concerni= ng Mr. Carter’s 21^st book “Palest= ine Peace Not Apartheid”. Mr. Russert as= ked the former President if that title alone is going to create some controversy. Mr. Carter’s reply:

“If the book provokes debate a= nd assessment and disputes and arguments and maybe some action in the Middle E= ast to get the peace process—which is now completely absent or dormant—rejuvenated and brings peace, ultimately to= Israel, that’s what I want.”

In the interview Mr. Russert asked: “Let me take you back to Janu= ary 11, 1976. You were on ‘MEET THE PRESS’ and asked about the Middle East and about a Palestinian state. Do you 30 years later still agree with what you said?”

Governor Jimmy Carter: “I think w= hen we get down to the last stages of solving the Middle Eastern question, which I hope we can do in the future, the recognition of the Palestinians as an ent= ity with the right to have their own nation, to choose their own government, to exist in a territory, possibly on the West Bank and maybe the East Bank of = the Jordan, is an integral part of an ultimate solution.

“I would not recognize the Palestinian Liberation Organization, the PLO, nor t= heir leaders under any circumstances, diplomatically, until they recognize the r= ight of Israel to exist in peace in the= ir present location in the Middle East. I think that ultimately Israel might have to withdraw to—from some of the boundaries, toward their 1967 boundaries. There’s some that I would not cede if I were the premier of Israel. One would be control by the Syrians of the Golan Heights and I would not relinquish control of the Jewish and Christian worship places in = Jerusalem, but I think the recognition of the Palestinians as an entity and as a nation will be an integral part of the future of Middle Eastern settlement.”<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> (Comment: When he became President in 2001, = George W. Bush abandoned the peace talks in the Middle East= . Talks successively initiated and p= ursued by President Clinton were ignored.)

MANY REPUBLICAN POSITIONS ARE INTOLERABLE

“Where did this idea come from that everybody deserves free education? It’s like free groceries. It comes from= Moscow. From = Russia! Strai= ght out of the pit of hell.” (Republican Representative Debbie Riddle, Austin, Texas, March = 5, 2005 from Molly Ivins’ book “Bushwacked”.)

The Iowa Association of School Boards has for several years recommended that a = 6% annual allowable growth in school district budgets is necessary to maintain good schools without cutting programs and teachers. Here is a typical Republican response:   “Schools= aren’t likely to see 6% allowable growth. The Legislature will probably go with a 4% figure which would match the level provided in the last several years.”   Republic= an Representative Tom Sands from <= ns0:City>Columbus Junct= ion. As usual the Republicans have their heads in the sand. Where do t= hey get a 4% figure that continues to cause cuts in school programs and the qua= lity of teachers we’re able to attract to Iowa?

“From July to November of 2006 four popular young men in Caruthersville, Missouri<= /ns0:place> hanged themselves with a belt from a clothing bar in= a closet. Police, school and ch= urch officials have found no evidence of a suicide pact or direct connection bet= ween the deaths. The deaths have h= it hard in this region known for sprawling fields of cotton, rice and soybeans. About one-third of the 6,700 residents in Caruthersville live below= the poverty line.” (Asso= ciate Press in the Quad-City Times, Sunday, Dec. 17)

“Too many young people today do not have the same hope for the future that they = did when I was growing up. When I= was a child, I was full of hope and expectation.= Today, there are far too many children in this country who feel trap= ped in hopeless poverty. They hav= e no expectations.”    (Bernard Rapoport, Austin= : University of Texas Press, 2002)

<= /span>

WE S= HOULD HAVE LISTENED TO THE RUSSIANS

“When the campaign in <= ns0:country-region>Iraq started, Russians were always saying it's not easy a= t all, because you have Sunnis and Shiites, and you will not end up with a great success very quickly. And now again, we think we need to speak with = Iran. We don't believe if you start bombing them tomorrow= , or if you impose very strict sanctions, you will be successful. For you Iran is somewhere like Iraq---for us it is more dangerous. Neither economic nor military force w= ill be as productive as diplomacy in dealing with nonproliferation. We should = all be more cautious.” ( Igor <= span class=3DSpellE>Shuvalov, a top economic aide to Russian President Putin, who was in Washington to met= with U.S. National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley.)

GEORGE W. BUSH:    REVERSING WORLD PROGRE= SS ONE DAY AT A TIME