From: Richard Kissack [rkissack@cis

= &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; RETURN to Home page=
= &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; = = &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; = RETURN to Newsletter Archive

<= /span> CLINTON COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY NEWSLETT= ER

̶= 0;Everywhere immigrants have enriched and strengthened

the fabric of American life.”--John F. Kennedy--

http://www.clintoncountydemocrats.org

Febru= ary 5, 2007

(715 = days until we’re out of the Bushes.)

COMING EVENTS

Saturday, February 10

LEGISLATIVE FORUMS

(Please notice the revised times from the newsletter last week.)

9:30 – 11:00 A.M. Sponsored by the Clinton Area Cham= ber of Commerce at their Chamber offices near the bridge on South 2^nd Street

12:00 – 1:00 P.M. At the DeWitt Community Center.

This is your chance to discuss issues with State Representatives Polly Bukta, Steve Olson and To= m Schueller and State Senators Roger Stewart and Frank Wood. These Legislative forum= s are held monthly on the second Saturday during February, March and April.<= /o:p>

Monday, February 19 and Monday, February 26

Clinton Commun= ity College Auditorium -- 6:00 – 9:00 P.M.

NATIONAL ISSUES FORUM

Developed by the Kettering Foundation and led by Martha Bonte

“The New Challenges of American Immigration: What should we do?”

TO R= EGISTER call (563) 244-71= 00 (Clinton Community College) or toll-free: 1-888-336-3907
The five-digit number that identifies this workshop is -- 30781 There is NO COST for this workshop. If you register, you may pick up s= ome reading material a week or two in advance at the college.=

Tuesday, February 20 – 7:30 P.M.=

The Clinton County Democratic Central Committee will meet at Democratic Headquarters.

EVERYBODY IS WELCOME TO ATTEND THESE MEETINGS.

<= /span>

WE ARE BECOMING A DIVIDED NATION

= 220;The most important ... issue in politics today is our society’s steady dr= ift toward a class-based system, the likes of which we have not seen since the = 19^th century. America’s top tier has grown infinitely richer and more removed over the past 25 year= s. It is not unfair to say that they are literally living in a different count= ry. Few among them send their children to public schools; fewer still send their loved ones to fight our wars. They own most of our stocks. ... The top 1 percent now takes in an astounding 16 percent of national income. ...

“This ever-widening divide is too often ignored or downplayed by its beneficiarie= s. A sense of entitlement has set in among elites, bordering on hubris. When I raised this issue with corporate leaders during the recent political campai= gn, I was met repeatedly with denials and, from some, an overt lack of concern = for those who are falling behind. A troubling arrogance is in the air among the nation’s most fortunate. ...

“With this new Congress ... American workers have a chance to be heard in ways th= at have eluded them for more than a decade. Nothing is more important for the health of our society than to grant them the validity of their concerns. And our government leaders have no greater duty than to confront the growing unfairness in this age of globalization.” (Senator John Edwards)<= /span>

DEMOCRATIC CAMPAIGN FOR SECURITY AND PROSPERITY FOR ALL AMERICANS

STEPHEN COLBERT ANALYZES THE B= USH HEALTHCARE PLAN

Colbert unearths the idiotic logic of the President’s healthcare proposal: “What made the State o= f the Union speech so groundbreaking was all the new stuff we've never heard from= the President before...like a domestic agenda. Take his proposal to fix the who= le health care mess with the only proven cure-all: tax breaks... Bush clip:= ‘And for the millions of Americans with no health insurance at all, t= his deduction would help put a basic private health insurance plan within reach.’ Colbert: “It's so simple. Most people who couldn't afford health insurance also are too poor to owe taxes. But...if you give them a deduction from their ta= xes they don't owe, they can use the money they're not getting back from what t= hey haven't given to buy the health care they can't afford.”

HELP BUILD A STRONGER CLINTON COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY: JOIN A 2007CLUB<= /b>

_____ $25.00 Give ‘em Hell Harry Good Old Boys and Girls Club

_____ $50.00 Andrew Jackson Cabinet=

_____ $100.00 Thomas Jefferson Cabinet (includes= a ticket to the 2008 Hall of Fame Dinner)

Send your c= hecks to Clinton County Democrats, P.O. Box 1713= , Clinton

A REPUBLICAN WHO BELIEVES IN A DIVERSE EDUCATION EXPERIENCE

=

“I love musi= c. One of the things that I’m very passionate about is music and art and edu= cation because it was life-changing for me. I think in a creative economy we’= ;ve got to have a generation of kids coming up whose left and right brains are stimulated. It’s something I pushed for as a Governor in Arkansas where we are one of the few states that requires both music and art educati= on. I’m a musician, I’m passionate about it. This country has made a huge mista= ke in cutting music and art out of school budgets. It’s something we’ve g= ot to address because the future economy is dependent upon a creative generation.” (Former Ar= kansas Republican Governor Mike Huckabee)

<= /span>

Comment: <= /span>The ‘No Chil= d Left Behind” law has caused turmoil in the schools across the nation. As with many of the Bush Administration’s failed programs, it was put together by a small grou= p of people without extensive study. The group included few people who had experience working with children in grades K-12 and fewer yet who had significant classroom experience. In addition, because the law is gr= eatly under-funded, in has caused local school districts to divert money away from programs that we know are important for educational development. Children differ in their abilities= and the age at which they can accomplish certain tasks. The NCLB law attempts to put all children into a common mold.

=

ANOTHER OF ‘= MR. NICE GUY’ DICK CHENEY’S SAGE REMARKS

=

“The idea = that blunders may have hurt the administration's credibility on Iraq is ‘hogwash’. The administration is committed to = moving ahead with its plan to send more troops to secure Baghdad= , even if Congress passes a resolution in opposition.”

<= /span>               =     CLINTON COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY NEWSLETTER

“As Americans, we stand = at a crossroads: we can allow this unaccountable administration to continue

down a deadly path or we can redouble our efforts to change the directio= n of this tragic war.”

(MoveOn Political Action Organization)

http://www.clintoncountydemocrats.org

Febru= ary 12, 2007

=

COMING EVENTS

Monday, February 1= 9 and Monday, February 26

= Clinton Commun= ity College Auditorium -- 6:00 – 9:00 P.M.

NATIONAL ISSUES FORUM

“The New Challenges of American Immigration: What should we do?”

TO REGISTER call (563) 244-7100 (Clin= ton Community College) or toll-free: 1-888-336-3907
The five-digit number that identifies this workshop is -- 30781 There is NO COST for this workshop. If you register, you may pick up s= ome reading material a week or two in advance at the college.

=

Tuesday, February = 20 – 7:30 P.M.

The Clinton County Democratic Central Committee will meet at Democratic Headquarters.

EVERYBODY IS WELCO= ME TO ATTEND THESE MEETINGS.

<= /span>

Tuesday, March 13 starting at 7:00 P.M.=

Celebrate our cultural diversity with a party at RemingtonR= 17;s honoring our citizens of Irish

descent.&nb= sp; This is not a fund raiser.<= /b> The large screen and other TVs= will be tuned to the Celtic

Woman, The Irish Tenors and other more lively Irish musi= c. Plenty of draught beer ($1.00),

Guiness and green beer, sodas and a buffet of hors d’oeuv= res will be part of a big

CELEBRATION for the Clinton County Democrats.

<= /span>

Satu= rday, March 31, 12:00 – 4:00 P.M.

Durgin Center at Ashford= University=

Off-= year Democratic Caucus

Noon – 1:00 = P.M: Registration and dessert.        =        1:00 – 2:00 P.M.:   Business and speakers.

We will be voting = to fill vacant positions on the central committee.

3:00 – 4:00 P.M. Table discussions = to write planks for the Democratic Party Platform including =

topics such as health care, the environment, immigration, regaining respect for the United

States in our relations with other nations a= nd building a stronger Democratic Party.

<= /span>

Satu= rday, April 21 - Frontier Inn

= Clinton County= Democrats’ Hall of Fame Dinner

(Notice the change in date.)

The social hour will start at 5:00 P.M. Dinner will be served at 6:00 P.M.=

We will have a nationally prominent main speaker.

WAS = THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION COMPLETELY IGNORANT OF THE

POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES OF AN INVASION OF IRAQ= ?

"I think for us = to get American military personnel involved in a civil war inside Iraq would literally be a quagmire. Once we got to Baghdad, what would we have? Would it be a Sunni government, a = Shia government, a Kurdish government? Would it be secular along the lines of the Ba'a= th Party? Wo= uld it be fundamentalist Islamic? I do not think the United States wants to have U.S. mili= tary forces accept casualties and accept the responsibility of trying to govern = Iraq. I think it makes no sense at all."&nb= sp; Vice President Dick Cheney in 1991 from “C= ircle in the Sand” by Christian Alfonsi.=

TOM VILSACK SAYS IT’S TIME TO BRING OUR TROOPS HOME

Tom Vilsack became the first presidential candidate= to call for Congress to de-fund the war and bring our troops home. Tom believes other plans like troop caps and non-binding resolutions are simply "staying the course." Duri= ng his speech to the Democratic National Committee at last week's winter meeti= ng in Washington, D.C. he said, "those in Congress who voted for t= he war, those in Congress who have voted to continue the war, and those in Congress who have funded the war, can surely vote to end the war."&nbs= p;

Furthermore, he advocated immediate action. "Congress has the constitutional responsibility and= a moral duty to cut off funding for the status quo," said Vilsack. "Not a cap — an end. Not eventual= ly — immediately." (Tom's speech to the DNC, his appearances on CNN with Wolf Blitzer, and other news about his position on = Iraq can be seen on his website www.tomvilsack08.com. For the ABC = News report please go to http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=3D2847154&a= mp;page=3D1.

“DO WE HAVE POVERTY IN THE UNITED STATES?”

--President George W. BushR= 12;

“Despite its majestic beauty, Appalachia is certainly not heaven. In f= act, it can be one of the cruelest places in America: dilapidated homes, snow covered shacks, welfare lines and children with har= dly the necessities to survive. It’s shocking to think that here in America—= ;land of wealth and opportunity—families still live in such aching poverty. Too many people in <= u2:place u3:st=3D"on">Appalachia live and raise children in houses with no running water or indoor plumbing.=

“With the highest unemployment rates in the nation= and below-average wages, it’s no wonder families have barely enough money each month to pay their heating, rent and food bills. It comes as no surprise that there’s no money left for warm clothing, shoes or blankets. The depth of their poverty robs th= em of everything—their dignity, their future and their hope.”

(Christian Appalachian Project)

COMMENT: This is just one of many examples = of pockets of poverty in this country. It’s criminal to let these conditions exist in the Unites States. Do you think the Bush family and their Republican admirers care? The Bush family lives in an entirely different world. We need a President who lives in the real world.

<= strong>               = CLINTON COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY NEWSLETTER

“What happened to the nation that never tortured, the nation t= hat wasn't supposed to start wars of choice, the nation that respected human ri= ghts and life, a nation that from the beginning was against tyranny? Where have we gone? How did we let these people take us there? How did we let them fool us?”     (Molly Ivins, January 7, 2007 - QC Times)

http://www.clintoncountydemocrats.org

Febru= ary 19, 2007

=

COMI= NG EVENTS

Tuesday, February = 20 – 7:30 P.M.

The Clinton County Democratic Central Committee will meet at Democratic Headquarters.

EVERYBODY IS WELCO= ME TO ATTEND DEMOCRATIC PARTY MEETINGS.

Agenda items will include the 2007 budget, the Hall of Fame Dinner and the = off year caucuses.

<= /span>

Tuesday, March 13 starting at 7:00 P.M.=

Celebrate our cultural diversity with a party at RemingtonR= 17;s honoring our citizens of Irish

descent.&nb= sp; This is not a fund raiser.<= /b> Their large screen and other T= Vs will be tuned to the Celtic

Woman, The Irish Tenors and other more lively Irish programs.<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> Plenty of draught beer ($1.00),

Guiness and green beer, sodas and a buffet of hors d’oeuv= res will be part of a big

CELEBRATION for the Clinton County Democrats.

<= /span>

Satu= rday, March 31, 12:00 – 4:00 P.M.

Durgin Center at Ashford= University=

Off-= year Democratic Caucus

Noon – 1:00 = P.M: Registration and dessert.        =      1:00 – 2:00 P.M.:   Business and speakers.

We will be voting = to fill vacant positions on the central committee.

2:00 – 4:00 P.M. Table discussions = to write planks for the Democratic Party Platform including =

topics such as health care, the environment, immigration, regaining respect for the United

States in our relations with other nations a= nd building a stronger Democratic Party.

<= /span>

Satu= rday, April 21 - Frontier Inn

= Clinton County= Democrats’ Hall of Fame Dinner

The social hour will start at 5:00 P.M. Dinner will be served at 6:00 P.M.=

We will have a nationally prominent main speaker.

Our Democratic eve= nts are a great chance to meet other Democrats and discuss issues that our important to us as citizens of Iowa and t= he United States.&nbs= p; It’s also a great opportunity to meet the many elected officia= ls who attend our events.

<= /span>

<= /span>

<= /span>

UNITED STATES AND EUROPEAN POL= ITICS ARE TURNING GREEN

It is the start of a new year in US politics. The environment looks to be at the= top of the agenda for the new Congress. Two bills were introduced in Congress on Friday, December 5, one proposing to enforce a ban on drilling in a contest= ed Alaskan wildlife reserve, the other calling for numerous energy-efficiency measures. The initiatives are poised to be mirrored in spirit on the other = side of the Atlantic when the European Commiss= ion reveals its new energy policy. (American Chemical Society) Comment: Finally the United States recognizes that it needs to cooperate with the rest of the World.

QUOTATIONS ABOUT= THE IRAQ WAR

“= Let's take a step = back and note that before the war, one of its architects, Paul Wolfowitz, testified to Congress that Iraq h= ad no history of ethnic strife. Sectarian and ethnic strife is= a part of the region. The regio= n is full of examples of Western colonial powers trying to occupy countries, take their resources and take over the administration of their people -- and failing. The sectarian bloodbath we see daily completely refutes Wolfowitz. Now, Bush has given him the World Bank to run.” (Molly Iving<= /span>, January 7, 2007 in the QC Times)

“The idea = that blunders may have hurt the administration's credibility on Iraq is ‘hogwash’. The administration is committe= d to moving ahead with its plan to send more troops to secure Baghdad, even if Congress passes a resolution in opposition.”

(Mr. ‘Nice Guy’ Vice President Dick ‘Hogwash’ Cheney)

“For six years, the Republican Congress failed in its duty to provide genuine, vigorous oversight of Bush's actions. The result has been a disaster in Iraq: incompetent execution, military contracting abuses, inadequate supplies of = body armor and armored vehicles and a loss of confidence among our allies and the American people.” (Sena= tor Hillary Clinton)

AN INTERESTING N= OTE FROM HISTORY

The first Anglo-= Afghan War

“In January of 1841 the Afghans rose up against the British in Kabul, killing both British agents and surrounding the British garrison. In early = 1842 the garrison surrendered, and was offered safe conduct to return to India. However, the British army of around 14–16,000 (of whom over 10,000 we= re civilian camp followers; the military force consisted mostly of Indian units and one British battalion), was harassed down the Kabul River gorge and massacred at the Gandamak pass before reaching the besieged garrison at Jalalabad. The force had been reduced to fewer than forty men by a retreat from Kabul that had become, toward the end, a running battle through two feet of snow.= The ground was frozen and the men had no shelter and little food for weeks. Onl= y a dozen of the men had working muskets, the officers their pistols and a few unbroken swords.”

&n= bsp;

PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE DUNCAN HUNTER

REPRESENTS TRUE REPUBLICAN BELIEFS

&Osl= ash;       Congressman Duncan Hunter repr= esents eastern San Diego County. His position on issues probably ar= e the true beliefs of most the Republican Party which is controlled by the reactionary Christian coalition.        =             &nb= sp;            =             &nb= sp; <= /span>

&Osl= ash;       He describes himself as a conservative’s conservative.=

&Osl= ash;       He is a favorite of defense contractors who found him a staunch supporter when he was chairman of the H= ouse Armed Services Committee.

&Osl= ash;       He wants a hard line on illegal immigration.

&Osl= ash;       He was one of the sponsors of = the law authorizing the building of a 700 mile fence along the Mexican border.

&Osl= ash;       He has given unwavering suppor= t for the invasion of Iraq= and Bush’s policy of escalation.

&Osl= ash;       He wants to criminalize aborti= on.

&Osl= ash;       He wants his religious beliefs concerning faith based creationism included in biology textbooks.

&Osl= ash;       He is in favor of very strict = limits on stem cell research.

&Osl= ash;       He favors a constitutional ame= ndment that would limit individual rights and freedom beginning with the gay community.

&Osl= ash;       His beliefs make him well suit= ed as the best candidate to represent the Republican Party in his quest for the Presidency. He’s a uniq= ue Republican candidate. He tells the truth! What he says is what he believes.

<= strong>        =       CLINTON COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PART= Y NEWSLETTER

http://www.clintoncountydemocrats.org

Febru= ary 22, 2007

=

SPECIAL ALERT<= /span>

You might like to respond to t= he current Clinton Herald poll:

Do you support implementation of Fair Share in Iowa so nonunion workers must pay unions for

services rendered?

Y= es

8= 2.00%

<= !--[if gte vml 1]>

N= o

1= 4.00%

<= !--[if gte vml 1]>

D= on't know yet

4= .00%

<= !--[if gte vml 1]>

<= span style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>50 votes counted

http= ://www.clintonherald.com/

SPECIAL INVITATION FROM BRUCE BRALEY’S OFFICE

From: Brale= y for Congress <brale= yforcongress@BRUCEBRALEY.COM>
Date: February 20, 2007 8:04= :39 PM CST
To: BRALEY4CONGRES= S-PUBLIC@LISTSERVER.FORBIN.COM
Subject: Join Rep. Bruce Braley at his Waterloo and Davenport Office Grand Ope= nings
Reply-To: = Braley for Congress braleyfor= congress@BRUCEBRALEY.COM

YOU ARE INVITED!

JOIN REP. BRUCE BRAL= EY (D-IA) AT THE GRAND OPENING OF HIS NEW DAVENPORT AND WATERLOO OFFICES

WHAT:   Grand Opening of Rep. Bruce Braley’s Davenport and Waterloo Office

Join Rep. Bruce Braley and his local staff at the grand opening of hi= s Davenport and Waterloo district offices. All constituents are invited to attend. Light refreshments will be served and no RSVP is necessary.   Feel free= to invite a friend!

DAVENPORT GRAND OPENING:

Friday February 23, 2007   12 noon-1:30pm=

Rep. Bruce Braley’s Davenport Office

20= 9 W. 4th St., Suite 104 (Entrance faces 4th St., you can’t miss it!)

Davenp= ort, Iowa

WATERLOO GRAND OPENING:
Mon= day February 26, 2007

12 noon-2:00pm
Rep. Bruce Braley’s Waterloo Office

50= 1 Sycamore St., Suite 623<= /p>
= Waterloo, Iowa

<= /span>               CLINTON COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY NEWSLETTER

"You can hardly swing a c= at by the tail in Washington without hitting a pharmaceutical lobbyist.”

--Senator Ch= arles E. Grassley—

http://www.clintoncountydemocrats.org

Febru= ary 26, 2007

=

=

Do you support implementation of Fair Share in Iowa so nonunion workers must pay unions for services rendered?
Y= es	8= 2.00%	<= !--[if gte vml 1]>
N= o	1= 4.00%	<= !--[if gte vml 1]>
D= on't know yet	4= .00%	<= !--[if gte vml 1]>
<= span style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>50 votes counted