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From: Richard Kissack [rkissack@cis.net]
Sent: Thursday, June 01, 2006 8:13 AM
To: DEMOCRATS OF CLINTON COUNTY
Subject: Clinton County Democrats' Newsletter

CLINTON COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY NEWSLETTER

“The Bush Administration is quietly putting radical new policies in place that will let its corporate

allies poison our air, foul our water and devastate our wild lands for decades to come.”

 (Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. for the Natural Resources Defense Council)

http://www.clintoncountydemocrats.org

June 2, 2006

 

THE BLOUIN CAMPAIGN BUS WILL BE IN CLINTON SATURDAY, June 3 from 3:30-4:30 P.M. for a rally at Democratic Headquarters, 224 22nd Place.  Mike Blouin and Andy McGuire will be traveling Iowa this weekend talking to voters about their vision of hope for an even better Iowa.  The campaign committee has asked supporters to gather at 3:15 so that there is a crowd when the bus rolls in.

 

THE GOVERNOR OF IOWA SUPPORTS SENATOR ROGER STEWART

FOR THE IOWA LEGISLATURE

(The Governor of New York Supports Mayor LaMetta Wynn.)

 

Governor Tom Vilsack will be in Maquoketa, Wednesday, June 7, to help Senator Roger Stewart kickoff his campaign for re-election.  The rally will be held at the Ohnward Fine Arts Center, 1215 East Platt Street, from 5:00 to 7:00 P.M.

 

Senator Stewart has compiled an exemplary record during his first term.  He is one of the most highly respected members of the Iowa Senate.  He is admired by people in both major political parties, members of the business, agricultural and education communities.  He will have an important leadership role in a Legislature with a Democratic majority.  In that capacity he will be in a position to favorably influence legislation that will affect Eastern Iowa. 

 

COMING EVENTS

Tuesday, June 6                             Iowa Primary Election   All the candidates have agreed to work for the election of Democrats in November.

Wednesday, June 7     5-7 P.M.          Stewart for Senate Campaign Kickoff (See above.)

Thursday, June 15   4:30-7:00 P.M.         Polly Bukta’s Fund Raiser and Social

                                                            Potato with Toppings Dinner

                                                            Lyons Depot   Donation:  $10.00

Saturday, June 17                                 State Democratic Convention

Tuesday, June 20          7:30 P.M.          Clinton County Democratic Central Committee meets.

                                                            We’ll reconvene the Clinton County Convention at

                                                            7:00 P.M. for the purpose of nominating a Democratic

                                                            Candidate for County Attorney.

Friday, June 30                                     Riverboat Days Parade will be followed by an open house at Democratic Headquarters.

Tuesday, July 4                                     Fourth of July Parade in DeWitt will be followed by a picnic at The Bukta Ranch sponsored by Polly Bukta and Roger Stewart.

 

Help us expand our email list of Democrats.  Pass our newsletters along to other Democrats and maybe they’ll send us their email addresses.  So far the newsletter has helped us cement our relationships with more than 200 party faithful by keeping them informed of local Democratic events.  All of our events have been well attended.  Our support is growing.

 

 

 

JUNE 6, 2006 = D-DAY PLUS FORTY TWO YEARS

 

The Normandy Invasion, or D-Day, was one of the most decisive moments in the 20th century. The Allied forces had been planning an invasion of Nazi-occupied France throughout 1943, assembling troops and equipment in southern England. General Dwight D. Eisenhower led them in what was the largest seaborne invasion in history. On June 6, 1944, 2,700 ships carrying 176,000 soldiers crossed the English Channel to Normandy. The Nazis strongly defended the French beaches, which were mined, lined with barbed wire, and guarded by heavy artillery. Despite significant losses, the Allied forces managed to establish a foothold in France.

(Quoted from Utah Beach by Joseph Balkoski.)

 

THE ENVIRONMENT

 

Democrats strongly oppose the Bush Administration’s plans to weaken our environmental safeguards.  Americans should not stand for corporations increasing pollution, cutting down our national forests and destroying our last wild places.  We support tough enforcement of our environmental laws and preservation of our natural heritage.  We should demand that Congress defend thirty years of bipartisan environmental progress.  (Natural Resources Defense Council)

 

IS THERE NO END TO THE REPUBLICAN DIRTY AND ILLEGAL TRICKS?

 

To Republicans, the New Hampshire phone-jamming incident is an isolated case of political dirty tricks that took place more than three years ago. To Democrats, it's a scandal with echoes of Watergate that may reach all the way to the White House.

Republican leaders are facing questions stemming from a criminal case involving efforts to suppress voter turnout in a U.S. Senate election in the state in 2002. Republican John Sununu won that race over Democrat Jeanne Shaheen, helping Republicans retake control of the Senate.

The facts, on the surface at least, are suspicious: dozens of phone calls to the White House by a man later convicted in the case; the national Republican Party agreeing to pay more than $2.5 million in legal bills; phones jammed on Election Day, not only of Democrats but of a firefighters' group, in the first U.S. congressional elections since the Sept. 11 attacks. Democrats say that disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff may even be involved. (http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=email_us&refer=us&sid=aQGLEwqlIdHo)

WHAT’S NEXT ON THE BUSH, CHENEY, ROVE AGENDA?

(These are times that require great vigilance.)

 

Mr. Bush claimed he would unite the country.  Instead he has used terrorism to divide his opponents and advance his party’s political interests. He refused to reveal who was on his energy task force.  He claims to have the right to conduct wiretaps without court orders.  His administration has violated international agreements on the treatment of prisoners and claimed to have the right to use torture at their discretion.  They have tried to silence the press.  They have cut funding to national public broadcasting.  They have accused anyone who disagrees with them of being disloyal Americans.  They have castigated the Democrats’ for wanting to know the philosophy of people who are being appointed to life-time terms on the Supreme Court.

 

Mr. Bush probably slept through his history classes and has shown little propensity for reading about historical events, but if he did, I would recommend Richard J. Evans’ “The Third Reich in Power”.

 

“By mid-1933 the political revolution was complete.  The Nazis had eliminated open opposition, created a one-party state, and ‘coordinated’ most of Germany’s major secondary institutions. Intimidation in turn encouraged public acceptance of their projected domestic revolution.

 

”In Nazi ideology modernity was linked to war.  It was National Socialism’s duty to prepare its people for the inevitable wars that could decide their destiny.  By 1939 the principal holdouts had been overcome: business was regulated, the army was seduced by armament and the churches had been brought on board by leaders unwilling to test the faith of their congregations against the power of the Reich.  The Nazis controlled the levers of power and the instruments of propaganda.”   (Based on information in The Economist, January 7-13, 2006)

 

 

 

 

From: Richard Kissack [rkissack@cis.net]
Sent: Sunday, June 04, 2006 7:25 AM
To: DEMOCRATS OF CLINTON COUNTY
Subject: Special! Clinton County Democrats' Newsletter

CLINTON COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY NEWSLETTER

"A low voter turnout is an indication of fewer people going to the polls."
 - George W.  Bush-

http://www.clintoncountydemocrats.org

June 7, 2006

 

 

SPECIAL ELECTION DAY APPEAL

 

WRITE IN CAMPAIGN FOR CLINTON COUNTY ATTORNEY

 

Ø      Please write in Bruce Ingham as our candidate for Clinton County Attorney on your ballot Tuesday.

 

RATIONALE

 

v     Bruce filed too late for his name to be printed on the ballot.

v     We had planned to nominate Bruce at a special Clinton County Convention on June 20.

v     If Bruce receives 306 write in votes (35% of the vote in the previous election), we won’t have to hold the special session on the 20th.

v     Bruce will be selected at the polls by all voters instead of by a convention of 70 precinct representatives.

v     It may be difficult to get all the convention representatives together for a special session.

 

 

DEMOCRATIC CAMPAIGN FOR SECURITY AND PROSPERITY FOR ALL AMERICANS

 

 

 

 

CLINTON COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY NEWSLETTER

“We believe the legitimate function of government is to meet needs that we cannot meet as individuals.  The government must be truly representative and work for the good of all people, striving to achieve peace, opportunity, fairness and prosperity for all.”

(Iowa Democratic Party 2006 First District Statement of Principles)

http://www.clintoncountydemocrats.org

June 12, 2006

 

CELEBRATE FLAG DAY WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14

 

Polly Bukta’s Potato with Toppings Dinner

 

Where?  Lyons Depot - 56 25th Avenue North, Clinton

When?   Thursday June 15, 2006                                    What time?   4:30 – 7:00 P.M.

Donation:  $10.00

This is going to be great!  You’ll love it!

 

CONGRATULATIONS to all the winners in the primary election.  For the benefit of the American people it is important that we now work together to elect Democrats to all public offices.

 

COMING EVENTS

 

Saturday, June 17                             State Democratic Convention

 

Tuesday, June 20                                  The Clinton County Convention will reconvene at Democratic Headquarters for the purpose of nominating Bruce Ingham as the Democratic candidate for County Attorney.  We’ll have a free picnic at 6:00 P.M.  We’ll present the nomination to the Convention at 7:00 and follow with the regular Central Committee meeting at 7:30.  We must have 70 delegates attend. 

THANKS FOR SUPPORTING DEMOCRATS!

 

Friday, June 30                                     Riverboat Days Parade will be followed by an open house at Democratic Headquarters at 224 22nd Place just west of Camanche Avenue.

Tuesday, July 4                                     Fourth of July Parade in DeWitt.  The picnic at The Bukta Ranch sponsored by Polly Bukta and Roger Stewart has been canceled because it’s too close to the next event.

Friday, July 7          5:00 – 7:00 P.M.     EAGLE POINT LODGE.    U. S. Senator Evan Byah from Indiana will be in Clinton to help raise funds for the Bukta and Stewart campaigns.  Senator Byah is often mentioned as a possible Democratic candidate for President.

 

DELEGATION FOR THE STATE CONVENTION

Please let Jean Pardee know your plans for the convention.

 

Delegates:   Connor Anderson, Diane Bolte, Polly Bukta, David Carrol, Penny Fullerton, Tom Gibbons, 

Bev Hermann, Howard Keefer, Dick Kissack, Walt Knapper, Larry Kness, Bob Krajnovich, Cammie McGuire,

Carol McGuire, Robert Miller, Highland Nichols, Tracy Nichols, Jean Pardee, Dawn Pawlowski, Sharon Reed,

Ethel Soesbe, Judy Schaaf, Charles Sheridan, Charles Smith, Myrna Weller, James Winkel.

Alternates:   John Bonte, Martha Bonte, Ray Fredericksen, Dan Fullerton, Wendy Krajnovich, Gary Kremer,

Susan Miller, Art Ollie, Pat Outzen, Ken Reed, Marilyn Schmidt, Bob Soesbe, Mary Soesbe, Philip Webb. 

 

PRESIDENT BUSH IS IN A DEEP HOLE

(The Danger of Drift)

The following information is based upon an article written by David Gergen for the May 29 issue of U.S. News & World Report.  Mr. Gergen is a highly respected and fair analyst of the political scene.  He has served as an advisor to both Republican and Democratic presidents.

“As Hurricane Katrina built up in the Atlantic last year, swept across Florida, then gathered force in the Gulf, many realized that this was the big one they had expected for years--yet when the storm struck, the country wasn't ready. Our political leadership had failed us. Even now, with a new storm season approaching, the Gulf region is still not ready.

Washington is more obsessed with the politics of the moment than the long term. Will we drift through nearly three years with a president wounded, a Congress divided and a public disillusioned?  A thousand days as a leaderless nation would leave us almost defenseless against dangers bearing down upon us.

“There is a yawning gap between the many long-term problems we face and the inability of our leadership to fix them.  Traveling the country, one meets growing numbers deeply anxious about the future. And it's not just Iraq, gas prices, and immigration.  China and India are aggressively preparing for the future through education. Within five years, observers believe, 90 percent of all of the world's scientists and engineers will live in Asia.

“We are already feeling the front edges of the economic storm putting downward pressure on incomes here. In one recent period, low-wage employers in companies like Wal-Mart (the nation's largest corporate employer) and McDonald's produced 44 percent of the country's new jobs, while high-wage employers generated just 29 percent. Unless we turn things around, we will soon see a steep downward slide in our standard of living.

“All the storms are tied together. Mediocre schools mean we become less competitive. High medical costs make it impossible to bring our deficits down. A lack of energy independence makes us even more hostage to others. Losing our competitive edge lowers our incomes and makes it harder to pay for better schools and information systems that could help reduce healthcare costs. Each gathers force year by year.

“In writing his books on World War II, Winston Churchill entitled the first The Gathering Storm. It was obvious in the 1930s, he said, that threats were rapidly building in Nazi Germany; yet the political leaders in Britain and France looked away, drifting into the future. One day, it was too late.  Will history now repeat itself in America?

 

THE MOMENTUM GROWS AT ANOTHER GREAT DEMOCRATIC VICTORY RALLY

 

Last Wednesday evening nearly 200 enthusiastic Democrats gathered for a wine and cheese party to help Roger Stewart launch his reelection campaign for the Iowa Senate.  The crowd was awed by Maquoketa's beautiful and impressive Ohnward Fine Arts Center and very modern 841 seat theatre.  Governor Tom Vilsack paid tribute to Roger's legislative accomplishments in

Des Moines and his work to improve the economic conditions of Eastern Iowa.  An important part of the evening was a celebration of the large percentage of the total vote received by Democratic candidates in Jackson, Clinton and Dubuque Counties.  The numbers give great encouragement for a huge victory in November.

 

DEMOCRATIC CAMPAIGN FOR SECURITY AND PROSPERITY FOR ALL AMERICANS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From: Richard Kissack [rkissack@cis.net]
Sent: Friday, June 16, 2006 7:37 AM
To: DEMOCRATS OF CLINTON COUNTY
Subject: Clinton County Democrats' Newsletter

 

CLINTON COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY NEWSLETTER

“Not only have President Bush’s tax cuts favored the rich at the expense of the

middle class; they have created a budget deficit that is mortgaging our future.”

(Mortimer B. Zuckerman, Editor-In-Chief, U.S. News & World Report)

http://www.clintoncountydemocrats.org

June 19, 2006

 

COMING EVENTS

 

Attention County Convention Delegates and Alternates

County Convention Recall

Tuesday, June 20

 

The Clinton County Convention will reconvene at Democratic Headquarters for the purpose of nominating Bruce Ingham as the Democratic candidate for County Attorney.  We’ll have a free picnic at 6:00 P.M.  We’ll present the nomination to the Convention at 7:00 and follow with the regular Central Committee meeting at 7:30.  We must have 70 delegates attend. 

THANKS FOR SUPPORTING DEMOCRATS!

 

Friday, June 30                                     Riverboat Days Parade will be followed by an open house at Democratic Headquarters on Camanche Avenue.

Tuesday, July 4                                     Fourth of July Parade in DeWitt.

Friday, July 7        5:00-7:00 P.M.           Senator Evan Byah rally at Eagle Point Lodge to support the reelection campaigns of Polly Bukta and

                                                            Roger Stewart.

 

Onward to November

 

 

THANK YOU BILL GLUBA

We are very appreciative of the high level campaign conducted by Bill Gluba in his quest to represent us in Congress.  We look forward to his help as he continues a long career of working for the principles of the Democratic Party.  In his letter of thanks to his supporters Bill included the following:

“I am proud of the clear, consistent positive and issue-oriented message that our campaign delivered.  I based my campaign on the belief that government should be an instrument of Hope, an instrument of Peace and an instrument to promote the Dignity and Worth of every human being.  This message won my campaign the endorsement of the Peace organization STAR*PAC, Democrats for Life of America and a number of labor unions, all of whom are listed on my campaign web site.  I will continue to work for these ideals in whatever way I can, and I hope you will too.”  (Bill Gluba  www.glubaforcongress.com)

WE CAN’T AFFORD JIM NUSSLE


While in Washington, they work to cut nearly 7 billion dollars in vital programs for the poor and middle class. While in Des Moines, they hobnob with Iowa
’s GOP faithful at an event where tickets cost from $250 up to $10,000 for dinner and a photo with Bush. Bush, the putative leader of the Republican Party and Nussle, the chairman of the powerful House Budget Committee have presided over four years of record deficits which have turned a projected 10-year $5.6 trillion budget surplus into a $2.6 trillion deficit, adding to the crushing national debt of over $7 trillion.

To pay for their war in Iraq and their tax cuts for the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans, they are trying to cut crucial programs in education, homeland security, health care (especially for disabled, elderly and low income Iowans), public health preparedness (this while we face the potential pandemic of bird flu), heating assistance, air quality, job training, and economic growth.

Now Congressman Nussle has set his sights on becoming our next governor. I think that most Iowans would agree that we can't afford his social irresponsibility or his misplaced priorities.   (Ray Benter in the Des Moines Register) 

 

Thank You and Onward to November!

(From our next Congressman from the First District of Iowa)

 

v      Thank you for your hard work, your support, and your votes! 

v      The close, hard-fought election has energized Democrats across the First District: nearly 30,000 Democrats voted in the primary, by far the largest turnout in recent memory.

v      It is clear that the voters of the First District—Democrat, Republican, and Independent alike—are ready for a change.

v      Now is the time to look forward, to come together, and to work for victory in November.

v      Now is the time to stand up for common sense in Washington.

v      Now is the time to put working families before the interests of big corporate lobbyists.

v      I look forward to the next five months.  Together, we will win this seat back for the women and men of Iowa on November 7th.   (Bruce Braley)

 

FAREWELL KEN LAY?

 

Ken Lay was convicted on six counts of fraud and conspiracy and four more counts of fraud and making false statements in a separate case. Former Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling was found guilty on 19 counts of fraud, conspiracy, making false statements and insider trading. They will both likely spend the rest of their lives in prison.  George Bush and Ken Lay were definitely the best of buddies. Here's a list of Lay's connections with Bush, courtesy of the Nation:

 

  • Lay "contributed $122,500 to Bush's gubernatorial campaigns in Texas."
  • Lay "had Enron give $50,000 to pay for Bush's second inaugural party in Austin in 1999."
  • "As a 'Bush Pioneer' in the run-up to the 2000 presidential election, Lay was a key member of the Bush campaign's fund-raising inner circle."
  • "Under Lay's leadership, Enron ultimately gave Bush $550,025, making the corporation the Texan's No. 1 career patron at the time the 2000 election campaign began."
  • Lay "put Enron's corporate jets at the disposal of the Bush campaign in 2000."
  • "He kicked in $5,000 to pay for the Florida recount fight, while a top Enron consultant former Secretary of State James A. Baker III, ran the Republican's recount effort."
  • "Lay and Enron gave $300,000 to underwrite the Bush-Cheney inauguration festivities in 2001."

WHAT DID LAY GET IN RETURN?

  • "Lay cashed in even before Bush was sworn in as President, entering into the inner circles of the new administration and using the access he had paid for to craft its agenda on the issues that mattered most to Enron."
  • Bush appointed "the Enron founder as one of five members of the elite 'Energy Department Transition Team,' which set the stage for the Vice President Dick Cheney's energy task force and administration policies designed to benefit corporations such as Enron."
  • A Congressional report "found evidence of at least 112 contacts between Enron and White House or other Administration officials during the month prior to the corporation's very-public collapse in late 2001. At least 40 of those contacts involved top White House officials."   
  • (From http://journals.democraticunderground.com/top10/245)