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

RETURN HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND MORALITY TO GOVERNMENT.

VOTE DEMOCRATIC

<= strong> = CLINTON COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY NEWSLETTER

"The power = of the Executive to cast a man into prison without formulating any charge known to= the law, and particularly to deny him the judgment of his peers, is in the high= est degree odious and is the foundation of all totalitarian government whether Nazi or Communist."

--Winston Churchill, November 21, 1943-= -

http://www.clintoncountydemocrats.org

Novem= ber 2, 2006

Special Edition=

THE IOWA DEMOCRATIC PARTY VICTORY CAMPAIGN BUS

will be in Clinton= tomorrow, Friday, November 3.

Clinton Community College Graphic Arts a= nd Technology Center

1951 Manufacturing Drive<= /o:p>

1:15 P.M.

ON BOARD: Candidates Chet Culver, Patty = Judge and Bruce Braley

Senator Tom Harkin and Governo= r Tom Vilsack

LET’S GIVE THEM AN ENTHUSIASTIC WELCOME <= /span>

TO DEMOCRATIC CLINTON COUNTY=

=

WE NEED YOUR HELP T= O WIN THIS ELECTION!

We ne= ed volunteers to distribute packets, walkers and telephon= ers

Frida= y, Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.

The n= ame of the game now is to turn out our Democratic voters.

All o= f our work so far may be in vain if we don’t get people to vote!!!

CONTACT THE PEOPLE = AT DEMOCRATIC HEADQUARTERS

TO SEE HOW YOU CAN HELP.<= /o:p>

Contact Amanda Y= ork at 563-241-1356 or ayork@iowademocrats.org

At Clinton County Democrats’ Headquart= ers 224 22^ndPlace

=

<= strong> = &nb= sp; CLINTON COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY NEWSLETTER

YOU HAVE TO BE A REPUBLICAN TO BELIEVE THAT “Saddam was a good guy when Reagan armed him, a bad guy when Bush's daddy made war on him, a good guy when Che= ney did business with him, and a bad guy when Bush needed a ‘we can't find Bin Laden’ diversion.

http://www.clintoncountydemocrats.org

Novem= ber 4, 2006

WE’RE ALMOST THERE! <= o:p>

LET’S NOT FUMBLE THE BALL ON THE GOAL LINE!

WE NEED YOUR HELP!

To Get Out The Vote!

Saturday, Sunday & Monday

● callers &nb= sp;

● walkers &nb= sp;

● ballot couriers

ARE YOU SIGNED UP FOR ELECTION DAY?

WE NEED YOUR HELP TO WIN!!!

CALL AMANDA @ DEMOCRATIC HEADQUATERS ASAP!

(563)241-1356

(309)373-9249

Election Day Supplies Needed in a Hurry!

● &nbs= p;       High Lighters (other than yellow)

● &nbs= p;       Pens (Black or Blue)

● &nbs= p;       TV trays that we can borrow for poll watchers

● &nbs= p;       Clip Boards

<= span style=3D'font-family:Arial;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"'>=

● &nbs= p;       Flash Lights

<= span style=3D'font-family:Arial;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"'>=

● &nbs= p;       Batteries

Thanks to all of the volunteers who have donated their time, supplies and snacks!

<= strong>                CLINTON COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY NEWSLETTER

“This is a critical time for our nation. We need a strong and vibrant Democ= ratic Party that keeps Ame= rica safe while improving education, health care, our economy and the environment. In our changing = World we need to offer Americans more than a simple rejection of Republican ideas. We must offer new idea= s, new thinking and new hope to the American people.”

(Senator Evan Bayh, Indiana)<= /span>

http://www.clintoncountydemocrats.org

Novem= ber 13, 2006

=

COMING EVENTS

AMERICAN EDUCATION WEEK

November 12-18, 2006

Tuesday, November 21

The Democratic Central Committ= ee will meet at Democratic Headquarters at 7:30 P.M.

AN EXPRESSION OF = THANKS FROM THE CLINTON COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY CHAIR

Dear Democrats,

Our victories made history. T= he efforts of many Clinton County volunteers are greatly appreciated. Some things were done differently this year, but the p= lan was pretty much the same to get out the vote with absentee ballots followed= by election-day efforts. During the last six years we have been building a stronger and stronger team in Clinton County. The hard work = of that great team elected Democrats to office. We have candidates who support the Democratic ideals of helping those in need through government by the people= for the people. The people of Clinton County remain the foun= dation of our victories. We can and will continue to build our party and look forw= ard to 2008 when we will do our part to elect a Democratic President.

As your County Chair I want to express my whole hearted thanks to those who contributed money and food, to those who phoned (and phoned), to those who walked door to door, to those who worked on our ads, our computers, yard si= gns and events. The candidates’ efforts are also appreciated. Each candid= ate contributed his or her own special part in our coordinated campaign. Now, we will analyze, plan and build for 2008.&nbs= p; --Jean Pardee

WHAT DO WE DO NE= XT?

v   &nbs= p; We need to analyze the campaign and decide what was good and what needs to be improved.

v   &nbs= p; We need to edit and expand our lists for email and regular mail newsletters so that we communicate regularly with as many Democrats as possible.

v   &nbs= p; We need to edit and expand our yard sign list.=

v   &nbs= p; We need to expand our list of potential volunteers.

v   &nbs= p; We need to improve our activities so that all areas of the County are equally included.

v   &nbs= p; We need to continue to develop our Central Committee with active representatives from all precincts.

ANNOY A CONSERVATIVE: THINK FOR YOURS= ELF


GREAT PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE A BASIC R= IGHT AND OUR RESPONSIBILITY

v   &nbs= p; The Clinton County Democratic Party strongly supports public education.

v      We<= /span> believe that all State and Fe= deral mandates should be fully funded.

v      We<= /span> believe that all students sho= uld be educated to the fullest extent of their abilities regardless of their talen= ts or level of competence.

v      We<= /span> believe that the “No Ch= ild Left Behind” legislation is ineffective and concentrates on mass test= ing and the discrediting of public education.&= nbsp; The law does not recognize the diversity of student talents and abilities. It is based on fau= lty educational psychology. The law should be rescinded or drastically altered.=

v      We believe that the one percent sales tax in Iowa<= /u2:State> has been a very effective means for school districts to build the kind of school buildings that our children deserve. The law should be made State-wide.=

v      We<= /span> believe that the State should= allow schools six percent allowable growth in their budgets so that they can avoid cutting programs.

v      We<= /span> believe that the State Legisl= ature should provide adequate funding for teacher staff development so that all teachers have the opportunity to become effective teachers. If all teachers are effective, the= re will be no need for merit pay which many thorough research studies have sho= wn does not improve instruction.

DOES IT SURPIRISE YOU? David Stanley who lives in Muscatine and his Tax Payer Union endorsed Mike Whalen for Congress. Mr. Stanley has dedicated his life= to fighting against appropriations for public education in the Iowa Legislatur= e. I’ll never understand how an= yone who supports public education can ever vote Republican. The threat to public education fro= m Mr. Stanley’s group is far from over.

OUR WORK HAS JUST BEGUN

The Rove-Cheney-Bush triumvirate has failed in everything they’ve underta= ken – education, the environment, the economy, social programs, the war on poverty and crime and the Katrina fiasco.&= nbsp; They’ve left this nation deeply in debt and bogged down in a sectarian religious war in Iraq.

AN E= XAMPLE OF BUSH’S INCOMPETENT CRONIES

= 220;The ideological and political battles that were fought in Washington played out in Baghdad. It’s sort of a farce because what one sees is utterly unqualified peo= ple -- people either too young, inexperienced or chosen simply because they were cronies or ideological soul mates of someone in the administration -- were = put in jobs, for example, to oversee the health system of Iraq and made decisio= ns based more on what they know of the health system of Michigan. So there you see... the confusion and disconnection of Washington= having very real and long-term consequences on the ground after the fall of= Baghdad.= ” (Imperial Life in the Emerald City: Inside Iraq's Green Zone by Rajiv Chandrasekaran)

POVERTY, HEALTH CARE, HOMELESSNESS AND EDUCATION ARE MORAL ISSUES

I MI= SS BILL!

<= strong>               = CLINTON COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY NEWSLET= TER

“Humanity must make a decision and make it right now. Conserve Earth’s natural her= itage, or let future generations adjust to a biologically impoverished world. There is no way to weasel out of t= his choice.” (E.O. Wilson, = award winning Harvard biologist)

http://www.clintoncountydemocrats.org

Novem= ber 20, 2006

=

=

COMING EVENTS

Tuesday, November 21 -- 7:30 P.M.

The Democratic Central Committ= ee will meet at Democratic Headquarters.

Wednesday, December 6 – 5:30 P.M.

ERIC= KSEN COMMUNITY CENTER

Architect’s presentation= and discussion of the design plans for the new Clinton Public Library&nbs= p;

CHECK OUR WEBSIT= E!

Tom= Gibbons has added pictures taken during the campaign to our website. Tom has given the Clinton County Democrats one of the best websites in the State. Check out the new pictures at:

http://www.clintoncountydemocrats.org/Pictures.html=

A MESSAGE OF THA= NKS FROM JACK COOPER

Dear Clinton County Democrats,

I’m writing a short note to thank all of you for your help in the past seven months. Coming from Virginia to Iowa was hard, but I could not have asked for a better gr= oup of people (or a better candidate) to welcome me and put me to work.  = ;You all are a force to be reckoned with and your dedication is unlike any that I had ever seen. Congratulations, again, on an incredible victory on Tuesday. Roger Stewart garnering nearly 63% in Clinton County is more than I could have hoped for, and we could no= t have done it without your help.

I have put my contact information below in hopes that you will keep in touch. All the best for the future, and I hope that I am able to be a part of it somewhere down the line.

All my best,

Jack Cooper, former Stewart for Senate Campaign Manager<= /p>
jrcoop@gmail.com       434-989-5115

PEOPLE OF THE FI= RST DISTRICT FINALLY HAVE A CONGRESSMAN

WHO WILL REPRESE= NT THEIR INTERESTS IN WASHINGTON=

= 220;On November 7 voters of Eastern Iowa rejected the polit= ics of division and more-of-the-same and chose a new direction – one of h= ope, opportunity, and progress. I am so proud to have this opportunity to = take a new direction to Congress and stand up for the working families of Eastern Iowa.

= 220;To those who contributed in so many ways to my campaign, thank you.  = ; I am honored by your support and all that you have given to this campaign over the past two years. We would not be where we are today without your countless contributions, from phone calls to door-knocking to envelope-stuf= fing to simply saying hello along the campaign trail.

= 220;Now the exciting work begins. We talked a lot about change during the campaign; now it's time for action. From increasing the minimum wage = to protecting Social Security, from fixing the Medicare prescription drug bene= fit to working to find a new strategy for Iraq I will be on the front lines getting things done for the people of Eastern Iowa.

= 220;When I grew up in the small town of Brooklyn, Iowa, if you had a problem, you didn't ask someone what political party that pers= on belonged to. You asked for help, and you got it. That will be my approach in Congress: fighting for the working people of Eastern Iowa, representing everyone in our district – and working across party line= s to solve problems for people who haven't had a voice in = Washington.” –Bruce Braley, Congressman-elect   www.brucebraley.com

THE IOWA DEMOCRATIC PARTY OPPOSES= THE DEATH PENALTY

There is a small group of ultra conservative Republicans in our State who are pushing to reinstate the death penalty. Following are some o= f the reasons that the Democratic Party opposes such a measure:=

Ø       The State of Wiscon= sin has never had the death penalty and in the November 7 election the people o= f Wisconsin voted it down.

Ø       We<= /span> live in one of the few countr= ies that kill people to make it clear what a terrible thing it is to kill peopl= e.

Ø       Even DNA testing does not prov= ide fool-proof evidence.

Ø       Surveys show that law enforcer= s are not in favor of the death penalty.

Ø       To<= /span> execute someone is far more expensive than life imprisonment.

Ø       Execution does not bring closu= re to the victim’s family. It’s more likely that forgiveness does. The Amish people of Nickel Mine, <= ns0:State>Pennsylvania give us a good example of Christian values.

Ø       Execution is cruel and unusual punishment, a constitutional provision.

Ø  &nb= sp;    Statistics show t= hat States with capital punishment do not have a lower crime rate, indicating t= hat it does not deter violence.

Ø       Read John Grisham’s only nonfiction book, “The Innocent Man” which was just published.

Ø       The= death penalty is a relic of a barbarous age.

Ø       The= death penalty is disproportio= nately biased against the poor and minorities.

Ø       It<= /span> often executes innocent peopl= e.

Ø       It<= /span> is an instrument of retributi= on.

Ø       According to Amnesty Internati= onal, 129 countries have now eliminated capital punishment.

Ø       In<= /span> 2005 four countries accounted= for 94% of the world’s executions, China, Iran, =

Saudi Arabia= and the United States.

Ø       As Texas Governor George W. Bu= sh is reported to have once said, “I’m in favor of the death penalty. Seldom have we made a mistake in Texas.”=

NEW MAJORITY IS MINDFUL OF RIVAL’S MISTAKES, SUCCESSES<= /strong>

Dem= ocrats say they will avoid the overreaching, arrogance and rancorous partisanship that left them virtually powerless on Capitol Hi= ll and spawned an era of political corruption and influence-peddling. Democrat= ic leaders vowed to pass major ethics reforms early in the new 110th Congress = and to offer Republicans seats at the negotiating table and ample opportunities= to amend bills on the floor -- opportunities that were denied their party since 1994. (By = Jonathan Weisman Washington Post Staff Writer, Sunday, November 12, 2006)

HATE, GREED, IGNORANCE: WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION

<= strong>               =   CLINTON COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY NEWSLETTER

“It takes concerned citizens to plan for the future of our community. A library that wil= l draw the youth and other citizens of the community into a center for learning, education, recreation and exploration is a requirement for a vital, friendly and responsible community.”   --Jerome = Goedken, President, Clinton<= /u2:City> Library Board of Trustees--

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

Novem= ber 27, 2006

=

=

COMING EVENTS

Wednesday, December 6 – 5:30 P.M.=

ERICKSEN COMMUNITY CENTER

Architect= ’s presentation and discussion o= f the design plans for the new Clinton Public Library

Sunday, December 10 – 3:00-6:00 P.M.

Clinton County Democratic Chair 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 mee= ting for December. Please call Jean (RSVP) if you plan to attend so that we can have enough food and beverages: 242-8111 or jmpardee@mchsi.com

=

=

CLINTON COUNTY DEMOCRATS’ CELEBR= ATION CONTINUES

v      Congratulations to State Representative Polly Bukta who has been elected speaker pro-tempore of the Iowa House. Th= is is the third highest position in the House and the first time a woman has held= the post. Her leadership position= will serve well in calling attention to Clinton County.

v      Congressman-elect Bruce Braley is looking for office space in Clinton for a constituent outreach center so that he may stay in closer contact and serve the people of this area. He has reminded us that he is in Washington to serve all the people of this District --- Democrats, Republicans and Independents.

v      Dennis Starling will be going = to Des Moines for orientation and swearing in as our new County Supervisor.=

v      State Senator Roger Stewart lo= oks forward to the new session where the Democrats will be in the majority. The major issues include raising t= he minimum wage, funding early childhood education, raising teacher pay to at least the national average and finding sources of funding for repairing roa= ds and bridges. Republican legis= lators will be treated fairly, with respect and included in all discussions. Their proposals will be seriously considered and not blocked in committees.&= nbsp; Retaliation is not the way Democrats operate.

v      All the candidates thank the m= any volunteers who worked hard to make this a gigantic Democratic victory.=

=

=

WHEN WILL THE INCOMPETENCE END?

A m= ajor reason that we cannot get out of Iraq is because the Iraq<= /u2:country-region> army and police are not ready to take over security in their own country. In 1944, most of us who were recent graduates of high school were drafted.&nbs= p; We received 17 weeks of hard training and were pronounced ready to take our place as infantrymen. We have had over three years to train the Iraqi forces a= nd they are still not ready to take over. What is wrong here? Is Hallibu= rton training the troops? Is there some way we could resurrect my old plat= oon sergeant? We could check at the museum to see if we have any old trai= ning manuals. Maybe we could admit that we are not nation builders under t= his administration.   --Bob Soesbe

IT’S TIME TO RAISE THE MINIMUM WAGE

Democrats want to rai= se the minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.25 an hour. It last increased in 1997 and is = at its lowest level in 50 years, after adjustments for inflation.

Party leaders say the increase, which would be spread over two years, is overdue: A full-time wor= ker paid the minimum wage now makes about $10,700, which is below the poverty l= ine for one adult supporting two children. An increase in the minimum wage would benefit at least 7.3 million people, including 1.8 million parents. Many voters support an increase in= the minimum wage. Six states passed minimum-wage ballot measures this month. Democrats say their initiative does not carry significant cost; some Republ= ican opponents say increasing the wage would strain small businesses.=

The minimum wage was = 25 cents when it was first introduced during the Great Depression by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1938. Congress has since voted eight times to incr= ease it, including under Republican presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower, Gerald R. F= ord and George H.W. Bush. The last increase was passed in 1996, with a second s= tage that took effect in 1997 and brought it to $5.15. (The Washington Post, Sunday, Novemb= er 19, 2006)

AMERICAN SOCIETY IS TREATENED

“The most important issue in politics today is our society’s steady drift toward a class-based syst= em, the likes of which we have not seen since the 19^th century. America’s top tie= r has grown infinitely richer and more removed over the past 25 years. It is not unfair to say that they are literally living in a different country. Few am= ong them send their children to public schools; fewer still send their loved on= es 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 downpl= ayed by its beneficiaries. A sense of entitlement has set in among elites, borde= ring on hubris. When I raised this issue with corporate leaders during the recent political campaign, I was met repeatedly with denials and, from some, an ov= ert 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 that 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. Our government leaders have no greater duty than to confront the growing unfairness in this age of globalization.

“I strongly believe that it’s the most important issue facing our country. We have corporate profits at an all-time high. Wages and sala= ries are at an all-time low as a percentage of our national wealth. It’s a very difficult problem. It’s going to take yea= rs to break it down.

“What is fair trade in the age of globalization? We can talk about free trade agree= ments, but when are they not fair? China’s the best example of = that, where we have a situation now rather similar to what we were seeing with Japan 20 years ago, but much more dangerous in terms of its size and the issues of national security, where you have a devalued currency that is enabling them= to bring goods into this country at a very low price. At the same ti= me, they’re using that money to help finance our nat= ional debt. We’re becoming dependent on t= hem.” (Senator-Elect Jim Webb of Virginia on NBC “Meet the Press” with Tim Russert, Sunday, November 19, 2006)

DEMOCRATIC VALUES? FREE SPEECH. EQUALITY. = LIBERTY. EDUCATION. TOLERANCE.=