End of the Month Democratic Party Highlights & One Actionable You Can Execute This Week!

Register Democrat. Vote Democrat. 

Democrats need to share Democratic highlights with Democrats. We cannot depend on main stream media to share our story for us.  My habit is to save Democratic highlights on my desktop and when I have a block of about 15 to 30  minutes of time ~ I share them all directly from my desktop to my favorite social medium platforms.

 I am of the mind that if we are to be an informed electorate we need to begin with becoming informed of the comings and goings of our own Party, particularly our Party Leadership as, as opposed to popular opinion, they are diligently working on our behalf. 

Please take action where appropriate and please share my favorite highlights on your social media platforms. Take the Best; Leave the Rest. But push back!

Net Neutrality Action You Can Take This Week ~ 

FCC Chairman Wheeler is proposing clear, sustainable, enforceable rules to preserve and protect the open Internet as a place for innovation and free expression. His common-sense proposal would replace, strengthen and supplement FCC rules struck down by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit more than one year ago. The draft Order supports these new rules with a firm legal foundation built to withstand future challenges. The Chairman's comprehensive proposal will be voted on the FCC's February 26 open meeting.

Fact Sheet: Chairman Wheeler Proposes New Rules

for Protecting the Open Internet ~ here. 

To that end, this evening Unite Blue members have been and may still be participating in a Twitter Bomb calling on the Federal Communications Commission to stand with The People and for Net Neutrality. If you are not a member of Unite Blue consider:

UniteBlue empowers you to create a meaningful impact.

Democracy demands that 'We the People' influence the vote and hold our legislators accountable, not just some of the people.

UniteBlue brings real people on the Left together because every voice matters. Each of us can create a meaningful impact discussing the issues we care about most passionately.

Working together amplifies each of our individual voices while making all of our activism more effective. The more real people join together, the greater strength we have in numbers. Our voices in unison can fight back against billionaires buying our democracy and Republicans crippling our government.

You can check them out further here.

If you are a member of Unite Blue consider this: Get over to Twitter and find hash tag #SaveOurNet and start Retweeting now! And anyone should feel free to borrow the Twitter handles below and Tweet Commission members and/or Facebook them here.

The message is simple: Preserve net neutrality for The People! TY!!!

.

@Tom.WheelerFCC

@MClyburnFCC

@JRosenworcel

@AjitPaiFCC

@mikeofcc


Now for a Few Democratic Highlights:

Beginning with the Debriefing on Losing Elections ~

On November 10, 2014 Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz called on party members to be a part of the Election 2014 debrief process:

We're kicking off an effort at the DNC to figure out how we can do better in future elections.

We're going to ask you to be part of this conversation. We're going to ask you for your best ideas. And we're going to ask for your patience as we test out new theories, and try new ways of doing things.

(Link back to the original here.):

Preliminary Results of the Debrief Released 2.21.2015:

(I'm going to give you the opening and the closing and the link so you can read it in its entirety on your own ~ it's only about 10 pages...)

“THE DEMOCRATIC VICTORY TASK FORCE”

Opening:

Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, immediately following the November 2014 elections, appointed the Democratic Victory Task Force.

The mission of the task force is simple: Examine the last several election cycles by soliciting actionable ideas from the entire Democratic family as to how we can improve the long-term strength of the national Democratic Party.

The Task Force has been instructed to be as inclusive as possible – to all points of view, constituencies, and approaches – to ensure that the Task Force has a clear set of recommendations as to how we can better define the DNC’s role, strengthen the Party at the national, state, and local levels, and ultimately set

Democrats up for electoral successes.

Conclusion:

The circumstances that led to the series of devastating electoral losses did not develop overnight. Instead they have been building over decades as the political system has been irrevocably changed by the passage of McCain-Feingold and the Citizens United decision. Republicans, in many cases, have been quick to

respond to these changes and take advantage of this new moneyed and murky environment.

In just under twelve weeks, the Democratic Victory Task Force has examined all aspects of the recent election cycles and identified a number of areas for further study. This Task Force’s work is only just beginning and a full action plan – including additional research, pilot programs, narrative development and

collaboration with our allies – will be in place by May 2015.

This plan marks the start of our fight to reclaim state houses, win governorships, take back the House and Senate and protect the White House. Our work has only just begun!

Full preliminary report can be found here.

Moving Into the Very Exciting Resolution Calling for a "Right-to-Vote" Amendment:

At their Winter Meeting in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, the Democratic National Committee unanimously voted to adopt a resolution calling for a "Right-to-Vote" Amendment to be added to the U.S. Constitution.

According to the resolution, posted in full below, the Democrats are calling for "amending the United States Constitution to explicitly guarantee an individual's right to vote."

And so it begins:

The following Resolution will be considered by the DNC Executive Committee at its meeting in Washington, DC, on February 20, 2015.

Submitted by:

 Donna Brazile, DNC Vice Chair/District of Columbia
Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, DNC Chair/Florida
Christine Pelosi, California
Maria Elena Durazo, DNC Vice Chair/California
Anita Bonds, Chair, District of Columbia
Leah Daughtry, At-Large/New York
Bel Leong-Hong, At-Large/Maryland
Minyon Moore, At-Large/District of Columbia
Virgie Rollins, National Federation of Democratic Women/Michigan
Lottie Shackelford, At-Large/Arkansas
James Zogby, At-Large/District of Columbia

Resolution on a Right-to-Vote Amendment to the U.S. Constitution ...

(See the Linked Blog here to read it in its entirety.)

And last but never ever least, FLOTUS:

Honoring the Women of the Civil Rights Movement, Both Past and Present" Welcoming remarks by the First Lady ~ Michelle Obama!

... "Celebrating Women of the Movement," an event honoring Black History Month, in the East Room of the White House, Feb. 20, 2015. ...Moderator Vanessa De Luca, Editor-in-Chief of Essence magazine and a panel of intergenerational women who have played a pivotal role in the civil rights movement – both past and present. ...

This is focused on Black History Month and the Women of the Civil Rights Movement

BUT ~ it is an inspiration for all women...

You can hear her remarks here

.

G., aka Partisan Democrat 

(A big shout out to https://twitter.com/sfpelosi who Tweeted out the story on the #DNCWinterMeeting hash tag and a thank you to 

http://bradblog.com/?p=11048 who picked it up from our Twitter exchange and blogged it!)

Warning! I’m Feeling a Bit Un-diplomaticToward Democrats Who Don't Do Their Homework...

Heads up! I live just outside of Boston and I’m feeling kind of cranky ~

Having said that, as a citizen who believes in the form of government under which I live, a representative government, there are a few politicians I follow very closely and who I communicate with, as well, as I feel the need to do so: 1.) My Mayor; 2.) State Representative; 3.) My State Senator; 4.) My Governor; 5.) My Congressperson; 6.) My Federal Senators and; 7.) My President.

Because I do that, I am comfortable that six out of eight of them share the Democratic Platform, I am comfortable knowing we may have some strategic disagreements but we can talk about them in the context of the same basic, political belief system and I am comfortable in the truth of what they say as evidenced in the black and white proposals they make and or sign on to.

 As a result, when a big decision arises like the authorization of the use of military force I am comfortable in knowing, to a high degree of certainty, where their starting point is in the process of legislating. For example, I am comfortable that my representatives in D.C. support protecting our nation and I am comfortable that they will not support war unless it is as a last resort.

It is not as if I have no idea as to what their thinking is ~ it is, primarily, the same as mine.

And, because of that I find it distressing to listen to and to read Democrats express opinions that appear to be completely ignorant of the basic, political belief system they share with President Obama, Democrats who also appear to be completely blind to the vision he has consistently held while moving us from war and debt to peace and prosperity via a foreign policy that demands partners in the work of policing the globe and promotes strong nations per their economies as the most viable strategy for survival of the planet per a variety of benchmarks.

This is not a war President and this is not an anti-American worker President, either. This is a President who is positioning us for the 21st Century. Catch up.

Frankly, there is no excuse for not knowing it ~ every single word he has said and or has written is readily available at the source and is based on it: http://www.whitehouse.gov/

There is more than enough material available to support my short-handed assessment of the Obama Doctrine, so I’ll just share snippets of one speech with you ~ one of my favorites ~ which I am also going to edit so the focus can be on his thinking and not necessarily on place and time:

RELEASE               June 4, 2009

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
ON A NEW BEGINNING

Cairo University
Cairo, Egypt

I’m going to begin with the end, then share some of my favorite, relevant snippets, then leave you with the link so you can read the speech in its entirety without me and draw your own conclusions – as you should.

I know there are many – (blank) -- who question whether we can forge this new beginning.  Some are eager to stoke the flames of division, and to stand in the way of progress.  Some suggest that it isn't worth the effort -- that we are fated to disagree, and civilizations are doomed to clash. Many more are simply skeptical that real change can occur.  There's so much fear, so much mistrust that has built up over the years.  But if we choose to be bound by the past, we will never move forward.  And I want to particularly say this to young people of every faith, in every country -- you, more than anyone, have the ability to reimagine the world, to remake this world.

All of us share this world for but a brief moment in time. The question is whether we spend that time focused on what pushes us apart, or whether we commit ourselves to an effort -- a sustained effort -- to find common ground, to focus on the future we seek for our children, and to respect the dignity of all human beings.

It's easier to start wars than to end them.  It's easier to blame others than to look inward.  It's easier to see what is different about someone than to find the things we share.  But we should choose the right path, not just the easy path.  There's one rule that lies at the heart of every religion -- that we do unto others as we would have them do unto us.  This truth transcends nations and peoples -- a belief that isn't new; that isn't black or white or brown; that isn't Christian or Muslim or Jew.  It's a belief that pulsed in the cradle of civilization, and that still beats in the hearts of billions around the world.  It's a faith in other people, and it's what brought me here today.

We have the power to make the world we seek, but only if we have the courage to make a new beginning, keeping in mind what has been written.

The Holy Koran tells us:  "O mankind!  We have created you male and a female; and we have made you into nations and tribes so that you may know one another."

The Talmud tells us:  "The whole of the Torah is for the purpose of promoting peace."

The Holy Bible tells us:  "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God." 

The people of the world can live together in peace.  We know that is God's vision.  Now that must be our work here on Earth.

Thank you.  And may God's peace be upon you.  Thank you very much.  Thank you. 

And now ~ snippet time:

G., aka Partisan Democrat

Please follow at http://gkmtnblogs.blogspot.com ; sign up for Inbox delivery!

The transcript:   http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Remarks-by-the-President-at-Cairo-University-6-04-09

The video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaxZPiiKyMw#t=11

I Do Not Think All Who Work "On the Hill" Suck! Take Time to go to Sources & Decide for Your Self...

If I had a nickel for every time I have heard that one ^^^ I’d be a wealthy woman.

I’ll just highlight three of them ~ three Democratic leaders in D.C. who are in the forefront of my mind at the moment for the work they doing on behalf of all of us under the leadership of President Obama: National Security Advisor Susan Rice, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Secretary of State John Kerry.

Take the time to listen to them (perhaps an hour each), as opposed to listening to talking heads telling you what he or she thinks you should know about what she or he said, and decide for your self if they do or do not suck.

Further, take the time to get a better understanding of our President’s efforts toward peace and prosperity, domestically and globally, as we continue to move into the 21^st Century through the work of those who implement his policies and decide for your self if he does or does not suck.

First ~ National Security Advisor and former Ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice:

Video here. 

In the aftermath of the GOP Benghazi rage directed at her, Ambassador Rice was named President Obama’s National Security Advisor. In that position she recently presented his National Security Strategy for 2015 at the Brookings Institution.

President Obama has shifted our foreign policy paradigm from the old “might is right mentality,” per the United States, to a new global mentality that promotes American principles and values in juxtaposition with promoting strong economies expected to result in a high probability of peace and prosperity as the primary outcomes for us and for partners who share his vision.

“The 2015 National Security Strategy ... (snippet) ... 

Today, the United States is stronger and better positioned to seize the opportunities of a still new century and safeguard our interests against the risks of an insecure world. The President’s new National Security Strategy provides a vision and strategy for advancing the nation’s interests, universal values, and a rules-based international order through strong and sustainable American leadership. The strategy sets out the principles and priorities that describe how America will lead the world toward greater peace and a new prosperity. … “


Second ~ Congresswoman and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi:

Video here. 

President Obama has released his FY 2016 Budget and we have been given the rare opportunity to be mentored by Congresswoman Pelosi on how best to converse about a document that is not made up of mere numbers alone but is also a reflection of the principles and values of the Democratic Platform and the budget creator ~ pragmatically tempered as is his work style.

“Middle Class Economics: The President’s Fiscal Year 2016 Budget ... (snippet) ...

The President's 2016 Budget is designed to bring middle class economics into the 21st Century. This Budget shows what we can do if we invest in America's future and commit to an economy that rewards hard work, generates rising incomes, and allows everyone to share in the prosperity of a growing America. It lays out a strategy to strengthen our middle class and help America's hard-working families get ahead in a time of relentless economic and technological change. And it makes the critical investments needed to accelerate and sustain economic growth in the long run, including in research, education, training, and infrastructure. … ‘

(* There's microphone trouble in the very beginning but it is worth it to work through it!)

Third ~ Secretary of State and former United States Senator (MA) John Kerry:

Video here. 

This is a less recent address, toward the end of the summer in 2014 when Secretary Kerry spoke at the East-West Center in Honolulu, but I included it here because it is about the President’s vision for Asia-Pacific Engagement and much of that vision is being positioned to be activated as we speak in the form of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreements ~ making it quite relevant to today.

"U.S. Vision for Asia-Pacific Engagement ... (snippet) ...

“ … In the 21st century, a nation’s interests and the well-being of its people are advanced not just by troops or diplomats, but they’re advanced by entrepreneurs, by chief executives of companies, by the businesses that are good corporate citizens, by the workers that they employ, by the students that they train, and the shared prosperity that they create. That is why we are working with partners across the Asia Pacific to maintain and raise standards as we expand trade and investment by pursuing a comprehensive Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement.

Now, the TPP represents really an exciting new chapter in the long history of America’s mutually beneficial trade partnerships with the countries of the Asia Pacific. It is a state-of-the-art, 21st century trade agreement, and it is consistent not just with our shared economic interests, but also with our shared values. It’s about generating growth for our economies and jobs for our people by unleashing a wave of trade, investment, and entrepreneurship. It’s about standing up for our workers, or protecting the environment, and promoting innovation. And it’s about reaching for high standards to guide the growth of this dynamic regional economy. And all of that is just plain good for businesses, it’s good for workers, it’s good for our economies. And that’s why we must get this done. … “

G., aka Democratic Partisan

( Versions of the  Blogspots on Rice and Pelosi were originally posted on https://www.facebook.com/ProgressiveDemocratsMovingForwardNotBack )

More detailed reading on the President’s proposed budget and his national security strategy;

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/02/06/fact-sheet-2015-national-security-strategy

First Of Month FAV Posts ~ Shareable And/Or Actionable (Timely action included re ERA in VA!):

Democrats always need to work at messaging Democratic Truths. You know the GOP always works at messaging Democratic Lies! Please feel free to share my favorite posts and/or to take action where appropriate. Take the Best; Leave the Rest. But push back!

 My habit is to save each meme on my Desktop; I create a Memes Today folder and drop each Meme into the folder and; when I have a block of about 15 minutes of time ~ I share them all directly from that folder to my favorite social medium platforms. I am of the mind that the more space Democrats take up on cyberspace the less space the GOP will have!

Timely Actionable Post!

ERA vote expected 2.2 Noon...

If you are living in a Virginia zip code (and even if you don't ~ you should feel free to weigh in as I do because equality is a national issue): "Help Virginia Ratify the ERA in 2015!

 ‪

Last week the ERA Ratification bill (SJ216) passed the Senate Privileges and Elections Committee.We expect the Senate vote on Monday, February 2, at noon. Join us at the General Assembly so that we have hundreds of people in the gallery. If you are unable to attend, here are 2 simple actions you can take:

SIGN CREDO VA PETITION: http://bit.ly/1ChP6um

CALL all the Senators listed below and tell them you support passage of SJ216.There are 4 critical Republican votes that we must get along with all the Democrats (Republicans Norment, Stosch, Watkins, Wagner). Tell them the women of Virginia and America are counting on them to advance civil rights and economic stability for American families.

Walter A. Stosch 804-698-7512 district12@senate.virginia.gov

John C. Watkins 804-698-7510 district10@senate.virginia.gov

Frank Wagner 804-698-7507 district07@senate.virginia.gov

Thomas K. Norment, Jr. 804-698-7503 district03@senate.virginia.gov

This is one more fight in a nearly 100 year struggle. Please stand with us and help us pass the ERA in the Virginia Senate. When we do this, then we must get ready for the even bigger battle in the Virginia House. Thank you!"

^^^ What I love about that story ~ not only did the Representative have an appropriate change of heart here ("government must not make this decision") but he actually had the courage to say it out loud!

^^^ This meme is a reminder that the economy almost always does better under Democratic Leadership!

^^^ A way to begin to understand GOP does, indeed, need decoding!

^^^ Food for thought re a Libertarian philosophy that is looking to be a hot topic for 2016.

^^^ Simply stated: ACA works!




^^^ Yes! And everyone needs to be fact checking!!!

^^^ And, I would say, really: "What Republicans don't want women" AND those who love them "to remember"!

^^^ Democrats know the most effective defensive tools can be found in continuing to strive "A more perfect union."

G., aka Partisan Democrat



A thank you and a shout out to all who have shared their messages with us on social media.  Most can be found here, in order of their appearance:

https://www.facebook.com/ERAAction

https://twitter.com/LadyMEGrey

Sabeena Lobello per https://plus.google.com/communities/107498047091344658935

https://www.facebook.com/AATLP

https://www.facebook.com/PlannedParenthood

https://twitter.com/BRios82

https://www.facebook.com/ArmedDemocrats

The President Johnson meme creator is unknown to me. If anyone knows the creator please let me know that and I will give credit immediately. TY