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LOUISVILLE /JEFFERSON COUNTY

DEMOCRATIC PARTY NEWSLETTER

Week of December 30, 2007

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Updated on a regular basis

Bulletin Board:

The Louisville/Jefferson County Democratic Executive Committee meets the 4th Wednesday of every month at 5:00 pm at Democratic Headquarters,
640 Barret Avenue .

VOTERS, YOUR NEXT ASSIGNMENT

DITCH MITCH

Report: In Meeting, ‘Wild-Eyed’ Bush Thumped Chest While Repeating ‘I Am The President!’

Georgie Anne Geyer writes today in the Dallas Morning News about President Bush’s strange behavior during a recent meeting with “[f]riends of his from Texas.”

But by all reports, President Bush is more convinced than ever of his righteousness.

Friends of his from Texas were shocked recently to find him nearly wild-eyed, thumping himself on the chest three times while he repeated “I am the president!” He also made it clear he was setting Iraq up so his successor could not get out of “our country’s destiny.”

This is the second time in recent weeks that accounts have surfaced of Bush lashing out or “ranting” in private meetings when responding to criticism of his Iraq policy. Chris Nelson of the Nelson Report offered a similar account earlier this month:

[S]ome big money players up from Texas recently paid a visit to their friend in the White House. The story goes that they got out exactly one question, and the rest of the meeting consisted of The President in an extended whine, a rant, actually, about no one understands him, the critics are all messed up, if only people would see what he’s doing things would be OK…etc., etc. This is called a “bunker mentality” and it’s not attractive when a friend does it. When the friend is the President of the United States, it can be downright dangerous. Apparently the Texas friends were suitably appalled, hence the story now in circulation.

Like the tearful House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH), Bush needs to channel his bottled up emotions towards a more worthy end — winding down the war in Iraq rather than defending the status quo. SOURCE

Comments to the Editor:

Dear Friends,

For the past year, I’ve had the privilege of representing our wonderful community in Congress.

To me, the people of Louisville embody the spirit of Christmas all year round. Your generosity, kindness, and community spirit are what make our hometown so special.

So from my family to yours, we hope all your holidays are filled with the warmth of family, the joy of the season, and the bountiful optimism that greets each new year.

Best holiday wishes,

CHANGE FOR KENTUCKY PRESS RELEASE, CONTACT: Mike Bailey, 502-558-4026 (cell)

Democracy for America's Kentucky Organization Endorses Andrew Horne For U.S.Senate

Grassroots Organizers Believe Horne Offers Genuine Leadership and Positive Change for Kentucky

Louisville - On Friday, December 21, the leadership of Change for Kentucky (CFK), a group of progressive grassroots Kentuckians affiliated with the national organization Democracy for America, announced a pre-filing deadline endorsement of Andrew Horne for U.S. Senate. CFK members feel that of the confirmed or rumored candidates, Horne offers the most trustworthy, competent and genuine leadership, and should be nominated to challenge Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

"Mitch McConnell has consistently blocked or voted against legislation that would help Kentuckians, like the children’s health insurance program (SCHIP). McConnell has also continually carried George Bush’s water in Iraq. As an Iraq War veteran, Lt. Col. Horne has the most compelling reason to take a stand against McConnell," said Tracey Heflin of Mason County.

"Andrew Horne is exactly the kind of candidate that CFK was founded to support

- he believes in the principles of fiscal responsibility, social progress, and grassroots citizen involvement in the political process," said Dan Shumer of Fayette County, CFK's PAC chairperson. Horne has some history with CFK. He was endorsed by CFK's Louisville chapter in 2006 during the third congressional district primary, and when his bid was unsuccessful, he quickly urged CFK members to support John Yarmuth, who went on to defeat Northup.

CFK encourages voters to learn more about Andrew Horne by examining his campaign website at http://andrewhorne.org and his archived congressional campaign site at http://andrew2006.com (voters can also find good information about Horne at http://andrewhorne.info.)

"Change for Kentucky members from across the Commonwealth believe that Andrew Horne is the best candidate for U.S. Senate," said Mike Bailey, a group organizer from Louisville. "We know that he will work hard every day, that he will take his job and his responsibility seriously, and that he will be an effective, positive change agent for Kentucky and our nation."

DAILY GRILL

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Quotes of the Day

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Recent Senate Votes

Consolidated Appropriations, FY2008 - Vote Agreed to (76-17, 1 Present, 6 Not Voting)

The Senate passed H.R. 2764, a 2008 fiscal year omnibus appropriations bill that provides additional war funding.

Sen. Mitch McConnell voted YES
Sen. Jim Bunning voted YES

Recent House Votes

CLEAN Energy Act of 2007 - Vote Passed (314-100, 19 Not Voting)

The House passed this comprehensive energy bill that will raise the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards to 35 miles per gallon by 2020.

Rep. Ron Lewis voted YES
Rep. John Yarmuth voted YES

Terrorism Risk Insurance Revision and Extension Act - Vote Passed (360-53, 19 Not Voting)

The House passed this bill that would help the insurance industry cover costs in the event of a terrorist attack.

Rep. Ron Lewis voted YES
Rep. John Yarmuth voted YES

Temporary Tax Relief Act of 2007 - Vote Passed (352-64, 17 Not Voting)

The House voted in favor of this bill to fix the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) for one year, sending it to the President for his approval.

Rep. Ron Lewis voted YES
Rep. John Yarmuth voted YES

SCHIP Extension Act - Vote Passed (411-3, 18 Not Voting)

The House passed this bill on Wednesday to extend funding of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) in its current form until March 2009.

Rep. Ron Lewis voted YES
Rep. John Yarmuth voted YES

Consolidated Appropriations, FY2008 - Vote Passed (272-142, 18 Not Voting)

The House gave final approval to this $555 billion, 2008 fiscal year omnibus appropriations bill that includes a Senate provision providing additional war funding.

Rep. Ron Lewis voted YES
Rep. John Yarmuth voted NO

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HUMOR

The 25 Dumbest Quotes of 2007

25. "It was an unidentified flying object, OK? It's, like, it's unidentified." --Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), confirming an account in Shirley MacLain's book that said Kucinich once had a close encounter with a UFO while visiting her house in Washington state. MacLaine wrote that Kucinich "felt a connection in his heart and heard directions in his mind" as a triangular craft hovered above him. (Watch video clip)

24. "I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy. I mean, that's a storybook, man." --Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) on Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL)

23. "I'm pretty sure there will be duck-hunting in heaven and I can't wait!" --former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee

22. "PETA is not happy that my dog likes fresh air." --former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, responding to criticism from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals following revelations that he had once strapped the family dog to roof of his car during a long road trip

21. "Biking through New York’s boroughs in 2005, I thought about some old friends, Joe and Eileen Bailey. Though they are imaginary, I frequently talk to them. " –Sen. Chuch Schumer (D-NY), in an excerpt from his book, Positively American

20. "I'm in the private sector and for the first time in my life I'm earning money. You know that’s sort of part of the Jewish tradition and I do not find anything wrong with that." --Former Republican presidential candidate Tommy Thompson, speaking to an audience of Jewish activists

19. "The question is, we face a lot of dangers in the world and, in the gentleman's words, we face a lot of evil men. And what in my background equips me to deal with evil and bad men?" --Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY), laughing off a question from a voter who asked Clinton what qualified her to deal with leaders from countries such as Iran and North Korea

18. "What do you think about that?" --Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID), after handing his Senate business card to the police officer who arrested him for attempting to solicit sex in a Minneapolis airport men’s room

17. "Thank you all very much for coming out today." --Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID), at the beginning of his remarks to reporters in which he insisted he was "not gay"

16. "I never said I was pro-choice, but my position was effectively pro-choice. I changed my position. And I get tired of people that are holier-than-thou because they've been pro-life longer than I have. But I'm proud of the fact." --Mitt Romney, clarifying his position on abortion

15. "And the ultimate thing is, I may not be the expert that some people are on foreign policy, but I did stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night." --Mike Huckabee

14. "All these things give me kind of a gut feeling, not that I have a specific threat that I have in mind right now, but we are entering a period of increased vulnerability." --Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, on terrorism threats

13. "Like a normal outdoor market in Indiana in the summertime." --Rep Mike Pence (R-IN), describing his visit to a Baghdad market where a suicide bomber killed 88 people a few months earlier. Pence and the other members of the U.S. delegation visiting the market were decked in flak jackets while surrounded by 100 soldiers in armored Humvees and attack helicopters.

12. "I just want to add, I did not say that it should be done, but I certainly recognize why Gov. Spitzer is trying to do it. And we have failed." --Sen. Hillary Clinton, responding in a Democratic debate to New York Gov. Elliot Spitzer’s plan to give drivers’ licenses to illegal immigrants. Moments earlier, Clinton had said, "They are driving on our roads. The possibility of them having an accident that harms themselves or others is just a matter of the odds."

11. "This president has listened to some people, the so-called Vulcans in the White House, the ideologues. But you know, unlike the Vulcans of Star Trek who made the decisions based on logic and fact, these guys make it on ideology. These aren't Vulcans. There are Klingons in the White House. But unlike the real Klingons of Star Trek, these Klingons have never fought a battle of their own. Don't let faux Klingons send real Americans to war." --Rep. David Wu (D-OR), in a speech on the floor of Congress (Watch video clip)

10. "You don't have money to fund the war on children, but you're going to spend it to blow up innocent people? If he can get enough kids to grow old enough for you to send to Iraq to get their heads blown off for the president's amusement." --Rep. Peter Stark (D-CA)

9. "I've told people that if you're interested in avoiding World War III, it seems like you ought to be interested in preventing them (Iran) from having the knowledge necessary to make a nuclear weapon." –President George W. Bush, despite the fact that it would later be revealed that U.S. intelligence had already concluded that Iran abandoned its nuclear program in 2003

8. "It had to do with Cuba and missiles, I'm pretty sure." –White House Press Secretary Dana Perino, admitting she had never heard of the Cuban Missile Crisis

7. "I don't recall." --former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales', who repeated the phrase 122 times in response to congressional questions about the firing of U.S. attorneys

6. "Don't tase me, bro!" --University of Florida student Andrew Meyer, to police officers just before being tasered for resisting arrest after asking too many annoying questions at a John Kerry event (Watch video clip)

5. "The administration was opposed to voting on (the Iraq war resolution) in the fall of 2002 ... because we didn’t think it belonged in the confines of the election. We thought it made it too political. We wanted it outside the confines of the election. It seemed it make things move too fast. There were things that needed to be done to bring along allies and potential allies abroad and yet." --former Bush adviser Karl Rove, with a straight face (Watch video clip)

4. "As yesterday's positive report card shows, childrens do learn when standards are high and results are measured." --President George W. Bush, on the No Child Left Behind Act, Washington, D.C., Sept. 26, 2007 (Watch video clip)

3. "In Iran, we don't have homosexuals, like in your country." --Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, addressing the United Nations

2. "I personally believe that U.S. Americans are unable to do so because, um, some people out there in our nation don't have maps and, uh, I believe that our, uh, education like such as, uh, South Africa and, uh, the Iraq and everywhere like such as, and I believe that they should, uh, our education over here in the U.S. should help the U.S., uh, should help South Africa and should help Iraq and the Asian countries, so we will be able to build up our future." --Miss Teen South Carolina, Lauren Caitlin Upton, after being asked why 1/5th of 1 Americans can't locate the U.S on a world map (Watch video clip)

1. "(I have) a wide stance when going to the bathroom." -- Sen. Larry Craig, explaining to his arresting officer why he was playing footsie in a Minneapolis airport mens’ room (Watch video reenactment)

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NEED COMPUTER ASSISTANCE??

Democrat Activist Mike Bailey is now providing “Professional Computer Support.” He can be contacted at 502-558-4026, or mikebailey2000@usa.net.

Think Fast

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INTERESTING

State of the Unions, PAUL KRUGMAN

Once upon a time, back when America had a strong middle class, it also had a strong union movement.

These two facts were connected. Unions negotiated good wages and benefits for their workers, gains that often ended up being matched even by nonunion employers. They also provided an important counterbalance to the political influence of corporations and the economic elite.

Today, however, the American union movement is a shadow of its former self, except among government workers. In 1973, almost a quarter of private-sector employees were union members, but last year the figure was down to a mere 7.4 percent.

Yet unions still matter politically. And right now they’re at the heart of a nasty political scuffle among Democrats. Before I get to that, however, let’s talk about what happened to American labor over the last 35 years.

It’s often assumed that the U.S. labor movement died a natural death, that it was made obsolete by globalization and technological change. But what really happened is that beginning in the 1970s, corporate America, which had previously had a largely cooperative relationship with unions, in effect declared war on organized labor.

Don’t take my word for it; read Business Week, which published an article in 2002 titled “How Wal-Mart Keeps Unions at Bay.” The article explained that “over the past two decades, Corporate America has perfected its ability to fend off labor groups.” It then described the tactics — some legal, some illegal, all involving a healthy dose of intimidation — that Wal-Mart and other giant firms use to block organizing drives.

These hardball tactics have been enabled by a political environment that has been deeply hostile to organized labor, both because politicians favored employers’ interests and because conservatives sought to weaken the Democratic Party. “We’re going to crush labor as a political entity,” Grover Norquist, the anti-tax activist, once declared.

But the times may be changing. A newly energized progressive movement seems to be on the ascendant, and unions are a key part of that movement. Most notably, the Service Employees International Union has played a key role in pushing for health care reform. And unions will be an important force in the Democrats’ favor in next year’s election.

Or maybe not — which brings us to the latest from Iowa.

Whoever receives the Democratic presidential nomination will receive labor’s support in the general election. Meanwhile, however, unions are supporting favored candidates. Hillary Clinton — who for a time seemed the clear front-runner — has received the most union support. John Edwards, whose populist message resonates with labor, has also received considerable labor support.

But Barack Obama, though he has a solid pro-labor voting record, has not — in part, perhaps, because his message of “a new kind of politics” that will transcend bitter partisanship doesn’t make much sense to union leaders who know, from the experience of confronting corporations and their political allies head on, that partisanship isn’t going away anytime soon.

O.K., that’s politics. But now Mr. Obama has lashed out at Mr. Edwards because two 527s — independent groups that are allowed to support candidates, but are legally forbidden from coordinating directly with their campaigns — are running ads on his rival’s behalf. They are, Mr. Obama says, representative of the kind of “special interests” that “have too much influence in Washington.”

The thing, though, is that both of these 527s represent union groups — in the case of the larger group, local branches of the S.E.I.U. who consider Mr. Edwards the strongest candidate on health reform. So Mr. Obama’s attack raises a couple of questions.

First, does it make sense, in the current political and economic environment, for Democrats to lump unions in with corporate groups as examples of the special interests we need to stand up to?

Second, is Mr. Obama saying that if nominated, he’d be willing to run without support from labor 527s, which might be crucial to the Democrats? If not, how does he avoid having his own current words used against him by the Republican nominee?

Part of what happened here, I think, is that Mr. Obama, looking for a stick with which to beat an opponent who has lately acquired some momentum, either carelessly or cynically failed to think about how his rhetoric would affect the eventual ability of the Democratic nominee, whoever he or she is, to campaign effectively. In this sense, his latest gambit resembles his previous echoing of G.O.P. talking points on Social Security.

Beyond that, the episode illustrates what’s wrong with campaigning on generalities about political transformation and trying to avoid sounding partisan.

It may be partisan to say that a 527 run by labor unions supporting health care reform isn’t the same thing as a 527 run by insurance companies opposing it. But it’s also the simple truth.

U.S. Rep. Geoff Davis ranked among the biggest congressional spenders of tax money to send mailings to constituents last year, which coincided with a tough re-election campaign for the Republican.

Davis, who represents the 4th District in northern Kentucky, sent out 716,803 pieces of mass mailings in 2006. His use of the congressional franking privilege carried an overall cost of $165,316 to taxpayers.

In the 435-member House, Davis was outspent on total mailing costs by four congressmen, all fellow Republicans. SOURCE

Workers Lose Jobs to Trade—and Now Republican Trio Blocks Their Benefits, by James Parks

Three Republican senators led by Jon Kyl of Arizona ruined the holidays of tens of thousands of working people whose jobs were shipped overseas because of the flawed U.S. trade policies that encourage employers to move offshore. The senators blocked a unanimous consent agreement to extend the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program for three months.

TAA provides financial assistance and training to workers who lost their job due to imports or offshoring. The program is set to expire Dec. 31. Even though the House approved an extension last week, the Senate failed to do so yesterday before adjourning for the year.

Nearly 120,000 workers were certified as eligible to receive TAA benefits from Oct. 1, 2005, through Sept. 30, 2006, according to the Congressional Budget Office. During that same period, roughly 60,000 individuals started to receive cash and training benefits.

The three Senate Republicans weren’t even concerned with TAA—they held the bill hostage because they wanted to make changes to the Federal Aviation Administration trust fund.

Because of their political pettiness, thousands of workers throughout the country will be denied vital benefits to support their families under this important program. They will receive no financial assistance, no job training, no help maintaining health insurance and no wage insurance if they are forced to take a lower-paying job.

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) blasted the Republicans, saying:

Holding American workers hostage to leverage unrelated priorities is bad enough at any time of year, but it’s hard to believe that in the week before Christmas, a political move will stop training, money and other assistance for hard-working folks in need.

Baucus, who introduced comprehensive TAA legislation in July, secured a promise from the U.S. Labor Department to continue the program through 2008 with funds provided in the omnibus appropriations bill passed Tuesday. But Senate Democrats say the reality is that the funds are not guaranteed until the program is reauthorized and they will mount an effort to renew the program when they return to work in January.

Republican Obstruction Strategy Stalls Key Legislation in Senate by Seth Michaels

Senate Republicans have hit a dubious record this year. On Dec. 18, they forced the 62nd cloture vote of the 110^th Congress, effectively blocking yet another bill. With half of the session still ahead, the roadblock Republicans have broken the record for the use of the filibuster to halt Senate legislation.

In a new report, the Campaign for America’s Future examined the record of reactionary obstruction in the Senate, and the media’s ineffective response. In short, the report’s authors note:

The first session of Congress was more marked by conservative obstruction than by progressive gains.

Cloture votes are the procedural votes that end debate and allow a bill to get a real vote on the floor. To pass as legislation, a bill needs 51 votes—but to end debate and get to that vote, 60 senators must vote for cloture. In the past, forcing a cloture vote, or filibustering, was rare. In this session, however, Republicans are forcing cloture votes on nearly every piece of legislation under consideration by the Democratic-majority Senate. In effect, any bill that has fewer than 60 votes is dead on arrival.

In just one year, legislation in the Senate has faced more filibusters than in any two-year session in the past three decades.

The use of the filibuster isn’t an accident. It’s a deliberate strategy on the part of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and his allies in the minority. The goal is to generate headline like “Senate Fails to Pass Bill” and reinforce the belief that it’s Congress in general that’s the problem.

According to the report, it’s working.

Only a quarter of Americans approve of the way Congress is doing its job, lower ratings even than President Bush. Detailed surveys show the Republicans score fractionally lower than the Democrats, but the big picture is one of frustration. The 2006 election was supposed to bring change, and the Democrats have failed to deliver it. However, congressional stasis cannot solely be attributed to Democrats. It is a deliberate Republican goal.

Since January, key pieces of legislation important to working families have been blocked as a result of this strategy, including:

Jan. 24—the Fair Minimum Wage Act (H.R. 2, Senate Vote 23). This is one of the few working family-friendly bills that ever made it out of the Senate in one form or another, with the Senate passing a minimum wage increase in July, attached to a separate spending bill.

April 18—the Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act (S.3, Senate Vote 132).

June 26—the Employee Free Choice Act (H.R. 800, Senate Vote 227).

Sept. 18—the D.C. House Voting Rights Act. (S. 1257, Senate Vote 339).

In every one of these votes, legislation that matters to working families had the clear support of a majority of the Senate’s members, but was stopped in its tracks by the procedural schemes of McConnell and the Republican minority looking out for the interests of drug companies and other corporate elites.

As the report’s authors note, McConnell and his allies have seized control of the national agenda—and working families need to fight back.

The public is hungry for change. They elected the new Democratic majorities to get us out of the war and to change our course at home. They are and will be increasingly frustrated if nothing happens. The American public needs to understand that a conservative congressional minority is sabotaging political progress through a deliberate agenda of obstruction.

To help ensure that working families can see real progress, the AFL-CIO is carrying out the Working Families Vote 2008 campaign, an unprecedented national mobilization to elect a working family-friendly Congress and president.

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VIDEOS

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Publication of
Louisville/Jefferson County Democratic Party
Tim Longmeyer, Chairman
Ray Crider, Editor
640 Barret Ave
Louisville, Ky 40202
502-582-1999

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