Congressman Allen Calls for an Investigation into Fuel Price Fixing

A report on Congressman Tom Allen’s call for a federal investigation into rising oil prices from WGME in Portland:

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2008 Signature Gala

Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-MI) addresses the Gala


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Last Week in Washington State

Politics is moving right along in the Puget Sound and in the rest of the state I might add. We were there in support of Darcy Burner, congressional candidate in Washington-8 and Governor Christine Gregoire, who is one of the few Governors with a reelection fight in 2008. No slam-dunk races here!

Both candidates have their work cut out for them. The key element in their elections will be how many doors the campaigns knock and then how many voters the campaigns actually talk to. Pierce County appears to be a major battleground county for them; partly rural but like so many other areas around the country filled with new growth as families move out of the city (Seattle) in search of better schools and just more space in which to raise their children.

These counties have trended Republican primarily in my estimation because the Democratic Party and its campaigns have not gone out to these places and talked with people about issues and candidates. Essentially we have written-off huge areas of the country and allowed the Republican Party a “free-ride” to build up their margins in statewide races and congressional contests. The good new in Washington State, at least, is that these targeted campaigns have agreed to work with our field program to seriously cut into those Republican margins in Pierce County and beyond as the cycle progresses. We’ll be working closely with the Coordinated Campaign and talking to voters throughout this county beginning in June.

The amounts of money necessary to wage campaigns in Washington State are just as huge as anywhere else where contested races are at stake. Christine Gregoire won by 135 votes after several recounts in 2004 and Darcy Burner lost her 2006 election by several thousand votes in what was decidedly a close call for the Republican incumbent. These are two races to keep an eye on as we move towards November.

I’ll be in Little Rock, Arkansas on Wednesday and Thursday addressing the People for The American Way foundation’s Young Elected Officials Conference. The Clinton Library in Little Rock is hosting the event and it should be a useful and productive time for all. I’ll be speaking on “How to Stay in Office Once You Are Elected” and holding individual meetings with young officeholders who are up for reelection this year and next. Our political staff is working extremely hard on projects such as the next round of candidate endorsements of which more next week.

As always, if you feel like it, give me a call at 202.626.5620 or e-mail me at dan@21stdems.org.

Weekend In Delaware - 21st Century Dems Style

National Political Director Dan Lucas

This weekend we had the opportunity to meet with 70 Democrats who attended our first Organizer Training in Newark, Delaware. The Training was held at Clayton Hall at the University of Delaware in a very nice facility in the basement. We covered topics such as campaign planning, voter targeting and using the voter file. The training was enormously helped by staff members of the Delaware Democratic Party who showed our trainees how to access and use the Vote Builder system and use the map and address aspects of the system to promote good walk lists and contact efforts.

We spent a good deal of time discussing canvassing methods, phone bank protocols and using the new internet tools now available to activists. As the following pictures from the event illustrate everyone was engaged throughout the day in learning how to be the best they could be in talking to voters. Our political staff Dan Lucas (me), Wendy Davis and Mark Watson lead the group throughout the day. We were helped by 21st Century Democrats' intern Jay Herman who captivated everyone with his succinct and funny presentation on new internet tools. Thanks Jay!

Delaware’s Primary is September 9 so everyone who attended will be able to really put into practice the voter contact strategies they learned this weekend!

Delaware Field Organizer Training

April 14, 2008 - On Saturday, 21st Century Democrats held a Field Organizer Training at the University of Delaware. More than 70 Democratic activists attended the training and received thorough instruction in the nuts and bolts of grassroots organizing and voter contact.

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Jackie Speier Wins!

April 9, 2008 – 21st Century Democrats congratulates Congresswoman-elect Jackie Speier on her Special Election victory. She will represent California’s 12th Congressional District for the remainder of the late Democratic Congressman Tom Lantos’ term. The Congresswoman-elect will now run as an incumbent in the regularly scheduled Primary Election on June 3rd. 21st Century Democrats is proud to have been part of the effort to elect Jackie Speier and, we look forward to helping her win reelection this November.

Click Here for Election Results

CA-12 Special Election Results

Remembering Dr. King

April 4, 2008 - On this day 40 years ago, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was felled by an assassin’s bullet on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. He was there to march with sanitation workers demanding a better wage. Harry Belafonte, actor/activist shared a story once of how Mrs. Coretta Scott King, upon learning of the assassination, called only Mr. Belafonte into her room and quietly asked him to help lay out the clothes Dr. King would wear. It was a very intimate moment during which she shared her concern for the country and what could result from this horrific event. She softly admitted that she was not sure of what she should do. Mr. Belafonte respectfully reminded her of why Dr. King had gone to Memphis and how the people would be waiting for some direction. Mrs. King courageously decided that she would lead the sanitation workers march in her husband’s stead.

Today, 21st Century Democrats salutes the life of Dr. Martin Luther King who paid the ultimate price and to Mrs. Coretta Scott King for continuing the fight for the progressive ideals that form the core of our mission. 21st Century Democrats pledges to never relent in our charge to elect progressive populist Democrats who will stand up for America’s working families and to be leaders on Capitol Hill, State Legislatures, counties, and cities across the country.


Dr. King speaks at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom - August 28, 1963

Bullock Picks Up Important Union Endorsement

Yesterday, Montana Attorney General candidate Steve Bullock was endorsed by by the Teamsters Local No. 190. “Through his legal work and his efforts to increase the minimum wage, Steve has stood side-by-side with working families across Montana and we are proud to stand with him,” said Teamster’s 190 Secretary/Treasurer Joe Dwyer in the endorsement announcement. “Steve has the experience and the vision to be a truly outstanding Attorney General.”

Click here for more about the Endorsement
or
Click here to listen to Secretary/Treasurer Dwyer talk about the endorsement