Bob Fertik's blog

MayDay

May 1st (May Day) is shaping up to be quite a day of resistance, with strikes by the ILWU, the Teamsters, Postal Workers, plus immigrant rights rallies, and peace and impeachment activities. (More info here.)

It's Mission Accomplished Day, Downing Street Minutes Day, and May Day - the original Labor Day, which is celebrated everywhere except the country of its birth, the USA.

AfterDowningStreet.org proposed protests outside the local offices of all 435 Members of Congress at noon, and the response was enthusiastic. (It doesn't have to be noon if another time like 9am or 5pm is better for your local group.) Would you like to get involved?

Check for a MayDay Protest already being planned in your district: To do this, you must be registered and logged in. Then go to http://democrats.com/local and look for a MayDay announcement below the "Congressional District" heading. If you see one, open it and post a comment below it offering to help, or contact the organizers in whatever way they have suggested (they may have posted a phone number or email address).

Start organizing a MayDay Protest using the tools on this website: If there's nothing yet being planned in your district and you want to start talking with others about planning a possible MayDay Protest, or if you're ready to post an announcement of a MayDay Protest, please Email us at: mayday@democrats.com We will walk you through the steps involved. To get started on your own (it's really not that hard) CLICK HERE.

Torture News Strike

Brattleboro (Vt.) Reformer
Kansas City Star
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Tuscaloosa (Ala.) News 

On 4/11/08, George Bush told ABC News he personally approved of the approval of torture - including waterboarding - by Dick Cheney, Condoleeza Rice, Donald Rumsfeld, Colin Powell and George Tenet.

Bush said, "Yes, I'm aware our national security team met on this issue. And I approved."

You would think a President confessing to war crimes would be on the front pages of all the nation's newspapers, and all over their editorial pages - not just on Countdown and The Daily Show.

You'd be wrong. The only newspapers that have covered the story are in the box on the right.

Is your newspaper missing from this list? Then let's work together to do something about it.

We're calling this action our "Torture News Strike."

Call the Editor of your local newspaper and tell him/her you are suspending your subscription until they give Bush's torture confession the serious coverage it deserves either in the news or editorial section, or preferably both.

If you get home delivery, then call the circulation department and tell them to suspend delivery until further notice. (If you buy at the newsstands, read something else.)

Want to connect with other activists who read the same newspaper as you? Read more...

Iraq Town Halls

Co-sponsors and speakers:
Progressive Democrats of America
Gold Star Families for Peace
Win Without War
AfterDowningStreet
FireDogLake
Hip Hop Caucus
Cities for Peace
Velvet Revolution
The Nation
The Backbone Campaign
Brad Blog
Clout on Air America
Willie Nelson Peace Research
Voters for Peace
Code Pink
Democracy Cell Project
Veterans for Peace
Global Exchange
Liberty Tree
Filibuster for Peace
The Young Turks on Air America
United for Peace and Justice
Brave New Films
Declaration of Peace 

Speakers:
Iraq Veterans Against the War

http://iraqtownhalls.com

In April, Congress will vote to give George W. Bush and Dick Cheney another $102 billion for Iraq - unless we finally persuade our Representatives to Just Say No.

One of the best ways to persuade a Representative is to hold a town hall meeting and fill the hall with people who care and are willing to speak passionately. (Another way is to turn out a crowd for a town hall that your Representative is already scheduled to attend.)

So we're asking YOU and the 500,000 members of Democrats.com to organize Iraq Town Halls in all 435 Congressional districts on any day in April.

Check for an Iraq Town Hall already being planned in your district: To do this, you must be registered and logged in on this website. Once you are, go to http://democrats.com/local and look for an Iraq Town Hall announcement below the "Congressional District" heading. If you see one, open it and post a comment below it offering to help, or contact the organizers in whatever way they have suggested (they may have posted a phone number or Email address).

Start organizing an Iraq Town Hall using the tools on this website: If there's nothing yet being planned in your district and you want to start talking with others about planning a possible town hall, or if you're ready to post an announcement of an Iraq Town Hall, please Email us at: iraqtownhall@democrats.com We will walk you through the steps involved. To get started on your own (it's really not that hard) CLICK HERE.

For tips on how to make your Iraq Town Hall a success, READ MORE.

Iraq Town Halls List - And Available Speakers

Planning for Iraq Town Halls is underway in these Congressional Districts - scroll down to find the actual post. Definite events are in bold.

AZ07, CA01, CA06, CA08, CA09, CA11, CA14, CA23, CA24, CA49, FL04, FL05, FL9-10-11, FL13, IA01, IL13, IL14, IN02, IN03, IN09, KS03, MA08, ME, MI02, MI12, NY14, NY20, OH13-14-17, OK01, OK02, OR03, OR04-05, PA01-02, PA10, TN02, TN05, TX06-12-26, TX18, TX25, VA04, VA08, WA03, WA07, WA09, WI02

If someone has started organizing in your CD, please add a comment below that post offering to help. If no one is organizing in your CD, please create a new post for your CD following these instructions:
http://www.democrats.com/iraq-town-halls-top

Honk To Impeach!

CommunityWalk Map - ImpeachMap
According to the polls, a majority of Americans support the impeachment of George Bush and Dick Cheney. But few Americans know there is a nationwide grassroots impeachment movement because the Corporate Media refuses to report on our efforts on orders from Karl Rove.

So what can we do about it? How about making some old-fashioned noise - and breaking new ground in high-tech grassroots organizing! HonkToImpeach is simple:

  1. We'll hit busy intersections with signs asking cars to Honk To Impeach Bush - that's the old-fashioned noise-making part
  2. We'll also hold signs saying PASSENGERS: TEXT "IMPEACH" to 30644 - that's the new high-tech grassroots organizing, which will allow us to "sign up" all the honkers via text messaging for future organizing
  3. We'll post photos and videos of our actions to inspire more activism here:
    http://www.impeachspace.com

Honk To Impeach - Nuts And Bolts

Here are the nuts and bolts for organizers:

  1. Pick a strategic location that gets a lot of cars and has a stop light - if possible, right in front of your Representative's District Office or a local TV station or newspaper
  2. Pick a time that works for you and a friend or two
  3. Post the time/place on our events calendar coded "Honk To Impeach"
  4. Send the link to your local friends and ask them post a comment if they can join you. Also ask them to send it to their local friends.
  5. Bring our two handwritten signs (or posterboard and markers to make signs)
    1. Honk to Impeach Bush!
    2. TEXT "IMPEACH" to 30644
  6. Bring a camera (or video camera) to record your activities
  7. You need two signs at each corner - if you have extra people and signs you can cover more than one corner
  8. Have fun!!

If you're not an organizer but want to participate, visit our events page and type in your zip code to find a HonkToImpeach event near you. Then post a comment telling the organizer you'll be there.

Safety is crucial and we must not cause any accidents involving cars or pedestrians.

  1. Break sunscreen and hats
  2. Don't bring children or pets - they are too precious, as well as unpredictable and distracting
  3. Only wave your signs at cars that are stopped at a red light - don't distract drivers who are moving - turn your signs away from moving cars - turn your signs away when the red light turns green
  4. If a pro-Bush driver curses at you, don't get angry - just smile and wave or move away
  5. If the police question you, tell them you're exercising your First Amendment right of free expression. If they tell you you're creating a disturbance in that location, ask them where you can stand that will not create a disturbance. You have a right to hold signs in public places so find a local lawyer who is familiar with local ordinances and ask if they will advise you for free (pro bono) if you get hassled by local police

After you're done:

  1. Thank everyone who came and ask them if they would do it again, what date/time works best, and what changes to make
  2. Collect everyone's email address for future events
  3. Upload your photos to your favorite photo site like Flickr.com and upload your videos to Youtube.com
  4. Create a new forum topic on Democrats.com to share your experience and link to your photos and videos: http://www.democrats.com/node/add/forum
    Forum: Impeachment - Activism
    Topic: HonkToImpeach
    Content Relevance: Congressional District
  5. Email the forum link to everyone who came or wanted to come
  6. Schedule your next outing at http://democrats.com/events

Bush Democrats

While Democrats control the House of Representatives by 231-202, they cannot pass progressive bills on health care, the environment, jobs, justice, and impeachment - or even stop horrendous Republican bills on Iraq, torture, and warrantless wiretapping - because a few dozen "Bush Democrats" usually vote with George Bush.

2008 Primary Challengers Wanted

Help us recruit Democratic primary challengers! Use our map or list

In 2006, we elected Democratic majorities to the Senate and House for one overriding reason: to end the Iraq War.

In May 2007, both the Senate and the House voted on amendments to end the Iraq War by setting a March 2008 deadline for removing combat troops. Those amendments would have passed if all Democrats had voted to end the Iraq War - but some pro-war "Bush Democrats" voted to continue the Iraq War forever.

Debate the Debate: Does Your Representative Represent You?

This week the House will hold the first real debate on the Iraq War since the Republican Congress approved Bush's Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002. Democrats will let all 435 Members of Congress speak for 5 minutes.

What will your Representative say? Will your Representative actually represent you? We invite you to "Debate the Debate" at DebateTheDebate.com, a new feature of Democrats.com that gives you one-click access to news from your Congressional District. Just login to Democrats.com with your voting address and click the "local" link (http://democrats.com/local) to find it!

How to Create a Congressional District Impeachment Committee

Nancy Pelosi and the Democratic leaders in Congress say impeaching Bush is "off the table." We must change their minds!

Our plan is simple: we will form Impeachment Committees in all 435 Congressional Districts to persuade all of our Representatives to support impeachment.

Help us Impeach Bush by taking the following 4 steps:

1. Join (or create) an Impeachment Committee in your Congressional District.
2. Collect petitions and handwritten letters.
3. Build support for impeachment by holding an educational town forum, writing letters to the editor, etc.
4. Meet with your Representative, deliver the petitions and ask them to Impeach Bush.

More detailed instructions are below.

Find Your Congressional District Impeachment Committee

AL03, AZ01AZ03, AZ08CA01CA03, CA05CA06, CA07CA09, CA11CA13, CA14, CA13-14-15CA23, CA25CA26CA28, CA29CA30CA36, CA37, CA38, CA47, CA49, CA50CA51, CA52, CA53CO01, CO03, CO07CT04CT05, DC00, DE00, FL01, FL02, FL06FL08, FL10, FL16-19-22, FL18, FL20, FL24, GA07HI01, HI02IA05, IL01, IL03IL05IL09, IL11IL13, IL16IN01, IN05IN06IN09KS01, KY06LA02, MA01MA03MA04, MA05MA06, MA07, MA08, MA10MD03MD06, ME01, MI03, MI06MI07, MI10MI12MN01, MN04, MN05, MO03MO08MA02MS03NC02NC04, NC05, NC06NC09, NC10NC11, NC13, ND00NE03NH01, NH02NJ01, NJ12, NY05NY07, NY08, NY09, NY10, NY11, NY12, NY13, NY14, NY15, NY18NY19, NY20, NY21, NY22NY23, NY24, NY28OH11, OH18OK01, OK05, OR01, OR02OR03OR04PA06PA07, PA08PA11, PA13PA15PA17, PA18PA19, SC03, SD00TN05, TX07TX18, TX24TX25UT01, UT02VA02, VA03VA06, VA07VA08, VA11VT00WA01WA02WA03WA06WA07, WA08, WA09, WI02WI03, WV01WV02 

Don't see a committee in your district? Help us create one! http://democrats.com/cdic

Blue Revolution


AZ-Maricopa
AZ-Yavapai
CA-Kern
CA-Orange
CA-Santa Barbara
CA-San Luis Obispo
CO-Adams
CO-Denver
DC-District of Columbia
FL-Pinellas
IA-Jefferson
IL-Lake
IN-La Porte
IN-Lake
IN-Porter
MD-Baltimore
MD-Howard
MN-Waseca
NC-Guilford
NJ-Passaic
MO-St. Louis
OH-Hamilton
OR-Washington
PA-Philadelphia
PA-Westmoreland
NY-New York
NY-Onondaga
TN-Madison
TX-Jackson
TX-Kendall
TX-Lamar
WA-Clark
WA-King
WA-Snohomish
Page down to find these county vigils or click local after logging in.

When the polls close, we urge Democrats across the country to gather outside their County Election Office for a candlelight vigil to Count Every Vote, all wearing the same color: Blue.

Imagine a Blue Revolution, every bit as joyous and historic as the Orange Revolution in Ukraine, the Cedar Revolution Lebanon, the Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia, and the other democratic revolutions of recent years - right here in the United States of America.

Help us organize a vigil in your county - just create a new Forum Topic coded "Blue Revolution," select "County," post the location of your County Election Office, and spread the word to your friends. More details below...

Nadler Pardon Resolution

Co-sponsors
Ask your Rep to co-sponsor!

(To be added)

This is the first resolution urging President Bush not to pardon senior administration officials for crimes the President authorized. It urges Congress to investigate those crimes and any pardons relating to those crimes, and urges the Attorney General (current or future) to appoint an Independent Counsel to prosecute those crimes. Please ask your Rep to co-sponsor!

H.Res. 1531
Introduced on 11/20/08 by Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) (Press Release)
Referred to the Judiciary Committee

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the President of the United States should not issue pardons to senior members of his administration during the final 90 days of his term of office.

It's Not a SOFA, It's a Withdrawal Agreement

Apparently very few journalists and bloggers have clicked the links to the English original and Arabic-to-English re-translation, because they keep calling the agreement a "Status of Forces Agreement" or (even less accurately) a "security agreement."

If they clicked the links they would discover the original English title is:

Agreement
Between the United States of America and the Republic of Iraq
On the Withdrawal of United States Forces from Iraq and the Organization of Their Activities during Their Temporary Presence in Iraq

Would Attorney General Eric Holder Appoint an Independent Counsel?

Natalie Sherman caught an interesting fact about Eric Holder, who is rumored to be Obama's choice for Attorney General:

As The American Lawyer wrote in a profile this year, Holder was independent enough that he advised then-AG Janet Reno to allow the widening of Ken Starr's investigation into the Monica Lewinsky affair -- which ultimately led to Clinton's impeachment.

If Holder supported an independent counsel investigation of consensual adult sex, how could oppose one for the crimes of the Bush Administration - including torture and warrantless wiretapping?

Especially since Holder said this in June: