Uncounted House Parties/Standing up for Election Integrity:
On, February 13, 2008 Democracy for America members hosted 203 Uncounted House Parties in 42 states and the District of Columbia. These house parties educated members and their communities about the issue of election integrity. After the party, members participated in a conference call and Q&A session with DFA Chair Jim Dean and filmmaker David Earnhardt.

Voters Decide (Feb. 2008):
In February of 2008, Democracy for America launched our "Voters Decide" campaign to ensure that the Democratic nominee for President is chosen by voters and not super-delegates. DFA Launched a petition which collected 61,083 signatures in a little over a week, partnered with MoveOn on a full page ad in USA Today, and 3,676 DFA members delivered the petitions to hundreds of super delegates across the country.

Unite for a Progressive President  (Dec 2007 - Jan 2008):
After holding the largest on-line Presidential poll of 2008, Democracy for America launched our Unite for a Progressive President campaign. DFA Members signed a call to action and wrote thousands of letters to Iowa. DFA held a Live from the Iowa caucuses conference call the night before as thousands of DFA members at Link-Ups and in homes got a first hand glimpse on the ground in Iowa. And, Democracy for America purchased an ad in the Des Moines register calling on Democrats to Unite for a Progressive President. The campaign was victorious as Congressman Kucinich called on his supporters to caucus for Sen. Obama, and Senators Obama and Edwards finished in first and second place respectively.

Our Endorsed Candidates

Joe Garcia: Congress, FL-25
http://www.democracyforamerica.com/campaigns/2699

For 20 years, Joe Garcia has been a leader on the issues that affect the lives of real people. Joe understands that health care needs to be reliable, available and affordable. He will strengthen the middle class by bringing new jobs to Florida and making college affordable. He will clean up the environment and protect the Florida everglades from big business polluters and reckless development.

Joe is the answer to out-of-touch Republican Mario Diaz-Balart.

Darcy Burner: Congress, WA-08
http://www.democracyforamerica.com/campaigns/1200

Darcy grew up in a blue-collar military family. She knows firsthand the sacrifices American soldiers make. Her brother is a veteran of the War in Iraq and her husband is an Army veteran. Darcy organized Democratic congressional challengers and major military and foreign policy figures to present the "Responsible Plan to End the War", which has garnered national media attention.

Darcy provides real solutions for the problems her opponent Rep. Dave Reichert helped create.

Charlie Brown: Congress, CA-04
http://www.democracyforamerica.com/campaigns/879

In 2006, Charlie, a retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel came within 3% points (just 9,000 votes) of upsetting eight term incumbent John Doolittle. Now that Doolittle has retired in the midst of a corruption investigation, Brown must face a lesser known opponent in this traditionally Republican district.

A distinguished veteran and father of two, Charlie will bring much needed integrity and honesty to this congressional district.

Eric Massa: Congress, NY-29
http://www.democracyforamerica.com/campaigns/1145

Eric Massa is a Naval Officer who served for 24 years. He served as Special Assistant to General Wes Clark when he commanded the NATO forces. His military service gives him a unique expertise to end the war responsibly. Additionally, as a cancer survivor, Eric knows how the healthcare crisis can affect families firsthand.

Eric will stand up and fight for the people of his district. The people of upstate New York deserve a congressman with a backbone, not a rubber-stamp for the Republican's failed policies like his opponent Rep. Randy Kuhl.

Ed Fallon: Congress, IA-03
http://www.democracyforamerica.com/campaigns/2592

Ed Fallon is a true progressive and he has a record of beating out-of-touch Democrats in Iowa. In 1992, he beat 10-year incumbent Gary Sherzan with 63% of the vote and became a State Representative. When the conservative party establishment tried to primary Ed out of the state legislature, Ed won again with 68% of the vote.

Now Ed is taking on Bush-Democrat Leonard Boswell. Boswell voted with Bush on everything from the Iraq War to telecom immunity to the energy bill that gives tax breaks to oil companies. It's time for a change in Iowa.

Rick Noriega: Senator, Texas
http://www.democracyforamerica.com/campaigns/2436

Rick Noriega is no stranger to public service. He served four terms in the Texas Legislature and as a Lt. Colonel in the Texas Army National Guard, Rick was deployed to Afghanistan in the wake of 9/11. Upon his return he was tasked by the Mayor to coordinate Houston's relief efforts for refugees of Hurricane Katrina.

Rick's dedication to his country and his home state are his key to beating unpopular Senator John Cornyn.

Andrew Rice: Senator, Oklahoma
http://www.democracyforamerica.com/campaigns/2738

Andrew Rice has a proven record in the Oklahoma Legislature having worked on issues like health care, veteran's rights, and the environment. Andrew will bring his experience to Washington to fight to end the War in Iraq, provide access to health care for all Americans, and solve the crisis of global warming.

Andrew Rice is the progressive Democrat who will finally bring change to Oklahoma. Support Andrew's campaign with a contribution of $25 right now.

Donna Edwards: Congress, MD-04
http://www.democracyforamerica.com/campaigns/2430

Donna Edwards won a tremendous 60% to 36% victory in her primary against Bush-Democrat Al Wynn on February 12, 2008. Shortly after her win, Rep. Wynn decided to cash in on a lobbying job instead of waiting for his term to end. The Governor was forced to call a special election and Donna is now fighting to win again on June 17, 2008. Donna is a lifelong progressive leader. She has been an instrumental player in the fight to end domestic violence, ensure a living wage for working people and enact campaign finance reform. Together, we can make sure that she wins again in June.

Donna Edwards is now our U.S. Rep. for MD-04!

Larry Kissell: Congress, NC-08
http://www.democracyforamerica.com/campaigns/1235

Larry Kissell is a teacher and former mill worker from a small town in Montgomery County, NC. Larry will bring real thought and honest brokering back to the table, fighting for progressive priorities of improving trade, healthcare and education. It is up to us to take Larry Kissell over the top.

Roy Carter: Congress, NC-05
http://www.democracyforamerica.com/campaigns/2484

Roy Carter is standing up to right-wing extremist Rep. Virginia Fox. A native resident of Western North Carolina and a lifelong Democrat, Roy Carter supports our troops and will fight to end the War in Iraq safely, strategically, and immediately. He will work to reduce America's dependence on oil by demanding real commitment to alternative fuels and renewable energy. Roy Carter is the progressive change North Carolina needs.

Jack Markell: Governor, Delaware
http://www.democracyforamerica.com/campaigns/2562

Jack is fighting for a comprehensive health care plan that will provide health insurance to over 100,000 uninsured Delawareans, including 20,000 children. Jack understands that no individual or family should be forced to forgo medical care to pay for food. He'll fight global warming by working to make Delaware number one in energy conservation and implementation of clean renewable energy solutions. Join the campaign today.

Richard Holober: California State Assembly, District 19
http://www.democracyforamerica.com/campaigns/2467

Richard is an education leader, a dedicated consumer advocate, an environmentalist, and a lifelong champion for working families. He has an impressive record of accomplishment that few candidates can match. He led the statewide campaign that raised the minimum wage in California and also played a pivotal role in enacting the toughest financial privacy law in the nation. Help Richard bring real change to California.

Mark Leno: California State Senate District 3
http://www.democracyforamerica.com/campaigns/2561

Mark Leno has a history of challenging the status quo. In 2005, when others argued that California and the nation were not prepared for marriage equality, Assemblyman Mark Leno wrote the Religious Freedom & Civil Marriage Protection Act to grant the freedom to marry to all Californians. Mark will fight for a fair budget that protects education and focuses on our children first. He'll fight for single-payer health care and for clean money elections. Help Mark deliver real change in California.

Jimmy Dahroug: New York State Senate District 3

Jimmy's number one priority is to reform the broken system in Albany. Jimmy knows that leadership is driven by the grassroots, not special interests or big developers. Health care for all, environmental protection, and economic empowerment are at the core of a New York State Democratic majority. We need to win two seats to take back the NY Senate, help Jimmy make it happen.

Linda Stender (NJ-07)

Linda Stender has been working for change her whole career. Thanks to the hard work of DFA members on the ground in groups like New Jersey for Democracy and Hunterdon DFA, Linda came within 3,000 votes of winning her election for Congress in 2006. Now the incumbent Republican has retired rather than face Linda's aggressive campaign again.

This year Linda will take it over the top and deliver a powerful victory for Democrats in November.

Daniel Biss (IL State Rep. District 17)

Daniel Biss is a longtime community leader who has engaged local DFA members in the Chicago area and his experience, drive, and intelligence make him a great candidate. He will fight to fix our broken health care system and adopt a universal health care program that will address the needs of the millions of uninsured in Illinois.

The opportunity to support this progressive champion and continue the movement to reform Cook County starts right now.

Christine Jennings (FL-13)

Christine's opponent is the classic well funded Republican incumbent – he has vast personal wealth backed up by a party machine. But Christine won't be relying on winning an "airwaves war." This race will come down to engaging voters – face to face - precinct by precinct - and mobilizing them for victory in November.

Don Barber (NY State Sen District-51)

Don Barber has shown time and again, whether in his role as an elected official or as a small businessman, he has the vision and foresight to tackle tough issues and work to advance progressive values. He will bring his years of experience to Albany for the benefit of his constituents and all New Yorkers."

Patrick Lindemann (MI Ingham County Drain Commissioner)

Patrick Lindemann has served his constituents with distinction for 15 years in a position that does not get a lot of attention, but is vitally important to the everyday lives of Michiganders. He is committed to protecting our environment while creating opportunities for sustainable eco-friendly development and we are proud to support his campaign.

Mark Begich (AK-Sen)

Corrupt Alaska Senator Ted Stevens is notorious for his excessive pork projects like the $320 million "bridge to nowhere." The people of Alaska deserve better than Ted Stevens.

Mark Begich is the Democrat ready to move Alaska forward. Born and raised in Alaska, Mark is currently the Mayor of Anchorage, where he has balanced the budget repeatedly and the economy continues to grow even under President Bush.

Sean Spence (MO State Representative District 25)

Sean Spence is running a grassroots campaign that puts people before special interests. He is already showing why his presence is needed in the General Assembly: he is committed to his constituents and a progressive agenda that places a premium on hard work and commonsense solutions.

Geoff McKim (IN Monroe County Council, At-Large)

Geoff McKim is ready to lead on the important issues like improving county government, supporting responsible development, promoting quality jobs and locally owned businesses, and reforming the Monroe County criminal justice system. He is a dedicated community leader who will work tirelessly to improve Monroe County.

Are you a DFA supporter? Are you in High School or College?

Have you heard of DFA's Campus Corps program?!
 
Campus Corps is the youth arm of Democracy for America and is building a strong network of young people dedicated to progressive change. Campus Corps aims to educate members about current political issues and how to take actions regarding these issues. Campus Corps Groups are involved in local campaigns for progressive candidates and issues, volunteer for community service events, and work on national campaigns that DFA is involved in.
 
If you have any questions or are interested in starting a DFA Campus Corps group at your school, please email your name and your school's name to: spuls@democracyforamerica.com
 
Thanks for all you do!

If George Bush won't fire U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, then Congress can.

Demand Congress impeach Gonzales now:

ImpeachGonzales.org

First, Alberto Gonzales and Karl Rove worked together to fire at least seven U.S. Attorneys because they weren't "loyal Bushies" and pushed several others to resign in an unethical crusade to make the U.S. Justice Department a partisan arm of the Bush administration.

Then they worked together to cover it up.

Gonzales went so far as to testify to Congress that he "was not involved in seeing any memos, was not involved in any discussions going on." When White House e-mails exposed his involvement, Gonzales changed his tune in an interview with 60 Minutes then changed his tune again by hiding behind, "I don't recall" more then 60 times in his second Congressional testimony. Time's up for Alberto Gonzales!

ImpeachGonzales.org

Democracy for America has teamed up with Robert Greenwald and Brave New Films to get the message out. Robert has created a hard hitting video short that exposes Gonzales' attempts to mislead Congress. In a few weeks, DFA members around the country will deliver your signature and thousands of others directly to your representative in Congress. Check out the great video, then sign the petition:


Karl Rove wants this scandal over. Rove knows that an impeachment investigation of Gonzales will open the door to a lot more then just the U.S. Attorneys scandal.

Impeachment puts everything back on the table. Illegal domestic eavesdropping, illegally deleted government e-mails, voter suppression, signing statements, torture recommendations, you name it -- if Gonzales had his finger prints on it Congress will shine the spotlight at it.

Join thousands of Americans demanding accountability and ethical leadership in the U.S. Justice Department. Please sign the petition now:

ImpeachGonzales.org

Thank you for moving America forward,

Jim Dean
Chair

P.S. Members of the President's Cabinet can be impeached. Article II, Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution provides for removal of the President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States.

I'm the accountant at Democracy for America. I keep the books and make sure everything balances. But there is more to balance than just money. We also have to balance our work with the effect it has on Global Warming.

We all contribute to global warming. We drive. We fly. It's likely the electricity your computer uses comes from a coal burning power plant. Every day we pump pollutants like carbon dioxide into the atmosphere -- and those greenhouse gasses are causing our planet to overheat.

Thankfully, there is something we can do about it.

We can invest in renewable energy sources like solar and wind power to reduce our dependency on the types of power generation that cause the most pollution. Starting this month, Democracy for America is investing in carbon offsets to offset our "carbon footprint." There are four projects under consideration. Can you help choose where to invest?

http://www.democracyforamerica.com/dfagoesgreen

Your "carbon footprint" is a calculation of your impact on the environment, measured by the greenhouse gasses your activities -- like driving to work, heating your home, and flying on a vacation -- produce.

We calculated DFA's carbon footprint by reviewing our energy bills and calculating our commutes. We also audited the flights of all our staff, trainers and consultants. DFA may not be able to completely eliminate our dependence on fossil fuels. But we can invest in renewable energy projects that cut down on carbon emissions in the United States.

Democracy for America is investing in four renewable energy projects that are under construction. There are wind farms in Alaska, Minnesota and South Dakota. And in Pennsylvania there is a dairy farm methane project. Now it is up to you to decide how much we should invest in each project. Please vote for your favorite project at:

http://www.democracyforamerica.com/dfagoesgreen

Thank you for helping me -- and DFA -- balance the books,

Eileen Cleland
Accountant

P.S. Our partner in going carbon neutral is NativeEnergy. They provided the carbon offsets for Al Gore's movie An Inconvenient Truth. They've also worked with the William Jefferson Clinton Foundation, Dave Matthews Band and Levi Strauss & Co. They know their stuff. You can learn more about carbon offsets here:

http://www.nativeenergy.com

All month, Democracy for America (DFA) members have kept the pressure on both the President and Congress to not only stop the escalation of the Iraq War, but end the occupation and bring our brave men and women home.

Congress publicly rejected the President's escalation plan, but has not yet used teeth to actually stop it. We can't leave this up to Washington politics. We must continue to build the movement locally in every state, in every district, and in every neighborhood demanding binding action. We will not stop until every soldier is home. We're holding congressional meetings, rallies, vigils, Arlington-style memorials, and petition drives all demanding an end to this reckless war.

Our The War Tapes premiere week is coming to a close but DFA members are still hosting hundreds of screenings of the award-winning documentary...everywhere. Thirty-three people have RSVPed for a screening in Davenport, Iowa. Thirty-four in Asheville, North Carolina. Forty people in Austin, Texas. Change for Northern Kentucky has partnered with nearby groups and expects over 200 people at their screening. The interest is so hot that AM 940 WINZ in Florida is giving away tickets to one of six screenings in Miami.

Straight from the front lines in Iraq, The War Tapes is the first war movie filmed by soldiers themselves. The film is powerful and moving, conveying both the passion and mindset of American soldiers and the incredible cost of war to our communities and humanity. You have never seen a film like this before and will leave the movie more motivated than ever to end the occupation and bring our troops home.

DFA members in all fifty states are coming together, watching the movie, and writing postcards to congress demanding action. By the end of February, DFA will have mailed ten of thousands of postcards, generated dozens of new press articles against the war, and united thousands of members in national action.

What are you doing to end the war? Don't wait until tomorrow to get active. Come to a screening, write postcards and letters, screening, write postcards and letters speak out in your neighborhood or join DFA. Do whatever you want. Just do something, because people are dying and the war won't end until we demand it... everywhere.

Charles Chamberlain
Political Director

Hey everybody,

I thought I would give you a heads up on some things happening at DFA in 2007 and beyond. This year, we will be working on elections ranging from gubernatorial races to municipal elections.

We also have a busy training schedule to keep the number of grassroots activists for the progressive cause growing, with a goal of 25,000 activists trained over the next 22 months. We will continue to build a long term progressive movement that will win elections for party, local, state, or federal elections and move America forward.

These general goals are intertwined with some very specific goals: End the war in Iraq and win the White House in 2008.

DFA continues to add more DFA-Link members and we have DFA-Link groups in 423 of 435 congressional districts. I think we can get those other 12 taken care of… anybody here from Alabama?

Here is a link to our 2007/2008 plan. I hope you take a good look at it, and as you do I hope the national anthem starts playing in your conscience and you feel the need to volunteer or donate to DFA, or just join your local DFA group. Whatever that anthem tells you.