Arizona Borderlands Democrats

A letter to ABD Members and Community

2010-05-06T11:22:00.001-07:00

April 1, 2010 In this time of political gridlock and divisiveness in our political discourse, conservative extremists (including some local Sonoita citizens) are making their views known in no uncertain terms. In response, the leadership team of the Arizona Borderlands Democrats would like to state our position on some key points of contention. In doing so, we affirm

This blog has moved

2010-04-08T09:49:00.001-07:00

This blog is now located at http://borderdems.blogspot.com/. You will be automatically redirected in 30 seconds, or you may click here. For feed subscribers, please update your feed subscriptions to http://borderdems.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default.

Vote tracking online

2007-06-08T21:09:00.000-07:00

ABD members interested in tracking important votes cast by their representatives can do so online.Here are three sites that offer up-to-date information:www.vote-smart.orgNon-profit, dedicated to access to abundant, accurate, and relevant information to help American citizens make discerning decisions in electing government representatives. Among other information this site features elected

Renzi Succession?

2007-05-08T17:51:00.000-07:00

Rick Renzi, (R-AZ), the Congressional District 1 is in hot water. The FBI is investigating for a sweetheart land swap that was one of the reasons the Federal Prosecutor in Arizona was dumped by Alberto Gonzalez for no apparent reason.Renzi resigned his positions on all Congressional committees but for the moment is resisting resigning from Congress. Democrats are lining up in case Renzi sees

Tell Congress to Maintain the Ban on IMET to Guatemala

2005-08-22T15:20:00.001-07:00

Tell Congress to Maintain the Ban on IMET to GuatemalaContact your representatives and senators and urge them to maintain the banon International Military Education and Training (IMET) in the final versionof the Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill.In June, for the first time since 1990, the House of Representatives liftedthe ban on IMET to Guatemala. The Senate, however, maintained the ban

Just Shut It Down

2005-05-29T08:00:00.000-07:00

By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN Published: May 27, 2005 London Shut it down. Just shut it down. I am talking about the war-on-terrorism P.O.W. camp at Guantánamo Bay. Just shut it down and then plow it under. It has become worse than an embarrassment. I am convinced that more Americans are dying and will die if we keep the Gitmo prison open than if we shut it down. So, please, Mr. President, just shut it

I Like Ike!

2005-05-09T12:03:00.000-07:00

"Should any political party attempt to abolish social security,unemployment insurance, and eliminate labor laws and farm programs, youwould not hear of that party again in our political history.There is a tiny splinter group, of course, that believes that you can do these things. Among them are a few Texas oil millionaires, and anoccasional politician or businessman from otherareas. Their number

Letter to the Editor of the Nogales International

2005-04-04T13:56:00.000-07:00

March 31, 2005The EditorNogales International268 W. View Point DriveNogales, AZ 85621Sir,Senator Jon Kyle’s guest opinion published in the March 29 issue of the Nogales International continues to cloak the Republican plan to end the social security system by referring to a “crisis” of funding. Republicans want to change the current system from one of defined benefits to one of defined

MoveOn Votes NO on AZ Prop 200

2004-10-28T11:16:00.000-07:00

Dear MoveOn member in Arizona, As you prepare to vote, we'd like to highlight a key question that will be on the ballot. Your "NO" vote will be critical to stopping Proposition 200, a terrible, racist measure masquerading as "immigration reform." Pushed by an extreme anti-immigration group, Prop. 200 would force all Arizonans to present birth certificates or passports to receive public

The Unfeeling President

2004-09-25T06:53:00.000-07:00

I fault this president for not knowing what death is. He does not suffer the death of our 21-year-olds who wanted to be what they could be. On the eve of D-Day in 1944 General Eisenhower prayed to God for the lives of the young soldiers he knew were going to die. He knew what death was. Even in a justifiable war, a war not of choice but of necessity, a war of survival, the cost was almost more

10 Weeks Left

2004-08-27T12:54:00.000-07:00

View the new ads on the 10 Weeks campaign by MoveOn.org and then contribute to get them on the air!

Bush camp solicits race of Star staffer

2004-08-01T09:17:00.000-07:00

By C.J. Karamargin ARIZONA DAILY STAR President Bush's re-election campaign insisted on knowing the race of an Arizona Daily Star journalist assigned to photograph Vice President Dick Cheney. The Star refused to provide the information. Cheney is scheduled to appear at a rally this afternoon at the Pima County Fairgrounds. A rally organizer for the Bush-Cheney re-election campaign asked

Support "Get out the Vote"/ Buy tickets for

2004-07-29T16:41:00.000-07:00

Arizona Borderland Democrats will “Rock the Vote” at La Mision in Patagonia, Sunday August 15th, 3 - 6 pm Come Join Us, have a ball and raise $ to Get Out the Vote in Santa Cruz County! Great Music by “Soul Cake” Appetizers & Cash Bar -- Candidates, Interesting people like you ABD is working to match a $4000 challenge grant to Get Out the Vote for the Primary Election 9/07/04 & General

July 18th ABD Meeting, Cady Hall, 3 - 6pm

2004-07-14T08:57:00.000-07:00

This Sunday is an exciting ABD Meeting with all SCC Democratic candidates invited, Gabriel Giffords, State Senator, speaking and a POTLUCK! Bring a Dish (a large one) and your own eating equipment. Soda, etc will be provided. Come, ask questions, meet candidates and have fun! Vista Michael, an active Democrat

Count Every Vote Petition ACTION

2004-07-12T15:11:00.000-07:00

You signed the Count Every Vote petition -- you and over 130,000 others agreed that American democracy deserves an election process that produces accurate and verifiable results. Now the time has come to the deliver your petition to election officials across the country. Tomorrow, July 13th, you can be part of a nationwide series of events to push for action. In 19 states we will take our

June 20th ABD Meeting Agenda

2004-06-18T08:26:00.000-07:00

ABD Agenda June 20, 2004 Meeting, 3:00 pm Cady Hall, Patagonia I. Minutes/treasurer's report II. Welcome new attendees, members and guests III. Presentation: GOTV Comm. John Michael/Morris Farr will present the 4 candidates for Congressional Dist. 8 Eva Bacal Jim Chimene Dwight Leister -- probably not, petitions not completed? Tim Sultan IV. Committee Reports A. "Get out the Vote" campaign,

Editorials on Torture in Iraq

2004-06-09T14:29:00.000-07:00

You don't often see this much righteous indignation from editorial boards. I'd say this story has legs. Washington Post editorial: "Perhaps the president's lawyers have no interest in the global impact of their policies -- but they should be concerned about the treatment of American servicemen and civilians in foreign countries." New York Times editorial: "What we have seen,

June ABD Meeting -- Meet the Candidates

2004-06-09T13:57:00.000-07:00

Arizona Borderland Democrats (ABD) Meeting, Sunday, June 20th, 3 - 5 pm in Patagonia at Cady Hall. Come meet the Democratic Contenders for Congressional Dist. 8. Eva Bacal, Tim Sultan, Jeff Chimene and Dwight Leister have filed as Democrats to run in the Primary and then the winner runs in November against Congressman Jim Kolbe or Randy Graf. Each of the 4 candidates will give a 3 minute

Contribute to the John Kerry Campaign!

2004-03-10T09:09:00.000-07:00

The time to contribute to help defeat George Bush is now. Contribute through the John Kerry website, the Democratic National Committee or through your Amazon.com account. Since Jan. 23, over $65000 has been donated to the Kerry campaign through Amazon.com, again small contributions averaging about $44. While Amazon.com will collect contributions for all candidates, contributions to the Kerry

Work to Defeat Bush

2004-03-03T05:32:00.000-07:00

Dear friend, President Bush is going on the air with his first campaign ads of the season. I've joined MoveOn PAC's campaign to fight back -- a massive grassroots-driven effort to take back our country in November. I'm hoping you will, too -- you can sign up right now at: Move On President Bush has already raised hundreds of millions for his bid. Our great hope is in our collective power

NYTimes Quotation of the day

2004-02-10T09:20:00.000-07:00

"There was no doubt in my mind that Saddam Hussein was a danger to America. No doubt." - PRESIDENT BUSH Of course he had no doubt. Iraq has OIL and we don't. I saw a T-shirt at the State meeting that read: What is our oil doing under their land?

NYT Op-Ed: The Dead Center

2004-01-30T08:58:00.000-07:00

Op-Ed Contributor: The Dead Center January 29, 2004 By ROBERT B. REICH The dismal fifth-place showing by Senator Joseph Lieberman in the New Hampshire primary on Tuesday serves as both reminder and motivator to the other Democratic presidential candidates on what it will take to win in November. For so long now, everyone has assumed that recapturing the presidency depends on who triumphs in

Religion and Politics

2004-01-25T13:50:00.000-07:00

Beyond Belief Steven Waldman Seven Myths About Faith & Politics The truth about the politics of evangelicals, Catholics and seculars Reprinted with permission from Slate. I heard about this guy who called himself "evangelical," said he lived a "Bible-centered life," had a personal relationship with Jesus Christ â€¦ and voted for Al Gore over George W. Bush. A confused, lonely,

MoveOn's Superbowl Ad needs $

2004-01-15T09:45:00.000-07:00

The Bush In 30 Seconds ad contest has a winner! The entrants were honored on Monday honored on Monday night by a crew of celebrities ranging from Michael Moore and Al Franken to Chuck "D" and Margaret Cho. But the ads were the stars -- the crowd was bowled over by their power. The Overall Best Ad and People's Choice Winner was (drumroll) "Child's Pay" by Charlie Fisher of Denver, CO. To see the

Bush in 30 Seconds ads

2004-01-08T13:59:00.000-07:00

I strongly recommend that everyone vist this website and view the 30 second ads put together by members of MoveOn.org. The finalists are now available for viewing and you can still vote for the Funniest ad, Best Animation and Best Youth Ad. All ads are available in a high-bandwidth and low-bandwidth version and use the Quicktime plugin for your browser. They do not begin automatically after

The "Message" from the dems

2004-01-05T14:28:00.000-07:00

Message from Rev. Patrick Cunningham, a new PC and activist in Gila County to JB who forwarded it on to ABDs Dear Janice, The following article reinforces what I communicated to you earlier--that Democrats: MUST start organizing at the grass roots level; MUST be able to generate some passion that motivates people out of complacency and into action; MUST be willing to apply the shoe-leather; MUST

This is not strictly for Democrats.

2003-12-13T15:38:00.000-07:00

JUST SO YOU KNOW: *I attacked and took over 2 countries. *I spent the U.S. surplus and bankrupted the US Treasury. *I shattered the record for the biggest annual deficit in history (not easy!). *I set an economic record for the most personal bankruptcies filed in any 12 month period. *I set all-time record for the biggest drop in the history of the stock market. *I am the first president in

Op-Ed Columnist: No Will to Win?

2003-12-12T07:07:00.000-07:00

The Dems may indeed sink like the Titanic next year. But I don't think Dr. Dean is the problem — at least, not yet. The problem is the party itself. God and the Republicans have blessed the Democrats with the high ground on one important issue after another, from the war in Iraq to national economic policy to health care to education to the environment. But like the Union general George

Bush's Advisers Focus on Dean as Likely Opponent Next Year

2003-12-11T10:55:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON, Dec. 10 — President Bush's political advisers are now all but certain that Howard Dean will be the Democratic presidential nominee and they are planning a campaign that takes account of what they see as Dr. Dean's strengths and weaknesses, Republicans with ties to the White House said. "We're ready to go," said a senior Republican official involved in the Bush campaign. "The broad

Gore to Endorse Howard Dean for '04 Presidential Nomination

2003-12-08T15:27:00.000-07:00

MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) -- Former Vice President Al Gore intends to endorse Howard Dean for the Democratic presidential nomination, a dramatic move that could cement Dean's position in the fight for the party's nod. Gore, who lost to President Bush in the disputed 2000 election, has agreed to endorse Dean in Harlem in New York City on Tuesday and then travel with the former Vermont governor to

Talking to Children

2003-11-29T09:24:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine who now is living in Denmark sent me an article entitled 'Telling a Child about Iraq.' It was too long and somewhat redundent, so it is not worth reprinting here. But I ask you to contemplate how you would explain our invasion of Iraq and our continuing activities there to a child. It's a tough proposition in my view.

Defending the General - The New Yorker's unfair slam on Wes Clark

2003-11-18T14:51:00.000-07:00

and his role in the Kosovo war. By Fred Kaplan in Slate "I don't know whether Gen. Wesley Clark is qualified to be president, but Peter J. Boyer's profile in this week's New Yorker—which paints him as scarily unqualified—is an unfair portrait as well as a misleading, occasionally inaccurate précis of the 1999 Kosovo war and Clark's role in commanding it.

Net Group Tries to Click Democrats to Power

2003-11-18T09:07:00.000-07:00

When Wes Boyd walked into the New York offices of George Soros, the billionaire philanthropist, in September he was not sure why he had been invited. Mr. Soros quickly made it clear. He and another philanthropist, Peter B. Lewis, wanted to donate millions of dollars to MoveOn.org, the Internet group that Mr. Boyd and his wife founded five years ago. For Mr. Soros, already a generous contributor

INDEPENDENTS WILL NOT BE ABLE TO VOTE IN THE PRIMARY

2003-11-17T07:42:00.000-07:00

Because the Presidential Primary election is actually called a Presidential Preference Election, only persons registered in the party holding the election will be allowed to vote in the election in February. This means that persons registered as Independent will not have any choice in any Presidential Preference Election (PPE) in Arizona. If You are registered Independent and want to vote in

Why my parents and grandpaarents loved FDR

2003-11-16T08:45:00.000-07:00

I had forgotton some of the reasons. The following quotes from today's Boulder (CO) Daily Camera reminded me. "In these days of difficulty, we Americans everywhere must and shall choose the path of social justice...the path of faith, the path of hope, the path of love toward our fellow man." 2 Oct. 1932 "Men and nature must work hand in hand. The throwing out of balance of the resources of

A possible fundraising source

2003-11-15T06:30:00.000-07:00

My mother-in-law, Margaret Bock, was very active in the Berkeley (CA) Women's Democratic Forum from the 1950s on. In the 1960's she even did some campaign managing for congressional campaigns. Her group in what must have been the mid-1950s produced a book called "And Season To Taste." In those simpler times, these people solicited recipes and signatures from well known national, CA, and local

Clinton Officials Attack Bush on Environment

2003-10-17T07:08:00.000-07:00

A group of Clinton administration officials, including former Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt and Carol M. Browner, onetime E.P.A. administrator, have joined with environmental advocates to raise money for an election-year campaign critical of the Bush administration's environmental record in swing states. The four states that the group has decided to study first, for insight into the

Global Warming - UNDO IT

2003-10-09T08:01:00.000-07:00

UNDO IT Visit this website to sign a petition in support of the McCain-Lieberman Climate Stewardship Act. As of Sept 30, there are 2373 signatures from Arizona.

MoveOn.org: Fire Rumsfeld, Hire the UN

2003-09-18T05:48:00.000-07:00

Dear friend, The US occupation in Iraq has left American soldiers unprepared and vulnerable, the country degenerating into chaos, and the Iraqi people embittered and hostile. Now, the President is asking Congress for a staggering $87 billion blank check to fund more of the same. Until he takes strong steps to correct this failure, I don't think Congress should give him a cent. President

Organization vs Mission

2003-09-10T05:41:00.000-07:00

I have been frustrated with the lack of apparent organization and support for local groups from the AZ democratic organization. I reminded, reading Joy Harjo's site posted by Karen S., that these are "details" and what I care about it is changing the leadership of this country from reckless to thoughtful and caring. The following is from Slate's Today's Papers, a great daily summary of what's

Check out this political commentary in the form of poetry

2003-09-08T20:34:00.000-07:00

Native American (Muscogee) poet Joy Harjo has posted 2 new poems on her blog. Visit her site to read another form of political commentary.

Ashcroft Strikes Again

2003-08-23T05:52:00.000-07:00

This is copied from the Weekly Briefing from the Arizona Democratic party. Scroll down to Karen's post with a link to sign the petition to stop Ashcroft. Hold On To The Constitution -- John Ashcroft Is On The Road Again. Attorney General John Ashcroft has begun on a 12-city tour to build support for the PATRIOT Act and begin making the case for additional legislation that would give him even

MoveOn.org: Your Receipt

2003-08-20T15:25:00.000-07:00

Dear AZ Borderlands democrats, Something shocking is happening in Texas. Republican Majority Leader Tom DeLay is pushing an out-of-the-blue redistricting plan that will remove up to 7 Democrats from congress. This is an unabashed power grab, and MoveOn.org is trying to stop it. For the full story on what's going on, click here: http://moveon.org/texasads DeLay has never been shy

Sign the Petition to Stop Ashcroft

2003-08-19T13:28:00.000-07:00

Sign the Petition to Stop Ashcroft on the Dean for America website. Ashcroft is touring the country promoting a further extension and expansion of the Patriot Act. Send him your message.

Dates/Pay Up/Work the Fair

2003-08-19T08:58:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, 8/19/03 A few practical items -- 1) the SCCFair schedule of workers, contact Lance Hoopes to sign up, the more people the more energy we'll generate. 2) Next meeting 9/21 in Patagonia with Martin McCall, AZ National Democratic committee member and 3) how about each member or meeting attender joining and asking 2 other people to join -- $5 for membership or $25 to be a supporting

dean search

2003-08-19T06:27:00.000-07:00

Can someone tell me the address for the website that is attractive to young people. It is about Dean and supposedly has 500,000 people who read it regularly. I heard about the site from a student and forgot to get the address. If necessary I can call the student who now is in Colorado, not Arizona. Thanks, Jane Bock bock@colorado.edu or 455-0563

Lance hoopes to Steve and Karen re meetings and the blog.

2003-08-19T05:37:00.000-07:00

Lance and Maria are unavailable on August 19 and 20, Sept 4 through 17, Sept. 24 and 30. All other dates in August and Sept. are free right now. Karen, the blog looks great to me. I'm culling through now to get some pictures. I only have shots of meetings, but I have some of those.

Steve Strom: Reschedule meeting with Manny Ruiz?

2003-08-18T20:54:00.000-07:00

I spoke with John Maynard this morning. He urges that we set up a meeting with Manny Ruiz as soon as possible. Via this blog, could I ascertain availability of Lance and Maria, John Michael and Gail Eifrig?

Welcome

2003-08-18T06:12:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Arizona Borderlands Democrats Weblog! This section will have many uses, for communication within the membership and to the community at large in Santa Cruz County. Among these uses will be information about current activities and links to current news items of interest. Look in often and keep up with our activities.