Democracy for Virginia

DFV Training Tomorrow!

Activists from Democracy for Virginia have organized a number of useful training events since we first formed our group last year, from local training on how to write effective letters to the editor to the fantastic Social Security training roadshow organized by the Charlottesville DFA Meetup and presented by Don Wells, which reached numerous DFA Meetups and Democratic Committee meetings around the Commonwealth.

But this weekend's 2-day campaign training, sponsored by DFV, Democracy for America, and Latinos for America, is going to break new and exciting ground for us!  We're expecting around 100 participants, most of whom are new to DFV, who have committed to two full days of intense training for campaign leaders. 

This is spring training for a new "farm team" of progressive leaders in Virginia.  For most participants, it represents a transformation from a passive campaign volunteer, who follows directions, to an active campaign leader who makes decisions and brings new people into the process.  We've got participants coming from all over the Commonwealth who can't wait to go back to their own districts and put their new skills to work in their own precincts or with nearby House races.  Stay tuned for updates from the event throughout the weekend!

Put the Democracy back in the Democrats

I've been a Democratic County Chair, delegate to the state convention and member of the Central Committee (in my role as County Chair) so I find it appalling as a Democrat to read in the Richmond Times-Dispatch that the state Democratic Party is refusing to provide voter lists to Democrats who want to run for office in the State.

From the article..

The Democratic Party of Virginia is denying its voter file to challengers to its incumbents running for re-election to the House of Delegates in a June 14 primary.

Kevin Griffis, a state party spokesman, said the House Democratic Caucus asked that the voter file not be sold to challengers.

The file includes information such as past voting patterns and interest exhibited through volunteer efforts and phone bank calls. A list of potential Democratic voters in a Democratic primary could be useful to candidates.

...

Del. Brian J. Moran, D-Alexandria, the House caucus chairman, said the caucus decided during the General Assembly session to protect its incumbents.

"They pay dues to the caucus; it makes no sense to assist someone in trying to unseat them," he said.

The caucus regards McEachin, a former member, as a friend, he said, but the caucus adopted a policy to be applied uniformly to all challengers, Moran said.

The state party is providing the voter file to all candidates running for open seats, Griffis said. There are five open seats.

Griffis noted that Gov. Mark R. Warner is backing Miles. It would be self-defeating for the party to try to help someone whom Warner opposes, he said.

I thought this was the Virginia Democratic Party, not the Mark Warner party and incumbent fan club.

Write your Delegate and the state party and ask them to change this decision.

Run for the Central Committee so we can vote to change this decision.

Put the Democracy back in the Democrats.

Safe from the Safeway

It's nearly midnight, and I just got home from a trip to my local Safeway.  I have these really horrible allergies that act up on bursting spring days like today, and despite taking 50-100 mg of Benadryl every three hours since this morning (um, yeah, that's like double the usual dosage - quite remarkable that I can craft something approximating a sentence, isn't it?), I still went through all six large boxes of Kleenex at my place tonight.  So just after the Daily Show ended, I headed out to my local Safeway, just around the corner, to replenish allergy attack supplies.

I am pleased and proud to report that I just returned home with six fresh new boxes of Kleenex and five other items (one too many for the 10 or less checkout, drat) and not once did I go down an aisle in which I encountered either condoms or "jelly for diaphragms". 

Now, I don't know what kinda sexed-up Safeways they've got out there in the 13th District, but seriously, is there anywhere that Delegate Bob Marshall does not see sexual temptation lurking? 

Young adult health fair organizers discussed the possibility of distributing chocolate, oysters, and strawberries as a possible way to entice their peers to attend a health fair at George Mason University, and Marshall and his cronies get all hot and bothered, complaining to GMU officials about giving the group "permission to distribute Aphrodisacs". 

Iis Marshall going to mandate strawberry permits on public college campuses now?   The RT-D story says, "In a phone interview yesterday, Marshall said he failed to find the humor in the aphrodisiac "come-on," as he called it."  That's what he considers a come-on???

(Uh oh.  Now that I think about it, there was a pitiful banged-up looking half-pound basket of warm strawberries discarded on the "return" shelf above the cashier's register at the Safeway ...I have to confess they didn't turn me on in the slightest, but perhaps that's the Benadryl talking.  I didn't run into any condoms or "jelly for diaphragms" in those Safeway aisles, but if I've gotta worry about sexual temptations from produce, maybe the Safeway is not as safe as I think.)

The ironies abound in this kerfuffle about this "Sextravaganza" health fair at GMU.   While Marshall decries it as "a cover for propaganda", the Pro-Choice Patriots student group that organized the event welcomed the participation of anti-abortion and pro-abstinence groups including Campus Catholic Ministries and GMU Students for Life distributing their propaganda.  (Kudos to the Pro-Choice Patriots view for welcoming divergent viewpoints and interest groups.)

In a video clip from WUSA-9 TV, one of the anti-choice student participants says that she was able to spread her message to many students who might not otherwise have been exposed to it.  Over on NBC-4 TV, the teaser image for the video clip (which I can't view because NBC-4 won't make video compatible for Macs) clearly shows anti-abortion table props.  And yet the NBC story features another nutty quote, this one from Senator Ken Cuccinelli:

"They are selling abortions."

So Del. Marshall sees diaphragm jelly in every aisle at the grocery store, and Sen. Cuccinelli thinks that a health fair that provides information on how to prevent unwanted pregnancy is "selling abortions". 

Despite their paranoid histrionics, though, the event was apparently a smashing success, in no small part thanks to high turnout attributable to the attention created by the protesting lawmakers.  Thanks to the great organizers from GMU Pro-Choice Patriots, it sounds like some actual education went on at this GMU sexual health education event, as it should be.

Note: I plead Benadryl Brain for my not posting about the 45th district candidates forum as promised yet.  I'll get to that when some of my IQ is back in place.

VA Chapter of Progressive Democrats of America Launches Web Site

Our great friends and allies with the Virginia Chapter of Progressive Democrats of America have launched their new Web site!

(click image to visit PDA-VA)

Folks from PDA-VA (many of whom are also some of our most dedicated DFV volunteers) have already done great work in meeting with Congressman Jim Moran regarding defense appropriations and mobilizing volunteers and online action for the national PDA organization.

PDA-VA's next group action is encouraging progressive Democrats to attend their upcoming Congressional District Democratic Conventions or Resolutions Meetings in May to propose a resolution to start to withdraw troops from Iraq. Similar resolutions were just passed by the New Mexico and California Democratic Parties.

Leaders with DFV and PDA-VA are very eager to collaborate with one another and complement the mutually beneficial work of our two nascent organizations here in the Commonwealth.   It's great to see more evidence of the growing progressive strength in Virginia!

Don't forget to sign up for this weekend's campaign training in Charlottesville, sponsored by Democracy for Virginia, Democracy for America, and Latinos for America.  It will be a great opportunity to build your skills while networking with other Virginians who want to become more knowledgeable campaign leaders for socially progressive, fiscally responsible candidates or who are considering running for office themselves!

(Above: totally gratuitous photo of a mischievous Gov. Howard Dean and a smiling Rep. Dennis Kucinich that I took last year at the Progressive Democratic Convention, hosted by PDA, which was held in conjunction with the Democratic National Convention in Boston.)

Arlington/Alexandria for Democracy 45th Candidates' Surveys

Matt Munsey and the great crew with Arlington/Alexandria for Democracy asked each of the six candidates in the 45th District House of Delegates primary race to complete a questionnaire for as part of the Arlington/Alexandria for Democracy endorsement process.  This Meetup developed some effective open-ended questions that elicited interesting differences among the candidates.

All of the candidates' responses can be reviewed here.  It's a fascinating read.

I got to see all six candidates in person on Monday night at a candidates forum in Fairlington hosted by the Arlington County Democratic Committee.  I'll be working on a write-up of the event tomorrow, but seeing all candidates in person was a useful reminder to me that no matter how much we learn about a candidate online, the in-person experience elicits a wealth of information.

The short story is this: all six candidates running would be great additions to the Virginia House of Delegates.  They each have impressive qualifications, deep resumes, and obvious talents.  Once the primary is over, someone should seriously consider funding a major relocation package so that the five other candidates would be transplanted to five of the dozens of other districts where no Democrat is currently running so they could help build the party outside this blue stronghold in the 45th.  Seriously. 

As I've mentioned before, I think it's critical for the Democratic party to field strong, progressive leaders in "safe" Democratic strongholds like the 45th and the 57th (more on the 57th here), and seeing all six contenders in the 45th tonight made it easier to evaluate which candidates are committed to building progressive leadership and strength around Virginia as well as serving their constituents in the 45th.  It's a shame that only one of them will move on to serve in the House this year, though.

Urge Senator Warner to Save the Filibuster

Lee Diamond is an organizer and has lived in Metro DC for 15 years.  He is currently an active volunteer on the Save The Filibuster campaign with People for the American Way, and his primary focus is with the effort to revitalize the Democratic Party.  Lee recently met with Senator Warner's staff to urge Senator Warner to oppose the attempted elimination of the filibuster.

I've been in touch with Senator Warner's office about the effort to eliminate the filibuster for judicial nominees.  I had an appointment with Senator Warner's judiciary aides on Thursday.  Unfortunately, his counsel (the senior judiciary aide) was unable to attend.

I called the following day and had a pleasant conversation with the Senator's counsel.  We had a decent give and take.  He told me that Senator Warner and his aides spend time reading and discussing The Federalist Papers.  The  issue they consider in the context of judicial nominations is the meaning of the Senate shall "advise and consent" as it is written in the Constitution.

Senator Warner is a true conservative. He takes the conservative philosophy seriously.  He does believe that the President deserves an up or down vote on his nominees, but he is also concerned about minority rights.  He is reported to be one of those who is sensitive to the odds of the Senate Republicans being a minority in the future.

I urge all Virginians to call Senator Warner at 202-224-2023 and ask him to respect minority rights in the Senate by keeping the filibuster with the 60 vote margin.  Federal judges receive lifetime appointments and they should have broad public support.

A Message From Jim Dean of Democracy for America

The following message was just sent from Jim Dean, Chairman of Democracy for America (and brother of Governor Howard Dean, Chairman of the Democratic National Committee) to all 20,000 Democracy for America supporters in Virginia.

You want to change politics in this country, starting locally. But how do you start?

For the first time in Virginia, Democracy for Virginia has teamed up with Democracy for America and Latinos for America, to organize a dynamic weekend-long training program specifically geared to the 2005 Virginia House of Delegate races.

The training is this weekend, April 30th and May 1st.

This campaign course is staffed by top campaign professionals leading sessions on key topics in organizer training, media production and management, data mining, constituency outreach and fundraising. The presentations will be supported by small group sessions for in-depth work in each of the featured areas.

As with almost everything Democracy for America undertakes, leadership has come from the ground up. Grassroots leaders in Virginia have been planning this event for over a month to shape the agenda, coordinate facilities and materials, and recruit participants. Most of the committees have been working since March preparing for you.

http://democracyforamerica.com/virginiatraining

If you can't make the training, but you'd like to sponsor training for a participant-- please  make a small contribution at http://democracyforamerica.com/contribute.

$50 contribution sponsors one student participant to attend the training.
$25 contribution sponsors meals for a training participant.
$10 contribution sponsors one set of training materials.

In the 2003 election, 43 of Virginia's 100 delegate seats held by Republicans were uncontested by the Democrats. The only way to take back these seats is to learn the skills to win. Please join us on April 30th and May 1st in Charlottesville.

http://democracyforamerica.com/virginiatraining

Thank you,

Jim Dean
Chair, Democracy for America

PS: If you can't make the training, check out Democracy for Virginia's website to find out what else is going on in your area.

For those of you visiting us here at Democracy for Virginia for the first time, welcome!  We hope you'll join us so we can stay in touch with you about opportunities to get involved in activities and events around Virginia. 

Janet Oleszek's Campaign Kickoff in the 37th

The 37th House district is one of only a few that will have Democratic a Democratic primary this year, as Janet Oleszek and David Bulova compete for the Democratic nomination to fight for Chap Petersen's hard-won seat in the House, which he is vacating to focus on his run for the Democratic nomination for Lieutenant Governor.

Yesterday morning, I enjoyed meeting Oleszek, a current at-large member of the Fairfax County School Board, at her campaign kickoff at the historic Old Town Hall in Fairfax City. 

The kickoff event featured the usual laudatory introductory speeches from local officials and an address by the candidate herself in front of a crowd of about 70 supporters, but it was unique in that Oleszek also welcomed "town hall style" questions from the audience.  (And unlike what happens at Bush's carefully staged fake "town hall" meetings on Social Security, nobody pre-screened the audience here.)

For me, the highlight of the event was meeting bloggers Shaula Evans from tsuredzuregusa and BOPnews and Lowell Feld from RaisingKaine, who has a great comprehensive and informative write-up on Oleszek's kickoff speech.

The Connection Newspapers in Fairfax recently profiled both Oleszek and Bulova, and these profiles show agreement in just about every issue raised by the newspapers such as reproductive freedom (both pro-choice), red light cameras (both support), increased funding for education (support), constitutional amendments to ban gay marriage (oppose). 

Bulova, the son of Fairfax supervisor Sharon Bulova, has won an impressive array of endorsements from Fairfax County elected officials.  But as newcomer anonymous blogger "not Larry Sabato" of the new Virginia House of Delegates 2005 Elections blog speculates, Bulova may have hurt his candidacy by stressing his support in Fairfax County in a mailing to voters in Fairfax City.  Both Bulova and Oleszek live in the Fairfax County section of the 37th, but earning the trust of voters in Fairfax City will be critical to electoral success in this district.   

The previous review of the race in the 37th by "not Larry Sabato" is a fascinating overview of the complicated relationship between the House primaries and the Lt. Gov. primaries, with "not Larry Sabato" speculating on whether Petersen's presence on the ballot will have coattails and whether a Republican House primary in the 37th will hurt Petersen's chances with potential Republican crossover voters in Fairfax City who may have otherwise supported him in the Lt. Gov. primary.

Oleszek was wise to hold her campaign kickoff in Fairfax City.  Her announcement speech yesterday stressed her understanding of the needs of Fairfax City residents and her experience working with Fairfax City through the city's contractual relationship with Fairfax County Public Schools.  Since either Bulova or Oleszek may face former Fairfax City Mayor John Mason in the general election (depending on who wins the Republican House primary) it is even more important that the Democratic candidate demonstrate commitment to Fairfax City voters. 

It remains to be seen who will have the stronger grassroots campaign, but Oleszek has raised slightly more money last quarter and has demonstrated a willingness to try netroots outreach through her blog.  With Shaula Evans on board with supporting the Oleszek campaign, I expect a healthy emphasis on grassroots campaigning, direct voter contact, and creative netroots outreach.

Tom Davis: Keep "Urban Kind of People" Out of VA-11

Last summer, when Stephanie Herseth (D-SD) won a special election in South Dakota, Republican Tom Davis (R-VA-11), former Chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, downplayed the Republican defeat by whining, “If you take out the Indian reservation, we would have won."

Oh, Tom.  Those pesky minorities, voting Democratic again.  If only you could take them out of those districts you need to win - it would be so much easier for Republicans to gain power and stay in power!

Of course, if you can't "take out" minorities, your next best defense if you're a Republican is keeping them from coming into your district in the first place, and an article in today's Washington Post shows us that Davis is actively engaged in preventing more "urban kind of people" from moving into his own district:

The Republican congressman from Fairfax seems to believe that the only way he can guarantee himself reelection till the end of time is to prevent Democrats from moving into his district.

Davis last week announced his intent to use Congress's authority over the Metro system to force a downsizing of a huge, 2,250-unit condo, townhouse and commercial development planned for 56 acres next to the Vienna Metro station. [...]

One politician who spoke to Davis says the congressman told him straight-out that he opposes Pulte Homes' MetroWest project because "all it does is produce Democrats."

Davis won reelection last year with a solid 60 percent of the vote against a largely unknown opponent, but he saw frightening cracks in his electoral foundation. "He lost Merrifield, the area around the Dunn Loring Metro station, and he's convinced that it turned blue because of development around the station," says Democrat Gerry Connolly, the Fairfax board chairman. [...]

Davis's alternative to density at such suburban Metro stations as Vienna is not more sprawl, but rather a push to repopulate the District. "Culturally, the people who would move into this project in Vienna are urban kind of people. A lot of them are single, and they would be happy living closer in."

Which would put those people where they belong, either in Democratic Washington or in suburbs in Rep. Jim Moran's Democratic district."

"Urban kind of people."

Bruce Roemmelt Launches Ambitious Door-to-Door Campaign

Building on their great fundraising success in the first quarter, Bruce Roemmelt's campaign for House of Delegates in the 13th district sets another ambitious goal which reveals Bruce's grassroots focus - to knock on 20,000 doors throughout the campaign.  Campaign manager James Walkinshaw says:

"Our campaign will focus on direct contact with the citizens of this
district.  Unfortunately, our opponent has done very little to reach out to
the working men and women of the 13th... Bruce has pledged to be a 'people's Delegate' and will make accessibility and responsiveness the hallmarks of his service."

Bruce has already demonstrated his focus on direct outreach to voters of the 13th district and around Virginia with the campaign's great Web site.  Bruce's background in educational technology is apparent in his Web strategy, which features opportunities for voters to get involved with the campaign as well as see and hear from Bruce "in person" through audio and video outreach as well as Bruce's personal "campaign diary" on the campaign blog. 

For me, it's fondly reminiscent of the Dean campaign's mantra of "mousepads, shoeleather, and hope".  The Roemmelt campaign has built a structure for mousepads, and now they're breaking out the shoeleather.  And knowing Bruce, his experience, his work ethic, his focus on the needs of the people and families of his district, his values, and his great personality, I can say that I have hope, too.

If you live in the 13th district (including parts of Manassas, Prince William, and Loudoun counties) and want to get involved, visit http://www.bruce2005.org. If you live too far from the district to help out with shoeleather, your mousepads and hope are always welcome.  You could always jump on over to his blog and send him some encouragement.

On a side note: want to help Bruce or another candidate like him?  If you're interested in getting more involved with a House campaign in your area of Virginia or simply want to learn how to be a more effective campaign volunteer or campaign leader, please join Democracy for Virginia for our campaign training weekend in Charlottesville on April 30 - May 1.

Read below the jump for the full press release from the Roemmelt campaign.