General Interest

Sacramento's Iowa Intern

by Vaughn Hopkins

Sacramento has a presence back in the Iowa for Dean campaign! Sara Brooks, who many of us have worked with campaigning for Dean, is working as an intern in Des Moines, and writes a blog http://www.vehemently.org/, to keep us involved in her adventures there.

Mark Sundeen compares the Dean phenomenon with the movement that brought Franklin Delano Roosevelt to office in 1932 -- noting the fact that both Bush and Hoover inherited strong economies, and the stunning similarity of job losses under Bush as under Hoover, the rigidity of Hoover's ideology, and the fact that Republicans had held the Presidency for seven of the nine previous terms.

At today's debate you will see the other candidates on the attack against Howard Dean. The same thing is happening on the ground in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and elsewhere - all their energy is focused on tearing down what you've built.

They're not trying to stop Howard Dean - they're trying to stop you. We can only win if we stand together and everybody participates:

http://www.deanforamerica.com/contributenow

We can't do this alone. There are more than 280,000 Americans who have given at least $10 to take ownership of our democracy - but our campaign needs to reach millions in order to succeed.

Invite your friends and family to watch today's debate with you. After the debate, log on to your computer with them. Tell them that just $10 can change our political process and keep Howard Dean going. Take the time to walk them through the process and help them send a message that even $10 can change America.

Thank you for all that you do - and please spread the word.

Joe Trippi

Campaign Manager

Dean for America

P.S. -- The debate will air today, Sunday, at 3:00 PM Eastern on CNN and C-Span - check your local listings or watch the event live at C-Span.org.

From an email message

(Has William Rivers Pitt finally come to his senses?)

A TRUTHOUT Perspective Article

By William Rivers Pitt

Wednesday 24 December 2003

They say that confession is good for the soul, so here’s mine: Howard Dean was not my first choice of candidates to face George W. Bush in the 2004 election. He is not as liberal as I am – and yes, conservative media pundits, calling Dean a far-left liberal is far from an accurate portrayal of the man’s record – and as this is primary season, I was afforded the opportunity to choose among a broad field of contenders. Had I been given my druthers, I would have seen either Dennis Kucinich or John Kerry run away and hide with the nomination.

Which brings us to the old folk saying: “If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans.” In all electoral likelihood, it will be the former Governor of Vermont who will run away and hide with the nomination. No votes have been cast yet, and the official score in the primary race is still zero to zero to zero to zero to zero to zero to zero to zero. But if polling numbers in Iowa and New Hampshire are any indication, the front-loaded primary season designed by the folks at the DNC to pick a nominee as quickly as possible will be catapulting Dean into the driver’s seat well before pitchers and catchers report in for spring training.

Dean’s campaign has been, for my money, one of the most remarkable electoral phenomena in recent memory. He has forever changed the face of American political campaigning with his use of Al Gore’s internet. His fundraising abilities have been second to none. He has captured the hearts of the ultra-liberal base, and pulled more than a few Greens along in his wake, while being a centrist budget hawk with a 100% approval rating from the NRA. Figure that one out and you’ve got a stellar dissertation for your Political Science PhD.

Or maybe not. At the end of the day, there is one reason Howard Dean stands ready to grasp the brass ring in Boston. He stood up before the die-hard base of the Democratic Party before, and in the aftermath, of an unnecessary, criminal war. He stood up after two years of hide-the-ball from Bush and the boys regarding September 11. He stood up after that base had endured one of the most ruthless anti-liberal propaganda campaigns since Joe McCarthy held a key to the Congressional washroom. He stood up after this country got lied to again and again and again. He stood up within the confines of a mainstream news media structure that has done more to cover Bush’s backside than anyone could have possibly imagined. He stood up when too many of the other Democratic candidates sat on their hands and played it safe.

He stood up and roared, “I want my country back!”

Here are twelve things you can do to drive the campaign into 2004:

Plan to travel to Iowa or New Hampshire in January — you can get out the vote for Dean, and have the experience of a lifetime doing it