A Progressive Agenda for 2009

Written by: Keshini Ladduwahetty on Nov 24, 2008 5:30 PM EST

Linked to groups: DC for Democracy

After working for more than a year to elect Barack Obama as President, DC4D members are not resting on their laurels.  A number of folks are already discussing a progressive agenda that will take full advantage of an energized progressive grassroots community and the favorable political climate after Nov. 4th. 

Share your suggestions for a Potomac Progressive Agenda here!  In addition to your comments, we'd love to know who you are and how to contact you.

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Judy Feder needs your support!

Written by: Keshini Ladduwahetty on Aug 22, 2008 4:09 PM EDT

Hi all,

I'm Kesh Ladduwahetty (DC for Democracy) and we're out in NoVA campaigning hard this Fall for Barack, Mark Warner, and Judy Feder!

Judy is applying for DFA's endorsement and she needs your support!  Please support her here: http://democracyforamerica.com/campaigns/3124-judy-feder-for-congress, and forward widely to your friends!

Regards,

Kesh

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DC4D is an old friend of Judy Feder

Written by: Keshini Ladduwahetty on Aug 21, 2008 1:11 PM EDT

Judy Feder was endorsed by DC4D in 2006 and this year, and we are undertaking a very aggressive canvassing effort in VA's 10th district.  Judy's race will identify supporters of Barack Obama in her district and will significantly increase the chances of winning VA's electoral votes for Obama this Nov.

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DC4D endorsement

Written by: Keshini Ladduwahetty on Aug 21, 2008 1:02 PM EDT

Judy Feder was endorsed by DC4D in 2006 and this year, and we are undertaking a very aggressive canvassing effort in VA's 10th district.  Judy's race will identify supporters of Barack Obama in her district and will significantly increase the chances of winning VA's electoral votes for Obama this Nov.

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La Lucha Continua

Written by: Keshini Ladduwahetty on Sep 20, 2007 7:46 AM EDT

Linked to groups: DC for Democracy

We didn't make it this Tuesday. The cloture vote on S.1257, the DC House Voting Rights Bill, the technical vote to consider the measure, failed to get the required 60 votes to survive a filibuster. A vote to give almost 600,000 people the vote is apparently not even worthy of an up or down vote.

We learned we have some new friends in the Senate: Arlen Specter (PA) and Richard Lugar (IN) came through yesterday. But Max Baucus (MT) and Robert Byrd failed us and defied their own party. And John McCain (AZ) and Thad Cochran (MS), whom we expected to back us, failed in the end. Shame on them!

We failed despite very hard work on the part of many DC for Democracy members: first and foremost, Karen Rose, our Chair of the Voting Rights & Democracy Committee, who has brought new energy to our campaign for representation this year. Karen got mention in the Hill magazine yesterday, following our Monday rally outside the Dirksen building. Check out the article here.

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National Call-in Day for DC House Voting Rights Bill

Written by: Keshini Ladduwahetty on Sep 17, 2007 9:58 AM EDT

Linked to groups: DC for Democracy

Today is National Call-in Day for the DC House Voting Rights bill!

After a long summer wait, Majority Leader Reid has scheduled the cloture vote on S. 1257, the DC House Voting Rights Act of 2007, for Tuesday, September 18 at 2:30 PM.

For those of you who are not totally up on Hill-lingo, this is the technical vote that simply opens the door to the real bill being voted on at a later date. The Republicans like to vote against cloture on bills they don't like, to prevent those bills from coming up for a vote. So if we get the 60 votes we need for cloture on Tuesday, the real vote should be smooth sailing!

Both Sen. Lieberman and Sen. Hatch support the timing, but whether we will have the 60 votes needed to end debate on the bill remains unclear. By all accounts, it is going to be a very close vote and so, like never before, we must stand up and Demand DC Voting Rights Now!

Everyone at DFA, from Jim Dean on down, has been an outstanding supporter of the DC House Voting Rights bill, and almost 30 DFA groups have supported our efforts in the past year. So we're counting on the DFA community helping us to make today's "National Call-in Day" For DC Voting Rights a big success!

This is the first time in nearly 30 years that a DC voting rights bill will be before the Senate for a vote. We need support from every Senator to pass the DC House Voting Rights Act now!

Please call your Senator at the Capitol Hill switchboard TOLL-FREE at 1.866.346.3008 between the hours of 9:00AM - 6:00PM EDT today!

Targeted Senators include:

• Arlen Specter (R-PA)
• Richard Lugar (R-IN)
• Gordon Smith (R-OR)
• Sam Brownback (R-KS)
• John McCain (R-AZ)
• Thad Cochran (R-MS)

Please help DC get the congressional representation every United States citizen deserves! We need your help today!

New Hampshire presses for DC Voting Rights

Written by: Keshini Ladduwahetty on Jul 17, 2007 10:00 AM EDT

Linked to groups: DC for Democracy

When I visited Manchester, NH (for the first time) to attend DemFest last month to get help on DC Voting Rights I didn't know what kind of reception I would get. After all, DC has been trying to get congressional representation now for 200 years -- it's not exactly a sexy new issue! But with a bill to give DC a vote in the House having passed the lower chamber, and being voted out of committee in the Senate, and an expected floor vote in the Senate this month, the time was certainly ripe!

I didn't know I would meet so many great activists at DemFest who would help lead the charge for DC Voting Rights in the Granite State -- thanks to Jim Dean, who gave our campaign a huge plug in his opening address. State Legislator Andy Edwards called local newspapers and talked up DC Voting Rights on Political Chowder, the TV show on NH politics. State Legislator Jeff Fontas worked to get local media to give us some attention. Karen Liot Hill volunteered to get the Jay Buckey campaign put out a press release. And then there was Larry Drake and his wife, who moved to Portsmouth from Silver Spring, MD (a suburb of DC) a year ago.

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New Hampshire Helps DC Get the Vote

Written by: Keshini Ladduwahetty on Jun 11, 2007 10:17 AM EDT

This weekend at DemocracyFest in Manchester, NH, I asked for the help of New Hampshire activists in getting DC a vote in the House of Representatives.  I was not disappointed!

The DC House Voting Rights Act has passed the House, and now sits in the Senate.  It will give DC a permanent seat in the House (a real seat, not our phony Delegate status), and will also give Utah a brand-new seat.  After the next census, Utah's seat will go back in the pot for general redistricting, but DC will keep its seat.  This is a vote-neutral bill that no one can fairly oppose.

Senator Sununu of NH sits on the Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Government Affairs, which will vote on this bill on Wednesday, June 13th.  Thanks to the NH activists who are helping us with our campaign, DC4D will now be able to visit his office with a petition signed by his own constituents in support of DC Voting Rights.

 

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DC for Democracy Picnic

Written by: Keshini Ladduwahetty on May 21, 2007 9:54 AM EDT

Linked to groups: DC for Democracy

 

Jim Dean and Tom Hughes were our very special guests at DC for Democracy's annual Picnic in the Park.  On a gorgeous Saturday afternoon, activists and friends from DC4D gathered in Washington, DC's historic Rock Creek Park (the first national park in an urban area) to enjoy gorgeous spring weather, sun, food, and friends.  What a fabulous way to raise more than $1,000 for our DFA group!

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DFA makes waves at ASDC Convention

Written by: Keshini Ladduwahetty on May 7, 2007 9:19 AM EDT

Linked to groups: DC for Democracy

Yesterday, DC for Democracy volunteers travelled to Annapolis, MD for the Association of State Democratic Chairs' (ASDC) Spring convention, to lobby for DC Voting Rights.  The brainchild of Jeff Richardson, Vice Chair of the DC Democratic State Committee, and a founding member of DC4D, our strategy was to do one-stop shopping, to get the help of the state Democratic party chiefs for our cause. 

ASDC consists of the state party chairs, vice-chairs, executive directors, and other officials.  They have gone on the record in supporting DC Voting Rights, but our hope was to nudge them to use their extensive networks in their own states to push for this bill -- both to ensure that every Democratic Senator would vote yes, and to ensure that enough Republicans at least desist from filibustering the bill.  Based on the very friendly response we got on Sunday, we are very hopeful that we have their full support.

We prepared for the convention by appealing to DFA groups around the country for letters, faxes, and endorsements to their state party officials-- and they came through!    When we met the party officials, we were able to cite their constituents' concern for DC voting rights from the following DFA partners:  John Eisenhaur of DFA-Denver; Kim Hynes of Greenwich DFA; Brenda Bayne of DFA-Gainesville; Bob Schacht of DFA-Honolulu and Dave Raatz of Democracy for Hawai'i; Alta Price of DFA Quad-Cities (IA); Eric Schmitz of Democracy for Monroe County (IN); Jim Kruer of Democracy for Metro Detroit; Scott Hilsendeger of Democracy for North Dakota; Ed Zipprich of Democracy for Monmouth County (NJ); Larry Dudley of Democracy for the Greater Glenn Falls Area (NY); Ginny Ross of Bend Redmond DFA; Sarah John of Falls Church DFA Linkup (VA); Chad Lupkes of Democracy for Washington; and Jerry McKeen of Harrison County DFA (WV).

 

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