Leon DEC Elects New Chair

In a close vote of 59 to 66, Rick Minor has been elected Leon County Democratic Executive Committee Chair. There should be a newspaper article in today's Tallahassee Democrat.

Congratulations to Rick Minor. We look forward to working with both him and Jon Ausman, who remains the Leon County State Committeeman and a DNC Member, to better the local Democratic Party.

Crumpler Drops out of County Commission Race

From the Tallahassee Democrat:

Leon County School Board member Dee Crumpler is dropping his bid to replace Bob Rackleff on the County Commission.

Crumpler, 43, says he plans to officially withdraw from the race this week for personal and health reasons. He recently was diagnosed with Crohn's disease, a treatable but chronic intestinal disorder. His doctor told him to reduce the stress in his life, and he said not running for office in 2006 will help him do just that.

"When you get news like that, you just reflect on what's important in your life," he said. "And my family is extremely important, and my health is."


Dee Crumpler dropping out of the race for County Commission will make it much easier for the local Democratic Party to unify behind Commissioner Radcliff. Many of us have worked hard to ensure that Schoo Board Member Crumpler was elected and would have been torn between these two candidates. The Leon County Young Democrats look forward to seeing Dee Crumpler's promising political star continue to rise.

LCDEC Elections at 7pm EST, Tonight!

A Friendly Reminder;

In about 11 hours from now, we will hopefully know that Rick Minor has been elected Chairman of the Leon County Democratic Executive Committee!

Election Night for LCDEC Chair

Tonight!

Thursday, December 15th

At 7pmEST

At City Hall (2nd Floor Commission Chambers)

The election is sure to be tight and thus, if you are a voting member of the LCDEC, I encourage you and ask that you attend and cast your vote for change. If you aren't a voting member, I still encourage you to come to the meeting as I am sure it will be a very important night for our community as a whole. There is sure to be a lot of fireworks tonight.

Rick Minor was endorsed by the Leon County Young Democrats because we realize that change is needed in our local party and that the opportunity for change is right at our fingertips.

I look forward to seeing you tonight.

Also, Rick Minor will be holding a Pre-Election Rally at City Hall. Since it seems it will be raining, it will probably be just inside of City Hall, if not outside, again depending on the weather. The rally will start at 6:15pm and lead up to the meeting.

See you tonight!

Leon County and Ion Sancho Make National News in the ongoing drama regarding diebold

Wed. December 14, 2005: Due to contractual non-performance and security design issues, Leon County (Florida) supervisor of elections Ion Sancho has announced that he will never again use Diebold in an election. He has requested funds to replace the Diebold system from the county. On Tuesday, the most serious “hack” demonstration to date took place in Leon County. The Diebold machines succumbed quickly to alteration of the votes. This comes on the heels of the resignation of Diebold CEO Wally O'Dell, and the announcement that a stockholder's class action suit has been filed against Diebold by Scott & Scott. Further “hack” testing on additional vulnerabilities is tentatively scheduled before Christmas in the state of California.

Finnish security expert Harri Hursti, together with Black Box Voting, demonstrated that Diebold made misrepresentations to Secretaries of State across the nation when Diebold claimed votes could not be changed on the “memory card” (the credit-card-sized ballot box used by computerized voting machines.

A test election was run in Leon County on Tuesday with a total of eight ballots. Six ballots voted "no" on a ballot question as to whether Diebold voting machines can be hacked or not. Two ballots, cast by Dr. Herbert Thompson and by Harri Hursti voted "yes" indicating a belief that the Diebold machines could be hacked.

At the beginning of the test election the memory card programmed by Harri Hursti was inserted into an Optical Scan Diebold voting machine. A "zero report" was run indicating zero votes on the memory card. In fact, however, Hursti had pre-loaded the memory card with plus and minus votes.

The eight ballots were run through the optical scan machine. The standard Diebold-supplied "ender card" was run through as is normal procedure ending the election. A results tape was run from the voting machine.

Correct results should have been: Yes:2 ; No:6

However, just as Hursti had planned, the results tape read: Yes:7 ; No:1

The results were then uploaded from the optical scan voting machine into the GEMS central tabulator, a step cited by Diebold as a protection against memory card hacking. The central tabulator is the "mother ship" that pulls in all votes from voting machines. However, the GEMS central tabulator failed to notice that the voting machines had been hacked.

The results in the central tabulator read: Yes:7 ; No:1

This videotaped testing session was witnessed by Black Box Voting investigators Bev Harris and Kathleen Wynne, Florida Fair Elections Coalition Director Susan Pynchon, security expert Dr. Herbert Thompson, and Susan Bernecker, a former candidate for New Orleans city council who videotaped Sequoia-brand touch-screen voting machines in her district recording vote after vote for the wrong candidate.

The Hursti Hack requires a moderate level of inside access. It is, however, accomplished without being given any password and with the same level of access given thousands of poll workers across the USA. It is a particularly dangerous exploit, because it changes votes in a one-step process that will not be detected in any normal canvassing procedure, it requires only a single a credit-card sized memory card, any single individual with access to the memory cards can do it, and it requires only a small piece of equipment which can be purchased off the Internet for a few hundred dollars.

One thousand two hundred locations in the U.S. and Canada use Diebold voting machines. In each of these locations, typically three people have a high level of inside access. Temporary employees also often have brief access to loose memory cards as machines are being prepared for elections. Poll workers sometimes have a very high level of inside access. National elections utilize up to two million poll workers, with hundreds or thousands in a single jurisdiction.

Many locations in the U.S. ask poll workers to take voting machines home with them with the memory cards inside. San Diego County (Calif) sent 713 voting machines/memory cards home with poll workers for its July 26 election, and King County (Wash.) sent over 500 voting machines home with poll workers before its Nov. 8 election.

Memory cards are held in a compartment protected by a small plastic seal. However, these simple seals can be defeated, and Hursti has found evidence that the memory card can be reprogrammed without disturbing the seal by using a telephone modem port on the back of the machine.

The Hursti Hack, referred to as “the mother of all security holes” was first exposed in a formal report on July 4. (http://www.blackboxvoting.org/BBVreport.pdf).

Diebold has insisted to county and state election officials that despite Hursti’s demonstration, changing votes on its memory cards is impossible. (Public records from Diebold, including threat letter to Ion Sancho: http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/2197/10535.html)

On Oct. 17, 2005 Diebold Elections Systems Research and Development chief Pat Green specifically told the Cuyahoga County (Ohio) board of elections during a $21 million purchasing session that votes cannot be changed using only a memory card. (Video of Pat Green: http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/2197/14298.html)

Over the objections of Cuyahoga County citizens, and relying on the veracity of Diebold’s statements, the board has chosen to purchase the machines.

According to Public Records obtained by Black Box Voting, Diebold has promulgated misrepresentations about both the Hursti Hack and another kind of hack by Dr. Herbert Thompson to secretaries of state, and to as many as 800 state and local elections officials. Stockholder suit filed by the law offices of Scott and Scott: and http://www.bradblog.com/archives/00002153.htm

Diebold CEO resigns: http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=175001748

Permission to reprint granted with link to http://blackboxvoting.org/

St. Pete time weighs in on Gubernatorial Candidates at the Democratic conference in Orlando over the weekend

Finally, I am getting a chance to review the stories from over the weekend. This article (linked in the title bar) by Adam Smith caught me off guard. Of course the article doesn't endorse one over another, but it does come across as if the St. Pete times (believed by many to be the best newspaper in Florida and with a respected place of one of three media sources listed on Bill O'Riley's defamation list) located in Congressman Davis' backyard is giving him a warning as to where he needs to focus his outreach if he wants to secure the lead that he has held. Adam Smith says that the difference in their supporters is generational, with the younger siding with Sen. Smith over Congressman Davis. But I have every confidence that with Davis' current staff, and some of his recent additions, their will be plenty of young voter outreach.

New polls have been coming out, and neither candidate has managed to really break into the undecided bracket, 60% of voters still not sure who they are going to vote for... I am anxiously waiting to see what the campaigns are going to do in the new year to improve their name recognition and approval ratings.

This will probably be a race to the finish line, both the primaries and the general elections are going to be tighter then we have seen in several years in Florida.

Senator Skip Campbell, Eric Copeland and Alex Sink all did a great job... And they are lined up to take back our cabinet.

I encourage people to post their thoughts on the weekend in the comments section, and try not to hide under the bar of anonymous... If you don't have a blogger account choose other and you can make up a title, at least that provides more insight then nothing.

Florida Young Democrat Chapter of the Year Award Goes to:

This past weekend the Florida Young Democrats had several very successful meetings at the Florida Democratic Party conference. Today Matt Cole, Immediate Past FYD Chair, had these words to say:


Fellow Democrats,

I am honored to report that Omar Khan (LCYD member) has been elected to succeed me as Chair of the Florida Young Democrats. Omar's work as FYD Executive Director is greatly appreciated and I look forward to his continued contributions to the development of future Democratic leaders.

Over the past two years, right up through this past weekend, this administration:

Developed an executive structure based upon the Democratic Party and its nomenclature.
Instituted a chartering process that eliminated dues, encourages closer ties with county DECs, and prevents the possibility of competing claims of authority.
Established a Mission and Vision statement to more clearly define our goals.
Enacted the positions of Regional Directors to more plainly establish geographic regions and Outreach Directors to more formally target Young Democrat sub-groups.
Founded the Florida College Democrats as an associate group of the newly created Florida Young & College Democrats.

Our caucus was joined by FDP Chair Thurman, Congressman Barney Frank, and Governor Mark Warner. We were also joined by several local, regional, and statewide candidates including Jim Davis, Rod Smith, and Alex Sink.

The FYD Annual Awards winners were presented. They include:

County Chapter of the Year: Leon County Young Democrats
College Chapter of the Year: Florida State University College Democrats
High School Chapter of the Year: East Side High School Young Democrats, Alachua County
FYD Event of Distinction: Leon County Young Democrats, for the Democratic Legislative Staff Reception
Jeffrey Mattison Wershow Award: Stephen Gorham, US Navy Veteran
Young Democrat of the Year: Kristian Cosme
Democrat of the Year: Honorable Karen Thurman
Lifetime Achievement Award: Senator Bob Graham

The role of FYD Chair requires a great deal of time, energy, and diplomacy. There are scores of Young Democrats who have assisted me and contributed greatly to this organization over the past few years. It would be impossible to name every member individually, but in addition to Omar, I would like recognize: John Reid, Chris Gallaway, Michelle M'Sadoques, Gershom Faulkner, Alan Brock, Kristian Cosme, David Geller, Bret Berlin, Kristin Carter, Alex Patton, Dave Cutler, Erica Graves, Rick Minor, and Reggie Cardozo. State Representative Ed Jennings, Jr. and State Senator Dave Aronberg should also be acknowledged as both supporters of and role models for the FYDs. For her love and patience, I am also grateful to Carolyn Develle.

Although I have passed along these guiding principles to many of you already, they are worth revisiting: Be Local: Invite locally elected Democrats for discussions on current issues; Be Connected: Help members develop connections with local Democratic leaders, either elected or in your DEC;Be Social: Keep meetings lively and informal so that your members will enjoy this time with their political peers;Be Rewarding: Allow members to sharpen their political skills by presenting or debating a topic.In conclusion, it has been a privilege to serve you as FYD Chair. In my new Executive Board role as Immediate Past Chair, I look forward providing institutional memory and assisting Omar to the best of my abilities.

Democratically Yours,

MattMatthew Cole,
Immediate Past Chair
Florida Young Democrats

Union Organizer Training

Do you want to learn about Union organizing?Are you interested in becoming an organizer? Do you know someone who does?

The Application:http://www.unitehere.org/jobs/internshipapp2.asp

UNITE HERE is running a two-week paid organizing internship from January 20 through February 3, 2006.

This exciting internship puts participants (both activists from outside UNITE HERE and UNITE HERE members) being trained and working on a live airport food service campaign in Florida. Training will occur in the classroom and in the field. Work will include housevisiting non union workers, building lists, identifying workplace leaders. Some participants may be invited to continue working on these campaigns. Participants will be paid $550/week and housing, if necessary.

Transportation to the internship will also be provided.

Training Oppurtunity

New Organizing Institute

The mission of the New Organizaing Institute is:

To train and support a new generation of technology-enabled campaigners. To consolidate and disseminate knowledge gained in the field of political technology and online organizing. To conduct new research and post-campaign investigations that employ results-focused, systems thinking to make progressive campaigns and organizations more efficient.

The first Institute training with about 40 participants is mainly geared toward training online organizers for '06 political campaigns. This training is co-sponsored by MoveOn.org.

This intensive week-long training is modeled on EMILYs List's Campaign Corps' "Campaign Schools" a mixture of lectures, discussions, exercises plus a campaign simulation that takes place long into each night of the program. Graduates will be placed on 2006 progressive campaigns in key roles. After Election Day, they will help find participants another job, in the worlds of electoral politics, advocacy or charitable organizations.

Trainers will evaluate trainees' skills and progress throughout the week, deciding at the end who is ready to serve on a 2006 campaign. Positions will be arranged in advance with '06 campaigns, as well as some other progressive organizations and labor unions. The Institute will select exceptionally talented trainees, provide them with intensive training, and follow up with continued support throughout their early careers.

Their goal is to create a network of experienced online organizers and technologists committed to progressive values. In its first two years, the NOI hopes to inject hundreds of new, talented and trained online organizers and technologists into the job market - organizers who understand politics and people as well as the Internet and technology.

This program does not require you to have prior electoral campaign experience. However, they are looking for people who have demonstrated a commitment to progressive values in some form or fashion.

They are asking applicants to talk about leadership experience with campus or community organizations, prior internship or work experience, personal and/or political beliefs, and/or previous campaign or political experience.

NOI picks up the tab for training, pays for your travel to Washington DC before and after the training, free job placement assistance and continuing mentorship and support into your career. They are looking for recent college graduates - or people who are ready for a change in career and can uproot themselves onto a campaign for several months - who are passionate about progressive politics.

Campus or community leadership, or any kind of grassroots organizing experience, is a plus. Excellent writing skills and aptitude with Internet media or a technical background are required. Since campaigns are 24-7, you'd better have a strong work ethic. See the Trainee FAQ

NOI is also seeking trainers. They are accepting applications now for the February 24 - March 4, 2006 training.

The deadline for applications, resumes and letters of recommendation is December 31, 2005.

To complete the application process, you must ensure that two letters of recommendation are mailed or faxed to the New Organizing Institute. E-mail your resume within a week of applying to info@neworganizing.com. NOI also has plans for an advanced technology workshop in the Summer, 2006. http://neworganizing.com/index.html

Reflections on the 2004 Election by YD Staffer

Our links contain several worthwhile links, and I hope that at some point that you, our faithful reader, have gotten the opportunity to check them out. One of the links is to Wiretap, Alternets writings focused on the views of young, ranging from teenagers to the early 30's. Often the essays are insightful and from a world view that is easy to identify with.

I wanted to highlight an essay by Adam Frankel and his reflection on being a 24 year old speech writer for Senator Kerry during last years election cycle. If you click on the title bar you will be taken to his essay The Top 10 Lessons I Learned on the Kerry Campaign. I know that some of you will find it insightful and perhaps it will carry advice that you might find useful as you consider working on campaigns.

Rick Minor for Chair Rally Tonight and DEC Meeting!

Hello.

Just a quick message to point out that Rick Minor will be having a rally at 6:30pm INSIDE City Hall for his race to become the next Chairman of the Leon County Democratic Executive Committee. Since the LCYDs have endorse Rick to be the next chairman, it is important that we show up and give him the support he needs.

The Details:

RICK MINOR FOR DEC CHAIR RALLY
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 6:30 PM
TALLAHASSEE CITY HALL, 300 S. ADAMS STREET, INSIDE

Also, after the rally, the DEC will be holding their monthly meeting. Anything can happen at these meetings so as always, please make plans to show up for the meeting as well. You should be out of the meeting by 7:45pm to 8pm if everything goes well.

Hope you can make it. See you tonight!

St. Pete Times Story on FDP ED Luis Navarro

Will new chief be savior or fall guy? That is the question that the St. Pete Times asks, and doesn't seem to answer in the article. Bousquet puts a lot information into this article and you can tell that he has spoken with many activist, but at the end of the article the question is still there...

Luis will be part of the success that our state's Democrats will see next year.

Also, I hope that everyone had a great Thanksgiving, we all have a lot to be thankful for this year!

Leon County Young Democrats Endorse Rick Minor for LCDEC Chair

As an integral part of the Democratic community, the Leon County Young Democrats invited both candidates seeking the DEC Chairmanship to address their body concerning the Leon County Democratic Executive Committee (DEC). Mr. Jon Ausman was invited to speak to the group November 14 and Mr. Rick Minor addressed the group yesterday evening, November 21.

Following last evening's presentation, a motion was made to discuss a potential endorsement by the Leon County Young Democrats for one of the candidates. After some discussion, it was voted upon the membership of the Young Democrats to endorse Mr. Rick Minor as chairman of the Leon County DEC. "It is with much enthusiasm I announce the Leon County Young Democrats proudly stand behind Rick Minor for DEC Chair," said Alan Brock, President of the Leon County Young Democrats. "It is our hope that our endorsement helps unite the community of Democrats within Leon County".

Rick Minor is the immediate past president of the Leon County Young Democrats, the former policy director for the Florida Democratic Party and he served as the Kerry-Edwards Campaign's Deputy Field Director for North Florida.

Casino Night was a Success!

Thank You to everyone who attended our Casino Night fundraiser at Cafe Cabernet on Friday Night. It was a lot of fun, we had a good turn out and raised money for America's 2nd Harvest and our organization. We also learned that Poker is very popular! There is an LCYD meeting tonight at the FDP HQ, I hope you can join us, and if not, I hope you have a pleasant holiday.

I want to thank our sponsors:

America's 2nd Harvest of the Big Bend, Inc
Business for Better Government
Cafe' Cabernet
Florida Building and Construction Trades Council
Florida Senate Victory
Florida Electrical Workers Association
J. B. Clark
GT Entertainment
Hinkle & Foran
Hopping Green & Sams

Rep. Curtis Richardson
Searcy, Denney, Scarola, Barnhart & Shipley
Commissioner Cliff Thaell

and I also want to thank the companies that donated door prizes:

Chilli's

Gil's Tavern
Hooters
Jasmine Cafe

Paradigm
Sierra Club
Starbucks
Wine Warehouse
Zaxby's

Vegas in Tallahassee!

Thanksgiving is almost here. In that spirit, the Leon County Young Democrats have partnered with America's Second Harvest of the Big Bend to raise money so everyone in our community may have something to be thankful for this holiday season. Click on the link above to learn more about Second Harvest.

Join us this Friday night, November 18th at Café Cabernet on North Monroe for the 1st Annual LCYD Casino Night featuring blackjack, roulette, poker and craps courtesy of GT Entertainment. This event is a charity fundraiser, so all money collected will be donations. Throughout the night, local politicians and celebrities will be stopping by to give out door prizes donated by local businesses and our sponsors. It's going to be a real taste of Vegas right here in Tallahassee!

We hope you can join us.

1st Annual LCYD Casino Night
Friday, November 18, 2005 - 8:00-Midnight
Café Cabernet - 1019 N. Monroe Street

For more details, contact Chad Fetrow at cwfetrow@yahoo.com or Thure Caire at Tcaire@gmail.com

Leon DEC Chair Elections

Last night at our LCYD meeting (1st & 3rd Monday of each month) we were lucky enough to hear from current Leon County DEC State Committeeman and DNC member Jon Ausman and his wife Donna Ausman (see picture) who both addressed our meeting. Jon is one of two democratic leaders pursing the Chairmanship of the Leon County DEC.

In today's Tallahassee Democrat the feature front page story (linked in title bar) is on the DEC's upcoming Chair election. This is obviously going to be an interesting process and the LCYDs will try to keep you updated of any news.

The other person pursing the Leon DEC Chair position is Rick Minor, who also is the immediate Past President of the LCYDs. Rick will be addressing our group at our next meeting, on the 3rd Monday of November.

interested parties are welcome to attend.

Thanks!

I wanted to thank everyone who came out to the Florida Democratic Party Headquarters over the weekend to help us with our home improvement campaign. It went very well, it went quickly, and it was fun! Stay tuned their may be more project like this in the future.

Also expect an announcement shortly regarding an upcoming fundraiser/party for the Leon County Young Democrats!

This Old Political Party HQ

This weekend the Leon County Young Democrats will be helping make small repairs, paint and clean the Florida Democratic Party Head Quaters, and we welcome you to come and join us.

We will be meeting at the HQ at 10AM we will be there until till about 4PM. The event may last six hours but feel free to come and go as you please. One of the reasons we are spending 6 hours at the party is to allow for flexibility of attendance.

It should be a really fun experience and a great way to help the party.

For those of you that need the extra incentive, we will have donuts and coffee for breakfast (both Dunkin and Krispy Kreme) and we will make sure that there is lunch for everyone who has been volunteering too.

I hope to see you there!

Map It

Leon Democratic Executive Committee Chair Steps Down

Paige Carter-Smith "The head of the Leon County Democratic Party announced her resignation Monday night but insisted it has nothing to do with the nagging controversy surrounding party finances or the demise of the Scott Maddox campaign for governor."

Chair Carter-Smith, who was elected about six months ago, has had to lead the Leon County DEC during a period of transition and confusion. She did an excellent job, and was very supportive of the Leon County Young Democrats. Hopefully this resignation will allow for her to spend more time with her family and her new business and will allow for her to continue her successes and continue to work on advancing the Democratic Party from the Private Sector.

Thank you Chair Carter-Smith for your hardwork, patience, time and energy.

The Battle Begins

Excerpts on important article about redistricting opposition:

"Both houses of the Republican-controlled state Legislature are opposing a ballot initiative that would strip the Legislature of its power to draw political districts and give it to an independent commission.

But they disagree on whether to spend public money to fight it....

Legislators named as parties in the Senate opposition are ... Democrat, Al Lawson of Tallahassee...

Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Dania Beach, who supports the ballot initiative, said an independent commission would have to comply with the Voting Rights Act provisions that require minority representation."

Read this article to see what is being said about this initiative fully supported by the Leon County Young Democrats.

Rumor Mill: Cheney may resign, Secretary Rice may become V.P.

From the US News and World Report:

"It's certainly an interesting but I still think highly doubtful scenario," said a Bush insider. "And if that should happen," added the official, "there will undoubtedly be those who believe the whole thing was orchestrated – another brilliant Machiavellian move by the VP."

Said another Bush associate of the rumor, "Yes. This is not good." The rumor spread so fast that some Republicans by late morning were already drawing up reasons why Rice couldn't get the job or run for president in 2008.

"Isn't she pro-choice?" asked a key Senate Republican aide. Many White House insiders, however, said the Post story and reports that the investigation was coming to a close had officials instead more focused on who would be dragged into the affair and if top aides would be indicted and forced to resign.

Florida Young Democrat News

The Florida Young Democrats had a conference call last night where our upcoming convention in December was discussed. I would encourage everyone to be thinking about who we can nominate for these awards, I would like to see us nominate at least one person for each award:

Awards Committee Volunteers: contact Dave Cutler. Nominations for awards should be emailed immediately to Dave at PrdFLDem@tampabay.rr.com. Here is the list of FYD awards:

County Chapter of the Year: to recognize a chapter that has shown either a dramatic increase in membership or whose members represent a large portion of elected or appointed city/county offices.

College Chapter of the Year: to recognize a chapter that has shown either a dramatic increase in membership or whose members represent a large portion of elected or appointed school/city/county offices.

High School Chapter of the Year: to recognize a chapter that has shown either a dramatic increase in membership or whose members have assisted in public awareness campaigns..

FYD Event of Distinction: to recognize one or more chapters that created state-wide attention for positively promoting the Democratic ideals.

Jeffrey Mattison Wershow Service Award: this award was named after an Alachua County Young Democrat and Army National Guardsman who was killed in the line of duty while serving in Iraq in 2003; the award is to recognize an outstanding FYD member who serves in the armed forces, in any of the CitizenCorps programs, with their local police department, or with their local fire department.

Young Democrat of the Year: to recognize an outstanding Democrat not older than forty-one (41) years of age.

Democrat of the Year: to recognize an outstanding Democrat elected official who has supported the FYD and its goals.
------------------------------------------------------------------

At the end of last night's call our state Chair, Matthew Cole, let us know his intention to resign from his role as chair. Here is his official statement from the minutes he sent out following the call:

"Lastly, I would like to make a personal announcement. As a small business owner, my work schedule has increased to the point that I can not dedicate the full time necessary to serve as FYD Chair. I am therefore calling for the election of a new FYD Chair to be held during our December 10th caucus at the FDP convention. The new Chair would commence service at the conclusion of the Central Committee meeting and continue to serve through 2007, the remainder of the current term.

In the mean time, stay focused on building your local chapters as we gear up for our December meeting and prepare the groundwork for victories in 2006!"

I know that the Leon County Young Democrats appreciate all of the hard work that Matt has put into our organization statewide and we have noticed the improvement of our organization over the last 2.5 years and we are sorry to see him move on.

He is leaving big shoes to fill.

Help the Smith for Governor Campaign!!

The Smith Campaign needs vounteers to pass out literature at the FAMU Homecoming Parade this Saturday. The parade starts at 9 am and we'll meet up around 8:30. Please contact Sarah at sarah@rodsmith2006.com if you are interested. Hope to see you there!

Welcome Back!

It's a committee week up at the capital.

Focus: Education

Post comments if you have any news of developments of which we should be aware.

Ammunition~ President Bush Poll Numbers Fall to Unheard of Levels

These poll results were publicized last Wednesday, but today I found the perfect visual to compliment them (click the title bar).

Here are highlights from this article:

"Support for the majority Republican party in the United States is sagging as President George W. Bush's popularity continues to slide, according to a poll (commissioned by United States television channel NBC and the Wall Street Journal) released on Wednesday.
A plurality of Americans, 48%, said they would prefer the Democrats to control Congress compared to 39% who want the Republicans in power....

The gap between the two parties was the largest recorded since the NBC/Journal poll started asking the question 11 years ago."

The most shocking part of the polls results:

"The poll also revealed overwhelming opposition to Bush among African-Americans. Only two percent said they approved of his performance as president, the lowest level ever recorded in that category, NBC television reported. "

You can also find more on this story here: Link This website reports how on October 4th President Bush argued that he was the right person to bridge the racial divides in the United States. I guess he was wrong.

WFSU Pledge Drive

The Leon County Young Democrats will be ON THE AIR for the WFSU (NPR) Fall Pledge Drive this Friday, October 14, 2005 from 4-6:30 pm. This is the LCYD's second time supporting WFSU during the pledge drive, and we hope to raise even more money for the best public radio station in Florida. If you're planning on pledging a donation to WFSU so that they can continue to provide our area with the valuable asset of excellent public radio, please try to make your pledge during our set.

If you're unable to donate money during these tight times, but you would be willing to help out answering phones this Friday during our set, please contact me at cwfetrow@yahoo.com. Click on the link above for a map to the radio station.

LEON COUNTY DEMOCRATIC EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OFFERS PRECINCT CAPTIAN TRAINING

The Leon County Democratic Executive Committee will conduct a Precinct Captain training seminar on Saturday, October 15, 2005, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Marriott Courtyard, located at 1018 Apalachee Parkway, Meeting Room B. Monica O’Neal, Vice Chair of the Leon County DEC, will lead the training.

The Democratic Party needs your help in organizing Democrats at the neighborhood level. Precinct Captain training is open to committeemen and committeewomen, as well as to all Leon County Democrats.

Want to help your Democratic Party win in 2006? To register and get involved, write to Monica O’Neal at leondems2004@yahoo.com.

Seating is limited.

Jim Davis Volunteer Meeting

Please join us for the

Leon County

Monthly Volunteer Meeting

Wednesday, October 12th, 2005
7:00 p.m

Location:
Tallahassee Progressive Center
1720 S. Gadsden Avenue
Tallahassee, Florida

To RSVP contact:
Milli Smith at 850.561.3089
msmith@jimdavis2006.com


www.jimdavis2006.com
Political advertisement paid for Jim Davis, Democrat for Governor
Printed In-House – Labor Donated

New Link

Check out the new Florida Political Blog FL Politics. It is modeled on the national Blog Daily Kos, where lots of people can contribute lots of information and help keep everyone informed. Already there are already several interesting post on the site.

Look to the 'links' section to the right -----> of this post and click FL Politics to see if this new website is worth visiting regularly.

Local Candidate Drops Out of Race

Former State Democratic Party Chair, Leon DEC Chair, and Mayor of Tallahassee, Scott Maddox, has formally dropped out of the race for Governor. Many of our members have worked closely with the former Chairman over the last few years and have a great deal of respect for him.

The Tallahassee Democrat reports:

"Former Tallahassee Mayor Scott Maddox dropped out of the race for governor today and endorsed U.S. Rep. Jim Davis of Tampa for the Democratic nomination.
Maddox said the controversy surrounding his handling of Democratic Party finances when he was state chairman has not badly wounded his campaign, and his fund-raising for the past quarter was adequate. But, he said, the Democrats can't compete with the Republicans unless they unite and concentrate what money they have on winning next year."

My Affinity for Live Oak

I wanted to make sure that everyone is aware of the potential for a quasi local person to qualify to run for the President of the United States. It is slightly distressing that he has chosen to run a Whig, but although the Democratic Party is a Giant tent, it is not for everyone.

Pate in 2008

Michael Pate, of Live Oak, Florida, has declared his intentions of running on the Whig Ticket for President of the great U.S. of A. His Bio page clearly states why, and I quote the content in full detail:

A little about me...
I meet all three Constitutional requirements for President:
I am over 35 years old
I was born in the United States
I have lived in the United States for over 14 years

Check out the link in the title bar for more information!

One way to handle the situation

This was passed along to me by a conservative friend of mine. I'm not sure it's a sound long term anti-theft policy, but it did make me laugh.

Eric Copeland Switches Races

Eric Copeland, former candidate for CFO, is now a candidate for agricultural Commissioner for Florida. This leaves strong candidate Alex Sink currently unopposed for state CFO and gives us a candidate for Ag. Commissioner.

Realize that there is just under a year left for qualifying for these seats and that every statewide seat is still anybody's game and that someone new could jump in at anytime.

A Lot Of News Today

I like a random reference as much as the next person, but when your Governor starts sighting the Fairy Godmother as a reason for a major policy change.... Jeb Bush supports drilling in eastern Gulf of Mexico

I really don't get what he meant, if you understand please let us know in the comments, perhaps it is a nick name for his brother or lobbyist or his imaginary friend, I just don't know....

Jeb has also been in the news because of his new reading contest where the winners get several prizes including a copy of the C.S. Lewis children's novel signed by no other than Jeb and Columba Bush themselves. He is actively encouraging children to read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. A book the article calls 'overtly christian'. It is the start of a series which is a re-telling of the new testament. "As to the religious themes in the book, (Mary Laura Openshaw, Bush's director of Just Read, Florida) said the story could be read without reference to Christianity. She said she wanted children "to read the book and decide for themselves." But of course, you don't have to take my word for it.

Here is a good article about Senator Nelson: Sen. Nelson: Americans fed up with GOP; need alternative fuel

Thanks to Fl Politics for showing what happens to the people once elections are over: FEMA asks Floridians to repay $30.3-million

Thoughts on Another Constitutional Admendment

The Florida Young Democrats and The Florida Democratic Party have both already come out against the Florida Family Admendment, which would better define the term marriage in our state constitution. The main goal of this admendment is to provide state constituinal support for our state's law banning same sex marriage, although there are a lot of people who believe that it will effect relenting between heterosexual couples also.

Why do I bring this up today? I was forwarded an email John Stemberger who is the Chairman of Florida4Marriage.org who had several links on the end of his email, including one titled: How the Amendment May Effect Other Statewide Elections

He concluded his email like this:

"Would you PLEASE ask yourself "what would God have me to do over the next three months?" to help this important and historical effort in Florida. We only have only a short window of opportunity and this is a Herculean unprecedented volunteer effort--but with everyone playing apart, WE CAN DO THIS.

Thank you in advanced for your commitment to the protection of natural Marriage in Florida."

Now mind you, if you click the link you can read where Joe Follick says Stemberger says "He said the group is not trying to influence other races." I am sure than the title of his link above to his supporters is just an observation.

It is also mentioned that "Stemberger was the author one of last year's most strident political moves as a supporter of U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez. During a bitter primary fight, Stemberger was behind a direct mail flier carrying the approval of Martinez's campaign that called conservative candidate Bill McCollum a man who would "appease the radical homosexual agenda."

But, still not the reason that this post is here today for the Blog Readers, no itbecauseasue of another Stemberger quote in the article, on describing how he feels about the campaign:

"This is our moment in history. This is like our civil rights movement"

A civil rights movement where you secure that people will never have the right to marriage or a civil union. No matter what thier religion teaches, or science proves, or how popular opinon may change.

What would God want you to do over the next three months with this campaign?

Sen. John Edwards coming to Tallahassee

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 29, 2005
CONTACTS: David Ginsberg/Jenni Lee 202-449-7601
EDWARDS TO ENCOURAGE YOUNG PEOPLE TO GET INVOLVED WITH FIGHT AGAINST POVERTY

Washington, DC - In an effort to get more young people involved in the fight against poverty, Senator John Edwards will travel to ten schools across the country in October to launch Project Opportunity, a new student-led effort to encourage young people to make the elimination of poverty the cause of their generation."In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, we have a historic opportunity. The country is hungry for change and we do not have to live in an America that accepts poverty as a fact of life or chooses to ignore it," Edwards said. "At so many critical moments in our nation's history, it has been our young people who have made a difference, and that's why I am asking them to join me and their peers in making the eradication of poverty the cause of this generation."

Senator Edwards will travel to the following schools on the following dates as a part of Project Opportunity:
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, October 17
University of Missouri at Columbia, October 18
Yale University, October 19
Harvard University, October 20
Dartmouth College, October 21
University of Texas at Austin, October 24
University of California at Berkeley, October 25
University of Wisconsin at Madison, October 26
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, October 27
University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, October 28

The goal of Project Opportunity is twofold: to get more young people involved in their communities and to encourage young people to advocate and promote policies that expand opportunity. Students will challenge their peers to take the Project Opportunity pledge and commit to 20 hours of community service per semester, to press for policy solutions at the local and national level, and to work with colleges and universities to maximize their impact in the fight against poverty. The Project Opportunity chapters were formed this summer and each chapter is adopting a community service project in their area. To learn more about Project Opportunity, please visit www.projectopportunity.org.

Project Opportunity is a project of the Center for Promise and Opportunity. The Center for Promise and Opportunity is dedicated to exploring new ways to expand opportunity and realize the promise of our country for all Americans. Its mission encompasses much more than just proposing ideas - it will lead efforts to build public support for change, and will serve as an incubator for solutions, conducting real-world trials. Edwards is the honorary chair of the Center for Promise and Opportunity. To learn more about the Center for Promise and Opportunity, please visit www.promiseandopportunity.com.

###

Currently Senator Edwards is scheduled to speak at 12 Noon in the Grand Ballroom. The doors are scheduled to be opened at 11:00 AM, and the event is not planned to be ticketed. Now this is still subject to some change, but I wanted to make sure everyone had a heads up.

No Such Thing As Bad Publicity

"I can't understand why anybody would be opposed to telling visitors what the law is," said Hamm. "No state in America has ever passed a law like this one."
The Brady Campaign is "not telling anybody that they shouldn't visit Florida. My family and I vacation in Florida every Easter and were intending to do so. But I'm going to make sure that none of the people in my family get into a loud argument while we are there," he said.

FL News Blog is on top of the issues

When the LCYDs our discussing which candidates and issues that we would to throw our support towards it is generally believed that we should focus our energy on local issues.

When something important happens on the national level we try to figure out how it effects us locally, the impact on Leon County or the State of Florida. Over the last few days the FLNews Blog has done a great job of showing how Congressman Delay's actions are effecting our state.

If you haven't already I encourage you to check his post from the last few days. You can read about the Dirty Dozen Congressmen and women taking money from his PAC, you can read about the Sorry Seven that are helping to raise money for his legal defense fund. You can also read about the bloggers experiences contacting the campaigns of these elected officials and see their reaction to his questions such as:

"Now that Tom DeLay has been indicted, does Katherine Harris plan to give back the $20-thousand she received from DeLay's Political Action Committee?"

Check out the FLNews blog to see the unexpected answer to that question!

Redistricting Update

On Sunday the Tallahassee Democrat ran an article where they reaffirmed their endorsement of the independent redistricting ballot initiative, even with its flaws. You can check out the link in the title bar for the whole article.

Here is a brief highlight:

"Drawing their own districts is a blatant conflict of interest for lawmakers, and it's unnatural in a state where voter registration is almost evenly split by party. It's not right no matter which party is in charge and does the gerrymandering.....Bring back competitive elections by signing the petitions. One of the three was dealt a setback in August when it was determined to be six words too long, but the remaining two should not be abandoned. The most important one establishes the nonpartisan commission; the flawed one is less important, having to do with requiring compact districts and respect for geographical boundaries. These standards could be established later"

The fight continues on! 611,009 signatures are needed to for each amendment by the end of the year. As of Wednesday, 363,864 had been collected. If you haven't already, go to their website print out the petitions and sign them, it is www.committeeforfairelections.com.

Did Anyone Else Miss This Over The Weekend?

"British troops will start a major withdrawal from Iraq next May under detailed plans on military disengagement to be published next month...Britain has already privately informed Japan - which also has troops in Iraq - of its plans to begin withdrawing from southern Iraq in May, a move that officials in Tokyo say would make it impossible for their own 550 soldiers to remain."

Not good for us.

Come Meet With Progressives and Discuss the Supreme Court Process

Join us at our
Tallahassee Coalition Social


Andrew's 228
in downtown Tallahassee

Wednesday, September 28th
5:00 - 6:30 p.m.

Hosted by the Florida Coalition for an Independent Judiciary



Discuss Supreme Court nominees and confirmation hearings while mingling with fellow Coalition members and progressive organizations.

** A variety of appetizers will be provided. Drinks are 2 for 1! **

*Each person who signs letters to Senators Nelson and Martinez will receive a raffle ticket eligible to win a gift certificate for Andrew's 228*



(Andrew's staff will be available to take individual orders for happy hour drinks and other food.
Happy Hour includes $2.00 off all appetizers from the grille (not 228), 2 for 1 cocktails & glasses of wine, $1.50 mugs & $4.75 pitchers of Bud Light).

Phil Donahue vs Bill O'Reilly

Sean Flanagan posted about Phil Donahue's recent appearance on The O'Reilly Factor to discuss Cindy Sheehan. The link in the title includes video clips, transcripts and a discussion of the interview.

This was an intense and interesting conversation. If you are interested in the continuing controversy surrounding the Iraqi War you should at least read through the transcript.

The Color of Change

The T-shirt proudly boast that 'Kanye was Right' it is being offered by the Color of Change website. The website that is asking:

"We are asking 250,000 African-Americans and concerned allies to make a commitment. To ensure that our brothers and sisters are protected, and that they are never left behind again. To make sure that our folks in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast have a chance to be a major part of the rebuilding effort, and that they are given a chance to thrive. To ensure that Bush cannot use this crisis as yet another way to fatten the pockets of his friends and supporters, and further erode our government's support for those that need it the most.

No matter what your race or income level, you know what you saw was wrong. "

Check it out, it is being promoted by the League of Pissed Off Voters. As many of you are aware the League did a lot of good in Florida during the last election cycle working with the Young Voters Alliance, a coalition that didn't survive the loss of the last election, and I am glad to report that the league is still raising awareness.

Quick Updates

Last Night's LCYD Meeting went really well. We were lucky to have Omar Kahn, the Executive Director of the Florida Young Democrats join us. The FYDs have an impressive new website that I encourage you to check out: www.floridayd.org. It is still under construction but it is already leaps and bounds above what it use to be.

The LCYDs met are group requirement at last nights meeting, so we will be marching on in this weekend's Heart Walk!

Lastly a great young democratic leader has resigned in Tampa today. Janee Murphy, the Hillsborough DEC Chair, a DNC member and the elected Secretary for the Florida Democratic Party. I am sure that Janee will stay active with party politics, but I believe that it is a shame that we drive out some of our most promising young leaders.

Clears Up Rashes

There has been a rash of Blog Spam taking advantage of the Google/Blogspot bloging service. I have taken the liberty of adding in a word verification feature for to our comments section. There is a link in the title bar that explains the need and inner workings of the process. From now on to post a comment on our blog you will be asked to verify a word in a box so that automated machines can't post random comments on the blog with links to their vendor website. You can see an example of this Blog Spam on an earlier post on our Blog from last week. LINK

If you have any strong feelings for or against this new feature, please post a comment in the comments section and let the group know.

Heart Walk This Weekend

Today's Tallahassee Democrat, our local daily newspaper, ran a story about Kate Gonsalves a 22 year old survivor of heart disease. She works at one of the local Tropical Smoothies here in town and one of the reasons that Tropical Smoothie is raising money for this weekends Heart Walk at every store.

The LCYDs have committed to help raise money and participate in this event, but at this time we don't have our goal number of participants. We need more of our members to sign up today, while there is still a week to fundraise.

We have a LCYD meeting tonight and we will discuss whether to continue to participate in this American Heart Association fundraiser, with out your commitment we probably will shift our focus for the weekend. Click the link in the title bar to sign up now.

Playing Politics With People's Family's Is Wrong

JEB Jr was arrested Friday night in Austin Texas. This is his second run in with the police, the first time was here in Tallahassee, but he was not arrested, nor was his name mentioned in the police report just 'political ties', but it was Jeb Jr who was caught, quite literally, with his pants down. (This is Tallahassee, you can't keep these things secret)

This new arrest puts him above his brother for police reports, his brother has only earned one write up, so far. George P. Bush was not arrested because the family of his ex-girlfriend, whose house he vandalized, did not press charges.

I not sure, depending on how we are counting, it either ties him with his sister, or she is still ahead. Noelle Bush has been arrested twice.

His cousins, the president's daughters, have had some run ins with the law (and alcohol) in Austin too.

His uncle, the president, he has had problems with alcohol too.

His mom, the first lady of Florida, has had some sketchy moments with the 'law' also.

I know that people say that it is wrong to discuss personal matters in public, just because it involves politicians and their families, but it amazes me. The Bushes have been a leading' family in the United States for over a hundred years. It just seems that the children, nephews, grandchildren, nieces of Presidents should have self control, and if not, if they cannot demonstrate self control, then perhaps the right should reevaluate their positions on a lot of issues.

Fl News Blog has a great post today!

Check out the Blog link in the title bar...The FL News Blog is written by a former LCYD member and he is often right on with his points. This posting is about Mel Martinez, who voted against establishing "a congressional commission to examine the Federal, State, and local response to the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf Region of the United States especially in the States of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and other areas impacted in the aftermath and make immediate corrective measures to improve such responses in the future."

If you look at the link you will see that it was a party line vote. Mike's point that this is not about politics is one that I support. Check it out: http://flnews.blogspot.com/

Democracy for America Training

We talk about having the power -- now it's time to harness and direct it toward making a difference. And the DFA Training Academy is coming to Gainesville, Florida on October 15-16, 2005 to help you do just that.Grassroots leaders are working to bring you a weekend full of campaign training, simulation and serious fun. Sign up today:http://www.democracyforamerica.com/fltraining

At the DFA Training Academy, you'll learn how to effectively communicate a message, influence your local media, run a local campaign and build your local group's attendance, activity, and effectiveness.Local and national experts on campaign management, field organizing, communications and Get-Out-The-Vote will be on-hand to instruct and work with you one-on-one to develop the skills needed to take our country back.

This is no social get together; the training is an intensive two-day series of sessions and workshops geared toward your particular political landscape. We build the program so you can go out and actually use the skills you learn as soon as you get home. We follow up with you to make sure you have the support you need in your communities.http://www.democracyforamerica.com/fltraining

If you can't make the Gainesville training in October, check out some of the other training dates across the country:http://www.democracyforamerica.com/training

See you in Gainesville!

Save $$ and Save the environment!

If Tallahassee Gas Prices have you down, you could consider carpooling. Commuter services of North Florida is taking advantage of the high gas prices to get people to share rides to work and home. The link in the title bar will take you to their website.

You can also register for their guaranteed ride home program, where if you have carpooled to work and have an emergency and have to get home or stay at work late they will provide you a taxi.

Just something to think about.

You Need To Know

Town Hall
"You Need To Know"
Your Rights, Your Liberties, Your Freedom: How the Supreme Court's 5-4 Decisions Affect You


Tuesday, September 13th
6:00 p.m.
Tallahassee City Hall Chambers
* Refreshments will be provided

Join State Representative Curtis Richardson,
Georgia Representative Alisha Thomas-Morgan,
Caroline Stuart of Planned Parenthood,
Virgil Miller, former FAMU SGA President,
Sharon Lettman, PFAW Director of National Programs and
Ion Sancho, Leon County Supervisor of Elections

Bringing together students and local residents of Tallahassee to discuss issues concerning their rights and liberties.
Issues include:
Civil Rights / Affirmative Action
Education
Women's Rights
Voting Rights
The Supreme Court


For more information, please contact Raquel Simon at 850-877-0307 or RSimon@pfaw.org

Heart Walk 2005

The Leon County Young Democrats are proud to annouce their participation in the 2005 Heart Walk in support of the American Heart Association. Every man, woman, and child is at risk from heart disease and stroke, America's No. 1 and No. 3 killers. The American Heart Association is working to prevent, treat, and defeat these devastating diseases by funding new breakthroughs in research, increasing people's knowledge and power over their health, and advocationg for healthier communities. The Heart Walk is the AHA's main public fundraiser for the year.

The 2005 Heart Walk will be held on Saturday, September 24, 2005 at Southwood. We will be meeting at 8:30 am. We need at least 8 team members (more are fine), so if you would like to be part of our team, you will need to:

1. Respond to this post or contact me directly.
2. Click on the link above to register at the Heart Walk 2005 website. To join the Leon County Young Democrats team, just start at "Register Here" on the home page and follow the directions from there. Don't worry, it's easy and pretty self-explanatory.

Our team goal for fundraising is $800, meaning each individual's goal will be about $100. To accomplish this goal, you can either send friends and family an e-mail from the Heart Walk 2005 website which allows them to contribute directly to your individual goal online, or you can collect cash and checks with a collection envelope you can get from me. I recommend a minimum donation of $5 per person.

Everyone who participates will get a t-shirt, but I am STRONGLY suggesting that we all wear our new LCYD t-shirts during the walk. If you do not have one yet and would like to participate in the Heart Walk, please contact me about purchasing one. Don't worry if you think you won't be able to raise your individual goal...just join our team and collect as much as you can. You can contact me at cwfetrow@yahoo.com or at 322-8356.

Hope to see lots of YD's at the event!

A Great Day In Tallahassee

Congratulations to the Florida State university football team! I assume that everyone who reads this blog is some how associated with the great state of Florida and if that is the case then you are already aware that FSU broke its losing streak to the University of Miami last night! The team played very hard and did a great job, and I am excited about the rest of this season! Quote Coach Bobby Bowden: "We finally stole one from them after they've been stealing from us. ... This win will really help us. " Link

For the local LCYDs, don't forget that our regularly scheduled meeting (1st and 3rd Monday of every month at the FDP HQ) was postponed until tonight at 7PM.

Lastly, in Sunday's Tallahassee Democrat there was an editorial that summed up my frustration with our government and the way it has been handling itself over the last few years. Gerald Ensley's frustration continues to grow and the situation in New Orleans is not helping. Here is a quick quote, but I encourage you to click the Link and read the short opinion piece:

"Our government seems to grow more impotent by the year - and we've encouraged it.

For more than a decade, there has been constant applause for downsizing government. The Republican Party has made replacing government services with private initiatives its raison d'tre. Florida Gov. Jeb Bush once crowed he longed for the day when we have no government agencies.

That attitude has eroded public services, hamstrung regulatory safeguards, undercut public projects and discouraged many of the best and brightest from government service. We've made government a dirty word.

That's wrong."

If you haven't already: GIVE

Give what you can to help Katrina's victims.

Slippery Slope

Should Virginia's political bloggers adhere to a code of ethical conduct? And if so, will it set up a precedent for other political blogs in other states?


Bloggers Debate Code of Conduct for Political Sites
By Michael D. Shear
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, September 1, 2005;

CHARLOTTESVILLE

Should Virginia's political bloggers adhere to a code of ethical conduct?

That question was posed at a first-of-its-kind conference last weekend hosted by the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership at the University of Virginia.

Using a computer with Internet access and some simple Web-based software, anyone can create a blog, which allows commentary from the well-informed as well as from people who have little to add to public discussions.

(Full disclosure: I have a political blog of my own: http://blogs.washingtonpost.com/racetorichmond .)

On Saturday, more than 50 of the state's bloggers -- on the right and the left, the young and the old -- spent a day meeting each other and debating whether there is a need for a common moral compass for this new form of political communication.

The conclusion among many of them was that there is not.

Several said they view their blogs as extensions of their very personal voices. No one, they insisted, has any business telling them what they should say or how they should say it.
Those who held that view expressed exasperation at the idea that government would try to regulate blogs. "Have you ever heard of 'Congress shall make no law?' " one asked, referring to the first few words of the First Amendment and the constitutional protection of freedom of speech.

The prospect of regulation prompted a different response from some of the bloggers assembled at the Doubletree Hotel in Charlottesville.

Chris Piper , an official with the Virginia State Board of Elections, told the group that several lawmakers have approached his office with concerns about blogs. They alleged that the blogs were being used by their political opponents to spread lies and misleading information and were not meeting the state's rules on reporting expenditures made on behalf of candidates.
That kind of concern, Piper told them, often translates quickly into legislation.

Bloggers, Piper said, are required to put disclaimers on their sites if they become advocates for candidates or ballot measures. They can also be required to register as campaign agents if they reach spending thresholds.

Still, lawmakers could seek more regulation.

Some bloggers said the best way to head off that possibility is to create a voluntary code of conduct similar to ones in place for journalists, lawyers, real estate agents and other professionals. Bloggers who agree to follow the code might put a "seal of approval" on their sites, lending credibility to their discourse.

Several bloggers argued that such a code would have to be adapted to fit within the freewheeling format of blogs, which offer readers the opportunity for a back-and-forth discussion with little traditional reporting.

Jim Bacon , who runs one of the best Virginia blogs at http://www.baconsrebellion.blogspot.com/ , said after the conference that he is eager to convene a second meeting of bloggers.

"I am not -- repeat not -- suggesting that standards and business models be imposed on anyone. The blogosphere is too anarchic to control, even if anyone wanted to," he has written. "I am talking about a 'coalition of the willing,' so to speak, of those who aspire to take blogging to a higher plane."

Bacon said a group called the Creative Change Center in Richmond is willing to host a second conference.

It's probably a good idea.

The die-hard bloggers are right, in a sense. Their sites are extensions of their voices, and they are pretty much free to say whatever they could say on a street corner or in a pamphlet handed out in a park.

Just as the people on the street corner are free to walk away and those in the park can toss the unwanted pamphlet into the trash, blog readers are free to go elsewhere.

If Virginia's political bloggers want more influence and credibility, they should begin by earning reputations for telling the truth, being upfront about who they are, and treating their audiences with intelligence and decency.

That doesn't mean they need to dumb down or even lose the edgy and sometimes acerbic style that often keeps people coming back.

It does mean they need to learn how to balance those traits with ones that traditional reporters strive to uphold every day.

A code of conduct won't ensure that every blogger strikes the right balance. But it's a start.

Ammunition

Excerpt from the Orlando sentinel's Scott Maxwell's article yesterday:

Mel's bell gets rung

Survey USA recently scoured the entire country to see which U.S. senator had the lowest job-approval ratings -- and found Mel Martinez.

After polling voters in every state about their own senators, the polling company for TV stations reported that Orlando's freshman Republican beat out 99 others to have the lowest job-approval rating among voters in his own state: 41 percent. (Things like his office's involvement in the memo that claimed Terri Schiavo could do good things for Republicans in future elections probably didn't help.)Asked about the poor showing, Martinez spokeswoman Kerry Feehery said: "Senator Martinez is not driven by polls; he is driven by the needs of the state of Florida and its 17 million constituents."Um, those constituents are the ones they supposedly polled. Still, Martinez's senior Democratic counterpart, Bill Nelson, didn't do much better, finishing in an eight-way tie for 80th with a 48 percent approval rating.Topping the list was Maine Republican Olympia Snowe with a 77 percent approval rating. Also scoring particularly well was a trio of past and potential future White House aspirants -- John McCain, R-Ariz.; Joe Lieberman, D-Conn.; and freshman sensation Barack Obama, D-Ill. -- all of whom have hit Central Florida's campaign trail in recent years on behalf of local candidates.

It Would Be Funny If It Wasn't True....

I quote Congressman Jim Davis in the Title of this Blog, but not in regards to his opinion of Hufu. I am not sure he is aware that it exist, I know I wasn't until this past weekend.

I wanted to share with you something non-political today. HUFU, The Healthy Human Flesh Alternative! It is something for all those vegetarians out there in our reading audience. It is human flesh flavored tofu. Please note that this product is not endorsed by the LCYDs. Nor is the act of cannibalism. Nor is my sense of humor which is forcing me to try to let other people know about this product. The Frequently Asked Questions are entertaining too.

A sample FAQ:

Who actually buys Hufu?

Hufu was originally conceived of as a product for students of anthropology hungry for the experience of cannibalism but deterred by the legal and logistical obstacles. However, our preliminary market research revealed the existence of a larger segment of the public that was interested in the availability of a legal and healthy human flesh substitute, as well as vegetarians and vegans. We also found that Hufu is a great product for cannibals who want to quit.

Thoughts?

To Many Bad Puns Ruin the Importance

If Alex Sink can again rise above her husband's shadow she should be a great candidate and will be a great CFO! As you can read in the excerpt below she is believed by many to hold more political clout then her husband, who has a great deal of clout himself. As a former bank president of a major bank she is more than qualified to be the CFO for our great state!

From the St. Pete Times:

Alex Sink, the former Florida chief for Bank of America and wife of 2002 Democratic gubernatorial nominee Bill McBride, is expected to announce her candidacy for chief financial officer today.

Sink confirmed she will hold a news conference about the Cabinet position but didn't say she will be a candidate. But it has been no secret she has wanted to run.

Sink, 57, of Tampa considered a run for Senate last year and was mentioned as a possible running mate for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Buddy McKay in 1998. She was one of the state's most recognized businesswomen before retiring in 2000.

Deadline quickly approaching!!!

News regarding the upcoming state conference, if you would like to be an elected delegate you must have your paperwork in by August 31, 2005. There are no special qualifications for Young Dems or College Dems, our only privilege is a reduced registration fee.

Here is what the state party website says regarding the election of delegates and the convention:

The 2005 State Conference is being held at Disney's Contemporary Resort in Orlando on December 9, 10 and 11, 2005. We expect this to be the largest State Conference in Florida history. More than 3,000 delegates from across the Sunshine State will be in attendance.

Elected Delegates: Any Democrat interested in becoming an elected delegate, contact your local DEC. Elected delegate qualifying is July 1 August 31, 2005. Qualifying forms can be obtained from County Chairs, Vice Chairs, State Committeemen and State Committeewomen. Contact your local DEC regarding timeliness, registration fees and qualifying forms.

You can also be an appointed delegate. Here is what the party website says regarding appointments:

Appointed Delegates: All Democratic Chairs; Vice Chairs; State Committeemen and State Committeewomen of the local DECs DNSNC Members; Caucus Presidents; President, Democratic Women's Club; President, Florida Young Democrats; President, College Democrats; Florida U.S. Senator and U.S. Representatives; State Senators; State Representatives can appoint delegates to the State Conference. October 15, 2005 is the deadline for appointments.

Each DEC officer can appoint 10 democrats from their county. I don't know the number that the caucus chairs and DNC member and state legislator can appoint, I will try to report that next week, if that number is 10 also we should have no problem getting anyone who wants to be a delegate in to a delegate spot. We have two DNC Members in Tallahassee Commissioner Allan Katz and Jon Ausman, several elected legislators (Sen. Lawson, Rep. Ausley, Rep. Curtis) and others that we can reach out to around the state, please let and LCYD officer know if you are interested in being a delegate to the convention, and please, if you would like to be an elected delegate, please file your paperwork on time.

Check the comments of this post over the next week for more information.

Fun with a Purpose

Flying Spaghetti Monsterism? This exceptional parody of the advocacy of equal teaching time between creationism and evolution is worth a look, if for nothing more than a good laugh. All the Pasatafarians want is a spot at the table.

Six Degrees of separation

So after months of hard work, hundreds of volunteer hours and large amounts of money being spent, it appears that 6 words may block the overhaul of redistricting! The St. Pete Times reported today that the summary of one of the three petitions to re-draw and re-create the process on how we draw Constitutional districts is to long. It has 81 words in its summary and the limit is 75.

The story is linked in the title bar.

The article tells us that there is hope, the original wording was approved by the Division of Elections and they should have caught this problem then. There is always the possibility that an exception might be made. There will be more information and decisions coming out over the next few days.

Let us hope that this problem gets worked out. We need fair districts!

Happy Birthday Nora Herron!

Tomorrow, Tuesday, August 23, 2005, is the Florida Democratic Party's Office Manager Nora Herron's Birthday. Nora has been incredibly helpful, working very hard for the local democrats and democrats statewide, including the Leon County Young Democrats. It is Nora who always makes sure that the meeting space is prepared for our meetings at the state headquarters and it is Nora who on countless occasions given different members of our LCYD Leadership team excellent advice.

In mid-September the Leon County Young Democrats are going to help do a day of service at the FDP Headquarters, helping with some minor repairs and grounds maintenance. We have volunteered to help do this because Nora spends at least two weekends a month trying to help keep the HQ looking amazing and we want to help too. Her commitment to the Florida Democratic Party is an inspiration to us all.

If you want to send Nora an email with birthday wishes, her email is herron@fladems.com

LCDEC Meeting on Monday, August 21st!

This is an reminder that the Leon County Democratic Executive Committee will be meeting at 7pm EST at the Tallahassee City Commission chambers. (2nd Floor, City Hall)

The agenda is as follows:

Elections for Treasurer, Recording Secretary, and District 5 Representative will be held.

There will be discussion on how to become a delegate to the Florida Democratic State Convention in Orlando this December.

Allan Katz will be a guest speaker on the Coal Plant Referendum that the city is involved with.

To conclude, there will be a social outside the City Chambers.

The Meeting starts at 7pm EST and I hope all Young Democrats will attend the meeting to stay involved with local politics in Leon County. Hope to see all of you there!

LCYDs at the Golden Gala

Yesterday the Capital City Democratic Women's Club Golden Gala was held in the Leon County Civic Center. The Golden Gala recognized democrats who had been in active service to our community for over fifty years. Thanks to a generous and anonymous donor, the Leon County Young Democrats had a table at this event. Please view the story linked in the title bar.

FLORIDA POLITICS

Check out the link in the title bar to the Florida Politics Blog...here is the teaser lines regarding what the post is about:

On the surface it would seem that Florida Democrats just ain't a perfect fit with farmers and cattle ranchers. And on the surface, you'd be right.
So it may seem odd that I think the campaign for Ag Commissioner may be second most important Florida election in 2006 after the US Senate.
Even more important than the campaign for Governor?
Perhaps.

Check it out!

Speaking of the Future Establishment

This is an article that I went to read on the Wiretap website, Alternet's news targeting young people. Much to my suprise local Young Democrat and City Commissioner Andrew Gillum was staring back at me! At that moment I knew that it was going to be the next blog post. This article is about the current model of progressive activism on college campuses and the huge number of small organizations focusing on their own issues.

Speaking of the Future Establishment
By Kristina Rizga, AlterNet
Posted on August 1, 2005, Printed on August 12, 2005

On July 13, a large auditorium at the Washington Convention Center lit by 19th-century chandeliers wasn't hosting the usual crowd of elderly men in gray suits. For the first time in 30 years of liberal organizing, Campus Progress brought together over 600 progressive twenty-something activists to the capital of political establishment.
Recovering from the steady stream of recent defeats, liberals argue over the future of the Democratic Party. And as with the recent AFL-CIO split, there is no agreement on winning strategy in sight. Progressives blame the centrist '90s and want to move away from corporate sponsors to pulling together a new, lower- and middle-class majority of Americans. But beltway moderates can't seem to abandon conservative-leaning elites.
Political differences aside, progressive grassroots organizers seem to agree on one point. While the left has been more effective in local activism, including college campuses, when it comes to national politics the right dominates the agenda more than ever.
Over the past 30 years, right-wing groups poured over $35 million annually to college campuses. Even though a vast majority of students identify themselves as being closer to the left, for every progressive publication on college campus, there are two conservative ones. When it comes to affecting national agenda, conservative groups have been more effective at organizing students, in large part, through campus publications.
But it looks like this trend could be changing. Campus Progress--a division of the Center for American Progress--is the only group in the U.S. today that financially supports progressive publications on college campuses. It currently sponsors 14 progressive publications, with plans to hit 50 next year, helps students bring progressive speakers to their schools and organizes national editorial conference calls. Student publishers receive money for printing, training and mentorship, says Elana Berkowitz, editor of the Campus Progress online magazine.
Their first annual conference was an attempt to gather hundreds of small student groups to kick off a national debate about progressive agenda.
In a day-long, free conference, students heard from Democratic moderates like President Bill Clinton and the first female White House press secretary Dee Dee Myers. There were also more-progressive writers and organizers, such as author Thomas Frank, Katrina vanden Heuvel of the Nation and Stephanie Nyombayire -- a young activist from Rwanda working to bring more visibility to the ongoing atrocities in Darfur, Sudan. Morning panels attempted to define progressive values while afternoon workshops focused on strategic training shared by veteran organizers.
A young woman in her early twenties in a flamboyant dress and pink high heels confidently introduces herself to everyone at the table. She is an intern from Americans for Peace Now. Her head shook violently as she laid out her carefully crafted talking points with a confident, at times deafening voice. I put a finger on my ear to hear my soft-spoken neighbor. Rob Cobbs is a full-time student at Amherst College and a board chair for Massachussets Student PIRG (Public Interest Research Group). He spends more than 30 hours a week on political organizing. Jamia Wilson, a veteran pro-choice activist with maturity well beyond her 24 years, has thoughtful insight on any topic that comes up. This group of students is every college professor's dream -- motivated, smart and articulate.
With 4.7 million more 18 to 24 year-old votes cast in 2004 than 2000, these young leaders are also becoming every progressive politician's dream--from Democrats to Greens.
Tom Friedman vs. Naomi Klein?
The week after the conference, Campus Progress heard a few loud boo's on its blog inspired by Sam Graham-Felsen's article in the Nation. Critiquing the conference for its lack of more radical viewpoints from the progressive circles, he pointed out that no one challenged President Bill Clinton on the war in Iraq or his welfare policies.
Most Campus Progress bloggers debated the merits of a national conference that brings together more centrist students, who typically vote for the Democrats, and more radical participants, who vote for the Greens or even start their own parties. Do they have enough in common, or is this a waste of time, a project doomed to failure once they get down to policy?
Activist Jamia Wilson thinks the conference was a good idea and was impressed by the diversity of students, but she doesn't see much future in compromising with the more though I truly appreciate Campus Progress, there is definitely this lean toward moderate, centrist propaganda. The Republican Party is winning and they never appeased us, ever," she argued. For Wilson, the issues discussed were too safe -- poverty, social security, sex education -- compared to tougher turf like gay rights, a woman's right to choose, or affirmative action.
Gilowen Jenkins, 21, a senior at the University of Massachusetts, recently changed his more radical stance and moved to the center for strategic purposes. "I feel that to get some positive progressive change we need to get the seats of power back. It's okay to dream -- we need visionaries -- but you have to be realistic about the nature of power in this country and how to get it," he explained.
Berkowitz, editor of Campus Progress, views these disagreements as an asset of the progressive movement, "At the core, Campus Progress students share a number of values -- a commitment to economic opportunity and justice, maintaining civil liberties and reproductive freedoms, pursuing a thoughtful, effective and humane foreign policy." She views finding common ground as key to effective progressive activism. "Students who don't always see eye to eye on every political issue will have to work together to create a movement and to make change on their campuses and in their communities."
Don't Just Organize, Mobilize
Most students spoke with conviction and clarity about their values and goals. There were savvy strategists, organizers, and promoters. But as with the rest of progressive community, student organizers often fail to mobilize larger groups of people beyond their immediate activist circles.
This is where Campus Progress comes in. The group helps some of the most effective progressive student activistsgo beyond short-term mobilization on one issue -- voting once a year, getting their schools to divest from Wal-Mart, or stopping a polluting plant -- to becoming long-term, strategic organizers who stay in touch with non-activists in their communities on a day-to-day basis.
Through campus publications, these organizers can connect big political issues -- like global warming -- to the personal lives of people who are working too many jobs, taking too many classes or watching too much TV. The success of long-term organizing that can shape national agenda requires engagement of our less politically-active neighbors.
John Wilson of the Independent Press Association, which that also supports college publications, comments, "If you look at any category of activism -- the number of student organizations, the number of campus protests and events, the number of students actively organizing -- progressives far outnumber conservatives. But the current model of progressive activism on campuses is a huge number of disparate organizations focusing on their own issues."
Campus Progress can be that missing tool for all progressive students -- radical or centrist -- to effectively communicate with their base, build broader coalitions and win bigger battles. David Halperin, director of Campus Progress adds, "Trying to force conformity is doomed to failure. But we can get smarter about presenting our case and figuring out when it's best to come together."
For one day, for the first time in 30 years of progressive organizing, there were students from Ivy League schools and community colleges, students from Tennessee and Florida -- all seeing each other as part of a cohesive whole. Public service seemed like a hip thing to do. And most participants were challenged to focus on what the progressive movement agrees on and stands for, rather than what it is that divides the various factions. For a movement that prides itself for its inclusion and diversity, I say it's a good thing.

Will FSU have to become the Fighting Crackers or the FSU Statesmen?

This Story is in the papers today, in yesterdays Palm Beach Post the story ran with the history of the mascot vote:

The "Seminoles" nickname was chosen by a vote of the student body in 1947. Statesmen finished second, followed by Rebels, Tarpons, Fighting Warriors and Crackers, according to the university's football media guide.

For more information read on:

NCAA bans Indian names during post-season play
By Ted Hutton
Staff Writer for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Posted August 6 2005

Chief Osceola may be a point of pride with Seminole fans, but the NCAA on Friday said that it considers Florida State's nickname and mascot "hostile or abusive" and banned the university from using American Indian symbols during postseason competition.Chief Osceola, the university's mascot, is banned, and the band could not lead the fans in the Tomahawk Chop war chant.

Along with FSU, 17 other universities use American Indian nicknames and are affected by the NCAA's policy.The announcement of the NCAA rule, which takes effect Feb. 1, stunned FSU, which had hoped its close association with the Seminole Tribe of Florida would protect it from any potential NCAA action.FSU President T.K. Wetherell vowed to fight, and said he intends to pursue "all legal avenues" to overturn the decision, noting that Seminole Tribe of Florida supported the university's use of the tribe's name and imagery."That the NCAA would now label our close bond with the Seminole people as culturally `hostile and abusive' is both outrageous and insulting," Wetherell said."The rules as we understand them would have us cover the Seminole name and symbol as if we were embarrassed, and any committee that would think that is a proper and respectful treatment of Native Americans should be ashamed."But the NCAA anticipated lawsuits and is confident it will prevail in any court action."Everyone has recourse through the courts. We feel this is reasoned and solid and are prepared to defend it," said Walter Harrison, Chairman of the NCAA Executive Committee that adopted the policy.Harrison said the NCAA cannot control what nickname or mascot a university chooses, but as an association the NCAA can take a stand in events it controls."What we are trying to say is that we find these mascots to be unacceptable for NCAA championship competition," Harrison said.The NCAA took into consideration the July 17 resolution the Seminole Tribe of Florida passed supporting FSU.

But the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma has strongly opposed Florida State's use of the name, and that didn't escape the NCAA's attention."That is great news and wonderful to hear. The whole movement is going in the right direction now," said David Narcomey, a member of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma who has been lobbying Florida State to drop the Seminoles nickname for years.

Vernon Bellecourt, an official of the American Indian Movement and president of the National Coalition on Racism in Sports and the Media, agreed that Friday's announcement marked a turning point for a broader movement that also targets professional teams such as the Washington Redskins and the Cleveland Indians."It's a very major milestone in our efforts that have been going on for decades," Bellecourt said. "It should be a wake-up call for Florida State, Illinois, Utah and North Dakota, which we consider the big four.

"North Dakota President Charles Kupchella said his university, where more than 400 Native Americans are currently enrolled, would wait to see "what the NCAA really means" before deciding the fate of the Fighting Sioux.

Teams would have to alter uniforms by removing nicknames and symbols, such as a spear or tomahawk, when they play in NCAA-sponsored tournaments after Feb. 1 to meet the policy. By 2008, all dance team, cheerleader and band uniforms would also have to be altered when teams appear in postseason play.The NCAA does not control the college football bowl system, but Harrison said he hoped the Bowl Championship Series would follow the same policy. Big 12 Commissioner Kevin Weiberg, currently chair of the BCS, said through a spokesman that he did not yet know enough about the NCAA's announcement to comment.

Local FSU boosters were angered by the NCAA's stance."We take pride in being Seminoles. It is not mockery," said Melissa Dee, a member of the Seminole Club of Broward County. "Having gone to school there and to many games, it is such a part of our culture.""I don't know why the NCAA is getting into this," said Sandy Golson, past president of the Palm Beach County Seminoles Club. "We have nothing to be ashamed of."

If Florida State and the other affected universities don't successfully overturn the NCAA's policy, it may prove more convenient and less costly to simply change their mascots all together. Schools that have made that transition in the past decade have often reaped large financial windfalls from the sale of new merchandise.That option though wasn't broached in Tallahassee on Friday, when Wetherell vowed to ensure that "this university will forever be associated with the unconquered spirit of the Seminole Tribe of Florida."

Orlando Sentinel Staff Writer Emily Badger contributed to this report.