Back on Track!!!

After a hugely busy election season-- DAJ is working on plans now to get back on track with our online webnews. Sorry for the silence-- much face to face meeting, planning, and working our butts off replaced the cyberspace writing for a while. Stay tuned.

In the meantime, Check out our newest podcast here!

DAJ Webnews September-October 2008

Ok, mea culpa... Intentions aside the summer, the conventions, the GOTV (get out the vote) events, and a million other things stood between us and getting this newsletter up each and every month. So here we are 20+ days left in this general election and we are getting a newsletter up here as best we can. Thanks for your understanding.

It has been a great year in Dems Japan. We are 6th in the whole world for voter assistance via VotefromAbroad.org

We have a new and vibrant Young Dems group on the ground and they have made a huge difference in voter events this year.

And we have had a great run of events, voter tables, and our big concert event Barack the Vote.

We have a new pair of fellows getting things started in Okinawa, New volunteers in Yokohama and a solid group of democrats getting out the vote in Kansai (Kobe, Osaka and Kyoto.)

Just over 40 days left! If you haven't done it yet, today, right now go to VFA and get your ballot request filled out, printed out and mailed in! Today!

The rest of this week, reach out one more time and tell all your friends to get the word out. Try to get every American you know to go to VFA and request their ballots.

We have run great ads, and done a lot of voter outreach, we need donations to cover all of the costs of this membership and voter assistance program so please consider making a donation today.

And finally in the coming weeks we will be asking for folks to help with outreach, phone banking, letters to the editor and voter assistance for our American friends and families back home.

DAJ More from the Reading Room

For Your To-Be-Read pile;

Kovach, Bill and Tom Rosenstiel. The Elements of Journalism. What Newspeople Should Know and the Public Should Expect, Completely Updated and Revised. Three Rivers Press; Rev Upd edition (April 24, 2007).

The Elements of Journalism delineates the core principles shared by journalists across media, even across cultures. These principles flow from the essential function news plays in people's lives. This new edition, published April 2007, is completely updated and revised and includes a new 10th principle--the rights and responsibilities of citizens--flowing from new power conveyed by technology to the citizen as a consumer and editor of their own news and information.

Project for Excellence in Journalism.
http://journalism.org/

What’s there to be bitter about?

- Sean Toczko

One thing that defines America and Americans is the love affair with the automobile. This was most effectively mocked by Steve Martin in the movie “LA Story” where he famously gets his things together, steps out to his car, pulls out of his driveway – and then pulls into the driveway next door. There was even a song about how “Nobody walks in LA.” In America, we are defined by the kind of car we drive, as if it is a reflection of ourselves. Cars are freedom, liberty, empowerment. High school popularity can be measured by your car, and allows you the freedom to take dates out for… long drives. They give people the ability to work, to go on vacation, shopping, and see friends. Car commercials on TV fall into two categories: the elegance and sophisticated (expensive) cars, and the rugged, outdoors, running through storms hauling tons of stuff, saving lives, trucks. These have one thing in common – they suck gas, and are huge. To take a car away from an American is to remove them from society. Unless you live in a big city, with some kind of subway or bus system, you are cut off. We even see the truth of this in DUI convictions. If the offense wasn’t bad enough, the judge will allow you the limited use of your car to go and return from work – even with a suspended license.

But now with gas prices rising, rising, and rising more, we are beginning to see some cracks in the façade that has been the American middle-class. After almost 8 years of a pro-business, pro-“free-market” government, we have finally been confronted with the truth – the American dream of going to college, getting a good job, starting a family, and owning your own house – is becoming a nightmare. College tuitions are rising, good jobs are disappearing, and as for owning your own house, foreclosures are up to historical highs, with no abatement in sight.

We saw this coming – in fact, we were told that it was coming, but president bush himself. His words of encouragement, to the nation after the shock of 9-11 was… no, not “come together in sacrifice,” not “put our shoulder to the wheel,” not even “pull ourselves up by our bootstraps.” No, his message was: “Go shopping.”

And we did. Everybody did, and we created one of the biggest pyramid economies seen since the collapse of Albania (At least the Albanians knew they had pyramid schemes, they just thought that they were ripping off other people). So we are in the middle of a perfect storm of economic mismanagement and fraud. Oil price increases excepted, the mortgage swindles, the credit card debt death spiral, and the stagnation of wages during increasing unemployment, are all coming down on the middle and lower class like a big sledgehammer. The cure? Well, according to the White House, we need to give more money to the Wall Street investors who created the mortgage bubble, the oil companies who need more historic profit margins, and the credit card companies. Everyone else, especially those finding themselves under the heels of the banks and oil companies, can celebrate being “Uniquely American” by holding down three jobs. Or, in the words of the great, but dead, George Carlin: “Go fuck yourself.”

I think we can all agree that the president and the republican party are joint winners of the “Marie Antoinette Let Them Eat Cake Award” for the years 2000 – 2008. It seems to be the only thing they can pat their back on. It’s time to finish the job of driving the republican party into the ground, along with those so-called democrats who love them so much. And pass their message back to them: “Go fuck yourselves.”

Update from a Dem Abroad Back in the USA

--Geoff Williams (from France)

Greetings to all the Obama supporters in around the world!! I have been out canvassing the last 2 weekends in Raleigh NC. We are focussing on the Undecided and Need to be Persuaded Dems and Independents.

Remember, many Dems in North Carolina are more conservative. Last week in the Northern suburbs, farily conservative area last week, McCain probably had a slight edge in sentiment. This week in Raleigh, in the city, I had 34 YES WE CAN Votes for Obama and 8 WHAT ARE WE THINKING VOTES for McCain. This was in Raleigh near Meredith College. Other canvassers in our shift had 35 to 2, looks pretty good!!

This was the day after the Debate, which I attended at a Theater with 250 people. We had a great time!

Most of the people I spoke to today while canvassing thought Obama won the debate easily. Beleive it or not, some Independents still think Obama is a Muslim. I had a long conversation with a Baptist lady who said she liked Obama, but would not vote for a Muslim and heard Obama was Muslim. I told he wasn't, she still seemed concerned, told her the Muslim fanatics were a tiny fraction, she still didn't seem convinced. Finally, I said, "Did you know Tim McVeigh considered himself a strong Christian? Did we condemn all Christians because of Tim McVeigh?" She said "I never thought of that before! Good point, I will strongly consider Obama, and will likely vote for him." This is an example, but mostly things are going pretty well, we have lots of people working and Obama is getting closer and closer to a win in NC!!

DAJ Book Review; “Crashing the Gate:Netroots, Grassroots, and the Rise of People-Powered Politics”

The 2006 publication of “Crashing the Gate” was a revelation of sorts. Authors Jerome Armstrong and Markos Moulitsas had, by that point, established themselves as the preeminent names in the progressive blogosphere thanks to their work at MyDD and DailyKos, respectively. In addition, the work they provided for the 2004 Democratic Presidential primary campaign of Howard Dean launched a new focus on the capacity of the internet to organize, solidify, and grow a grassroots, progressive political movement that had previously been fragmented and incoherent. The gold starburst at the top right corner of my paperback edition of this book reads, “How the Democrats Can Win!” It’s apt that this piece of analysis is reaching its maturation in the 2008 electoral cycle.

For those of you that haven’t read “Crashing the Gate”, you’ve missed out on a classic of progressive literature that will likely be reviewed in history courses in the years to come. It isn’t the prosaic quality of the book that makes it special. It’s not the scholarly attention to detail that makes it relevant. In fact, there is very little about the book that makes it noteworthy other than the fact that it captures the sense of the moment in America in a series of anecdotes and opinions that mirrors the way we communicate our politics in the early 21st century. In the introduction, the authors point out that they were approached to write a book about blogging, when in fact they set out to do a book about politics. In a sense they accomplished both, although it may not have been apparent at the time.

The book itself deals with the politics of progressivism and the lack of coordination or pragmatism in the tradition liberal coalition. It demonstrates how subtle shifts in the attitudes and organization of progressive minded people can affect real, broad change. For this reason, the book is valuable in promoting an agenda effectively and practically. The style of the book, however, is equally instructive, if examined from a meta perspective. Stepping back to look and this book about politics, written by bloggers, we find that the very nature of the content is dictated by the blogging organization that is the hallmark of the medium itself. Each story is truncated to the finest points, spiced with important wit and wisdom. The opinions of the authors are hardly disguised, and are in fact celebrated, as a part of the collection of stories. Inadvertently, perhaps, “Crashing the Gates” exhibits the finest of the blogging medium in a portable paperback form. It appeals to the sensibilities of the blog generation and helps to put a new face on a political identity desperately in need of structure.

This is an easy read, as a result of the style, but it is hardly an easy topic to tackle. Speaking truth to the generations of committed liberal activists out there, fighting tooth and nail for their beliefs, is one of the major tasks of the work and it does so in no uncertain terms. The single-issue advocacy that was a defining characteristic of the liberal Diaspora is routinely panned by the authors. The contrasting poltical styles of the conservative and neocon right and the liberal left are spelled out in painful detail, as the machine-like quality of the Republican governing juggernaut is thrown in the face of the wispy, scattered Democratic coalition. In fact the word “coalition” is a stretch according to the Armstrong and Moulitsas, who offer their take on the important steps the left must take to reach parity and beyond with the unified right-wing front.

The nomination of Barack Obama seems to have supported the notions of this book and its authors. Even further back, the Democratic turn around of the 2006 election can be attributed in some part to the new organizational methods and pragmatic attitudes described in the “Crashing the Gate.” It would be too much to credit this book with laying the foundation for this success, and it would even be overstating the case that the book explains the foundation for success in enough detail to merit “classic” status, but it does do one thing successfully. It states the case plainly, in the terms of the time, and thereby gives us the pulse of the American electorate from a progressive point of view. That’s something few have ever been able to handle with any real vision or clarity. Before election day in November, read this important work and marvel at how well it describes the times we’re living in today.

Mike Plugh
Co-Chair, DAJ Communications Committee

Update; Markos has a new book out this year as well,

Taking On the System: Rules for Radical Change in a Digital Era

Foodies 4 Obama

A few months back I was having an interesting conversation with the dynamic Jane of FDL fame and she was making the point that we all needed to be thinking about bringing in other communities and interest groups that might not think of themselves as political. (expanding our base) At the time she mentioned pet owners and dog rescue groups-- since things like green space, and community laws effect them.

This got me to thinking about my interest groups. The biggest ones, of course are those related to foodies, locavores, restaurant people and food bloggers. F&B related issues are my long standing passion. So here is the outcome of that thinking.



And my first outreach effort from that idea is this video;



If you do any blogging, food writing, and food-blog reading, hope you will consider spreading the word about my little video. Working on ideas for #2.

Anyway, feedback and pr help greatly appreciated. And there will be more action going on at the site foodies4obama.blogspot.com

And a big thanks already to Orangeclouds for promoting it on her terrific food site.

DAJ Webnews May 2008

Another month, and lots of political news has passed as water under the bridge. We are closing in on the end of the primary, and hopefully will soon have a nominee. The McCain camp has been battling their own issues with right wing pastors, lobbyist troubles, and smart powerful questions from Robert Greenwald and the progressive left.

How are you feeling this election season? Have you registered for your absentee ballot yet? No?--- Better get to it asap! Do you have some time to volunteer for our voter registration efforts or to help out at our upcoming summer picnic? Send us an email.

Sincere thanks to all our webnews authors this month! If you would like to write for the webnews, write us. Guidelines are basic, any political topic of your choice, 500-700 words, due on the 15th of June. We are also building steam on our Healthcare Project, but still looking for volunteers to share their healthcare stories. Email us if you can help.

Hope you enjoy this month's offerings, we welcome your comments.

Message from the Chair, May '08

As we head into summer I am both enthusiastic and a bit tired of what has been a very rollercoaster ride primary season. High points at the Global Primary, and the International Meeting in Vancouver have been inspiration , but lows in all the divisive scanadal politics so rampant in the corporate media have left many activists, volunteers, and party leaders tired. It is the outpouring of new voters, new hope, and new focus that keeps us going and for that I thank all of the members of DAJ who have reached out and pitched in over the last 5 months. You have helped keep me optimistic. Read more about the challenges ahead of us, below.

Special thanks got to Martha M. for working with National Azabu to set up a new weekly voter registration table, and to Mike for his work on GOTV. Thanks go to Mike P. Terri, Mike S. Chris, Miki and many others for their work on our podcast site. Thanks to Ray in Osaka for his great work getting out the word on Kansai events, To Ron, Jenise and others who help with Movie nights.

And thanks to the officers of DAJ for getting so much work done over such a short time.

We need your help this summer. Can you help with voter reg? Can you help organize events? Can you help with database clean-up, administration work, media outreach, ad work, design work, web work? We need it all. Let us know what you can do to help take back our country.

Most of all, don't delay, register to receive you Absentee Ballot asap to make sure you get it in time and that all our votes get counted.

Also, be sure to head over to the new DA website and participate in the many groups, discussions and information sharing happening there!

DAJ Notes from New York

-Sarajean Rossitto

Arriving in the US the first thing I noticed was Obama on all the mag covers. As I spoke to friends and family members, what I had presumed was all too clear – people were over this race for the democratic nominee.

I must admit my sample is biased – most of the people I spoke with work in the nonprofit or arts worlds. And my immediate family is made up of people who would vote for any unknown Dem over a Republican contender.

I asked everyone met in my 3 days in NY about the Dem primary. I wanted to know what they were thinking – how did the race look up close. I expected to find some new perspectives but I really did not.

Perhaps the only issue I had not expected to hear about so much was the feeling that the “racist vote” - the Dems who would not vote for a black man – was exaggerated. This was over inflated by the corporate media, obsessed with the race issue over any social, economic or global concern.

The thing that struck me as soon as I arrived was the visual presence of Obama everywhere. Sure he was on the cover of so many mags but all over NYC you could find Obama T-shirts, posters, bumper stickers.

Reading the paper – it seemed apparent that New Yorkers will not give up on Hillary, but out on the street – from the Grey’s Papaya (2 hot dogs and a papaya drink for only $3.95!) (see photo) to the Times Square t-shirts with MLK-Obama Dream for Change T-shirts – Obama was the clear choice. And Obama represented not only change but hope.

I only spoke with one person who still felt it was not over until all the primaries were over that it was actually good to get people out to vote – in states we here they never felt their primary vote meant anything. Getting everyone to vote was in and of itself a positive thing. Otherwise everyone seemed tired of the race and turned off by the negativity.

Looking the local news the main concern was rising prices – the cost of gas, food, rent, were all going up. The possible increase in city water and sanitation fees seemed to put many people over the edge. How could anyone keep up? Manhattan is becoming a place only the rich could live but even that aside the daily cost of living was going up way faster than anyone’s wages. The two Americas is clear to anyone able to read ads for newly gentrified luxury apartments in the South Bronx and Williamsburg.

The issue I found that riled people up more than any was health care – it is related to everything else – the cost, having to get a job with coverage, having to travel across the city to find a doctor one was “allowed” to visit, working in industries where companies actively discriminate in coverage etc. Rage was directed at the fact that the US does not have a health care system based on the welfare of its citizens but a health care industry that based on companies securing the highest profits possible – even if people lost their lives. The idea that universal coverage would be something a kin to socialism was humourous to anyone I spoke with in my journey.

As I think on my trip I am struck by a guy I overheard talking on his cell phone walking down Broadway. What caught my initial attention was one loud outburst “That’s why we need universal healthcare!” He was clearly having a very tough time but knew – like everyone else I spoke with – we need someone with a plan for making concrete structural changes.

No had big expectations but small hope that a Democrat would invest in the future. Whether it be medication costs or the war in Iraq everyone was ready for Bush to just leave office and give a person with a new agenda the chance to make things even slightly better.

DAJ Joins TELL Event to Promote Voter Registration

(Story: DAJ/TELL Walk for Charity, May 3, 2008)

Ten members from DAJ Tokyo showed up bright and early despite the rain on May 3 to participate in Tokyo English Life Line’s Charity Walk & Runathon to raise funds for TELL and promote voter registration. The event drew 1,000+ runners and walkers to the 5-km tree-lined path surrounding the imperial palace; many runners doubled the route to do a 10-km course. As evidenced by the umbrellas, the rain was of the kind to soak anyone who ventured outdoors, but that didn’t stop DAJ members from crossing the finish line. The group included: Althea, Miki, Ken, Hiroko, Terri, Mike, Lauren, Chris, Mina and Jeffrey. Photos and text by Helene.

Why the 18-35s don’t vote (except that we do)

By Miki S. Noguchi

It is a truth universally acknowledged that young voters (or non-voters, as the case may be) are a pain in the ass. We are notoriously hard to get involved in “the Process” and even more difficult to get to actually show up at the polls. We’re young, we’ve got more fun things to do and to distract us than some boring old thing like exercising our right and duty as citizens. These things are 100% true. They also provoke the following response in me: Yeah? And? So what? We are what we are, when you were 20-something, you were probably the same way. The cool thing about us young and impressionable minds is that we’re young and impressionable: show us—literally—exactly how to register to vote and how to get to the polls, and get us there once successfully and you can be pretty sure you’ve hooked a voter for life. When you want to teach a baby to talk, you talk with it. When you want to teach a baby to walk, you walk with it. We 18-35s are the babies of the voting age crowd, so go through the tedium of holding our hands and showing us the way and one day we’ll be doing the whole responsible voter thing all on our own.

That’s basically my point: more experienced voters need to step up to the plate… and pull/drag a young voter up with them. While this is important always, in a living abroad situation, it’s especially incumbent upon those in the know (read: the ones who have been out there a while and know how voting from abroad works) to reach out to young voters who may not be aware that they have the right to vote from abroad, are probably surrounded mainly by other youngsters who are equally in the dark or who are not American, and probably only in the country for a year or two. But the fact remains that if they are living abroad even for just six months around election time, they have the right to vote from abroad.

As a 20-something who is somewhat more politically aware than the average young voter abroad, I am a perfect example of one of those “kids” you’ve got to take hold of and show the way. I come from a fairly Democratic family background and have always voted in Presidential elections. But, living abroad, I haven’t always made the effort to vote in primaries or to take the initiative to get involved in “the Process.” However, I was lucky enough to have met Lauren Shannon, DAJ’s Chair, who made a concerted effort to get me, as a young person, involved in DAJ activities—many of you might recognize me as the Official Doorperson for nearly all the big DAJ events. Even though I was involved in the Howard Dean event and other activities in January of this year, I hadn’t registered to vote for my absentee ballot in time and so likely would not have voted in the primaries if there hadn’t been a Global Primary. I wouldn’t have even known to vote in that if Lauren hadn’t been sure to tell me about it a bunch of times and asked me to volunteer at the polling place. Lauren’s efforts benefitted not only me, but also the other two young ‘uns that I personally brought along that day to vote (one person I had physically come with me, the other I specifically sent the polling location map to his ketai telling him to vote). Now, a couple months later, I’ve been happily roped into “chairing” the Young Democrats Abroad Japan committee, more involved in Democratic politics than I ever anticipated I’d be and doing some hand-holding of my own with “others of my kind” and soon will hopefully have a good-sized group of young dems who are charged with optimism and enthusiasm and impressionableness, ready to vote and help with the door at DAJ events.

So next time you meet a young eikaiwa or international school teacher or other randomly employed under-35 American, please ask them if they’re registered to vote from abroad. And then, please hold his/her hand and show them the way to www.votefromabroad.org and the young democrats abroad facebook group I started (Young Democrats Abroad International). We’re a pain, we know it, but, like I said, so what? After all, kids will be kids. And sometimes we need a kick in the pants and a tug on the ear to gear us toward the ballot box.

Long Time DAJ Member Heads for China

by Svenn Serrano

As the nomination approaches its final stages here in mid-May I just want to say what a historic ride it has been and everyone involved should just pause for a group hug. Doesn’t that feel great? Sure, there were some less-than-happy moments in the Hillary-Obama final lap but that doesn’t mean that the loaded questions what the pollsters asked voters in the Spring will matter one iota when November rolls around. McCain is weak in so many ways that the American people are only now beginning to discover and with true Republicans still uncomfortable with many of his positions the race is wide open and winnable for any Democrat. Take heart and get ready, for the best and the worst are yet to come.

Elizabeth Edwards, the wife of noble also-ran John Edwards had a guest column in the IHT (April 29, 2008, “Bowling 1 – Health Care 0”), which I would like to share. Basically she said that the electronic media and news organizations had failed the American people with their ‘Cliff Notes” coverage of the campaign. Like a strobe light in a dark room, “the outlines are accurate enough but we cannot see the whole picture.” When every analysis is shortened and every corner is cut, she writes, we move further away from the truth. Candidate Joe Biden, she gives as an example, had an excellent proposal for a National Health plan, but no one can name a single fact about it now because he suffered under a total news blackout “that depressed his poll numbers, which in turn depressed his fundraising,” forcing him to drop out. We do, however, know Barack Obama’s bowling score and Hillary Clinton’s ability to down a shot of Crown Royal whiskey.

A nation that holds up a model of presidential politics that goes on way too long and costs way, way too much and that ignores the important issues in favor of campaign tactics and strategy, consultant gossip, misleading polls and poll numbers, celebrity endorsements, and “gotcha” quotes all the name of low-turnout “primary” races with small electorates (Iowa and New Hampshire, come on!) really has no business promoting democracy in the rest of the world. Americans want change but institutionally we are incapable of reform. We cannot even change our election day from Tuesday to a sane weekend Saturday. Getting higher turnouts would probably cause our creaking system of volunteer-run polling places to collapse completely.

As an American I can accept our system as it is but we should ask someone like Canada to do the world outreach for democracy. Seriously.

Those of you who may have been concerned about Ralph Nader running again will be happy to know that now John McCain has his own problem with Bob Barr winning the Libertarian nomination. Barr, a prominent former Republican congressman from Georgia, will amplify all the existing conservative criticisms of McCain and will certainly siphon off votes from him among the hard rock right.

On a personal note I’d like to inform all of my DA Japan friends that after 19 years Japan I will be taking up a teaching position in Shanghai China this summer. I was in China in the early spring when word filtered in about unrest in Lhasa. Let me say for the record that in a perfect world there would be self-determination for Tibet. But in the same breath I would warn everyone that the only way that will happen any time soon would be if China suddenly collapsed in the same way the USSR did in 1991. “Great” powers have a tendency, through history, to hang on to conquered territory and China is no exception. Chinese people, like my wife, immediately say, unequivocally, that Tibet is an integral part of China. Ask any American if they would agree to independence for, say, Hawaii. I would like to remind readers that Hawaii was an independent country with a monarch that was overthrown by American settlers in 1893, and then annexed by the US in 1898. There is now a growing and viable sovereignty movement in Hawaii and the influential magazine The Nation devoted their April 29, 2008 issue to Hawaiian “Resistance” (learn the history at www.thenation.com).

I would love to have a front-row seat should China have a popular and non-violent movement for democratic reform. But insensitive Western protests like the ones to block the Olympic torch relay will only result in a nationalist backlash in China and outside by Chinese living abroad. Much change has already taken place in that country and while political freedoms are still curtailed, air bubbles are starting to appear, the beginnings of a modern civil society. Let a hundred flowers bloom, again.

Show DA Some Love

While others seek the big donors who can write checks with 3 or 4 zeros, I am writing to ask you to take to heart the lessons of Gov. Dean and of the Obama campaign. Lots of small donors can have enormous impact, and now would be the time to go for that impact.

Even with the huge surge in voter registration across America, overseas voters still have a critical role in this election. Big Tent Democrat, writing on TalkLeft, argues that Obama General Election margin is non-existent, based on recent Rasmussen, Gallup, and Newsweek polls which show a dead heat nationally. If we look at state polls, FL, VA, GA, MO and even MI do not look great for the likely Democratic candidate 5 months out from election day. What else do these states have in common? Relatively large numbers of citizens living abroad.

Help us to reach out to those swing state voters

Those of you who are already sustaining donors, and/or who have already responded to earlier appeals from International Chair Christine Marques and Vice-Chair Toby Condliffe, thank you. Nonetheless, this is a great time to top that off with a further contribution.

This great organization depends entirely upon the commitment and generosity of its members. Help reach out to those in your committee--those who have already donated for a follow-up request, and to those who have not to "show a little love."

Thanks and regards; I'm heading over to https://secure.democratsabroad.org/contribute/

Gary Suwannarat
Asia-Pacific Regional Vice-Chair
Democrats Abroad

Change My Mind? Forget It! Politics on a Personal Level

-Gloria Bauer Ishida

I don’t remember when I actually became a Democrat. In an early “rebellious” stage I admired Alexander Hamilton, an early “elitist”, no democrat he. But I by the time I went to college, I was a confirmed Democrat. At some time my father had switched parties to Republican, but his father remained a Democrat till he died. The only thing I remember about elderly Grandpa Bauer was that he got tears in his eyes when he spoke of his political beliefs. I could always convince my mother to vote Democratic, and her mother as well.

But I am from a small town in northern Ohio that more often than not goes Republican, and my vote went by the wayside before we could vote from abroad. I registered “absentee” from my parents’ address. (Great, now I vote from my last US address, Cook County, Chicago).

Today is the age of fabulous IT age. I am in contact with old friends, relatives, distant and close as well as new contacts through my hobby, genealogy. And here come e-mails, especially in the form of forwards, with no reluctance to put my e-mail address listed with fifty others. And from whom? My conservative contacts in northern Ohio (read pro war in Iraq and maybe, “no African-American in the White House); old friends, who while may be Democrats, are backing a different candidate; and so on.

I love a debate, face to face, please, or with those I consider in the “I don’t give a damn” category. But others, whom I do not want to alienate for various reasons? I do have a hard time keeping my mouth shut. What do I say? “I’ve made up my mind. Please no more forwards”, for example, one berating Michelle Obama, “Do you want this woman as First Lady?” and “Take a look at Obama’s voting record”, and looking at it I agreed with practically all of his votes and said I could understand his reasoning. With closer family whom I know are of the opposite side of the fence, I don’t even bring up politics.

I do “feel” out some of my contacts, especially those who share genealogical interests and whom I have never met, before any political talk, and yes, I can definitely name two, one in Pennsylvania and one in Georgia, who share my beliefs.

I have just made a move that involved downsizing on many possessions, including my books. Way back, in 1988, one of my sons, who still has a great sense of humor, inserted messages in my books and I am still coming across these. (He didn’t really believe what he wrote, just teasing Mom.) “Reagan is my Savior!” “Al Haig in ’88!! God’s Choice!” “America: God’s Country, Thee Only Country!”

2008. Shades of 1988. Please. “You have a right to your opinion, cousins and friends. But change my mind? Forget it! And help me keep my inbox clear. And I’ll do the same for you.”

The Challenge Before Us

h/t to Bill Barnard, Chair DAUK

I am not sure that we have fully grasped the extraordinary political opportunity that is almost ours.

With a Republican President at an all--time low in the polls and with
the Republican coalition beginning to crumble, with an unpopular war
and an administration with no plan to end it or to define what `victory' might mean, with an economy on the brink of a serious crisis unlike any we have seen in generations, with a health care system whose benefits are not available to all, with a planet in ecological peril and an administration that denies science and refuses to recognize the seriousness of the crisis, with a continuing erosion of American prestige around the world—-with all of this, there is now a rising and almost irresistible Democratic tide.

Of course, our focus has been primarily on the historic Presidential contest. And here we have the good fortune to have had an incredibly talented array of Democratic candidates, a panoply that looked like 21st century America. (The Republicans seemed rooted in the 1950s— only one gender and one color need apply.)

Now, we are down to two extraordinary candidates, either of which will make history. Our party has been roughly equally divided between supporters of Senator Obama and Senator Clinton. We face the dilemma—-the historic but exquisitely painful dilemma—-of offering to the nation either the first female candidate to have a genuinely serious chance of winning the Presidency or the first black American with a serious chance of doing so.

It is a transitory moment of great sensitivity. And we can best navigate it with respect for each other and for our differing choices. Mutual understanding and civility are qualities all the more necessary in the coming weeks.

For we are united in our determination to see an end to eight years of Republican mis-rule. I am convinced that we Democrats will prevail at the Presidential level, despite the kind of campaign of fear and misrepresentation that the Republicans and their Swift- boating allies will undoubtedly wage.

But we should not let the inevitable focus on the historic Presidential race blind us to the reality of what is achievable in the House and Senate. It was clear in 2006 that the old Republican coalition put together by Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan was beginning to fall apart. Democrats retook both the House and Senate, winning in places (in the Senate in Virginia, where DA made a difference, and in Montana) where we weren't supposed to. The further consolidation of our hold on the mid-Atlantic and New England states was evidence too, with Senate wins against incumbents in Pennsylvania and Rhode Island and with a history-making clean sweep of the state government in New Hampshire.

The Democratic tide still runs strong—with anticipated Senate wins this year in New Hampshire and again in Virginia, possibly in Maine, and with real chances where we have not been competitive in recent decades, North Carolina, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and even Alaska.

In the House in the last two months, Democrats won three special elections—-in Illinois, replacing the Republican Speaker of the House, Dennis Hastert, and in Mississippi and Louisiana in districts that had given George Bush margins of 20% or more and that had not voted Democratic in House races in a decade and a half. Significant gains in the House are also likely.

What? Is it possible to think that Democrats could enter the next Presidential term with 60 votes in the Senate, breaking the stranglehold that has so frustrated every progressive effort of the last thirty years? The New York Times thinks it is.

Yes, as I pointed out almost two months ago in the DAUK eNewsletter, we may well be on the verge of a genuinely transformational election, a realigning election, in which we prevail not only at the Presidential level but see a fundamental shift in the tectonic plates of American politics, a shift that elevates a new Democratic coalition to majority status for perhaps a generation.

That coalition will mean an even broader church—an even bigger big tent. We will need to approach those who agree with 90% of what we also believe but who differ on some matters, even some that are important to us individually, with a heightened degree of tolerance, understanding, and civility. The rewards in breaking the deadlock that has characterized Washington over the past decades will be worth it.

So, in the words of an old spiritual adopted by the civil rights movement, let us keep our eyes on the prize—-not only on the Presidency but on the creation of a new Democratic majority as well.

In our personal conduct—-in all we say and do—-let us lay the ground work for a unified party that can grasp the extraordinary opportunity that can be ours.

Bill
__
William D. Barnard
Chair, Democrats Abroad U.K.

In Honor of Memorial Day

BradBlog lists the names of all of the men and women who have died in the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. We honor their sacrifice.

Our gratitude to BradBlog for their post. and h/t to GNB for pointing us to it.

END DAJ Webnews May

DAJ Webnews March-April

Busy beavers (donkeys) that's what we are, Primaries, Events, Global Meeting... all meant that we at the webnews were slow to get out our March addition which has now become the March-April addition.

We have some great writing, wrap up from the Global Primary, thoughts on the war, and a plea to our dem candidates. Hope you enjoy!

and please consider contributing your own writing- 500-700 words on a political topic of your choice. Email us at pdbjpg@gmail.com

Lots of events are coming up. Be sure to check the Calendar at http://www.demsjapan.jp and participate in the disucussions on the new international website http://www.democratsabroad.org. For excellent political commentary and interesting reading add the Wednesday Wire and The Group News Blog to your list. And make sure you have requested your absentee ballot at VoteFromAbroad.org

From the Chair

-Lauren Shannon
DAJ Chair

ACT LOCALLY!

I know if you feel as I do, there is a great sense of urgency and
emergency to bring our country back from the disastrous last 8 years.
Our primary goal is to turn out the vote and grow our vibrant
organization to reach out to as many voters as we can here in Japan and around the world. We need your help. 1 hour- 100 hours…. Whatever you can spare.

1. GOTV TEAM JAPAN-
We need volunteers to help in all the aspects of Get Out the Vote. We need people to register voters, man voting reg. tables at events, help thing of new ways to reach out to voters, design voting PR materials and participate in voter reg events. ALL SKILLS NEEDED… If you are in the Tokyo/Chiba/ Yokohama area and you want to help contact me ASAP at lauren.shannon@gmail.com OR contact Mike who is also leading this effort at mike.stensrud@hotmail.com

If you are in the Kansai Area, contact Kansai Chair Terrance Young at DAJKansai.chair@gmail.com and if you are in Tokai please email Paul Smith, Tokai Chapter Chair at smithp@visi.com. We need you now! Lots of fun, and lots to do.

2. YOUNG DEMS
We are beginning an outreach campaign to one of the most underrepresented groups in Japan, young dems between 18-30 years old. Miki Nouguchi has to kick off the organzing of this effort but she needs help, volunteers, ideas and support. If you can help, contact her at mikinoguchi@hotmail.com

3. PROGRESSIVE MOVIE CLUBS
We have active movie screening programs in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. If this kind of event interests you and you could help with PR, support on event nights, discussion question/ follow up coordinators and more… please contact:
TOKYO- Lauren Shannon lauren.shannon@gmail.com
KYOTO Jenise Treuting DAJKansai.vicechair@gmail.com
OSAKA Ron Andrews DAJKansai.movies@gmail.com

4. PR Team
DAJ Secretary Linda Gould needs help with media outreach. If you know anyone with Media connections, if you are a writer, or if you just want to help with Media outreach , please contact her at lagould@yahoo.com, for local Kansai Outreach contact Kansai Chapter Secretary DAJKansai.secretary@gmail.com

5. FUNDRAISING / Advertising and Marketing We are looking for a new coordinating team for DAJ fundraising efforts to pay for Get out the vote PR and Advertising, as well as membership building and resources. Can you help? Have good ideas? Contact lauren at lauren.shannon@gmail.com Also looking for people to coordinate our advertising and paid marketing plan. Email me!

6. GLOBAL HEATHCARE PROJECT
This winter we launched an amazing Healthcare For America Campaign which includes video and written stories. We are preparing to roll it out with Dems Abroad globally. We need volunteers to help with this project which is 99% internet based so this is perfect for everyone across the length and breadth of Japan, and you can work on this one right from home! Visit http://www.healthcareforamerica.blogspot.com/ to see the kinds of stories we are collecting then volunteer to help. Contact Project Coordinator and DAJ Secretary Linda AT lagould@yahoo.com.

If time is short and you can't volunteer right now, please consider a donation. Please donate to the DAJ postal account from any post office in Japan.

Furikomi to;
DAJ account number is 10280-92175171 (kigo=10280, bango=92175171)

AND to Donate to Democrats Abroad Worldwide go to
https://secure.democratsabroad.org/contribute/

Check our website calendars for events and news at www.demsjapan.jp And learn about the world wide efforts of Democrats Abroad at
www.democratsabroad.com

Supernova Democrats: Don’t Implode!

by Helene Yim

Democrats are very lucky this year. The nomination should not be a matter of “may the best candidate win” – because both Clinton and Obama are outstanding leaders and either is likely a far better choice than President Bush was. In fact, comparing either of these candidates to the current president is like comparing a supernova to a medium bright star that that quickly degenerated into a black hole by the end of his second term. We cannot let this happen again.

Hillary Clinton’s and Barack Obama’s positions on the urgent issues facing America today are very similar, including extending health coverage to all Americans, ending the Iraq war, promoting energy independence, creating so called green jobs and mending foreign relations. Their positions contrast sharply with those of Republican candidate John McCain, who believes it is necessary to keep fighting in Iraq (and continue draining the US Treasury for it), opposes any form of mandated health care for Americans, desires to leave energy solutions to the industry’s big players (for example producers of nuclear power), and favors a carry-a-big-stick approach in foreign relations.

This way of thinking might have worked a half century ago because the circumstances were different. In those days health care was more accessible to all, restraint was not part of the energy vocabulary, and globalization of the demographic and economy had not yet begun. Military threats could be kept in check by a strong-armed approach – but that isn’t working with the terrorist threats of this age. Both Clinton and Obama understand that a government that thinks otherwise today will not work.

I would like to propose that both Democratic candidates put their egos aside and say to us, “We as Democrats will put America back on the right track to progress and prosperity for all. And we offer you the best choice: you can choose me, or you can choose my excellent colleague, Senator (Obama/Clinton) Your choice in either of us will determine whether or not the United States will regain its position as the world’s greatest nation. Learn our similarities and differences on the issues – read the newspapers, go to www ______ dot org. – don’t just watch the TV or look at the tabloids – you owe it to yourselves and your families.”

It’s time for the Democratic candidates to seriously work together to thwart another misguided presidency. It’s time to stop throwing millions away on the PR and media people, half of whom must be the brain dead fools they think we are (latest sleaze: Obama on the cover of the National Enquirer), and use that money to promote more substantial communication. Candidates: It’s time to stop dumbing down the American electorate with bickering that nobody really cares about, and get us engaged in more intelligent thought and discussion. We support you, and we ask that you do the same of us.

My Globally Democratic Day

-by Stacey Vye

My experience volunteering at the Tokyo voting center for the first ever Global Primary on February 5^th, 2008 was truly amazing because I felt like I was participating in a historical event that may lead to a more democratic America. And it was easy for me to volunteer for the Democrats Abroad Japan (DAJ) because it is a professional and highly organized team, so the instruction I received on how to inform voters about going through the process of casting their choice for the US president was seamless to carry out. Another important point for me was the crew at DAJ are friendly, so volunteering was relatively effortless, especially since there is a strong feeling of a shared interest in improving the image of Americans abroad and America itself.

Apparently the media felt some kind of spark about our hope for democracy on that day because they came in droves locally and internationally. Most or all of the film crews probably realized that we were a friendly organization as well. What's more, I wasn’t surprised when an announcer from Fuji TV reported in their morning program that the media crew on sight felt they had a comfortable rapport with us. Another media representative was surprised that the voting center officers were kind enough to actually volunteer rather than being paid. There was also a massive curiosity of the Japanese media to film certain images at the center. One darling little image that got iconic status was the filming of Lauren Shannon’s stuffed Democrat donkey. I took a sort of odd pleasure in watching film crews pensively filming it and I still wonder how much footage was taken of that dear donkey? Another image or scene that the local media panned in on was the bake sale. I felt that the staffers were generally curious and wanted to know more about this American tradition genuinely rather than for a sound bite. The yummy food by the way, was definitely appreciated and eaten thanks to all of the bakers who baked, rather than myself who cheated a bit by buying cookies from a bakery that I like.

Lastly and most importantly, I felt such a warm appreciation for the voters who could take time out of their hectic schedules to vote in person. Although I was at the venue merely to explain the Global Primary voting process to the participants, I felt that I saw and heard the multiplicity of American faces and voices concerned about the current damaging political climate. And by meeting these voters, it actually helped me start thinking that there is some hope for America from 2008, which made the day priceless. Hope you will have an opportunity to feel this much satisfaction in volunteering and maybe your voice can also be heard to help keep what is left of the beautiful America and continue to make it even stronger so that it cannot be trashed again.

Democrats Abroad Delegation to the DNC Convention this summer in Denver

Read about our Global Convention in Vancouver at the NYTimes Blog


Full list or our elected delegates, alternates and DNC members from John McQueen at the Wednesday Wire;

Here’s the full list for Democrats Abroad’s delegation to Denver. Again congratulations to every one!!

Canada 5
Toby Condliffe, International Vice Chair (DNC member)
Robert Bell (DNC member)
  Adrienne Jones, Chair, DA Canada (national convention Rules committee)
  Ken Sherman, Vice Chair, DA Canada (Americas At Large Obama delegate)
  Rhoda.Green (Americas At Large Clinton delegate)

Italy 4
  Peter Alegi, Former International Chair (PLEO Clinton)
  Theresa Morelli (DNC and Global DNC-elect)
  Anthony Sistilli, Chair, DA Italy (national convention Credentials committee)  
  Jo-Ann White, Vice Chair,  DA Italy (Global At Large Clinton delegate)

United Kingdom 3
  Stanley Grossman, International Treasurer (Global DNC-elect)
  Margo Miller, (EMEA At Large Clinton delegate)
  Lynn Forester de Rothschild (national convention Platform committee)

France 3      
  Joe Smallhoover, Chair, DA France (EMEA DNC-elect)
  Connie Borde, Vice Chair, DA France (DNC)
  Allin "Chip" Seward (EMEA At Large Clinton delegate)

Switzerland 2
  Christine Schon Marques, International Chair (DNC and Delegation Chair)
  Caitlin Kraft Buchman, Chair DA Switzerland (Global DNC-elect)

Japan 2
  Brent O’Leary (DNC)
  Lauren Shannon, Chair, DA Japan (Asia/Pacific DNC-elect)

Mexico 2
  Sandra Loridans, former Vice Chair, Americas region (PLEO Obama)
  Howard Feldstein, Chair, DA Mexico (Americas At Large Obama delegate)

Germany 1
  Shari Temple, Vice Chair, DA Germany (EMEA At Large Obama delegate)

Spain 1
  Gil Carbahal, Vice Chair, DA Spain (Global At Large Clinton alternate)

Ireland 1
  Liv Gibbons (DNC)

Philippines 1
  Georgia McCauley, Chair, DA Philippines (Global At Large Obama alternate)

Netherlands 1
  Robert Bragar, Chair, DA Netherlands (EMEA Obama At Large delegate)

Ukraine 1
  Geoff Berlin, Chair, DA Ukraine (Global At Large Obama delegate)

Dominican Republic 1
  Leo Perez Minaya, Chair, DA Dominican Republic (DNC and Americas DNC-elect)

India 1
  Carolyn Sauvage Mar, Chair, DA India (Asia/Pacific At Large Obama delegate)

South Africa 1
  Monica Faith Stewart, Vice Chair, DA South Africa (EMEA At Large Obama delegate)

Lebanon 1
  David Munir Nabti, (EMEA At Large Obama delegate)

Afghanistan 1
  Jake Klonoski (page – appointed by Delegation Chair)

Letter from a 1st time voter @ the Global Primary voting center in Tokyo

From Ryoma Uehara,

This was my first experience in voting. I should say I was pretty nervous. I didn’t actually think I was going to be voting.

I received a letter from my mother’s state which I am able to use to register as an absentee voter. It stated that although I would be 18 on November 4, I was not allowed to vote in the primary until I was 17 years and 6 months. That would not be until April. Registering online was complicated just because it was a new experience and we didn’t want to be left out of the process. The Democrats Abroad website was actually easy to use.

My mother is a member of Democrats Abroad Japan and they did a great job of informing us of the Global Primary and answered our questions.

Not thinking I could vote, I went with my mother to the DAJ voting center in Shibuya to experience Super Tuesday. The staff told me that I could vote in this Global Primary so I enjoyed the process very much except that it ended so quickly. I thought that it would be a lot more complicated.

The TV cameras made it equally stressful, but exciting. Thank you to all for making this a memorable experience.

All About Basra

-by Max Von Schuler

For a long time, the SCIRI (Supreme Council Islamic Revolution Iraq) with it's military wing the Badr Corps, and Muqtada al Sadr's Mahdi Army have been tussling for control of the Iraqi territory south of Baghdad. The Mahdi Army already controls most of Baghdad, control of the south would make it the pre-eminent Shia organization Iraq. And since the Shia outnumber the Sunni's, well you can figure who will be the big guy in Iraq.

Muqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army has gradually increased it's control of towns in the south. Also, he has fought at least two pitched battles with US forces, and emerged with more influence each time.

I think the main reason that the government of Prime Minister Maliki started this fight was to try to stop this gradual erosion of Badr corps power in the south. There is another idea floating around the net, that reducing the Mahdi Army's power was seen as necessary to secure US supply line as a prelude to a US attack on Iran. I think this is an American, not an Iraqi idea. The Badr Corps under al-Hakim have refrained from attacks on US supply routes, and generally supported the Maliki government. However, I do not think their non interference of US supply routes would be guaranteed in a US attack on Iran. That is wishful thinking on the part of Bush administration strategists, and we have to remember that the Bush administration has been wrong about EVERYTHING in Iraq.

So. The Iraqi National Army, which really is basically the Badr Corps, a militia, (The Sadrists control the national police) attacked Mahdi Army forces in Basra and other southern cities. The attack collapsed within days. Iraqi National Army forces basically refused to fight or deserted over to the Mahdi Army. This is truly an important event. It is an out and out win for Muqtada al-Sadr, and he really hates America. Perhaps that is because we tried to kill him several times.

And this may prove to conclusive when we consider the American military presence in Iraq. The supply lines south from Baghdad have always been our Achilles heel. Basically they are guarded by Iraqi Sheiks, paid for this purpose. In a sense, we can say they are paid not to shoot. Also, until now, the Badr Corps has been pre-eminent in the south. They have had a policy of not directly opposing the US. I think this has shifted. Al-Hakim's Badr Corps has come out as a big loser in the Basra battle, as has the Maliki government.

What does this mean for America forces? It means that Muqtada is now the strongest player both in Baghdad and the south. He has several options. He out and out close the supply roads. He can allow a gradual increase in guerrilla strikes. He can organize mass civilian demonstrations to close the roads. Al-Hakim has adopted a policy of waiting for America to withdraw. Al-Sadr has always been demanding an immediate US withdrawal since the first days of the US invasion. Now he has the power to force the retreat. If the supply lines are cut, an orderly US withdrawal becomes impossible, we will have to fight our way out. And not everyone will make it. The Private Contractors will panic. They will not do their jobs, the armed security guards may kidnap the military and civilian American leaders they are guarding, as bargaining chips for seat out. The US can only supply some one third of US forces by air. There are not enough vehicles for all units in Iraq, they all share. And if Iran allows surface to air missiles in, which they have so far declined to do, air supply and evacuation are impossible.

And yes, about Iran. Until now, Muqtada al-Sadr was basically hostile to Iran. The Badr Corps, which spent the Saddam years in exile in Iran, was the Iranian backed force in Iraq. Now al-Sadr seems to have improved relations with Iran.

For a US withdrawal to succeed, we will need the help of Iran. And here is where I would like to say a few things to Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Stop fighting each other. One of you will be President, one will not. It is high time to start joint efforts to fight John McCain. Senator McCain's entire position is that America must remain in Iraq until victory. That is impossible, this Basra debacle proves that. The only question now is how an American withdrawal can be managed. It is time to think of what is best for America. That is the mission of the Democratic Party of the United States of America.

Max

links
A recent history of Muqtada al-Sadr

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moqtada_Sadr

John McCain is really out to lunch when he pretends toknow what is going on in Iraq.

http://thinkprogress.org/2008/04/01/cnn-catches-mccain-making-contradictory-statements-about

-sadr/

A description of the Basra debacle. Iraqi National Army units desert or do not fight.

http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0401/p06s02-wome.html?page=1

End of March-April Webnews

DAJ Webnews Super Tuesday, Global Primary February Edition

Been too long since we managed to get the newsletter online for everyone! I apologize profusely and can only say that we have not been resting on our laurels! In the two months since we last put out our Supposed-to-be-Monthly-Webnews we have had

1. a visit from Gov. Howard Dean
2. visitors from Congress, Hirono, Johnson and McDermott
3. Registering tons of voters.
4. Cleaning up and moving to a new database
5. Working toward the upcoming GLOBAL PRIMARY
6. meetings in Kansai, Tokai and Tokyo
7. Politics and Pizza Parties
8. A few media mentions
and much more...

sorry to have been lax on posting up the wonderful submissions to the webnews. But here we finally go!

Thanks for reading and be sure to send it on to your friends.

Global Primary News

So we are having our first ever Democrats Abroad Global Primary! This is an Historic Event.

read a little coverage from the CS-

Democrats tout first 'global primary'
The group Democrats Abroad has made it easier for expatriates to weigh in on Super Tuesday. By Nicole Itano | Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor


An exciting primary has sparked greater interest among expatriates in being heard at home. Read more...

Athens - Come early February, a wood-paneled conference room in this city's historic Grande Bretagne Hotel will be one of the farthest-flung outposts of the heated battle for the Democratic presidential nominee.

This year, the Democratic Party is conducting its first "global primary" that will allow Democrats living abroad to vote by Internet, mail, or fax or in one of the centers being set up in more than 30 countries. Voting starts on "Super Tuesday" – Feb. 5 – and will last for eight days.

"We're trying to make it as easy as possible for Americans to participate from all over the world," says Christine Schon Marques, international chairwoman of Democrats Abroad, the official, volunteer arm of the Democratic Party, which is coordinating the primary. "The online process especially is very new for us. It's very exciting."

Read the whole thing here.

and info about the GP in Japan.

Why I Support Democrats Abroad and the DNC

-Rachel Bourgeois
What happens when you gather about twenty Democrats in a spacious, beautiful apartment with a spectacular view of Tokyo? They talk about money. It’s called fundraising, and this is especially true when the guest speaker is the Democratic National Committee (DNC) Finance Chair.

Personally, this was my first “real” Democrats Abroad event in Tokyo. I had been participating in many events in Paris before moving to Tokyo in April, but I have only been to one or two events sponsored by DAJ. So, this was my first “real” Democrats Abroad event, and here’s how it went.

On Tuesday, November 13th, Phil Murphy, DNC Finance Chair, addressed a small group of Democrats in Tokyo about changes in the DNC. In my opinion, this was the most democratic event I have been to in a very long time. The event was clearly geared toward fundraising, and Phil Murphy was there to account for how the money was being spent. Tracing the history of recent Democratic Party successes and even more recent failures, he explained what went wrong and how Howard Dean, among others, is trying to fix it.

I admit that I do not remember the details of the speech. I wish now I would have taken notes. However, I think I remember the general idea behind Phil Murphy’s words. The Democratic Party needs to become more professional and to catch up technologically. As I understood it, the message Phil Murphy brought us was that this is what Howard Dean with his team has been tackling, successfully – turning the Democratic Party into a well-managed, professional and technologically-advanced political body capable of taking on and defeating our opponents.

Whether one agrees or disagrees with the problem (years of mismanagement) or the solution (spending money on better management and technology) is beside the point. Phil Murphy came to ask us for our money and for our help raising money. In exchange, he demonstrated in the most straightforward, open, honest and democratic way how that money is being spent and would be spent. Despite several attempts from the audience, Phil Murphy did not get pulled into discussions about the direction, as in the ideological direction, of the Democratic Party. He remained true to his mission, to discuss the running of the Democratic Party, not its ideology.

And yet, in my eyes, because Phil Murphy held his stance, remained modest and did not attempt to speculate on directions or candidates, or to take on a role other than the one he came to perform, because of this I feel he demonstrated precisely that ideological direction for which everyone present at the event was looking. He was transparent. He showed that the Democratic Party is capable of good governance and better management. He demonstrated accountability. These are some of the major things missing in the current American government. These are the things people present, myself included, wanted to discuss, but what I came to understand during the evening and in the days following it is that these things were all implicit in Phil Murphy’s presence and participation that evening.

Of the many political debates to which I have been in the past, the debate with Phil Murphy surpassed them all in the simplest of ways. It convinced me, after many years of being a follower of Democrats Abroad events, to support them and the DNC officially.

To read more about the 50 State Strategy that the DNC is fundraising to support, go here.

That's what Dean said

-by Miki Noguchi (posted on her blog in the full version) photos above by Taro Irei

I went to the Democrats Abroad Japan Howard Dean event featuring (Can you guess?) Howard Dean, DNC Chairman and spirit booster extraordinaire! His speech was inspiring and helped redeem the Democratic party for me - not that I'd strayed, but it's nice to be appreciated and told that what we're all saying out here is being heard and acknowledged.

He made lots of good points:

1. The Dems panel of candidates looks a lot closer to how it should in 2007 (e.g. a couple white guys, a woman, a half-black-half-white guy, a half-latino-half-white guy, etc.).
2. For the Under 30 crowd, the stuff the Republicans are talking about just doesn't matter/make sense.

[Tangent:
Part of what makes Obama so appealing to me (and what made me yell out to my mom in the next room when I saw/heard the guy on "Oprah" that this would be my guy) is that he is fresh, less-tainted, less-jaded. He's been around DC long enough to know the ropes, but not be entrenched in them. I keep saying it, but it bears repeating. There's something Kennedy-esque about Obama that makes me smile and have faith and hope and believe that the States isn't actually going to hell in a handbasket - or, at least, that there's actually someone out there who might manage to grab the basket and bring it back before it gets too far. Tangent over.]

3. Gay marriage is a Republican issue - they're the ones who keep bringing it up!! The core value that's important for Dems - equal justice and treatment under the law for all Americans... for better or for worse. ;)

He said more and I know I'm forgetting things that I clapped at and were impressed by at the time. But, suffice it to say, the whole experience was great and exactly what I needed to get me less cynical about our prospects and more positive (again!) about the candidates we've got out there. No question, any of our guys would be a vast improvement on the disappointment and heartache and, well, crap that's in the White House now.

Dean came out here to ask for money and to remind us to register and vote (and to get our friends to do likewise - hint! hint!), but also to earn his meal with his spiel. And he totally did his job and it totally worked. Yeah, I know it's politics - yeah, that's his job, etc. But he did it well and he got me going and I'm excited for the next event and the next milestone in this next year leading up to November.

Here's the thing, I'm tired of living abroad and feeling like I've somehow let the whole rest of the world down by being from the country that let this guy keep this job for the last 7 years. I mean, personally, I didn't vote for the guy, so at least that's some weight off my shoulders. But, jeez, he's just awful and he's screwing it up for literally everyone else - every last person on this Earth is affected by the decisions made and actions taken by the President of the United States. That's a responsibility that we shouldn't take lightly but one that I think far too many people overlook, understandably, considering most Americans never live abroad and many never travel abroad. But, from my overseas mouth/fingers to your (possibly homeland) ears/eyes: it sucks out here, from this side of the news, seeing what the rest of the world sees, hearing what the rest of the world says, and feeling what the US's actions do to us all - American and non-American alike.

A Distant Political Mirror?

-Robert Skipp Orr

Forgive me for paraphrasing the title of the late Barbara Tuchman’s prize winning book on the 14th Century but it just seemed the best way to pose my question which is….what are the similarities between the 1952 U.S. Presidential election and the 2008 version?

This is not an idle question since that election held 55 years ago also featured no incumbent candidates. It was a free for all very much like we see today in both the Democratic and Republican parties. To be sure the campaign was a much shorter affair and a $1 billion price tag for the process would have been unthinkable then but highly likely today. The eventual winner, Dwight Eisenhower or Ike, didn’t even make his first campaign speech until six months before the election.

In addition to the lack of incumbent candidates in both parties there were certain similarities in the political atmosphere surrounding that election and 2008. Both elections were held during the course of highly unpopular wars (Korea in 1952 and Iraq in 2008) and the outgoing President encountered negative poll ratings at record highs (Harry S Truman and George W. Bush).

While the primary process had already well started by 1952 it was not the main determinant in the nominating process that it has become today. The classic “smoke filled rooms” of the conventions were still the central arena. Often it took several ballots to win the nomination. Ike didn’t finally outlast the forces of Senator Robert Taft (known as “Mr. Republican as a representative of the conservative wing of the party) until the 3rd ballot at the convention. In fact in 1924 the Democratic nominating convention went 101 ballots and 16 days before John W. Davis a West Virginia banker could win. (and then lost badly to President Coolidge in the election).

In 1952 the Democratic nominee Adlai Stevenson was not a candidate in any of the primaries. He had said all along that his principal ambition was to be reelected Governor of Illinois and wound up being drafted at the Chicago convention for the Presidential nomination.

In addition to Taft, Ike faced former California Governor and future Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Earl Warren and former Minnesota Governor Harold Stassen. He would become a perennial Presidential candidate running and losing nine times the last being in 1992. Always lurking in the background that year was the specter of another former General, Douglas MacArthur who had managed to disgrace himself with his defiance of civilian authority during the conduct of the war in Korea but returned home as a darling of the Republican right after Truman had canned him the year before. He was chosen as the keynote speaker and was hoping his conservative buddies could arrange a draft. It was not to be and he politically faded away.

The biggest sparks in the election came from Ike’s Veep nominee, none other than Richard Milhouse Nixon. The New York Post had run a story asserting that Nixon had been subsidized by a secret fund set up by his California millionaire buddies. Nixon admitted that it existed but said it did not incur obligations to the donors. Basically Ike let Nixon hung out to dry by letting him defend himself in a national TV ham acting address that got him off the hook. That November the Republicans prevailed in a landslide.

Today the debate focuses on the status quo vs. change. Experience vs. youth in broad terms. In 1952 the Korean War was not the divisive issue that Iraq is today in part because President Truman did not mislead the American public as to the reasons for the conflict nor did the war aims constantly change in spite of MacAuthur’s efforts to widen the objectives. Truman wanted to contain the spread of communism MacAuthur wanted to destroy it even if it resulted in nuclear strikes in China. The divisiveness would come later in Vietnam.

But Truman also faced wide spread corruption in his Administration. It was sufficiently problematic that one of the rallying cries of the GoP during the election was to “clean up the mess in Washington.” Of course the current “mess in Washington” makes the misdeeds of the Truman years look absolutely Minor League.

Eventually history turned a kinder eye toward Truman especially in the post Watergate era. I have grave doubts that George W. Bush will fair nearly as well under the historical magnifying glass.

Robert M “Skipp” Orr is the former President of Boeing Japan and taught University courses on American Presidential history.

Pre-primary Pizza & Politics DAJ Meeting/Party

by Sean Toczko (Pizza Mia, Kojimachi Tokyo)

There were about 30 people crowded into the small, B2 space of Pizza Mia, but the atmosphere was anything but stuffy. People were roughly grouped by candidate, and everyone was full of enthusiasm for their choice. We began by taking a few minutes, by group, explaining why we supported our candidate, and why we thought they were the best choice. One thing everyone stressed was that they would support whichever candidate ended up getting the nomination.

The Clinton supporters went first, ably represented by Linda Gould -DAJ Secretary. She took pains to detail the depth of experience that Hillary has in government, and how that made her the best person to be president. She acknowledged that there is a current of personal dislike for Hillary, but countered it by saying that people who have met and talked with her have inevitably changed their views about her. Linda also said that Hillary’s reaction to the press’ constant attacks showed how much strength of character Hillary Clinton has.

Next were the Obama supporters, the largest group, and Lauren Shannon- DAJ Chair took the floor for Obama. She spoke about how his recent MLK speech solidified her feelings. His speech, before a black congregation, went to places that a typical politician shies away from. He spoke about the changes that need to be made, not least within the black community itself. Reaching out to groups typically shunned by African Americans, such as homosexuals, he said that unless we were ready to accept them, and stand for their rights, we can’t expect to speak with a righteous voice about our rights. Additionally, Barack has been actively searching out experts, from all over, as advisors for him, in areas such as foreign policy. Not limiting himself to “inside the beltway” types is a strong differentiator between him and Hillary.

This was followed by Mike Stensrud- DAJ Vice Chair, supporting John Edwards. He began by stating that Edwards was really the only real progressive among the Democrats. This was acknowledged by all the participants. He said that Edwards was the candidate least connected to lobbyists, with only 5% of his money (true?), compared to 25% for Hillary. He said that we need someone who is willing to fight for comprehensive health care for all Americans, bringing up the fact that Americans spend the most money in the world for the least amount of coverage.

The “undecideds” were last, but not least. Margaret Otake a long term DAJ Member got up and said that what they were looking for was someone who they felt would do the job that needs doing, namely cleaning up the huge stinking mess that the Republicans have made of the country, constitution, and image of the US. If any of the candidates could convince them that they would do this, then they would get their votes.

The Next part of the evening was a Q&A about process and procedures for our upcoming DA Global Primary.

We followed this by about an hour and a half of other statements and questions while people ate pizza and drank beer, wine, and juice. We all had a good time, and felt like there was a sense of community, even with people backing different candidates. No one suggested that any of the candidates stop campaigning until the convention, and in fact stressed that their presence helped drive the debate.

Congress says, “Hi.”

-by DAJ Member Miki Nouguchi (photo of Congress woman Hirono and DAJ Chair Lauren Shannon)

December, 2007 it was the DNC, in the form of the inspirational Howard Dean. January 2008 Congress decided to make a DAJ pit-stop that turned into an extended, 2.5 hour-long cocktail meet-and-greet with Representatives Mazie Hirono (HI), Jim McDermott (WA), and Hank Johnson (GA). Each Rep did their best at fighting off jet lag – some better than others ;) – to give a short speech explaining their backgrounds and positions.

As the first naturalized American member of Congress and a native of Fukushima, Japan, Representative Hirono has special insight into the positions of many DAJ members, many of whom are naturalized Americans themselves, long-time residents of Japan with close cultural ties to the country, or bicultural in background and upbringing. Representative McDermott is thought of as “an elder” among his colleagues for his wisdom and experience, having spent the last 19 years in Congress and the last 15 years making visits to Japan as part of a legislative exchange. Representative Johnson is a former judge whose words at the event were touching and precise.

Though this event was certainly more low-key than Dean’s visit – as it was meant to be, especially given the last-minute notice (four days!) – it definitely got interesting during the question and answer period when attendees got to ask burning questions or simply have at it with three real live members of Congress right there in the Mehta’s living room with us. They answered the questions in a fairly straightforward manner and took the heat with grace and experience.

For me, the standout moment came during Representative Johnson’s speech, when he spoke of House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi (CA) as a “fearless warrior for the people” in facing the daunting task before her, that being not only to bring about a greater level of bipartisanship to the Legislature – I know I’m only one among many Americans who is sick of the cross-aisle food fight that has been playing out for the last eon that the recent years have seemed – but of running with that momentum and spirit and getting the things that need to get done done.

Overall, the visit was a positive sign from the people back home that not only are those of us out here holding down the Far Eastern front not forgotten, but actually sought out (it was Representative Hirono who contacted us!). Especially with Dean’s visit, but further supported by stops like these, the Democratic party is demonstrating that it recognizes that we – all Democrats abroad – are out here and that we’re a force to be reckoned with. So reckon with us already! We’re ready to take back not just the White House, but the common sense controls.

Don’t forget to vote either in your state’s primary or in the Democrat’s Global Primary on February 5th!

Juan Cole with Members of DAJ

DAJ members were privileged to listen to an expert on Middle Eastern affairs in November, 2007. Juan Cole, professor of Modern Middle East and South Asian History at the University of Michigan, spoke to about 50 DAJ members and guests at a brunch meeting on the subject of Moslem/Western relations, with special reference to the US-led Iraq invasion and occupation.

As someone who speaks the languages of the Middle East, and who has lived in the region for many years, Professor Cole is almost uniquely qualified to comment on the current disastrous situation there. His blog at www.juancole.com is well-regarded as one of the sources of informed comment on issues in the region.

Cole talked with a certain dry, but animated, academic wit and humor which served to underline the deadly seriousness of the topic under discussion. Many of the points he made were probably already familiar to many of the audience, who are not, after all, subject to the barrage of disinformation proceeding from the American mass media, but the connection of these dots was novel and refreshing to many.

The issues of peak oil, the increasing growth of China as an industrial, energy-hungry global player, and some of the technical issues related to oil extraction in the Middle East, were key to the politics of the war, according to Cole. In his view, to satisfy the current needs of the world’s largest energy consumer (the US) before the current oil reserves are depleted, it was necessary to occupy Iraq, with large potential for future exploitation, before China made a move in that direction.

One other issue Cole perceives as forming part of the Bush administration’s calculations was the support by them of the oil support companies – the Halliburtons, etc. of this world – hardly surprising, when one considers the composition of the Bush cabinet, and the previous business ties of its members.

With regard to eventual US military withdrawal from Iraq, Cole feels that it is possible to withdraw in an orderly fashion which will minimize damage to the Iraqis whose lives have already been so badly shattered by the calamity of the US invasion. [Note by author: the general consensus among Democratic, as well as Republican, presidential candidates seems to be that America has a duty to maintain a military presence in Iraq indefinitely.]

Following his presentation, Cole took questions from the floor, whose subjects ranged from the military, though economics, to the social issues involved in the Middle East. Despite his claims to be a Middle Eastern political specialist, and not to know much about some of the questions asked, he provided highly satisfactory answers to these.

Following the question period, Professor Cole signed copies of his latest book, Napoleon’s Egypt, a study based on French and Egyptian sources of a Western nation’s conflict with an Islamic culture, whose details eerily echo some of the current position in Iraq, some 200 years later.

Heathcare Intiative From DAJ

One Person Can Make A Difference
Millions Together Can Transform the US Health Care System
-Linda Gould

In 1990, I returned from Europe and tried convincing my family and friends of the benefits of the nationalized health care that I experienced there. Some laughed at the idea, some assured me there was nothing wrong with the US health care system, some insisted they didn’t want no socialized medicine, and others just shook their heads, saying it would be an uphill battle to change the system.

Seventeen years later, the U.S. health care system is a mess, an estimated 49 million Americans have no health care at all, and those who do, as we know from Michael Moore’s movie Sicko, worry whether their insurance will cover them when they need it.

Opponents of national health care have argued the same points for years: socialized medicine is bad; the care is poor in socialized systems, procedures are rationed and waits are long; the U.S. health care system is so great people come here for medical procedures; no who wants the government telling you what doctors you can see and what procedures you can have?

But millions of expats around the world know that most of these arguments are patently wrong or overly exaggerated. Sure, the health care systems that we use are not perfect, but they work, and I would argue that an imperfect system that helps everyone far surpasses an excellent system that serves only a portion of the population.

This election year, Republicans will ruthlessly argue against health care using these same false arguments that are voiced to scare people to vote against their own interests. If a Republican wins the Presidency in '08, millions more will lose their coverage: if a Democrat wins, some kind of health care system will be enacted, but Republicans will do everything in their power to make it a half-hearted, watered down version that is rife with privatization to enrich cronies and full of loopholes.

DEMOCRATS LIVING ABROAD MUST GET IN THE FIGHT!

DAJ is launching a campaign to share our experiences, tell our stories, and use facts to counter every talking point and every ideological statement the Republicans can come up with. This is not a theoretical argument for us, so the real-life examples from real-life people can show Americans that they needn’t fear a change, and most importantly, that America is in the unique position to adapt the successful elements of other systems.

HELP US WITH THIS CAMPAIGN

We will launch the campaign in Japan in January and expect to get international involvement from February. We need 10 volunteers to make a video about your Japanese health care experiences that can be posted on YouTube, and we need as many written stories as we can collect. Contact Lauren at chair@demsjapan.jp or Linda at secretary@demsjapan.jp.

DNC Eastern Regional Meeting

Dear Democrats Abroad Asia members:
On November 16-18, I attended the DNC Eastern Region Meeting in New Hampshire. Surprisingly there was not a large showing of DNC members (so with me and our Vice Chair, Toby Condliffe, Democrats Abroad was one of the best represented state parties.) There was, however, a very large contingent of both Young Democrats and Stonewall Democrats.

There were a number of training sessions and some good speeches. Here are some of the highlights.

Grassroots Organizing
Governor Michael Dukakis lectured on grassroots training. He was very humble and explained that the lack of precinct captains was why he lost the presidential race to George Bush I and apologized to everyone because he said if he had beat George Bush I there would have been no George Bush II presidency and that is something he has to live with everyday.
He explained that our candidates need a 50 state strategy for the precinct level. That each candidate should have a local precinct captain for each precinct and they should recruit local neighbourhood captains and local block captains.
He said these precinct captains should be empowered and accountable.
He said that the precinct captain is the campaign manager for the precinct, they cant wait for instructions as instructions never come and as the precinct captain knows the community the best they should be able to best decide what works in that precinct.

On the other side, the precinct captains must be accountable, they must report back to the campaign manager each week with accurate statistics (eg how many people they contacted, what information they collected, who is a registered voter, who are they voting for, etc.).

He also noted that not only are these important for GOTV but they are important in spreading your message and countering the opponents swift boat attacks so you can respond quickly and effectively

Other points to note-
*door knocks are less expensive and more effective than literature and calls (stat- it takes about 2,000 direct mail pieces to change one voter from one side to the other but it takes only 14 doors knocks.)
* Early contributors to a campaign are good converts to volunteers
*find people when they are not busy- supermarket, the local dump, laundry, etc

After the lecture, Toby got up and gave Democrats Abroad a good plug and I gave out some VoteFromAbroad.org cards.

Private meeting with Dukakis

After the lecture Governor Dukakis asked the DNC members (and Lanny Davis, President Clinton’s White House Counsel) to a private meeting to discuss strategy, they agreed that the 50 state strategy worked and we need more grassroots organizing and advertising and need the candidates to understand this.
I emphasized to the other DNC members, and they agreed, that the 50 State strategy is essential to the future health of the Democratic Party and we need to have a commitment from the candidates to support a DNC Chair who will follow through on Dean’s strategy once he steps down.

The Plan for 2008

DNC trainer, Parag Mehta, explained that our electoral goals were to take back the White House, expand majorities in the House & Senate and control redistricting in the state legislatures He said we need to organize everywhere, count everything (see what activities have a measurable impact) and question assumptions.

The big new tool to assist in this process with be one integrated voter file platform called Votebuilder which will help organize neighborhoods and make a large accurate voter file.

Votebuilder will have tools to help people contact their neighbours, input information gathered, tools to make flyers and other network building tools and incentives for vote getters (eg visits or calls from the candidates, etc),
The DNC will also check changes of address so they can follow the voter to his new neighbourhood.

* Parag emphasized that person to person contact is becoming more and more essential because TV and radio ads are not as effective anymore due to cable, Tivo ipod, Sirius, internet, etc so we need to go back to person to person persuasion.

Speeches

Elizabeth Edwards gave a nice speech about how her husband has been helping people all his life and this comes from how his experiences and how he was brought up.
Patrick Murphy’s flight was canceled so he drove 7 hours from Philadelphia to make the speech on behalf of Obama. He stated how Barack came to help him on a number of occasions when no one gave him a chance to win. He stressed Barack’s judgement and how he understands the need for big changes to the system and a new direction for politics.

Best regards,
Brent O’Leary

END FEBRUARY WEBNEWS

November WebNews 2007

Celebrating the coming of fall and kicking off the one year countdown to our 2008 presidential election. We need everyone's involvement; working on the GOTV committee, writing for the webnews, raising money, researching issues, writing letters to voters, congress people and letters to the editor. We need you.

Coming up soon, please consider joining us for upcoming meetings and events in Kansai, Tokyo, and Tokai. Also Kansai and Tokai chapters are having elections this month. Get involved. You can make a difference.

and with that we present to you the Nov. Webnews. Sit back with your cup of green tea- read and enjoy. Also consider writing for us in the future. (email us to volunteer) 500-700 words on a political topic of your choice. We want to hear from you.

thanks for your support and thanks to all of this month's writers.

DAJ Thanksgiving 2007

It’s November, and you know what that means…Well, yes, we’re just two months away from the first state primaries, three months away from Democrats Abroad’s first ever Global Primary and one year away from an election that will determine the future of America. But what I meant was that it’s time for DAJ’s annual Thanksgiving Dinner!

We’re celebrating this year at Tokyo’s popular Fujimama’s Restaurant on November 21 from 7 pm. And it’s not just going to be rich, succulent turkey, melt-in-your-mouth mashed potatoes with creamy gravy, tangy cranberry sauce or the best pumpkin pie in Japan. No, DAJ’s event includes a competitive trivia game and a chance to win fantastic door prizes. You don’t want to miss this event.

Cost for this year’s Thanksgiving celebration is 4000 yen for adults, 1500 yen for children, and it includes dinner, one drink, all the fun you can handle and a 1000 yen donation to DAJ’s Get Out the Vote activities, which are crucial if we are going to take the White House in ’08 and gain larger majorities in Congress.

Join us at Fujimama’s this November 21. Seats are limited so RSVP to japan-chair@dems-abroad.com today!

For more DAJ activities, visit www.demmsjapan.jp

Lessons from the Left, November 2007

The gutless center

by-Dan Curewitz

I do not know any other way to put it. I do not believe that the majority of our elected representatives who claim to be in the ideological center are liars, nor do I believe they are fools. I do not believe they held any nefarious, secret, destructive political agenda that they hid from the American People when these centrists stood for election last November (aside from Joe Lieberman, who flat-out lied in the faces of his constituents). That leaves one option – no backbone, no stones, no fire, however you want to put it.

The Democratic Party has a majority in both houses of congress, a slim one in the Senate and a pretty strong one in the House. The Democratic Party has (or had) the support and approval of a large proportion of the population of the nation, and was given that majority on the strength of several promises made during the election. Those promises were, broadly: dealing with the war in Iraq, dealing with the healthcare crisis, dealing with constitutional depredations, dealing with corruption and graft, dealing with the environment. All of those promises are based on a single overarching premise: the current incarnation of the GOP under Bush and the radical Right consists of a coterie of insane, warmongering, incoherent, psychopathic, lickspittle sycophants and professional liars who hold no respect for the constitution, international law, logic, reason, the planet, or morality as most human beings understand it. The country recognizes this, and voted for people who claimed they would put a stop to that group of rapacious thugs who would bankrupt the US morally, politically, socially, and financially, and who would rip what was left of the constitution to shreds.

Here is the “Lesson from the Left”: The self-identified Left has never been a strong majority in the United States, yet its views have held center stage in any number of political moments over the last century. Why? Because the Left has (or had) ideological commitment to a core set of ideals based around a strong central premise. The Right has (or had) a similar foundation. The center apparently lacks that basis.

I say apparently because, in fact, that basis is really quite simple and clear, and should be adopted by the current crop of political representatives. That basis is the Constitution, the Rule of Law, and the system of checks and balances that has been the core of American Political Life since the late 1700’s. The power and attraction of centrist politics throughout American history has been the system of rules, balances, and the constitutionally mandated framework within which all ideological battles should be conducted. If bipartisanship compromises the core values that the Center SHOULD be cleaving to, then bipartisanship is unwelcome. If comity and cross-aisle cooperation threatens the rule of law, harms the checks and balances, disrupts the political and procedural framework of the governance of the nation, then those trappings of political theater should be discarded.

The ideology of the Center is not so easily or straightforwardly encapsulated as the Left or the Right. There is no “Power to the People” or “Keep the Government out of my Business” slogan that can be quickly and effectively amplified. It is difficult to make a chant or a propaganda pamphlet that expresses the “ideology” of constitutional governance. But constitutional, structured governance is the core value of the ideological center, and unless the center is willing to stand up and fight for that foundation, the center will not hold.

The current crop of Right Wing loons running the Executive Branch has no respect for those constitutional rules. They would be more than happy to scrap the constitution entirely.

Will the Center fight for their very reason for existence? Or will cowardly capitulation in the name of bipartisanship result in the elevation of extra-constitutional and unconstitutional scofflaws to near-dictatorial status?

It’s gut-check time, and the Center needs to stand up. FISA, DOJ scandals, War Powers, budget games, election law games, use of the judicial branch as a political cudgel, presidential signing statements, immunity granted to traitors, murderous mercenary armies under the nominal control of contractors to the State Department, gutting of the budget to pay for illegal wars on the nations credit, while the coffers of corporate cronies are filled with no-bid contracts and sweetheart pork subsidies…all done in broad daylight with a sneer and a wink and a chuckle. Do these sad events fit into the framework of constitutional governance that has been the backbone of the political center for the last two centuries? Or will the “moderates” finally wake up to the fact that they are being snookered by liars, cheats, and thieves who hold no respect for the constitution that grants them the freedoms they so gleefully abuse?

The center likes to maintain that their strength lies in not being “radical” – I say that this is not true. The center has always been radical in the sense that departure from sloganeering, appeals to raw emotion, appeals to “great men” and governance by “big daddy” is a very radical idea. The idea that structure, law, and balanced powers between branches of government with different responsibilities is extremely radical. It’s time to defend that structure, or see it destroyed.

On potential casualties in Iran

by Max Von Schuler

I am writing this about the possible US casualties if the US attacks
Iran. The key to everything is supply, and here, geography is not our friend.

American forces consume a tremendous amount of fuel, food and ammunition, plus a lot of other stuff. This route of supply is
essential to the American fighting ability. Without it, our troops
become foot infantry, depending on the bayonet.

Look at this map:

In the Persian Gulf region, which I think is the most vulnerable our deployments are as such: We have a major Air base in Qatar, and a Naval base in Bahrain. Otherwise, all our troops are in Kuwait and Iraq. Notice the geography of the Persian Gulf. It is like a long sack, with the neck at the Straits of Hormuz. If we bomb Iran, even a little bit, the Iranians can close it quite easily.

Ok first of all, how many people are we talking about? My guess would be 345,000. This breaks down as: 160,000 troops. Although this number is bound to decrease as surge troops are sent back tot he US, there are no troops to replace them. 180,000 private contractors. This is an estimate, but I think we should put things on the high end for planning purposes. and let us say some 5,000 diplomatic and other personnel in the Iraq theater along with personnel at the Qatar Air base and Bahrain Naval base. That is about 55,000 more the the German Sixth Army in WWII, that was surrounded at Stalingrad.

Now I don't have exact figures of how things are going, but one thing is for sure. Most items of supply will come by sea, and then be transfered to trucks and delivered to the recipient troops. There are two routes. One is through the gulf into Kuwait, and then up the roads to Baghdad and other locations. The other is through Turkey, from the Med into northern Iraq. Both routes are vulnerable. Iraqi Resistance forces have stepped attacks on the Kuwait to Baghdad route,
convoys have been cut from 8 to 5 a day. These convoys are not escorted by US troops but by private contractors. the northern route through Turkey depends on the goodwill both of the Turks and the Kurds.

Now, can the Iranians really cut off the sea route through the Persian Gulf. Absolutely. Here is a report of a war game played in 2002 by the US.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennium_Challenge_2002

Too many people assume that the US is unbeatable. Not at all so. The US leadership has been beating it's chest for some time about attacking Iran, I am sure it would be correct to assume that they have not been sitting still. The above war game showed things that Iran can absolutely do. And believe me, they are already boasting about how they will hit us if we hit them.

Another thing to remember. The Persian Gulf is a long body of shallow water. It is full of Arabian and Iranian commercial vessels. Also, huge oil tanker move majestically in their designated shipping lanes. These ships are not maneuverable to any extent, they take miles to
turn or stop. So the areas available for our carrier battlegroup to operate in will be few, and predictable. A big target for the Iranian missile boats. Not to mention that they have three Kilo class Russian submarines. They are very deadly in shallow water, basically, our Anti submarine Warfare forces probably won't find them until after they have shot. We have two attack subs in the Gulf, but our boats are too big for shallow water, they don't maneuver well, and their
sonar ability is degraded by all the noise of a shallow bottom.

So I think we should assume that the Iranians will be able to close the Straits of Hormuz. As long as they want. I have seen plans to land a Marine division at Bandar Abbas to open the Straits of Hormuz, but then we are in a land war with country that has one million infantry. And we don't have the Marines to spare for any length of time. Also, that still leaves a lot of coastline from which Iran could launch small missile boats.

So let us say that we bomb Iran, and they shut down the Gulf. The supply situation of our troops will quickly become critical. The first reaction would be to pull all units inside large bases. There will not be enough fuel to support all those local outposts that have been established. Most US supply will come from Turkey or by air. Look at the map again. It is a long way to fly to Iraq from anywhere. And I do not think we can count on being able to stage aircraft through any bases in Pakistan in a serious way, the Afghan bases are full up just supporting that war, Incilkik air base in Turkey will be swamped, and we only have enough capacity to supply one third of our troops by air anyway.

Airpower is a huge US advantage, but in this scenario we no longer be able to supply enough fuel to maintain air support. The only air support will come from Turkey, (if Turkey is willing) or carriers in the Med. And they will have to overfly Syria or Jordan. What will those countries say to that?

Oh, and don't forget, the Iranians are lobbing missiles into US installations, and the Shia close the roads and isolate US installations, and Iran let's anti air shoulder fired missiles into
Iraq, something they have not done. We are not going to supply our troops by air at a survivable level. At this point the Green Zone would probably have to be abandoned as too difficult to supply.

We would be in slow strangulation, but the end result would be that we would be forced to leave Iraq. Now here we have some more problems. I have mentioned the huge number of contractors. About 30,000 are those infamous guards like Blackwater, but many others are mechanics, cooks, drivers etc. These people are not uniformed military, and many are third country nationals. If the chips go down for the US, they will defiantly panic. The only thought on their minds will be the next plane out. The security guards are guarding US diplomatic personnel, and high ranking military officers. they will have the opportunity to take hostages to secure their ticket out, and they will have the ability to cause massive confusion. In any case, they will no longer be performing their jobs.

If the Turks allow US troops to pass though Turkish territory, probably most will be able to evacuate through there. But most will have to walk. since over a year ago, there have not been enough vehicles to equip all units in Iraq. Two or three battalions share one battalion sets of vehicles.

Now Turkey is poised to invade northern Iraq and attack the Kurds, the only US ally in Iraq. The US now must choose one or the other. (I say Turkey, no brainer there)

The US retreat will have to be in a series of Kessels. Kessel is a German word meaning cauldron, or large kettle. It refers to German formations on the East front in Russia in WWII, who, surrounded by Soviet advances, would fight their way out. The troops on the west end toward the German lines would fight the breakout battles, troops on the east end would be the rear guard, and the northern and southern units would protect the flanks. All the wounded and supply would be in the middle.

In such an operation, the ability of the US to supply air support would be minimal, as I have said the only reliable air support would be though the Med over flying Jordan or Syria. Bombers from Diego Garcia would need air to air refueling, and so would any aircraft dropping supplies on the Kessels making their way out.

It would be nasty little infantry fights all the way.

by this method, Kessel extraction through Turkey, we could probably evacuate 50% to 80% of our troops in Iraq. The troops in Bahrain and Qatar would be mostly lost. The percentage of losses among contractors would be much higher.

If Turkey closed the border to Americans, the best bet would be to try to fight through the Syrians, and get picked up by the US Navy on the Syrian coast. Don't try the Turks if they are hostile. By this way, we might get 30% out.

For those that don't get out, it would be best to try to surrender to the Iranians. Arabs do not take prisoners, they take hostages or slaves.

In this writing I have not addressed the effect on the world economy. In just ten days, the threat of a Turkish attack on Kurdistan has sent oil jumping up some $8 a barrel. Attack Iran and yes, I think we will see $200 a barrel oil.

These are just some military thoughts on this subject, I do believe that if we attack Iran in any way, this scenario becomes inevitable.

There is no reason to attack Iran. They want to be friendly with the US. Iran gave significant and essential help in the fight for Afghanistan. The present American political leadership has rebuffed their overtures at every turn, and instead responded with threats. It is time to stop this insanity.

Thanks for the Little Things

by Linda Gould

What a difference a year makes. Last year at this time, the Dems had just won majorities in both houses of Congress and there was so much hope and so many expectations that our country would be righted once again, that the Thanksgiving holiday was stuffed as much with enthusiasm and optimism as it was with turkey and mashed potatoes.

The mood this Thanksgiving is much more somber—the war continues, Bush is as much a bully as he ever was, and the democratic leadership is so unfamiliar in their positions of power that they seem more preoccupied with figuring out how they won their majorities (and how to keep them) than what to do with their newfound power.

Within this miasma, it’s hard to find much to be thankful for. Sure, the Democrats passed an increase in the minimum wage, the 9/11 commission recommendations were enacted, and millions of people will be able to attend university because Democrats pushed through their higher education legislation. These examples are only a few of the Democratic Congress’s successes. But, I’m sorry to say, this is a little like saying, “Well my broken arm is better and my wounds have been stitched up successfully, and my broken teeth have been capped, but I haven’t been able to do anything about the cancer spreading through my body.” The occupation of Iraq with its incessant war profiteering trumps all else.

Still, there are moments that are worth noting this Thanksgiving. Sure, Bush is still an obstinate bully, but he’s feeling Democratic pressure. He slammed a door in anger after leaving a press conference last month, and he has started making wild accusations about Democrats spending too much time on hearings and investigations, a sure sign that Congressional oversight is taking its toll on our would-be king. His own party leaders are chiding him for not doing enough to help them get reelected, like sign a bill giving sick, poor children access to health care, and sadly Bush’s loyal rats are abandoning the sinking ship, leaving him nearly alone with that soul-draining, joy-sucking Dementor Dick Cheney.

The Democrats are giving us reason to be thankful, too. After one of Bush’s temper tantrum press conferences, Pelosi laughed at him and said, “ The poor president. the poor president,” then proceeded to make fun of him for not knowing what was in the various bills that he signed, crying about Congressional oversight and wasting the American people’s time. Pelosi has finally figured out that the best way to handle a spoiled brat is to laugh at him.

And the poor President is in the totally unfamiliar situation of facing opposition from all sides. Senator Chris Dodd is placing a hold on telecom immunity for spying on millions of Americans and the Judicial Committee looks like it won’t confirm Bush’s choice for Attorney General because the nation’s top-most law enforcement official won’t say that waterboarding is torture. The Iraqi government won’t pass legislation handing their oil resources over to American corporations, but they have passed legislation that wasn’t first written and approved by the US; legislation that revoked immunity for Bush’s mercenary forces in Iraq. Finally, the man who exposed his tender soul to Bush in a brief moment of eye-contact, Vladimir Putin, now won’t play nice regarding the missile defense system that Bush wants on Russia’s border. In fact, Putin has even sided with Bush’s arch-enemy, Iran’s Ahmadinejad.

Who knows where all of this will lead? Cheney is pushing for yet another war, Bush is so petulant he may start one just to show he’s relevant, and the Democrats may be so surprised at their newfound strength that they might just do something of importance, like make the Republicans physically filibuster the multitude of bills they are holding up or force Republicans to vote on legislation to stop the war every single month, or…dare I say it? Impeach the president. Hey, stranger things have happened (Bush in the role of President, comes to mind).

So this year, say a big thank you for the few small things going our way this political season. It’s been a long time coming.

November DAJ Reading Room

(Great reading recommendations from DA Mexico member Beverly)

Takeover: The Return of the Imperial,
Savage, Charlie.
Presidency and the Subversion of American Democracy. Little, Brown and Company
(September 5, 2007). “Savage, who won a Pulitzer for his Boston Globe articles about the signing statements George W. Bush used to negate legislation limiting presidential authority, gives that issue a key part in this account of the Bush administration's efforts to increase executive power.” – Publisher’s Weekly. “In this troubling look at the abuse of power, Savage also details Cheney's involvement in seizing presidential power to authorize wiretapping, torture, and imprisonment of citizens without trial.” – Booklist.

“The Day After We Bomb Iran,” Weigant, Chris.
InformationClearingHouse, 10-01-07.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article18489.htm
There's a raging debate within the Bush administration, the punditocracy, and the blogosphere about whether or not it is time to bomb Iran… The consequences for an Iranian adventure would be severe. In all the arguments swirling around Iran currently inside the Beltway, not enough attention is being paid to the likely outcome of such military action. If you're a neo-con and are arguing that Iran needs to be taken out because they're the world's biggest state sponsor of terrorism, then fine -- make your case. But be sure to realistically address what the costs of such rash action would be for America. Because last time around, we ignored that part of the equation with "we'll be greeted as liberators" -- and we just can't afford a second mistake of that magnitude. Chris Weigant blogs at: ChrisWeigant.com

“Midnight in America: Huffington, Ariana. the Mainstreaming of the GOP’s Lunatic Fringe,” 10-22-07.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/midnight-in-america-the-_b_69415.html

“The most significant takeover of the past decade isn't to be found among the telecoms, the big oil companies, or in Silicon Valley. The reconfigured entity is headquartered in Washington, but we can see and hear the results everyday on your television, radio, and computer screen. And America is much the worse for it. I'm talking about the takeover of the Republican Party by its lunatic fringe.

Reagan's GOP has been replaced by the dark, moldering, putrefied party of Bush, Cheney, Rove, Limbaugh, Coulter, and Malkin. Morning in America has given way to Midnight in America.”

How do you vote in the Democrats Abroad Global Primary?

VOTING IN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY IN Japan

1. Being eligible to vote in the USA Democratic Presidential Primary: to vote in the Democratic Party Presidential Primary here in Japan you must be a USA citizen over the age of 18 on election day (November 4, 2008), who resides temporarily or permanently in Japan and is a member of Democrats Abroad (DA), the official overseas arm of the USA Democratic Party, with country committees all over the world, of which Democrats Abroad/Japan is one.

2. Joining Democrats Abroad: no membership fees, just fill out the membership form on this website www.DemocratsAbroad.org/join , and complete the online membership form. You automatically become a member!

3. How to vote in the Democratic Presidential Primary: there are three ways to take part in the Democrats Abroad Presidential Primary here in Japan:

a) Voting in person at a DAJ Voting Center: a USA citizen over the age of 18 (on November 4, 2008) who resides in Japan temporarily or permanently can join Democrats Abroad on the spot at the Voting Center with his/her USA passport in hand and then vote in the Presidential Primary. The Voting Centers will be in various locations in Kanto, Kansai and Tokai. The primary voting day will be February 5, 2008.

b) Voting with a paper ballot by old fashioned mail or fax: the voter must be a Democrats Abroad member by January 31, 2008 and advise DAJ (see email address below) that this is how he/she wants to vote by the same date.

c) Voting online: the voter must be a Democrats Abroad member by January 31, 2008 and advise DAJ (see email address below) that this is how he/she wants to vote by the same date.

4. All DA members will receive detailed information on the process in December / January; details will also be posted on the Democrats Abroad website www.DemocratsAbroad.org.


IMPORTANT FACTS TO KNOW

1. What is your ‘voting state’?: Your ‘voting state’ is the last address you registered to vote in the USA, or if you never did, then the last address you resided in the USA, or if you never did, then in many states the last address your parents resided in the USA -- even if the building or street no longer exists. Some states do not accept this – DAJ can help you find out.

2. Another way to join the Democratic Party: You can also join the Democratic Party when you fill out the www.VoteFromAbroad.org downloadable voter registration form (see below) by checking YES on the form in answer to the question: do you want to join the Democratic Party. If you do, then you ALSO automatically become a member of Democrats Abroad and can vote in the Presidential Primary described above.

3. Democrats Abroad has the standing of a State Committee with 22 voting electors at the Democratic National Nominating Convention to be held in Denver, Colorado in August 2008. Democrats Abroad also has 8 voting members on the Democratic National Committee.

4. A voter can’t vote in two presidential primaries: if you vote in the Democrats Abroad Presidential Primary you may not vote in your ‘voting state’ presidential primary -- if it has one (several do not) and if it permits overseas absentee citizens to participate (several do not). You may, however, be able to participate in your ‘voting state’ congressional primaries and in some states, also in the state and local primaries – this entirely depends on the state. DAJ can help you find out.

VOTING IN THE NOVEMBER 2008 NATIONAL ELECTION

1. Voting in the election: to vote in the November 4, 2008 USA Presidential and Congressional election you must register to vote and request an overseas absentee ballot from your ‘voting state’.

2. How to register to vote and request an overseas absentee ballot: very easy, just go to www.VoteFromAbroad.org, and use the downloadable registration form that is available to all USA voters. Read the directions carefully, fill out the form fully, print it out, sign it, and mail it (yes, the old fashioned way) to your USA election board (or whatever it is called in your ‘voting state’), which will appear on the form with the correct address on the basis of the information you entered into the form. Some states permit sending the filled out voter registration form by fax. DAJ can help you find out. NOTE: You can also enter www.VoteFromAbroad.org through the Democrats Abroad website www.DemocratsAbroad.org.

3. Getting your overseas absentee ballot: the election board in your ‘voting state’ should send you an overseas absentee ballot after it receives the www.VoteFromAbroad.org voter registration form that you filled out and mailed to your election board in your ‘voting state’.

4. If your state ballot does not arrive on time: your overseas absentee ballot from your ‘voting state’ should arrive by mail no later than October 1, 2008. If it does not, you can use the Federal Write-in Overseas Absentee Ballot that appears on screen together with the downloadable www.VoteFromAbroad.org registration form that you filled out.

5. Using the Federal Write-in Ballot: When the filled out downloadable www.VoteFromAbroad.org voter registration form appears on your computer screen, it comes together with a Federal Write-in Ballot. Print out both documents twice (once to mail and once for your records). You may have to use one copy of the Federal Write-in Ballot in case your ‘voting state’ ballot does not arrive on time. Carefully follow the instructions on the Federal Write-in Ballot and then mail it (yes, again the old fashioned way) to your election board in the USA in your ‘voting state’. Depending on the cut off date for receiving overseas voted ballots in your ‘voting state’, you may have to mail it EXPRESS or the equivalent thereof. Several states permit faxing the voted ballot to your election board. DAJ can help you find out.


ANY MORE QUESTIONS?

Contact Democrats Abroad Japan at: japan-chair@dems-abroad.com

(tip of the hat for making this all easy to explain goes to DA GUATEMALA)

End DAJ Novemeber WebNews