I've signed up for the We Campaign because I believe that by working together, we can solve the climate crisis. Will you join me? Just click on the link below to sign up and add your voice to the million-plus call for an end to global warming

www.wecansolveit.org/join

The We Campaign is an effort launched by Al Gore and the Alliance for Climate Protection to promote solutions to the climate crisis. It's an urgent issue, but the climate crisis is also solvable if we work together and unite our leaders around solutions like renewable power and enhanced energy efficiency. We can leave the next generation a healthy climate. Please add your voice by joining the We Campaign today:

www.wecansolveit.org/join

My name is Asher Heimermann and I am the host of a live internet radio broadcast show called "Asher Speaks Live". My show brings; authors, elected officials, candidates, and local celebrities "on air" as special guests to talk about their life and current events.

Asher Speaks Live attracts about 200 and 300 listeners each month. We discuss the latest national and political news as well as topics such as; news, sports, weather, and much more. Asher Speaks Live is a new innovative approach.

Noted guests on Asher Speaks Live include Larry Nelson, George Phillies, Kat Swift, and Judy Stock, just to name a few.

Archives of Asher Speaks Live can also be heard on my official website that is located at www.asherheimermann.com as well as my profile on MySpace, which can be found at www.myspace.com/aheimermann.

Please feel free to contact me for more information or to inquire about booking to be a special guest on the Asher Speaks Live radio program. You are welcome to visit my website to learn more about me and my radio show.


Mr. Asher Heimermann
asher@asherheimermann.com
http://www.asherheimermann.com
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/asher

I have officially endorsed Senator Barack Obama. I have posted my endorsement on my blog, which is is located at www.ASHERHEIMERMANN.com and click on Blog.

Please feel free to comment on the endorsement and to vote for the Senator in the 2008 Presidential Poll that is on the right side of the blog.

If you have any questions, please e-mail me at asher@asherheimermann.com. Comments should be left on the blog.

Tonight, check with ASHERHEIMERMANN.com for the fastest results and the latest breaking developments for the Iowa Caucuses. The arcane rules governing Thursday's Iowa Democratic caucuses will test even the most organized campaign, but mastery of the process could launch a candidate on a path to the White House.

The Iowa Caucuses start at 8pm ET / 7pm CT and the Presidential Candidates have to show up at caucus sites to vote. Also, the Presidential Candidates must have at lease 15 percent of the voters to be "viable".

Please go to www.ASHERHEIMERMANN.com/blog to vote for your favorite candidate in the 2008 Presidential Poll.

Below are the final results of the two polls that were located at www.ASHERHEIMERMANN.com/blog.

As for the 2008 Presidential Poll:

- Joe Biden had 1%
- Chris Dodd had 0%
- Mike Gravel had 11%
- Hillary Clinton had 2%
- John Edwards had 11%
- Barack Obama had 53%
- Bill Richardson had 2%
- Dennis Kucinich has 19%

As for the Person of the Year:

- Al Gore had 89 votes
- Wolf Blitzer had 6 votes
- Barack Obama had 125 votes
- Fred Thompson had 10 votes
- Dennis Kucinich had 86 votes
- Ellen DeGeneres had 7 votes
- Anderson Cooper had 15 votes
- Asher Heimermann had 12 votes

We have three new polls that you can vote in until Wednesday, January 30th, 2008. Just go to www.ASHERHEIMERMANN.com/blog to start voting!

You have just hours left to vote for your favorite candidate in the 2008 Presidential Poll that is located at www.ASHERHEIMERMANN.com/blog before the final results are read live on New Years Eve!

- Joe Biden has 1%
- Chris Dodd has 0%
- Mike Gravel has 11%
- Hillary Clinton has 2%
- John Edwards has 11%
- Barack Obama has 54%
- Bill Richardson has 2%
- Dennis Kucinich has 19%

The final results of this poll will be read on Asher Speaks Live which airs live on Monday, December 31st at 12:30am ET / 11:30pm CT. You can listen to the show live by going to www.BlogTalkRadio.com/asher/.

We've launched another new edition of www.ASHERHEIMERMANN.com! We have added more resources and action items on the website. We have also set-up a few groups that you can join to show your support and interest.

We have even added the Asher Speaks Live Schedule so you will know the dates and times of the show! We are still adding a few more pages to the website. We will not have the Issues page up until the third week of January, 2008.

Please feel free to e-mail your comments to asher@asherheimermann.com. These comments will be helpful in making this website better to use and access. Many more cool features will be added in the upcoming months.

Once again, I want to provide you with an update to the poll that is located on www.ASHERHEIMERMANN.com/blog on the right side.

Joe Biden has 1%
Chris Dodd has 0%
Mike Gravel has 11%
Hillary Clinton has 2%
John Edwards has 12%
Barack Obama has 56%
Bill Richardson has 2%
Dennis Kucinich has 17%

You have one more week to vote in this poll and two others that are located on my official blog. The winners of the three polls will be accounced on my radio show on New Years Eve, December 31st at 11:30pm CDT.

Once again, my official blog is located at www.ASHERHEIMERMANN.com/blog and if you have any questions, please e-mail me at asher@asherheimermann.com.

The editorial boards of the Des Moines Register and the Boston Globe - two of the most influential papers for voters in Iowa and New Hampshire, the first two states to weigh in at the polls - both gave their endorsement to John McCain in the Republican presidential race, but parted ways over their choice in the Democratic contest.

To read the rest of this blog post, please go to http://www.ASHERHEIMERMANN.com/blog where you can voice your opinion and vote in the presidential poll.

I've just downloaded the 116-page Federal Election Commission Campaign Guide for Nonconnected Committees. Now, to wade through it to see what I need to do to stay out of trouble as I phone solicit all the wealthy of America.   Read More »

Seem to be getting a second wind with the newsletter, partly because I can draw on things I write elsewhere. Also I have largely abandoned the more detailed local stuff I used to write. I can offer to people that if they want to write some local stuff, with all the proper html formatting, and submit it to me, I will consider using it here with full credit. Want to get word out about your state, city, neighborhood, just contact me. But it has to be ready to be cut and pasted! If you do submit something, please put "Progressive Democrat Newsletter Submission" in the subject line. Otherwise I am likely to miss it.

This week I am focusing once again on Fox News, keeping antibiotics effective and a critical election THIS YEAR in Mississippi. I also present a new feature that started with an unexpectedly recommended Daily Kos diary as well as some local actions for Michigan, NYC and Indiana.

Here is this week's newsletter:

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

FOX ATTACKS BLOGGERS: Fight Back

NEW FEATURE: The Articles They Don't Want You to See 1

KEEPING ANTIBIOTICS EFFECTIVE: Actions that really work!

MICHIGAN FOCUS: Election Protection

NYC FOCUS: Election 2008

INDIANA FOCUS: Progressive Indiana Caucus

MISSISSIPPI FOCUS: Important!! Katrina and Insurance, Update and Action

WOW, IN A REPORT OVER THE NEWS RADIO NETWORK. PRESIDENT BUSH IS
EXPECTED TO RESIGN DUE TO HEALTH REASONS,

VP CHENEY IS EXPECTED TO TAKE OVER THE PRESIDENCY....

FOR MORE INFORMATION...................

READ BELOW FOR LINK























































APRIL FOOL.....................................



BOY THE LIBS ARE FURIOUS NOW....LOL


--
Life is not a dress rehearsal live it!

This week was pretty big. First off, I just want to say best wishes to Elizabeth Edwards. For those who are interested, I have written something on cancer to help people understand it now that it is in the news a bit more.

This week there was also an escalation of tensions with Iran as some Brits were seized by Iran and have been taken to Tehran. Gulf of Tonkin? Remember the Maine?

Many of us NYC bloggers got invited to a DCCC event honoring Nancy Pelosi. Not only was the invitation a pretty big thing and the event quite enjoyable, but it was also gratifying to hear that a powerful Congressman, Jerrold Nadler, and even Governor Eliot Spitzer read us over at Daily Gotham. We work hard on our blogging, so it is nice to know people in power pay attention. You can read a bit about this evening of rubbing shoulders with big wigs here.

Finally, I just want to end with a quote from Current TV's show "Supernews", which has a Dick Cheney "quote" that pretty much sums up the kind of BS Republicans are trying to feed us:

"Winning and ill-defined war against a vaguely defined enemy takes an indefinite period of time. Anyone who disagrees is just confusing the issue."

Now here's this week's newsletter:

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

ELECTION FRAUD IN FLORIDA...again

IOWA SLAMS McCAIN

MICHIGAN SLAMS McCAIN

NYC FOCUS

NYC GROUPS AND EVENTS

NEW JERSEY FOCUS

NEW JERSEY GROUPS AND EVENTS

VIRGINA, INDIANA AND MONTANA FOCUS: Red states no longer??

MIDWEST GROUPS AND EVENTS

VIRGINIA/DC GROUPS AND EVENTS

CALIFORNIA FOCUS: Republican Corruption

CALIFORNIA GROUPS AND EVENTS

I continue to feel good about the Democratic Congress. So far they have been keeping their promises and THAT is a good thing. I already discussed the House Democrats, aided by a handful of moderate Republicans, who passed a minimum wage increase, voted to roll back oil company subsidies, voted to reduce the interest on student loans, and voted to implement the 9/11 Commission Recommendations. But I have been wondering how our Senators would do.

Now we are getting our first glimpse. The latest great thing done by the new Democratic majority is to sharply snub Bush's insane "surge" idea for digging us deeper into the Iraq quagmire. And, yet again, the Democrats have managed to do it with some bipartisan support showing that the Democratic majority has allowed more moderate Republicans to finally assert their independence from the far right wing branch of their party.

From Citizens for Legitimate Government: (complete with their editorializing)

Senate Panel Votes Against Bush on Iraq 24 Jan 2007 The Democratic-controlled Senate Foreign Relations Committee dismissed President [sic] Bush's plans to increase troops strength in Iraq on Wednesday as "not in the national interest," an unusual wartime repudiation of the commander-in-chief [thief].

'There is no strategy.' Senators start rebuke of Iraq strategy 24 Jan 2007 Democrats took the first step toward a wartime repudiation of President [sic] George W. Bush today, convening a Senate committee to endorse legislation declaring that the deployment of additional troops to Iraq is "not in the national interest." Sen. Chuck Hagel, of Nebraska, is the only Republican on the committee to announce support for the measure. "There is no strategy," said Hagel of the Bush regime's war management. "This is a Ping-Pong game with American lives... And we better be damn sure we know what we're doing, all of us, before we put 22,000 more Americans into that grinder."

Senate panel debates rejection of troop increase 24 Jan 2007 Brushing aside President [sic] George W. Bush's plea to give his new war strategy a chance, Republicans and Democrats in the U.S. Senate moved ahead on Wednesday with a resolution opposing his plan to send more troops to Iraq.

Minimum wage increase (now being blocked by Senate Republicans despite it being supported by some House Republicans), scaling back oil company subsidies, implementing the recommendations of the independent, bipartisan 9/11 Commission, promoting stem cell research, cutting interest rates for college loans...shit, I am pretty damned happy with the Congressional Democrats now that they are being given a chance to do something. It will be tougher in the Senate because we have not only a tighter split between the parties, but also the Lieberman effect, which may work to our advantage for some issues, but not for issues related to the war. But if nothing else we are showing that Democrats do support working Americans while Republicans, at least in the Senate and White House, are opposing help for working Americans. So much for "compassionate" conservativism.

Next we get a pretty bold statement from Harry Reid. Here is the statement Senator Harry Reid has made regarding Bush's insane "surge" plan:

In his State of the Union address, George Bush once again said that he intends to escalate our involvement in Iraq's civil war by sending 21,500 more troops to the region.

Congress will vote soon on the president's plan, but my position is clear: No Escalation -- No Way...

On Election Day, America spoke with one voice about its desire to end the war in Iraq. I know that's one of the primary messages you were sending when you worked so hard to get Jon Tester elected to the Senate in Montana.

In the weeks and months since the election, I and other members of Congress from both parties have urged President Bush to heed the will of our nation and propose real change. Regrettably, the president has chosen to ignore the will of the American people. Concern about the president's escalation strategy is non-partisan. It is opposed by Democrats, it is opposed by Republicans, it is opposed by top military leaders, and it is opposed by an overwhelming majority of the American people.

Adding additional troops has already been tried and it has already failed. In fact, it seems as though every year president Bush announces a major strategic shift that is nothing more than a repetition of the same failed tactics all over again, shrouded in new packaging for the media. America doesn't need another White House P.R. campaign -- we need a real change of course in Iraq.

Democrats, Republicans and the bipartisan Iraq Study Group have all offered President Bush a roadmap to turn Iraq over to the Iraqis, begin the phased redeployment of American troops and end our open-ended commitment.

While the president continues to ignore the will of the country, Congress will not ignore this president's failed policy. Congress will soon hold an up or down vote on the president's plan, but my position is clear: No Escalation -- No Way...

Congress will do nothing to jeopardize the safety of our troops, but we will exercise our Constitutional authority to hold the president accountable for a change of course that turns Iraq over to the Iraqis and allows for our troops to begin coming home. The time for more troops in Iraq has passed.

They and their families have served our nation courageously and sacrificed enough.

Hold him to it. Remember this statement and remind him of it anytime the subject of the surge comes up. But most importantly, write the media and express your support of Reid's stand against the "surge."

Now, this week's newsletter:

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

RECOVERING FROM KATRINA

2008 PRESIDENTIAL RACE: Some thoughts

THE BUSH VIEW (humor)

FLORIDA FOCUS: A Message from CFO Alex Sink

OHIO FOCUS: Election Fraud Convictions

NY STATE FOCUS: Two Special Elections, Two More Chances to Win

NYC GROUPS AND EVENTS

CALIFORNIA FOCUS: Looking Forward to Darwin Day

CALIFORNIA GROUPS AND EVENTS

VIRGINIA GROUPS AND EVENTS

NEW JERSEY FOCUS: Democrats 2000

NEW JERSEY GROUPS AND EVENTS

IOWA FOCUS: Minimum Wage Increase

MIDWEST GROUPS AND EVENTS

Well, I am trying to get a more final format going here. I will be doing ongoing analasys of where my readers are, but for now the largest concentrations are New York, California (an area I never focused on before!), Virginia/DC area, and Midwest (combined Michigan, Iowa, Indiana and Wisconsin). So those are likely to be my areas of focus unless something else comes up. As will be clear below, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Missouri are areas I may try to expand my readership. Oddly, my New Jersey readership seems to have become inactive. Used to hear from them often. Not so much anymore. So I will probably not focus on New Jersey much anymore unless I start hearing from that area again. I will say, that it has been a great 2 years to focus on New Jersey! I am looking forward to more interaction with my Midwest readers!

In terms of how people come to this site, about equal numbers are subscribers, so get reminders from me, come from my diaries on Daily Kos, and come on their own via a search engine.

My coverage of local events will probably be reduced. My goal will be to have my normal national coverage, a handful of more local news/issues that will appeal to one or more of my target regions, and have more or less static "Groups and Events" sections for each area to give people a resource to find out how to get involved. When I can I will add specific updated events for each region, but it is not clear to me that too many people are using that part of the newsletter. If people send me events to post (please tell me specifically you want it in this newsletter since I also blog for other sites) I will include them. And, I will remind people, that I also will eagerly consider guest articles as often as you want to send them to me!

One suggestion I got over at We Democrats is that I should have more light hearted stuff to break up the serious stuff. I think I have only done that when I felt inspired...but as a more regular thing, I think it's a great idea. So, to start it off, how about Impeach Bush tatoos, for that REALLY dedicated Democrat you know: (thanks to Michael Boulding for this)







Please keep giving me feedback. I need to know what YOU find useful.

Finally, a word about the advertising. Some of it I include just because I want to publicize some really good organizations (like KIVA and Habitat for Humanity). Some actually pay me a little money, like the Google ads and search engine. So, don't hesitate to use the Google search bar at the top for your web searches, the Amazon link on the left side if you shop Amazon, or click on the Google Ads on the top or left side if they catch your eye, because I could use the tiny bit of extra income! It lends me just a tad extra incentive to keep doing this.


TABLE OF CONTENTS:

IT'S STILL THE ECONOMY STUPID! The Secret to Democratic Success

LOSING TO RELIGIOUS EXTREMISTS

GLOBAL WARMING AND ENERGY POLICY

VOTING REFORM

REPUBLICANS POISONING AMERICANS

UNION OF CONCERNED SCIENTISTS STATEMENT ON ENERGY POLICY

TERRORIST ATTACK IN IOWA

PROGRESSIVE GROUPS IN THE MIDWEST

PROGRESSIVE GROUPS AND EVENTS IN NYC

PROGRESSIVE GROUPS IN CALIFORNIA

PROGRESSIVE GROUPS IN VIRGINIA/DC AREA

PROGRESSIVE GROUPS IN NEW JERSEY

PREVIOUS ISSUE

This issue is dedicated to one more round of celebration over our big win this month, discussing some of the ideas and goals of the Democratic Party nationally and in various states. Anytime you hear someone say the Democrats have no ideas, remember the ideas and goals outlined here. I also have my usual discussion of America's creation myth, the myth of Thanksgiving.

Hope everyone is having a nice rest and has enjoyed a solid gloating about the election. For those who want some extra gloating, I recommend reading about a major Arab conference giving the elder Bush grief about his less-than appreciated son.

Table of Contents:

THANKSGIVING

A DEMOCRATIC PLAN FOR AMERICA

A DEMOCRATIC PLAN FOR NEW YORK STATE

A DEMOCRATIC PLAN FOR BROOKLYN

A DEMOCRATIC PLAN FOR IOWA

A DEMOCRATIC PLAN FOR WISCONSIN

This week will be another gloating newsletter. I really think it is important to realize the scale of our win. Here is a link to a diary I wrote on Culture Kitchen outlining how Democrats won BIG amoung Jewish voters, Asian voters, and the youth vote and how Native Americans won big running as Democrats, all groups that Republicans have been heavily courting in recent years. Democrats closed the gap among church-going Christians as well, cutting into the Republican base. Almost across the board and in every state we did better than expected. Why? Republicans partly dug their own grave. With corruption and a war based on lies, voters were bound to get fed up. But Democrats, uniting with a message of hope, joined populist, progressive and moderate voices to convince Americans that they offered a genuine alternative. Now we have to prove our worth.

Already Democrats have jumped on one important issue: accountability. The Republicans have recently tried to end the Office of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, which is the agency set up to root out corruption in America's Iraq mission. This is the agency that caught Halliburton over-charging the government while providing sub-standard service, forcing Halliburton to pay back some of what it stole, but not stopping Bush and Cheney from continuing to give Halliburton as many no-bid contracts as possible. Republicans want this one source of accontability in Iraq to end. Democrats are already planning to reauthorize this oversight agency. I applaud this plan to reintroduce accountability into American government.

Democrats are also already pushing for a phased redeployment taht would mean withdrawal from Iraq over a 4-6 month period. Democrats are taking the initiative, trying to force an exit strategy whre Republicans have been unable to come up with one for 5 years. In fact, currently the Republicans are planning to send entire National Guard brigades BACK into Iraq for second tours of duty. Democrats want to move forwards...Republicans are locked in making all the same mistakes over and over again.

There are only two things I am asking you to do this week, and both are important to strengthen the hold VOTERS have on the Democratic Party and, through this election's victories, on the nations' government. First, wherever you live, contact your newly elected politicians at whatever level of government, and tell them your thoughts about the election, on the state of America, and what YOU expect of them. Be enthusiastic and specific. But speak out to them. If you already spoke out to them when I urged it last week, make a followup contact. Ask to meet with them before they go to Washington or the state capital. Get to know them, make sure they know you and what your thoughts are. Some politicians won't care. That is worth knowing. But many will at least give you a chance to express yourself. A former mayor of San Diego once told me that politicians, particularly on the local and state level, get so little personal input from voters that when they do they notice. Congressional Representatives and especially Senators are more used to it, but if they are newly elected, they will be at their most open to your comments. So have your say!

The second thing I ask you to do is to join Howard Dean's Democracy Bond program, highlighted just below in Howard Dean's post-election message. Simply put, a big part of our success and a large part of the future of the party rests in this one program. Right now there are 35,000 participants donating a small contribution a month. The average contribution is around $20. As I also emphasize below, that is $700,000 PER MONTH in small donations coming in. That is money with no ties to big industries or lobbyists...only tied to the voters. THAT is what Howard Dean is doing for the Democrats. MORE money with obligations only to the voters. That is the one action I am asking you to do...join this program if you haven't already. For as little as $10/month you can change the dynamics of American politics. See Howard Dean's message below for more information.

Later I will be back to urging you to take action on many issues, but for now, focus on these two actions.

Most of this week's newsletter will be passing along the post-election comments from newly elected Democrats from around the nation, as well as Jim Dean (chair of Democracy for America) and Howard Dean (DNC chair). Enjoy their enthusiasm and their thanks. WE got them elected. They are very appreciative of it!

Issue 96 Table of Contents:

THOUGHTS

THE FINAL THREE CONGRESSIONAL RACES OF 2006

A MESSAGE FROM HOWARD DEAN

A MESSAGE FROM JIM DEAN

A MESSAGE FROM THE INDIGENOUS DEMOCRATIC NETWORK

VETERAN'S DAY

VIRGINIA'S NEW SENATOR: JIM WEBB

MONTANA'S NEW SENATOR: JON TESTER

BROOKLYN ACTIVISM

A NEW YORK STATE CONGRESSWOMAN: KIRSTIN GILLIBRAND

I thought I would post this for everyone to look at. Obviously this is far off in the future (cannot act on it until six months prior to convention), but I thought the more people familiar with it, the better.

Cheers,
Rachael

Carl Levin fof President. Is there a better candidate for the dems? Blue Dog(will capture purple voters)+Senator from Michigan(Swing State)+30 years expierence+Born in Detroit+Chairman of Senate Armed Services Committee+big fundrai$er=PERFECT CANDIDATE

Last night was amazing. I sat in a room with Jen Tomasello, Fred Hutchins, Mudcat Saunders, and Andre Peery and watched the results roll in through the state board of elections. Just about every two seconds I hear something that I absolutely HAD to remember, but in retrospect I can't repeat it without cutting out every other word because it was foul, or just can't repeat because it would incriminate the person who said it within their own party. As a result, I will not talk about my personal experience of campaign night.