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.

Once you have joined the We campaign, think about creating an account on My Community and join the We Action Team:

http://www.wecansolveit.org/page/group/WeActionTeam

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.

I wish you and your family and safe and Happy New Year 2008! I hope that we can elected a Democratic President.

There are two new polls that I welcome you to vote in. Those polls are located at www.ASHERHEIMERMANN.com/blog and you will be able to vote once per day until January 30th.

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/.

I hope that you are enjoying your holiday season so far. It's time to update you on my youth activism campaign.

You can now take a look at some of the videos that I've been uploading to the internet! I've created a profile and a group on YouTube.com so that you are able to see short videos that I have made and will be making. You are welcome to rate the videos as well as comment on them. Feel free to add me as a friend!

As a reminder, I also have a profile and a group on MySpace.com! Click Here to view the profile and Click Here to view the group. We are always looking for new people to add me as a friend on MySpace and join the group. I have been posting upcoming events on MySpace so you can RVSP.

Starting in January 2008, Asher Speaks Live will have all new episodes. We will be adding more interviews and music. We will also be giving away free stuff! We are still having our New Years Eve Special on Monday, December 31st at 11:30pm CT. If you don't have nothing to do, ring in the New Year with me! We will review all of the major news and events of 2007.

As the countdown to 2008 begins, I welcome you to e-mail me your feedback and ideas on how to make my radio show, Asher Speaks Live and my website, ASHERHEIMERMANN.com better. You have gotten my emails and updates and now I'm asking that you take a minute to email me with your feedback.

The next e-mail you will get from me will be on Monday, January 7th. Until then, please check in with my blog that is located at www.ASHERHEIMERMANN.com/blog. The is the best place to go for daily updates. Please have a safe and happy New Years and I look forward to a great 2008!

I've been posting a few of my videos on YouTube! I welcome you to check them out! Feel free to rate and comment on them.

http://www.YouTube.com/Asher4President

You are also welcome to add me as a friend and sur to my channel. I will be uploading my video endorsements soon so stay tune and watch for updates here and on ASHERHEIMERMANN.com/blog!

This week I had the chance to meet John Kerry...and got the day wrong, so I missed it! Read about my son's take on it here. But coming up soon I will be reviewing the new book coming out March 26th by John Kerry and Teresa Heinz Kerry. The upshot is it is WELL worth buying and reading, though it may not grab you at once. By the third chapter I found I was referring to it frequently and thinking about it alot. More on that later.

Some notes on the Presidential race in 2008. The Republicans continue to flail, with Veteran John McCain disliked by Veterans groups and Rudy Giuliani, the 9/11 candidate if there ever was one, completely vilified by the firefighters union. So far I just can't see any of the Republican candidates doing well. But a lot can happen!

On the Democratic side I have seen such a fury of We Clark events and emails, that I have for some time been convinced he will declare soon. Mark my words. All calculations to date are about to be thrown into disarray by a Wes Clark announcement. Personally I am currently leaning Edwards or Obama, and somewhat underwhelmed by Hillary or Wes Clark, but overall I am impressed that ALL the Dems are so much better than ALL the Repubs. I feel all the Dems are qualified in their own ways and would do a good job. I just happen to think Edwards or Obama would do somewhat better. Even the worst of the Democratic Candidates, Biden, has been showing far more promise and spine than I had expected.

So expect Clark's entry and let's just hope the Dems don't self destruct because for now it looks really good for us in 2008.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

THE GLOBAL WARMING SWINDLE

FIREFIGHTERS SAY HELL NO TO RUDY GIULIANI

GETTING OUT OF IRAQ

NEW HAMPSHIRE: Focusing on Iraq and Our Veterans

NEW JERSEY GROUPS AND EVENTS

NYC FOCUS: Getting out of Iraq

NYC GROUPS AND EVENTS

CALIFORNIA FOCUS: Volunteering in San Diego

CALIFORNIA GROUPS AND EVENTS

IOWA FOCUS: Democrats Working Hard and Keeping Promises

INDIANA FOCUS: Jobs!

MIDWEST GROUPS AND EVENTS

VIRGINIA GROUPS AND EVENTS

LOTS going on this week. If you watched Fox you would know that Libby was found not guilty. Of course, if you are in touch with reality you would have ALSO heard that he was found GUILTY of four charges. The one charge that never was leveled at him that SHOULD be was treason. Imagine if the chief of staff of Al Gore had done the equivalent during Clinton's administration. The Republicans would have gone berserk and screamed "treason!"

Meanwhile, Bush travels to Latin America and is greeted by this: (from BBC News)




In Brazil, more than 10,000 protesters (according to BBC news) turned out in the capital of Sao Paulo to protest the arrival of America's appointed President, Georgoe Bush. I wonder if our good friend, Francis Holland, is participating :-)

This is a time when world opinion is solidly against America. This is dramatically show by a recent poll that showed that people view America as marginally MORE destabilizing a force than North Korea and only slightly less destabilizing than Iran. To the world, America is part of the Axis of Evil.

This is played out in Latin America as well. In Venezuela, Bolivia and Ecuador, strongly anti-American, socialist presidents have been elected by democratic vote and are extremely popular. Throughout Latin America, including in Brazil, Peru and Chile, leftist governments have been voted into office. In Nicaragua Daniel Ortega, the boogie man of the Reagan era, has been elected President.

We are not popular in the world, not even in our own backyard. Brazil President Lula's own party is protesting Bush's arrival!

But I am not so worried about this trip. Sure people hate us in Latin America thanks to Bush's stupid and insane foreign policy. But at least he isn't visiting Chile. The president of Chile is a women. And we know what kind of creepy groping Bush is known for when meeting a woman head of state:



At least we are spared a similar groping incident in Chile, at least on this trip.

Meanwhile, related to the same embarassing Bush trip, there's a great story on dKos about Mayan priests in Guatamala who plan to purify a sacred Mayan site after President Bush visits and are calling his visit an "offense for the Mayan people and their culture."

What deep revulsion Bush invokes worldwide!

Here's this week's newsletter. Don't forget to visit an advertiser or two to get me a few more cents income. And if you want more political and cultural commentary, visit Culture Kitchen, my other main blog.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

MEDIA ACTION: Taking on Ann Coulter's Hate Speech

NATIONAL ACTION TO GET US OUT OF IRAQ

IMPEACHMENT!

NY STATE FOCUS: Getting us out of Iraq!


NYC GROUPS AND EVENTS

IOWA FOCUS

MICHIGAN FOCUS

MIDWEST GROUPS AND EVENTS

NEW JERSEY FOCUS

NEW JERSEY GROUPS AND EVENTS


VIRGINIA FOCUS: Getting us out of Iraq!

VIRGINIA GROUPS AND EVENTS

CALIFORNIA FOCUS: Gettingus out of Iraq!

CALIFORNIA GROUPS AND EVENTS

Busy week! I continue to be impressed with the pace and quality of legislation by Democrats in the House. The Senate is lagging a bit, but that is partly because the Democratic majority in the Senate is razor thin...and it includes Lieberman who, though a solid Democrat on many issues, is too close to Bush on other issues and seems to be making his career on enabling some of Bush's worst ideas. The plan for escalation in Iraq can be considered a McCain/Bush/Lieberman collaboration and the consequences in money and lives lost will be on their heads.

I also should add that Presidential hopefuls Vilsack, Edwards, Obama, and Richardson are all calling for withdrawal from Iraq and urging Congress to act decisively. Sounds good! I think Democrats have finally regrown their backbone and, more importantly, enough of them are showing it that it is far harder for the media to ignore.

Here in NY State we had a wonderful special election for the 7th State Senate district where the nastiest possible dirty tricks by the anti-choice, anti-gay, anti-stem cell research Republican candidate failed...the Democrat won, flipping a seat from Republican to Democrat. The netroots and progressive grassroots played a large role in this win, making it a continuation of the excellent progressive/grassroots-moderate/mainstream coalition that won so big in November. I should note that some long time readers of this newsletter were in the thick of things! The newly elected State Senator, Craig Johnson, graciously thanked the netroots for all the help. And you can read about what it felt like to be in the room with Craig Johnson and his campaign on the night of victory. Apparantly it really kicked ass.

Here is this week's issue:

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

BRING THE TROOPS HOME

THE EXXON/MOBIL-REPUBLICAN AXIS OF EVIL

FLORIDA THROWING AWAY THEIR DRE MACHINES

JUMPSTARTING THE SOUTH

BLACK HERITAGE ENDANGERED

NYC FOCUS: Fighting Wal-Mart

NYC GROUPS AND EVENTS

VIRGINIA FOCUS: Running for Delegate

VIRGINIA GROUPS AND EVENTS

MICHIGAN FOCUS

IOWA FOCUS

MIDWEST GROUPS AND EVENTS

NEW JERSEY FOCUS: Jobs and Internships

NEW JERSEY GROUPS AND EVENTS

CALIFORNIA DARWIN DAY EVENTS

CALIFORNIA GROUPS AND EVENTS

Been sick and busy, so relatively short newsletter this week. Hope it is still useful to you!

I will begin just by saying good bye to Milly Ivins. This is directly from Culture Kitchen:


The poor man who is currently our president has reached such a point of befuddlement that he thinks stem cell research is the same as taking human lives, but that 40,000 dead Iraqi civilians are progress toward democracy," from a July 2006 column urging commentator Bill Moyers to run for president.

And now this week's newsletter.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

ENERGY POLICY: Dublin Leading the Way?

AMERICA'S FAILURE TO FIGHT TERRORISM: Ethiopia Leading the Way?

JUMPSTARTING THE SOUTH

SUPPORT STEM CELL RESEARCH IN THE SENATE

FLORIDA STORMS

IOWA FOCUS: Governor Chet Culver and Congressman Dave Loebsack

MIDWEST PROGRESSIVE GROUPS

NEW JERSEY GROUPS AND EVENTS

CALIFORNIA DARWIN DAY EVENTS

CALIFORNIA GROUPS

URGENT NT STATE ACTION: Two special elections

NYC GROUPS AND EVENTS

VIRGINIA GROUPS AND EVENTS

BIG week. I missed my second chance to be on BBC radio, but the main thing is my blogging is getting noticed! I also am being asked to be a Managing Editor for the international blog Culture Kitchen. I invite everyone to visit Culture Kitchen, read what we offer and maybe comment a bit. The site is evolving rapidly these days and now is a good time to start participating. Politics and feminism are a major part of what we focus on, but other aspects of "culture" are also covered. So join in!

Last weekend we reached 3000 US soldiers dead in the quagmire of Iraq. For what? What have we gained? In light of last weekend's media circus in Bagdhad surrounding the execution of a man who was once favored by the US, I just want to remind people of something.

As Fox News is piddling over itself ecstatically about Saddam Hussein's execution, I just want to ONCE AGAIN remind America that THIS MAN (shaking hands with Donald Rumsfeld):

Link

Had NOTHING to do with THIS EVENT (which I experienced first hand):

Link

So all Americans need to ask THIS MAN:

Link

when we will catch THIS MAN:

Link


Write the media to express your opinion on Bush's failure to fight terrorism. Three thousand soldiers dead in Iraq and for what? Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda are alive and well and we look like fools.


TABLE OF CONTENTS:

POSSIBLY THE BEST INAUGURAL PARTY OF THE YEAR

PREPARING FOR 2008: Jumpstarting the Midwest!

DUMB REPUBLICAN QUOTES

CHANGING COURSE IN IRAQ (humor)

NYC FOCUS: Voting Machines

NYC GROUPS AND EVENTS

CALIFORNIA FOCUS: Clean Elections in San Diego

CALIFORNIA GROUPS AND EVENTS

NEW JERSEY FOCUS: Clean Water

NEW JERSEY GROUPS AND EVENTS

IOWA FOCUS: A New Legislative Agenda

MICHIGAN FOCUS: Internships with the Democratic Party

MIDWEST GROUPS AND EVENTS

VIRGINIA FOCUS: Democratic Training Conference

VIRGINIA GROUPS AND EVENTS

The Progressive Democrat Newsletter grew out of the frustration of the 2004 election. Originally intended for New York City progressives, its readership is now national. After much pressure from readers, this email newsletter is now going the blog route. I update the blog once a week focusing on both national issues and issues of interest to particular regions or states. In general, NYC, New Jersey (corrected!), Virginia and the Midwest get special attention simply because those are the areas where I seem to have the most readers. Get me more readers in your area (and let me know about it!) and I will focus there too.

This week I want to discuss, among other things, a six point plan to renew America that I would like to see the Democrats get behind. As usual, I also have links to many progressive groups throughout the nation, broken down geographically. Enjoy!

A SIX-POINT PLAN TO RENEW AMERICA

In a previous issue I wrote about a talk I heard in November by Hank Sheinkopf, a political consultant, formerly a member of President Clinton's re-election media team, and a panelist on a local TV station's roundtable discussion. Sheinkopf is the ultimate Democratic insider and he came to discuss the 2006 election victory with us.

The core of his talk was that Democrats need to focus on just one message, and it was the message that ALWAYS works for Democrats since the 1920's: economic populism. Actually, I would use the term "progressivism" because that is how Theodore Roosevelt described it when it was Republicans who were the economic populists. But economic populism is a good term for it as well.

It's STILL the economy, stupid! That's the message.

Sheinkopf argues that it is the blue-collar vote that determines national elections. He narrowed it down to 500,000 white, male Catholics...but I suspect that you could use other groups as the key demographic as well. This group is often socially conservative, but when faced with bread and butter issues, they vote for economic populism. They will only buy into the wedge issues Republicans run on if they don't see the Democrats offering them economic populism. He suggests that the key to Democratic victory in 2008 lies in only four states: Michigan, Missouri, Ohio and Pennsylvania. I would broaden this list considerably and I still support Dean's 50-state strategy because it has been working well in getting state legistatures and House Reps. for the Democrats, but these four states are unquestionably important and we can focus on issues that would play well in these four states AS WELL AS many other states.

Not too long ago I wrote my own suggested national plan for Congressional Democrats. I want to revisit some of this specifically with Sheinkopf's comments in mind, because it seems to me that we really are on the cusp of some very good policy shifts that would be extremely popular among blue-collar Americans and would help the American economy considerably. The following should be the centerpiece of the Congressional agenda and with your help, we can get them to do it. Doing so will help ensure victory in 2008.

DEMOCRATIC ECONOMIC POLICY SUGGESTIONS:

1. First and formost, raise the minimum wage. The minimum wage has been stuck at $5.15 an hour since 1997...it hasn't even kept up with inflation. That means working Americans at the bottom of the pay scale are slipping further and further behind even as corporate profits of companies like Exxon/Mobil are reaching an all time high. We MUST help working Americans by raising the minimum wage.

2. Restore America's Infrastructure: Republicans have neglected our roads, our levees, our wetlands, all the things that keep American cities safe and the American economy moving. It is time to restore America: restore our wetlands and levees to protect our cities from disasters like Katrina. Restore our roads and railroads to keep our economy moving. And restoration of infrastructure also provides good, solid union jobs for working class Americans.

3. Education: good education correlates well with better income, reduced crime and reduced drug use. Many studies have shown that increased funding for education SAVES MONEY IN THE LONG RUN because government later spends less on dealing with the problems of drugs, crime and unemployment. More money for education. Increased testing is fine, but ONLY if schools are given the monetary resources to deal with deficiencies that are discovered by testing. Bush has FAILED as the Education President. It is time for the Education Congress.

4. Fair Taxes: Under Bush's tax breaks the top 1% got an unfair advantage over the vast majority of working Americans. And many giant corporations making record profits evade taxes altogether. It is time for the tax burden to be shifted off of lower and middle class Americans and time for giant corporations and America's richest to pay their fair share.

5. Energy Independence Part I: Restoration of America's manufiacturing From Michigan to Pennsylvania, our industrial heartland has been hurting for years. We need to find NEW solutions to restore our manufacturing heartland. The government should help retool the closed factories of Detroit, Flint, Pittsburg and all our blue-collar cities to produce new technology. Wind power, solar power, hydroelectric power, geothermal power...all of these require America to build the machinery to produce these new sources of energy. This is a way to jump start BOTH energy independence and a revival of America's industry. Why is Denmark the nation that provides the world with much of its wind power machinery? America has an opportunity here to provide blue-collar jobs throughout America providing America and the world with the machinery for clean, efficient and local energy production.

6. Energy Independence Part II: Local Energy means Local Jobs and Cleaner Air Our oil and coal based energy economy means energy resources must come from abroad or from across the nation. I recently wrote about a controversy in Nevada where a company wants to build a polluting coal powered plant, bringing coal across the country to burn in Nevada to fuel California while locals want to build cleaner power plants that use LOCAL resources like geothermal and wind. Local energy means local jobs and cleaner air. Geothermal and wind and hydroelectric are CURRENT technologies we can RELY on now to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, reduce pollution and create local jobs ALL OVER THE NATION. Wind power and biofuels production are already benefitting farmers in Iowa, for example. The Great Plains states represent one of the world's best wind power producing areas, something that would benefit states whose economies really need help. Together with my suggestion #5, we could create a huge number of much needed American jobs right now, reduce our massive trade deficit by reducing our need to import oil, and clean up our air in the process.

Please write your local media, and your Congress Critters to urge them to take this 6 point plan to restore America's economy. We could be the start of a real revival of not only the Democratic Party, but the American economy as well.

Here's the rest of the Newsletter:

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

SCIENTIFIC FRAUD IN THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION

HALLIBURTON CORRUPTION BRINGS A CONVICTION

MARY CHENEY BABY GIFTS (Humor)

NY STATE FOCUS: Corruption in Albany

NYC GROUPS AND EVENTS

MIDWEST GROUPS AND EVENTS


CALIFORNIA GROUPS AND EVENTS

VIRGINIA GROUPS AND EVENTS

NEW JERSEY GROUPS AND EVENTS

This week brought us one more House seat gain in an upset win for Ciro Rodriguez in the TX-23 race. This was not seen as a likely pick up, partly because Ciro was not the best campaigner. But last minute things clearly started looking up. Despite Ciro's seeming behind in polls, the DCCC poured in a huge amount of last-minute cash...and Ciro won quite solidly in the end. Ciro didn't just squeak by...he got 54% of the vote. Don't know what the DCCC saw that others weren't, but it is another indication that Dems are getting their acts together on all levels.

This week also saw the illness of Tim Johnson, one of our Senators. He seems to be recovering well, thankfully.

Been getting some more input regarding the format of the newsletter. Of course it has been contradictory input...so I will see what evolves naturally. Some want a much shorter newsletter, others like it just the way it is. Some want more humor, some don't see that as being necessary. So, I guess, I will mostly just keep doing what I feel like doing and hope it suits most people's needs!

Traffic is about 40 hits per day, down from the election but up generally. I know that sounds like nothing compared with places like Daily Kos, but I don't feel too bad about it. NY remains my top readership location. California, a state I never really recruited in, is almost always second. After that Virginia combined with DC, followed by midwestern states. And, another unexpected, Texas shows up in the top readership list from time to time. If that keeps up, I may just have to focus more on Texas! NJ lags behind that.

I welcome any further input as well as guest articles and will post events/groups you alert me to...with one caveat. Since I can keep track of my readers easier if they subscribe, guest articles and publicizing of events/groups on request will only apply if you are a subscriber. So please email me (see my profile) or comment here if you want to subscribe. Then let me know what events and groups are in your area and I'll get the word out!

Here is this week's newsletter. Enjoy!

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

NANCY PELOSI'S 100 HOUR PLAN FOR CONGRESS

ELMO PANICS WHITE HOUSE: Did Bert Put Him up to It?

DEMOCRATIC CORRUPTION IN LOUISIANA

MICHIGAN: Democratic Party Internships

RENEW IOWA: Energy and Agriculture in the Heartland

PROGRESSIVE GROUPS IN THE MIDWEST

REFORM IN THE AIR IN NY STATE

BROOKLYN, NY: Abuse of Eminent Domain for a Very Ill-Conceived Development Plan

NYC GROUPS AND EVENTS

BECOMING A DELEGATE IN CALIFORNIA

CALIFORNIA GROUPS AND EVENTS

VIRGINIA/DC AREA GROUPS AND EVENTS

NEW JERSEY GROUPS AND EVENTS

With even Exxon/Mobil slowly seeing reality slam them in the face, we have to start fighting tooth and nail for a better energy policy.

I have recently written about the quality of Democratic ideas on energy policy and the fact that we ALL can and should be doing something right now about global warming. Even spent some time emphasizing that YES, we CAN and SHOULD be doing something right now, a diary that got rescued for further attention (thanks!). The Union of Concerned Scientists even contacted me to agree with some of what I have written. Please read those earlier diaries for ides for the Democratic Party and each of us as individuals can do to fight global warming. But today I want to highlight a different, somewhat more specific action that I came across very recently.

Came across this through an ad on Culture Kitchen.

In Nevada there is a plan to meet future energy needs by biulding a coal-burning power plant and bringing in coal from other parts of the nation. This is using old technology when new, cleaner technology would allow development of local energy resources.

About the Sempra coal-powered Plant:

Sempra's 2 billion dollar plant will emit more than 50 dangerous pollutants into Nevada's pristine air and use over 14 million gallons of precious desert ground water each day in order to provide power to Southern California. Now I have nothing against more energy for So. California, but let's do it sanely and cleanly! The only reason this coal-buriung plant is being built in Nevada is because California doesn't allow this kind of plant to be built! This is a case of exporting pollution-producing industries.

With the Sempra coal plant, hundreds of pounds of mercury, arsenic and other nasty chemicals will be released annually by the Sempra plant. Returning as rain and snow, these chemicals will contaminate water and soil. The plant will consume 14.2 millions of gallons of scarce desert ground water every day--over 5 billion gallons a year--diverting water from plants and drinking holes relied upon by deer, elk and wild horses.

There are alternatives:

I have been saying now for awhile that the time is NOW to develop clean, local energy sources that will mitigate global warming. And the Democratic Party is pushing that way. So why mess around with dirty coal in a place that doesn't even have any coal resources? Get clean, America!

Economic studies by the California Energy Commission and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory have documented several thousand megawatts ofeconomically viable renewable energy in northwest Nevada. The development of these clean energy sources would provide hundreds of long-term jobs and millions of dollars in local tax revenue.

However, construction of the Sempra coal plant will block the development of these renewable resources by taking up all the unused transmission capacity on the existing transmission lines. For every megawatt of power the Sempra coal plant would generate and ship out of state via the existing main power line that runs through Gerlach, one megawatt less of clean Nevada geothermal and wind power could be developed and shipped on the same line. This is because the transmission line's capacity is limited and can now handle just another 1,000-2,000 megawatts of power, or the size of the coal plant.

Building new lines to transport renewable energy to western markets would be prohibitively expensive. Therefore, by reserving the Gerlach line, known as the Pacific Direct Current Intertie, for geothermal and wind resources, Nevada can develop clean, indigenous Nevada resources for the benefit of the state and export most of the power to markets that are desperately seeking renewable power. Many private utilities, such as those in California, are required to derive 20% of their power from renewable sources by 2017. Nevada can either use its renewable assets for the benefit of its citizens or let Sempra despoil our air and water to enhance the profits of Sempra's stockholders.

Nevada HAS geothermal resources (not all places do!) and wind resources. These are clean and relatively cheap compared with clean coal plants (though more expensive than dirty coal plants). Coal would have be transported from afar and even clean coal puts out pollution and carbon dioxide.

Help Nevada develop local, clean energy resources. Visit the Nevada Clean Energy Coalitoin.

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

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This week I discuss holiday shopping for liberals, the adoption of the Blue Tiger Democrat concept by the Michigan Democratic Party, more on Republican corruption and some environmental issues. But first I want to send out a questionaire for my readers now that my readership is changing. I want to change my newsletter to suit my readers, so please let me know your thoughts!

So here, after around 2 years of putting it out, I am reassessing this newsletter. I need help from you to help me optimize my efforts. So please email me (mole333_at_gmail_dot_com) to tell me what you think. I will base my changes on who responds to these questions. Even if I know I have readers somewhere, if I don't get input from them I will assume they are largely inactive for now. So please respond!

1. What geographic region do you live in?

2. How do you access this newsletter (from my emails? on your own? from another blog (which one?)>)

3. What issues most concern you?

4. What parts of this newsletter do you find most interesting? Useful? What parts never interest you?

5. How often do you read this newsletter?

6. What is your main reason for reading this newsletter?

And now, for this week's newsletter.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

HOLIDAY SHOPPING THE LIBERAL WAY

THE WORST REPUBLICAN CORRUPTION: Sacrificing Lives for profits

THE MEDIA AND THE ENVIRONMENT

WHO OWNS THE MEDIA: A special guide

CLEAN ENERGY FOR NEVADA AND CALIFORNIA

NEW YORK CITY FOCUS

A PROGRESSIVE PLAN FOR LOS ANGELES

BLUE TIGER DEMOCRATS IN MICHIGAN: reaching every neighborhood

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

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