Democracy Action is a San Francisco-based Democratic club and PAC providing members and volunteers the organization and support necessary to influence state and national politics. We are the San Francisco chapter of Progressive Democrats of America.

---

Barack Obama has the delegates required for the Democratic nomination. Hillary Clinton has extended her congratulations to Obama and said she will strongly support and do all she can to elect him....and asked all her supporters to do the same. Al Gore has endorsed, as have John Edwards, Bill Richardson and other Presidential candidates. The Democratic party needs us all, wants us all, and represents our values for a society where we recognize that we're all in it together, for jobs, public education, fairness, women's rights, civil liberties, out of iraq, a sustainable environment. For everyone who supported other candidates, stay with the Democrats... join with us, help America recover from the Bush tragedy. No "Bush third term", no McBush! Anyone who's ready to help the cause and is not yet on the Obama political networking page can sign up today.


Evan Vucci/APC

Obama Campaign Manager David Plouffe has said Obama's route to the necessary 270 electoral votes starts with holding every state won by John Kerry in 2004 (252 electoral votes) and then focusing on getting the 18 more from red states such as Iowa, Virginia, North Carolina, New Mexico, Nevada, Colorado and Ohio. See which states are poised for a flip.

The Repubs' 100 Years War McCain after Bush's Hundred Blunders would be a "third term for Bush" and the strategic lying has begun. DemocracyAction is helping Obama against McSame and his Double Talk Express - the Straight Talk has been derailed, and it's obvious we are not back down to pre-surge levels in Iraq. Check out The Real McCain.


Read the rest ...

---

---

The biggest Voter Registration Drive of the Century is now!

The New Citizen's Swearing-In Ceremonies are always a great opportunity to give out flyers congratulating them on becoming new citizens and highlighting differences between Democrats and Repubs. This is followed by registering hundreds of new citizens to vote, some by County Election Departments inside, others by us -- and the Repubs -- outside. Many are becoming citizens precisely because they, like we, care so much about our country's leadership, and want to help make a difference. America's moral standing in the world under the Bush Administration's practices has never been worse, as have many of the domestic opportunites that have been part of the American dream since the days of Franklin D. Roosevelt.

On another front, 2008 Pride provided a great location for outreach and voter registration, as many hundreds visited the Obama Pride booth during the two days of the Civic Center Celebration. Over 300 new voters were registered, and similar numbers of new volunteers enlisted to help Barack Obama's campaign. Obama's cardboard cutout drew great enthusiasm and many photographs.

---

---

Alicia Wang, the California Democratic Party's Vice Chair for Northern California, and Democratic National Committee Member Christine Pelosi, author of the newly released Campaign Boot Camp, spoke to about 75 attendees at DemocracyAction's Fourth Annual Meeting, providing perspectives on their roles as Superdelegates and Christine also presenting some key points from her book and the campaign trail. See the pics by Phil Matiatos and Erik Wood.

Read the rest ...

---

---

Hundred Years War McCain continues to flub the basics in Iraq by linking Iran and Al-Qaeda. Iraq's in a civil war between Shiites and Sunnis, yet McCain repeatedly claims that Shiite Iran is allied with Sunni Al-Qaeda. McCain claimed the power of Shi'a militia leader al-Sadr was waning, and a week later had to reverse himself. McCain said the war would be "fairly easy" before it started, and now he denies ever having said anything about easy. The Real McCain is a Double Talk Express. McCain will continue McBush policies in Iraq with no plan to end a bloody and costly occupation which has brought virtually no political progress even after the Bush/Cheney "surge". McSame as McBush is a recipe for disaster. Many Democratic Congressional candidates and military people have endorsed A Responsible Plan to End the War in Iraq to

Read the rest ...

---

---

"Conservatives chose to invade Iraq on trumped-up charges of weapons of mass destruction. Now oil prices have skyrocketed, Baghdad has become a recruiting ground for jihadists, we're bankrupting ourselves, and American standing has never been lower in the world." Eric Lotke, Campaign for America's Future

San Francisco's MoveOn Council released new MoveOn.org polling numbers at an April 24 Iraq and Recession Rally, co-sponsored by DemocracyAction and San Francisco for Democracy-Federal Action, at Market & Montgomery Streets. Californians (62%) are worried about our sinking economy's impact on the state, and 50% believe getting out of Iraq would help our economy "a great deal". See the pics by Tom Brown. Given a choice, 69% would rather invest the billions we're dumping into Iraq every week on critical priorities here at home like healthcare and education. California's share of spending on Bush's occupation of Iraq would provide health coverage for 27 million people, Head Start placements for 8 million kids, 10 million scholarships to make college more affordable, 200,000 affordable housing units....and think of the green collar jobs to promote renewable, clean energy sources to counter the global climate crisis! The $500 Billion in direct military spending in Iraq and up to $3 Trillion in related costs is a central cause of the sub-prime banking crisis threatening the world economy and leading us into recession. Economists are starting to correlate Bush's War and Occupation of Iraq with our country's economic slowdown.

Read the rest ...

---

---

The Cook Report and Rothenberg Political Report rate Democratic and Republican chances in the many House and Senate Races, and the Washinton Post's Chris Cillizza is continually ranking contenders. The Dems hold 12 and the Repubs 23 of the Senate seats up for election Nov 4. Winning our filibuster-proof 60 seat majority requires 9 Repub seats and keeping all the Dem seats

Louisiana's Mary Landrieu appears the only Dem in any jeopardy, while the retirement of Virginia John Warner (R) leaves former Governor Mark Warner (D) the favorite. Dem toss-up races include Congressmen Mark & Tom Udall, cousins running for retiring Colorado Wayne Allard (R) and New Mexico Pete Domenici (R) seats, respectively; New Hampshire former Gov. Jeanne Shaheen v John Sununu (R); Minnesota Al Franken v Norm Coleman (R); Alaska Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich or former state Rep. Ray Metcalfe (August 26 Primary) v Ted Stevens (R); and Mississippi former Gov. Ronnie Musgrove v Roger Wicker (R, Trent Lott's former seat). Other Repub jeopardy - Maine Congressman Tom Allen v Susan Collins (R); Oregon House Speaker Jeff Merkle v Gordon Smith (R); Nebraska Scott Kleeb v Mike Johanns (R, retiring Chuck Hagel's seat); and North Carolina State Senator Kay Hagan v Elizabeth Dole (R). Kentucky Bruce Lunsford v Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R) was downrated to solid Republican.

House Dems could pick up 20 or more seats this year, building on remarkable successes winning three special elections this year in long-held Repub districts: Mississippi Travis Childers (54%) beat Greg Davis (46%) in a district Bush carried with 63% in 2004; Louisiana Donald J. Cazayoux Jr. (49%) beat Woody Jenkins (46%) in a 2004 59% Bush district; Illinois Bill Foster (52%) beat Jim Oberweis (48%) in a 2004 55% Bush district held by former Republican House Speaker Dennis Hastert for 21 years.

The San Francisco Bay Area's nearest competitive Congressional races include Congressman Jerry McNerney (CA-11), a top target of the Repubs, and Dem challengers Charlie Brown (CA-4), Bill Durston (CA-3) and Jill Derby (NV-2).


Read the rest ...

---

---

150 Dems and Progressives came together at the Jillian's Super Tuesday Primary Watch Party on February 5, and another 60 at Julie's Supper Club on March 11, including neutrals, Hillaryites and Obamiacs, all committed to winning the Nov 4 2008 election and taking back our country! "100 Year War McCain" meanwhile is globe-trotting and confusing Shiites with Sunnis and Iran with Al Qaeda.



Read the rest ...

---

---

Dec 7th about 65 people celebrated another year's work to take back our country. San Francisco's 2004 Presidential campaign volunteers created DemocracyAction looking towards the Nov 4, 2008 election. We're almost there after having done lots of good in the meantime. Hearty food, good wine and other beverages complemented the many good people gathered at Alec and Sharry Bash's home.



Joining us were Charlie (speaking above) and Jan Brown, looking good to win in their second effort after knocking ethically-challenged...



Read the rest ...

---

---

The City Hall steps bore witness to an Oct 30th mock trial of a Diebold touch screen voting machine for "Crimes Against Democracy". About 40 people gathered around the Raging Grannies, as they sang newly-inspired lyrics to traditional patriotic songs with coverage by several TV stations, to be part of a "jury" to hear testimony against secret, proprietary software in electronic voting machines. Witness Dan Ashby of the Election Defense Alliance led off for the prosecution.




Read the rest ...

---

---

DemocracyAction joined 30,000 others at San Francisco's Bring The Troops Home Now! Civic Center rally and march to Dolores Park. DemocracyAction is the San Francisco chapter of Progressive Democrats of America (PDA), which endorsed this nationwide protest. PDA Chapters from East Bay www.pdeastbay.org, Sacramento www.sacramentofordemocracy.org, Sonoma www.pdsonoma.org and Marin marched together with DemocracyAction. It's Dave Massen with the peace sign.

    

Over 150 political, religious, labor and community groups came together to organize 11 major protests across the country in San Francisco, Boston, Chicago, LA, New Orleans, NYC, Orlando, Philadelphia, Salt Lake City, Seattle and Jonesborough TN. Jim Forbes carried all the buttons.

    




Read the rest ...

---