Holding Their Feet to the Fire

For the next two years concerned citizens, especially Democrats, need to hold GOP leaders feet to the fire. They have control and they said they'd do something and work with the Administration. How many of you are willing to commit to contacting a GOP congressional leader every day? Here they are listed with their contact information:  

GOP Senate Leaders 113th Congress are:

Minority Leader
 Senator Mitch McConnell - https://www.facebook.com/mitchmcconnell
https://twitter.com/McConnellPress
Washington Office - 317 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington DC, 20510 (202) 224-2541
Minority Whip

Senator John Cornyn - https://www.facebook.com/johncornyn?rf=105156359659320
https://twitter.com/TeamCornyn
Washington Office - 517 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC, 20510 (202)- 224-2934

Majority Leaders
GOP House Leaders 113th Congress

Speaker John Boehner - https://www.facebook.com/SpeakerJohnBoehner
https://twitter.com/SpeakerBoehner
Washington Office - H-232 - The Capitol Washington DC 50515 (202)225-0600

Majority Leader
Rep. Kevin McCarthy - https://www.facebook.com/CongressmanKevinMcCarthy
https://twitter.com/GOPLeader
Washington Office - H-107 The Capitol Washington DC, (202) 225-4000
Majority Whip
Rep. Steve Scalisse - https://www.facebook.com/RepSteveScalise?ref=hl
https://twitter.com/SteveScalise
Washington Office - H-329 The Capitol Washington DC, 20004 (202)225-0197

These men are the current GOP leaders in both Houses. Let's hold their feet to the fire and in January, I will post the contact information for the 114th Congress and we can keep them accountable to the electorate as well.

317 Russell Senate Office Building

The Lost Art of Compromise

If it weren't for the fact that our Founding Father's knew how to compromise, we would never have gotten our Constitution. What exactly is compromise? Does that mean nobody gets what they want? No,  it does not! Compromise requires both skill and tact. It means mutual agreement. Both sides need to find areas of common ground. Civil behavior is the first step in the process. We have to disagree without attacking the moral character of our opponent. We will never get anywhere when we demonize the other side. Does anyone seriously think their ideas will be accepted if they call their opponent names? If you go around telling lies about your opponent, how can you expect them to want to work with you?

Our political system has been stalled for quite some time. Both sides have struggled with compromise. Many politicians worry that appearing to compromise will cause their constituents to see them as weak and they will lose their reelection bids. It takes great courage to compromise in today's political climate.

Essential to serious compromise efforts is a sincere respect for the other side. Just like you can't shake hands with someone who presents a closed fist, a leader can't work out a compromise if the other side isn't willing to forget about personal effects and willing to do some give and take.  This hasn't been happening. I'm not sure if it will ever again. President Obama's offer for all congressional leaders to meet with him at the White House is a sincere effort on the administration's part to try to work out compromise solutions to our problems.

We can all do something right now to help this happen. Please contact the congressional leaders and let them know that you want them to work with our president. http://washington.cbslocal.com/2014/11/04/report-obama-invites-bipartisan-congressional-leaders-to-meet-at-white-house-on-friday/

Here are the current Senate leaders:   http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/senators/a_three_sections_with_teasers/leadership.htm

Here are the House leaders:  http://house.gov/leadership/

Have We Finished Yet?

Have we finished yet with all the blame game over why Democrats lost the Mid Terms? I know we are all pretty bummed out about losing. No one likes to lose. Now is the time to face the reality of why we lost. It is simple folks. Republicans got higher vote totals! That's how you win. You get more votes than your opponent. Wishing and hoping doesn't win elections. Voting for your candidate wins.

You can blame big money. I have. You can blame candidates from running away from our President and his successes. Many have. You can blame GOP for cheating and voter restriction laws. Some do. You can blame the Supreme Court or the entire world. But, the bottom line is that even though we have more registered Democrats in this country, more people voted for Republican candidates.

Let's be productive and figure out why. Why in my state of Illinois, which has been strongly Democratic for several elections, suddenly vote for a plutocrat GOP for Governor? Now, realize that on the same ballot was an advisory measure asking the legislature to raise the income tax rate on millionaires. Citizens voted strongly in favor of that and then elected a governor who was sure to veto it if it ever made it to his desk. This is insane.

We need to figure out why enough Democrats didn't vote for our candidates or even vote at all. The answers will be unique to each candidate, I believe. But, we need to figure it out before 2016.

Picking Ourselves Up, Dusting Ourselves Off

"Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America." Do you recognize those words? Though they were originally sung by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in the movie "Swing Time" in 1936, they were quoted more recently in Barack Obama's First Inaugural Speech. 

It is a great speech. In case you missed it, here is the a link to the text of it:  http://www.inaugural.senate.gov/swearing-in/address/address-by-barack-obama-2009

Here is also a link to the song lyrics if you'd like to read them:  http://lyricsplayground.com/alpha/songs/p/pickyourselfup.shtml

Today, America moves forward. The Midterm election is behind us. Regardless of the outcome or lack of outcome in some cases, the message remains that we must, "Pick Ourselves Up, Dust Ourselves Off, and start all over again." We CAN do it! Don't let the naysayers get you down. We can address the problems our country faces both here and abroad. 

I also looked at George W. Bush's First Inaugural Speech. You can read it here:  http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=25853 Why would I do that? Well, I was taught that a critical thinker compares and contrasts. They analyze people's words and look for deeper meaning. Here's what President Bush said our country needed to do, " Sometimes in life we're called to do great things. But as a saint of our times has said, "Every day we are called to do small things with great love." The most important tasks of a democracy are done by everyone." 

Now, we can't do great things UNLESS everyone does their part. That's what he said. We need to make sure that EVERYONE has opportunity to do their part. We have our work cut out for us. But as Our President Barack Obama said, "Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends—honesty and hard work, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosities, loyalty and patriotism—these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded, then, is a return to these truths; what is required of us now is a new era of responsibility—a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our Nation, and the world; duties that we do not grudgingly accept but, rather, seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task."

Forward, Not Back

It All Comes Down to Voter Turnout

It All Comes Down to Voter Turnout. That's what the pundits are saying. So which party has the best ground game? More importantly, what have YOU done to encourage voter turnout? We all would like to shift the blame to the National party operatives, wouldn't we? It's their fault if our voters don't turn out. They had a lousy ground game. I've seen those posts already on social media. Haven't you?

But, seriously, what have YOU done? Have you manned a phone bank for a candidate? Or walked a district to distribute campaign materials? Or put a candidates campaign sign in your yard or window? Have you written a letter to the editor in support of your candidate? Have you talked to anyone about voting? Or helped someone get registered to vote? These, and many others, are integral parts of the ground game. The bigwigs in the party need you! Remember this in future elections. It's not what the party has done to get out the vote; it's what YOU have done.

One last time this season, I say please vote for Democrats and help move our county FORWARD.

The Final Countdown

One thing is abundantly clear this election cycle. No one knows for sure what will happen when all the votes are counted late Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning. The big GOP takeover has not materialized as planned. But, will the Blue wave rise to get our candidates elected? Daily Kos has been ranking the Senate and gubernatorial races since last spring. If you've followed them and other political pundits, you know what a seesaw this election cycle has been.  Sunday, Daily Kos published their last Election Power Rankings.  The article is worth a careful read. http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/11/02/1340499/-Daily-Kos-Elections-Power-Rankings-The-final-countdown

Regardless of what happens Tuesday, many of us know that we've done our best to educate voters and try to turn out the Democratic voters. We also know that in many states the GOP have also done their best to make it hard for folks to vote.

When all is said and done, we'll still be here, only shifting our focus to 2016. We'll still be educating voters and supporting our favorite Democrats. I hope you've voted already if early voting was available. If not, I hope you will get out tomorrow and vote for Democrats.

https://www.facebook.com/ProgressiveDemocratsMovingForwardNotBack

Souls to the Polls and Other Early Voting Options

The other day someone on Twitter asked my why we needed early voting. He wondered why folks just couldn't go vote on Election Day. He seemed sincere. Have you ever wondered how "Souls to the Polls" came about? Or why some places have early voting provisions? For many of us, it is a simple thing to get a few hours off work and drive ourselves to our polling place and vote on election day. If this is our situation, we tend to think everyone has same chance that we do. That's what privilege is all about.

Unfortunately, others may not have the same advantages that we do. Many don't have their own car and must rely on public transportation to get to and from work. This really complicates ones ability to get to work and to the polls and home again. 

Souls to the polls started as an effort in the Black Churches to get their people to the polls just before election day. It has been very successful. So successful that GOP legislatures and Secretary's of State have tried to eliminate or restrict it. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/30/upshot/data-from-sunday-points-to-black-churches-role-in-mobilizing-voters.html

Mail in absentee ballots and early voting at designated sites have also helped voters cast their ballots. My son is a teacher and drives 45 minutes to another town to work. This complicates voting. But his town had early voting and he voted at the country clerk's office last Sunday! Why not make it simpler for people to do their civic duty? 

I like to vote early and then volunteer to drive others on election day. In my area, that meant driving 20 miles to the county clerk's office between 8 AM and 4 PM to cast my ballot. This year however, I requested a mail-in ballot. They sent it right out, I filled it in and mailed it back the next day. I feel good that regardless of what might happen next Tuesday, my ballot is already there, waiting till the polls are closed to be counted with all the rest. This to me is the essence of Democracy. Citizens casting their ballots for their chosen candidates and issues is a sacred right and duty. Vote for Democrats who want everyone to vote.

Pat Taylor Fuller is an Editor for Progressive Democrats - Moving Forward, Not Back, and she has a blogspot named Pat's Commentary  http://pageposts1123.blogspot.com/