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January 31, 2006

Once again, California Democrats led the nation – this time in organizing and holding more State of the Union watch parties than any other state.

At more than 70 locations up and down the state, Democrats gathered in neighborhood bars, restaurants, Democratic headquarters and private homes. Rather that sitting back and idly watching President Bush repeat more of the empty rhetoric and broken promises that have dominated his previous State of the Union addresses, thousands of Democrats came together to exchange ideas on what they can do in their community to get out the vote for 2006.

Although the nation was focused this evening on the White House, for California’s grassroots Democrats it’s the governor’s office that will be paramount in the coming year.

Thanks to those who hosted the events and to everyone who attended.

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Today we learned of the passing of an American giant, Mrs. Coretta Scott King. Her courage, commitment and soft spoken leadership continued long after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination. She taught and lived the legacy of Dr. King which in turn was her own as well.

It was July 1972 in Miami on the eve of the Democratic National Convention, when I was sent by Cesar Chavez to help organize the lettuce boycott demonstration on the floor of the convention. Dolores Huerta was there as were many volunteers. We were also helping to organize African-American farmworkers who picked the oranges for Minute Maid to give them a better wage and a better way of life and it was there that I first met Mrs. King.

She was standing with us to help farmworkers, not with empty words but with her incredible presence and demeanor. You could see in the eyes of the farmworkers how they felt about her, how honored they were that she was there to help them. She quietly spoke with us and after she left her spirit lingered as an inspiration.

Many years later I met her again, this time as a California State Senator who had been invited by her and then Senator Diane Watson, now a distinguished member of Congress, to serve on a delegation to visit South Africa and protest the apartheid government. I was very excited to see Mrs. King again and we spoke of that hot humid day in Miami many years ago. I also felt proud that I was to be accompanying her to South Africa, but as it turned out we were denied visas and we not able to make the trip. Although former South African President Nelson Mandela has invited me many times, I still have not made that journey.

As we celebrate African-American history month in February, we must remember that the fight for civil and human rights is not over. We must never forget the legacy of Dr. King and Coretta Scott King; their leadership and courage should continue to inspire us to keep our vigilance against those who wish to oppress others. The lessons and tragedies that our civil rights martyrs endured must never be forgotten and their histories must be told again and again to future generations -- just one of the many reasons for the importance of celebrating and educating during African-American history month.

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This year, both Groundhog Day and the State of the Union Address fall within the same week. As Air America Radio pointed out, "It is an ironic juxtaposition: one involves a meaningless ritual in which we look to a creature of little intelligence for prognostication, and the other involves a groundhog."

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January 30, 2006

Very interesting article in the Washington Post. I'm not surprised that the Republican National Committee doesn't agree with the study's conclusions.

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January 26, 2006

More spoils of federal contracts for Halliburton. First Iraq, then Katrina response, now immigration detention centers, all while they mismanage our taxpayer dollars.

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January 25, 2006

Next Tuesday January 31, President Bush will once again take to the airwaves to speak to the American people – painting another unrealistically rosy picture of his policies and politics.

Rather than sit and yell at the TV, why not open up your home or organize a gathering in a neighborhood bar, coffee shop or union hall? Watch with your fellow Dems, invite the media and use this evening as a starting point for organizing for the 2006 election. Don’t just talk back to the TV, talk to each other about what can be done in your community to mobilize voters for 2006.

The DNC website is set up for all states to sign up to host a house party or find a watch party to attend.

We can send a message to the Republican Party by organizing early and making sure our message continues to be heard. Now more than ever it’s time to hold George Bush and his sleazy friends accountable for their failed policies on the war, reforming Medicare and creating jobs. The culture of corruption by the Republican Congress has stolen the protections that are badly needed for our elderly, college students and working American families – they deserve better and it’s time to make that happen.

I will join DNC Chairman Howard Dean, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi via conference call to speak to the house parties.

If you do sign up to host a party, please send a quick email to kim@cadem.org and let her know. She is compiling a master list of parties and will help with publicizing your event and adding it to the CDP website calendar and will add you to the list to receive talking points by email.

Even if you can’t host or attend an event, please watch the speech as well as the Democratic response. Most TV stations will be showing Tuesday’s State of the Union address live, and C-SPAN will carry it via streaming video.

The English language response will be given by Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, and California’s own Antonio Villaraigosa, Mayor of Los Angeles, will give the Democratic response in Spanish. Tune in and follow up by writing letters to the editor and sending them in to your local newspapers. If you copy kim@cadem.org, she can also post some of them on our website.

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Congratulation to Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on being selected to deliver the Spanish-language response to the State of the Union.

Be sure and tune in - Tuesday, January 31 beginning at 6 p.m.

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January 17, 2006

In case you missed Senator Feinstein this past weekend on "Face the Nation" where she revealed she will cast a No vote against the confirmation of Judge Alito to the U.S. Supreme Court, click here to read the transcript.

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January 14, 2006

Monday, January 16, 2006 we honor slain civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. – the 20th anniversary of observing the King Holiday, this is also a year that will see Democrats working to ensure that the Voting Rights Act will be reauthorized in Congress.

As we celebrate the incredible legacy of Rev. King, let us pause and reflect on ways that we as Americans can do better to serve our communities and our country. Let us each ask ourselves ‘do we make positive contributions to our society in our deeds and in our words?’

Indeed, does our government do all it can to ensure that ALL of its citizens are enjoying a good standard of living?

I’d like to share an excerpt from Dr. King’s August 16, 1967 speech given at the Convention of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in Atlanta Georgia. It seems so appropriate today.

" …a host of positive psychological changes inevitably will result from widespread economic security. The dignity of the individual will flourish when the decisions concerning his life are in his own hands, when he has the assurance that his income is stable and certain, and when he knows that he has the means to seek self-improvement. Personal conflicts between husband, wife, and children will diminish when the unjust measurement of human worth on a scale of dollars is eliminated.

"Now, our country can do this ... And I say to you today, that if our nation can spend thirty-five billion dollars a year to fight an unjust, evil war in Vietnam, and twenty billion dollars to put a man on the moon, it can spend billions of dollars to put God's children on their own two feet right here on earth.”

Yes, it can. And we, as Democrats and as Americans, must continue the fight to make sure that our government does indeed do all it can for God’s children.

* * *

Additional Reading

A Tribute by Theodore J. Smith III, Esq.
Chair of the California Democratic Party African-American Caucus

Statement from House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi

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January 13, 2006

In this enlightening column, David Sirota answers the question.

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January 11, 2006

Congratulations to DNC Member Norma Torres, who was elected Mayor of Pomona. Norma was a Councilwoman in Pomona who defeated a field of 11 candidates on Tuesday to claim the Mayor’s office. We are very proud of her victory!

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Steve Lopez's column on Arnold's recent "cycle-gate" had me in stitches. (Pun intended)

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January 10, 2006

For a look at just some of the ways the Bush administration and the Republicans in Congress have been invading our privacy, read David Sirota’s blog entry.

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January 09, 2006

This article demonstrates the blatant hypocrisy of the Christian Right and the anti-gay, anti-gambling Rev. Lou Sheldon—and his sudden change of heart on gambling, allegedly for one of Jack Abramoff’s clients who donated $25,000 to Sheldon’s Traditional Values Coalition.

« December 2005 | Archives | February 2006 »

Bill Robertson, memorialized in Los Angeles this past weekend, was a personal friend and visionary leader for Los Angeles and the labor movement. We will miss him greatly.

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January 06, 2006

Great op-ed piece in the San Francisco Chronicle by David Sirota. Click here to read his view on the Republicans’ culture of corruption and how to fix our political system.

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January 05, 2006

Here's a different take on the governor's response to the recent floods in CA.

An interesting story.

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January 03, 2006

I was saddened to learn of the death of Ellen Stern Harris, an extraordinary environmental activist and co-author of what became the California Coastal Conservation Act.

I worked with Ellen for years. She possessed such an amazing commitment to protect our environment. She worked tirelessly for our state, and California is a better place because of her activism.

Our condolences to her family. Read the Los Angeles Times obituary here.

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For those Democrats in the Bay Area, I will be on the KRON 4 TV Morning News tomorrow at 7:30 a.m. discussing politics with Phil Matier.