|
MISSOURI WOMEN'S COALITION OFF AND RUNNING!
The new and improved Missouri Women's Coalition is off to a great start and memberships are rolling in. It's clear with the direction of the Missouri State Legislature that we women have a lot to do - beginning with letting Gov. Blunt know that we won't be pushed around when it comes to our children's health and education. You would think being a brand new father (his new baby boy arrived this week) that children's welfare would be at the top of his list. You would think.
Sound off by e-mailing Governor Blunt at mogov@mail.state.mo.us right now.
Do you know of a fellow activist/friend/colleague who would love to be receiving these updates?
Please forward them this newsletter and direct them to our website - www.missouriwomenscoalition.com - for instructions on to become member. Our strength is in our numbers!
1. Road Trip to Help Elect Teresa Loar
Pack your suitcase - the Missouri Women's Coalition is hitting the road and we need
you to come along!
Women for Women for Teresa Loar, the progressive candidate for 38th House District - Kansas City
Women Know Best How to Talk to Women!
When: Leaving Friday, April 1 and Returning Saturday, April 2
What: Women Phoning and Canvassing Women Voters for Teresa
Where: Kansas City
Why: Teresa is the ONLY Progressive Woman running in the April 5 Special Elections and needs our help to reach women voters.
PUT ONE MORE PROGRESSIVE WOMAN IN THE HOUSE
Who is Teresa?
With 14 years of service in non-partisan elected office, Teresa Loar has proven herself as an independent fighter for her community. As a two-term Kansas City Councilwoman, Teresa fought to bring improvements to the Northland and accountability to government.
Teresa supports cutting-edge research like that performed at Kansas City's Stowers Institute and the University of Missouri Life Sciences Center. She strongly opposes the Republican leadership's effort to ban stem cell research in our state.
As a former President of the North Kansas City School Board, Teresa understands the importance of investing in public education and sending money directly into the classroom. While on the School Board, Teresa fought to put a computer in every classroom and reduce class sizes by securing land for two new schools.
As a mother and grandmother, Teresa believes reproductive health issues should be decided between a woman and her doctor-not by legislators. Teresa is a former Vice-President of the Kansas City Woman's Political Caucus and will provide a strong voice in the Missouri House of Representatives for Missouri women.
From Teresa's Campaign Manager:
Teresa replaces Democrat incumbent Dan Bishop who died November 2004, after he had won reelection to the 38th. Teresa is a strong candidate and is campaigning hard. She needs your help to defeat the right-wing Republican candidate.
A caravan is leaving St. Louis for Kansas City Friday morning. If you would like more
information or don't live in St. Louis and want to help, please contact Stacey Newman at snewman@missouriwomenscoalition.com.
Citizens for Teresa Loar, 7241 North Oak Trafficway, Gladstone MO 64118
|
2. Revolutionary Women Update
A note from Revolutionary Women President Barbara Lee:
Several weeks ago, the Democratic National Committee elected a new chairman - Governor Howard Dean! During his first address as chairman, he committed to building the infrastructure of the party. I first got to know Governor Dean early in his campaign for President. And you may recall that he introduced the speakers at our rally during the Democratic National Convention last July. He is truly an advocate for women. I talked to Howard Dean about his plans for the Democratic Party and our conversation is highlighted below.
As you know, I have long been working elect more women to public office. Senator Barbara Boxer is one reason why. Her leadership role in pushing the progressive agenda has been a breath of fresh air for the entire community. I had a chance to talk with her about how her role has evolved this year, too.
FEDERAL
Senator Barbara Boxer
Re-elected in November by a huge margin, California's Senator Barbara Boxer has become one of the leading progressive voices in the United States Senate.
On February 13th, an article by the The Associated Press discussed Barbara Boxer's new-found status:
"Maybe she's becoming a spokeswoman, or even a symbol, for voters who oppose the Iraq war or feel shut out by the Bush administration.
Maybe, with the Democratic Party at sea after November's election losses, some people sense a leadership void and are looking to her to fill it.
Maybe it's not that Boxer's gotten louder but that other Democrats can barely be heard at all. At least, that's what some of her supporters are saying.
Whatever the explanation, Boxer has never been more in the spotlight."
Several weeks ago we asked Senator Boxer some questions about her newfound prominence within the Senate, the Democratic Party and the media:
RW: You have always been a great advocate for the progressive community - what has allowed you to become arguably the preeminent progressive voice in the Senate today?
Senator Boxer: Thank you for the compliment. I have always had a same voice for a progressive agenda- for some reason people are noticing.
RW: What has been the response from your colleagues in the Senate? From the activist community?
Senator Boxer: My colleagues are not surprised because they have seen me be forceful for many years. My constituents have been very vocal in their praise- sending me 4,500 roses for Valentine's Day. I am very touched.
RW: What are the issues that you will face where the progressive community can have the biggest impact?
Senator Boxer: Social Security, an exit strategy for Iraq, budget priorities, energy policy, and drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
RW: What are the ways we can frame our issues and sharpen our messages? Are Senate Democrats working on how they frame issues? How can these messages be conveyed to the progressive community?
Senator Boxer: Democrats need to speak to America's families in ways they can relate to- remind them we're the party that's on their side.
RW: We know that George Lakoff has presented his theory on framing to Senate Democrats. What about Lakoff's work has resonated most with you and your colleagues?
Senator Boxer: Language is key!
POLITICAL NEWS
On February 12, 2005, Governor Howard Dean was as the new leader of the Democratic Party.
In his acceptance speech, Governor Dean touched on key issues for Revolutionary Women: the way in which we organize within the Party and frame our progressive issues. Dean said:
"We need to set the agenda. And we're going to work with Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi and our Democratic governors and local elected officials to do just that.
I met with Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid this past week, and we are looking forward to standing together in the battles ahead.
We're all going to need to be united. And we're going to need to be organized.
Really organized.
That means we frame the issues; Republicans will not tell America what our agenda is. We will do that.
Organizing means raising money not only from big donors but small contributors, not only through dinners and telephone solicitations and direct mail, but also through the Internet and person-to-person outreach.
Organizing means transforming us into a Party that can communicate with its supporters and with all Americans.
Politics is at its best when we create and inspire a sense of community. The tools that were in part pioneered in my campaign; like blogs and Meetups and most importantly, community building; are just a start.
We are going to use all of the power and potential of technology as part of an aggressive outreach to meet and include voters, to work with your state parties, and to get our message out."
Barbara Lee had the chance to talk with Governor Dean about his plans:
RW: During your Chairmanship acceptance speech, you said we have to fight for what we believe. How are you going to help us do that?
Governor Dean: Democrats have core beliefs which center on adequate jobs and job opportunities, providing all Americans with healthcare and a strong public education system. Other beliefs that Democrats share is that of inclusion and tolerance. We need to never be ashamed of them and we need to proclaim them everywhere.
RW: John Kerry won among unmarried women, but still, not enough of them vote. And the Democratic ticket lost among married women. What is the role for women in the Democratic Party? What message do you have for us?
Governor Dean: Women are the vast majority of Democratic voters. Our message and outreach to women needs to be focused accordingly. The DNC's Women's Leadership Forum and the DNC's Women's Caucus will take the lead in a major outreach program.
RW: You have talked often of building up the infrastructure in the states and helping the grassroots. What are some of your ideas for how to do this?
Governor Dean: The DNC plans to have staffers in each state paid for by the DNC. In return, the states will have responsibility to have active county committees in every county in America and will have the responsibility of maintaining a four year grassroots effort - every cycle.
RW: The Boston Globe ran an article in which you talked of using the Christian Coalition as a grassroots model. What are the tactics we can learn from them?
Governor Dean: The Christian Coalition became successful in politics by running somebody for every single office - from library trustee to city council. We need to compete everywhere because it allows us to spread a Democratic message in communities that haven't heard one in quite sometime.
LATEST RESEARCH
President (Hillary) Clinton?
America is ready for a female president. That's the finding of a new poll conducted last month by Siena College Research Institute for Hearst Newspapers.
According to the Associated Press:
"More than six in 10 voters believe the United States is ready for a woman president in 2008 and 53 percent of the voters think Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, a New York Democrat, should try for the job, a nationwide poll has found.
The poll, conducted by the Siena College Research Institute and sponsored by the Hearst Newspapers, found that 81 percent of voters surveyed would vote for a woman for president; 62 percent said the country is ready for a woman president; and 67 percent said a female president would be better than a male chief executive in handling domestic issues."
The full results can be found here.
Women Voice's. Women Vote.
On February 18, 2005, The Barbara Lee Family Foundation hosted a briefing on the post-election research from Women Voice's. Women Vote.
The report, issued by pollsters Anna Greenberg and Jennifer Berktold begins:
"In 2004, unmarried women were overwhelmingly looking for change, and they turned out this election cycle to bring it about. In a year characterized by strong voter turnout, exit polls showed unmarried women constituted 23 percent of the 2004 electorate, an increase from the 19 percent reported by the exit polls in the 2000 election. This year 7.5 million more unmarried women voters turned out to vote than they did in year 2000."
Key findings:
- Nineteen percent of unmarried women at the polls were voting for the first time, compared to only 6 percent of married women.
- Age seemed to matter less than martial status among women who voted for president last year.
- Unmarried women between ages 18 and 29 voted for Kerry over Bush by a margin of 25 percent, while married women in the same age bracket gave Bush an 11-point margin.
- Those are the same margins for married and unmarried women of all ages.
- Married women represent 28 percent of the U.S. adult population, but 32 percent of the 2004 electorate, while unmarried women constitute 24 percent of the population and 22.4 percent of last year's electorate.
www.revolutionarywomen.com
3. Hillary News
Like you thought there was no news this week about Hillary??
Clinton Beats Kerry in Massachusetts
In a hypothetical 2008 presidential primary matchup among Massachusetts voters, Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) leads Sen. John Kerry 51% to 34%, according to a new Suffolk University Poll.
And according to last month's Gallup Poll:
New York Sen. Hillary Clinton has a substantially more favorable image among women than among men -- a gender advantage that persists even among Republicans and independents. This suggests that Clinton has the potential to draw the votes of women who might ordinarily not consider voting for a Democratic candidate in the 2008 presidential election. Clinton also has a more positive image among younger voters, but has a less positive image among both men and women who are married.
4. Jim Talent at it again
From Daily Kos Blog - March 11, 2005:
WASHINGTON - Senators expressed dismay Thursday that no senior military or civilian Pentagon officials have been held accountable for the policy and command failures that led to abuses of prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Vice Adm. Albert Church, who wrote the most recent review of U.S. detention policies, did not place specific blame for the confusing interrogation policies that migrated from Washington to the battlefield. He told the Senate Armed Services Committee at a hearing that no high-level policy decisions directly led to abuse.
One such ostrich is Sen. Jim Talent (R-MO), who had this bit of brilliance to say on the subject:
Sen. Jim Talent, R-Mo., praised the report, saying he did not "need an investigation to tell me that there was no comprehensive or systematic use of inhumane tactics by the American military, because those guys and gals just wouldn't do it."
Shorter Jim Talent: (fingers in ears) "La la la la, I can't hear you!!!" Jimmy, have you SEEN the pictures?
E-mail Sen. Talent now - Senator@talent.senate.gov.
| And while you're still fuming... notice that there are no candidates at this time ready to oppose him in November 2004.
|
5. Five Minutes with Elizabeth Edwards
From Campus Progress, a project of the Center for American Progress:
Pretty much everyone likes Elizabeth Edwards. She is warm and whip-smart, and during a long, tough, and mean campaign season, Edwards was always a popular presence. A former navy brat who lived in Japan, she attended college and law school at UNC-Chapel Hill, where she met John Edwards, and then went on to work in the state's attorney general's office, at a private law firm, and at the UNC Law School before becoming one of her husband's closest advisors. Recently diagnosed with breast cancer, Edwards is focused on getting better and making the move back home to North Carolina, where Senator Edwards will be heading up a new Center on Poverty, Work and Opportunity at UNC-Chapel Hill. She spoke with Campus Progress about her family, campus politics, chemical plant safety, and her love of the blogosphere.
Click here for the interview.
6. Women's Vote Center "Week In Review"
Click here for the report.
7. Want to "DO" Something?...NARAL needs us
NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri needs you to support access to the morning-after pill for Back Up Your Birth Control Day on March 22. To celebrate this event, we are having a Pharmacy Phoning Action Day on March 21 to make sure pharmacies around the state know about the morning-after pill, also called emergency contraception. We need activists like you to get involved!
What: Pharmacy Phoning Action Day
When: Monday, March 21, 9:00 am to 9:00 pm
Where: Pro-Vote, 5585 Pershing, St. Louis, MO 63112
For more information or to RSVP, call Melissa Kimball at 314.531.8616 or e-mail at Melissa.Kimball@prochoicemissouri.org. We will provide training and all the information you will need. Even if you can only commit one or two hours we still need your help!
On Pharmacy Phoning Action Day we will contact every pharmacy in the state and ask them questions about their knowledge of and policies about the morning-after pill. This action is the first of its kind in Missouri and we are looking forward to making some waves!
This is your opportunity to make a stand. We will not stand still and accept the current restrictions on emergency contraception (EC). Women in our state have the right to this safe and effective contraceptive.
www.prochoicemissouri.org
8. Women's History Month from MS
In 1981, Congress declared a national Women's History Week, following lobbying by the Women's History Project.
In 1987, the week had turned into a month. This year, the national theme of Women's History Month is Women Change America, celebrating the artistic, cultural, social and political contributions of women.
Ms. is a proud partner of the Women's History Project -- and proud to have been a cornerstone of women's history for more than three decades, covering issues that affect women in every corner of the world and giving rise to women's voices.
9. Correction from last week
In our zeal to publicize the new position of Gannet Tseggai, a recent Mizzou graduate, we inadvertently mentioned the wrong office where she is now a deputy press secretary. Her correct employer is Senator Ted Kennedy. Yeah, Gannet!
| 
