Dirty Tricks: Politics from Watergate to the Silver State

Progressive author John Dean headlines Democratic Party dinner, Nov. 7

RENO — Former Nixon administration whistle blower John Dean will keynote the Washoe County Democratic Party’s (WCDP) largest fundraising event.

What: Virginia Demmler Honor Roll Dinner
When: Saturday, Nov. 7, 5:30 to 9 p.m.
Where: Reno Ballroom, 50 East 4th St.
Contact: Amy Curtis-Webber, (775) 323-8683

“We are very excited to have a nationally-known figure on the political scene, John Dean, as our keynote speaker,” said Amy Curtis-Webber, WCDP executive director, “as well as four outstanding individuals who will receive our 2009 Volunteer Recognition Awards: Deborah and David Kladney, Kit Prendergast and Chris Wicker.”

Dean, former counsel to the Nixon administration, has recently issued a new retrospective afterword to his classic analysis of the Watergate scandal. Blind Ambition: The End of the Story lends fresh perspective on the 1972 break-in at the Watergate Hotel, and the historical impact of these dirty tricks on presidential authority and Republican politics.

A noted social critic and registered Independent, Dean is at the vanguard of the current reassessment of the Republican Party in the wake of recent elections. His books include Conservatives Without Conscience and Worse Than Watergate: The Secret Presidency of George W. Bush.

The annual Demmler Dinner honors volunteers who have distinguished themselves in the northern Nevada community as activists and supporters of progressive causes and activities. The late Virginia Demmler was a lifelong activist and party chairwoman whose leadership helped make the WCDP the successful organization it is today.

Pam duPre, former WCDP executive director, will emcee the event.

The Silent Auction viewing, beginning at 5:30 p.m., gives attendees an opportunity to view multiple items and gifts, from original artwork to ski packages.

Dinner proceeds will contribute to the WCDP’s success in field organization, voter registration, legislative support, candidate identification and community development. “We are devoted to growing the Democratic voter base and electing the brightest, most energized Democrats into office at all levels,” Curtis-Webber said.

Individual tickets for this lively forum are available for $85, and tables for 10 can be purchased for $1,500 or $2,500 online at washoedems.org, or by calling (775) 323-8683.
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Today the Progressive Change Campaign Committee launched a new ad today asking Obama to fulfill the promises he made on the campaign trail. Holding out for one or two Republican senators so the White House can call a watered-down reform bill “bipartisan” is extremely short-sighted and won’t help any Democrats in the mid-term elections.

Sign the PCCC petition now. It’s important to get as many signatures on the petition by Monday as possible. Reid has been doing his part–rounding up Senate votes. Now it’s time for the White House to support Reid’s work in the Senate.

From PCCC co-founder Aaron Swartz:

Multiple media reports say that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is very close to rounding up the votes needed for a public health insurance option, but “the White House is pushing back against the idea” in order to get the support of Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME).

Tell the White House that the support of one Republican isn’t worth a bad bill. PLEASE SIGN OUR EMERGENCY PETITION TO PRESIDENT OBAMA TODAY:

“Every day, insurance companies deny care and let people die. Getting one Republican senator’s vote is not worth delaying reform — too many real lives are at stake. We need you to fight and state clearly that anything less than a strong public option is not change we can believe in.” Sign here.

Similar Posts:

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Here are the FDL Action health care highlights for Friday, October 23.

1. Jon Walker asks, “Is the President fighting to kill the public option just to please Snowe?” Walker adds, “The fog is starting to clear, and we will soon know where Obama really stands.” {Note: This evening, Marc Ambinder reported that “The White House is denying reports that officials are pressuring Sen. Harry Reid to scale back the scope of the “public option” that’ll be attached to the Senate health insurance bill.}

2. Jane Hamsher believes that Harry Reid is “covering up [a] secret filibuster” and “allowing members of the Democratic caucus to threaten a filibuster behind closed doors.” Hamsher concludes, “If Harry Reid is cutting secret deals in smoke-filled back rooms to water [the public option] down, he’s not credible as anything other than Wellpoint’s hatchet man until he names names.”

3. Jon Walker says that “[f]or a Republican, Olympia Snowe seems to have a real disdain for states’ rights when it comes to health care reform.” Specifically, Walker charges that Snowe’s “opposition to the idea of state-based public options is a massive federal government encroachment into state matters,” especially given that there is “nothing currently stopping states from creating a public plan today.” That’s a good point, one I hadn’t thought of before.

4. David Dayen reports that Rep. Raul Grijalva of the Progressive Caucus says the House is currently about 6-7 votes short of the 218 needed to pass a bill with a robust public option. Getting closer and closer…c’mon, guys, you can do it!

5. Jon Walker points out that “[h]ealth care reform will not start until 2013,” and that “Democrats really need to break the news to the American people, or it is going to get really ugly.” Seriously, whose brilliant idea was it to pass health care reform but not let it start until after the next presidential election?!?

6. Jon Walker writes that “Democrats who are against the robust public option are basically stealing $1,400 from the pockets of each working class American family.” Walker adds, “If a Democrat wants to fight against helping working class American families save roughly $1,400 a year they should be forced to do so publicly” and not “[hide] behind anonymous whip counts.” But, but, but…that would be so democratic, small “d”! (snark)

7. Finally, David Dayen brings us a hilarious bit of musical parody, courtesy of “the group ‘Billionaires for Wealthcare’ as they crashed the AHIP (America’s Health Insurance Plans) conference today.” Check it out, but make sure you don’t have any milk in your mouth or hot soup on your lap when you do.Similar Posts:

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The New York Times reported Harry Reid is leaning in favor of a public health insurance option, and quoted a senior Democratic aide saying:

“There is a growing sense that we need to lead on this issue and not wait for it to be offered on the Senate floor. The idea is that it’s better to show some fight.’’
Long, consistent and inventive campaigns conduction by many progressive bloggers and advocacy groups including FDL Action and Bold Progressives seem to be working on our own Senator Harry Reid.

Two recent polls have shed new light on just how unpopular Reid is among Nevadans and how strongly Nevadans support a strong public option. Progressive Change Campaign Committee commissioned a Research 2000 poll of Nevada voters on Wednesday showed 55% of Independent voters want a public option, 59% of Independents disapprove of Reid, 55% of Independents who disapprove think Reid is “not progressive enough,” and 53% of Independents see Reid as a “weak” leader. The Research 2000 poll results were release just after PCCC’s ad “Is Harry Reid Strong Enough?” featuring Las Vegas health care worker Lee Slaughter whose insurance company did not cover all the care she needed for hip surgery.

PCCC’s poll backed up an earlier Research 2000 poll conducted by Daily Kos in early September that showed Reid having higher unfavorable ratings among Nevada voters than almost all of his proposed opponents in the upcoming 2010 election.

And just today, FDL Action launched a phone bank targeting Reid, keeping the pressure on from within the state. The FDL action targeted 40,000 Nevada Democrats, asking them to call Reid’s office and “encourage him to include the HELP Committee’s public option in the final bill without limitation (no triggers, co-ops, “opt-outs” or other weakening measures).”

While I don’t necessarily agree with the end game of many progressive activists who would be fine if Reid were not re-elected in 2010, I am in favor of pressuring Reid to do what Nevadans want. Nevadans want a strong public option and they should get it just like all Americans.

Progressive bloggers and activists deserve major kudos for keeping the pressure on democratic lawmakers for months now and thankfully, they aren’t letting up. Nor should you. Call, call, call!

Click thumbnail twice to see full-size version. See more fabulous Peaco Todd cartoonsSimilar Posts:

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Register now for Nevada phone bank on the public option.

From FireDogLake

Today the FDL Action PAC launches an online phone bank effort to call 40,000 of the most progressive Democrats in Nevada, asking them to contact Harry Reid and let him know they support a public option.

As Senate Majority leader, it is Harry Reid’s choice and his alone to include the public option in a final Senate bill. He’s the only one who gets to make that decision. And if he decides to kowtow to powerful DC lobbying interests and hike up health care costs for individuals by $2000 a year by jettisoning the public option, then he’s the one who will have to shoulder the blame.

The phone bank opens today at noon ET, but you can register now. Nevada Democrats will be asked to call Reid’s office to encourage him to include the HELP Committee’s public option in the final bill without limitation (no triggers, co-ops, “opt-outs” or other weakening measures).  The phonebank will also identify Nevada constituents who would support a primary challenge to Reid if he fails to bring the public option to the floor. The data we capture will be a powerful tool in launching a campaign for a better Democratic Senator should Reid fail to listen to Democrats on this issue.

Harry Reid has said he will raise $25 million for his 2010 race. That’s over 3 1/2 times the amount he spent in 2004. With a 38% approval rating, I can understand why he thinks he needs to buy this race. But Reid’s unwillingness to enforce caucus discipline means that the 60-vote, filibuster-proof majority that so many Democrats worked so hard for is now meaningless. If he abandons the public option, Nevada residents — and all Democrats — can do better.

Register now for Nevada phone bank on the public option.Similar Posts:

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