WE'RE OFF AND RUNNING!:


Our Ninth Annual Labor Day Picnic was the biggest yet, and full of high spirits. The many elected officials and candidates present were introduced and good food and conversation was had by all. Thanks to the Plumbers and Steamfitters union for the great hall, and thanks to the various Democratic clubs across the county, which cooperate in putting on this yearly event. (Thanks to Tom Blackwell for this picture.)

This is the traditional beginning of the fall campaign season, so not only did we pass the hat for the party, and ask people to please support it by becoming Sustaining Members (you can do it online at this page), but people were also getting signed up as volunteers for candidates, and for the party's Precinct Walks.

DON'T BE BULLIED!!:

The Bush misadministration is heating up their words for the fall campaign, to try and scare voters into keeping the incompetent and greedy Republicans in power. Here's part of what Frank Rich wrote about it in Sunday's New York Times:

"What made Mr. Rumsfeld's speech noteworthy wasn't its toxic effort to impugn the patriotism of administration critics by conflating dissent on Iraq with cut-and-run surrender and incipient treason. That's old news. No, what made Mr. Rumsfeld's performance special was the preview it offered of the ambitious propaganda campaign planned between now and Election Day."

Read the whole thing at this site. (Thanks to Judge Ron Chapman for sending this.) Another fearless voice against this un-American viciousness came surprisingly from the Mayor of Salt Lake City, who told a rally Wednesday:

"Blind faith in bad leaders is not patriotism. A patriot does not tell people who are intensely concerned about their country to just sit down and be quiet; to refrain from speaking out in the name of politeness or for the sake of being a good host; to show slavish, blind obedience and deference to a dishonest, war-mongering, human-rights-violating president. That is not a patriot. Rather, that person is a sycophant."

Read it all at this site. (Thanks to Precinct Chair Tom Blackwell for sending this.) The proper, proudly defiant stand to take when thugs try this kind of intimidation was supposedly made by Patrick Henry in 1765. Speaking of the oppressive King of England at the time, he replied to cries that he spoke treason by saying: "If this be treason, make the most of it." This unbullied man went on to become the first elected Governor of Virginia. Let us try to follow his example.

[These were sent out in the September 5 DCDP Roundup email.]