podesta_email_21392.txt

podesta-emails 4,649 words email

P19 D3 V11 V12 P18

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week June 13, 2008 - Progressive Media USA Campaign Update New McCain Campaign Developments . . . ・ McCain will give an energy speech in Houston, Texas next Tuesday. [Houston <http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/energy/5834193.html> Chronicle, 6/13/08] ・ McCain will give a speech on free trade in Canada next Friday. [Associated <http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/MCCAIN_CANADA?SITE=MAHYC&SECTION=HOM E&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT> Press, 6/12/08] ・ The McCain campaign is sending Carly Fiorina on the road as part of their outreach to disaffected Clinton supporters and women. [Politico, 6/12/08] Progressive Media USA and Partner Activities This Week . . . McCain’s Policies Out of Touch with Women The McCain campaign has been pushing the storyline that Senator McCain is poised to win over disaffected Clinton supporters, especially women. This week, PMUSA and our partners worked to downplay their frame and push our frame that McCain is out of touch with women and will have trouble winning the women’s vote. During a Sunday planning call with partners we mapped out a week-long campaign to push a policy report, polls, surrogates and key facts about how McCain is out of touch with women. The result of these efforts was a front page story on the cover of the Washington Post. RESEARCH: Our research team put together a document on McCain’s record on women and family issues. We shared this document with our partners. This research was integrated into an Emily’s List memo and a CAPAF report on “What Women Want” on McCain’s damaging policies for women and families. PRESS: PMUSA organized a reporter conference call on Wednesday with EMILY’s List President Ellen R. Malcolm, Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Anna Greenberg and James Kvaal from the Center for American Progress Action Fund to discuss how McCain is out of step with women. The call focused on why women will not flock to McCain and included information on his policies, his record and polling data. On the day of the call, CAPAF put out a policy paper analyzing McCain’s policies and why they would be bad for women. EMILY’s List put out a memo discussing the importance of the women’s vote in 2008. NARAL Pro-Choice America sent a memo to reporters and editorial board writers with five questions they should ask McCain about his anti-choice record. GRASSROOTS: EMILY’s List used PMUSA research to create a pocket card <http: //emilyslist.org/images/mccain_words_download.pdf> on McCain’s record, which they distributed to over 1,000 people, including prominent pro-choice women officials, reporters and strategists, gathered at their conference. POLLING: PMUSA tracks public polling and sent a Gallup around to our partners showing McCain losing ground with women. The poll was highlighted in the press call and made it into many stories about McCain’s uphill effort to win the support of women. ONLINE: Our new media team is working with NARAL to produce an online video about McCain’s anti-choice record. Moveon.org released a video put together by Planned Parenthood. News reports used our frame and included much of our research and data: * “Clinton's steadfast women supporters, some of whom vowed never to look beyond Clinton's candidacy, must now choose between Obama and McCain. Malcolm and Shultz, both early supporters of Clinton's presidential bid, say that choice becomes clear when you look at McCain's record. They pointed to McCain's consistent anti-abortion voting record, his support for the Iraq war, and his failure to vote on the Fair Pay Act, a bill that would restore workers’ ability to go to court in cases of pay discrimination.” [ABC <http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/06/clinton-support.html> , 6/11/08] * “McCain is currently running well behind George W. Bush in 2004, who lost women voters to John Kerry by just three points by appealing to ‘security moms.’” [The <http://www.thenation.com/blogs/notion/328690> Nation, 6/11/08] * “Women leaders who supported Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign started a full-court press today to define Republican John McCain as damaging to women on economics, abortion and other issues. They urged women to vote for Democrat Barack Obama…. Malcolm knocked down what she called ‘the mythology’ of talk from the McCain campaign about picking up Clinton's female voters. ‘think that idea's a pipe dream. Sen McCain is really out of touch with the lives these women are leading,’ she said.” [USA <http://blogs.usatoday.com/onpolitics/2008/06/democratic-wome.html?loc=inter stitialskip> Today, 6/11/08] * “Citing the latest Gallup numbers showing that Barack Obama has gained support among women since rival Hillary Clinton exited the Democratic primary contest, Emily's List founder Ellen Malcolm told reporters this morning that when women voters learn the truth about John McCain's positions on abortion rights, the Iraq war and tax cuts for oil companies, they'll put their grieving for Clinton's campaign behind them.” [Hotline <http://hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com/archives/2008/06/pipe_dream.html#com ments> , 6/11/08] * “The women -including Ellen Malcolm, the president of Emily's List, and Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Democrat of Florida - said some people think Mr. McCain is moderate on women's issues because he has occasionally been a maverick in the past but he is in fact quite conservative, especially on abortion rights. Mr. McCain favors overturning Roe v. Wade and voted against a bill to make it easier for women to file lawsuits seeking equal pay for equal work.” [New <http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/11/winning-backwomen/#more-5349> York Times, 6/11/08] * “Women's groups moved quickly to close ranks behind the presumptive Democratic nominee this week, with several former Clinton supporters joining in a conference call to try to debunk McCain's assertion that he can appeal to women.” [Washington <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/11/AR200806110 3854.html> Post, 6/12/08] Holding the Media Accountable - Covering McCain’s Lobbyist Ties PMUSA and our partners continue to keep the pressure on McCain’s ties to lobbyists. FEC Complaint: This week, Campaign Money Watch filed an FEC complaint <http: //www.campaignmoney.org/mccainfec> against the McCain campaign asking the FEC to look into finance director Susan Nelson’s payments from Tom Loeffler’s lobbying group while she was working on the campaign and possible illegal corporate donation from 3eDC, a private Web company partly owned by Rick Davis. CMW also launched a television ad <http://www.campaignmoney.org/mccainairbus> criticizing McCain’s lobbyist ties to the Airbus tanker deal. The AP, Countdown with Keith Olbermann, CBSNews.com, Hotline and ABCNews.com reported on the complaint. * “A group that supports public financing of campaigns filed a federal complaint against John McCain's presidential campaign Monday, calling for an investigation into two financial transactions involving two top McCain aides.” [Associated <http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080609/ap_on_el_pr/mccain_fec> Press, 6/9/08] Ukrainian Oil Lobbyist Ties: On Thursday, the New York Times reported that in 2005, the National Security Council complained to Sen. McCain’s office that Rick Davis’ lobbying firm was “undercutting American foreign policy in Ukraine.” Davis’ firm, Davis Manafort, lobbied for Ukraine politician, Viktor Yanukovich, who was accused of trying to kill his opponent, Yushchenko, with radio-active poison. We pushed this story to reporters and our partners. Campaign Money Watch sent out a release calling again for Rick Davis to be fired. National Security Network is working with reporters to dig deeper into what Rick Davis did for Yanukovich. McCain VP Vetter: While the McCain campaign hit Obama on his VP vetter, we pushed back with research about McCain’s VP vetter, who is a big lobbyist. We shared this research with reporters. * “And amidst all this back-and-forth, parsing and equivocating about Jim Johnson, the man who is vetting Sen. Barack Obama's vice presidential hopefuls, we now ask: who is vetting Sen. John McCain's would-be heirs to the throne? “Aerospace titan Lockheed Martin retained Culvahouse in 1999 to lobby for a Senate bill that would have enabled the Secretary of Transportation to give Lockheed Martin and other companies financing for the companies to develop ‘commercial space transportation vehicles with launch costs significantly below current levels.’” [ABC <http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/06/and-whos-vett-1.html> , 6/10/08] Rapid Response US Troops in Iraq “Not too Important” During an interview with Matt Lauer on the Today Show on Wednesday, McCain said it’s “not too important” when our troops can come home. LAUER: If it's now working, Senator, do you now have a better estimate of when American forces can come home to Iraq? MCCAIN: No, but that's not too important. What's important is the casualties in Iraq. Americans are in South Korea, Americans are in Japan, American troops are in Germany. That's all fine. American casualties and the ability to withdraw; we will be able to withdraw." Before arriving to work, PMUSA staff started alerting our partners about McCain’s statement and urged them to pile on McCain. We reached out to prominent members of Congress, Vote Vets, Iraq Campaign 2008, Americans United and the National Security Network. Numerous Democrats spoke out and called Senator McCain out of touch with our military families and with the situation in Iraq. Senator Reid sent out a statement and Senator Biden talked to reporters about the comment. The Obama campaign organized a press call featuring Senator Kerry and Susan Rice. VoteVets.org and the Iraq Campaign sent out statements. By 11 am, Senator McCain was directly trying to explain his remarks. * “McCain’s statement today that withdrawing troops doesn’t matter is a crystal clear indicator that he just doesn’t get the grave national-security consequences of staying the course - Osama bin Laden is freely plotting attacks, our efforts in Afghanistan are undermanned, and our military readiness has been dangerously diminished. We need a smart change in strategy to make America more secure, not a commitment to indefinitely keep our troops in an intractable civil war.” [Senator <http://democrats.senate.gov/newsroom/record.cfm?id=298992&> Harry Reid statement, 6/11/08] * “My first question is this: What do the troops in theater think of a statement like that? What does the young sergeant on the 14th month of his third tour think when John McCain says it's ‘not too important’ when we come home? In fact, this kind of talk is devastating to the morale of the troops.” [VoteVets.org release <http://www.votevets.org/news?id=0146> , 6/11/08] * “Mr. Straight Talk Express Moves the Goalposts in Iraq…Again; ‘[T]hat’s not too important’ - Senator John McCain today on NBC’s Today Show on when he thinks US troops can come home from Iraq” [Iraq Campaign release, 6/11/08] The Obama and McCain campaigns went back and forth about the comment all day , which dominated press coverage. * “John McCain's comments Wednesday seeming to downplay the return of U.S. troops from Iraq set off another presidential campaign fight over the war.” [USA <http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-06-11-mccain_N.htm? loc=interstitialskip> Today, 6/12/08] * “Democrats leapt to criticize Mr. McCain for playing down the strains of the war.” [New <http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/12/us/politics/12campaign.html?ref=us> York Times, 6/12/08] * KEITH OLBERMANN: “How do veterans, how do veterans families feel when they hear that the man who wants to be the next commander in chief does not think it's too important when they come home?” [Countdown with Keith Olbermann on MSNBC, 6/11/08] Fact-checking McCain’s Remarks Earmarks - On Tuesday, McCain said he had never taken an earmark for Arizona. We sent around our research that shows that he has asked for multiple pork projects to reporters and to our partners. Guantanamo - On Thursday, McCain said he has always been in support of closing Guantanamo prison. We sent around our research to reporters which showed McCain’s claim to be false. Earmarks II - On Friday, McCain said he has never received pork for Arizona. We again sent around our research that shows that he has asked for multiple pork projects to reporters and to our partners. McBush Frame We continue to tie McCain to Bush’s policies at every opportunity. Last week, McCain gave a speech taking on the frame that he is just like Bush - but the frame continues to stick. * “As a rule, political candidates have more success when they're telling people what they're for and who they are -- rather than defensively explaining what, and who, they are not. Which is why you might have found the first two national salvos of the general election from the McCain campaign a bit puzzling. First, in his general <http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/News/Speeches/38121aa3-ad2d-41a6-b6e0-3 e54247b4c2f.htm> election launch speech a week ago tonight (widely panned because of McCain's awkward delivery), the money graf was all about McCain defending himself against the Democratic charge that he is little more than McBush, a clone who would continue the current unpopular president's policies. Then, at the end of the week, came the campaign's first major TV buy, a 30-second spot running in ten key states around the country, on both cable and broadcast. It's message: I'm not a warmonger. “McCain's advisers know it would be far better to be spending precious time and money defining who John McCain is rather than who he isn't. But in the current political environment, they felt they had to play defense first. For those who haven't seen it, here's the McCain ad, called ‘Safe’:” [TIME <http://www.time-blog.com/swampland/2008/06/mccain_plays_defense.html> , 6/10/08] In the States: Iowa Iowa held a press conference on Tuesday, June 10 focusing on McCain’s record on women’s issues. Despite two media outlets attending the presser, bad weather including flooding and tornadoes subsumed all media coverage and there were no clips. LTE’s Farm bill succeeds despite Bush veto Des <http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008806130355> Moines Register, June 13, 2008 Congratulations to Sens. Tom Harkin and Chuck Grassley and the Congress for passing a farm bill that helps rural Iowans and Americans. The farm bill is supported by rural and urban members of Congress, as well as organizations across the political spectrum. Iowans will benefit from new investments in conservation, renewable energy, nutrition and a strong farm-income safety net. Fortunately for rural Iowans, the bipartisan majority of Congress overrode President Bush's veto of this necessary legislation - a veto supported by Sen. John McCain. Their efforts to undermine bipartisan support for rural America reinforce their continued backing of corporate interests over programs for food producers and working families. - Sen. Gene Fraise, chair, state Senate Agriculture Committee, Fort Madison; Rep. John Whitaker, vice chair, state House Agricultural Committee, Hillsboro Iowa's senators back Farm Bill Iowa <http://www.press-citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008806070360> City Press Citizen, June 7, 2008 Congratulations to Senators Tom Harkin and Chuck Grassley for helping to pass a Farm Bill that helps rural Iowans and Americans. The Farm Bill is supported by rural and urban Members of Congress as well as organizations across the political spectrum. When both political parties and multi-faceted organizations work together, Congress can produce good results. Fortunately for rural Iowans, the bipartisan majority of Congress overrode President George W. Bush's veto of this necessary legislation -- a veto supported by Sen. John McCain. The efforts of Bush and McCain to undermine bipartisan support for rural America reinforce their continued backing of corporate interests over programs for food producers and working families. McCain's and Bush's actions reinforce old notions of a Washington that can't work despite strong bipartisan efforts to the contrary. Iowans should take every opportunity to tell McCain and Bush we want Washington to change and work for results that benefit our families, not corporations. Sen. Gene Fraise, chairman & Rep. John Whitaker, vice chairman Iowa House Agriculture Committee Op-Ed McCain offers the wrong kind of change Iowa <http://www.press-citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080607/OPINION05/ 806070301/1018/OPINION> City Press Citizen, June 7, 2008 Most of us know someone who's been personally affected by the health care crisis: a single mom struggling to keep her kids healthy, a senior who can't keep up with the rising costs of prescription drugs or a part-time worker whose deductibles are too high for him to afford coverage. It's a broken system in desperate need of change. The debate raging across America is whether we as a country will ensure that health care is affordable and available to everyone. Sen. John McCain and President George W. Bush approach the health care crisis like a business proposition -- they believe it's a market-based commodity in which government should not participate. They say people will be more responsible consumers if they purchase health care on their own. Under the McCain-Bush plan, quality health care would become like mansions and limousines -- something available only to the very rich. CEOs and their families would get top-of-the-line medical treatments, and everyone else would be left to fend for themselves. McCain's plan shifts the burden from employers to workers. He would raise taxes on working families by making employer-provided health benefits taxable. McCain proposes a very modest tax credit to offset his new tax, but it would cover less than half the average health insurance premium, leaving workers to pick up the difference. In addition, he will make the high cost of individual insurance even worse with high-deductible health savings accounts, which have been touted by Bush, providing fewer benefits at higher costs. Recent studies show that such health savings accounts are used most by citizens who earn on average $139,000 annually and who rarely withdraw funds, pointing to their real function as yet another tax shelter for the wealthiest Americans. McCain's efforts to "eliminate the bias" toward employer-based health care will encourage employers to stop offering health care, forcing workers into an unregulated private insurance market to fend for themselves. Insurance companies will be rewarded by attracting only the healthiest people, driving up overall costs. They can decide to refuse to cover people with pre-existing conditions, including cancer survivors. Retirees will have a particularly hard time getting health care. Americans and Iowans want and deserve changes in our health care system that help working families. Instead, John McCain continues to cling to the failed principles of Bush by placing more of the health care burden on working families. We don't need that kind of change. - Jan Laue is executive vice president of the Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO. Blog 10 Reasons Why Women Should Not Vote For John McCain Demo <http://thedemomemo.com/2008/06/10_reasons_why_women_should_no.html> Memo, June 9, 2008 <http://thedemomemo.com/2008/06/> McCain's campaign is wasting no time in courting former Clinton supporters to their side. While I find this completely unbelievable, I have to remember that most people don't follow politics and have no idea what John McCain's record is. That is where the DemoMemo.com comes in. I'm here to give women ten good reasons not to even consider voting for John McCain. 1. John McCain sees your sons and daughters as plastic pawns in a global game of chess. He has stated that the U.S. may have a presence in Iraq for the <http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/02/14/mccain.king/> next hundred years. 2. McCain has no <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/01/21/short-on-economic-underst_n_82529. html> clue about the economy. He has even admitted that it's not his strong suit. 3. McCain <http://www.usnews.com/blogs/capital-commerce/2008/2/5/mccain-on-the-bush-ta x-cuts.html> wants to keep the Bush tax cuts for the richest of the rich. He flip-flopped on this issue. 4. John McCain was punished for being involved in one of the worst savings <http://www.azcentral.com/news/specials/mccain/articles/0301mccainbio-chapte r7.html> and loan scandals this country has ever seen, the bailout of which cost taxpayers billions of dollars. 5. John McCain has lost his maverick appeal. Over the last two years alone, he has voted with President Bush 100% of the time. 6. John McCain has an explosive, angry temperment. According to eye witness accounts, in the 1990's he called his wife a "c*nt" in public. 7. McCain worked with the democrats in the Senate to formulate a bipartisan solution to our country's <http://thedemomemo.com/> immigration problem, only to abandon the plan when grilled by ultra conservatives. 8. John McCain received a zero <http://www.americanprogressaction.org/issues/2008/mccain_gw_record.html> on his voting record on the environment from the League of Conservation voters. He also repeatedly supported oil companies and voted against car mileage standards. 9. John McCain did nothing to help people suffering from the damage of Hurricane <http://www.motherjones.com/mojoblog/archives/2008/04/8059_john_mccains_mi.h tml> Katrina. 10. At last, but certainly not least, John McCain has stated that he will do everything he can to reverse Roe <http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/issues/95b18512-d5b6-456e-90a2-12028d71 df58.htm> vs. Wade, and will follow suit with his Supreme Court nominees. Ohio: Carly Fiorina visited Ohio on Thursday to reach out to women who previously supported Senator Clinton. Our research team pulled together a document on Fiorina’s support of outsourcing and her golden parachute severance pay, which we sent to ProgressOhio. ProgressOhio moved this document to Ohio reporters. Other Ohio activities this week include the following blog posts: McCain's War on Women <http://progressohio.org/page/s/mccainwaronwomen> John McCain is often painted as a moderate. But where does he really stand on issues that affect women? McCain's Senate record may surprise you. From equal pay to domestic violence programs, from sex education to the fundamental question of what conversations a woman may or may not have with her doctor, McCain is no moderate. Get the facts about where John McCain stands on these issues, then let us know where you stand on John McCain. McCain's War on Equal Pay ・ McCain skipped a recent vote on Equal Pay, and said that instead of legislation allowing women to fight for equal pay, they simply need "education and training." (Women are currently paid less than men for the same work, even when they have the same education and training as men). [Source <http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cf m?congress=110&session=2&vote=00110> ] McCain's War on Birth Control ・ McCain has never cosponsored or supported legislation that would reduce the need for abortion by preventing unintended pregnancy [Source <http://www.prochoiceamerica.org/assets/files/mccain_fact_sheet.pdf> ] ・ McCain voted against requiring insurance companies that pay for prescription drugs (like Viagra) to pay equally for women's prescription birth control [Source <http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cf m?congress=108&session=1&vote=00045> ] ・ McCain voted for the domestic & global gag rules, which prohibit federally funded family-planning clinics from giving women full information about their reproductive health options [Source <http://www.prochoiceamerica.org/assets/files/mccain_fact_sheet.pdf> ] McCain's War on Women's Health ・ McCain voted to terminate the Title X family planning program, which provides millions of women with health care services ranging from birth control to breast & cervical cancer screenings [Source <http://www.prochoiceamerica.org/assets/files/mccain_fact_sheet.pdf> ] ・ McCain voted to de‐fund the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), an organization that provides family planning services - not abortion - for the world's poorest women [Source <http://www.prochoiceamerica.org/assets/files/mccain_fact_sheet.pdf> ] McCain's War on Sex Education ・ McCain voted against funding teen pregnancy prevention programs and against ensuring that "abstinence‐only" programs are at least medically accurate [Source <http://www.prochoiceamerica.org/assets/files/mccain_fact_sheet.pdf> ] ・ McCain voted to earmark one‐third of all HIV/AIDS prevention funds for ineffective, unproven, and dangerous "abstinence‐only" programs [Source <http://www.prochoiceamerica.org/assets/files/mccain_fact_sheet.pdf> ] ・ McCain voted to take $75 million from the Maternal and Child Health Block Grant to establish a new "abstinence‐only" program that censors information about birth control [Source <http://www.prochoiceamerica.org/assets/files/mccain_fact_sheet.pdf> ] McCain's War on Choice ・ Voted anti-choice 125 out of 130 times in his congressional career [Source <http://www.prochoiceamerica.org/assets/files/mccain_fact_sheet.pdf> ] ・ Voted in favor of anti-choice Supreme Court Justices like Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas and Chief Justices like John Roberts [Source <http://www.prochoiceamerica.org/assets/files/mccain_fact_sheet.pdf> ] ・ McCain routinely votes to block women's access to abortion care for low-income women, voted for the Federal Abortion Ban, and opposed federal Medicaid funds for abortion even in cases of rape or incest.[Source <http://www.prochoiceamerica.org/assets/files/mccain_fact_sheet.pdf> ] ・ McCain voted to deny abortion services to U.S. military women serving overseas, even when they wish to pay for such services with their own money [Source <http://www.prochoiceamerica.org/assets/files/mccain_fact_sheet.pdf> ] McCain's War on Domestic Violence Programs ・ Voted against a measure to increase funding for law enforcement programs, including the Office of Violence Against Women programs and the Center for Missing and Exploited Children [Source <http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cf m?congress=109&session=1&vote=00226> ] ・ Opposed grant programs to aid children who have witnessed domestic violence [Source <http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cf m?congress=106&session=1&vote=00125> ] Sign the <http://www.progressohio.org/page/community/post/daveharding/C2D9> "Ex-Hillary Fans For McCain" Pledge By Dave Harding, ProgressOhio <http://www.progressohio.org/page/community/person/gGBNfF> - Jun 11th, 2008 at 7:25 am EDT ・ The McCain Loyalty Oath for Women ・ I _____________ pledge to transfer my support from Hillary Clinton to John McCain. I agree to do all I can do to get McCain the vote. In order to achieve this noble goal I promise to support McCain's... ・ * fight to overturn Roe v. Wade <http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/issues/95b18512-d5b6-456e-90a2-12028d71 df58.htm> and my right to choose. * fight against equal pay for men and women. * opposition to providing low-income and uninsured women and families with health care services ranging from breast and cervical cancer screening to birth control. * opposition to sex education and support of abstinence-only education. * quest for not making birth control covered by insurance. * endorsement of women's rights more "in theory <http://www.wtop.com/?nid=213&sid=1392352> " than in practice. * pet name <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/05/01/mccain-asked-did-you-call_n_99744. html> for his wife. ・ As a woman I promise to apply McCain's principles to my own life and vow to... ・ * call myself and my female friends the C word. * picket abortion clinics. * not use contraceptives. * drink bleach <http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/04/03/abstinence-only-education-failing- teens-think-bleach-prevents-hiv/> so I don't catch HIV and drink Mountain Dew so I don't get pregnant. * give back part of my salary to male coworkers. * not vote, but pursue education <http://thinkprogress.org/2008/04/23/mccain-dismisses-equal-pay-legislation- says-women-need-more-training-and-education/> and encourage my father/husband/brother male friends to vote for McCain. ・ Once McCain is elected, I will continue to support him and I will not complain about my losing my right to choose, and other reproductive freedoms. And I will continue to refrain from pursuing equality for women. ・ Sincerely, Signature __________ ・ PS: If you are no longer of the age where you are personally concerned about your reproductive rights sign this pledge on behalf of your daughters, granddaughters, nieces and all younger women in America. Wisconsin LTE’s Dick Vander Woude: All that experience, and McCain's still wrong on war Madison Capitol <http://www.madison.com/tct/opinion/letters/290223> Times, 6/08/2008 Dear Editor: Even before Barack Obama locked up the votes to secure the Democratic Party's nomination, the John McCain forces started with the experience issue, which was quickly echoed by some of Hillary Clinton's most ardent supporters. Three years and a great speech does not a president make, their rant goes. Certainly, experience counts. It is important in the development of leadership. But the experience ought to add up to something of value. I recall an education professor, many years ago, who shaped my understanding of the value of experience. He asked us to consider the value of a teacher with 10 years of experience compared to another teacher who had attained one year of experience 10 times. The lesson is clear. Longevity is not experience. Repetition is habit forming, and habits are hard to break. Now apply this view of experience to the candidates' positions on war. McCain is a longtime supporter of Bush's unprovoked invasion of Iraq. Does his position represent a habit he cannot, or will not, break? This is not a cynical question. McCain announced the surge is over (which it isn't), and said that it would be all right with him if U.S. troops remained in Iraq for 100 years. Oh? For what purpose? McCain's recent statements suggest that he has either forgotten that the surge was designed to achieve political accommodation within Iraq, or he wants us to forget so he can continue the Bush administration's policy of democratic imperialism. Obama, by contrast, had the wisdom -- gleaned from his experience -- to know this war was wrong and opposed it from the outset. Obama's experience is broad, while McCain's is only long. Which experience will best serve our country? Give me experience that represents change I can believe in. Dick Vander Woude Madison Blog John McCain Doesn’t Represent Me Rock <http://rocknetroots.blogspot.com/2008/06/john-mccain-doesnt-represent-me.ht ml> Netroots Commentary, by Louis Kaye 6/10/08 Watch and <http://youtube.com/watch?v=lnzqpVWC2-o&feature=related> listen to John McCain imply that citizens fighting for equal rights and equal pay are nothing more than dupes of trial lawyers scheming to make money. And he is applauded!! [PFAW’s Youtube Here] A fourteen-year-old girl knew better and stood on her own against the intimidating GOP presidential candidate… What a gutsy little lady!! Check it out at One <http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/mccainnoequalpay> Wisconsin, and then pass it along to your friends.