Save the post office.

Clicking here will automatically add your name to this petition to Congress: "Save the post office. This is no time to close down post offices and cut 220,000 jobs." Automatically add your name: Learn more about this campaign Tell Congress: Save the post office. Dear Friend, We need to save the post office. The Postmaster General wants to close over half of the mail processing centers and over 3,000 mostly rural post offices. And his plan includes laying off almost 220,000 workers. In this economy, that's the last thing we need. Rural post offices in particular are important institutions. Closing them, especially in areas with little or no access to broadband internet service, could have a major impact on the communities they serve. And closing them won't save much money. Collectively, all the post offices being considered for closure account for a miniscule amount, four-tenths of one percent, of the postal service's annual budget. As one former Postmaster General said, "That's not even a drop in the bucket. The bucket won't ripple."1 Tell Congress: Save the post office. Click here to automatically sign the petition. It's true the post office faces financial challenges. But the financial problems are in large part a direct result of an onerous and ill-considered 2006 law that mandates that the postal service pre-fund its retiree health care and pension benefits for 75 years — something that no other government agency or private company is forced to do. 85% of the red ink comes from this pre-funding mandate despite the fact that, according to the Post Office Inspector General, the pension is over-funded and reserves for retiree health care are far higher than the federal government as a whole, the military and almost all Fortune 1000 companies.2 Simply modifying the 2006 pre-funding mandate would provide considerable breathing room for the post office. And while some changes to the post office are certainly necessary to preserve and improve it in the 21st Century, now's not the time to close post offices and cut hundreds of thousands of jobs. Tell Congress: Save the post office. Click below to automatically sign the petition: http://act.credoaction.com/r/?r=5533995&id=35434-5191227-ObTYnxx&t=9 Thank you for speaking out to save the post office. Matt Lockshin, Campaign Manager CREDO Action from Working Assets 1. "Special Report: Towns go dark with post office closings," Reuters, 02-14-12. 2. Letter from United State Post Office Inspector General David C. Williams to Senator Bernie Sanders, dated 02-06-12. Share on Facebook Post to your wall Tweet this Post to Twitter © 2012 CREDO. All rights reserved. To remove yourself (Democratic Party DuPage County) from this list, please visit our subscription management page at: http://act.credoaction.com/s?i=35434-5191227-ObTYnxx To change your email address or update your contact info, please visit: http://act.credoaction.com/subscrip/coa.html?id=35434-5191227-ObTYnxx

Watch the show Fox News will hate: Teach-In To Take Back the American Dream

Dear Dupage, Join us to hear the real story about who broke the economy for the 99% and what we can do to fix it. Watch a very special show that will be televised nationally and streamed online live February 21, 9 p.m. Eastern / 6 p.m. Pacific time. It's a "National Teach-In to Take Back the American Dream," and I invite you to watch online! Yes, I'll watch online on Tuesday, February 21. Sorry, I can't watch this time but would like to learn about solutions to fix the economy. The show will feature a remarkable panel of thinkers and leaders, and I'm honored to be a part of it. Former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich, Heather McGhee of Demos, businessman Leo Hindrey Jr., Campaign for America's Future co-director Robert Borosage, and I will share the real story about our economic crisis: How corporations broke the law in their reckless pursuit of greed What policies made it legal for banks to gamble with the stability of the global economy Why so many millions were thrown out of their homes, or left to drown in underwater mortgages Why our government won't act to create jobs, even though the economists who saw the crisis coming know exactly what we need to do This program is brought to you by Rebuild the Dream in partnership with Free Speech TV, "The Big Picture with Thom Hartmann," and the Campaign for America's Future. Join us to learn how to tell the true story of the economic mess to the American people and what we can do next. Thanks for helping to rebuild the dream, Natalie P.S. This is part of our series on problems and solutions for the economy. If you missed it, check out our do-it-yourself teach-in curriculum and PowerPoint used by thousands of people last November.

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Rebuild the Dream is an engine helping to drive the 21st-century movement to renew the American Dream. You can follow us on Twitter, and like us on Facebook.

Was this email forwarded to you? Click here to add yourself to Rebuild the Dream's email list.

If you don't want to receive emails from us anymore, you can remove yourself from our list by clicking here. We're sorry to see you go, and we'll miss you!

Have an idea for a petition? Start it at SignOn.org!

Dear MoveOn member,

Have you ever heard the story of how MoveOn started? In 1998, when Newt Gingrich and the Republicans in Congress were focusing all of their efforts on impeaching President Clinton over a sex scandal, we started a simple online petition: "Censure President Clinton and Move On to Pressing Issues Facing the Nation."

We had no past political experience, but we felt passionately about our message and shared the petition with as many of our friends as we could think of. Within days, the petition went viral, and we had hundreds of thousands of signatures. And from the list of people who signed that original petition grew MoveOn.org—an organization of well over 5 million members and a powerful progressive force in American politics.

Because we've seen firsthand how regular people can make a difference, we're thrilled that MoveOn has launched a new website called SignOn.org where anyone can start their own online petitions. You can create a petition in minutes, and MoveOn will even send the most popular petitions to other MoveOn members to help build support for your cause.

Click here to start your own petition on SignOn.org right now.

As always, thanks for all you do.

–Wes Boyd & Joan Blades
Founders of MoveOn.org

Want to support our work? MoveOn Civic Action is entirely funded by our 5 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.

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This email was sent to dupage dems blog on February 18, 2012. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Three Things You Can Do to Help Re-elect The President

1. Come meet your local DuPage campaign staff and volunteer leaders at the DuPage Democrats' Office Open House

2. Learn what Obama for America is doing to help re-elect President Obama and other Democrats in 2012.

3. Help us phone bank!

Start: Thursday, February 2, 2012 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM End:Sunday, February 26, 2012 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Host: Sabey Abraham

Location: DuPage Democrats' Office (Lombard, IL) 1000 N. Rohlwing Rd, Ste 7 Lombard, IL 60148

Directions: Our office is located at the corner of North Ave and Rte 53 (Rohlwing Rd) and is two doors down from Jimmy John's sandwich shop, facing North Ave.

Click here for more information.

Erin Go Get An O'Bama T-Shirt

President Obama, on visiting Ireland, noted he had an Irish ancestor and had come to find his apostrophe. Well, the campaign found it and you can show how green Democrats can be wearing this shirt on St. Patrick's Day. Check it out; you'll want one!

Stop Stafford Interest Rates From Doubling

The interest rate on Stafford student loans will double in July if Congress doesn't approve the plan to stop it.

If the plan isn't passed, some borrowers will end up paying almost $5,000 more on their loan over a 10-year repayment. We're asking people like you to tell Congress to show some love for students and support the plan.

Will you take action now and sign this letter to your members of Congress?

In 2007, Congress passed the College Cost Reduction and Access Act, which cut the interest rate from 6.8% to 3.4% -- but it's set to expire this July. This is a terrible time to force students to shoulder such a huge increase when so many students are either unemployed or underemployed and struggling to pay loans. In fact, this issue is growing so quickly and dangerously that Rebuild the Dream will be campaigning around student debt and the right to higher education throughout the year.

College seniors who graduated with student loans in 2010 owed an average of $25,250, up five percent from the previous year. And this affects more than just people in their 20s: borrowing has grown far more quickly for those in the 35-49 age group, whose school debt burden increased by a staggering 47 percent. 
That's why for this Valentine's Day, I'm not asking for chocolate hearts or roses. I'm asking that Congress extend a deal that was made five years ago.

Sign this letter urging your members of Congress to show some love for students!

Thanks,

Molly Katchpole

P.S. Check out the United States Students Association, Campus Progress, and US Public Interest Research Groups | Higher Ed to find out more about issues affecting millennials.

NPR.org - If Women Are In Combat, Men May Try To Protect Them, Santorum Says

Really? Where does Santorum get this stuff?

If Women Are In Combat, Men May Try To Protect Them, Santorum Says
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2012/02/10/146685806/if-women-are-in-combat-men-may-try-to-protect-them-santorum-says?sc=emaf

*Listen/Watch on NPR.org*
Many stories at NPR.org have audio or visual content. When you visit the link
above, look for a "Listen" or "Watch" button.
For technical support, please visit NPR's Audio/Visual Help page:
http://help.npr.org/npr/consumer/kbdetail.asp?kbid=152

Santorum says what?

It took 16 presidential election cycles, beginning in 1952, but I finally heard the quote from a presidential contender that may never be topped for sheer lunacy. Speaking at a Texas campaign stop February 8, Rick Santorum offered this bit of delusion and fear mongering:

"When you marginalize faith in America....what's left is the French Revolution. What's left in France became the Guillotine...if we follow the path of President Obama
and his overt hostility to faith in America, then we are headed down that path."

Santorum, of course, was merely scoring culture war points with the extreme Tea Party and Evangelical wing of the Republican Party, the highly energized segment which is fueling his inroad on front runner Mitt Romney. Somehow Santorum believes making contraceptives available at no cost to the 98% of sexually active women who use them, of their own free will, represents a hostility to religion that moves in a straight line to the French Revolution and the guillotine.

I am not worried that my continued support for the sensible and measured policies benefiting the health of women will bring back (or rather to since America never had it) the guillotine. There is, however, a device I wish we could use on the Santorum candidacy...the Hook.

Walt Zlotow is a guest blogger to DPDC and has his own blog at Heartland Progressive blogspot.

FW: TO SHOW OUR LOVE, Gala Deadline extended to Feb 14. Social Media Contest winner.

In This Issue Our Valentine's gift to you! Extended Gala deadline. Our New Website Job Offerings Through the Election Commission: Clerical and Bilingual(URGENT) You COULD enter our $1000 Raffle for free. DO YOUR HEART SOME GOOD WITH The Absolutely PERFECT antidote to the mush of Mainstream Media  Thom Hartmann videostream  WHY SHOULD I COME TO THE GALA?? 1)  EVERYONE who espouses progressive politics can really gain wisdom from Thom and BE INSPIRED by his believe that we CAN FIX what ails our country. 2) This is our MAJOR fundraising event of the year off of which we will need to draft until November.  IF you can't afford this event, we understand, but please give whatever you can by clicking here. IF you can make this event part of your giving this year or can place an ad in our adbook,  please do so  today by clicking here.   3) We all want our party to grow and prosper and one of the ways to do that is to socialize and network . The DuPage Democratic party is not something out there, it is US together supporting one another, making new friends and new alliances. 4) BECAUSE... to share the love of the season, WE ARE EXTENDING the early-bird price savings until FEB 14th at midnight!    Congratulations to: Tiffany Terry winner of our Social Media Contest. Send us an email, Tiffany, and we will give you the details on receiving your prize! Please, everyone, encourage your friends to help increase the visibility of the DPDC  by following us in the Social Media world today which will increase our power of persuasion on many levels for tomorrow and into the future!   Have you gotten your Gala tickets yet? DuPage Democrats For more information, visit our website: www.dupagedemocrats.com Contribute Now! More Dem events can be found here We welcome any input you may have regarding what we do here at DPDC and encourage you to call or send an email to share your great ideas with us.    Sincerely,   Amy Rohrer, Executive Director Democratic Party of DuPage County My cell 630-699-5071  JOB OFFERINGS THROUGH THE ELECTION COMMISSION: Clerical and Bilingual URGENT REQUEST FOR BILINGUAL ELECTION WORKERS In order to comply with the federal Voting Rights Act we need about 30 Spanish/English speaking people to serve as election judges in the March 20 primary election. They must be registered voters in DuPage County and willing to work from 5:30am to about 8:30pm on election day, Tuesday, March 20. On-line training is available. Pay for the day is $130 and for the training is $30. If you or someone you know is a Spanish/English speaking person who is willing to work please send name and contact information to Judges@dupagedemocrats.com as soon as possible.  Thanks for you help in this important democratic process. SHORT TERM CLERICAL WORK AVAILABLE  In order to meet state election law retabulation requirements we need 25 people to do clerical type work following the March 20 primary election.    The job begins on March 29 and will last one week and maybe two. The hours are 9am to 4pm daily at the DuPage County complex in Wheaton. Pay is $10/hour. If you are available or know someone who is please send name and contact information to Judges@dupagedemocrats.com. Thank you for your help in this important democratic process.  Did you know that if you sell 4 raffle tickets, you get the 5th one free and you could win (also there are 14 more prizes from $50 on up) Times are tight for many. We get that. And we know you want to support DPDC for their fine work on behalf of things you really believe in.    Here is a chance to do that at a very low cost (with the potential of multiplying that investment 2-40 times). BUT EVEN BETTER, we will give you a packet of 5 tickets and if you sell 4, the 5th is yours for FREE!    INTERESTED? Call 630-629-1125 and leave your name and phone number and we will get back to you or write to us at info@dupagedemocrats.com to buy your $25 ticket or to get a packet to sell.        Paid for by the Democratic Party of DuPage County. A copy of our report(s) filed with the Illinois State Board of Elections and DuPage County Clerk is available (or will be) for purchase from the DuPage County Clerk's office, 421 N. County Farm Road, Wheaton, IL 60187.

Raffle Tickets for $1000 (and 14 other prizes) still available

One easy way to support our Democratic movement in DuPage is to give a little offering of the money variety. Seems so old-fashioned, doesn't it? Unfortunately, along with the new-fangled outreach methods from Four-Square, to Linked-In, to Facebook, blog and Twitter, the best ways to connect are still the old-fashioned ways. Conversation, phone calls, door-knocking and the DIRECT ASK.

We need more funds to keep DPDC growing the way it has over the last four years. RIGHT NOW, an easy way to do that is to BUY RAFFLE TICKETS and SELL RAFFLE TICKETS. Aside from the GRAND PRIZE, there are lesser monetary prizes with 15 actual prizes in all.

Write to INFO@DUPAGEDEMOCRATS.COM after you read this and say you are willing to sell a pack of 5 (actually sell 4 and the 5th is yours for free).

THANKS

Take Down these Tea Partiers

Our democracy is in jeopardy. Witness what the radical right justices of the Supreme Court ruled regarding Citizens United. Witness the November 2010 elections where the tea party supporters fueled by this action enabled our democracy to be at risk through the elections of tea party legislators who have blocked and obstructed the President's agenda in the jobs bill, raising the debt ceiling, extending unemployment benefits, and putting our safety net legislation on the table.

 

Go to www.credoaction.com to support the SuperPac of grassroots action to ensure the tea party candidates elected in 2010 are no longer a force within our democracy.  Donate and contribute your time to unseat those who would obstruct  and tear down the very foundation that made this country great; where we stand together to help support the least of us and  those who cannot support themselves.

Submitted by First Vice Chair Cathy Sewell

Komen Official Resigns

Senior VP for Public Policy of the Komen Foundation Karen Handle has resigned her position effective immediately. Read the details at NPR. Handle is a former Republican candidate for Governor of Georgia.

CSI Havana starring Thom Hartmann, 2012 Gala Keynote

Those of you who have had the chance to look into the life of our 2012 Gala keynote speaker may have overturned some extremely interesting things about his life and career. One of the most fascinating is to me is this:

In the book Ultimate Sacrifice, Thom Hartmann and co-author Lamar Waldron argue that President John F. Kennedy's assassination resulted from a conspiracy by two mafia godfathers (Carlos Marcello and Santo Trafficante) who took advantage of a proposed 1963 USA-sponsored coup (against Cuba's Fidel Castro) to kill the President and then hide their tracks in the resulting cover-up of the top-secret coup plans. Gore Vidal, in his recent autobiography "Point To Point Navigation" devotes much of the final two chapters of his book to praising Hartmann's and Lamar Waldron's scholarship in "solving" the JFK case (JFK was a friend of Vidal's).

Amy Rohrer 

Executive Director, DPDC

See more about last year's gala here http://tiny.cc/2szpj

Support your Postal Service

This post is a repost from the Americans for Democratic Action's News and Notes

Postal Reform

Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is leading the fight to protect mail delivery and the public workers who touch each and every one of our homes.  Soon, the Senate will consider new postal legislation, and we’re asking you to contact your senator immediately to tell him/her that the 21st Century Postal Service Act (S. 1789) is unacceptable in its current form.

Call Your Senators:  202-224-3121  (Capitol Switchboard)  Click here for direct numbers. 

“The bill would force the Postal Service to close hundreds of mail processing centers, shut thousands of post offices, and cause massive delays in mail delivery,” said Cliff Guffey, President of the American Postal Workers Union. “By failing to give more substantial financial relief, the bill would weaken the Postal Service, kill jobs, and drive customers away.”  The Ed Shultz Show explained the forces attacking the Postal Service in this video.

WHAT SOCIAL MEDIA CAN DO--Komen To Continue Funding Planned Parenthood

Congrats, our voices were heard!!
 In Reversal, Komen To Continue Funding Planned Parenthood
http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/02/03/146344674/in-reversal-komen-reinstates-funding-for-planned-parenthood?sc=emaf

Please let's join together to let democracy return to the U.S. by banding together with millions of people on the internet. The Democratic Party of DuPage County can have its voice amplified as well but we need you to jump aboard and ask your friends to do the same.

Comment on this Blogspot
Follow us on Twitter
Like and Follow/friend us on Facebook at DuPage Dems and Democratic Party of DuPage County
And more soon!

FW: The DuPage Republicans have 758! $50 Target giftcard says you can help better that!

Feb 3, 2012 The first person to spot our newly revamped website was Randy Hall who will be receiving a dinner for two and a show at the Drury Lane in the mail next week! Congratulations Randy and thanks for keeping your eyes peeled. Today's contest is below! EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT PRICE FOR GALA ENDS ONE WEEK FROM TODAY (2-10)! Thom Hartmann's Website Did you know: Thom Hartman wrote books that: influenced the Dalai Lama and Pope JP II (so much they wanted to meet him)? Gore Vidal credited with solving the JFK shooting? Leonardo DiCaprio used to make a web movie about the environment? NEXT BLAST: find out about the many lives that Thom Hartmann has lived!  Bonus (or see our slideshow on the front page of our NEWLY REVAMPED website!) Like us on FACEBOOK, or Follow Us on Twitter or Comment on our BLOG and then write to us at info@dupagedemocrats.com and be entered in a drawing. One winner will be drawn to receive a   $50 gift certificate at Target. PRIZE WINNER will be announced through  FB, Twitter and our Blog on Monday the 5th of February. We retain the right to refuse to accept any entry THAT'S RIGHT. Those darn Republicans have 3  times more "likes" on Facebook than DPDC. Let's change that by the end of the weekend, ok? Rules: Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or write a comment on our blog before Sunday Feb 4th and you might be the winner! For consideration, entries MUST be sent to info@dupagedemocrats.com by midnight Feb 4th, 2012 with the following: SOCIAL MEDIA CONTEST in the subject line. Inside the email please include: 1) which sites (FB, Twitter,  =/or blog) that you signed in to and 2) Your contact information including your full name, your zip code,  phone and email.   Have you gotten your Gala tickets yet? DuPage Democrats For more information, visit our website: www.dupagedemocrats.com Contribute Now! More Dem events can be found here We welcome any input you may have regarding what we do here at DPDC and encourage you to call or send an email to share your great ideas with us.    Sincerely,   Amy Rohrer, Executive Director Democratic Party of DuPage County My cell 630-699-5071  Did you know that if you sell 4 raffle tickets, you get the 5th one free and you could win (also there are 14 more prizes from $50 on up) Times are tight for many. We get that. And we know you want to support DPDC for their fine work on behalf of things you really believe in.    Here is a chance to do that at a very low cost (with the potential of multiplying that investment 2-40 times). BUT EVEN BETTER, we will give you a packet of 5 tickets and if you sell 4, the 5th is yours for FREE!    INTERESTED? Call 630-629-1125 and leave your name and phone number and we will get back to you or write to us at info@dupagedemocrats.com to buy your $25 ticket or to get a packet to sell.  DRAWING HELD FEB 18th at the Presidents' Day Gala     "I wish I knew a great way to reach New Customers and Voters..." Deadline for ad copy is one week from today Feb 10th This year's Gala is going to be bigger than any previous and the advertising rates for the event are still amongst the most reasonable around. Please check out the Gala ticket and ad price sheet here and then send your camera-ready ad copy or questions to: info@dupagedemocrats.com      Paid for by the Democratic Party of DuPage County. A copy of our report(s) filed with the Illinois State Board of Elections and DuPage County Clerk is available (or will be) for purchase from the DuPage County Clerk's office, 421 N. County Farm Road, Wheaton, IL 60187.

Support Planned Parenthood; Share This On Your Wall

You can post this graphic on your wall by visiting MoveOn.org. Click on the "share" button.

Let Komen hear you loud and clear! Breasts aren't abortions.

Remember what happened last week with SOPA and PIPA?
That is what real democracy is about. Let Komen know
you think their policy of defunding Planned parenthood based on its leadership's
religious and political ideology is wrong. This move
is anti-health and anti-women. Join the comments on
Facebook page Susan G Komen for the Cure or go to this link to give them your own personal comments:
http://ww5.komen.org/contact.aspx

Article in the Huffington Post here