ScottyUrb faces stiff challenge in re-election bid for Precinct Delegate

KENTWOOD, MI (Unassociated Press/Snarx News) - Scott Urbanowski, the funny and mildly attractive blogger known on the series of tubes as ScottyUrb, has filed to run for a third term as Democratic Precinct Delegate in Kentwood - beginning what is expected to be a contentious campaign for re-election for the 22-year-old activist, blogger, and soon-to-be Central Michigan University graduate.

"There has been no greater spokesperson for truthiness, justice, and the American way," said Urbanowski, who ran as Stephen T. Colbert's vice-presidential running mate.

While Urbanowski is used to facing competition - he won by one vote in the 2008 election - this time will be different. In the wake of the controversial Citizens United v. FEC decision, he expects many serious contenders in his bid for re-election.

Among them are:

HAL E. BURTON - Comes from, ahem, a well-oiled machine.

CARL ISLE - See above.

WALLY MART Known for sexist tendencies. Claims foreign-policy experience; takes credit for supporting economy of Communist China.

AL TICOR - Formerly known as Amway. Dream Job: Host of The $100,000,000,000 Pyramid Scheme.

GOLDMAN SACHS - HUGE campaign war chest.

TOY OTA - Campaign slogan: "No Slowing Down!"

DOM INOS - Campaigning on its "new taste" and "pizzazz."

J.P. MORGAN CHASE - Notably quiet on the bailout issue.

AL COA - Campaign slogan: "We Deserve A Metal."

CAT R. PILLAR - Accused of dirty deals, they say they're well-grounded.

MIKE ROSOFT - Slogan: "Voting for librulz doesn't compute!"

Help support our troops at the MDP Endorsement Convention!

I hope you are looking forward to this weekend's Michigan Democratic Party Endorsement Convention like I am!

As you know, we have an important duty to fulfill on Saturday, as we endorse candidates for Secretary of State and Attorney General. But while we fulfill this important obligation in Detroit, we would do well to remember the selfless service of our troops thousands of miles away, whose job it is to protect the very freedom that allows us to choose our leaders.

Thanks to the Michigan Democratic Party Youth Caucus, Saturday will present us with an excellent chance to make life easier for some of our men and women in uniform!

The Youth Caucus will have a table set up at Cobo Hall on Saturday so you can drop off some items that will be sent to a unit overseas.

Among the items most needed and wanted over there are:

• Wet wipes/baby wipes (in high demand)
• Magazines
• Non-perishable snacks
• Non-perishable canned food (small cans, please!)
• Packets for coffee and hot chocolate
• Lemonade/Kool-Aid/Gatorade mix
• Hygiene products
• Toiletries - toothpaste, mouthwash, etc.
• Comics
• CDs and DVDs
• Playing cards
• Paperback books
• Calling cards
• Envelopes

These are just some of the items that would help greatly. The major restrictions are that we cannot send alcohol, pornography, weapons, or perishable food.

Given all that our troops are going through for us, helping to make their deployments easier is the least we can do. So, on this Saturday, as we take advantage of our right to endorse two of our Party's nominees, please take this opportunity to thank those who serve our country. Please consider bringing a few of the aforementioned items to the Convention, and pass the word to everyone you know who plans on coming!

DOs and DON'Ts for Progressives in 2010

Happy New Year! That is, if you think the year is still new. Which, in some respects, it is; the Super Bowl hasn't been played yet!

At any rate, what will 2010 be like for Democrats? What will 2010 be like for our communities, Michigan, America, and our world?

Of course, none of us knows for sure. What I do know is that each of us has a part to play in how this year (and the future) turns out. Nothing will happen if all you do is sit back and criticize/praise/comment on Obama, Congress, state or local officials, businesses, the media, etc. Rather, change will happen because people make it happen.

So here are some thoughts on things we as Progressives should and shouldn't do this year. I'm sure you have your own ideas, as well!

DO get involved in your local Democratic Party group or club, if you aren't already. Believe me - our Party needs our progressive voices! Not being involved because of the weakness of the healthcare bill or lack of focus on this issue or that? Big mistake. If you get involved with the Party and progressive Democratic campaigns, you will have a great opportunity to speak out in favor of progressive values. Plus, you will have a good shot at a leadership role within the Party in the future.

DO get involved in your community. You'll do a big favor for yourself - and for those you help! You'll meet new people, make great memories, and make a good name for yourself. All of that will be very important if you ever want to run for office! Serve.gov is a good place to get started. Oh, and speaking of running for office...

DO think about running for office - if not this year, then next year or beyond. Yes, that's right; if you have a chance, maybe it's time for you to consider trying to make a change from inside the system. Keep in mind, running for office is not something you simply decide to do just like that; it's a commitment. You still have four months to decide if you want to run for Congress or state or local office; the filing deadline is May 12. If you don't run for one of those offices, you might want to run for Precinct Delegate; more on that in a few weeks.

DON'T be silent or sit on the sidelines. What happens when someone isn't involved or doesn't speak their mind? No one listens to them. Decisions are made with out their input. In effect, that person is assenting to the status quo.

DON'T become cynical or give up. Change takes a while! As Paul Wellstone said, "I think the future also will not belong to those who are cynical or those who stand on the sidelines." If that young band of colonists had given up on liberating themselves from tyranny, the USA wouldn't even exist. Thank goodness they didn't give in to cynical attitudes; may you have the same resilience!

We are all human beings - just like Barack Obama, Albert Einstein, the Founding Fathers, the Abolitionists, the Suffragettes, and those who have fought for equality for all human beings. If they can do big things, so can each and every one of us!

So that's my challenge to each of you for 2010 - to make this the most productive, fulfilling year you've ever had. This year can be an amazing year - or it can be a year you'd rather forget. It's up to you and me to make it great!

Bits of Tid: August 11, 2009

• No, Sarah Palin. We won't have any 'death panels' deciding whether to kill your son or anyone else. Nor will the giovernment ration care - let's leave that up to some private insurers.
• Need to be amused? Here's Barack Obama's Facebook page - not his real one, but a satirical one.
• Headline from The Onion: "GOP Warns Healthcare Bill Would Only Inflate Costs of Defeating Obama in 2012."
• Check out Blogging for Michigan's Twitter Michigan directory.
• Did you know that every three seconds, someone needs blood? If you're eligible to donate blood, please do so when you get a chance. Michiganians, find an MCBC or Red Cross blood drive near you. Whether or not you can donate, you can also volunteer at a blood bank or blood drive. Whose life will you save?

Bits of Tid: August 3, 2009

• Happy Watermelon Day and Exhibitor Appreciation Week!
• This summer is the Summer of Social Good.
• Progressive blogger Bruce Fealk has an op-ed about honesty in the healthcare debate.
• The 'birthers' are not even trying.
• Title of a blog post on whitehouse.gov: "Ahoy Matey!" (Click to see what it's about!)
• Tigers' magic number: 57.

Bits of Tid: July 10, 2009

• GM is out of bankruptcy - leaner, meaner, and greener.
• According to a report I saw on CNN, there has been a "slide" in confidence in Obama. In February, 75% of Americans had confidence in him. Now, it has fallen to...
  
  wait for it...
  
  wait for it...
  
  72%!
  
  Three points in five months - talk about a freefall!
• Meanwhile on CNBC, I flipped through and noticed a story on "Moguls on Obama." See, we as a society have given way too much attention to the concerns of poor and middle-class people. It's about damn time people would listen to the downtrodden billionaires of the world!
• People who stare at other people's behinds.
• Speaking of The Onion, here's a headline: "Baseball Fans Delighted By New Between-Innings F***-Cams."
• And speaking of baseball, the Tigers' magic number has dwindled down to 74.
• Don't forget United We Serve!

I Believe

I Believe that Barack Obama is a pretty damn good President. I'm glad we once again have a President who uses his brain!

I Believe that Barack Obama is an imperfect human being and that we should all expect him to make mistakes and disagree with us.

I Believe that when my grandfathers served my country in World War II and Dad in the Army Reserves, they did so in defense of freedom - for all people.

I Believe that as much as I like Obama, I'd like him even more if he would back up his talk on GLBT freedom with more action (and not having his administration defend DOMA in the courts). Oh, and highlight his dedication to open government by releasing those torture photos. If there's no reason to hide them, then why hide them?

I Believe that the effort being expended to stop the release of those photos and to protect DOMA could be better spent on other important matters.

I Believe that there are very few people on DKos who blindly support Obama, and there are also very few who look for any opportunity whatsoever to bash him. Most think he's a great President, but far from perfect. I am in that camp.

I Believe that change takes time. We would be mistaken if we expected Obama to do everything we want him to do in less than five months. Or, for that matter, less than four years. Even so...

I Believe in accountability. Speaking out and holding our elected officials accountable is not merely a right - it is our civic duty. We can say what we want to each other on DU, but there's a greater chance it would have an impact if our elected officials knew our opinions. How can we expect elected officials to do what we want if we don't tell them what we want?

I Believe - no, I Know - that the Capitol Switchboard is at 1-877-762-8762 (1-877-SOB-U-SOB). The White House's comment line is at 1-202-456-1111. I have programmed the numbers for the White House and my members of Congress into my cell phone so I don't have to look them up every time.

I Believe that it's much more productive to share your views with your elected officials than to be silent.

I Believe that the Red Wings are going to dominate tonight!

Bits of Tid: June 12, 2009

• Happy Election Day!
• Here in America, Midterm Election Day is fewer than 44 million seconds away!
• Bill Clinton is hopeful that the current President will be able to succeed where he couldn't in the area of healthcare reform.
• The Department of Veterans Affairs is dealing with a massive backlog that is hindering service to those who served.
• How can we strengthen civic participation? The White House Blog explores the subject.
• Finally, some good economic news for Michigan:

  Michigan's growth in clean energy jobs has outpaced the nation's since 1998, according to a Washington study.

• Give blood and you might go to Vegas.

Support the Democrats at Liberty University

You may know that administrators at Liberty University are no longer recognizing the school's Democratic group. They are banishing them from the campus, prohibiting them from even meeting on campus or else face a reprimand! According to administrators, this is because "[t]he Democratic Party platform is contrary to... Christian doctrine."

This could hardly be more false! Our stances as a Party are very consistent not only with Christianity, but also with the many other faiths we as Faith Caucus members - and we as Americans - hold. My Christian faith is no small reason why I'm a die-hard Democrat!

Here are two things you can do to demonstrate your support for the Democrats at Liberty University. First, sign this petition from the Young Democrats of America in support of the Liberty University Dems. Second, if you have a few dollars, consider donating to the CDA Alumni Association's We Will Not Back Down page on ActBlue, which was established in honor of the Liberty University Democrats.

As the ActBlue page states, "The administrators at Liberty University need to know that attacking our freedom of expression will only strengthen College Democrats nationwide."

My Heterosexual Blood

(Cross-posted at Daily Kos)

I will be the first to admit that I am not perfect. Until this evening, it had been nearly three whole years since I had last given blood.

But when I did give blood today, I was reminded that my mere right to donate blood is yet another example of the blatant heterosexual privilege that continues to hinder our struggle for equality and - in a real way - endangers lives. Blood supplies are low - lower than they would be if gay men were allowed to donate. My heterosexual blood is no better than anyone's homosexual blood.

So I want to ask two favors. First, if you are eligible, please consider donating blood. This is the time of year when blood banks are in the greatest need. If you are at least 17 and weigh 110 or more pounds, you may be eligible to donate blood as long as you haven't done so in eight weeks (Tomorrow - Tuesday - will be eight weeks past Election Day). Here's more on blood-donor eligibility.

Second, please join me in urging an end to this deadly form of discrimination.

From the Harvard Crimson, December 18, 2002:

Under the current restrictions, no male is able to donate blood if he has engaged in sexual activity with any other male since 1977. At the same time, however, any heterosexual man or woman, even one who has engaged in sex with an HIV-positive partner, is able to donate only one year after the encounter. The discrimination is targeted specifically at homosexual men—homosexual women do not have the same restrictions.

This is not simply a case of an antiquated law that has been overlooked and unenforced. As recently as 2000, the FDA—with the support of the Red Cross—renewed this rule, despite the urgings of nearly half of America’s blood banks, which lobbied for a change that would set an equal standard for gay men as for any other donors.

It is easy to understand the reasoning behind the FDA’s implementation of the rules in the early 1980s when society’s understanding of HIV and AIDS was much more limited. When authorities lack the information necessary to have full control over a public health emergency, it is important that officials err on the side of caution. But 20 years later, when knowledge has advanced so rapidly, these rules stem more from reactionary prejudices than scientific reasoning.

The FDA estimates that ending this discriminatory practice would allow 112,000 new donors to give blood. In a time when the Red Cross is underscoring its urgent need for donation, it seems not only bigoted, but also dangerous to the public welfare, to turn away so many thousands of donors. The FDA should create more detailed questionnaires about potential donors’ sexual history, instead of fostering the implicit assumption that all gay men are promiscuous. Personal history is the pertinent information; blind predetermination based on orientation is not. The FDA must update both its regulation and its mindset on this issue of critical importance.

Six years after that was published, our gay brothers are still not allowed to give back to their community.

If you go to this Facebook group and scroll down to the discussion board, you'll see a link to a letter you can cut and paste and send to change.gov urging the Obama Administration to change this rule and save more lives.

Yes We Can Bring Hope to the Less Fortunate

I got this in an email from Michelle Obama:

This holiday season, the grassroots movement you helped build can make a big difference for those in need.

I hope you will join me in supporting your favorite charity or contributing to causes that are especially meaningful to me and my family.

While many of us will spend the holidays counting our blessings and sharing dinner with loved ones, millions of people around the country won't be so fortunate. Donating to your local food bank will help provide a holiday meal to people in your community who can't afford one.

Talking with the families of deployed troops was one of the most rewarding experiences I had during the campaign. Giving to Operation USO Care Package is a great way to send members of our military stationed around the world a reminder that someone back home is thinking of them.

This is a time to celebrate our blessings, the new year, and a new era for our country. But it's also a time to come together on behalf of those who need our help.

A beautiful day in the neighborhood

Joe Biden, in an email to Obama-Biden supporters:

Right now, this race is neck-and-neck.

And it's all going to come down to what supporters like you do -- or don't do -- in these last 45 days.

...

Millions of Americans are counting on Barack and me to defeat John McCain and deliver the change this country needs -- but we can't do it alone.

Each of us needs to do our part. What's going to win this election for us is organizing on the ground, person-to-person, and growing this movement.

Biden took the opportunity to highlight the Neighbor-to-Neighbor tool, which is an online mechanism that allows you to get in touch with people in your neighborhood.

Check it out, use it, and spread the word!

This Is Your (Precinct) Captain Speaking

I am a Democratic Neighborhood Volunteer (a.k.a. Precinct Captain) here in Kentwood, MI, and founder of the Neighborhood Leaders group on PartyBuilder. One of the things I am trying want to do this summer is to get Obama supporters and other Democrats to get involved with the Obama Campaign and the local Democratic Party.

What follows is a letter I wrote to Democrats in my hometown. Feel free to use a similar template to get in touch with people in your area.

My name is Scott Urbanowski, and I am a Neighborhood Leader for the Obama campaign and the Michigan Democratic Party here in Kentwood. I would like to share with you a few excellent ways you can get involved in this critical election season to not only help Senator Obama, but also to support our community and to get your neighbors involved in the election.

1. Online tools: Since you have internet access, please be sure to sign up for an account at my.barackobama.com. Through my.barackobama.com you can get in touch with Obama supporters who share your interests (i.e. students, Catholics, environmentalists, teachers); find out about events in the area; post comments on Obama's campaign blog; and learn about other great opportunities to get involved.

I also hope each of you takes advantage of the Neighbor to Neighbor tool. You will be given a list of undecided voters near you, along with tools to help you speak with them about supporting Senator Obama.

2. Yard signs, bumper stickers, etc.: The Obama campaign and area Democrats have an office at 1433 Wealthy (east of Eastern). The office has a lot of resources, including bumper stickers, yard signs, buttons, and information on other Democrats running in the area. So if you happen to be in that part of town, be sure to stop by, pick up some Obama gear, and ask how you can help. (They do suggest a small donation to defray the cost of these items.)

3. Hosting an event: If you would like to host a house party or a voter-registration drive, then by all means please sign up or get in touch with Aaron at kauffman.aaron@gmail.com .

4. Library millage: Mark August 5 (this coming Tuesday) on your calendar; that is the day of the primary election for state and local offices. The Kentwood Library millage will be on the ballot, as well as the renewal of the Kent County Corrections Millage. It is very important that you take a few minutes of your time to stop by to vote next Tuesday.

5. New voting locations: As you may recall, voting locations in Kentwood have changed since the last election. Be sure you know where your new voting location is, and don't forget to remind your neighbors. Here is the list of the new locations. We don't want anyone to be confused as to where to vote!

6. First-time voters: If you haven't voted before (or have moved since your last vote), keep in mind that you will have to either:

• Register to vote in person (at City Hall on Breton or at the Secretary of State's Office);
• Request an absentee ballot in person at City Hall; or
• Cast your first vote at a polling place on Election Day.

In other words, you may not simply register to vote by mail and then mail an absentee request form unless you've voted before. However, if you

I am very excited about the possibility of finally electing a President with the sound judgment we need to tackle the enormous challenges we face. Yet, as we have seen in the past several days, Obama's critics opponents will stoop as low as they can go to try to stop him. This means that it is up to people like us to reach out to our families, friends, neighbors, and coworkers and remind them of the importance of supporting Senator Obama.

Michigan is expected to be a very close state in this election, and if Obama doesn't win Michigan, it will be very hard for him to win the election. If Obama does well in Republican West Michigan, he will be in great shape to win our Great Lakes State.

Thank you for all you do to bring about this much needed change for our nation. Yes We Can!

Love for dogs key in Precinct Delegate race

Precinct Delegate's bowling average, pastor's remarks called into question by opponents

KENTWOOD, MI (Don't-Want-To-Be-Associated-With-McCain Press) - Democratic Precinct Delegate Scott Urbanowski (D-Smartypants) told reporters that his experience - and love for man's best friend - will be key to saving Kentwood's Third Precinct from Complete and Utter Annihilation.

The Delegate made those remarks Friday after filing to run for a second term as Precinct Delegate. He had announced his intention to run for re-election last year.

"Just recently I endured quite a heavy round of sniper fire," the Central Michigan University student said in a press conference, adding, "Okay so that wasn't sniper fire, just Finals Week. But still, it felt painful."

Urbanowski touted his willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty for his couple hundred or so Democratic constituents.

"I'm willing to ask the tough questions," Urbanowski said. "Like, 'Who's a good dog?'"

"That's one of my favorite questions because those individuals to whom I ask that question are usually speechless. Typical Washington politicians: Speechless when asked the tough questions."



The Delegate also touted his leadership abilities.

"When I tell my dogs to sit, they sit. When I tell them it's time for them to go for a walk, we're out the door within 45 seconds."

"Sometimes it can be ruff spending time with two dogs with very different personalities. But you know what? I can handle it."

Urbanowski also said that he stays up well past 3 AM, so residents would have nothing to worry about when it comes to their Delegate answering the emergency phone.

"Heck, I'm usually up until at least 4!"

Urbanowski was sharply criticized, however, for comments his pastor made on Sunday.

"Scott Urbanowski's pastor suggested that Jesus may still be with us, even after all these years," said precinct delegate challenger Seymour Butts in a press conference. "I know I can't see him around here anywhere."

"The kid doesn't walk his dogs every day," said challenger Ima Nidiot. "I've seen Swifty and Lucy, maybe, twice in the last two weeks. So when he says he walks his dogs everyday, he's lying!"

"I walk my dogs every day I'm home and the weather's nice enough for it," Urbanowski responded. "Oftentimes I'm at school ninety miles away. When I'm home, it occasionally rains."

Nidiot also pointed out that Urbanowski's bowling average is even less than Barack Obama's.

"Well, Ms. Nidiot and I obviously don't see eye to eye," said Urbanowski. "But we're at least focusing on issues of grave concern to the Third Precinct."

In December, former President Franklin D. Roosevelt endorsed Urbanowski for a seecond term, citing the 20-year-old's "track record of fighting for the values our Party holds dear - or at least should hold dear."


-------------------------------------

Just a reminder: Tomorrow (Tuesday) at 4PM is the deadline to file to run for Precinct Delegate. I became a Precinct Delegate in 2006 at the urging of my friend Rob.

Here's the form you'll need. Print it out, fill it out, sign it, have it notarized, and file it with your county clerk.

For more on being a Precinct Delegate and why Precinct Delegates are important, see this post on Michigan Liberal.

Divesting from Darfur - please act!

If we truly care about our fellow human beings, we must do our part to make sure the genocide in Darfur stops.

Progress Michigan's blog, The Upper Hand, discusses a way for Michigan to act to stop this - and what you can do to help make it happen.

Michigan has the potential to do something. House Bill 4854 (and its Senate complement) would take Michigan's money out of the genocide and urge the supporters of these atrocities to change their ways. The $150 million of taxpayer money that is invested through the state public pension funds would be used to urge the foreign companies that give the Sudanese government its blank check to murder thousands to instead use their money and clout to end the genocide and help the civilians. If they refuse, Michigan will join with 24 other states in the country and withdraw its funds.

However, this legislation is going nowhere. The House of Representatives came together to pass it, 108-2, drawing the support of both Democratic and Republican leaders. However, a couple of activist Senators have refused to even take the measure up to a vote, letting it languish for months in the Appropriations committee.

I encourage you to contact your senator as well as Appropriations Committee Chair Ron Jelinek ( SenRJelinek@senate.mi.gov ). Already, 24 other states have passed similar laws.

Bits of Tid: January 14, 2008

Questions Only Edition

• Did you hear about CMU's 21-hour power outage last week?
• Speaking of which, do you have a disaster plan in place for emergencies?
• Have you heard about the prominent endorsements Obama has picked up?
• Have you checked out Coffee Talk on Michigan Liberal for the latest on the presidential primary?
• What if John Edwards were to drop out of the race? Would his supporters align with Clinton or Obama?
• When was the last time you called your elected officials?

My birthday wish list

I just cannot believe I am already into my third decade of life - my twenties!! I was born on October 21, 1987, in Greensboro, NC.

I would like to thank all of you who wished me a happy birthday yesterday. I didn't get much in the way of presents - just some money, a couple of cards, and a thing of Rice Krispies Treats (which I have had for each birthday ever since I was about 6 - I'm not a fan of birthday cake.) Of course, that's pretty much all I had asked for, so I'm not that disappointed.

But I would like to ask you all to do me a favor in honor of my 20th.

In honor of my 20th birthday, I would like to ask you to do at least one or two of the following:

• Donate either $20 or 20 minutes of your time to a charity of your choice.
• Contact the offices of your members of Congress and share your thoughts on a few important issues of the day. I recommend telling them you support increasing the CAFE Standards and the Renewable Energy Standard, but oppose guaranteed loans to nuclear-power companies. Also, be sure to speak out against making the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) permanent. Elected officials are more likely to do what you want them to do when you contact them!
• For those of you in Michigan, call your state lawmakers and remind them to pass a state budget soon!
• Register someone to vote.
• Post your favorite words of wisdom or a funny joke in the comments to this post.

Deal? Deal.

Message from Gov. Granholm to college students

Governor Jennifer Granholm has issued an open letter to college students across the state regarding the budget crisis. It reads, in part:

August is underway and that means friends are moving into their first apartments in Ann Arbor and Mt. Pleasant, parents are taking their sons and daughters to back-to-school sales in East Lansing and Grand Rapids, and freshmen are finalizing their first classes in Marquette and Kalamazoo. All across our state, this is a time when students should be excited for the start of another year at Michigan's top-notch colleges and universities. But, instead, recent spikes in college tuition rates have left Michigan families worried about how they're going to afford school and still keep gas in their tanks and food on the table. Many of you are just plain mad.

You should be. And I am, too.

As a parent, I'm mad about the dent these tuition hikes will put in our pocketbooks. Like many of you, my own daughter is starting college this fall. The dramatic rise in tuition and fees was an unwelcome surprise for our family and, most likely, for yours.

When you're opening your tuition bill in the coming weeks, it might seem easy to blame your school for the sharp increase. But the real problem is in Lansing. Michigan is in the middle of an urgent budget crisis and, so far, our legislature has failed to act.

The full letter is available here.

Here are a few other ways you can take action:

• Join the Facebook group Lower MI Tuition.
• Post a video on YouTube regarding the budget crisis.
• Print up one (or more) of these posters.
• Contact your state lawmakers.

Protest Gonzales in Grand Rapids

Media Mouse is sponsoring a protest tomorrow morning. I don't know if I will be able to make it, but if you can, please feel free to do so!

From an email:

Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez is speaking at a luncheon at the Eberhard Center on the downtown campus of GVSU.

Protest his visit on the grounds that
1) he unjustly fired US Attorneys across the country, including Michigan US Attorney Margaret Chiara. These firings were political in nature and many in Congress have called for Gonzales to resign - see the video at http://impeachgonzales.org/;

2) Gonzalez is also an architect of torture in the US so- called War on Terror; and
3) Gonzalez has supporter the administration's efforts to illegally spy on people in the US.

We will meet at the walking bridge by the Eberhard Center at the downtown GVSU campus at 11:15am.

The luncheon begins at noon, so we want to greet people going to the luncheon coming from the main campus building.

Bring signs, we will have flyers to hand out. If you can't come sign the Impeach Gonzalez petition online at http://impeachgonzales.org/

Have you contacted your elected officials lately?

Oftentimes it can seem as though our elected officials ignore our opinions and treat us as meaningless and indifferent - like we don't matter to them, because we don't care.

But the fact remains, as it has for more than two centuries, that this is our government. Elected officials must answer to us. Many of them understand that if they ignore the wishes of We the People, they do so at their own peril.

Likewise, we citizens have a responsibility to let our members of Congress know where we stand on issues we feel important. I think one of the many reasons members of Congress and others in government often ignore our wishes is because we don't let them know what's on our minds. If elected officials don't hear from us, how will they know whether they're voting with the wishes of their constituents?

In that spirit, earlier this week (before the Capitulation) I took the opportunity to contact the office of Senator Carl Levin, Chairman of the Armed Services Committee, to discuss some of the goings-on in Washington. Below lies a very rough transcript of what I, Scott (S), discussed with the Senator's aide (A).

A: Senator Carl Levin’s office.
S: Hi, my name is Scott Urbanowski, and I'm calling because I wanted to share a few of my thoughts and ask a couple of questions regarding some of the goings-on in Washington.
A: Okay.
S: First of all, could you please send my kind regards to the Senator for his efforts to end credit card abuse, and also for the American Manufacturing Initiative.
A: Sure will.
S: Now, I understand the Senator voted against Feingold-Reid, and wanted to know why.
A: Feingold-Reid was actually an amendment to a water resources bill. Had it passed, President Bush would have vetoed the entire water resources bill, and Levin didn’t want the entire bill vetoed just because of that. The Senator does remain committed to ending the war
S: Also, what is the status of the 100 Hour Plan bills passed by the House in January? Have any of them passed the Senate?
A: Do you have a specific one in mind?
S: Yes, I was wondering about the status of the bill that would reduce student loan interest rates.
A: Let me look that up.
(a moment later)
A: My computer is running a little slow. I'll give you a website where you can check the status of any piece of legislation: It's at Congress.gov.
S: Okay, I'll check it out. Thank you very much.
A: You're welcome.

Silence is assumed to equal assent. Don't be silent. Our elected officials need to hear from us. Pick up the phone, write a letter... just do something to let your members of Congress how you feel. Start by visiting Senate.gov and House.gov Otherwise, you're just giving them an excuse to neglect you.