A daily series, Connect! Unite! Act! seeks to create face-to-face networks in each congressional district. Groups regularly socialize but also get out the vote, support candidates and engage in other local political actions that help our progressive movement grow and exert influence on the powers-that-be. Visit us at Daily Kos every morning at 7:30 A.M. Pacific Time to see how you can get involved. The comment thread is fun and light-hearted, but we're serious about moving the progressive political agenda forward.
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The orange pinpoints are the location of each organized group of Daily Kos readers.
If you'd like to join a group, click on a point and a box will pop up showing contact links.
If you'd like to start a group, contact navajo for instructions.
View Interactive Map of Daily Kos Regional Communities in a full screen version.
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Happy Humpday!
I'm a #FightingLiberal, are YOU?
A number of years ago, the world lost a terrific, liberal blogger named Steve Gilliard. Steve was one of the first two people that Markos Moulitsas (kos) asked to join him as a Front Page writer on Daily Kos (Meteor Blades was the other). He was a gifted writer and a ferociously progressive Liberal.
My favorite piece by Steve remains to this day the one entitled, "I'm a fighting liberal" (still live on The Newsblog at that link), which you can read en toto in this (authorized) republication of it here on Daily Kos in a diary I wrote about it in April of 2011: Steve Gilliard's Message for President Obama and the Democratic Party.
Now, nearly 11 years old (written at 2:30 am on Wednesday December 3, 2003) this iconic rant is STILL RELEVANT. It's still the battle cry which the Democratic Party needs to take up and run with.
I was once a staunch Independent Voter, from 1980 (my first voting year) until Howard Dean passed before my eyes online in another classic rant on March 15, 2003, from an appearance he made before the March 2003 California State Democratic Convention and first used the line which is now synonymous with his name: What I want to know... (see transcript of entire speech at that link)
These two pieces were the fulcrum upon which my PROUD LIBERAL LION was unleashed upon the world.
They both spoke to me, the deepest, most serious part of my heart part of me, and to this day, the message that I continue to hear from them is:
BE A FIGHTING LIBERAL. Stand up, loud and proud for the Liberal and Progressive ideals which drive you, which you believe in and are convinced are the path to a Better Future for OUR posterity.
So for the past decade, I've been a Loud, Proud, progressive Liberal here online and in social media. I've been the Campaign Chair for the Dean for America campaign in 2003-2004 for the 49th LD here in WA State. I've run phone banking projects and ran Meetups. I was the web designer and tech for a candidate for office in a nearby town. I was the temporary Campaign manager for a candidate for the US House in 2012. I've been pounding the drum on Twitter for a few years now for progressive and liberal Democratic ideas, programs and candidates. I've done everything a person can do as a proud Liberal in the online world and some of what a person can do in the real world.
But there is one thing which I've never had the courage to attempt. Run for office. But the devastating losses our team took last week? They crushed my spirit election eve and I wrote this diary about it: Post-Election Rant. It was a rant, pure and simple.
My C!U!A! diary last Wednesday (Election Results?) was still brimming with ire and despair. But I'm over that now.
On Friday last week, I looked up my old Steve Gilliard diary and I rewatched that decade old speech by Governor Howard Dean to the California Democratic Convention of 2003. You know what happened?
I remembered why they inspired me. Their ideas and ideals are inspirational. Even now, a decade later.
Steve Gilliard:
You know, I've studied history, I've read about America and you know something, if it weren't for liberals, we'd be living in a dark, evil country, far worse than anything Bush could conjure up. A world where children were told to piss on the side of the road because they weren't fit to pee in a white outhouse, where women had to get back alley abortions and where rape was a joke, unless the alleged criminal was black, whereupon he was hung from a tree and castrated.
What has conservatism given America? A stable social order? A peaceful homelife? Respect for law and order? No. Hell, no. It hasn't given us anything we didn't have and it wants to take away our freedoms...
Conservatism plays on fear and thrives on lies and dishonesty. I grew up with honest, decent conservatives and those people have been replaced by the party of greed. It is one thing to want less government interference and smaller, fiscally responsible government. It is another thing entirely to be a corporate whore, selling out to the highest bidder because the CEO fattens your campaign chest. They are building an America which cannot be sustained. One based on the benefit of the few at the cost of the many. The indifferent boss who hires too few people and works them to death or until they break down sick. Cheap labor capitalism has replaced common sense...
It's time to regain the spirit of FDR and Truman and the people around them. People who believed in the public good over private gain. It is time to stop apologizing for being a liberal and be proud to fight for your beliefs. No more shying away or being defined by other people. Liberals believe in a strong defense and punishment for crime. But not preemption and pointless jail sentences. We believe no American should be turned away from a hospital because they are too poor or lack a proper legal defense. We believe that people should make enough from one job to live on, to spend time on raising their family. We believe that individuals and not the state should dictate who gets married and why. The best way to defend marriage is to expand, not restrict it.
Howard Dean (full video) "What I want to know" Speech, via
Youtube.com:
What I want to know, what I want to know, is what in the world so many Democrats are doing supporting the President's unilateral intervention in Iraq? [cheers].
What I want to know, is what in the world so many Democrats are doing supporting tax cuts which have bankrupted this country and given us the largest deficit in the history of the United States? [cheers].
What I want to know, is why the Congress is fighting over the Patient's Bill of Rights? If the Patient's Bill of Rights passes, is a good bill, but not one more person gets health insurance and it's not five cents cheaper.
What I want to know is why the Democrats in Congress aren't standing up for us joining every other industrialized country on the face of the Earth in having health insurance for every man, woman and child in America? [cheers, chants "Dean"].
What I want to know, what I want to know, is why so many folks in Congress are voting for the President's education bill -- "The No School Board Left Standing Bill" -- the largest unfunded mandate in the history of our educational system? [cheers].
As Paul Wellstone said -- and as Sheila Kuehl said when she endorsed me -- I'm Howard Dean, and I'm here to represent the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party. [cheers].
The words of these two men are among the most inspirational political words I've ever read, anywhere. If you can read or listen to them and NOT BE MOVED, you have my pity.
However, if you read or listen to them and find yourself inspired to be more, to do more, as a Democratic Party member?
Join me. Take a walk on the wild and crazy side.
Make a decision which might change YOUR LIFE from this day forward, and that of the entire nation, too.
Make the choice to announce that you intend to file and run for the United States House of Representatives for your Congressional District in 2016 as a FIGHTING LIBERAL.
Because I am taking that leap.
And I hope that Daily Kos can field a host of 435 candidates to join me & run for the US House in 2016. There are certainly enough of us here to choose from. I'll be spending the next six months searching the Daily Kos Community for those other 434 people to take up the banner of "I'm a Fighting Liberal" and join me in common cause to run for the US House in their own District.
Because SOMEONE has to take up the challenge to FIGHT THE INSANE REPUBLICANS.
It might as well be us. Who the hell knows, if enough of us file and run, we'll become a damned Media Sensation. The Press will descend upon all 435 of us as a marvel - thinking that we are crazy or idealistic or unready for the challenge of running for a national office.
But you know what?
Imagine if just 50 or 100 of us WON THOSE RACES.
We could, quite literally, change history.
Here's my Election Motto, I've had it for a while and I believe it will serve me well in my adventure in Electioneering starting in mid-to-late 2015:
#StrongerTogether for a better future for OUR posterity |
Latest Updates on Regional Meet-Up News Can Be Found Below the Orange Group Hug.
Let's Build Communities!
Our team is here to provide support and guidance to new and existing volunteer leaders of each regional and state group, helping them with recruiting, organizing and executing social and action events.
We invite you to join in this effort to build our community. There are many ways to pitch in.
If there isn't a group to join near you, please start one.
Instructions on HOW TO FORM A NEW DAILY KOS GROUP
List of All Existing Meatspace Groups
Where the Kogs Are: Index/Directory of the 130+ Localized Daily Kos Groups
THINK GLOBALLY, ACT LOCALLY
by Thinking Fella ♥ for Four Corners Kossacks
On Saturday, November 8th, 2014, the Four Corners Kossacks met to have a beverage or two, lament our electoral losses, cheer our wins, get updates on races still ongoing, listen to past local election history, learn more about each other, and plot our future strategies.
L-R: Thinking Fella, Matt S., (McLachlan campaign manager) red moon dog, nzanne, Gary Norton, Wally White, (termed-out former La Plata County Commissioner & long-time Dailykos lurker) and Jeff H.
Please visit Thinking Fella's diary for more photos! Enjoy! You can still REC it. You can join Four Corners Kossacks by sending a Kosmail to Thinking Fella.
by John Crapper ♥ for Seattle and Puget Sound Kossacks
Four days after the mid-term elections Seattle & Puget Sound Kossacks had lunch with Representative Joe Fitzgibbon, WA 34th, Chair of the Environment Committee and serving on the Finance, Transportation and Local Government Committees.
Special thanks goes to bleeding blue for making this all possible!
Invited attendees: Marcee Stone-Vegich - Chair of the 34th LD & Ted Barker Vice Chair, Robin Everett - Washington State's Sierra Club Beyond Coal Campaign Coordinator and Mary Manous with Weldon DeBusk both on the development team creating the Cascadia Climate Action Calendar which compiles monthly the events and actions of all major environmental groups in the Puget Sound Area.
My take-away as leader of Seattle & Puget Sound Kossacks from this meeting. Political reality can't be changed. We must deal with it as best we can. We must also support those fighting for climate sanity as best we can. But when it comes to climate change we cannot afford to wait on politics to be "right" to get something done. We can't afford to just chip away at the edges. We need to pursue the most effective path possible to make climate sanity a reality. Under current circumstances politics may not be that path in the next two years in Washington State.
Instead it will be the Climate Action Hub. And in my neck of the woods it will be promoting the Cascadia Climate Calendar and urging people to get involved.
Please visit
John Crapper's diary for more photos! Enjoy! You can still REC it. You can join
Seattle and Puget Sound Kossacks by sending a Kosmail to
John Crapper.
by cooper888 ♥ for Sacramento Kossacks
We heard from navajo and Meteor Blades about the initiative by Daily Kos to have active Kossack groups in each of the state capitals. DK is looking for engaged Kossack's ready to roll up their sleeves and participate in many different types of activism/advocacy. For example, delivering petitions to the state capitol, participating in various protests, marches, rally's at the capitol, etc. As Meteor Blades pointed out this won't happen over night and is a long term strategy but I think if we all take the lead in our respective states we can make this dream happen sooner than DK leadership expects.
L-R: Front row: Sychotic1, tgypsy, tb92, trevizolga, Mrs. side pocket. Second row: Arundsdel (sp?), Laurel in CA, Kestrel, Meteor Blades. Third row: Kestrel's two friends, smileycreek, paradise50, Dave. Back row: Clif, Mr. Arundsdel, Neil, cooper888, side pocket, Left foot forward, got mooned & Nate
Please visit cooper888's diary for many MORE photos! Enjoy! You can still REC it. You can join Sacramento Kossacks by sending a Kosmail to cooper888.
Event Organizers! Please contact wink from Netrootsradio.com by KosMail to schedule airtime with them to live broadcast the date of your Event. Wink & Justice will then promote it on The After Show radio program!
Wednesday, November 12th
Kansas Kossacks Election Recap Meeting in Manhattan
Kansas Democratic Party Executive Director Jason Perkey will be holding a meeting to discuss the election as well as to start making plans to move forward.
Directly following this at 7:30 will be a Connect! Unite! Act! event. [Destination TBD] Food (potluck, with a vegetarian option) and drinks. Location will be announced after RSVPs.
TIME: 6:30 PM
LOCATION: Manhattan Public Library
629 Poyntz Ave • Manhattan
ORGANIZER: Send tmservo433 a kosmail to attend
RSVPs:
1. tmservo433
2.
3.
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Maybees: |
Latest diary: Announcing our Next Connect! Unite! Act! Meet-up: Manhattan, Kansas 6:30 & 7:30PM November 12
Wednesday, November 12th
Colorado COmmunity Meet-up with Drinking Liberally
John Erhardt hosts
TIME: 7:00 PM
LOCATION: Three Dogs Tavern
32nd Ave & Julian • West Highlands
ORGANIZER: Send Leftcandid a kosmail to attend
RSVPs:
1. Leftcandid
2.
3.
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Maybees:
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Saturday, November 15th
Colorado COmmunity Meet-up with Caffeinating Liberally
TIME: 9:00 AM
LOCATION: Common Grounds Coffeehouse
44th & Vallejo • Sunnyside
ORGANIZER: Send Leftcandid a kosmail to attend
RSVPs:
1. Leftcandid
2.
3.
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Maybees:
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Latest diary: DENVER: Drinking & Caffeinating Liberally "Well, F***" Editions Next Week
Sunday, November 23rd
SFKossacks & Silicon Valley Kossacks Support Native American Netroots Protesting the Washington R*dsk*ns Mascot Use
TIME: 10:00 AM
LOCATION: Levi's Stadium
4900 Marie P DeBartolo Way • Santa Clara
ORGANIZER: Send navajo a kosmail to attend
RSVPs:
1. bahesmama
2. navajo
3. Meteor Blades
4.
5.
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Maybees:
Glen The Plumber
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Saturday, December 13th
SF Kossacks Holiday Party at Daily Kos HQ
The usual Pot Luck drill - sign-up list posted soon
TIME: 6:00 PM
LOCATION: Daily Kos HQ
Address given privately by kosmail • Berkeley
Near Ashby BART
ORGANIZER: Send navajo a kosmail to attend
RSVPs:
1. Markos
2. Will Rockafellow
3. Susan Gardner
4. Meteor Blades
5. Faith Gardner & Roxie!
6. navajo
7. side pocket
8. Mrs. side pocket
9. smileycreek
10. paradise50
11. remembrance
12. Glen The Plumber
13. TLO
14. jakedog42
15. edrie
16. dharmasyd
17. catilinus
18. boatsie
19. liberated spaces
20. citisven
21. kimoconnor
22. susans
23. maggiejean
24. 714day
25. Steven Payne
26. scaboni
27. skywriter
28. jpmassar
29. jotter
30. aha aha
31. jeremybloom
32. norm
33. Lorikeet
34. cooper888
35. got mooned
36. Hunter
37. elfling
38. Cassia
39. Friend of elfling
40. Friend of elfling
41. Friend of elfling
42. Friend of elfling
43. tmservo433
44. sfbob
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Maybees:
Thinking Fella |
Sunday, December 28th
Koscadia Meet-up with navajo
TIME: midday?
LOCATION: TBD
[Address] • Portland
ORGANIZER: Send navajo a kosmail to attend
RSVPs:
1. navajo
2.
3.
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Maybees: |
Latest diary: [Waiting for linked diary]
Saturday & Sunday, January 17-18, 2015
Dkos Asheville 24-hour Meet-up
This is what community is about; sharing, giving, creating together. And this is what being a progressive is about; working for social, economic, and environmental justice.
Each day we start from where we are now; and we move forward from here. -davehouck
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...we have built ourselves a network of like minded brothers and sisters who are in this fight for life. A place we can come to find inspiration, power, solace and community.
-randallt |
TIME: 1:00 pm Saturday till 1:00 pm Sunday
LOCATION: Crown Plaza Resort Asheville
One Resort Drive • Asheville
ORGANIZER: Send randallt a kosmail to attend
RSVPs:
1. randallt
2. davehouck
3. Gordon20024
4. SteelerGrrl
5. LamontCranston
6.
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Maybees: |
Latest diary: DKos Asheville Open Thread: January Meet up Announcement
navajo maintains the above event list. Kosmail her if you have any diaries
about your event or if you have changes or additions.
EVERYONE is welcome, tell us what you're working on,
share your show and tell, vent, whatever you want.
This is an open thread. Nothing is off topic.