Today, we kick off a 10-day Countdown to March 24th, the day we join progressives in New Jersey and across the nation to raise money for Jeff Gardner's campaign for the New Jersey Senate. March 24th is Money Bomb Day.
We've heard from all corners of NJ that Jeff's campaign is a statewide progressive priority. Here at Blue Jersey, we're proud Jeff's one of our own. Everyone here knows about Jeff Gardner. Rock solid progressive. A fighter. A leader.
Campaigns cost money. If Jeff's going to unseat a 30-year incumbent, he'll need our support. March 24th Money Bomb.
So - What's a Money Bomb?: A grassroots fundraising effort concentrated in a short time period. We're going to use it to support Jeff by dramatically ramping up, concentrating & publicizing his fundraising.
What you can do right now: Click "I'm Attending" on Jeff's Money Bomb page. Then come back March 24th and donate!
Every contribution counts - $5, $10, or $25 donations add up. If the progressive community shows our real strength - by making Jeff the next Senator from the 35th District - maybe Democrats in Trenton will think twice before they betray fundamental policies the Democratic Party stands for.
On Twitter: Tweet your support for Jeff! Use hash tag #GardnerMoneyBomb.
Until we step up and start electing better Democrats, we'll never get the representation we've been longing for. We'll never get the type of leadership a blue state like NJ deserves. We are going all-in for Jeff's campaign. And we need you. Money Bomb March 24th!
Sometimes I resist talking here at Blue Jersey about Democracy for America, because it carries the biggest of my full disclosures and I'm mindful of not overusing this site to promote the other part of what I do, and what Jeff Gardner does. So, full disclosure: Jeff and I are 2/5ths of the DFA-NJ executive board. We help run DFA here in NJ and that means sometimes we get to preside over unbelievable resources pouring into this state from DFA (newbies, DFA was founded by Howard Dean; its first electoral win got him elected DNC Chair to launch 50-State Strategy - yeah, proud).
After DFA Campaign Training, comes DFA Night School: a national conversation & online training program anybody can do from home. It's free. Tonight's the last session, and it's not too late to jump on the call & follow on line:
Mayor Anna Little may be "Tea Party approved" but it looks like the bridge over the Shrewsbury River leading from the Mayor's home town of Highlands to Sea Bright was approved by Democrats in Washington and is funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Something she would have voted "No" on - had she been in the seat she's running for now, Frank Pallone's in NJ-6.
DFA-NJ's Will Rosenthal poses by a stimulus project
On Saturday, Democracy for America (DFA) national Chair Jim Dean and DFA-NJ met up in Monmouth County for their 6th Annual DFA at the Beach event at Moby's in Highlands. Great deck bar, by the way.
Monmouth County DFA Chair, Red Bank Councilman Ed Zipprich casually mentioned to me that the bridge construction in the background of the DFA group photo is ironic because Tea Party candidate Little has benefitted from yet another Democratic chunk of ARRA stimulus money right in her own back yard.
At least the crane in the background is painted red!
Now, speaking of beach + fun, Dems 2000's having their Beach Bash tonight, by the way - have a blast, Dems 2000!
More pictures from DFA at the Beach, after the jump (thanks, Joe Osborne & Ed Zipprich, for the pix).
Not much of a secret around here that there's crossover between Democracy for America and Blue Jersey. Blue Jersey was founded by Juan Melli, who ran Mercer DFA when he was at Princeton, and Jeff Gardner and I are 2/5ths of the current DFA-NJ exec board. Even so, I wasn't planning on mentioning DFA at the Beach here, which is Saturday, till I found out today a bunch of Blue Jerseyans will be there.
Jim Dean & Blue Jersey:Jim Dean, DFA Founder Howard Dean's brother and our national Chair, is coming. A big Blue Jersey fan. And an early Blue Jersey Radio guest & podcaster, back in the day. Jim's called in to BJR from all over the country. DFA uses Blue Jersey in DFA Night School sessions on political blogging.
New frontpagers: Monday morning two new writers start here. If you want a 2-day jump on who got the gig, come on down. They'll be there. So will Deciminyan. Plus maybes Michele Jaker (who's had quite a week in the fight for New Jersey women's health care, as the Planned Parenthood Director) and kevmor, who's been watching the city of Trenton this week.
Purely social. No fundraiser. Free admission. Families & friends welcome. Great waterfront deck bar - order off the menu: drinks, sodas, seafood, burgers, kids menu. Good hang-out time with fellow progressives. Hope to see you there:
6th Annual DFA at the Beach When: Sat. August 7th at 4pm till ???
Where: Moby's Deck
2 Bay Avenue, Highlands, NJ 07732
(off Rt. 36, last exit before Sandy Hook)
Menu/Directions for Moby's Deck
The training's in Ocean County. It's not too late to decide to come. And you don't have to be DFA, or running for office. It's the first time we've ever done something this big in this red a place. And we chose Ocean County because that's where Chris Christie picked up his largest margin of victory (oh hell, second largest - my county of Hunterdon was a shade worse).
The training's an intense 2-day boot camp, covering everything from message development, how to ask for money, social media strategy, how to run a canvass and how to get a job in politics. Full schedule.
Here are some of the extras that will make this so much fun.
Special Guests: Congressmen Frank Pallone and Rush Holt. Newark Councilman Ron Rice. NJDSC Chair Asm John Wisniewski. DFA national Chair Jim Dean.
Candidates Roundtable: A special session, for candidates only. Campaign mentors Rep. Frank Pallone, Councilman Ron Rice, DFA Chair Jim Dean and several DFA-trained electeds now helping to run their towns, like Ed Zipprich and Chris Leitner, who are both councilmen and municipal chairs in their hometowns of Red Bank and Point Pleasant Borough, respectively.
PARTY Saturday Night: Whether you can come to the Training or not, we'll wind up at the waterfront bar The Lobster Shanty in Point Pleasant around 7. Bar's to the left - of course - when you walk in.
Bloggers Breakfast: 8:30am Sunday morning. Hosted by Blue Jersey. Just a casual meet & greet for training attendees who blog, or lurk here at Blue Jersey or anywhere else in the interwebs. Jeff Gardner & I will be there, Deciminyan, tabbycat31, Jersey Shore John, and whoever else rolls in the door at that ungodly hour.
Looking forward to seeing everybody tomorrow. #DFAtrainingNJ
This will be a totally casual coffee-and-donuts kind of thing. The training's pretty high-energy, so Bloggers Breakfast will be a low-key start to Day 2. Anybody attending the Training who blogs anywhere - including you lurkers - is invited. Jeff Gardner and I will play host, for Blue Jersey & DFA-NJ.
Bloggers Breakfast is one of two extras you won't find on next weekend's DFA Training Agenda. The other's Candidates Roundtable on Saturday, just for people running for office. Rep. Frank Pallone, Newark Councilman Ron C. Rice and DFA national chair Jim Dean will co-host as mentors.
Shoot me an email if you're interested in more info on either. And let us know if you're registered for the Training, but we don't know you're a candidate.
There's still time to grab a spot for yourself at the Training, 2 full days of comprehensive skills-building that will muscle-up anybody running for office, powering a campaign or forwarding an issue. And muscles are what we need.
Jeff Gardner is the new Democratic Municipal Chair in his hometown of Hawthorne, winning Monday over long-time Chair Sen. John Girgenti. How did that happen? It happened because Jeff & his team - key players from Passaic DFA and DFA-supported candidates - reached out to voters with better ideas and stronger progressive platform. And they won. Jeff is a graduate of Democracy for America (DFA) Campaign Training.
Ed Zipprich is the new Democratic Municipal Chair in his hometown of Red Bank. How? Ed's been a valuable asset to every progressive step forward in Monmouth County for years. And when it was time for the long-time Muni Chair to step down, he wanted to hand that job ... right to Ed. Ed's a graduate of DFA Campaign Training.
Chris & Jack & team
Chris Leitner & Jack McHugh won an election nobody expected them to win, the first straight-up Dems elected in Point Pleasant Boro in 30 years, restarting a defunct Democratic Club with Chris as Municipal Chair. How? Chris & Jack are graduates of DFA Campaign Training.
People, this is the new age of Gov. Chris Christie. Uphill battles. Deeply screwed-up priorities, sometimes in both parties. So DFA Campaign Training - intensive, fun-filled progressive action boot camp - is going where Christie slammed it: Ocean County. Are you running for office? Thinking about it? New, or just defeated county committee member? Working an important issue? Come train with the best allies you'll ever meet. Seriously, you'll grow muscle you never knew you had in you. I'm just sayin.
One month from today, we'll be in the 2nd day of a big, buzzy campaign training, in a place most people won't expect it to be. DFA's bringing its national Campaign Training to Ocean County, where Chris Christie decimated Jon Corzine. 21-County Strategy, baby.
DFA's founder is Howard Dean, whose 50-State Strategy helped vault President Barack Obama to the White House, by changing the dominant paradigm of whose vote - in what part of the country - was worth fighting for. It feels right, in 2010, to plunk this down in Ocean County.
More info/RSVP to join us at the DFA Campaign Academy, June 26-27, in beautiful Brick, NJ. A rollicking weekend of intense and fun study with some of the country's best political experts & mentors awaits, in a room of allies and local opinion leaders like everyone reading this post. Plus, a big party. Candidates, their teams, people there just to learn how to organize more effectively. Running for office? We've got special sessions just for you. But there will also be plenty of people there just to sharpen organizing skills and effectiveness. And the models we'll use will be the campaigns, issues, and organizations that walk through the door.
Ocean's the farthest south - in the reddest county - we've ever brought DFA Campaign Training to, in NJ. We're pretty stoked. Some of the organizing already going on in South Jersey is extraordinary. There are remarkable advocates & candidates.
What you can expect to be covered: writing a field plan, developing message, making the "ask" in fundraising, voter contact, event planning, running canvass and phone bank teams, media outreach, working with volunteers, and using social media. Low-cost (special rate for low income/student).
Full disclosure, Jeff Gardner & I help run DFA-NJ and we'll host the trainers flying in from all over the country, along with Will Rosenthal (Essex), Deb Magin (Monmouth) and Sabastian Belfon (Bergen).Intrigued?
Thursday night I'm going to be in Newark, watching some great comedians - political & otherwise - help send my friend Ron C. Rice back to work for a 2nd term at the Newark Council, where he reps the West Ward. The last comedian, Baratunde Thurston, just clicked into place, and some amazing people are giving their time to power Ron's campaign.
This is all very inside for me. See, I help run Democracy for America - NJ, and Ron was the very first NJ candidate nationally endorsed by DFA. Ron's a founding member of Essex DFA; he was their candidate. He's solid grassroots. And Ron's a member of the Blue Jersey community.
It's also inside for me because a lot of this show was put together at my house. Joey Novick put it together with Vin Gopal, for Ron. And Joey's hosting. Show's almost sold out, and it's a wallet-friendly $25 for Ron's campaign, so in case you can still score a ticket, here's who's coming:
Leighann Lord was named Most Thought-Provoking Black Female Comic and got an NYC Black Comedy Award for that. Like the rest of this show, she's scary-smart and has performed in clubs around the world, and for our troops in the Middle East.
Scott Blakeman is a political comedian who founded Standup for Peace: the 2 Comedian Solution to Middle East Peace, with Palestinian-American comedian Dean Obeidallah, and he gets people thinking as hard as they're laughing. He's also a regular on NPR.
Listen, Ron is a progressive. A class act. Pro-equality, including marriage equality. Community activist before he ever wore a suit. Used his Newark Council seat to organize the pro-active West Ward Collective. Veteran of night patrols & efforts helping residents take control of their neighborhoods.
Today is Senator Loretta Weinberg's 75th Birthday.
At Democracy for America (DFA-NJ), we call her the Godmother of Progressive NJ.
At Blue Jersey, our new Monday morning columnist has another nickname. LW gives speeches sometimes about Blue Jersey's coverage of her during the Senate seat fight, when she was standing up to the Ferriero machine, and we were all standing behind her. We had so many diaries about her - each tagged with her name - that she was on our Hot Tag List for months. In this video (shot by Nick Lento, introduced by Steven Goldstein) below, she crows about that at her campaign kickoff in 2007:
What has made me happiest in my public career is being listed as a hot tag at Blue Jersey.
Assembly Speaker Joe Roberts has signaled that the Assembly will not take up marriage equality as lame duck session resumes Monday, unless the Senate does first.
This is not good enough. New Jerseyans on both sides of this issue deserve an up or down vote from every legislator, in both houses, in both parties. Given that the testimony December 7th before the Senate Judiciary Committee made history - with 7 hours of testimony and 1,300 marriage equality advocates taking the day off to show up at the statehouse (against a few handfuls of opponents), it is right and proper now to hear what the people we elected to represent us have to say. And we want it on the record.
I have statements from Roberts, Garden State Equality Chair Steven Goldstein, and Sen. Loretta Weinberg.
Speaker Joe Roberts:
After more than seven hours of testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Dec. 7 and continued public debate in the weeks since, we've certainly had a chance to hear all sides on marriage equality legislation. I believe ample opportunity has already been given for all views to be heard and additional Assembly committee debate is not needed. I've advised the Senate sponsors that, if the bill is passed by the Senate, I am prepared to bring the bill directly to the Assembly floor for a vote before the end of this legislative session.
UPDATE: Sen. Loretta Weinberg statement to Blue Jersey: It is right and appropriate for the full Senate to now vote. Senator Lesniak and I requested Senate President Codey post the Civil Marriage and Freedom of Religion bill for a vote. Let the public know where the majority party in both houses stand on this civil rights issue so important to a strong segment of our supporters.
Garden State Equality Chair Steven Goldstein:
We're far from dead - in the long and winding road in this marriage equality battle, anything and everything has happened. On an issue like marriage equality, which thousands of key players in the Democratic party support so passionately, you predict at your own peril. Remember, earlier this month, we won a major victory in the Senate Judiciary Committee when no one thought the bill would even go to any committee. We call on Senator Codey and Speaker Roberts to bring the bill to a vote before their respective houses, and in the meantime, we will continue to work day and night for victory soon.
We're not taking this announcement from Trenton lying down - not any of us. Garden State Equality is again massing supporters, gay and straight. I'll add my voice as co-Chair of Democracy for America-NJ, and I know my colleagues on the DFA-NJ board back me up - they include Jeff Gardner. Blue Jersey also stands behind Garden State Equality - this is a matter of fairness and equity for all of us.
An ACTION ALERT, called for MONDAY, by GSE:
We're going back to the statehouse. Meet this Monday at 10:00 am in front of Garden State Equality's Trenton office across from the State House - 110 West State Street. We will lobby and rally - keep up the pressure to do the right thing. Massive turnout is key. Please spread the word.
We know from the wild ride that this year has been that this issue is no longer the province only of the gay people whose committed relationships should be recognized in our community. This is about equality. It's that simple. And that matters to us all - it's about what kind of a state we're going to live in. Fair, or unfair. Our legislators have the responsibility to all of us to commit their votes, and we shouldn't accept anything less.
DFA-NJ is the Jersey homebase of Democracy for America, the nation's largest progressive political action community. With local groups meeting monthly all over the state, DFA is a grassroots engine to change the Democratic Party from the bottom up. We provide campaign training, organizing resources, and media exposure so our members have the power to support progressive issues and candidates, up and down ballot. We're proud of every one of these candidates, they're our progressive standard-bearers. And some of them might be local to you. Full disclosure: Jeff Gardner & I both serve on the DFA-NJ executive board.
Jon Corzine & Loretta Weinberg It's enough that Jon Corzine's running against a candidate as unacceptable Chris Christie. But above that, we find Corzine an admirable governor struggling uphill against a national economic downturn (read: George Bush). Expanding health coverage for NJ kids. Paid family leave. First-in-the-nation economic recovery program, ditto return-to-work. Ready to sign Marriage Equality. Expanded early childhood education. Choice. Ends the death penalty. Corzine stands with Obama, and that's the future. Christie's a product of Bush, and we don't want to go back. But for us, when Corzine chose that corruption-busting, pro-transparency, no-nonsense progressive hot chick Loretta Weinberg, this race took off. She's our ally. There's nothing tempered, or guarded about the way we admire her. Website.
Doug Singleterry & Cecilia X. Birge for Somerset Freeholders Cecilia was born in China and spent part of her childhood in Chinese labor camps where her Western-educated parents were sent. As a student, she was in the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, then came to America for college. She put her Wall Street background to work on Montgomery Twp council. And in 2007, she became the only Asian-American woman mayor in NJ history. Cecilia & North Plainfield Councilman Doug Singleterry focus on DFA core issues: transparency, accountability, fiscal responsibility, pay-to-play. Website.
Marianne Rampulla & Chan K. Leung for Raritan Twp Committee Raritan Twp's the center of one of the toughest GOP strongholds in the state. Every race is uphill. But this year, the Dems already have one of their own on committee, so if Marianne & Chan both win, the population center of red Hunterdon swings to Dem majority. Running for the 2nd time, they started early, came on strong. They're both very well-known in the community, both professionally and in high-level municipal and volunteer capacities. Website.
Naomi B. Collier for Hawthorne Mayor First woman ever to run in the general election for that position. An attorney, Naomi is sensitive to issues that face families, both young and old. Serves on the Executive Board of Woman Lawyers in Bergen County, & Trustee/Treasurer for the Jean Robertson Foundation. Volunteers for Alternatives to Domestic Violence. Instrumental in bringing the hugely successful farmers market to the borough. Priorities include developing a sustainable economic plan, revitalizing downtown & improving services to seniors and families. Website.
Dan Benson for Mercer Freeholder Dan Benson was appointed March 2008 as a Mercer Freeholder to an unexpired term and won a special election later that year for a 1-yr term. Dan's priorities are to expand on his progressive record of fiscal responsibility, open space preservation and job creation through infrastructure investment, and ensure Mercer County has a progressive voice in government. He is running for a full 3 year term. Website.
Tammeisha Smith for NJ-23 Assembly First time Hunterdon DFA members heard Tammy speak, it was on the need for health care reform, with a strong personal story and concern for her elders. It was a surprise that she works in the insurance industry. But there, she manages outreach programs to bring access to affordable medical/prescription coverage to the community. Health care reform is her passion. Website
Randy Bishop for NJ-11 Assembly Randy is a Neptune Township Committeeman and the 3rd openly gay Mayor in NJ history. Randy believes that service to your community is one of the highest callings. His community background includes time serving on boards. He's been the local Chamber of Commerce President. In his professional background, Randy has both corporate experience, and is a small business owner. His priorities: job creation, meeting resident's health care needs and stemming the flight of families and businesses spurred on by our tax and regulatory structure. Website.
Jeff Grayzel for Morris Twp Committee Elected in 2007 with the help of many DFA members, he was the first Dem elected to Morris Twp. Committee in 34 years. Since Watergate. Jeff works hard for open & participatory government and citizen involvement, against pay to play & for improved land use. His grassroots efforts have won him the support of many Independents. Seeking a second three-year term. Website.
It's official - Jon Corzine's the nominee. And all over the state some very good people are running with him. And some of them need to go zero-to-sixty almost immediately, because they're running in uphill districts, or for the first time, or against an entrenched incumbent. There are people we're going to be watching to see whose campaign we believe in, even as we're still getting used to the privilege of calling Barack Obama President.
But it's time to get tough. This weekend people are coming from all over NJ - and trainers are flying in from all over the country - to train on new media, messaging, advocacy, fundraising - all the skills we need to drive new victories. The DFA Campaign Training is intense work, and great fun. And this year for the first time it's in the busy City of Newark, at Rutgers Law School. It's not too late to join us. Jump to the next page and meet four who did, and see how they changed everything:
The DFA Training Academy is coming to New Jersey - next weekend, Saturday and Sunday, June 6 and 7 - and you're invited! This exciting 2-day campaign training is taking place at Rutgers Law School in Newark.
DFA Chair Jim Dean will be here, along with top campaign consultants with decades of experience to give you the skills to run a winning campaign. Topics include: field planning, voter contact, fundraising, communications, volunteer recruitment and more.
It's a tremendous opportunity for candidates, campaign staff, volunteers, activists and anyone who wants to learn from the best at one of the most fun, inspiring and informative trainings you will ever attend.
As the saying goes: "You have the power, now learn the skills!"
Last night, Howard Dean rolled out an initiative on health care on the occasion of his return to the organization he founded - Democracy for America - and its fifth birthday. NJ DFA members and allies, including Gov. Corzine, were at gatherings all over the state and connected on a national conference call.
There was outrage in some quarters when President Obama passed Dean over for HHS Secretary once, then again. But Dean has a history of walking right past disappointment and finding alternative ways to make change. This time he navigates right between those demanding nothing less than single-payer and the culture of those worried that that would mean losing their own insurance options, and suggests we can accommodate both.
Dean lauded President Obama's actions on health care reform, and the president's assertion that those who like their current health insurance policies should be able to keep them. Dean's focus is on pressuring Congress to make sure there is a public insurance option for those who cannot get, or cannot afford private health insurance. An option to buy-in to a Medicare-style insurance coverage.
The health care system is broken, even for those who are covered, some of whom find themselves denied coverage when they get sick, can't get coverage for pre-existing conditions, or get private insurance where their dollars are funneled into profit-making for the insurance company. We know that, and it's revolting, that this country cannot do better.
Dean anticipates using DFA's million-strong email list to generate a quarter-million petition signatures, clearly aiming to pressure Congress for a public option, and perhaps to encourage Obama not to step back in that resolve. Much of DFA's focus over the next year will be about this, including here, with canvasses, house parties and lobbying among the tactics.
New Jersey was well-noticed in last night's Dean hook-up. There were several mentions that Corzine was in attendance, at the party in Hawthorne organized by Jeff Gardner, where Corzine spoke for 30 minutes in a packed house of about 75 people. And DFA presented three stories, recorded in the voice of DFA activists, telling Dean what he's missed since he's been gone from DFA for 4 years. One of them was mine, about how we used both DFA and Dean's 50-State Strategy to win in crimson red Flemington. The New Jersey story and the rest of the call are here.
Full-disclosure: Jeff Gardner & I are both co-Chairs of DFA-NJ, and staff members here. Blue Jersey & DFA are separate entities, but there sure is a lot of cross-over.
DFA is celebrating its 5th birthday tonight, Wednesday, March 25th, and, well, here's what DFA founder Howard Dean has to say about it:
It is hard to believe it's been five years since I founded Democracy for America. I came back to an organization even larger than when I left. The original Dean Dozen has turned into over 575 progressive candidates successfully elected in positions up and down the ballot. They've started a training program that has trained over 20,000 activists and candidate in the skills to win. It is great to be working with DFA again.
Well, Howard - it's great to have you back!
So, in celebration of DFA's 5th Birthday, and Howard Dean's return, there are house parties tonight across the nation, including 5 parties here in New Jersey, where DFA members, friends and supporters are gathering for a look back at the successes of the last 5 years, and a look ahead to what's next. Governor Corzine is coming to the party in Hawthorne, and of course, the Blue Jersey community is invited to attend any one of the parties:
Gov. Dean, along with DFA Chair Jim Dean and other special guests will be on a live conference call beginning at 9:00 p.m. to link all the parties together. Wherever you live, find the party nearest you, and join us.
And, even if you can't get to a party in person, you can listen to the call online, or call in yourself:
Call-in number - (888) 346-3950
Passcode - 5661518 #
