Mainstreet Moms Operation Blue: Supporting Blue victories in the '06 elect

[Catchawave]

Just received this newsletter from the Mainstreet Moms Operation Blue at:
http://www.themmob.com/

We have 22 months. What can't we do for 22 months?

Greetings and welcome to the MMOB Countdown, an organizing newsletter for the most remarkable horde of Moms and Honorary Moms ever to menace the Right. Between thinking of new cocktail recipes that might take the edge off the election and making big plans for MMOB's future, two emergencies right smack in front of us took over. The election crisis unfolding in Ohio and the need to save the DNC from itself.

Many of you are way out in front on these already, but if not, jump into a new round of letter-writing for the New Year at www.themmob.com.

IT’S TIME TO SAVE OUR DEMOCRACY -- THROW YOUR OWN "IT'S OK TO FREAK OUT ABOUT OHIO" PARTY (Focus: Thursday, January 6th)
Democracy is not the Super Bowl, where losing on a bad call is part of the game. If the game's rigged, the game's over, so we have a responsibility to know. Our vote is our voice. There are three hot tasks for Ohio:

* One, convince your friends and family you know what you’re talking about and that the problem is real. We'll help you.

* Two, convince a likely Senator to stand up for us all on January 6th -- one who will object to a criminal miscount.

* Three, help raise $200,000 in tiny and not-so-tiny donations for the second Arnebeck legal case, Moss v. Bush. It lays out a thorough case for extensive fraud in Ohio. (Try a google.com search for the latest news.)

If you can't stand this topic or don't know enough yet, read below and step in when you're ready. Details, stationery, and flyers for these actions will be posted soon on MMOB's Sunshine Vote Audit page.

** Bonus action 1: Get thee to Columbus, Ohio for the voter demonstration on January 3rd, then to Washington, D.C. for the January 6th voter march. Mom says bring a coat.

** Bonus action 2: Bombard your local media with brief and to-the-point letters, faxes and emails. Ask that at least one tenth of their Ukraine attention be paid to Ohio.

SAVE THE DNC FROM ITSELF: GIVE THEM HOWARD DEAN
(Postmark your letters by Saturday, February 12th)
If you have a thoughtful, rant-free letter in you, please weigh in on the future of our infuriating Party with the 447 voting members of the Democratic Executive Committee. Many of us believe that Howard Dean can offer the energy, the drive, and the grassroots future a moribund DNC needs. We know Dean to be an independent thinker with a proven record, who has the courage, the smarts, and the determination to move this party forward at full throttle. Details, stationery and addresses can be found on MMOB's Dean 4 DNC page at themmob.com/howard4dnc.html.

** Bonus action 3: Petitions are a quick and valid way to show our support for Howard to the DNC at http://drafthoward.com/click/p/sign/

MMOB MEANWHILE: A SAMPLER
In between restoring some whiff of balance to households derailed by the campaign, we've been mowing through the MMOB Study Hall books and quizzing George Lakoff, mapper-of-the-Right Rob Stein, and Howard Dean. We've plotted out Adopt-a-Swing-State evaluations and clinics for moms headed for office, searched for copies of strategist Frank Luntz' manual, and caught fire over energy independence as the next political juggernaut, more on that later. We're shopping for the technology to better support regional MMOB organizing, building alliances with like-minded groups, and sketching out a route for '06 victories. Tune in any time with our national email discussion group, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/theMMOBlist/.

MMOB MOVIE NIGHTS & STUDY HALLS: AN UPDATE
Get some popcorn and get a grip. Movie Nights and Study Halls are a great way to keep the less fanatically obsessed folks in your circle engaged, informed, and connected. There’s a list of good titles at http://themmob.com/library.html, plus new listings below. Suggest a political night to your reading group, rent your community center, or get some friends together for MMOB Movie Nights and Study Halls. Have a bite-size action ready to go. Knowledge of bad things is only good if you have the instant antidote on hand: Action! Two new suggestions below, we welcome your reviews:

Electile Dysfunction: Take Back Your Right to Vote is a DVD produced by Take Back the Media and People to People TV, exploring the reasons why elections have spiraled into their current state. See what parts the media, corporations, judges, and the political parties play in the election game, and actions you can take to reclaim your vote. Available for a $32 donation to Buzzflash.com at http://www.buzzflash.com/premiums/04/11/pre04073.html

America, the Book: If you need an entertaining distraction from the serious work, try this. Jon Stewart, host of the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning The Daily Show, and his coterie of patriots deliver a hilarious look at American government. Termed a "political king-maker" by Newsweek, and "the Dan Rather of infotainment" by Vanity Fair, Jon Stewart, along with the writers of The Daily Show, combines his riotous wit and razor-sharp insight in this hilarious book. $20 at http://shop.comedycentral.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1859389

Other intriguing DVD titles show up at www.Buzzflash.com and elsewhere, including Orwell Turning Over in His Grave, The Control Room, and Unconstitutional.

BUY LOCAL, BUY BLUE
It's a pleasure buying local and buying Blue these days. Find out how at www.buyblue.org (good blog here too) and www.choosetheblue.com. Boo Bill Gates, hooray Costco, yuck to Safeway, huzzahs to Sony. Printing up postcards or flyers showing blue companies and red companies to hand out would be useful...let us know if you do and we'll add it to the MMOB Print Shop. Email layout to [e-mail]. Don’t forget the general commercial boycott on January 20th to celebrate the inauguration.

BIGGER THAN BITE-SIZED ACTIONS
If you found that taking action was exciting, even addictive, know that we're working on a resource area for newly minted activists interested in more. Can you help? Several MMOBsters, for instance, are taking over the Democratic party from the inside by running for their Assembly District State Committees. If you want to know more, a good source for California is at www.californiafordemocracy.com, and we'll be pulling together information for other states. Can you possibly run for office? Emerge is an amazing leadership training program in the Bay Area and in Arizona (www.emergeCA.org and http://www.emergeAZ.org) that would like to open in other states as well. If you have leadership resources to suggest for this page, email [e-mail].

Look for an OHIO RECAP email coming separately, and we'll send you more on the long-term MMOB plan in the next Countdown.

With admiration,

The MMOB Crew

[proudbluestater]

1. Thanks for posting that! I kind of lost track of them post-election

[muse]

2. I love the mmob. I have their vote jewelery

and am ready to wear it proudly again in 06. Love 'em!

[madfloridian]

3. This page is great....link. His video is here from last month.

http://www.themmob.com/howard4dnc.html

Called "Meet-Up Video". It was excellent. Gave a pretty good overview of his intentions. If the party wants real change.....that is the idea.