A true progressive needs our help again...Jim McDermott.

[madfloridian]

I very much respect the Progressive Majority group. Just take a look at their advisors, and you will agree. Their advisory group consists of:
Representative Jesse L. Jackson, Jr.
Representative Jan Schakowsky
Representative Hilda Soli

Here is their website, and here is their request.
http://www.progressivemajority.org/leadership/profile.asp#jackson

Please help Jim out for all our sakes. I fear in all the stuff that is going on now we tend to forget one of our own. Ten or twenty would make a huge difference. He just can't fight it alone anymore after 8 years of court battles by the Republican leadership...many of whom need to be behind lock and key instead of trying to destroy a good man.

A few months ago I posted a request for some aid to help Jim fight his court battle coming up.

Dear _______,
As a Progressive Majority member, you know how important it is to have strong progressive voices in Congress to speak for all of us about the values that we care about.

That’s why we need Congressman Jim McDermott. For over 16 years, he’s used his position on the powerful Ways and Means Committee to stand up to the far right and fight for our values.

Jim McDermott is the Congressman who spoke candidly in Michael Moore’s sensational film, Fahrenheit 911, and he went to Baghdad on the eve of the war to tell the American public that there were NO weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

It's no surprise that the right wing is working to silence Jim McDermott. For the last 8 years, the far right has kept Congressman McDermott in court for his role as Co-Chair of the House Ethics Committee in bringing down Newt Gingrich.

As a result, Congressman McDermott is facing a landmark First Amendment court battle requiring him to pay hefty legal fees – as much as $1,000,000 dollars. That’s one million dollars more than he has.

For the past six months, he’s spent many hours fundraising and has more than $200,000 in the bank, but clearly has a long way to go.

We cannot allow Newt Gingrich, Tom DeLay and the GOP leadership to financially destroy a true Progressive leader.

I’m asking you to consider doing two things:

(1) Make a donation at Congressman McDermott's website:
http://www.mcdermottforcongress.com/Donate.aspx?DonationCode=05-mdpm01

(2) Forward this email to 10 of your friends and ask them to do the same.

Your contribution will have a powerful effect. Show Congressman McDermott’s that you're on his team and that you will not allow the conservative leadership to silence our values by dragging our leaders through the mud.

Jim’s got our back in Congress. Now he needs us.

Sincerely,

Gloria A. Totten
Executive Director

P.S. His trial starts SOON and Congressman McDermott needs your help TODAY. Learn more about his court battle by going to http://www.mcdermottforcongress.com/getthefacts.aspx

P.P.S. Whatever money Jim raises that he does not need will go to other progressive candidates."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I seldom ask or care about recommends, but Jim could surely use them if you don't mind.

[cally]

1. I didn't know about this

McDermott deserves our support. Thanks for posting this.

[KoKo]

2. Thanks....and I hope it "kicks" through the night.

:kick:

[madfloridian]

3. Thanks.

Maybe a swift kick in the AM as well.

I think people are so overwhelmed with all kinds of things to donate to that we forgot about him.

[KoKo]

24. Another kick for Jim McDermott...The Repugs are after him..

Remember he was in Michael Moore's "9/11" and he is one of our most Liberal Dems if not THE Most Liberal. We can't let the Repugs ruin him while Tom DeLay goes free!

[Lindsay]

4. Did anyone catch McDermott tonight in his special order

speech? He was talking about Iraq, and the PNAC plan to destabilize the middle east - which seems to be working out all too well.

If you can, support Mr. McDermott.

:kick:

[FreedomAngel82]

9. Is there a video out??

I'd like to see the speech if there is one available to view online. McDermott definitley knows what he is talking about and I'm proud he's on our team.

[SeattleGirl]

5. I'm so lucky

JD is my rep here in Seattle. You betcha I'll be helping him out!

[mntleo2]

13. Hi Dear!

:hi: Cat here! You may not know this, but you are cut out of the same cloth as JD is, Dear. That cloth is lined in gold. Maybe we can do some work for JD. Some other local DU women want to get together for coffee as well, and maybe we can all do something good for someone who really deserves it. Wouldn't it be neat to do something as a group? How 'bout it? Email me sometime, k?

Cat In Seattle

[Suich]

6. I live in Seattle and this is the first time I've heard this!

I've always voted for him. He's so popular here, it's hard to find anyone to run against him; he usually gets 70-80% of the vote.

Thanks for the heads up...

[mntleo2]

7. I Contributed Tonight

Even though I am a low income single mom. It was not much and I have never been able to give anything but my time, but this is imperative. I am also volunteering my time as a computer geek if he needs it. Please consider giving to this wonderful man. He has listened to me personally talk about poverty and he also voted for things to help, because he did listen. He went to Baghdad with my minister and others (Scott Ritter, Physicians For Social Responsibility, Bert Sachs the holocaust survivor, and Minsters For Peace, Kathy Kelly (a Nobel nominee, nominated by the two Irish women who had won in the '90s)...and caught crap for it, when he was just trying to get to the Truth. These were VERY credible people, they were people who had been there on the ground for YEARS working for peace, before Bu$h and his ilk made things even worse. He deserves our support and to know we have his back.

My two cents

Cat In Seattle <---proud of my Representative and willing to support him from right wing nut jobs who think he should pay THEM because our good Rep caught them red handed doing what most Repigs like Ginrich did ~ snorting like filthy pigs for anything they can steal.

[FreedomAngel82]

8. I wish I could give

McDermott truly is one of the best! I wish he could be a Senator.

[mntleo2]

11. Maybe Could Give Some Time

It is what I usually give, and it is often accepted gratefully. Whether it is spending a little time getting the word out by email, or whatever. It will do anyone's heart good. He deservs your support.

Cat In Seattle <---who wishes he was a Senator too, in the place of Marie Cantwell, who tries but does not always "get it" because she lives in the world of the rich.

[oasis]

10. McDermott is one of the most courageous Dems in congress. Recommended.

[WildEyedLiberal]

12. Kick, thanks for posting

:kick:

[EFerrari]

14. Thanks -- we can't lose track of this.

Andy loved Jim, and educated me on his record. Whatever is needed, I'm down.

:kick:

[madfloridian]

15. He was in Jordan last month, talking to Iraqi exiles and Jordanians.

http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/25686/

"Rep. Jim McDermott became the first congressperson to respond to a July call for "citizen diplomacy" by opening talks with the numerous Iraqis who demand U.S. withdrawal. McDermott traveled to Amman on August 29-31 for conversations with Iraqi exiles and Jordanians.

At the Woolsey hearing, McDermott said he was told that Moktada Al-Sadr, an Arab Shiite, would join with Sunnis in struggling against the occupation and new "constitution." He reported a widespread feeling that the U.S. purpose is to leave Iraq divided and weakened. His contacts proposed an "Arab summit," called by a widely-respected, non-American mediator, to develop a political solution. The alternative, he was told, would be a minimum of 15 more years of war and civil war. Below are some of the key elements to a successful Arab summit."

[freeplessinseattle]

17. I did not know that! What a special man. n/t

[eridani]

16. Kick for Jim!

Advocating universal health care since his first term.

:kick: :kick: :kick: :kick:

[Mairead]

18. What exactly are they alleging about him, that he's in court?

There's too little information there to make sense to me. He sounds like someone I might support with money, but not without knowing what's going on.

[madfloridian]

26. Here is one page with explanation.

Most of what you find is from the Republican Spin Machine full of outrage. This sounds pretty fair. You know all the outrage the Republicans feel if we don't please them exactly?

http://www.mcdermottforcongress.com/getthefacts.aspx

[Mairead]

30. Thanks, Madflo.

It sounds as though he was involved on the less-offensive side of a generally sleazy whitewashing, and did something that the law disallows. Gingrich didn't do anything illegal, he violated a political wrist-slap 'understanding'. So there was insufficient public interest involved to legalise its politically-motivated exposure by McDermott.

[madfloridian]

27. More details.

http://www.rcfp.org/news/mag/28-4/lib-taleofth.html

[chknltl]

19. kicked bookmarked and...

Jim McDermott is also involved in compiling data on the topic of depleted uranium poisoning, he also has this Bill:
http://Thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c109:H.R>2410:
This topic IMO ranks up higher then ANY other. Is it possible that someone wants to shut him down because of this? The UN has declared DU weaponry to be a crime against humanity. (Fueling my suspicions as to why Bolton is REALLY there). A friend of a friend has links to the testing of DU weaponry here in the Puget Sound. I WILL post those as soon as I get them. When Jim McDermott came back from Iraq just prior to the war, he did a piece which aired on C-SPAN. He spoke about the fact that bushco wanted into Iraq for 2 reasons: Regime Change and Oil. I made my daughter and her boyfriend watch that piece. Boyfriend was on the fence about politics, not anymore and it is the memory of Jim's speech that day which still drives him. He knows from that speech that everything Jim McDermott said was right and his predictions have all come to pass. Jim McDermott is also desperate for air time here in Washington State. I only wish there were a way to help him get that. John Conyers is rarely seen without the company of Jim McDermott, they do much to support each other. My bottom line: Jim McDermott is one of my heroes, I will help him where I can.
(Also click on my links below for a brief about Gulf War Syndrome, Depleted Uranium plays a significant factor in this. Leuren Moret, one of the authors, has helped Jim McDermott form his opinions on that very topic. Warning: videos are graphic and heart-wrenching)

[mirandapriestly]

20. He is an absolute hero and the right is trying to silence him

I'm lucky to have him as Congressman, I live in Seattle. I got that letter yeaserday, couldn't believe it.

[sadiesworld]

21. kick

[StClone]

22. kick

[Talismom]

23. Contribution sent! Thanks for the heads-up--this guy deserves our support!

[progressoid]

25. Jeez - with Newt and Hillary such good pals, maybe she can get him to

call off the dogs...


:sarcasm:

[Matariki]

28. I live in his district

I didn't know about this either. He is an exemplary representative.

Whenever I have written him on issues that matter to me I get a real and thoughtful response back from him. (Unlike Maria Cantwell who sends out smarmy form letters). And his voting record is something I'm proud of.

Definitely will send him something. And perhaps bug MoveOn to help raise funds?

[corbett]

31. That's A Great Idea!

They should jump all over this as soon as the aftermath of Rita has settled down.

[Suich]

29. He's a good guy.

:kick: