(Andy Brown is the Democratic Party Chair of Travis County. - promoted by Karl-Thomas Musselman)
Our country is supposed to be a place where people of many faiths and beliefs can freely come together as a community, put aside differences and solve problems. Now more than ever, Texas and our nation need true leadership, not political rhetoric.
All eyes will be on Texas when Gov. Rick Perry announces his bid for president. As governor of Texas, he has the capacity to bring together people of all backgrounds, faiths and beliefs. But instead of taking the high road in addressing our state's problems (whether he chooses to actually speak or not), Perry has chosen to align himself with the American Family Association for his upcoming event "The Response." This organization claims to be Christian, yet in my opinion it is anti-gay, anti-Semitic, anti- Muslim and filled with hate, none of which are in line with Christian values. Perry's association with this group is an embarrassment, and hosting this event to grab headlines for his run for president is disgraceful.
That is why, on Saturday, the Travis County Democratic Party is organizing a march and rally in Austin to shine a light on the damage Perry has done to our state. We will have religious leaders of many faiths (including those rejected by the AFA), elected officials, political groups and everyday people whose lives have been adversely affected by Perry's policies.
Yes, the Austin rally - Rick Perry: Bad for Texas, Worse for Our Nation - will take place on the same day as Perry's gathering in Houston. But we are not rallying to oppose prayer, as I'm sure Perry will accuse us of doing. We are coming together as a community to protest Perry and his fellow Republicans' unprecedented cuts to public education, the Draconian cuts to human services, disastrous environmental record, attack on women's reproductive rights, smoke-and-mirrors accounting of the state budget that will doom us for years, and, most glaringly, his hypocritical use of prayer and religion to exclude and divide.
Prayer and religious freedom are held dear by Americans and are a vital part of our lives, no matter what political beliefs we have. It is offensive that Perry would align himself with the American Family Association to host this exclusionary prayer vigil. It is important that we include all faiths as we solve the problems facing Texas and move our country forward.
Those of us who believe in good government, religious tolerance and a just society feel compelled to speak up. Instead of addressing the tragic effects of his extremist policies on working Texans, such as cutting billions of dollars from our state's already under-funded education budget, Perry is positioning himself to run for president. As he considers his run for president, crisscrossing the nation and teasing the media about his plans, he panders to the radical right and uses wedge issues to further his political ambition.
According to the Texas State Historical Association's Texas Almanac, Texas was first among states in the number of Evangelical Protestants in the year 2000. It was also third in the number of Catholics and Buddhists, fifth in the number of Muslims and Hindu congregations, sixth for Mormons and tenth for Jews. Growing up in Austin, I was raised to be tolerant of others and believe that together as a nation we will move forward. While Texans still have faith in this belief, it is clear, as a result of his failed record and most recent actions, working Texans have lost faith in Rick Perry. As we hope the Austin rally proves, Texas is bigger than Rick Perry.
Join all of your favorite Democrats today as we kick off the 2010 Coordinated Campaign! There's a lot of fun to be had with the TCDP this cycle, and we want you to be a part of it. Come on down to HQ, meet the candidates, and help us contact the voters that we need to win this November!
2010 Coordinated Campaign Kick-Off Featuring Bill White, Candidate for Governor
Congressman Lloyd Doggett
State Senator Kirk Watson
and many more!
Saturday, June 12th, 2:00-5:00 p.m. Coordinated Campaign Headquarters
605 West 13th Street, Austin, TX
Meet your candidates, learn about why every one of these races is important to the future of Texas, and find out how you can get involved and make a difference!
If you can't make it, we'll have a live video stream of the event, starting at 2:00 p.m. below.
Mon., Sept. 22nd, 6pm, Foreign Policy Meet-Up, Dan Grant Speaking, TCDP Campaign HQ!
What: Dan Grant, former Democratic Primary candidate for US Congressional District 10, will be our speaker as we discuss Foreign Policy.
(7:15pm-8:00pm is "Democratic Citizen Communication" where you present your issues important to you as a Democrat!)
When: Mon., Sept. 22nd, 6:00pm-8:00pm
Where: Travis County Democratic Party Coordinated Campaign Headquarters, 1107 N. I 35, Austin, TX (next door to CVS, in old Safeway Building at 12th and I-35)
Who: Anyone interested in networking with fun, cool, energizing, like-minded Democrats, and learning about the policies and issues important to our city, our state, and our nation heading into the November TX elections. 2nd hour is a "Democratic Party Town Hall Meeting".
Cost: FREE
You're welcome to bring food/drinks to share and you're welcome to bring your laptop (Laptop not mandatory).
PS - mark your calenders NOW for Mon., Sept. 29th, 6pm, our final "Issues/Policy Meet-Up" of the season! We'll spend our two hours summarizing all Democratic Policy Issues...it'll be our "Issues/Policy SUPERBOWL"!!!
Best,
David Kobierowski
Travis County Democratic Party Issues Committee Chair
512-413-0286
Cleanair999@yahoo.com
Mon., Sept. 15th, 6pm, War Room/Rapid Response Strategy at TCDP Campaign HQ!
What: Jeff Eller from Public Stategies will join us to speak about how to build a War Room and Rapid Response Strategy. Our goal is to build an infrastructure to immediately respond to any wrongful, negative, unfair attacks from the opposition.
7:15pm-8:00pm is "Democratic Citizen Communication" where you present your issues important to you as a Democrat!
When: Mon., Sept. 15th, 6:00pm-8:00pm
Where: Travis County Democratic Party Coordinated Campaign Headquarters, 1107 N. I 35, Austin, TX (next door to CVS, in old Safeway Building at 12th and I-35)
Who: Anyone interested in networking with fun, cool, energizing, like-minded Democrats, and learning about the policies and issues important to our city, our state, and our nation heading into the November TX elections. 2nd hour is a "Democratic Party Town Hall Meeting".
Cost: FREE
You're welcome to bring food/drinks to share and you're welcome to bring your laptop (Laptop not mandatory).
Best,
David Kobierowski
Travis County Democratic Party Issues Committee Chair
512-413-0286
Cleanair999@yahoo.com
What: TX State Legislator Donna Howard, former TX State Legislator Ann Kitchen, Women for Obama representatives, Annie's List representatives and others will discuss "Women's Issues" and how the Democratic Party is the best party for Women's issues.
7:15pm-8:00pm is "Democratic Citizen Communication" where you present your issues important to you as a Democrat!
When: Mon., Sept. 8th, 6:00pm-8:00pm
Where: Travis County Democratic Party Coordinated Campaign Headquarters, 1107 N. I 35, Austin, TX (next door to CVS, in old Safeway Building at 12th and I-35)
Who: Anyone interested in networking with fun, cool, energizing, like-minded Democrats, and learning about the policies and issues important to our city, our state, and our nation heading into the November TX elections. 2nd hour is a "Democratic Party Town Hall Meeting".
Cost: FREE
You're welcome to bring food/drinks to share and bring your laptop (Laptop not mandatory).
Best,
David Kobierowski
Travis County Democratic Party Issues Committee Chair
512-413-0286
Cleanair999@yahoo.com
The All-Star Panel of Political Consultants David Butts, Mark Yznaga, and Elliott McFadden speaking about "Key Election-Season Issues", Aug. 4th, 6pm-8pm, Travis County Democratic Issues/Policy Forum!!
What: We'll network and present the issues and policies important to Travis County, important to TX, including Barack Obama's policy. We'll share, learn, frame, and market the issues. 1st hour is "Democratic Citizen Communication" where you present your issues important to you as a Democrat! During our 2nd hour, The All-Star Panel of David Butts, Mark Yznaga, and Elliott McFadden will be speaking about "Key Election-Season Issues" (anything on the Travis County Ballot, including Obama, is fair-game discussion!)
When: Mon., Aug. 4th, 6:00pm-8:00pm
Where: Travis County Democratic Party Coordinated Campaign Headquarters, 1107 N. I 35, Austin, TX (next door to CVS, in old Safeway Building at 12th and I-35)
Who: Anyone interested in networking with fun, cool, energizing, like-minded Democrats, and learning about the policies and issues important to our city, our state, and our nation heading into the November TX elections. 1st hour is a "Democratic Party Town Hall Meeting".
Cost: FREE
You're welcome to bring food/drinks to share and bring your laptop (Laptop not mandatory).
PS: Stick around for our Barack Obama Birthday celebration immediately after our forum, starting at 8:00pm!
Best,
David Kobierowski
Travis County Democratic Party Issues Committee Chair
512-413-0286
Cleanair999@yahoo.com
Texas Freedom Network's Kathy Miller, speaking on "Faith and Politics", Mon., July 28th, 6pm-8pm, Travis County Democratic Issues/Policy Forum.
What: We'll network and present the issues and policies important to Travis County, important to TX, including Barack Obama's policy. We'll share, learn, frame, and market the issues. 1st hour is "Democratic Citizen Communication" where you present your issues important to you as a Democrat! 2nd hour Kathy Miller, President, Texas Freedom Network, speaking about "Faith and Politics".
When: Mon., July 28th, 6:00pm-8:00pm
Where: Travis County Democratic Party Coordinated Campaign Headquarters, 1107 N. I 35, Austin, TX (next door to CVS, in old Safeway Building at 12th and I-35)
Who: Anyone interested in networking with fun, cool, energizing, like-minded Democrats, and learning about the policies and issues important to our city, our state, and our nation heading into the November TX elections. 1st hour is a "Democratic Party Town Hall Meeting".
Cost: FREE
You're welcome to bring food/drinks to share and bring your laptop (Laptop not mandatory).
Best,
David Kobierowski
Travis County Democratic Party Issues Committee Chair
512-413-0286
Cleanair999@yahoo.com
(See y'all there tonight and don't forget to take part of the Watson match! - promoted by Matt Glazer)
The Travis County Democratic Party invites you to join your fellow activists as we open our new campaign headquarters for the 2008 TCDP Coordinated Campaign.
We've secured the biggest campaign office in Travis County history, so come by and check it out!
(LaFave is one of my favorite musicians. I actually drove 35 miles west of Boston to see him a couple months ago up here in MA. Surely, you all can make it to The Old School! - promoted by Phillip Martin)
TCDP Chair Andy Brown invites you to come say farewell and thank you to Chris Elliott for his four years as Chair of the bluest county Party in Texas. Join us tomorrow for this exciting event!
WHAT: Farewell Party Honoring Chris Elliott
Featuring special musical guest Jimmy LaFave.
WHEN: 6:00 - 9:00pm
Tuesday, May 13
WHERE: The Old School 1604 East 11th Street
(at the top of the State Cemetery)
HOW: Buy tickets at the door or RSVP with Susan Harry at 542-9744 or susan@susanharry.com. Checks should be written out to the Travis County Democratic Party and mailed to P.O. Box 684263, Austin, Texas 78768. Or make a credit card contribution at: www.traviscountydemocrats.org and click on "donations".
TICKETS: * General Admission: $35
* Current TCDP Sustaining Members: $15.
* Current TCDP Finance Council Members: Free.
SPONSORSHIPS: * Host $1000 - Tickets for 12 and prominent listing on event sponsor board
* Patron $500 - Tickets for 8 and listing on event sponsor board
* Friend $250 - Tickets for 4 and listing on event sponsor board
* Supporter $100 - Tickets for 2 and listing on event sponsor board
