How has your state/local Democratic party helped in opposing Alito?

[shance]

I am in California, and I did not hear or receive anything from my state or local party regarding any opposition to the Alito nomination. I believe this is unacceptable because if any organizations should have been mobilizing, I believe it should have been these groups. I also wonder if we should be contacting our local and state representatives as well.

Whatever the case, there is a lack of mobilization that is greatly marginalizing our power and our work.

Perhaps we should be coming together more as concerned citizens and less as political parties, because nominations like the Alito nomination affect us all as citizens, not just Democrats, Republicans and/or Independents.

Im interested to know of other State and local groups and to know how helpful and present they were in trying to bring Democratic/progressive citizens together to oppose this nomination.

[meegbear]

1. Mine are in Massachusetts ...

and they're doing it now.

[shance]

2. That's great to know. What are they doing in terms of mobilizing and

opposing the nomination?

[napi21]

3. WHAT State Dem Party? I'm in Ga.!

Yea, there is one, but we are in such a minority it almost doesn't matter!

Hell, in the last election, other than the very top tier candidates, EVERY position ran a Pub incumbant "Unopposed!"

[shance]

5. So what can be done to change that? What groups are strong in

your community? Do you have a strong DFA or PDA group?

What can we do to further strengthen our local parties and coalitions?

This is what must happen for us to create a stronger relationship and connection, and more influence with our leaders.

[napi21]

12. We had a strong DFA when he was a candidate.

We had standing room only at all our meetups. There seemed to be such disappointment when Kerry won the nomination, the group fell apart.

I have tried everything I know of to generate interest in Dem issues here, and getting SOMEONE to run against these damn incumbents. I've volunteered my house for meetups, written and called my local Dem Chairman, tried talking to neighbors (a failure), but nothing seems to be working! When I offered my house for the meetup, I got ONE response!!!!! Nobody seems to want to run on a Dem ticket because there are so many Pubs around here they feel they'd be wasting their $$.

I wish I knew the answer to your question, but I simply don't.

[wtbymark]

4. my state legislators are in Montpellier

discussing whether judge Cashman should be impeached - I wish someone told O'Leilly that vermont blew up or burned down, just wish he had never heard of vermont. Distracting BS to the real business of the state

[crispini]

6. I didn't hear anything from my state or county party.

I can kind of sympathize though. I mean, my county party has one paid employee -- ONE! And we have primaries coming up in March, so we have a lot of work to do to get our primaries together.

Really, when an organization is 95% volunteer, you have to accept that, unless there is someone local who is willing to spend their time to spearhead any given effort, the effort itself will likely not get done.

[shance]

10. So why can't there be a volunteer coodinator who works for free?

There are plenty of activists who are working for free as it is.

Why not speak with your local party members about the tremendous need and desire for a more mobilized, connected local party?

Nothing to lose and everything to gain, don't you think?

[crispini]

15. Because if I go to them with an idea for a project,

they will look at me and go, "Great, do you want to do it?" And I have enough on my plate as it is.

My point is that we are ALL, already very, very busy and that something like the Alito nomination can, unfortunately, slip through the cracks. We have over 150 volunteers doing different volunteer projects. If someone wants to step up and lead on this, great. If not, it doesn't get done.

[shance]

16. Hopefully you all can find someone to step up to the plate!

Something like that I think would be well worth the investment.

[FreedomAngel82]

7. Yep, we've been working

On the local party site they have a message up to support Kerry's filibuster, sign his petition and all the contact information available.

[sinkingfeeling]

8. Arkansas - Not that I'm aware of. Weekly newsletter talks about the

GOP candidate for AG, who wants to redistrict state. He's truly the cousin of Tom Delay and his name is...are you ready...Gunner Delay!

[sandnsea]

11. Oh my god

Can you please pm me some links so I can send them to my sibs. Holy cripes. What are they thinking about.

[sinkingfeeling]

13. Here's the link to the website, but I also get a weekly email from them.

http://www.arkdems.org/

[sandnsea]

14. Thank you

I bookmarked it!

[BlueIris]

9. The Party? Nothing yet. My beloved Ron Wyden's offer of support

is the only public recognition I've seen Kerry's effort get around here yet.

[EFerrari]

17. CA: nada. zip. nothing. I'm not a Dem but Doug is.

And I've gotten email every day from the Greens on this.

He has gotten only email from Senator Kennedy, which is not local at all.

The Dems still don't understand how the constituencies have changed as the internet became a good tool. How I can contribute to a ND campaign, or get the word out, or GOTV. It would be helpful if they could rethink this.

/typin' ack!