Hiring Danae Jones as communications director was a dang good decision. Here's a little bit from her latest email publicizing the August 11 grassroots training (both for rural and urban/suburban Dems):
Dear Virginia Democrat,I like these themes being set up for the November election. Voting for Republicans keeps their out-of-touch, out-of-the-mainstream party in control of Virginia politics for years and years to come. Voting for Democrats is a vote for mainstream Virginia values. Care about education? Preventing domestic abuse? Real women's health? Smart growth? Smart fiscal policies? Then it's time for change in Virginia's legislature.Tricia Stall wants to get rid of public education.
Del. John Cosgrove tried to criminalize women who don't report their miscarriages.
And 14 Republicans fought against attempts to include dating violence and the warning signs of abusive relationships in schools' family life education curriculum.
Compare that to Democrats who want to give local governments the power to say "No" to new development that threatens to overwhelm already crowded roadways, ensure all Virginia children have the benefit of a good educational start in life, and give homeowners up to 20% cut in property tax relief.
Now you choose. Which set of priorities do YOU think are best for Virginia?
Saturday will begin the 100-day countdown to the November elections. The result of that election is important because it will set the tone for Virginia and our values for decades to come. If extremist Republicans dominate the General Assembly, they will carve up the Commonwealth, drawing legislative districts that allow only extreme, right-wing candidates to be elected. But those guys don't get Virginia! They don't understand our values and what's important for our families.
And Danea and the DPVA are doing some good work, both in bringing change to the state party and to Virginia as well.
One suggestion, wouldn't it be more powerful to have titled the story with a more enticing title, something like "Get the Word Out Now About Republican Values" or something like that. The Kaine event could be under a separate story.
I get the strong feeling that the DPVA is now listening finally to the netroots (Lowell said he "attended" an off the record netroots "event" with the DPVA).
Could Lowell (or any other influential netrooter) please ask DPVA for a "website feedback" button? Just think of the possibilities for improvement, new ideas, goodwill, and making Democrats feel part of the process in Richmond!!!
Let's help the new communications director and tell her what we need and how she can help us. I want her to be a success!!!!
We must not remain silent nor take an equivocating position !!!
Confront the Republican agenda, on our frontpage. We are the minority at the moment and the Republicans are fighting hard to keep it that way.
Message -- do not, I repeat, do not seek to: avoid, dodge, ignore, shun, back away from, retreat from, acquiesce on, cave in to, concede to, give ground to, give in on, pull back on, submit to, surrender to, wimp out on, or yield to REPUBLICAN POSITIONS THAT WE DO NOT AGREE ON.
The electorate will recognize OUR VALUES,THE TRUTH, and most importantly OUR STREGNTH.
Democrats are campaigning on Repulican Nick Rerras' bill?
Washington Post
Friday, March 18, 2005; Page B04
Lt. Gov. Timothy M. Kaine unveiled a homeowner tax relief plan yesterday as one of the cornerstones of his Democratic gubernatorial campaign, calling for a state constitutional amendment to allow local governments to exempt as much as 20 percent of a home's value from real estate taxes.
So who exactly is stealing the idea....sounds like Rerras to me.