Giving Alcoholics a Bad Name

Bob Ney, the Ohio congressman (Republican, of course) who pleaded guilty yesterday to bribery charges as part of the Jack Abramoff scandal, has followed in Mark Foley's footsteps and "admitted" (or perhaps "disclosed") that he is an alcoholic.

I've known several alcoholics in my life (in fact, some of them might be bcc's on this e-mail ... or might not), and not one of them has ever been a pedophile or a bribe taker. In my admittedly second-hand experience, alcoholism can lead to many things, but not the type of conscious decisions that these criminals have made and acted upon. Mark Foley was not under the influence of alcohol when he sent those instant messages; nor was Bob Ney drunk when he took those bribes.

I truly believe we need to flood our newspapers and radio and television stations with letters decrying this abuse of a group of people who are no more criminals than society at large and demanding that they set the record straight. Those who are alcoholics, those who know alcoholics, and those who help alcoholics in recovery need to speak up. The "mainstream media" must be forced to tell the truth so that "alcoholism" stops being a convenient public excuse for politicians caught in orruption and criminality!

I'm open to suggestions,
Dan Jacoby

Contribute to Progressive Democratic Candidates

Clicking on the title link will take you to a list of progressive Democratic candidates suggested by Air America Radio's Laura Flanders' bloggers. You can donate via credit card to any of these. Other good candidates to donate to are independent candidate for Senate from Vermont, Bernie Sanders (who also won the Democratic line) and WQIDC favorite Lois Murphy, from Pennsylvania's 6th congressional district. Until we have Clean Money - Clean Elections: campaign finance reform, raising money is essential to all candidates. Please consider donating.

We are open to candidate suggestions from WQIDC members and friends. And if you can't give money, give time. Contact Citizen Action of NYC's Fred Wright -- 212-523-0180 (ext. 44) -- and volunteer to make some calls for some good candidates, whom Citizen Action has identified. Time and/or money will make a big and needed difference. This election is so important. Please do what you can to return our country back to America of "We, the People" instead of this current regime of corrupt crony capitalism. (Stay tuned for more info on Robert Greenwald's new DVD, Iraq for Sale, on war profiteering.) Donate and, if you have some other good candidates in mind, suggest them below - and thanks.

Liberal / Progressive Reading List - Books to read

What progressive liberal books are you reading or what are you anxious to read?

C-Span2 Book TV is hosting a segment on Thom Hartmann's newest book, SCREWED: The Undeclared War Against the Middle Class -- and what we can do about it, causing it to jump from #631 to #66 in Amazon's top seller list -- though going to an independent bookseller to buy it would be nice too. (Thom spoke at Vox Pop Bookstore and Coffee Shop in Brooklyn, written about in Peace Hugs.) With him that day was author/professor Mark Crispin Miller, who wrote the forward to Thom's book as well as a good companion book, FOOLED AGAIN: How the Right Stole the 2004 Election & Why They'll Steal the Next One Too (Unless We Stop Them) -- currently #1824 in the Amazon list. It will be interesting to see if tonight's 10:30 pm repeat of the Book-TV episode will give them additional bounce.

Other books waiting on my shelf to be finished are David Sirota's Hostile Takeover: How Big Money and Corruption Conquered Our Government--and How We Take It Back as well as Armed Madhouse by Greg Palast, who also spoke at Vox Pop recently -- a great place, btw (a possible outing?). Another one which sounds like it is worth buying and reading is Air America Radio's new tome, Hostile Takeover: How Big Money and Corruption Conquered Our Government--and How We Take It Back.

WQIDC members and friends are welcome to comment on these and to add favorites/suggestions below (and there are some hiding in the Title Link). It is a busy time, but you can always grab a politically progressive book and take it on the subway to enjoy a good read and visibly make a statement. Happy -- and inspiring -- reading!

WQIDC -- Staying in touch: The Game Plan

Welcome to the blog of the West Queens Independent Democratic Club, located in western Queens County, New York City. Because this is a fast changing world and the need to communicate and minimize email is essential, we are experimenting with WQIDC blog, as opposed to our more time intensive WQIDC website. That said, we are looking for more team members to moderate and post main topics. You must be a member of West Queens Independent Democratic Club and either have or are willing to have a Blogger identity. To discuss volunteering, send an email to WQIDC at WQIDC dot org, subject "Blog Volunteering" -- or see Kate Anne.

To suggest a possible topic of action or discussion, send an email to WQIDC at WQIDC dot org, subject "Blog Topic Action" or "Blog Topic Discussion". To suggest possible links, write us, subject "Blog Link Idea".

Respectful and on-topic comments, added at the bottom of a post, are encouraged and appreciated. Reminder: this blog is moderated and inappropriate or flaming comments will be deleted. If you see such comment posted before us, feel free to write WQIDC at WQIDC dot org, subject "Blog Questionable Comment" -- or seeing/calling Kate Anne.

We may do some open thread postings, too, as this develops. This is all experimental and at a busy time. We shall see what transpires. In the meantime, please do what you can for spreading progressive Democratic ideals and supporting candidates with same, financially or with gifts of time. Are we going to talk about it or are we going to act? We are going to try to do both: talk AND act. Join in - join us.