Contact: Anna Marie
Mattson - 06 14 16 15 16
Press Coordinator, Democrats Abroad France
A special project Anna Marie backs
Outreach to wounded soldiers
'08 Convention Delegate Selection
President Jimmy
Carter honorary chair of Democrats Abroad
The Question of Impeachment by John Morris
DEMOCRATS ABROAD LAUNCHES DELEGATE
SELECTION PLAN FOR 2008 DEMOCRATIC DENVER CONVENTION
The Delegate Selection Plan provides the steps to be taken
in the run-up to Democrats Abroad’s global primary
and through the Democratic National Convention, including
requirements for Americans living abroad who want to run
to be delegates to the August 2008 Convention. It also
covers the election of alternates, standing committee
members, the delegation chair and convention page, implementation,
and challenges to the plan.
Democrats Abroad will be sending 22 delegates to the Convention.
Following the results of the global primary, nine delegates
will be elected at Regional Caucuses, to be held between
March 15 and April 11, 2008. Another five delegates, including
the two state party leaders, will be elected on April
12, 2008 at the Democrats Abroad Global Convention. At
least one alternate will also be elected.
“This innovative plan combines the best of internet
technology and grassroots activism”, said Christine
Schon Marques, International Chair of Democrats Abroad.
“In a process which kicks off with a global primary
between February 5 and 12, 2008, Democrats around the
world, no matter where they are, will be able to vote
for our candidates, either on line, in person or by mail
as well as being able to fully participate in this exciting,
open and inclusive activity by running as a delegate or
alternate.”
The Democrats Abroad 2008 Delegate Selection and Affirmative
Action Plan is available at www.democratsabroad.org and
through the Executive Director, Democrats Abroad, 430
South Capitol Street SE, Washington, D.C. 20003, USA .
A. Summary of Selection of Delegates and Alternates
Democrats Abroad will use a proportional representation
system based on the results of a multi-tier system for
apportioning its Delegates to the 2008 Democratic National
Convention. The "first determining step" of
Democrats Abroad’s delegate selection process will
occur on February 5-12, 2008, with a binding presidential
preference vote (primary) consisting of balloting by Internet,
in person or by mail.
Each presidential candidate, or that candidate's authorized
representative(s), must submit to the International Chair
of Democrats Abroad, by March 13, 2008, a minimum of 2
names for each slot awarded to that candidate for At-Large
National Convention Delegates, Pledged PLEO Delegates
and National Convention Alternates.
Delegates and Alternates will be selected as summarized
on Table A below.
B. Selection of Standing Committee Members (for the Credentials,
Platform and Rules Committees)
Standing Committee members will be selected by the Democrats
Abroad’s National Convention Delegates at the Global
Convention on April 12, 2008.
Each presidential candidate, or that candidate's authorized
representative(s), must submit to the International Chair
of Democrats Abroad, by March 13, 2008, a minimum of 1
name for each slot awarded to that candidate for members
of each committee.
C. Selection of Delegation Chair and Convention Page
The Delegation Chair will be selected by the National
Convention Delegates on April 12, 2008 at the Democrats
Abroad Global Convention.
The Convention Page will be selected by the Delegation
Chair at the Democrats Abroad Global Convention.
D. Presidential Candidate Filing Deadline
Presidential candidates must certify the name of their
authorized representative(s) to the International Chair
of Democrats Abroad by January 4, 2008.
A presidential candidate gains access to the Democrats
Abroad Delegate Selection Process by filing a written
notice of candidacy with the International Chair of Democrats
Abroad no later than January 4, 2008. The presidential
candidate shall also file no later than January 4, 2008
a written statement to the International Chair of Democrats
Abroad which indicates the specific steps he or she will
take to encourage full participation in Democrats Abroad's
delegate selection process.
Charts describing
the process
PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER BECOMES
HONORARY CHAIR OF DEMOCRATS ABROAD
Democrats Abroad is pleased to announce that President Jimmy Carter has agreed to become the first Honorary Chair of Democrats Abroad. In this role, he will encourage Americans living outside the United States to register to vote and to request their absentee ballots by using the website www.VoteFromAbroad.org .
President Carter said ”Since leaving the White House, Roslynn and I have visited more than 120 nations in our work at the Carter Center. In many cases, we have become deeply involved with them in resolving some of their political, health, and agricultural challenges. During the earlier years, their admiration and friendship toward our country was almost universal. Lately, there has been a drastic and disturbing shift towards distrust, alienation, and outright hatred.
“We are faced in 2006 with congressional elections of momentous historical importance, more so than at any time in my memory. There can be no better qualified or objective analysts than Americans who live overseas and who are not unduly swayed by the constant stream of biased news media, like Fox News and the all-pervasive right-wing radio talk shows.
“It is imperative that every American citizen living abroad join us in this movement to change the course of our government by registering to vote and participating fully in the electoral process. Democrats Abroad has made registering to vote and requesting an absentee ballot quick and simple at VoteFromAbroad.org. I invite you to use that website, request your absentee ballot, vote, and make a difference.”
Democrats Abroad's International Chair Michael Ceurvorst said, “Democrats Abroad cherishes President Carter's continued service to our nation and especially to the integrity of the voting process. That he is serving as our Honorary Chair underscores the historical importance of the 2006 elections. Americans everywhere, at home and abroad now enjoy an equal opportunity to restore checks and balances to our government. Please use www.VoteFromAbroad.org today.”
For more information, please contact
Anna Marie Mattson
Press Secretary Dems Abroad France
33 (0) 6 14 16 15 16
The Question of Impeachment by John Morris
The Executive Committee of Democrats Abroad France, in a special meeting on January 15, unanimously passed a resolution calling upon Congress to determine whether impeachable offenses have been committed by the Bush/Cheney Administration and if necessary to immediately begin impeachment proceedings against President George W. Bush and Vice President Richard Cheney.
This action, the first so far as we know to be taken by any grassroots group of Americans, follows discussion of the impeachment question at a meeting of the DPCA (Democratic Party Committee Abroad) in Barcelona on October 22.
At that time, in the words of Joe Smallhoover, lawyer and International Counsel of DPCA, “I did not believe there was evidence of any impeachable offenses. I now believe that we have the credible evidence we did not have then.” Accordingly, he drafted the resolution which appears here. It will be proposed at the next worldwide DPCA meeting, on March 3 in Washington .
The Committee also unanimously approved the initiative of Congressman John Conyers in introducing House Resolutions seeking accountability for crimes committed by the Bush Administration, and their cover-up.
In June, 2001, even before the tragic events of 9/11, Joe Smallhoover had discussed the question of our country's drift into Imperium with Al Gore, who might well have been president had it not been for the Supreme Court. On January 16 of this year, celebrating Martin Luther King Day at Constitution Hall in Washington , Gore delivered a long and impassioned address on the subject. In it he revisited U.S. history, recalling how presidents from John Adams to Abraham Lincoln to Woodrow Wilson and Franklin Roosevelt had occasionally flouted constitutional rights, only to be corrected by changing circumstances: “But in each of these cases, when the conflict and turmoil subsided, the country re-covered its equilibrium and absorbed the lessons learned in a recurring cycle of excess and regret.”
He added, “There are reasons for concern this time around that conditions may be changing and that the cycle may not repeat itself.” He listed four:
1) The slow and steady accumulation of presidential power;
2) The Administration's argument that the war footing upon which we have been placed is going to “last for the rest of our lives;”
3) Advances in eavesdropping and surveillance technologies which “have the potential for shifting the balance of power between the apparatus of the state and the freedom of the individual;” and
4) The theory of the “unilateral executive” whose authority “when making foreign policy cannot be reviewed by the judiciary or checked by Congress. When added to the idea that we have entered a perpetual state of war, the implications of this theory stretch quite literally as far into the future as we can imagine.”
Gore was joined upon this occasion by former Republican Representative Bob Barr of Georgia, an arch conservative who played a leading role in the attempt to impeach Bill Clinton. Gore said of Barr, “We have joined together today with thousands of our fellow citizens--Democrats and Republicans alike--to express our shared concern that America's Constitution is in grave danger... I call upon Democratic and Republican members of Congress today to uphold your oath of office and defend the Constitution… And it is ‘We the people' who must now play an integral role in saving our Constitution.”
The full text of this lengthy and remarkable address may be found on the website of the Liberty Coalition, co-sponsor of the event with the American Constitution Society at: www.libertycoalition.net/gore-speech.
Your comments on the resolution will be welcomed by any member of the Executive Committee: Constance Borde, Kathy Chassaing, Barney Kirchhoff, Danette Landry, Meredith Gowan LeGoff, Sheila Malovany-Chevallier, Anna Marie Mattson, Michele McCabe, Louise Meyers, Zachary Miller, John G. Morris, Jeanne Oliver, Tom O'Neill, Rey Riemer, Sally Sharpe, Susan Vaillant and Meredith Wheeler.
The Overseas Democrat, is a publication of Democrats
Abroad France. See our website for news of meetings, voter
registration and other activities: www.fr.democratsabroad.org
TEXT OF THE RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, the Bush/Cheney Administration has proven
that it cannot competently manage the affairs of State;
WHEREAS, Democrats Abroad has called for the
censure of President Bush and Vice-President Cheney;
WHEREAS, it is now apparent that not only is this
Administration incompetent, but it is deeply corrupt;
WHEREAS, there is now credible evidence of high
crimes and misdemeanors at the highest levels of the Administration;
WHEREAS, the keys to effective democracy are respect
for the Constitution and the rule of law and accountability
of elected officials;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED
that Democrats Abroad France calls on Congress to begin investigations to determine whether impeachable offenses have been committed and if necessary to begin impeachment proceedings against George Bush and Dick Cheney immediately.
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