twain's blog

Now, I know all you unfeeling, uncaring liberal jerks out there look at President Bush and see a man who knows nothing of sacrifice. But, you're wrong. Our president suffers, he gives up, he cares. Look no further than what W has sacrificed as a way to personally show his solidarity with our men and women in the military. No, it's not a financial contribution. No, not a bill or executive order. No, Barbara and Jenna aren't joining up or even going on a USO tour.

Our Commander-in-Chief has given up golf.

The Young Democrats of North Carolina has just confirmed that Senator John Edwards will attend and speak at the 2008 YDNC State Convention. Senator Edwards will join James Carville as our featured speakers on Saturday, March 29 at the Sheraton Imperial in RTP. State-wide candidates, including those for governor, will be featured throughout the day. We will also have trainings, a service project in honor of Senator Edwards, and elections for YDNC offices. This year's convention promises to be the best yet.

For more information, or to buy tickets, please visit http://www.ydnc.org.

Mark your calendars now for the 2008 YDNC State Convention, which will be held March 29 at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel in RTP (http://www.sheratonrtp.com/). The keynote speaker at this year's convention will be James Carville, the CNN commentator, political strategist, and all around firey speaker.

The convention will also host trainings, presentations, and (hopefully) debates between state-wide Democratic candidates. More information will follow in the coming weeks, but mark your calendars now. BlueNC will receive updates, but do consider signing up for the YDNC email newsletter at http://www.ydnc.org. The signup box is on the left.

On November 13, we will hold the first ever YDNC Education Initiative: "Saving Our Schools" at 7 pm at Southern Durham High School. This event will feature State Superintendent of Public Instruction June Atkinson and NCAE President Eddie Davis. We hope to recruit educators and young parents with this event.

This will be the first of four such events in our statewide education series. We are excited about this event and look forward to engaging the community on an issue of importance for YDNC and the state in general.

I just received the below press release from my congressman, Rep. Etheridge, and he is going to vote for S-CHIP. What a great turn of events. Congrats to everyone who wrote, called, emailed, and railed. Here is the press release:

Etheridge to Vote for S-CHIP Veto Override

WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge (D-Lillington) today announced that he will vote to override the President’s veto of H.R. 976, the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007. Etheridge strongly supports the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, but voted against the legislation on September 24 because it would be funded by a 61-cent tobacco tax increase.

I just came across this headline: McIntyre To Vote For SCHIP Bill Will Not Support Presidential Veto. What shady source did I get my info? Well, McIntyre's website itself.

Now if only we could get my representative, Etheridge, to join the Coalition of the Sane (COTS), it'd be a great day.

So, according to former Mexican President Vicente Fox, our swaggering Cowboy-in-Chief (who was born in Connecticut, mind you--a good state but a long way from Texas) is scared of horses.

Reminds me of a great parody (although I like to think it's not that far off base) from ACT in which Will Ferrell plays Bush. Here's one more on global warming.

So, I wake up this morning, and the headline in the Sanford Herald screams, "Political disorganization: Lee GOP loses recognition over failure to file paperwork." Beautiful, huh? I had noticed that our local GOP was in some trouble; hell, I've met its members.

The Young Democrats of North Carolina will be holding our first-ever state-wide YD day for the Troops on Saturday, September 8th, 2007 at 10:00 am. Since my first post about this event, we have decided upon the exact places in Asheville, Charlotte, Durham, and Jacksonville.

Our purpose is to show our support for the troops and connect with them on a personal level. A large percentage of our troops are actually YD aged (between 18 and 35), and it is our aim to show all of them that we Democrats appreciate them even if we may disagree with the policies they must operate under.

Like all Democrats, the Young Democrats of North Carolina support our troops, and we want you to help us put that support into tangible action. On Saturday, September 8, 2007, YDNC will hold our first-ever statewide USO day, which we are calling Operation: YD Day for the Troops.

This day will take place at four sites across the state: Asheville, Charlotte, Durham, and Jacksonville. Our support will be shown by having a month-long drive for items needed by troops and their families for school, home, and relaxation. With this donation and presentation on September 8, we will begin to counter the misperceptions that some have about our party and the military.