Welcome to Democrats Abroad United Kingdom (DAUK)!

DAUK members receive a monthly e-newsletter each month with fun and useful information for Democrats in the UK.  Please forward to other Americans living abroad, and encourage them to join Democrats Abroad.

Table of Contents

1) From the Chair

2) Speakeasy Gatherings in:

• Cambridge (February 3)
• London (February 3)
• Manchester (February 2)
• Oxford (February 3)

3) DNC Chairman Gov. Tim Kaine in London

4) 2010 Midterm Elections - Please Help Get Out the Vote!

5) DAUK Bylaws Discussion

6) DAUK Council Meeting

7) Democrats Abroad International Meeting

8) Volunteer with Democrats Abroad

9) Join DAUK on Facebook & Twitter

10) Contact Us

Please do not reply directly to this email - find all DAUK Contacts here: http://www.democratsabroad.org...

1) From the Chair

Let’s not sugar coat it; the past two months have been dismal for Democrats: the failure to get long overdue health care reform through Congress before Christmas or before the State of the Union address; the loss of the ‘sure-bet’ Massachusetts Senate seat and with it the loss of the filibuster-proof majority; and the Supreme Court decision in Citizens United vs. FEC, which ruled certain portions of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law unconstitutional and overturned a number of precedents - portending, at first blush, a corrosive increase in special interest money in our elections…but keep the faith, Democrats!

I still believe that we will have significant health care reform this year.  There are several ways that goal can be achieved and we may well end up with a process that produces a better bill and one with greater understanding and support from the American public.

The administration has turned its attention to the economic concerns of American citizens—and here the opposition can be put on the back foot.  Here, too, the Republicans continue to be torn between their new-found faux populism, which is often aimed at the banking industry, and their supporters among those elements of the financial community who resist reasonable regulation.

In a curious way, the recent debacle may produce productive dividends.

The boil of discontent may have been lanced by the election in Massachusetts.  Public opinion can often be swept by transitory fevers.  But the American public has a way of eventually finding its way to a more reasonable place. In Massachusetts, voters vented their frustration, anger and anxiety at the current economic situation and at the unseemly process by which the health care bills were passed.  The old adage about the messy process of making sausages and the passage of legislation is apt here – a process which was magnified by the media’s need to endlessly repeat inflammatory charges and counter-charges 24/7.

American voters—especially swing voters in the moderate and sometimes muddled middle—have an almost instinctive aversion to any suggestion of a concentration of power, just as our Founding Fathers did.  They may often fail to grasp the fine points or correctly discern even the general outline of major legislation, but they will almost always seek, in the long haul, to re-balance a political equilibrium that in their view, however distorted, has become tilted too far to one side.

The Republicans were particularly skilful in playing upon this concern. Despite weeks of negotiations on the health care legislation by the group of six - three Republicans and three Democrats from the Senate Finance Committee - the Republicans were able to convince much of the American public that Washington was out of control and that a major power grab was underway that would fundamentally alter the American system of government. But by ‘sending a message’ with the Brown election and thereby ending the potential threat of one-party dominance (as they viewed it), the well-spring of discontent may have been staunched—at least for the moment.

Is that view a little too much Dr. Pangloss?  Perhaps, but over the years, I have seen this kind of dynamic at work in the body-politic. Ending the voter discontent won’t just happen on its own, though. We have work to do. The President and the Administration have to make their case more forcefully and persuasively.  Our Senators and Representatives have to exercise restraint and realize that, given the nature of the modern news media, the way in which something is attempted - the process itself - cannot be so off-putting as to endanger the end result.

And those of us who are active Democrats have to get the Administration’s back.  We can best do so by working hard to turn out the overseas vote in the 2010 mid-term elections. As indicated below, we are gearing up to do just that - refining the process that we have used in the past few years to identify critical Senate and House races and to make sure that our members who vote in those jurisdictions ask for and receive their absentee ballots. Our targeted effort for competitive districts and states can make a huge difference this fall - just ask Sen. Franken of Minnesota, Sen. Begich of Alaska or Rep. Scott Murphy of New York’s 20th Congressional district – all races decided by around 1 percentage point or less!

Let me also provide two more items that may counteract the negative view of recent news. First, please take a look at the President’s exchange with the House Republicans Caucus.  It’s long—90 minutes. Rarely do I find the time to spend 90 minutes watching a session like this, but this is truly one of the most remarkable political exchanges I’ve seen in a very long time. The President’s performance is masterful.  We need more, more, and yet more again (helped by further signs of economic recovery, especially in the unemployment figures) to turn the sour mood that seems to be pervasive at home at the moment. You can view the exchange at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/....

Secondly, what if I told you that one of the nation’s preeminent scholars of the Amercian Congress (and not one who is generally identified as having Democratic inclinations) has just suggested that:

“This Democratic Congress is on a path to become one of the most productive…[since the 1960s]…and Obama already has the most legislative success of any modern president -- and that includes Ronald Reagan and Lyndon Johnson. The deep dysfunction of our politics may have produced public disdain, but it has also delivered record accomplishment.”

Come on!  Challenge your preconceptions.  Check out Norm Ornstein’s article in this past Sunday’s Washington Post.  It is a refreshing read.  Here’s the link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2010/01/29/AR2010012902516.html?sub=AR  or washingtonpost.com/wp-d.... Finally, this positive view won’t be realized simply on its own.  It is up to us to help make it happen.  Let’s get to work—beginning here, beginning now.

2) Speakeasy Gatherings across the UK

Our regularly scheduled Speakeasies are a chance to meet like-minded Americans, have a drink, talk politics, or just make new friends. Speakeasies are informal and held throughout the country, usually once a month. Drop by and join us - and bring a friend!

• Cambridge (February 3rd):  from 6:30pm, Castle Inn Pub, 38 Castle Street
• London (February 3rd):  from 7:00pm, Duke of York Pub (upstairs), 35 New Cavendish Street
• Manchester (February 2nd):  from 7:30pm, Ducie Arms, 52 Devas Street
• Oxford (February 3rd):  from 7:30pm, Kings Arms, 40 Holywell Street

For more information: http://www.democratsabroad.org...

3) DNC Chairman Gov. Tim Kaine in London – February 9th

Our meeting with Governor Tim Kaine on February 9th has been oversubscribed.  We have established a waiting list on a first-come, first-served basis and will be filling places if any cancellations occur and space becomes available.

4) 2010 Midterm Elections - Please Help Get Out the Vote (GOTV)!

We face a challenging election cycle this year, and every vote is going to count. We urgently need energetic people willing to find and register American voters this year and to convey to them why this election is so important. Can you help? Leaders needed – join us!

Canvass Team Launch

Do you want to:

• Meet fellow Americans and Democrats living abroad?
• Canvass to find Americans to ensure they register to vote in US Elections?
• Become a Team Captain and coordinate canvass/leaflet activities in your area?

Join a canvass team who will be hitting the streets all across the country in search of US voters.  Tips and training for effective canvassing will be provided.  We’ll work with your schedule!  Pick any location you’d like.

Contact us to join a canvass team:  canvass@democratsabroad.org.uk

UK Phone Bank

DAUK’s membership has increased massively over the past few years and we have enough members in this country alone to make a big difference in close State level elections. But many of our members may not be able to vote in primary and midterm elections this year if they do not request a ballot soon.

To make sure our votes are counted, we plan to call every DAUK member from competitive districts and states to make SURE they vote. We need all the help we can get!  Can you:

1. Commit to making calls from a central location in London at any point starting mid March? Phone banks will run from 6-9pm on weeknights, 11-5pm on weekends, and will start in early March.
2. Serve as phone bank captain?  Training provided to manage a group of callers and take responsibility for one (or more) nights of calling?
3. Help with logistics, sourcing venues, managing documents and generally work behind the scenes with this effort?

Contact us to join the phone bank effort: phonebank@democratsabroad.org.uk

Get Out the Vote Activities

Other GOTV opportunities available include:

• Research organizations where we can register voters.
• Track canvassing results and voting statistics by district.
• Learn to register voters and do on the ground voter registration.
• Help track registration results and direct volunteers to voter registration events.

Contact us to Get Out the Vote: DAUKvote@democratsabroad.org.uk

5) DAUK Bylaws Discussion

As we move forward towards revising and improving our bylaws to reflect the emerging needs of our growing organisation, we would love to hear your views! We are holding an open meeting on February 9th to discuss this in detail. E-mail vice-chair@democratsabroad.org.uk if you can join us and we will follow up with location and timing information or post your thoughts on the DAUK Organisation and Bylaws group (post login): http://www.democratsabroad.org....

6) DAUK Council Meeting – March 16th

Calling all DAUK Council members and others who wish to attend! Please save the date for the next Council meeting on March 16th - time and venue to be announced.

We will be launching our targeted campaign to help turn out the Democratic vote overseas in the November Congressional elections, particularly in critical Senate and House races.

7) Democrats Abroad International Meeting – March 6th-7th

The Democratic Party Committee Abroad (DPCA), the governing body of Democrats Abroad, consists of the international officers and the chair and co-chair of each country committee. DPCA will meet in Florence, Italy on March 6th and 7th.  On Friday evening, March 5th, there will be a welcome reception sponsored by the Italian committee before the formal meetings begin. The meetings will end on Sunday afternoon.

Attendance at the International meeting is a good way to learn more about the work of Democrats Abroad around the globe and to become more involved in our international outreach. Meetings are open to all.  Please contact the DAUK Chair (williamdbarnard@gmail.com) if you are interested in attending and require registration information.

8) Volunteer with Democrats Abroad

The Executive Committee of DAUK has announced several exciting opportunities for members to take a greater leadership role within our organization. Many of the positions involve lending your talents and expertise and in return gaining new experiences, meeting fellow Americans, advancing our Party’s goals for the United States and hopefully having fun! DAUK volunteer and leadership opportunities span from projects that can be as little or as extensively time-involved as you choose. Several roles can be conducted at home with email and internet connectivity. Some activities are based on an event and other can be done within your own schedule’s flexibility.

If any of the roles/positions below are of interest, please contact us at: volunteer@democratsabroad.org.uk. We look forward to hearing from you.

• Strategic Planners
• Copy Editors
• Event Planners
• Voter Registration
• Voter Registration Researcher & Outreach to Organizations
• Voter Registration Social Media Researcher
• Membership Outreach

9) Join us on Facebook & Twitter

Connect with fellow DAUK members on Facebook & Twitter:

Facebook: Search under Groups:
* Democrats Abroad
* Democrats Abroad UK
* Young Democrats Abroad UK

Twitter:
* DemsAbroad

10)  Contact Us

Click on the link below to access the DAUK contacts page, which includes contacts and links to:

• Join Democrats Abroad
• Volunteer with DAUK
• Chapter / Regional Contacts
• Press Liaison
• Democrats Abroad UK Officers
• Mailing address, fax, other
• Register to Vote / Email to Send Questions

Full List of Contacts and Links: http://www.democratsabroad.org...