CCDC Fall
Fundraiser
Please join our special invited guest Vice Presidential Candidate, U.S. Senator Joseph Biden, Jr. along with our honored U.S. Congressional, PA State and County Guests.
Date: Sunday Oct. 19,
Time: 4:30 Cocktails - 5:30 Dinner
Location: Downingtown Country Club
Cash Bar and Silent Auction
Tickets are $65 per person.
Invitation/RSVP
Do Something!
Albert Einstein is credited with this definition.
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
If you sat back and watched in disbelief as George Bush was elected in 2000 and in 2004, it is time for you to take action. We have too
much at stake to allow John McCain to be elected in order to continue the failed policies of the Bush administration.
Now is the time for you to get involved. Please take action today. Please reach out to the Obama Campaign, one of the other campaigns and/or volunteer to help the Democratic Party. Your future depends on it!
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John Linder: Education Leader Challenges the Status Quo
John Linder is very excited to be running for the State Senate from the 9th District. Linder, a Chester resident and Professor of Social Sciences at Delaware County Community College, has come to know the district very well. Linder has been crisscrossing Delaware and Chester Counties since January, knocking on doors and visiting people in their communities--from Marcus Hook and Media to Parkesburg and West Nottingham.
"My district is very diverse," Linder said. "And I believe that every resident needs good representation to address our common goals: a solid education for every child, energy independence, and affordable, high-quality health care.
"We have incredible candidates this year, from the top of the ticket to races down ballot. At both the statewide and federal level, we have a unique opportunity to mold our government into a body that represents our values and is accountable to the people. I am proud to be running on the Democratic ticket this year."
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Andy Dinniman: Formula for Success
If any Democrat knows how to win an election in Chester County, it is State Senator Andy Dinniman. After being reelected time after time as a County Commissioner, in 2006 Andy won a historic special election to the Pennsylvania Senate, with widespread support not only from Democrats and Independents, but from thousands of Republicans.
We recently had a chance to sit down with the Senator to discuss the secrets of his success. What he told us would serve all of us well as we approach the crucial election next month.
According to Andy, the secret to attracting such widespread support has to do with our values, including both how we define them and how we talk about them. As he said, "As Democrats, we need to define ourselves as Chester Countians and not allow others to define us."
Further, we need to point out that our values as Democrats are values shared by a majority of Chester Countians. Asked for specifics, Andy enumerated a handful of values all of us should have in common and which we should communicate
In Andy's view, these common values flow one to another.
1) Respect for the Land. The land is what differentiates us and makes us unique. As Andy said, "the meaning of Chester County can be found in its open spaces and historic places."
This connects us to...
2) The Importance of the Environment. This includes the need to conserve energy and find alternate non-carbon sources of energy. It also includes planning for smart growth, which will save the land while revitalizing our urban centers.
Which then leads to the need to...
3) Support Entrepreneurship and a Business-Friendly Environment. This is crucial for ensuring the continued prosperity of our region and our country. This prosperity creates jobs and provides the means for accomplishing our other goals, including...
4) Quality Education and Access to Libraries. As a former educator, Andy identifies these as, "the two pillars of democracy and prosperity." With education and continued access to knowledge, citizens can be prepared to be both prosperous and to take advantage of the tremendous opportunities facing us in green technology.
And finally, with our education and prosperity, we can...
5) Share the Harvest. Because, "when we are blessed with abundant harvest, it is our responsibility to help others gain abilities so they too can share in the harvest."
And, Andy emphasized, "this is what an extended family, a community and a nation does. If we do this, American will still be the light of the world.
While we clearly reject the Bush policies which have gotten us further in debt and ruined our economy, we are fiscal conservatives who believe money should be well spent. We value local control over local decisions and we object to arbitrary federal decisions.
Pointing to our Quaker heritage in Chester County, Andy closed by noting we need to emphasize respect for each other and dialogue. These are core values we should communicate, "in contrast to the partisanship and posturing which have become the staples of political life today."
And, that's how to win elections in Chester County, Pennsylvania.
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Inside View of the Democratic Convention:
Q & A with Commissioner Cozzone
Q: We all watched the convention in Denver with such excitement and pride. What was the atmosphere inside the Pepsi Center? What were the emotions that you felt?
A: The atmosphere was really pretty amazing. When I first walked in it was surreal passing by all the news celebrities. It was a little overwhelming.  Once the speeches started it was really exciting. When I called the Daily Local to give my story, I told the reporter I was running out of superlatives. The energy, excitement and enthusiasm was there for every speaker.
I cried every night, some more than others. It was very emotional. When you experience something like that with other people in the same room, it brings out the emotions even more. The first night I cried with Ted Kennedy's speech, seeing the pictures of the 3 brothers and thinking about what could have been. It's really hard to put into words; anything I could say would not do it justice.
Q: Did you get on National TV?
A: I was on the phone with my husband and told him to look for me between Anderson Cooper and the lady in the red jacket, and I could hear my son scream in the background, "There you are mommy! "
Q: There were so many great speeches from high profile Democrats. I thought Senator Casey's speech was a standout. Was there anyone in particular who surprised you with their speech?
A: Different speeches were impressive for different reasons. There were things about all of them that were great. For those of us in the PA delegation, Senator Casey's speech was outstanding and Patrick Murphy did an excellent job. With Rendell speaking as well, it was nice that PA had such a presence on the national stage.
Q: Which speakers were your personal favorites?
A: You know; it is so hard to pick. I would prefer to answer that by saying that the Governor of Montana Brian Schweitzer was someone I was not familiar with and he blew me away. I couldn't pick a favorite from the ones I am familiar with, but he was my favorite from the ones I was not familiar with.
Q: Let's get to the main event, Senator Obama's historic acceptance speech at Invesco Field. Was there any specific memorable concept or big idea that you took away from his speech?
A: I think the biggest idea was one simple word and that was "Enough!" It gave me goose bumps and chills down my spine. It was the manner in which he said it and the point in the speech that he said it. It was one word that speaks about how I feel and how many people in the country feel.
Q: Were there any highlights from the PA Delegation morning meetings?
A: Again, the governor of Montana came and gave an amazing speech to a small crowd and of course the appearance of Senator Biden and his wife Jill the day after his acceptance speech. I got my picture taken with him. The consistent theme was Unity. We had Gov Rendell, Mayor Nutter and Mayor Doug Palmer of Trenton, all former supporters of Clinton, speaking about unifying behind Obama.
Q: I've heard you speak about an exclusive event for PA and some of the other swing states. Can you tell us a little more about that?
A: On the night of Senator Clinton's speech there was a reception for the PA, NY, NJ and FLA delegations and Senator Clinton, President Clinton and Chelsea came to that. They reiterated their commitment to Senator Obama and the importance of unifying behind him to win in the fall.
Q: Speaking of Unity, the media made a big deal talking about what Hillary Clinton and her supporters might do at the convention. Was there Unity in Denver? It looked that way from my living room couch, but was it really that way? Did you feel that her speech put any ideas of disunity to rest?
A: Look, probably the first 2 nights, I got calls when I spoke to the press about what was going on with Senator Clinton. I was sure that there were people who were unhappy or frustrated, but my personal experience from the people I talked to was that the media was making it a bigger story than it really was. When Clinton spoke on the convention floor and then had a meeting with her delegates, and then there was President Clinton's speech followed by her stopping the roll call vote and asking for nomination by acclimation, all of those things combined; if we weren't unified by the first, second or third night, all of these things went a long way in promoting party unity.
Q: Chester County Democrats are proud to have had you represent us at our Party's convention. Tell us about the pride you felt to be a part of the PA delegation.
A: Well I mean I think the fact that PA was featured so prominently, we had a good position on the floor, so many speakers from our state. PA is the key to winning this fall. It was an honor to have been a delegate and my honor and my pleasure to represent Chester County and the state of PA.
Q: Any final thoughts?
A: To reiterate, I think it's extremely important that we continue to work as hard as we possibly can to win in the fall. When Senator Biden spoke at our breakfast, it was so clear to me that we can't afford to lose the opportunity that we have and that this election will impact our society, our country for generations. I wonder what am I going to leave for my son and what is the legacy that we are going to leave for future generations?
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