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Woman's Suburban 
Democratic Club
of Montgomery County, Maryland
January Newsletter - Volume 2, Issue 4
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 UPCOMING WSDC EVENTS:
Mark your calendars now for these upcoming events. For more information on locations and registration, watch for future e-mails and daisy cards - or visit our website at www.mcWSDC.org.
Saturday, February 4
District 14 House Party with District 14 Democratic Club and Obama for America
2:30 - 4 p.m.
Home of Carmela Cowgill
14309 Shoreham Drive, Silver Spring
If you're a District 14 resident who's planning to hit the pavement for Obama-Biden, you won't want to miss this opportunity to hear first-hand from Obama organizers about how you can help. Meet with your fellow WSDC members - and don't forget to bring your friends. To RSVP, contact Carmela Cowgill at 301-989-9151 or cacowgill@yahoo.com.
Thursday, February 9 Happy Hour  5:30-7 p.m. Redwood Restaurant and Bar, 7121 Bethesda Lane, Bethesda Want to meet new people to discuss politics with? Join us at the next WSDC Happy Hour. Every second Thursday of each month, Democrats who are passionate about politics gather to relax and network with WSDC members and their guests. Whether you want to meet elected officials, make new friends, form new business contacts or just have fun, the WSDC Happy Hour is the perfect place to meet and greet fellow Democrats. Friday, February 10 Luncheon with Dee Dee Myers 12 noon Courtyard Marriott, 5520 Wisconsin Avenue, Chevy Chase Cost: $23 members; $28 non-members "Election 2012: The Politics, Personalities and Possibilities of the Presidential Campaign". Dee Dee will talk about the current state of play, as the race for the White House heats up. Who is the likely GOP nominee, and what are his strengths and weaknesses? How is President Obama's campaign trying to position him for a second term? What is the mood of the country and which issues will be the decisive ones in November? To RSVP, send check, payable to WSDC, to Judith Heimann, 6900 Marbury Road, Bethesda, MD 20817 or go online to www.mcWSDC.org by Wednesday, February 8 at noon.
Thursday, February 23
"Reclaiming Young Lives: A Briefing on Juvenile Justice Practices in Montgomery County 10:30 a.m. - 12 noon The Jane E. Lawton Community Center, 4301 Willow Lane, Chevy Chase Maryland has long been a leader in dealing with the challenges faced by at-risk and troubled youth. Over the years, services have evolved from basic detention and guardianship to wide-ranging programs that address problems such as substance abuse, truancy and crime. The focus, in Montgomery County as well as throughout the state, is on restitution and rehabilitation - providing young people with opportunities to turn their lives around and contribute to their communities. Don't miss this fascinating overview of how Montgomery County is getting that important job done. To RSVP, contact Lucy Freeman at 301-654-8115 or dorset4708@yahoo.com. Thursday, March 1 District 20 House Party with the Greater Silver Spring Democratic Club and Obama for America 7 - 8:30 p.m. Home of Jean Bailey 517 Ellsworth Drive, Silver Spring If you're a District 20 resident who's planning to hit the pavement for Obama-Biden, you won't want to miss this opportunity to hear first-hand from Obama organizers about how you can help. Meet with your fellow WSDC members - and don't forget to bring your friends. To RSVP, contact Jean Bailey at 202-421-5552 or jeanbaileyphd@aol.com. |
UPCOMING OBAMA CAMPAIGN EVENTS
Obama 2012 HQ 3750 University Boulevard West, Kensington 
Ongoing: Re-engaging Past Volunteers On Wednesday evenings and Saturdays, the campaign is reaching out to engage thousands of volunteers from the 2008 campaign and following up with folks who contacted them online. Come to campaign headquarters to experience the energy and enthusiasm by making calls with the team! Give an hour or two and click on one of the links below to RSVP for:
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NEWS FROM THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY DEMOCRATIC CENTRAL COMMITTEE Early Voting Volunteers Needed The MCDCC needs volunteers to help staff early voting polling sites, give voters rides to polling places and serve as poll watchers. Volunteers are needed for two-hour shifts between 10 a. m. and 8 p.m. on Saturday, March 24, Sunday, March 25 (noon to 6 p.m.), Monday, March 26, Tuesday, March 27, Wednesday, March 28, Thursday, March 29. Early voting locations: - Bauer Drive Community Recreation Center, 14625 Bauer Drive, Aspen Hill
- Germantown Recreation Center, 18905 Kingsview Road, Germantown
- Marilyn Praisner Community Recreation Center, 14906 Old Columbia Pike, Burtonsville
- Montgomery County Executive Office Building, 101 Monroe Street, Rockville
- Silver Spring Civic Center, 8525 Fenton Street, Silver Spring
Please contact Jonathan Prutow (jonathan.prutow@gmail.com) to volunteer. They will need your desired date, time and location. The Annual Democratic County Brunch Sunday, March 4 Doors open at 12:30 p.m. Bethesda North Marriott Hotel and Conference Center 5701 Marinelli Road, Rockville Join WSDC members and other Democrats at this annual event. WSDC will be putting together tables and we encourage you to attend. If you would like to sit with us, please send an e-mail to wsdc44@gmail.com. Bronze cube tickets are $50 ($60 at the door); silver circle tickets are $150 each and gold Ellipse tickets are $250 for 2 tickets. To purchase tickets, go to www.mcdcc.org and look for the link on the home page. |
GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING TO VOTE ON PROPOSED NAME CHANGE
The general membership meeting scheduled for Saturday, January 21 had to be postponed because of inclement weather. We will let you know as soon as a new date has been determined.
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CONGRESSMAN CHRIS VAN HOLLEN LAYS OUT ISSUES FOR DEMOCRATS IN 2012 ELECTION AT 21 JANUARY LUNCHEON By Bonnie Wicklund
 Introduced by WSDC president Jane Merkin as the ranking Democrat on the U. S. House Budget Committee, and "a leading voice on fiscal matters," Congressman Van Hollen gave a rousing speech to over 100 members who had braved the cold and snow to hear about the issues in this year's election
The fragile state of the economy will, of course, be on the minds of voters next November, he began, but President Obama "has a good story to tell." When he came to office the country's economy was in free fall, losing 5-6% of GDP. 800,000 jobs were lost in his first month in office. The immediate passage of the Economic Recovery Act--the stimulus bill--halted the free fall, and, according to the independent, nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, prevented the financial crisis from getting even worse. Unfortunately, the Administration "heightened expectations" for a speedy recovery, predicting that the unemployment rate would fall to 8%; instead, the benefits of the stimulus ran out after two years, and the jobless rate climbed even higher.
What has changed since then? First, the economy is now improving steadily, with consistent job growth for the past several months. The second factor working in favor of the Democrats, he said, is that the "American people have gotten a taste of what the Republicans have to offer," specifically their refusal to compromise in any way. A turning point in people's perceptions came last August, when some House Republicans were willing to allow a default on the U.S. Government debt to satisfy tea party supporters. It was apparent that the Republican leadership was not in control; "the tail was wagging the elephant!"
In September President Obama laid out a plan to help create jobs at a joint session of Congress. For immediate relief, he requested extending unemployment benefits and the payroll tax reduction, but the Republicans demanded offsetting spending cuts, and in the end only agreed to a two-month extension, so this issue will have to be reengaged at the end of February. For the longer term, the President asked for $50 billion for rebuilding and expanding infrastructure--fixing crumbling roads and bridges, and investing in transportation, broadband and renewable energy. Although the President's plan would provide much needed jobs and provide the basis for future economic growth, Congress has not taken up any of the President's agenda.
The election will not just be about immediate economic concerns, but about the role of government in American life, as President Obama talked about in the "Teddy Roosevelt speech" in Kansas.
Congressman Van Hollen said that American citizens must choose between two different visions: the old trickle-down economics and shredded safety net of the Republicans; or the President's bold vision for investing in the country's future, with government actively supporting the interests of the middle class and of those least able to help themselves. We will be asking voters to consider "Who is on your side?"
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GENERAL ASSEMBLY NEWS
During the 2012 session of the General Assembly you will be receiving legislative updates. We also encourage you to check our website ( www.mcWSDC.org) for the most current information on what's happening as well as advocacy events that may be of interest.
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"ARE YOU 'IN'?" HOUSE PARTIES Working with Obama for America (OFA), we have scheduled the final four house parties of the 2012 campaign. (See dates and locations for the District 14 and District 20 parties in February and March, respectively, under "Upcoming WSDC Events.") These parties will help our members - but especially those who can't often attend our daytime events - to get to know each other in an informal and fun setting. The parties also will give us the chance to learn more about OFA's campaign plans and what we can do to help re-elect Obama-Biden. The District 19 and District 39 house parties will be held in April and May. Please go to www.mcWSDC.org for additional details.
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POLITICAL BOOK CLUB - FEBRUARY
The February 16 selection is Colonel Roosevelt, the third and concluding volume of Edmund Morris' life of the 26th president.
The book club meets the third Wednesday of every other month, 10:30 a.m. at members' homes. A facilitator leads the discussion for each book. Want to join the conversation? New members are always welcome. Contact Estelle Stone at estelles@webtv.net.
If you're interested in seeing what other books have been discussed, please go to www.mcWSDC.org and click on Political Book Club.
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| SUGGESTION BOX
Do you have ideas for future programs? Do you know someone who would be a great speaker at a future WSDC event? Or would you just like to get more involved with the overall work of the Club? If so, please send an e-mail to wsdc44@gmail.com or visit www.mcWSDC.org and click on "Volunteer" to complete the "It Takes a Village" volunteer form.
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EVENT CANCELLATION POLICY
We have found out, once again, how difficult it is to predict the weather. The weather forecast for Saturday, January 21 was in constant flux that made it impossible for us to make a decision as to whether or not we should hold our events until that morning.
In case of a cancellation in the future, we will follow the same procedures we did on Saturday: we posted a notice on our website (www.mcWSDC.org); an e-mail was sent to our members; and we telephoned those who had RSVPed for the luncheon. Therefore, if you are planning to attend an event, it is more important than ever that you register in advance so that we can contact you directly if the need arises.
Keeping members better informed, better connected and more politically effective since 1957
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Woman's Suburban Democratic Club
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Woman's Suburban Democratic Club
Sybil Cantor
Email Coordinator | |
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