IT’S CONVENTION TIME!
LOCAL DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION WATCH PARTIES

As the Democratic National Convention convenes in Denver August 25-28, a number of local events are planned to allow Democrats here to participate in the enthusiasm, excitement, and history-making activities of the convention:

Monday, August 25 Theme for the day is “One Nation.” Michelle Obama and Senator Ted Kennedy will address convention.

Tuesday, August 26 Theme for the day is “Renewing America’s Promise.” Senator Hillary Clinton will address convention. Senator Mark Warner will deliver keynote address. Watch proceedings at East End Satellite Office, 201 Broadway, starting at 7:00 o’clock p.m.

Wednesday, August 27 Theme for the day is “Securing America’s Future.” President Bill Clinton and Vice-Presidential Nominee Joe Biden will address convention. Watch proceedings with Spring Branch Democrats at La Fiesta Mexican Restaurant, 11623 Katy Freeway at Kirkwood, starting at 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, August 28 Theme for the day is “Change You Can Believe In.” Senator Barack Obama will receive the party’s nomination for President of the United States and deliver his acceptance speech. Al Gore will also address the convention. Convention watch parties are scheduled for the Renaissance Hotel Ballroom, 6 East Greenway Plaza, Houston, 77046 (click HERE to make reservations) starting at 7:00 o’clock; at the Bay Area New Democrats campaign headquarters, 568 El Dorado, starting at 6:30 p.m.; at Maxwell’s – The Club, 9255 S. Main, Houston 77025, starting at 5:00 p.m.; and in the Cy-Fair Democrats area at the home of Jennifer and Andy Lorenz, 14526 Cypress Falls in Fairwood Subdivision, starting at 7:00 p.m.

You can also follow the convention, including streaming video, online at http://www.demconvention.com.

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IT'S BIDEN!

Democratic presidential nominee Barak Obama has selected Delaware Senator JOE BIDEN to be his vice-presidential running mate.

First elected to the United States Senate in 1972 at the age of 29, Biden serves as the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He is widely respected as a leader on foreign policy and international relationships and is one of the nation’s leading experts on terrorism. He has championed such causes as ending the war in Iraq, preventing genocide in Darfur, and regaining American prestige and status in the world through robust and strengthened diplomacy.

Biden has also served as chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, where he led the fight to keep Robert Bork off the Supreme Court and strongly opposed the confirmation of John Roberts and Samuel Alito. He has been the author of much far-reaching and significant legislation, including the Biden Crime Bill, which put more than 100,000 additional police on the streets, the Violence Against Women Act, corporate corruption bills, and anti-torture legislation.

Married to a teacher, Biden has three children, one of whom currently serves as the Attorney General of Delaware and will be deploying to Iraq in September to serve a tour of duty in the Army National Guard.

Biden was also the keynote speaker at the Harris County Democratic Party’s very first Johnson-Rayburn-Richards dinner in 1980.

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AUCTION ITEMS NEEDED FOR
JOHNSON-RAYBURN-RICHARDS DINNER

Tickets to sporting, entertainment, or cultural events, political memorabilia (especially autographed items), artwork, trips, gift baskets, gift certificates, restaurant certificates, books, jewelry, collector items of all kinds, fashion clothing, and personal services are perennially popular silent auction items. The committee is hard at work seeking to make this year’s auction the most fun and most successful ever, and donations of good items is the key to attaining those objectives.

Please e-mail amiee.turney@earthlink.com with any items you are willing to donate to the auction and arrangements will be made to obtain them. Or just drop them off at the HCDP headquarters (1145 N. Loop W., Suite 110, IH 610 @ Ella Blvd., just east of the I.B.E.W. hall) or at any of the HCDP satellite campaign offices throughout Harris County, or call us at 713-802-0085 to arrange to contribute to this event.

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GENERAL WESLEY CLARK
TO HEADLINE
JOHNSON-RAYBURN-RICHARDS DINNER
(Date Changed To October 4)

General Clark graduated valedictorian of his West Point class and is a former Rhodes Scholar. He spent 34 years in the Army, winning numerous awards and med als, including the Presidential Medal of Honor.

The Johnson-Rayburn-Richards Dinner will be held on Saturday evening, October 4, at the Galleria-Westin Hotel, commencing at 6:00 o’clock p.m. The theme for this year’s event is This Is Our Time. Chris Bell will serve as master of ceremonies, and event chair Herman Litt and his committee have an exciting and energizing evening planned. Click HERE to order tickets online or become a sponsor online, HERE to download a mail-in form to do so, or HERE for more information about the event.

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On Tuesday evening, August 26, Lilly Ledbetter will address the Democratic National Convention in Denver. Last April, we published a story about Ms. Ledbetter on the Harris County Democratic Party website. In honor of her appearance at the convention, we are reprising that article at this time.

WHY JOHN MCCAIN SHOULD NOT BE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES – LILLY LEDBETTER IS ONE GOOD REASON

There are any number of reasons why John McCain should never be president of the United States. Lilly Ledbetter is one of them.

In 1979, Lilly Ledbetter was hired by Goodyear Tire & Rubber, Inc. as a supervisor in its Gadsen, Alabama plant. By the time she retired in 1998, there were 16 supervisors at the plant, but Ledbetter was the only woman. Her salary was the lowest of any of the supervisors – 15% (more than $6,700 per year) lower than the lowest paid male counterpart and 30% (more than $18,000 per year) less than the best paid male supervisor, who was hired at the same time she was.

The reason, the courts found and Goodyear does not contest, why Ledbetter was paid far less than the other supervisors with whom she worked was not that her performance was inferior to her male cohorts – it wasn’t – it was just old-fashioned, straight-forward sex discrimination, plain and simple. The only reason Ledbetter was paid substantially less than similarly situated and equally performing male supervisors was that she was a woman. That’s it.

Continued on Page 2

Archive of Gerry Birnberg's Messages

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