Florida Keys Democrats

STAND UP WITH OUR PRESIDENT

President Barack Obama:

Today, I was asked a direct question and gave a direct answer:

I believe that same-sex couples should be allowed to marry.

I hope you'll take a moment to watch the conversation, consider it, and weigh in yourself on behalf of marriage equality:

http://my.barackobama.com/Marriage

I've always believed that gay and lesbian Americans should be treated fairly and equally. I was reluctant to use the term marriage because of the very powerful traditions it evokes. And I thought civil union laws that conferred legal rights upon gay and lesbian couples were a solution.

But over the course of several years I've talked to friends and family about this. I've thought about members of my staff in long-term, committed, same-sex relationships who are raising kids together. Through our efforts to end the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, I've gotten to know some of the gay and lesbian troops who are serving our country with honor and distinction.

What I've come to realize is that for loving, same-sex couples, the denial of marriage equality means that, in their eyes and the eyes of their children, they are still considered less than full citizens.

Even at my own dinner table, when I look at Sasha and Malia, who have friends whose parents are same-sex couples, I know it wouldn't dawn on them that their friends' parents should be treated differently.

So I decided it was time to affirm my personal belief that same-sex couples should be allowed to marry. I respect the beliefs of others, and the right of religious institutions to act in accordance with their own doctrines. But I believe that in the eyes of the law, all Americans should be treated equally. And where states enact same-sex marriage, no federal act should invalidate them.

If you agree, you can stand up with me here.

Thank you, Barack

FLORIDA KEYS DEMOCRATS
Key West Campaign Headquarters
1107 Truman Ave, Key West

OFFICE HOURS
WEDNESDAY 5:30 - 7:30 PM
THURSDAY 5:30 - 7:30 PM
SATURDAY 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
SUNDAY 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Come by with your camera and have your photo taken with Barack and Michelle Obama! (Their life-size cutouts that is!!) For more information: floridakeysdemocrats@gmail.com - or - 305-741-3244

IN MAY

COME JOIN US ON SATURDAY
MAY 26TH FROM 5:30-7:30PM
DEMOCRATS’ HAPPY HOUR FUNDRAISER
at Sue Sullivan's Home
1210 Watson St, Key West

A $25.00 CONTRIBUTION TO THE FLORIDA KEYS DEMOCRATS WILL GET YOU MARDI GRAS NIBBLES & A HURRICANE (or wine/beer) - SEE YOU THERE!

You can make your contribution by Credit Card by clicking HERE.

Or if you plan on paying by check or cash at the event please RSVP floridakeysdemocrats@gmail.org or leave a message at 305-741-3244

Please make checks payable to: Monroe County Democratic Executive Committee

DEMOCRATS
SAY OLÉ!

COME JOIN US ON WEDNESDAY
MAY 30th FROM 6:00 - 8:00PM
DEMOCRATS’ HAPPY HOUR FUNDRAISER
AT Dr. Debra Walker's Home
68 Bahama Avenue, Key Largo.

A campaign fundraiser is scheduled for Wednesday, May 30th, 6-8PM at the home of Dr. Debra Walker, a $25 per person contribution to the Florida Keys Democrats is recommended. Come by and enjoy Mexican themed tapas (hors d'oeuvres), beer and sodas!

You can make your contribution by Credit Card by clicking HERE.

Or if you plan on paying by check or cash at the event please RSVP floridakeysdemocrats@gmail.org or leave a message at 305-741-3244

Please make checks payable to: Monroe County Democratic Executive Committee

SAVE THE DATE!

FLORIDA KEYS DEMOCRATS

GLBT COMMITTEE

PRE-PRIDE BASH AT PEARL'S !

Pearl's Guesthouse - 525 United St, Key West

COME JOIN US ON THURSDAY

MAY 31st FROM 6:00 - 8:00PM

FOR A CELEBRATION OF FREEDOM | CHOICE| EQUALITY

Everyone is welcome to this fun event - No speeches!

A suggested contribution of $20.00 will support our 2012 Get Out The Vote campaign!

SUPPORT THE PARTY

THAT SUPPORTS YOU

VOTE DEMOCRATIC

CANDIDATE CORNER
(Events Submitted by Democratic Candidates Running For Office in 2012)

PLEASE NOTE: Events listed here are for informational purposes only and are not meant to imply any endorsement by the Monroe County Democratic Executive Committee unless explicitly stated.

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Steve Smith - Mosquito Control Board District 3 Candidate

Campaign Kickoff Party

Where: The Gardens Hotel, 526 Angela Street, Key West
When: Friday, May 25th 5:30 - 7:30pm
For Information contact: Steve Smith

••••••••••••••

Tom Peteck - Candidate for Monroe County Sheriff

Campaign Party

Where: Mile Marker 88 Restaurant, 88000 Overseas Highway, Islamorada
When: Wednesday, May 30th 6:30 - 8:30pm
For Information contact: Tom Peteck

••••••••••••••

Tom Peteck - Candidate for Monroe County Sheriff

Campaign Party

Where: Boondocks, 27205 Overseas Highway Ramrod Key MM 27.5 Bayside
When: Thursday, May 31st 6 - 8pm
For Information contact: Tom Peteck

THE TIME IS NOW - WE NEED VOLUNTEERS!

One of the most important tools that we will need going for us in 2012 is a strong "VOTE BY MAIL" turnout!

At this time the Republican campaign on getting 2012 Absentee Ballots is leading us by a 3 to 1 margin! WE CAN DO BETTER!

You can help us get a head start on the election!
You can now vote from home by mail!
You don't need to be out of town either - using an Absentee Ballot to Vote by Mail from your home is now available to any registered voter in Monroe County for any election!

If you are a qualified registered voter in Monroe County you are entitled to vote by absentee ballot. If you request an absentee ballot right now you can ask to have it sent to you for all of the elections through November 2014 - how convenient is that!

Check out this advice from Joyce Griffin, Monroe County Assistant Supervisor of Elections. Joyce has just setup an online request form that you can use to submit your request to have an absentee ballot sent directly to your home:
"Vote by mail ballot requests are being accepted now. Time does get away from us, meetings last longer, traffic gets busier, and you just don't know what is going to happen. We can take a request that will last through November 2014. We can accept the request by phone, mail, fax, or email. For a request to be complete we need the voter’s name, address, date of birth, where to send the ballot and for which elections a ballot is needed. If the request is in writing, we need the voter's signature. You can also request a vote by mail ballot by going to our website."

Primary Election: August 14, 2012
With books closing for new registration and party changes on July 16, 2012
General Elections: November 6, 2012
With Books closing for new registration on October 9, 2012
If you have any questions please call the Supervisor of Elections office at:
(305) Key West 292-3416 Marathon 289-6017 Key Largo 453-8740

Start now to help us get President Barack Obama re-elected to finish the CHANGE that we all voted for in 2008! Help us re-elect Senator Bill Nelson so that Democrats can retain control of the Senate. The winners of this election will determine the make-up of the Supreme Court for decades to come.

In January we will start our campaign of fundraisers, rallies, and candidate events focused on getting Democrats elected county-wide and turning Monroe County solid BLUE for President Barack Obama!

Accomplishing all of this will take a lot of work and we really need a lot of people to join us on this critically important election - re-electing our President, keeping control of the Senate, and taking back the House!!!.

• On average, in Precincts that have a committed Precinct Committee and neighborhood volunteer team the turnout may increase our vote as much as 6 points on election day. Given our political demographics that will almost surely help us win by itself! Over the next few weeks many of you who have either shown your interest in helping us by volunteering or making a contribution will get an invitation to take on an important role in 2012. Please follow-up and join our team to make certain that we succeed! If somehow we missed asking you to work with us please let us know and we will get you helping in whatever way that you can!

• In the last session of the Republican led legislature Florida passed a host of rules and laws, and signed by Governor Rick Scott, designed for no other reason but to suppress Democratic voter turnout. Many of these new laws have shut down or substantially impeded voter registration drives. These new restrictions often have hidden costs for voter registration drives. Many groups are simply unable to comply with the new laws without abandoning or cutting back on their voter registration efforts. These groups review forms for completeness and accuracy. They monitor their volunteers and follow up with voters if they need more information, and with elections officials to guarantee that voters get on the rolls. Tight deadlines can stop this review process, and even a longer deadline is a problem when it is enforced with heavy penalties. For instance, the League of Women Voters of Florida had to shut down operations rather than risk that state’s fine scheme: just 14 forms lost in a hurricane or car accident could have bankrupted the organization.

We will not be intimidated by these onerous new Republican laws - we will register voters - and we will comply with these laws until the Justice Department determines them to be Unconstitutional!

We have a strategy in place to protect the Florida Keys Democrats and our volunteers who will work to register new voters even in the face of this Republican attempt at intimidation! If you can commit to helping us accomplish this task we will train you and get you certified under the new laws without personal risk. To make this happen we need serious, dedicated, detail-oriented volunteers - won't you step up to this important challenge?

• All of this effort will cost money. Again, an invitation will be made to the many individuals who have generously contributed to support the work of the Florida Keys Democrats. Thank you for everything that you have done - so far! We need you now more than ever. You will be so important in sponsoring our many events, in fact without you we won't be able to achieve our goals!

Please say that you will be there for us - this election is just too important to reduce your commitment or to sit it out!

Along with major donors and event sponsors we look forward to a host of smaller ticket fundraisers - Rick Boettger and Cynthia Edwards recently hosted a Fundraising BBQ at their home and raised nearly $2,500 for the Democratic cause. You can help us at any level, making a personal contribution, hosting a fundraiser at your home, chairing or sponsoring one of our major events - all of your efforts will contribute to our march to victory in 2012!

Please contact me with any great ideas, questions, or special offers of support at any time.

The Monroe County Democratic Executive Committee (DEC) has reorganized itself to create three Regional Committees in the Lower, Middle, and Upper Keys to provide on the ground support for election campaigns and Get Out The Vote efforts at the local level in each of these distinct communities.

This action creates a strong and unified organization across Monroe County as we prepare for the upcoming elections this year and especially in 2012. The Regional Committees will consist of all currently elected and appointed DEC members and Democratic officeholders as well as all Associate Members from that region.

2012 will be a pivotal election nationally and we have an important role to play in that contest. The most important of course is the re-election of President Barack Obama! On the state level Senator Bill Nelson will be met with a strong challenger funded with enormous resources.

While we are a small county every vote counts in this Democracy and our votes are as important as anyone’s vote in Miami or Palm Beach. We must Get Out The Vote in 2012 to help keep the White House and U.S. Senate in Democratic control.

In addition to those important races we also need to re-elect our State Representative Ron Saunders so that he can continue doing his best to hold at bay any of the excesses of the Republican dominated state legislature.

Added to that our State Senator and all of the Monroe County Constitutional Officers are also up for election along with several City, County, School Board and other commission seats – we will really have our hands full in 2012. I should note that along the way we will also need to marshal critical support for our local candidates in 2011 in the Key West and Marathon City Commission races as well as the Key West Utility Board.

Nothing on our agenda will happen without money. Fundraising starting NOW is critical. Along with the races for the Presidency, U.S. Senate and Florida State Representative in 2012 we will have another 15 – 20 very important local races that immediately affect our way of life. It will be an enormous challenge for us to be able to provide GOTV and financial support for all of these candidates.

Just think, for the price of one lunch per month, you can help us protect our Democratic values in 2012.

Here's how it works, click on Contribute, enter your credit card information and we'll bill your credit card now for $20.12 each month, for 11 months, until the 2012 elections.

Or you can change the amount to be as little as $5, $10, $25, or even more, and then select "Each Month" and for the next 6, 10, 12, 18 or even 24 months – we'll charge whatever you decide you can afford to give. You can help us buy training materials, organizing supplies, train better candidates, and build all of the community organizing structure that we will need to get out the vote.

Even a $5 a month recurring donation will make a big difference to us! . . . or you can make a much appreciated one-time contribution as well!

The Monroe County Democratic Executive Committee is proud of the work that we did in the Florida Keys to elect Democrats in 2010: by sending out over 10,000 pieces of mail we increased absentee ballot requests by over 10%, we also completed almost 5,000 phone calls and went to over 4,000 doors reminding people to vote, and we gave a final push with a targeted robocall to over 8,500 voters in Monroe County on the morning of election day!

All of this work is done by by volunteers, but opening and operating an office isn't cheap: rent, phone lines, office supplies, refreshments, literature, buttons--it all adds up. Helping to fund Democratic candidates and bring their message to the community also needs critical funding.

The Monroe County Democratic Executive Committee relies exclusively on funds from individuals like you to pay for the bulk of the costs of our GET OUT THE VOTE efforts as well as for our work in supporting candidates.

The principles and ideals of the Democratic Party include the right of all people to have freedom of expression, religion and the pursuit of happiness as well as a quality education, a clean and safe environment, a secure and healthy future, a fair living wage, secure retirement, equal opportunity, and access to quality health care. This is what we are fighting for as Democrats – won’t you please consider taking an active role in the Monroe County Democratic Party and help us pursue these goals with your contribution today?

Please help the Democrats win in 2012. The most effective dollars are those that are contributed in the initial phase of the election cycle. Early money gets the ball rolling and will help determine the perceived viability of the Democratic Party in Monroe County. This will create the momentum we need in order to be successful in November 2012. Please help us win with your important contribution!

To build the necessary foundation today to win this year in November we need to build a base of regular, monthly donors to sustain our critical voter contact operations through 2011 and on towards the 2012 elections.

Phil Schaeffer, Chair
Monroe County Democratic Executive Committee
keywestphil@gmail.com

Like all presidents, Barack Obama has made mistakes. But, as a presidential historian, I have been struck by claims being put forward by Obama’s many critics and the news media that he has accomplished little when, in fact, his presidency is easily one of the most active in history.

Moreover, the President has faced venomous incivility and relentless opposition unlike anything in recent memory. As such, with all the misinformation circulating on talk radio, at town hall meetings, and in the blogosphere about the President, here is a fact-checked list of some of President Obama’s initiatives.

Robert P. Watson, Ph.D.
Lynn University
09/11/10 (update to my 07/21/09 list)