2005 Year End Letter

Democrats for New Politics

P.O.Box 610483

Bayside, New York 11361

___________

Telephone (212) 809-2550

Facsimile (212) 943-0002

                                                                                       February 14, 2006

Dear Members,

Happy New Year! The year 2005 was a pivotal year for Democrats for New Politics (“DNP”) and I want to review the achievements and failures DNP encountered in 2005 and outline our plans for the exciting political year ahead.

DNP had many achievements in 2005. DNP’s membership increased during the year and we added several motivated members that added energy to our membership base. Our name recognition and reputation grew by leaps and bounds in 2005. Our coordination with larger Democratic organizations has made DNP once again known as “The” progressive Democratic club in Northeast Queens. Our work with Democracy for America (“DFA”), which was founded by Howard Dean and is managed by Gov. Dean’s brother Jim, has put DNP on the national stage. Throughout the year DNP co-hosted DFA’s monthly “Link-Up” at the First Edition restaurant in Bayside and helped motivate people to become politically active. DNP’s work with city-wide organizations such as Democracy for New York City and New Democratic Majority has brought city-wide issues to DNP and has brought our local issues to activists throughout the city.

During 2005 DNP helped educate our members and moved many of our members to become active on such issues such as re-districting, the Brennan Center Reforms of Albany, municipal wireless internet, and “New York’s Energy Future.” We launched our website at DemocratsForNewPolitics.com and expanded our use of e-mail for our monthly meeting notices and for other special notices that require faster communication.

DNP was out in the field during 2005. We carried petitions for DNP member Councilman Tony Avella. We also carried petitions for Norman Siegel’s bid for Public Advocate and for Anthony Weiner’s bid for Mayor. We also campaigned for Tony Avella in his successful re-election bid. In addition to campaign related activities, in May we registered new voters at our Voter Registration Drive in Bayside.

However, 2005 was not without failures. While our membership increased, our meeting attendance decreased. I believe this is directly attributable to our failure to find a new meeting place. While the Unitarian Universalist Church of Flushing has been great to us, its out-of-the-way location and lack of parking has hindered many of our members from attending our meetings. As the numbers of members attending our meetings continued to fall, it became obvious that it did not make sense to continue to call meetings at our old location. After an exhaustive search for a new meeting place, DNP is proud to announce that we have found a new home for our meetings! Beginning with our February meeting, DNP will hold its monthly meetings at the Chabad Center of Northeast Queens in Bayside. The Chabad Center is located across from the Bay Terrace Shopping Center at 26-06 213th Street at 26th Avenue. Our first meeting will take place at the Chabad Center’s old building but in the future we will be holding our meetings in the Chabad Center’s recently renovated new building next door.

That brings us to DNP’s plans for this year. This is a very pivotal political year and DNP plans to be very involved at many levels. The congressional mid-year elections at a minimum should bring gains for Democrats in the U.S. House and Senate. In New York State we must ensure that Democrats retain both Senate seats and increase the New York delegation’s Democratic majority in the U.S. House of Representatives. There are several New York congressional seats that are being contested. DNP must work to make certain that Democrats retain the House seats we currently hold and win seats currently held by Republicans. After six years of Republican mismanagement in Washington, it is imperative that we take back the Congress in order to counter the liars and crooks that will inhabit the White House through 2008.

There are also very important state elections in 2006 and DNP plans to be involved. There is a very good chance that all four state-wide elected offices, Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General and Comptroller may be won by Democrats. Democrats already control the Assembly and, given the current backlash against the Republican Party’s mismanagement, lies and scandals, Democrats have a legitimate chance to take control of the Senate and make New York the true “Blue State” that it should be.

Even if there were no elections this year, 2006 should be a year in which we must lend our voices! In a little over five years, George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Tom DeLay, Donald Rumsfeld and the rest of the cast of liars and crooks have set our nation back in many ways. The Bush Administration’s fiscal mismanagement has led to trade deficits and budget deficits that have made our economy a ticking time bomb. Millionaires have been given tax reductions of hundreds of billions of dollars. To pay for those millionaire tax reductions, the Bush Administration has cut money for text books for second grade classes in Queens, has cut student loan funding for the sons and daughters of coal miners in West Virginia and has cut health care for retirees in Florida. All this while Halliburton, Tom Delay, Duke Cunningham and Jack Abramoff offer examples of the culture of corruption of the Republicans that thrive on the backs of the middle-class.

The Bush administration failed to protect us before 9/11 and then started a war based upon lies and deceit so that their cronies could make billions of dollars from U.S. contracts. Nearly 2,300 brave American soldiers have been killed and over 20,000 brave American soldiers have lost limbs or have been seriously injured because of the Bush-Cheney lies. In addition, while the administration was preparing for parades and roses for American forces in Baghdad, they failed to prepare for a deadly insurgency and our soldiers were put in harms way without vital equipment such as body armor. All this while the mastermind of the killing of nearly 3,000 of our friends and neighbors, Osama bin Laden, is still free and sending taunting videotapes to Washington.

Hurricane Katrina once again shed light on the Administration’s incompetence and lack of compassion for ordinary Americans. I lived in New Orleans for five years while getting my M.B.A. and J.D. from Tulane University. It pained me to watch as thousands of Americans, including my friends and former neighbors, were stranded without any assistance from FEMA, the federal agency specifically charged with that task. It was even worse to watch as Bush praised the head of FEMA for “doing a heck of a job.” I was back in New Orleans a couple of weeks ago and unfortunately, six months after the storm, the situation has not gotten much better. This administration is more concerned with rebuilding Baghdad that rebuilding New Orleans.

Of course I would be remise not to mention the despicable and illegal domestic spying on U.S citizens that the Administration that continues today. The Adminisrtation wants us to believe that we must choose between being safe and being free. It is imperative that we stand up for our civil rights…and stand up for the integrity of our great nation!

During 2006 DNP will continue to play an important role in local, city-wide, state-wide and national politics. We will endorse candidates that reflect our beliefs and values. We will work to elect our endorsed candidates. In addition, we will continue to educate our members on various issues, meet with elected officials and candidates and work to make an positive contribution to our community.

I recently attended the off-Broadway play RFK: The Play. The play uses many of Robert F. Kennedy’s own speeches to depict the era and Kennedy’s championing of the civil rights movement and his opposition to the Vietnam War. In 1968, Kennedy campaigned for an orderly six month troop withdrawal from Vietnam. Had Kennedy’s plan been followed, over 30,000 American lives would not have been lost. At one point Kennedy declared, “It’s 1968 and we need ‘new politics’…” Of course Democrats for New Politics was established in 1968! I believe the parallels between Vietnam and Iraq compel us to declare, “It’s 2006 and we need ‘New Politics’.”

Finally, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the fact that Eugene McCarthy passed away in December. Senator McCarthy was an ardent opponent of the Vietnam War and his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1968 led many of DNP’s founding members to become activists. Closer to home, in 2005 DNP lost two long time friends and members. Bill Mordhorst and Frank Cassell passed away last year. Bill and Frank were both long-time DNP member. Their respective contributions to DNP are not measurable and DNP will greatly miss their presence and spirit.

I thank you for your past support of DNP and I ask for your additional support in 2006. I hope to see you at our next meeting on February 22nd at 8 p.m. at the Chabad of Northeast Queens.

                                                                                    Sincerely,

                                                                                    Steven Anthony Behar
                                                                                    President

March 2006 Letter

Democrats for New Politics

P.O.Box 610483

Bayside, New York 11361

___________

Telephone (212) 809-2550

Facsimile (212) 943-0002

                                                                                        March 15, 2006

Dear Members and Friends,

Where do you start when it comes to the lies and crimes of George W. Bush? For now let’s focus on the Bush administration’s illegal spying on American citizens. Shortly after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Bush authorized the National Security Agency to eavesdrop on American citizens suspected of communicating with al Qaeda members overseas -- without obtaining a warrant from a special court established just for such surveillance. The special court was established by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978. Bush has claimed that he does not have to abide by the FISA law because his authority as Commander in Chief and a September 2001 congressional authorization to use force in the fight against terrorism gave him the power to authorize the surveillance of American citizens. In other words, the Bush Administration’s answer to claims they have broken the law is, “Laws?…we don’t need no stinking laws!”

Sen. Russell Feingold (D-Wis.), the only Senator to vote against the USA Patriot Act in 2001, has proposed a resolution in the Senate to censure President Bush for authorizing the illegal domestic spying, declaring the White House misled Americans about its legality. "The president has broken the law, and, in some way, he must be held accountable," Senator Feingold said.

Senator Feingold’s resolution declares:

Resolved, That the United States Senate does hereby censure George W. Bush, President of the United States, and does condemn his unlawful authorization of wiretaps of Americans within the United States without obtaining the court orders required by the Foreign Intelligence surveillance Act of 1978, his failure to inform the full congressional intelligence committees as required by law, and his efforts to mislead the American people about the authorities relied upon by his Administration to conduct wiretaps and about the legality of the program.

Unfortunately Senator Feingold’s resolution has not received much support from Senate DEMOCRATS! This is just another example of our spineless, backbone-less Democratic Party. There seems to be a worry among Senate Democrats that scolding the President may lead to a backlash similar to the one felt by Republicans after their impeachment of Bill Clinton for lying about having an extra-marital affair. Unlike lying about an extra-marital affair, spying on American citizens without approval of the FISA court is illegal and flies in the face of our Constitution. It seems to also be a high Crime and Misdemeanor…but let’s leave that for after the Democratic gains in the upcoming November elections!

Us Democrats must now prove that we can have a backbone. I believe it is time to get tough with this dirty administration and to show that we Democrats can be tough. I believe it is time to get behind Senator Feingold and support his resolution. I believe it is time to make it known to our congressional delegation, including Senator Clinton and Senator Schumer, that we support Senator Feingold’s resolution. I believe it is time to say “WE HAVE HAD ENOUGH!”

                                                                                    Sincerely,

                                                                                    Steven Anthony Behar
                                                                                    President

April 2006 Letter

Democrats for New Politics

P.O.Box 610483

Bayside, New York 11361

___________

Telephone (212) 809-2550

Facsimile (212) 943-0002

                                                                                        April 19, 2006

Dear Members and Friends,

This month Morshed Alam, candidate for Assembly District 25, will be our guest speaker at the Democrats for New Politics April Meeting. I think Morshed’s visit to our organization is an appropriate time to discuss the Republicans’ recent attack on immigration.

I believe the recent attacks on immigration and immigrants by the far-right is simply a cover for the intolerant racist beliefs that underlie the far-right Republican agenda. After George W. Bush failed to protect us from the 9/11 attacks, the Republicans have used 9/11 as an excuse for everything from tax cuts for the rich, an attack of a country that had nothing to do with the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and racist attacks on immigrants that may have a darker skin color.

Morshed Alam came to this country in 1984 and, as his biography in the attached Meeting Notice shows, has been an upstanding and active member of our community. All four of my grandparents were immigrants to this country. Our great nation was built by immigrants. Unfortunately, the racist-right does not like the fact that most of the immigrants to the U.S. today look different from their own immigrant forbearers. During the Civil Rights Movement during the 1950’s and 1960’s, most racists were open about their beliefs. George Wallace, Strum Thurman, Herman Talmadge, Orval E. Faubus and Trent Lott were able to openly articulate their racist beliefs. Due to the successes of the Civil Rights Movement, it is no longer viable to be openly racist in today’s society without being ostracized. Therfore, the far-right racists must now continue their racist beliefs covertly. Ronald Reagan magnificently followed this strategy and coddled the Republican racists by opening his 1980 presidential campaign in Philadelphia, Mississippi and spoke about “states rights.” Philadelphia, Mississippi just happened to be the place where three civil rights workers — Andrew Goodman, Michael Schwerner and James Chaney — were murdered in 1964. And “states-rights” has become a codeword for segregation.

It seems funny to me that the racist right is focusing on our border with Mexico. In 1999, a terrorist was stopped at the US-Canada border. He was planning a “Millennium” bombing at the Los Angeles International Airport and was stopped and arrested trying to bring a bomb into the country at a border crossing in the State of Washington. Several of the 9/11 hijackers came into the US via the Canadian border. Not one crossed through the Mexican border. Yet all the racists talk about is the US-Mexican border and there are now a bunch of gun-toting knuckleheads calling themselves “minutemen” along the southern border. Yet, there is barely a mention of our northern border. Do you have to really ask yourself why?

Now I’m not saying that we shouldn’t make our borders more secure. However, that doesn’t solve the problem of the person working in your local restaurant, or the woman who takes care of your kids, or the grandmother and mother of two generations of American citizens who came here without proper documentation forty years ago. The racists would put the restaurant worker, your nanny and the granny in jail and then deport them…even though they have all become productive members of US society. And America was built by the contributions of immigrants past and present. There are approximately 12 million undocumented aliens residing in the US. Do they really think we can round them up, put them in jail and then ship them back to the countries they came from?

The recent demonstrations against the racists may have awoken a sleeping giant in this country. Kids in Los Angeles, that were mostly US citizens born in this country, took to the streets. The scene was repeated across the nation. I am sure these protests will continue and grow. We need a solution that strengthens our borders for our safety and provides a practical solution for the 12 million undocumented aliens currently living in the US. Whatever we do, however, we must call the racists to task and not let them hide their racist beliefs under the cover of “national security” and 9/11.

                                                                                        Sincerely,

                                                                                        Steven Anthony Behar
                                                                                        President

May 2006 Letter

Democrats for New Politics

P.O.Box 610483

Bayside, New York 11361

___________

Telephone (212) 809-2550

Facsimile (212) 943-0002

                                                                                            May 19, 2006

Dear Members and Friends,

It’s that time of year again! Early in June elected officials and would-be elected officials will be asking for your signatures so that they may appear on the ballot in the upcoming elections. Wednesday night Democrats for New Politics will once again vote on our endorsements for the upcoming primary season.

Making endorsements is a vital component of DNP’s existence. Not only does DNP use its endorsements to put the world on notice of the candidates we support, but it also affords us the opportunity to carry petitions for the candidates we endorse. In addition, DNP will campaign for the candidates we endorse. Each candidate that receives DNP’s endorsement will be notified of the endorsement and offered DNP’s assistance.

I believe it is important that DNP do more than just make endorsements. Since I have been President of DNP, I have strived to get DNP out into the fray. It is important for us to be an active organization. There are many political organizations out there that simply have monthly meetings where the members hear speakers, have a cup of coffee and go home and wait for the next meeting. That may be fine for some organizations, but DNP is and will remain an activist organization.

This year is an important election year. New York has a U.S. Senate election. All three state-wide offices are in play and there is a very good chance that all three state-wide offices may be go Democratic. All U.S. House of Representative seats will voted upon. All New York State Assembly seats will be voted upon. In addition, all New York State Senate seats will be voted upon and New York’s Democrats have a legitimate chance to win back the Senate for the first time in decades. Though it all, DNP will be there, DNP will be active and DNP will make a difference.

                                                                                Sincerely,

                                                                                Steven Anthony Behar
                                                                                President

July 2006 Letter

DEMOCRATS FOR NEW POLITICS

P.O. BOX 610483

BAYSIDE, NEW YORK 11361

___________

TELEPHONE (212) 809-2550

FACSIMILE (212) 943-0002

                                                                                        July 20, 2006

Dear Members and Friends,

THROW THE BUMS OUT!!! Republicans…Yes! Democrats…Yes!? Ok, Ok not all of them. Democrats need to push as hard as we can to take back the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives and the New York State Senate. We also need to push as hard as we can to ensure that New York becomes the “True Blue” state it should be and elect Democrats to all three state-wide elected offices. However, it’s also time that Democrats ELECT DEMOCRATS THAT ARE REAL DEMOCRATS!

This morning the latest Quinnipiac University poll showed Ned Lamont leading Joe Lieberman 51-47% in the race for the U.S. Senate seat in Connecticut. Ned Lamont is a progressive Democrat who stands up for progressive values. Lamont has been endorsed by many progressive groups such as Democracy for America and the liberal blog The Daily Kos. On the other hand, Joe Lieberman, the former Democratic Vice-Presidential candidate, has become George W. Bush’s favorite Democrat! Lieberman is pro-Iraq war and has refused to stand by the Senate Democrats as when they have taken on Bush’s disastrous policies. Lieberman is a Democrat in name only. Lieberman has shown that he has more in common with George W. Bush than he has with his own party. It’s time for Lieberman, and others like him, to go!

This is not a phenomenon specific to the Constitution State. This is happening across the country…and it’s about time. While it’s important to elect Democrats, it’s also important to elect real Democrats! The fact that Joe Lieberman, a three-term Senator, is talking about what he’s going to do if he loses the August primary illustrates that he knows he’s in trouble. The message we need to send to Democrats is clear, “You’re either with us or you’re against us.”

                                                                                Sincerely,

                                                                                Steven Anthony Behar
                                                                                President

September 2006 Letter

DEMOCRATS FOR NEW POLITICS

P.O. BOX 610483

BAYSIDE, NEW YORK 11361

___________

TELEPHONE (212) 809-2550

FACSIMILE (212) 943-0002

                                                                                  September 21, 2006

Dear Members and Friends,

TAKE IT BACK!!! I remember the night of the presidential election. I was with a bunch of fellow Democrats and everyone was dejected. It was like a funeral! Knowing history, I told all who would listen that these things happen but the pendulum will swing back our way. No I’m not talking about the year 2004…or even the year 2000. This was 1984 and Reagan had just crushed Walter Mondale to get re-elected to a second term. Things looked dim for us Democrats!

After 1984, it took eight years and huge budget deficits, a terrible recession, more poverty, an assault on the environment and an assault on our nation’s progress on civil rights before we were able to move our nation in the right direction. Today, after six years of an economy built upon mind-blowing federal debt, more assaults on the poor and the middle-class, tax cuts for the rich, tax cuts for oil companies, $3.00 a gallon gas, more assaults on our environment, no support for our public schools and lies and deceit that have led to our nation’s minimized status in the world and to over 20,000 wounded and nearly 2,700 dead American military personnel, as we approach the 2006 mid-term elections, we have an opportunity to take back our country and get it back on the right track.

In order to take back our nation, we need to re-take both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives as well as the New York State Senate. DNP is committed to helping to take back our nation and to that end we have been, and will continue through the November election, to take our Campaign Car Pool to various Congressional and State Senate candidates’ districts and lend our support through getting feet on the ground. If you can, please join us! I’ve attached the flyers for our next two trips including our weekend trip to New York’s 29th Congressional District in western New York. I HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!

                                                                                    Sincerely,

                                                                                    Steven Anthony Behar  
                                                                                    President

October 2006 Letter