A daily series, Connect! Unite! Act! seeks to create face-to-face networks in each congressional district. Groups regularly socialize but also get out the vote, support candidates and engage in other local political actions that help our progressive movement grow and exert influence on the powers-that-be. Visit us at Daily Kos every morning at 7:30 A.M. Pacific Time to see how you can get involved. The comment thread is fun and light-hearted, but we're serious about moving the progressive political agenda forward.
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The orange pinpoints are the location of each organized group of Daily Kos readers.
If you'd like to join a group, click on a point and a box will pop up showing contact links.
If you'd like to start a group, contact navajo for instructions.
View Interactive Map of Daily Kos Regional Communities in a full screen version.
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Do You Deserve Bad Government ?
This is something I've been hearing for years. The subject of politics comes up, I'll start bitching about something some elected official did and, it happens all the time, some genius will say, "We get the government we deserve." I don't think that's true. The people who say this think it's wisdom. They always have this condescending tone, like they're above the fray, like they think I'm naive for caring. It's really just a way of explaining away their own ignorance. I mean, think about it, did the Russian people deserve Joseph Stalin, or the Tsar before that ? Of course not. But, you might be thinking, they didn't live in a democracy. They didn't have any choice. Maybe it's true in a democracy. Maybe the people who couldn't be bothered to vote get the government they deserve, or the ones who got fooled and voted against their own best interests. OK, that's tempting. I'm tempted to say, "Yeah, they deserve the government they're going to get, but I don't." Nah, I still don't think it's true. Nobody deserves bad government, not even the dumbest of the dumb, not even Fox News viewers.
Thirty-six states and three territories elected Governors last Tuesday. A lot of these folks are about to get some real bad government, including citizens of my own state of Arizona. Here's summary, if you need one. ➡ Wikipedia Look at some of the scoundrels who got re-elected. Rick Snyder of Michigan was re-elected. His administration has been waging war on the people of once-proud Detroit for years. Brownback of Kansas got 4 more years. This is a guy whose free-market experiment put his state on "a path to penury." Rick Scott got another term. Do Floridians deserve a crook like Scott who "oversaw the largest Medicare fraud in the nation's history?" And then there's Scott Walker. Wisconsin voters failed to flush this turd even after he was recorded sucking up to a journalist who was pretending to be David Koch.
Here in Arizona, "we" elected a guy named Doug Ducey to be our Governor. I don't know what's gonna' happen to our state. This guy wants to slash state revenues; maybe have 50 kids in each classroom. Maybe there won't be a classroom at all. Maybe our kids will get a sub-standard online "education," while the State funnels money to charter school scammers. I damned sure don't deserve that, nor do the kids in my neighborhood. Even the grandkids of Fox News viewers deserve better than that. We ran sort of an experiment here, in the election for State Superintendent of Public Instruction. You can think of the winner, Diane Douglas, as the control group candidate. She has very little experience in education, just one term on the Peoria school board. She didn't hardly campaign at all, no debates, no interviews, not much in the way of advertising. The only thing she had to recommend her was an R after her name. Could such a candidate be elected over a highly qualified educator who ran a flawless campaign ? The answer was Yes. There are Republican voters who care nothing about qualifications for office, and they won. They turn out.
How 'bout it CUA-ers ...
Do You Get the Government You Deserve ?
Latest Updates on Regional Meet-Up News Can Be Found Below the Orange Group Hug.
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Our team is here to provide support and guidance to new and existing volunteer leaders of each regional and state group, helping them with recruiting, organizing and executing social and action events.
We invite you to join in this effort to build our community. There are many ways to pitch in.
If there isn't a group to join near you, please start one.
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THINK GLOBALLY, ACT LOCALLY
by Thinking Fella ♥ for Four Corners Kossacks
On Saturday, November 8th, 2014, the Four Corners Kossacks met to have a beverage or two, lament our electoral losses, cheer our wins, get updates on races still ongoing, listen to past local election history, learn more about each other, and plot our future strategies.
L-R: Thinking Fella, Matt S., (McLachlan campaign manager) red moon dog, nzanne, Gary Norton, Wally White, (termed-out former La Plata County Commissioner & long-time Dailykos lurker) and Jeff H.
Please visit Thinking Fella's diary for more photos! Enjoy! You can still REC it. You can join Four Corners Kossacks by sending a Kosmail to Thinking Fella.
by John Crapper ♥ for Seattle and Puget Sound Kossacks
Four days after the mid-term elections Seattle & Puget Sound Kossacks had lunch with Representative Joe Fitzgibbon, WA 34th, Chair of the Environment Committee and serving on the Finance, Transportation and Local Government Committees.
Special thanks goes to bleeding blue for making this all possible!
Invited attendees: Marcee Stone-Vegich - Chair of the 34th LD & Ted Barker Vice Chair, Robin Everett - Washington State's Sierra Club Beyond Coal Campaign Coordinator and Mary Manous with Weldon DeBusk both on the development team creating the Cascadia Climate Action Calendar which compiles monthly the events and actions of all major environmental groups in the Puget Sound Area.
My take-away as leader of Seattle & Puget Sound Kossacks from this meeting. Political reality can't be changed. We must deal with it as best we can. We must also support those fighting for climate sanity as best we can. But when it comes to climate change we cannot afford to wait on politics to be "right" to get something done. We can't afford to just chip away at the edges. We need to pursue the most effective path possible to make climate sanity a reality. Under current circumstances politics may not be that path in the next two years in Washington State.
Instead it will be the Climate Action Hub. And in my neck of the woods it will be promoting the Cascadia Climate Calendar and urging people to get involved.
Please visit
John Crapper's diary for more photos! Enjoy! You can still REC it. You can join
Seattle and Puget Sound Kossacks by sending a Kosmail to
John Crapper.
by cooper888 ♥ for Sacramento Kossacks
We heard from navajo and Meteor Blades about the initiative by Daily Kos to have active Kossack groups in each of the state capitals. DK is looking for engaged Kossack's ready to roll up their sleeves and participate in many different types of activism/advocacy. For example, delivering petitions to the state capitol, participating in various protests, marches, rally's at the capitol, etc. As Meteor Blades pointed out this won't happen over night and is a long term strategy but I think if we all take the lead in our respective states we can make this dream happen sooner than DK leadership expects.
L-R: Front row: Sychotic1, tgypsy, tb92, trevizolga, Mrs. side pocket. Second row: Arundsdel (sp?), Laurel in CA, Kestrel, Meteor Blades. Third row: Kestrel's two friends, smileycreek, paradise50, Dave. Back row: Clif, Mr. Arundsdel, Neil, cooper888, side pocket, Left foot forward, got mooned & Nate
Please visit cooper888's diary for many MORE photos! Enjoy! You can still REC it. You can join Sacramento Kossacks by sending a Kosmail to cooper888.
Event Organizers! Please contact wink from Netrootsradio.com by KosMail to schedule airtime with them to live broadcast the date of your Event. Wink & Justice will then promote it on The After Show radio program!
Wednesday, November 12th
Kansas Kossacks Election Recap Meeting in Manhattan
Kansas Democratic Party Executive Director Jason Perkey will be holding a meeting to discuss the election as well as to start making plans to move forward.
Directly following this at 7:30 will be a Connect! Unite! Act! event. [Destination TBD] Food (potluck, with a vegetarian option) and drinks. Location will be announced after RSVPs.
TIME: 6:30 PM
LOCATION: Manhattan Public Library
629 Poyntz Ave • Manhattan
ORGANIZER: Send tmservo433 a kosmail to attend
RSVPs:
1. tmservo433
2.
3.
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Maybees: |
Latest diary: Announcing our Next Connect! Unite! Act! Meet-up: Manhattan, Kansas 6:30 & 7:30PM November 12
Wednesday, November 12th
Colorado COmmunity Meet-up with Drinking Liberally
John Erhardt hosts
TIME: 7:00 PM
LOCATION: Three Dogs Tavern
32nd Ave & Julian • West Highlands
ORGANIZER: Send Leftcandid a kosmail to attend
RSVPs:
1. Leftcandid
2.
3.
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Maybees:
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Saturday, November 15th
Colorado COmmunity Meet-up with Caffeinating Liberally
TIME: 9:00 AM
LOCATION: Common Grounds Coffeehouse
44th & Vallejo • Sunnyside
ORGANIZER: Send Leftcandid a kosmail to attend
RSVPs:
1. Leftcandid
2.
3.
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Maybees:
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Latest diary: DENVER: Drinking & Caffeinating Liberally "Well, F***" Editions Next Week
Sunday, November 23rd
SFKossacks & Silicon Valley Kossacks Support Native American Netroots Protesting the Washington R*dsk*ns Mascot Use
TIME: 10:00 AM
LOCATION: Levi's Stadium
4900 Marie P DeBartolo Way • Santa Clara
ORGANIZER: Send navajo a kosmail to attend
RSVPs:
1. bahesmama
2. navajo
3. Meteor Blades
4.
5.
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Maybees:
Glen The Plumber
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Saturday, December 13th
SF Kossacks Holiday Party at Daily Kos HQ
The usual Pot Luck drill - sign-up list posted soon
TIME: 6:00 PM
LOCATION: Daily Kos HQ
Address given privately by kosmail • Berkeley
Near Ashby BART
ORGANIZER: Send navajo a kosmail to attend
RSVPs:
1. Markos
2. Will Rockafellow
3. Susan Gardner
4. Meteor Blades
5. Faith Gardner & Roxie!
6. navajo
7. side pocket
8. Mrs. side pocket
9. smileycreek
10. paradise50
11. remembrance
12. Glen The Plumber
13. TLO
14. jakedog42
15. edrie
16. dharmasyd
17. catilinus
18. boatsie
19. liberated spaces
20. citisven
21. kimoconnor
22. susans
23. maggiejean
24. 714day
25. Steven Payne
26. scaboni
27. skywriter
28. jpmassar
29. jotter
30. aha aha
31. jeremybloom
32. norm
33. Lorikeet
34. cooper888
35. got mooned
36. Hunter
37. elfling
38. Cassia
39. Friend of elfling
40. Friend of elfling
41. Friend of elfling
42. Friend of elfling
43. tmservo433
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Maybees:
Thinking Fella |
Sunday, December 28th
Koscadia Meet-up with navajo
TIME: midday?
LOCATION: TBD
[Address] • Portland
ORGANIZER: Send Sara R a kosmail to attend
RSVPs:
1. navajo
2.
3.
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Maybees: |
Latest diary: [Waiting for linked diary]
Saturday & Sunday, January 17-18, 2015
Dkos Asheville 24-hour Meet-up
This is what community is about; sharing, giving, creating together. And this is what being a progressive is about; working for social, economic, and environmental justice.
Each day we start from where we are now; and we move forward from here. -davehouck
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...we have built ourselves a network of like minded brothers and sisters who are in this fight for life. A place we can come to find inspiration, power, solace and community.
-randallt |
TIME: 1:00 pm Saturday till 1:00 pm Sunday
LOCATION: Crown Plaza Resort Asheville
One Resort Drive • Asheville
ORGANIZER: Send randallt a kosmail to attend
RSVPs:
1. randallt
2. davehouck
3. Gordon20024
4. SteelerGrrl
5. LamontCranston
6.
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Maybees: |
Latest diary: DKos Asheville Open Thread: January Meet up Announcement
navajo maintains the above event list. Kosmail her if you have any diaries
about your event or if you have changes or additions.
EVERYONE is welcome, tell us what you're working on,
share your show and tell, vent, whatever you want.
This is an open thread. Nothing is off topic.