Election Day Today, Tuesday E-News Briefs, 6/26/07

In This Issue

• ELECTION DAY TODAY: Vote In Your Special Election!
• Only Four Months To The State Convention! Book Your Hotel Now At A Discounted Rate
• Jefferson-Jackson Dinner A Huge Success: Thank You!
• Florida Democrats Eye Five Republican-Held Congressional Seats
• Feeney Opens Legal Defense Fund
• GOP Snubs Major Latino Convention In Orlando
• Congresswoman Brown Fights to Help Homeless Veterans in Duval

ELECTION DAY TODAY: Vote In Your Special Election!

Today, Tuesday, June 26 is Election Day - let your voices be heard in State House District 43 and Senate District 3!  Florida Democrats have two outstanding candidates: Sophia Diaz-Fonseca, the former Inverness City Council member and persistent public advocate, is hoping to bring her honest and open style to the Florida House in District 43, while Suzan Franks wants to use her years of teaching and legislative experience to make education a priority in the State Senate in District 3. If you live in these districts, make sure to vote today and tell Tallahassee you're ready for a change. Vote for Franks and Diaz-Fonseca!

Only Four Months To The State Convention! Book Your Hotel Now At A Discounted Rate

The Party has secured group rates for the State Convention, Oct. 26-28 at Disney's Yacht & Beach Club Resort. Rooms are available for $229/night + tax. Less than two miles away, rooms are available at Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort for $139/night + tax. Self-parking is free at both resorts. Please visit http://www.disneyurl.com/fldemocratic2007 or call (407) 934-3372 to book your rooms. These rooms will sell out early so be sure to book now!

Jefferson-Jackson Dinner A Huge Success: Thank You!

This year's annual Jefferson-Jackson Dinner was one of the largest and most successful events ever for Florida Democrats. The Party would like to thank the 1500 people who came together throughout the weekend. US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she thoroughly enjoyed her trip to South Florida, and together we raised more than $500,000 to help Democrats bring real change to the state. Let's keep up this momentum as we head to the State Convention and onto Victory in '08! Check out JJ blogs and videos of the dinner.

Florida Democrats Eye Five Republican-Held Congressional Seats

This week, the Associated Press reported that Florida Democrats have excellent opportunities in picking up five seats in next year's congressional race. The article highlights how Florida Democrats are getting increasingly organized, while Republican control of state politics steadily declines. The list of seats Democrats could pick up include District 13, where 18,000 votes went uncounted in a race decided by less than 400 votes, and District 24, the seat of the scandalous Tom Feeney. Read the full story.

Feeney Opens Legal Defense Fund

The federal investigation into Rep. Tom Feeney's (R-24) murky dealings with Jack Abramoff appears to have forced the Republican Congressman to open a legal defense fund - so that contributors can cover his legal bills. The FBI and other federal investigators have questioned Feeney about his involvement with now-jailed super-lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Feeney insists he is not a target of an investigation, but disgraced former Congressmen Bob Ney from Ohio and Tom DeLay from Texas once said the same thing. Visit http://www.Feeney'sFullOfIt.com to learn more about corrupt Congressman Feeney.

GOP Snubs Major Latino Convention In Orlando

Offering little explanation, each of the Republican Party's major presidential candidates quietly refused to address the nation's premier conference for Latinos in politics - the National Association of the Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Annual Convention to be held this weekend in Orlando. The decision not to attend the conference has led many to wonder whether Republicans are truly interested in hearing the concerns of the Latino community - or are just giving up on them since Florida Democrats won the Latino vote in 2006 for the first time in 30 years. All of the major Democratic presidential candidates gladly accepted invitations from NALEO. For more information on attending the Convention, visit http://www.naleo.org.

Congresswoman Brown Fights to Help Homeless Veterans in Duval

Yesterday Congresswoman Corrine Brown (D-3) announced a three-year grant for almost $300,000 for the Duval County Homeless Veteran Reintegration Program in order to expedite the reintegration of homeless veterans into the labor force. "As a key Member on the House Veterans Affairs Committee, I work with veterans issues on a daily basis, and have championed the rights of veterans and called for better funding for veterans health care programs since being elected to Congress in 1993. I am thrilled to see that our area homeless veterans will be receiving increased emergency shelter provisions, substance abuse counseling and treatment, job counseling and referral, employment assistance, transportation, housing, and clothing," the Congresswoman said. "Our brave men and women who so valiantly serve our nation