Tuesday E-News Brief, 5/22/07, Buy Your Ticket to See Nancy Pelosi

In This Issue

• J-J Tickets Are Selling Fast-Don't Miss Your Chance to Join the Excitement!
• Building the Netroots: Blogger Lunch at the J-J in June
• Paperless Voting BANNED in Florida: Finally Verifiable Elections Are A Reality
• Join Democrats in SW Florida: Chairwoman Thurman in Naples, Ft. Myers May 31
• Congresswoman Corrine Brown Weighs In on KidCare and Special Session
• Democrats Hold Successful Organizing Conventions
• Support a Presidential candidate at http://www.fladems.com
• Become a Delegate to the 2007 Florida Democratic Party State Convention

J-J Tickets Are Selling Fast-Don't Miss Your Chance to Join the Excitement!

Our annual Jefferson Jackson Weekend is one of the most important events the Party holds each year. It is not only a fantastic fundraiser, but also a way for Florida Democrats to gather for a weekend of Party-building, strategy and inspiration.

We are honored this year to have U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi delivering the keynote address for the dinner on June 9 at the Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa in Hollywood, FL. Tickets are $150 and can be purchased at www.fladems.com/jj or by calling 850-222-3411. It's going to be a great event, and we hope to see you there!

Caucus and Committee meetings will be held Saturday, June 9, and Sunday, June 10 at the Westin Diplomat. Please visit www.fladems.com/jj for the most up-to-date schedule.

The Westin Diplomat is offering a special 20% discount for Florida Democrats who book their hotel rooms online. To make your reservation at this rate, please visit www.fladems.com/jjhotel

Building the Netroots: Blogger Lunch at the J-J in June

Florida has a burgeoning progressive Netroots family, and the Party is excited to hold its first ever face-to-face meeting of online activists from across the state during our annual Jefferson-Jackson Weekend. The Netroots is a collection of activists who utilize online discussion message boards, or web-logs ("blogs", as an instant and effective means of communication with other activists. It allows efficient organizing and the instant transfer of information, keeping a large number of people organized and informed at all times.

The lunch discussion will be held from 12:00-2:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 9, at the Westin Diplomat Resort in Hollywood, FL. We encourage attendance at what will undoubtedly become an important Democratic tradition in Florida politics. Tickets are $50 (to cover costs of food and room rental), and the event is open to all. Attendees can purchase tickets online at www.fladems.com/jj

Paperless Voting BANNED in Florida: Finally Verifiable Elections Are A Reality

It's been a long time coming, but finally the state of Florida will have verifiable elections. Since the 2000 election debacle, the Florida Democratic Party and our elected officials have fought relentlessly for a verifiable paper trail for our elections. Yesterday, we got our wish, with Governor Crist signing House Bill 537 bill into law. We applaud the Governor for forcing his fellow Republicans to stop fighting this common-sense policy. Because of his bipartisan spirit, Floridians will finally get the verifiable elections they deserve.

Join Democrats in SW Florida: Chairwoman Thurman in Naples, Ft. Myers May 31

Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Karen Thurman will be in Southwest Florida for two fundraising receptions with the local DECs on Thursday, May 31. The Democratic Party of Collier County invites you to attend their reception with Chairwoman Thurman at 12:00 p.m. at the Naples Beach Hotel and Golf Club, 851 Gulf Shore Boulevard North in Naples. Later that day, the Democratic Party of Lee County invites you to attend their reception with the Chairwoman at 6:00 p.m. at the Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre on 1380 Colonial Boulevard in Ft. Myers. For both events, the suggested donation is $50. You can be a sponsor of the event for $500 or a host for $1,000. Visit www.fladems.com/ftmyers or www.fladems.com/naples to purchase tickets. Call 813-735-9075 for more information.

Congresswoman Corrine Brown Weighs In on KidCare and Special Session

Excerpts from Congresswoman Corrine Brown's letter to Governor Crist: "The Florida KidCare program was once a model program for the nation. Unfortunately, Florida now boasts the nation's second-highest percentage of uninsured children... I urge you to do all you can to make KidCare a part of the legislative agenda for the special session next month.

"Florida has forfeited $139 million in federal dollars since 1998 because it hasn't chosen to match federal funds. Over the past few years, more than 100,000 Florida children have lost their health insurance coverage through the KidCare program because the state of Florida has refused to invest in children's healthcare... By failing to invest in this critical program...children will only receive healthcare from local emergency rooms at higher taxpayer expense."

We'll be bringing you more information on this important subject in the coming weeks.

Democrats Hold Successful Organizing Conventions

Several Florida Democratic Party constituencies held organizing conventions in Jacksonville, Sarasota and Gainesville this past weekend. The Party congratulates Black Caucus President Daisy Black, GLBT Caucus President Michael Albetta, and Small County Coalition Chairman Doug Courtney on their successful conventions. We are excited to see so many hard-working Democrats already organizing for the 2008 election.

Support a Presidential candidate at http://www.fladems.com

The race to the White House is heating up! Visit www.fladems.com/presidentials for a listing of our Democratic Presidential candidates' websites, contact information, local events, and how you can show your support. Let us know which candidate or candidates you are most interested in seeing -- up close and personal -- in our great state. We will do our best to bring them here, and keep you informed of their visits as best we can. Make your selections today!

Become a Delegate to the 2007 Florida Democratic Party State Convention

Visit www.fladems.com/stateconvention to learn more about how you can become a delegate and join us for the Party's 2007 Convention, Oct. 26-28, 2007, at Disney's Yacht & Beach Club Resort.