Chris Bowers at Open Left posted a list of five Senators that can get the whip count for health insurance reform to 50.

The campaign to reach 50 ramps up today. You can participate by sending a fax to each of these five Senators, asking them five specific questions on where they stand on a public option. It is quick, it is easy, it is supported by a range of other actions, and it is important

• Send a fax to Mark Begich, asking him if he supports the public option!
• Send a fax to Tom Carper, asking him if he supports the public option!
• Send a fax to Jon Tester, asking him if he supports the public option!
• Send a fax to Mark Warner, asking him if he supports the public option!
• Send a fax to Ron Wyden, asking him if he supports the public option!

Your actions are layered by media requests to each Senator from local bloggers, new field staff from Democracy for America, and mass emails to Stand with Dr. Dean members in each of these five states.

We can win this, changing not only health care, but the whole country in the process. Please, no matter where you are and what time you are reading this, send out faxes to these five Senators now.

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As members of the largest bloc of uninsured Americans, Young Democrats believe quality, affordable Health Care to be a fundamental human right. In our communities and alongside friends, family, coworkers, classmates and neighbors, we will fight to enact farsighted health care reform.

The YDA Ensure You’re Insured Youth Organizing Kit will help you and your Young Democrats chapter organize in support of the health care reform we need.

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SEIU's non-partisan Change that Works campaign has an excellent tool to help voters let their representatives in Washington know that quality, affordable health care for all Americans is a priority.

Call 866-288-1495

When you call it, you will get a brief message about how to urge your member to support quality affordable health care, and then it asks you for your zip code.

When you enter in your zip, it will then connect you with the member in your area who is strategically the most important to move.

Quality, affordable health care is critical to young Americans, and we need your voices.

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Rod Snyder, Mid-Atlantic Region Director of the Young Democrats of America, sent an email to Liberty University’s Vice-President of Student Affairs about the ban of the Young Democrats club. This led to the following email exchange, in which Falwell Jr. himself responds.

From: Rod Snyder
Sent: Friday, May 22, 2009 5:14 PM
Subject: Letter to Mark Hine regarding the Liberty University Young Democrats

Mr. Hine:

I was disappointed when I learned this afternoon that the Liberty University College Democrats has lost its recognition as an official campus organization. As an Evangelical Christian and a Young Democratic leader, I am personally offended by the decision of the university and, more importantly, by the underlying assertion that a person cannot be both a Christian and a Democrat.

I attended Christian schools throughout my entire educational experience, including a non-denominational high school in West Virginia and a Baptist university in Pennsylvania . During college I interned at the Faith and Politics Institute on Capitol Hill, which facilitates racial harmony in Congress and non-violent conflict resolution around the world. Over the past several years, I have served in various leadership roles at my local church. Much of my adult life has been spent advancing the notion that neither the Republican nor Democratic Party has a foothold on the Christian faith.

Admittedly, my faith deeply informs my politics. I am a Democrat because I believe in social justice. I believe that every man, woman and child has a basic right to healthcare, a living wage and a basic standard of living. I believe that war and violence should be used as a last resort. I believe that every human being has intrinsic value and that discrimination is never warranted. I believe that our Creator has given us a responsibility to be stewards of His creation. But I would never assert that the Christian faith exclusively belongs to the Democratic Party, and I expect the same level of respect and deference from my fellow believers in the Republican Party.

It goes without saying that the Democratic Party represents a diverse set of interests and constituencies. My own political positions do not necessarily align with 100% of the Democratic Party platform, and I would assume that most Republicans do not necessarily agree with the entirety of their national Party’s policy stances. However, to block students from organizing with likeminded classmates deprives them of a fundamental right of political expression and curtails important discourse on your campus and in your community.

The Liberty University code of conduct states that students “may not engage in any activity on or off campus that would compromise the testimony or reputation of the University”. I would allege that this ill conceived decision does more to damage the reputation of the University than the actions of a group of students who are earnestly wrestling with how to best live out their faith in the political arena.

I respectfully request that the Liberty University College Democrats be permitted to continue as an officially recognized student group and be allowed to support those candidates and issues they believe to be consistent with their values.

Furthermore, I intend to investigate the legality of a religious institution that only officially recognizes the activities of one political Party on campus. The precedent is troublesome, and I hope you will reconsider your decision.

Regards,

Rod Snyder
Director, Mid-Atlantic Region
Young Democrats of America

————————————–

From: Jerry Falwell
To: Rod Snyder
Cc: Staver, Mathew ( Law School ); Hine, Mark (VP StudentAffairs);
Sent: Friday, May 22, 2009 5:50:09 PM
Subject: FW: Letter to Mark Hine regarding the Liberty University Young Democrats

Rod,

You have been misinformed about LU’s position and its actions regarding the Democratic Club on campus. Mat Staver or Mark Hine will reply in detail later but I told the press today that the student members of this club are good Christian kids and friends of mine. We do not believe and have not stated that one cannot be Christian and Democrat. We are encouraging this club to affiliate with Democrats for Life or some similar organization so that we can endorse them once again. Even if they remain affiliated with the DNC, they will not be prevented from meeting on campus or having a club. They just cannot use LU’s name because of the DNC’s position on abortion.

Thanks,

Jerry Falwell, Jr.
President
Liberty University

————————————–

From: Staver, Mathew ( Law School )
To: Rod Snyder
Cc: Jerry Falwell; Hine, Mark (VP StudentAffairs)
Sent: Friday, May 22, 2009 6:26:32 PM
Subject: RE: Letter to Mark Hine regarding the Liberty University Young Democrats

Rod

We have never said that you cannot be a Christian and a Democrat. We know many Democrats who are Christians, and we know many Republicans and Independents who are not, and vice versa. Christianity is not confined to a political party, nor do we believe that salvation depends on your political affiliation.

We have categorically denied that statement that suggested we said you cannot be a Christian and a Democrat. The problem is some media sources ran with certain unsubstantiated reports. Fortunately, the Washington Post has indicated it will correct its story once it learned the full story. In fact, as I spoke with many media today and explained what we did and did not do, many responded by wondering what was the big issue here. It is much less than what was originally spun to the media. I might note this reached the broad media today via a telephone conference with media sponsored by Terry McAuliffe. The media began calling following that conference and much of the information discussed on that conference was inaccurate.

We applaud Christians and students working in all parties to bring about positive change. These students are good students and we hope they can work within the Democratic Party to advance moral issues, including, but not limited to, the sanctity of human life and traditional marriage. We also hope they can similarly bring about positive change in the Republican Party, or any party of their choice.

The only issue here, and it is a narrow one and not the broad brush that some have run with today, is official recognition, which means use of the University name and funds. The University is reviewing all the clubs, not just this particular club. While students are free to advocate various issues, debate them, and associate with varying political parties, we believe the University is not required to lend its official name to them and underwrite their efforts or avocation of issues that run contrary to the mission of the University.

Thanks for your email and for coming to the source rather than passing on incorrect information. We appreciate that very much.

Mathew D. Staver
Dean and Professor of Law
Liberty University School of Law

————————————–

From: Rod Snyder
To: Jerry Falwell; Staver, Mathew ( Law School );
Cc: Hine, Mark (VP StudentAffairs)
Sent: Saturday, May 23, 2009 10:28:51 AM
Subject: Re: Letter to Mark Hine regarding the Liberty University Young Democrats

Jerry and Mathew,

Thank you both for your quick responses to my letter to Mark Hine yesterday afternoon. After all of the media coverage of the last 24 hours, there’s probably not much I can add at this point. But I want to make just a few more comments.

The underlying problem is that your university now officially recognizes only one Party organization on campus, which rightfully exposes you to criticism that you are a partisan educational institution. I’m certain this is something you want to avoid for many reasons, not the least of which is the legal questions I raised in my letter yesterday. If you insist on this course of action, I believe a more prudent decision on your part would be to dissolve all partisan groups on campus altogether.

You mentioned that the club could affiliate with Democrats for Life; however, you are presuming that the students want to focus only on a narrow set of policy issues, which I’m sure is not the case. Trust me when I say I completely understand the sensitivity surrounding the abortion issue. But you are making an unfortunate leap of logic to suggest that recognizing an official Young Democrat club at your school ties you to the pro-choice agenda. As an institution of higher learning, your view of political parties is startling narrow.

To take this a step further, I wonder if Liberty University would be willing to review the Republican platform while considering many Christians’ feelings on issues such as the death penalty and the doctrine of preemptive war, etc.

I have many friends who attended Liberty over the years, so I refuse to demonize your administration, faculty or student body. But you have insisted on alienating many of your own students and alumni — not to mention a broader community of Christians like myself who are trying to elevate the level of civil discourse around faith and politics rather than using Christianity as a blunt object in a partisan power struggle.

I genuinely appreciate the fact that you will not forbid the club from meeting on campus or using your facilities. But this gesture is not enough. I ask again that you reconsider your decision.

Thank you,

Rod Snyder
Director, Mid-Atlantic Region
Young Democrats of America

Thanks to Rod Snyder for giving me permission to post this exchange and for writing such a strong response to the university.

The petition drive supporting the Liberty University Young Democrats is still going strong. Sign the petition and show your support.

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Liberty University, the college founded by Jerry Falwell, has banned the Young Democrats club from the university while allowing the Republican organization to exist.

The argument is that the “Democratic Party Platform is contrary to the mission of LU and to Christian doctrine (supports abortion, federal funding of abortion, advocates repeal of the federal Defense of Marriage Act, promotes the “LGBT” agenda, Hate Crimes, which include sexual orientation and gender identity, socialism, etc).”

The Young Democrats chapter had previously been an approved organization on campus until the chapter President, Brian Diaz, received a cease and desist email from Vice President of Student Affairs Mark Hine:

Brian,

I must inform you that the College democrats’ club is no longer going to be recognized as a Liberty University club. We are unable to lend support to a club whose parent organization stands against the moral principles held by Liberty University. I expressed these concerns when we met, earlier in the spring semester.

The Liberty Way states, “It is the duty of every student to respect Liberty’s Statement of Doctrine and Purpose. They may not engage in any activity on or off campus that would compromise the testimony or reputation of the University or cause disruption to Liberty’s Christian learning environment.”

The Liberty University School of Law had been working on a policy to govern their clubs and organizations for quite some time. They have now completed that policy and we have adopted it for Liberty University as well. Now that it has been adopted and will apply to all clubs and organizations, it is clear that this club does not comply.

Below is a copy of the policy which governs clubs and organizations at Liberty University. This policy is posted on the website.

“STUDENT CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS POLICIES

Student clubs or organizations must request and receive permission from the Liberty University administration before they may meet on campus, advertise, distribute or post materials, or use any University facilities for their activities or events. All such clubs or organizations and their activities or events must be consistent with the University’s mission, and must be and remain in compliance with the Liberty Way, the Honor Code, and any policies or procedures promulgated by the University. The University reserves the right to refuse the use of its facilities for any reason to any student club, organization, activity or event.

Consistent with the Honor Code, all students, student clubs and organizations, faculty and staff of Liberty University, have a responsibility to uphold the moral and ethical standards of this institution and personally confront those who do not.

No student club or organization shall be approved, recognized or permitted to meet on campus, advertise, distribute or post materials, or use University facilities if the statements, positions, doctrines, policies, constitutions, bylaws, platforms, activities or events of such club or organization, its parent, affiliate, chapter or similarly named group (even if the similarly named group is not the actual parent, affiliate or chapter) are inconsistent or in conflict with the distinctly Christian mission of the University, the Liberty Way, the Honor Code, or the policies and procedures promulgated by the University.”

Even though this club may not support the more radical planks of the democratic party, the democratic party is still the parent organization of the club on campus. The Democratic Party Platform is contrary to the mission of LU and to Christian doctrine (supports abortion, federal funding of abortion, advocates repeal of the federal Defense of Marriage Act, promotes the “LGBT” agenda, Hate Crimes, which include sexual orientation and gender identity, socialism, etc). The candidates this club supports uphold the Platform and implement it. The candidates supported are directly contrary to the mission of LU. By using LU or Liberty University and Democrat in the name, the two are associated and the goals of both run in opposite directions.

We are removing the club from the Liberty website and you will need to cease using Liberty University’s name, including any logo, seal or mark of Liberty University. They are not to be used in any of your publications, electronic or internet, including but not limited to, any website, Facebook, Twitter or any other such publication.

If you have questions please do not hesitate to contact me.

Mark Hine
VP for Student Affairs
Liberty University

Since the email has been received the Virginia Young Democrats and Young Democrats of America have been bringing the situation to national attention. Brian Diaz was interviewed on the Rachel Maddow Show about the situation:

The Young Democrats have created a petition to allow people to show their support for the Liberty University Young Democrats and encourage the university to reverse its decision to ban the organization.

Please sign the petition and spread the word. A university with non-profit status and federal aid should not be allowed to become an instrument of a single political party.

For the university it seems Liberty is solely a name, not a principle, and one that only belongs to the Republican Party.

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Rock the Vote and Democrats Work are encouraging their supporters to contact their Senators in favor of the Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education Act

Rock the Vote

Check this out, last week Congress voted and passed the ‘GIVE Act,’ a bill to significantly expand community service opportunities and reward young people for their service with education stipends, job training, and more. It was huge and this week the Senate is taking up their version with the ‘Serve America Act’. We need to make sure this passes.

Will you contact your Senators and ask them to vote ‘yes’ on the Serve America Act?

Our country, and many of us, are facing crazy hard times right now. We need to reshape what our country looks like and how it works, change where we get our energy from, create new jobs and train workers for these new jobs, restructure our health care system to cover the tens of million of 18-29 year olds without coverage, and make college affordable.

Many of you are already doing your part, taking action online and in your communities. And this bill will open up significantly more opportunities.

This is why we need the Senate to pass the Serve America Act, the boldest service legislation in 70 years.

Here are some more details, the Serve America Act creates a chance for young people to participate in actively rebuilding and changing the direction of our country, while rewarding us with job training, financial support, education awards, and more. Specifically it will:

• More than triple the number of volunteer opportunities for Americans, from 75,000 to 250,000.
• Create four targeted problem-solving corps that will deploy Americans of all ages to increase access to job training and placement resources, help raise high school graduation and college-going rates, enhance energy efficiency and preserve natural resources, and improve access to health care
• Launch Youth Engagement Zones to involve young people in high-quality service learning projects, and recognize ‘Campuses of Service’ that engage students in service activities, integrate service and learning, and promote service careers
• Mobilize skilled Americans to serve in developing countries around the world to tackle urgent problems, such as HIV/AIDS and malaria, through Volunteers for Prosperity, and expand international service opportunities that help better connect America to the world.

Want to know all the details? Check out the bill.

We want to make sure those we elected last November know we are paying attention to the decisions that are making.

Please contact your Senators.

Thanks for taking action,
Heather Smith

P.S. Spread the word about this on Twitter, Facebook, and other sites you’re on! Here’s a sample message to post: “Rock the Vote: Tell your Senators to vote YES on the Serve America Act, http://tinyurl.com/d5bf37”

Democrats Work

Last week, hundreds of Democrats Work volunteers contacted their members of Congress to tell them to vote for the GIVE Act. I am proud to report that the bill passed the U.S. House of Representatives with a bipartisan vote of 321 to 105. Today, the U.S. Senate takes up its version of this historic legislation.

Can you take a minute to send an email to your Senators, urging them to support of the Serve Act? It is really, really easy. Just click here to send an email to your Senators.

It is important that Senators hear from us, especially those of us in states with Republican Senators, so please contact them today: http://tiny.cc/BjB2L.

Thanks for all that you do,

Thomas

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The Western North Carolina Republican Party sent out a tweet this morning sharing an article about how students are indoctrinated by America-hating terrorist-loving radical left teachers and professors. If this is how the Republican Party is planning on winning the youth vote, they are as dumb as I thought:

So, this is why the youth vote went to Obama…because they’re a bunch of easily led, useful idiots. Makes sense. http://bit.ly/b6Jm

Someone needs to tell the Republicans in North Carolina that voters don’t like to be pissed on.

I wouldn’t just post this without a call to action, so here it is:

E-mail the NC GOP Chair Linda Daves LCDaves@aol.com and Executive Director Chris McClure mcclure@ncgop.org telling them that they need to respect young voters.

If you live in North Carolina write a letter to the editor of the Raleigh News & Observer.

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The time is here. Today, the Employee Free Choice Act will hit the floor in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. This is the single piece of legislation that will change the course of history in the Labor Movement. The YDA Labor Caucus urges its members to take part in calling their Senators and Representative and telling them that young democrats support workers right to join a union.

Don’t know who to call? Go to the link below, and type in your address. You will get the direct DC office numbers for both of your Senators and your Member of Congress.

http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/

While there are more than enough votes for EFCA to pass through the House, the Senate is no guarantee. Currently, those wavering include Senators Lincoln and Pryor from Arkansas, Senator Landrieu from Louisiana, and Senator Specter from Pennsylvania, all of whom have said they support the legislation.

Phone calls are the most important action to take. When you call, say that you support workers’ fundamental right to organize.

We hope you all will support us in solidarity as we make one final push to secure the future of Unions in this country.

YDA Labor Caucus & Young Democrats of America

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The Sunlight Foundation is organizing a Tweet Lobbying Day today asking Senators to co-sponsor S. 482.

S. 482 requires Senators to file their campaign finance reports electronically. You can learn more at the Pass 482 site.

Here’s the scoop: There are currently seventeen senators on Twitter. For the most part these senators have not yet signed on as cosponsors to S. 482. In fact, only two of the seventeen are already cosponsors. We need your help to petition over Twitter the fifteen who have not cosponsored and ask them to support the bill by signing on as a cosponsor. Each one of these senators will need a tweet sent to them (example: @jimdemint) with a message asking them to cosponsor. Feel free to make up your own message:

Example: @jimdemint Need your support for Senate e-filing of campaign finance reports. Please cosponsor S. 482!

The senators to contact with this message are (with example message for posting):

Barbara Boxer, D-CA: @Barbara_Boxer Need your support for Senate e-filing of campaign finance reports. Please cosponsor S. 482!

Susan Collins, R-ME: @senatorcollins Need your support for Senate e-filing of campaign finance reports. Please cosponsor S. 482!

John Cornyn, R-TX: @JohnCornyn Need your support for Senate e-filing of campaign finance reports. Please cosponsor S. 482!

Jim DeMint, R-SC: @jimdemint Need your support for Senate e-filing of campaign finance reports. Please cosponsor S. 482!

John Ensign, R-NV: @johnensign Need your support for Senate e-filing of campaign finance reports. Please cosponsor S. 482!

Chuck Grassley, R-IA: @chuckgrassley Need your support for Senate e-filing of campaign finance reports. Please cosponsor S. 482!

Jim Inhofe, R-OK: @jiminhofe Need your support for Senate e-filing of campaign finance reports. Please cosponsor S. 482!

Mel Martinez, R-FL: @melmartinez Need your support for Senate e-filing of campaign finance reports. Please cosponsor S. 482!

Claire McCaskill, D-MO: @clairecmc Need your support for Senate e-filing of campaign finance reports. Please cosponsor S. 482!

Robert Menendez, D-NJ: @senatormenendez Need your support for Senate e-filing of campaign finance reports. Please cosponsor S. 482!

Jeanne Shaheen, D-NH: @JeanneShaheen Need your support for Senate e-filing of campaign finance reports. Please cosponsor S. 482!

Mark Udall, D-CO: @markudall Need your support for Senate e-filing of campaign finance reports. Please cosponsor S. 482!

Tom Udall, D-NM: @tomudall Need your support for Senate e-filing of campaign finance reports. Please cosponsor S. 482!

Mark Warner, D-VA: @MarkWarner Need your support for Senate e-filing of campaign finance reports. Please cosponsor S. 482!

Roger Wicker, R-MS: @rogerwicker Need your support for Senate e-filing of campaign finance reports. Please cosponsor S. 482!

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Our veterans serve with honor, yet our military still does not let many of them serve with dignity.

It’s time for our country to allow it’s gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender service members to serve openly as who they are. It’s time to end the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy.

Click here and write a letter to the editor calling on President Obama and Congress to end the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Policy.

This is urgent. The United States is at war in two countries across the globe and fighting a global struggle against terrorist networks. We need every Soldier, Sailor, Airman, and Marine that wants to serve their country with honor.

Instead, we’ve expelled over ten thousand troops from our military since “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” began. Many of them served in critical fields, such as intelligence analysts or translators for Arabic, Farsi, and Pashto. It has cost America hundreds of millions of dollars, and we’ve dishonored those who volunteered to sacrifice for us.

The divisiveness introduced by the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy weakens our military’s, readiness, unit cohesion and troop morale. At least 24 nations allow gay soldiers to serve openly in the military, including several fighting with us in Iraq and Afghanistan. Tell the President and Congress that America must join them.

Write a letter to the editor and help end the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” Policy.

Our military is strained, and we need every hand on deck. Denying anyone the right to serve because of their sexual orientation is not only divisive, it’s immoral, and it’s hurting our country and our troops.

Stand up and fight for those who want to stand up and fight for you.

Sincerely,

MegHan Smith, YDA Veterans Caucus Chair

Rachel Kau-Taylor, YDA GLBT Caucus Chair

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