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As you know, the results are in. DFMC's A-List Candidates performed very well, and our winners included:

* Mark Stoops (Commissioner)
* Warren Henegar, Geoff McKim, Julie Thomas (County Council)
* Kevin Enright (Surveyor)
* Valeri Haughton, Elizabeth Cure (Judge)

Three members of the DFMC Executive Board won election as delegates to the state convention:

* David VanDeventer (Vice Chair)
* Eric Schmitz (Treasurer)
* Carole Scifres (Secretary)

In addition, several DFMC members were elected as delegates - too many to list here, in fact!

I'd also like to remind everyone that DFMC will support every Democrat on the ballot in the fall, regardless of previous endorsement. We'd like to add a hearty congratulations to Iris Kiesling, Amy Gerstman, Jerry Reed, and Cathy Smith.

I hope you'll also join me in thanking all of the Democratic candidates for making this a race to remember - one that was full of positive and progressive choices. Hopefully, all of these candidates will run again in the future, and continue to bring their spirit of dedication, hard work, and public service to all of the citizens of Monroe County.

Just a friendly reminder: VOTE! Early voting is underway, and it's the only way you can cast a paper ballot in Monroe County.

You can vote early at the Curry Building from 8am to 4pm, Monday-Friday, now through May 2. For a full schedule and a map to the Curry Building, see the Monroe County Democratic Party's website.

I voted earlier today, and was pleased to be able to cast a ballot for our DFMC A-List Candidates and several DFMC members. I think you'll see some familiar names on the ballot, especially among those running for state delegate:

• David VanDeventer, DFMC Vice Chair
• Carole Scifres, DFMC Secretary
• Eric Schmitz, DFMC Treasurer
• Chaim Julian, past DFMC Chair
  
  (and too many others to list here!)

I like seeing so many good candidates on the ballot.

DFMC's 2008 candidate forums are starting to become available online. You can view the streaming video from CATS at the links below:

March 11 Forum

Available from the CATS streaming website: RealVideo Stream (.smil)

This streaming service appears to only work with RealPlayer - Quicktime and VLC Player are unable to open these streaming files. To download the free RealPlayer, see www.real.com .

March 18 Forum

This video will be available soon. DFMC will try to upload this video to YouTube as well.

Our March newsletter is now available as a PDF.

Update: I just noticed that the "From the Chair" column was truncated when I published the original PDF below. Here's the full version:

At the March Linkup, the active membership voted approve the Steering Committee’s recommendation on an important change in the way we consider who is a “member” of our organization. DFMC’s most important goal for 2008 is to increase our membership; I believe that this change is instrumental to making that happen.

Our new policy creates annual membership dues of $10. Additional dues collected will be used to subsidize memberships for students and others unable to pay the full amount.

The House passed FISA today - without the amnesty for the big telecom companies.

I'll let DailyKos' mcjoan speak for me:

First off, Steny Hoyer, I apologize for anything I might have ever said about you in relation to the Blue Dogs and FISA. I was wrong. You were great today. Thank you. The shrewd planning of Pelosi and Reid really tied the Republicans in knots, taking away all of their tricks for derailing the bill through obnoxious and obstructionist procedural maneuvering. Chairs Conyers and Reyes were excellent in sheparding their committee members.

As you all know, the closing of the GE side-by-side refirgerator plant here in Bloomington was the topic of a fantastic discussion led by Greg Travis. Greg had published a column in the Bloomington Alternative about a very creative response to this issue.

What you may not know is that this issue is hardly a new one, and that it has actually received national attention. Back in January of 2001 The Nation published an article to which I'm providing a link.

"GE Brings Bad Things to Life"