Events

Join us for our first meeting of 2010 on Saturday, January 16th at 9:30 am at the State Building Auditorium as we welcome author David Swanson who will be talking about his book Daybreak: Undoing the Imperial Presidency and Forming a More Perfect Union. Please note we will be starting the meeting a little earlier than usual, at 9:30, to accommodate Mr. Swanson's schedule. We will have copies of the book available at the meeting for a $20 contribution. If you would like to pay by credit card and reserve a copy go to http://www.actblue.com/page/vgfdswanson. See below for a summary of his book.

We will also have a presentation from the Fair Elections campaign and will be voting on endorsing the Fair Elections measure on the June ballot.

For those interested in Political Action, we'll be meeting at 9:00, before the general meeting.

Info on David Swanson's book:
Throughout the ferment of the Bush-Cheney years, the calls for change that followed, and the new moment we are all hoping to seize, David Swanson has stood at the forefront of citizens movements for a more just America. Popular blogger, a leader of the antiwar and pro-impeachment movements, and a star progressive, Swanson is, as John Nichols calls him, “the true heir of the most radical—and thus the most American—of our Founders.”

His first book Daybreak: Undoing the Imperial Presidency and Forming a More Perfect Union is an assessment of how Bush/Cheney fundamentally altered the way our government works, inflated the powers of the executive, and deteriorated the Constitution and Bill of Rights. Only through the active efforts of citizens, Swanson argues, can we restore our rights, and expand our conception of political rights to meet new challenges. Daybreak offers a shocking and inspirational breakdown of all
that we have lost, and all that we have to gain.

What powers were stripped from Congress and handed to the White House, and what will it take to permanently move them back? Which of these powers is Barack Obama making use of or even expanding upon? And in the future, how can we embellish our rights, create democratic representation in Congress, and make presidents into executives rather than emperors?

Daybreak is a citizen’s guide to the long-term task of putting an end to the all-powerful executive, and reasserting our democracy. Major structural changes are needed. Here we have clear plans for how we may declare our rights, and truly set out for a new America.