Get involved with the College Dems!

As a freshly restarted student organization, we are looking to grow over the next semester.  We're trying to collect some information that will help us do so.  Please take this survey if you have interest in becoming more involved!

MD Rep Stands Up for Unemployed

Maryland's own Rep. Donna Edwards stood up for the millions of Americans who are currently unemployed, on Thursday, right before House Republicans defeated an extension of their benefits into the holiday season.  Edwards described her own experiences as an unemployed person in the United States before the votes were cast.


Following the vote, the congresswoman was quoted saying, "It is unconscionable that my colleagues across the aisle failed to provide the 14,600 Marylanders and 2 million people across the country with a critical extension of unemployment insurance."


Edwards, who represents Maryland's 4th district in Congress, defeated her Republican opponent, Robert Broadus, with nearly 85% of the vote in the recent elections.


Watch her remarks here.

MD Rep. Wants His Health Care

After months campaigning against the Democratic-backed health care reform, newly elected U. S. Representative Andy Harris griped that his new government-subsidized health care will not take effect until 28 days after he is sworn in on Jan. 3rd.  Harris, who represents Maryland's 1st congressional district, went as far as to ask if there was a government option he could purchase while he waits.  Unfortunately for the freshman representative, his incumbent colleagues killed any chance of a government (or PUBLIC) option.

Harris vowed that when his health care does take effect, he will fight to repeal it.

Morning Joe: Andy Harris "bitches" about not getting his health care

Compromise, Schompromise

Now that everyone has had some time to reflect on the "Republican Revolution" that took place last week, I thought it was time for another blog. I know some of you were worried there might not be anything to write about since the elections are over, but that certainly isn't the case. Today's topic: Compromise, or a lack there of

A Gallup poll conducted late last week found Republicans to be generally less willing to compromise than Democrats and Independents.  According to the poll, 23 percent of Republicans believe it is more important to stick to your beliefs than find an agreeable solution to move America forward.  In contrast, only 10 percent of Democrats and 12 percent of Independents feel the same, with the majority favoring compromise.

In researching this phenomenon I didn't have to look far to find a real-life example of Republicans' unwillingness to compromise.  As a matter of fact, soon-to-be House speaker, John Boehner promised not to compromise just yesterday.  The accuracy of this survey is astounding!

The "Party of No" has given us enough examples of the dilemma created by a lack of compromise, we can only hope it doesn't continue now that they've gotten more of a voice.  With this said, I'm asking, are you ready to compromise?  Me and 39 percent of my party are.

Mitch

Congratulations Maryland Democrats!

This post could be spent boasting about the amount of Democrats who won elections and reelections in Maryland last night.  Among them, Governor Martin O'Malley, Senator Barbara Mikulski, five U. S. Representatives, numerous county executives, and so on.  However, we're not going to do that; frankly, the list is too long.

Instead, we will congratulate all of the winners and leave you with the speeches of O'Malley and his Republican contender, Bob Ehrlich:

O'Malley Thanks Supporters, Talks Future

Ehrlich: 'This Closes A Chapter In Our Life'

While Ehrlich did his best to throw his support behind O'Malley, his audience wasn't as quick to do so.  Did you notice the booing?  We did.  Keep us proud Maryland Republicans.

Like these videos?  Check out our video countdown of this campaign season's best clips.

IT"S ELECTION DAY! GO VOTE!

GO VOTE!  GO VOTE!  GO VOTE!  GO VOTE!  GO VOTE!  GO VOTE!  GO VOTE!  GO VOTE!  GO VOTE!
We obviously have our preference of party, but Election Day is about more than just which party wins.  It is about the opportunity to help choose which direction the country goes in on a local, state, and national level.  We look at this opportunity as a responsibility, and we encourage you to do the same.  


So, go out and participate in democracy!  You can find information on your polling place here.


We'll be in the Student Organizations Area (2nd floor of the Commons) until 11AM with donuts and coffee.  Stop by before you head to the polls.

Campaign Season: A Video Countdown

The campaign season is winding down.  Before everyone heads to the polls on Tuesday, we thought it would be nice to take a look back at some of the last few months.  We've compiled a video countdown of some of the best clips.  Enjoy.


#5 Illinois Governor's race goes "Glee"


#4 Mark Kirk lies


#3 Jan Brewer doesn't know what to say (or think)


#2 Christine O'Donnell learns the Constitution


#1 Bob Ehrlich doesn't want to answer your questions (two parter!)




GO VOTE!

Donuts and Democracy

President Obama might be there, no promises.

In honor of the greatest holiday of all, Election Day, the College Democrats are holding our first official event since reforming.

"Donuts and Democracy" will be held on November 2nd from 8:30-11AM in the Student Organizations' Area (2nd floor of the Commons).

There will be plenty of FREE donuts, bagels, coffee, and everything else you could want to eat before heading to the polls. Everyone is welcome regardless of political orientations.  You can come just to eat or stick around and talk democracy.

RSVP on Facebook and invite your friends.

Don't Crash the Tea Party

This was the lesson learned by a MoveOn.org activist when she attempted to exercise one of her First Amendment rights.  A right which the Tea Party claims to protect.

Lauren Valle, 23, was protesting at the Kentucky Senate debate between Tea Party favorite Rand Paul and Democratic nominee Jack Conway.  When she tried to get closer to Paul, Valle was pushed to the ground by a couple of infuriated supporters.  Then, an older male Tea Partier prepared to "curb stomp" her, while bystanders yelled for police.

Paul's campaign issued a statement condemning the behavior of his supporters, but I don't think he's returned their campaign contributions.

See the action for yourself:



Mitch

Did you know we have a Tea Partier who represents a district which is less then 15 minutes away from UMBC?  Check out this post on Warren Miller and his cool poster!

9A, We've Got a Problem!

Yeah...that is one of our state delegates.

I (probably along with many of you) am from Maryland District 9A.  The district is based in Howard County, covering most of Ellicott City.  Currently, we have three Republicans representing us in Annapolis.

There is State Senator Allan Kittleman, and State Delegates Gail Bates and Warren Miller (pictured to the left...the one with the sign...and "Keep the change" t-shirt).  While Kittleman has proven himself moderate, our delegates are anything but.

Miller, especially, has gone as far as aligning himself with the radical Tea Party.  Both delegates continuously support business interests over the voters of Howard County.  We now have our chance to change that.

Bates and Miller are currently facing two Democratic challengers in November's election.  Candidates Jon Weinstein and Maryann Maher are vowing to take the residents of 9A in a new direction if they make it to Annapolis.

Check out the candidates' respective campaign sites and then get out to the polls!

Mitch

Two Days, Two Polls: O'Malley Expands Lead

According to two recent polls, Gov. O'Malley appears to be poised for reelection on Nov. 2nd.  We personally never expected otherwise.

Over the weekend, The Baltimore Sun released poll results that showed O'Malley has a 14-point lead over former Gov. Ehrlich.  On Monday, The Washington Post released an additional poll with similar results.


The latest polls follow months of hard fought campaigning (a rematch had been speculated between the 2006 rivals before either of them had officially entered the race), numerous campaign ads, three debates, and some recent high profile visits to the state.  Last Thursday, O'Malley held a rally in Federal Hill with former President Clinton, while Ehrlich took to a farm this weekend with failed presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani and a strategically placed dump truck.


Throughout the campaign season, many of the polls asking "If the election for Maryland governor were held today, for whom would you vote?" have shown favor to O'Malley.  Now that early voting has begun we can only hope the same people participating in the polls are heading out to vote.

See the full results of The Post's poll here.

We LOVE Early Voting!

Early voting for the general election starts in Maryland today!
That's right, thanks to early voting, registered voters in Maryland have no excuse not to make it to the polls!  Early voting starts today and goes until next Thursday, the 28th.  Polling stations will be open everyday, except Sunday, from 10AM - 8PM.  You can find your county's early voting stations and everything else you could ever want to know about voting early here.

If you must wait, the general election will be held on November 2nd (The same day as Donuts and Democracy!  Coincidence? I think not.)

So go, go out and vote...unless you plan to vote for Ehrlich, in which case you should take the time to consider the potentially detrimental choice you are about to make.

Minutes - October 20th, 2010

UMBC College Democrats

Meeting Minutes 10/20/10

1.      John Sarbanes Campaign needs volunteers

·         Phone banking—on campus

·         John Sarbanes has also offered to visit the club

o   Try to have it during regular Wed. meeting time

o   OR have it an earlier time

o   Invite people to come and have substantial issues to talk about!!

2.      Donuts and Democracy- Mitch has been working on this

·         Election Day Event (Nov. 2) from 8AM-11AM

·         Behind the game room (near SEB room)

·         Need volunteers

o   Set up/clean up/during

o   Email Mitch at umbccollegedems@gmail.com

3.      County Executive Debate from last Tuesday (10/12)

·         Mixed messages (weren’t enough volunteers AND thanks for sponsoring)

4.      Rally with Bill Clinton for Governor O’Malley—Oct. 21, gates open at 3:00pm in Federal Hill

5.      Rally to Restore Sanity- October 30

6.      Debate between O’Malley and Ehrlich Oct. 21 (WOLB-AM radio) 7AM

7.      Generally need volunteers to canvass, phone bank, and work the polls on election day

·         An email will be sent to coordinate possible election day volunteers

8.      Early voting begins Friday and ends October 28 (polls are closed on Sunday Oct. 24) from 10 AM – 8PM

9.      Constitution that was approved last meeting has been accepted by SGA 

Meeting this week!

We will be having a general meeting this Wednesday at 4PM.  It will be held in Commons 331.  There will be a lot of discussion about the upcoming elections and ways to help the Dems win.  We will also talk about our upcoming Election Day event, Donuts and Democracy.

Hope to see a lot of new faces!

If you'd like to be reminded of our meetings e-mail us at umbccollegedems@gmail.com and ask to be added to our mailing list.

The Great Debate(s)

Maryland's gubernatorial candidates participated in two televised debates this week.  On Monday, Gov. Martin O'Malley and former Gov. Bob Ehrlich took to the studio of WJZ to talk about their respective records as governor, and the issues facing Maryland over the next four years.  On Thursday, they headed to The Washington Post and did much of the same.

We think O'Malley came out on top, and thanks to his campaign you can see for yourself:

Debate One - Monday, October 11th



Debate Two - Thursday, October 14th



Though Ehrlich claimed victory, we could not find any of this footage on his campaign website.  Hiding something, Bob?

More on education

Last week I caused a bit of controversy with my argument that former Gov. Ehrlich's plan to cut funding, in order to fulfill fiscally irresponsible campaign promises, might undercut the accomplishments of Maryland schools under current Gov. O'Malley.  To name a few:


Graduation Rate Rises, Dropout Rate Falls for Class of 2010 
Maryland Students Make Broad Gains on National Test 
Maryland Awarded $250 Million Race to the Top Grant 


Obviously (as I am writing for the College Democrats), it was implied that O'Malley is the stronger candidate when it comes to education.  I stand by that argument, but some people wanted more information.  In that case, you can read what the National Education Association, who recently awarded the governor with their "America's Greatest Education Governor" award, has to say.


You're also welcome to take a look at Ehrlich's campaign website, where they promise "Governor Bob Ehrlich will continue to invest in our public schools and ensure that all of our students and teachers are the primary beneficiaries of those investments."  Isn't that a contradiction?

Mitch

Like what you see?  "Like" us on Facebook!

For more information on Maryland education and the importance of funding check out the links after the break.

O'Malley vs. Ehrlich: Round two (three, four, etc)

VS.

As election day gets closer and closer, Gov. Martin O'Malley and former Gov. Robert Ehrlich have scheduled several upcoming debates.  It will be the first time the two candidates have debated since the 2006 election season when O'Malley successfully defeated Ehrlich in the race for Maryland's top office .  

The first debate will be televised this Monday at 7PM on WJZ (you can RSVP on our Facebook page).  Two additional radio debates have been scheduled for later in the month, Oct. 21st on WOLB from 8AM-9AM and Oct. 22 on WTOP.

Make sure to tune in!

Ehrlich wants to do what?!

Now, I don't claim to know much in the way of policy when it comes to politics, but tell me if you can see the contradiction in these two Baltimore Sun articles:

1) "Md. High School Graduation Rate Climbs"

2) "Ehrlich Would Cut School Funding to Offset Tax Rollback"

The first article touches on the fact Maryland's graduation rate is the highest it has been in 11 years.  It specifically notes the achievements of Baltimore City schools "where nearly 1,500 fewer students left high school last year than in 2007."  Seems like they should be rewarded, right?


Well, not according to former (and I hope it stays that way) Governor Robert Ehrlich.  The second article gives insight into the Republican gubernatorial candidate's plan for education..."chop $126 million in education funding that goes primarily to Baltimore and Montgomery and Prince George's counties."


I realize the first article doesn't really touch on the importance of funding, but let's be real, when isn't funding important?  Without the necessary funding, the graduation rate may likely be headed right back to where it was before O'Malley took office.


Thoughts?


Mitch

Minutes - October 6th, 2010

 1.      New constitution

·        A new constitution was reviewed and approved

·        Title change from “chairman” to “chair” and “vice chairman” to “vice chair”

2.      Election Day Event: “Donuts and Democracy”

·        November 2, 2010

·        Offer donuts and encourage people to vote

o   Cannot actually hold a registration drive because of logistics

·        Last day to register to vote is October 12

·        Early voting is October 22-28

3.      Campaigns need volunteers

·        Some mentioned include:

o   John Sarbanes (Congress)

o   42^nd District (delegate)

o   31^st District (delegate)

o   Governor O’Malley

4.      Baltimore County Executive Candidates Debate

·        Sponsored by UMBC College Democrats, UMBC College Republicans, and UMBC Department of Public Policy

·        7:00-8:30 PM in the UC Ballroom

·        Kevin Kamenetz (Dem) and Kenneth Holt (Rep) will debate issues facing Baltimore County

·        It is free, open to the public, and audience questions are encouraged

5.      Rally with President Obama

Governor Martin O’Malley,

Senator Barbara Mikulski,

Lieutenant Governor Anthony Brown,

Congresswoman Edwards,

Majority Leader Hoyer,and Congressman Van Hollen

·        Where: Bowie State

·        When: Tomorrow, October 7, 2010; suggested arrival time is 1:00, but should get there earlier

·        Possible carpool was discussed

General Meetings

Our organization will be meeting every other Wednesday starting the week of October 4th (10/6, 10/20, 11/3, 11/17, 12/1).  Meetings will include presentations, discussions, guest speakers, and more.  We hope to see you there!

Mailing List

If you're reading this, you've probably discovered that the College Democrats at UMBC are back in action.  We're aiming to make a larger and longer lasting impact than our last incarnation.  Along with this blog, our Facebook, and general meetings, we'll also be maintaining a mailing list.

E-mail umbccollegedems@gmail.com in order to be added to the list, and kept up-to-date all year long.  We can't wait to work with you!