I believe that Obama's inspirational leadership, contemplative nature and well-reasoned, forward-looking policies offer our troubled nation a real opportunity to face and overcome its many challenges at home and abroad.

On an array of domestic issues, including health care, education, tax policy, the environment and alternative energy sources, Obama promises a clean break from the recent past and tangible hope for a return to fiscal responsibility, economic security and true environmental stewardship, all of which are essential to restoring our greatness. Now, Obama must be aware of the hopes that he has raised through his discussion of these issues. Many people will rightly take his words as his commitment and will judge him accordingly.

On the international front, his thoughtful and responsible approach to extricating our troops from Iraq, reallocating our finite resources elsewhere in the war on terrorism, and reviving effective use of our diplomatic corps all warrant our support. To be successful in these endeavors, Obama must be an active student of history. In attempting to bring peace to the Middle East, for example, he should recognize that the United States has played a role in the region since Franklin Roosevelt went to Saudi Arabia to meet with King Abdul-Aziz. Obama must appreciate that he is not writing on an empty page and will need to be sensitive to that which has come before him.

Obama represents the better choice to successfully address the issues that dramatically affect the health and well-being of our nation today. The fact that he is also a black American adds special significance for me as someone who was witness to and participated in at least a part of the past century's discourse on civil rights.

Mathias served in the House of Representatives from 1961 until 1969 when he was elected to the U.S. Senate and served until 1987.

Rep. Wayne Gilchrest, a maverick Republican from Maryland, endorsed Illinois Democratic Sen. Barack Obama for president in an interview Wednesday with WYPR, Baltimore's National Public Radio station.

Gilchrest, who lost a primary campaign and is retiring from Congress, has already endorsed the Democrat running for his seat, Frank Kratovil. Justifying his endorsement of Obama, Gilchrest said that "we can't use four more years of the same kind of policy that's somewhat haphazard, which leads to recklessness."

Obama and his running mate, Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.), "have the breadth of experience. I think they're prudent. They're knowledgable."

Rep. Gilchrist joins a list of other Republicans who have broken ranks with the GOP to support Barack Obama for president -- "Obamacans" as the Democratic nominee likes to call them. Read more about Republicans for Obama.

The Coast Guard’s motto is simple yet forceful: “semper paratus,” meaning “always ready.”

And our Coast Guard is “always ready.” Unfortunately, when it comes to our national security, the Bush Administration is not always ready. In fact, their failed policies, which Senator McCain supports, have left us woefully unprepared to confront the dangers of a post-9/11 world.

Was the Bush Administration ready to fight the right war on terror in Afghanistan in pursuit of those who did our nation harm? No. Was the Bush Administration ready to prevent the civil war in Iraq resulting from a disastrous invasion? No. Was the Bush Administration ready to contain a resurgent Russia? No.

And now look at our world: Georgia is in ruins. The Taliban is rejuvenated in Afghanistan.

Pakistan is unstable. Iran is a growing threat. Russian aggression is on the rise. And, new democratic movements in the Ukraine and other nations are at risk, all because the Bush Administration was not ready.

America’s influence in the world is reduced, and the threats to our nation are even greater. And, incredibly, Senator McCain wants to continue the failed policies that got us here. We cannot afford eight more years of failure. We need real change, and we can vote for real change by voting for Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

Rather than pursuing a Bush-McCain “go it alone” strategy in Iraq, they will bring everyone to the table and end this war, without destabilizing the region. Senator Obama knows today’s problems require bipartisan, pragmatic solutions. He teamed with Republican Senator Lugar to fight the proliferation of nuclear weapons. He recommended that we draw down our troops in Iraq to strengthen our presence in Afghanistan, a policy the Bush Administration is now pursuing.

And, importantly, he understands that the greatest threats to our national security come from failure—failure to be “always ready,” failure to understand the dynamics of the world stage in the 21st century and, most of all, the failure to properly educate all of our children.

Barack Obama and Joe Biden are ready to lead. They are tested, and they are proven, and they will bring us the change we need and the America we deserve. Under their leadership, America, like its Coast Guard, will always be ready.

Eight years later, what do they have to show for it? The surpluses squandered, our national reputation tattered, jobs lost. We all know this. Even John McCain concedes that “we are worse off than we were four years ago.”

But you can’t expect change from a Senator who voted in lockstep with President Bush 95 percent of the last year. No, we can’t afford more of the same. We need new leadership. We need change. It’s time to elect Barack Obama President of the United States!

Americans have been asking for change since November 2006. And we Democrats are heeding the call. We Democrats have been fighting every day for working people and their families. We’ve raised the minimum wage and put the focus back on hard-working Americans, the backbone of our economy.

We’ve passed an energy bill to make our cars more efficient and our conservation more effective. We’re supporting alternative fuels to free us from the tyranny of dependence on foreign oil. We passed a new GI Bill to honor the sacrifices of our men and women in uniform. And every day, we strive to honor a principle familiar to every American family: We won’t spend more money than we have.

I am proud of all of those accomplishments. But the truth is that the Republicans in the White House and in the Senate have stopped real change. Americans want a single-minded focus on terrorists’ defeat and al-Qaida’s total destruction, not decades of American troops in Baghdad.

Americans are tired of country club economics. We want an economy that works for all of us, for people who are struggling to own just one home, much less seven. Americans want clean energy and lower gas prices, not subsidies for oil companies making record profits. And Americans want affordable health care for their children and their families.

But we won’t get the change we need with John McCain in the White House. We can, we must do better. With your hard work, on January 20th, Barack Obama will stand on the steps of the Capitol and take the oath of office. We’ll have a President of the United States who will call Americans to service, to excellence, to renewal of the Declaration’s principles that have been a light of inspiration to millions at home and around the world.

Senator Obama has reminded us: “These are the soul-trying times our forebearers spoke of, when the ease of complacency and self-interest must give way. This was true for those who went to Lexington and Concord. It was true for those who lie buried at Gettysburg. It was true for those who built democracy’s arsenal to vanquish fascism.” It must be true of us.

We Democrats pledge ourselves to that cause, to turn the page on the past and give the American story new meaning in this soul-trying new century. When dawn breaks on January 21st, we will begin the long, tough, essential job before us: bringing America the change we need. No matter how challenging, no matter how painstaking it may be, I promise you this: We Democrats will stand shoulder to shoulder with the American people to bring true change, long hoped for and long delayed.

And here in Denver, we ask a man of character, intellect, compassion, vision and achievement to lead that change. Because that is what this moment demands. That is what we must do to renew the promise of our great nation. For the change we need, we must elect Barack Obama and Joe Biden the next president and vice president of the United States of America.

The Democratic women of the Senate are a force for women, a force for families, and a force for change. We’re proud to introduce you to our checklist for change.

You know how we women are. We make our to-do lists. We check off our accomplishments. We get things done!

And that’s exactly what we Democrats are going to do when we take back the White House!

Let’s start with equal pay for equal work. It’s an absolute scandal that America’s women continue to earn just 77 cents for every dollar men earn. Tonight, you are going to hear from lily Ledbetter, who after years of dedicated service found out she had been paid less every day of her career. The Supreme Court said there wasn’t anything they could do about it. But there is something we can do about it. We can change the federal law book and put change in women’s checkbooks.

This November, we can’t afford more of the same. Let’s elect Barack Obama and finally get equal pay for equal work!

Thank you.

I know this first hand. My father served in the Navy and then went on to become a United States Foreign Service officer, proudly representing America in places like Turkey and India and Pakistan, where I was born. I learned a lot about the world as a child in those places, but I also learned a lot about America.

One memory of those years stands out. It was in the early 1970s, and I had just turned 14. One day, I traveled with my parents to a tiny remote village in Sri Lanka. There, I walked into a family’s small hut and as my eyes adjusted to the light, I noticed, hanging on the wall, a portrait of President John F. Kennedy. It was 10 years after he had been in the White House and half a world away from our country, but for these villagers it represented the America that had sent Peace Corps volunteers to help them. It represented the America they looked to as a land of opportunity and as a force for good and justice around the world. That portrait of our president represented an America that was a beacon of hope.

Today because of the policies of George Bush, John McCain and their Republican allies in Congress, that beacon has dimmed, not only for the world, but for many Americans. Here at home the American dream of good-paying jobs, of affordable healthcare, of a college education often seems just that: just a dream. Abroad, America’s image has been tarnished, our alliances weakened, and Osama Bin Laden is still at large. The American people cannot afford more of the same.

This election, we have a chance to relight the beacon for the world, to restore the dream for Americans, to realize the change we need by electing Barack Obama and Joe Biden, and expanding our Democratic majority in congress. We can do this.

We started in 2006, when the American people voted for change, for a new direction. And the Democratic Congress has delivered: landmark lobbying reform, a pay raise for troops and tax relief for their families, a new GI bill with free college education for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, the first increase in the minimum wage in a decade, the first expansion of family and medical leave in 15 years, the first improvement in fuel efficiency standards in 32 years, the largest college aid expansion in 64 years, the largest veterans’ health care funding in the history of the Veterans Administration.

And in each of these victories, we had an ally in the Senate: Barack Obama. But in too many other areas, we’ve been blocked by George Bush, John McCain and their Republican allies in Congress. When it came to stopping giveaways to big oil, to exploring the life-saving science of stem cells, to offering health care to 10 million American children, to responsibly ending the war in Iraq, the American people’s pleas for change have been ignored by a Republican leadership that has made theirs the party of no, veto and the status quo.

So, now we have to finish the job. But President Barack Obama won’t be able to do it alone. For the change we need, we not only need to elect Barack Obama as our next president, we need to give him a robust Democratic majority in Congress. Working together, we will bring affordable health care to every American. We will give a tax cut to help millions of hard-working families. We will free our nation from Middle East oil. We will rededicate this nation to confronting the real threats America faces in the world.

The wave for change that began in 2006 continues to grow. Already this year, we’ve won special elections in districts no one thought we’d win: in Illinois, Louisiana and Mississippi. Now we take our campaign to whole country, with more than 50 terrific Democratic candidates for change.

And we’re honored to have some of them with us tonight: from New Jersey’s 3rd District, a fighter for the middle class, state Senator John Adler; from Illinois’ 11th, an independent fighter with a track record of creating new jobs in her district, state Senator Debbie Halverson; leading an incredible grassroots campaign across Florida’s 25th, Joe Garcia; from New Mexico’s 3rd district, a dedicated community leader, Ben Ray Lujan; a proven leader and the beloved mayor of Hialeah running in Florida’s 21st, Raul Martinez; from Florida’s 13th District, a bank teller who worked her way up, a pioneering businesswoman and community leader, Christine Jennings; and bringing independent leadership that Minnesotans of the 3rd district are seeking, a patriot who served in Iraq as a U.S. Marine, Ashwin Madia.

These are just a few of the 50 outstanding candidates for change that are running across the country from Alabama to Alaska, from New York to New Mexico, and right here in the great state of Colorado. We must succeed, because if we make the right choice this election, it will mean a new direction for America and the world for years to come.

It will mean that one day, decades from now, another young boy will go into a home in a remote village in a faraway part of the world, and there, hanging on the wall, will be the portrait of another American president, a president we elected in 2008, a president who again made America a beacon of hope in the world, a president who restored the American dream at home, rebuilding our economy, our schools, our confidence. A president who lit the torch and inspired a new generation to believe again—a president named Barack Obama.

Governor O'Malley highlighted all the ways John McCain has been in the tank for his big oil friends like Exxon-Mobil. Governor O'Malley pointed out that, instead of supporting Senator Obama's plan to give middle class families an energy tax credit paid for with a windfalls profits tax on Big Oil or the bipartisan energy compromise being discussed in Congress, John McCain wants $4 billion more in giveaways for Big Oil and supports a gas tax gimmick that won't keep prices down but will fill Big Oil's tanks even more. McCain even said Exxon-Mobil told him we can drill our way to energy independence.

"The oil companies are looking for one, two, or even four more years of record profits, and John McCain is promising more of the same," said Governor O'Malley. "He's voted time and again against raising fuel efficiency standards. He's voted against renewable fuels and green jobs. He's made an Exxon lobbyist his Senate Chief of Staff, and he has 33 oil industry lobbyists as campaign advisors and fundraises. I guess Big Oil has gotten quite a return on their $2 million investment in John McCain."

"We can choose four years more of the same failed policies that have gotten us where we are. Four years more of oil companies calling the shots while hard working families are struggling. That's what Senator McCain is offering. Or we can choose a new, clean energy future that gets us where we need to be. We can make a different bet--a bet on the ingenuity, industry and determination of the American people. That's what Barack Obama is offering."

Governor O'Malley was joined by DNC Senior Communications Advisor Brad Woodhouse, who discussed the campaign strategy in the coming weeks and displayed the package of yard signs, buttons and bumper stickers that will be featured at events across the country. Woodhouse noted that Exxon McCain field events started with rallies outside of John McCain's appearance in Michigan yesterday and continued with events outside his events in West Virginia and Ohio today. Exxon-McCain rallies are being planned in dozens of states in the coming days, including upcoming events in Des Moines, IA, Trenton, NJ, York, PA and Detroit, MI.

"We're going to have thousands of activists and hundreds of event across the country telling people in their own communities what the Exxon-McCain 08 campaign has in store for them," said Woodhouse. "If you want more of the same skyrocketing higher energy costs and giveaways for Big Oil, vote Exxon-McCain 08."

To view the Exxon McCain 08 website, click here: www.ExxonMcCain08.com.

To watch today's news conference, click here: http://www.democrats.org/page/-/video/ExxonMcCainPressConf.mp4

To view the Exxon's $2 million check to John McCain, http://www.democrats.org/page/-/images/content/exxon_mccain4.jpg

Download an Exxon-McCain 08 yard sign: http://www.democrats.org/page/-/images/content/exxon_mccain1.jpg

Download an Exxon-McCain 08 bumper sticker here: http://www.democrats.org/page/-/images/content/exxon_mccain2.jpg

I've gotten multiple reports from politicos in Maryland and Virginia about the Trust Huckabee robo-calls. The third-party group has launched their usual automated calls going after Huck's rivals, but with a twist: they haven't take Mitt out of their cross-hairs.

Huckabee has disavowed the group's efforts, but took a contribution from their parent organization last quarter.
[...]
The group offers even more oppo on the dreaded Romney, hitting the former rival on abortion, taxes, immigration and guns.

Sponsors -- including Sen. Richard S. Madaleno Jr. (D-Montgomery), Sen. Jamie B. Raskin (D-Montgomery), Del. Benjamin S. Barnes (D-Prince George's), Del. Heather R. Mizeur (D-Montgomery) and Del. Anne R. Kaiser (D-Montgomery) -- said 49 lawmakers have signed on to the legislation, which would remove language in the state code that limits marriage to unions between men and women.

The Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act would also exempt religious leaders from having to perform or recognize same-sex unions.

At a news conference, lawmakers compared their cause to the work of Britt, who was arrested for riding a segregated merry-go-round in Glen Echo Park in 1960.

In her message, Delegate Sol Gutierrez also contrasts the presidential candidates in both parties, reminding listeners that Democrats are fighting for universal health care coverage while Republican candidates are offering another four years of more of the same failed policies of the current Administration.

The audio of the address will be heard through local Univisión Radio, Latino Broadcasting Company, Radio Fórmula, Radiovisa, Radio Bilingüe, and CNN en Español Radio affiliates after 11:06 a.m. ET on Saturday.

THE TEXT AND AUDIO OF THE ADDRESS, INCLUDED BELOW, ARE EMBARGOED UNTIL 11:06 AM ETON SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 22ND.

The audio can be downloaded using the following link:

http://www.democrats.org/page/-/audio/radio_addresses/20070922_hispanicradioaddress_anasolgutierrez.mp3

Translated Text in English

Good Morning. This is State Delegate Ana Sol Gutierrez, a member of the Subcommittee on Health and Human Resources of the Maryland House of Delegates.

It is an honor to deliver this address not just on behalf of the Democratic Party, but on behalf of millions of families across the country who are today one step closer to having much needed health care coverage for their children.

The reason we're closer is that Democrats in Congress kept their promise and passed an expansion of the Children's Health Insurance Program to get health care coverage to more children who need it, when they need it. Even 43 of our country's 50 Governors have expressed their support for the measure. But a big obstacle remains. President Bush has threatened to veto it, and his Administration took the antagonistic step of warning states they could not enroll children in federally funded health care programs without first verifying that a child had gone an entire year without health care coverage. Having voted against the bill in the first place, Republicans in Congress are standing with the President and against our children.

That is the difference between the two political parties in our country. Democrats share our values, Republicans do not. Just this week a similar contrast was on display in the presidential contest. The Democratic candidates challenged each other on how best to make health care coverage accessible and affordable for everyone in America. At the same time, the Republican presidential candidates vowed to fight such efforts, demonizing universal health care coverage as 'socialized medicine' and promising to deliver what we already know doesn't work: four more years of the same failed policies and misguided priorities of the current President.

Your participation can make the difference. Our votes in November changed the direction of the Congress. Today Congress can pass bills to provide health care for more children because we have a Democratic majority. A Republican Congress would remain focused on extending President Bush's tax cuts for the wealthy at the expense of the rest of us. But our majorities are not big enough to overcome a presidential veto.

I urge you to challenge your members of Congress and your Senators to protect the expansion and renewal of the Children's Health Insurance Program, and to oppose the President's veto. As the 2008 presidential election approaches, I also hope you'll join me in supporting the candidates who understand that no child should go without the health care they need for a single day, much less for a full year: The Democratic candidates.

This is Maryland State Delegate Ana Sol Gutierrez for the Democratic Party.

Thank you for listening.

State parties will publish their delegate selection rules and clearly explain how to participate in the summer of 2007.

Maryland Democratic Party
188 Main St Ste 1
Annapolis, MD 21401
410-280-8818
410-280-8882 (fax)

District-Level Delegates: 46
At-Large Delegates: 15
Pledged Party Leader & Elected Official (PLEO) Delegates: 9
Unpledged Delegates: 29
TOTAL Number of Delegates: 99

Alternates: 12

TOTAL DELEGATION SIZE: 111

System type: Primary

State convention page: Available
State plan: Plan Available (PDF)
State filing form: Not available online. Please contact the state party to receive a copy.

** This information is prepared by the DNC's Office of Party Affairs and Delegate Selection and may be subject to change. For more information, please call 202-863-8000.

"As a veteran, founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus and a civil rights champion, Congressman Parren Mitchell fought tirelessly to give all Americans equal rights under the law. He also made history by serving as Maryland’s first black congressman. Congressman Mitchell was widely known for his hard work, commitment to the underprivileged, and as a fiery advocate for change. He will be sorely missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with Congressman Mitchell’s family and friends along with the constituents he proudly served for eight terms in Maryland’s 7th district."

"Clearly the GOP's 'Southern Strategy' is alive and well in Maryland. It's appalling that Michael Steele rolled out his own modern day version of the 'Southern Strategy,' designed to deceive African American voters," said Democratic National Committee Communications Director Karen Finney. "Is this the kind of leadership Steele plans to offer the national party if he were chairman? And when will the GOP stop using trickery to win elections?

"Last Tuesday, despite the efforts of Steele and national Republicans, the American people went to the polls and rejected the Karl Rove politics of hate and division, and overwhelmingly voted for fundamental change. Democrats are offering a new direction for America that protects the right to vote for all, and protects all voters from intimidation and deception at the polls."

Listed below is a small sample of the tactics used by Republicans in recent elections to intimidate voters across America. For more information about the Democratic Party's comprehensive national voter protection program to ensure the American people can vote with confidence in all 50 states visit www.democrats.org/voterprotection:

Republicans Tried to Scare Hispanic Immigrants From Voting. State investigators have linked a Republican campaign to letters sent to thousands of Southern California Hispanics warning them they could go to jail or be deported if they vote next month, a spokesman for the attorney general said. In fact, immigrants who are naturalized U.S. citizens can vote. [USA Today, 10/19/06]

RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman Vowed to Challenge Voters at the Polls. During an appearance on behalf of the GOP gubernatorial candidate in Virginia in 2005, RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman vowed to "do whatever we can to help make sure Jerry Kilgore becomes the next governor of the state" - including, according to the AP "having poll workers on hand to challenge voter eligibility." [AP, 05/26/05]

Convicted Republican Phone Jammer Blamed GOP "Culture" and Was Afraid to Push Back on RNC Official. As he finished serving a prison sentence for "jamming Democratic phone lines in New Hampshire during the 2002 US Senate race," Allen Raymond told the Boston Globe that the "scheme reflects a broader culture in the Republican Party that is focused on dividing voters to win primaries and general elections. He said examples range from some recent efforts to use border-security concerns to foster anger toward immigrants to his own role arranging phone calls designed to polarize primary voters over abortion in a 2002 New Jersey Senate race." The scheme led to "the convictions of Raymond and two top Republican officials, and a Democratic lawsuit that seeks to determine whether the White House played any role." Allen said "he got caught up in an ultra-aggressive atmosphere" and that "he had been reluctant to turn down a prominent official of the RNC, fearing that would cost him future opportunities from an organization that was becoming increasingly ruthless." [Boston Globe, 06/10/2006]

Virginia County Asked to Halt Plan for Armed, Uniformed Police at Polling Places. The ACLU said that the planned police presence is a reminder of when armed government officials were used to prevent minorities from voting and will only intimidate many potential voters, causing them to avoid the polls. [http://www.aclu.org/VotingRights/VotingRights.cfm?ID=16862&c=32, 10/21/04]

RNC Funded Company Trashed Voter Registration Forms: "Voter's Outreach of America" aka "America Votes" is responsible for ripping up democratic voter registrations in Nevada. According to the investigative report, hundreds and perhaps thousands of individuals who think they are registered to vote actually are not. The organization has reportedly left Nevada and gone to Oregon. Full transcript of story attached... Well, the company [Voter's Outreach for America, aka America Votes] has been largely, if not entirely funded by the Republican National Committee. We should also point out that similar complaints have been received in Reno, where the registrar there has asked the FBI to investigate. It's a complicated story and we'll have a lot more tonight and I think in the days ahead." [KLAS Las Vegas Channel 8, 4pm news, Oct. 12, 2004]

Armed, Plain Clothes Police Officers Intimidated Elderly Black Voters In Orlando. Plain clothes police officers, revealing their side arms, made house calls to elderly, black voters who voted in Orlando's mayoral race in March 2003. The voters were in large part campaign workers or volunteers that helped to organize and get out the vote, mainly using absentee ballots, for African- American Mayor Buddy Dyer. Dyer won with just under 51% of the vote. His challenger, Ken Mulvaney and other defeated candidate alleged that Dyer aide, Ezzie Thomas, the 73-year old head of the Orlando League of Voters, filled out multiple absentee ballots on behalf of black voters. These actions came in spite of the fact that in May 2003 the Florida Dept of Law Enforcement had concluded "that there was no basis to support the allegations of election fraud."[Bob Herbert Column, New York Times, 8/16/04, 8/20/04; AP, 7/17/04]

Florida Election Officials Sought To Purge African-Americans From Voter Rolls. Florida Officials Struck Over 2,000 Eligible Voters From Voting Rolls, 62% Were Democrats, More Than Half Were Black. An analysis by the Miami Herald found that the Florida Division of Elections had improperly included 2,119 voters who were on a list of more than 47,000 felons potentially ineligible to vote in the November elections. Florida law requires convicted felons to request clemency in order to regain their right to vote. Of the 2,119 people on the list, 62% were registered Democrats, almost half were Black and less than 20% were Republican. Only sixty-one Hispanics were included on the list of over 47,000 felons though they comprise 11% of the prison population, a politically significant fact for the November elections since Hispanics in Florida vote overwhelmingly Republican while Blacks vote Democrat. [Miami Herald, 7/2/04; Sarasota Herald-Tribune, 7/7/04, 7/8/04; New York Times, 7/10/04]

Native Americans Told "To Go Home" In June Primary. Poll workers demanded identification from Native Americans in South Dakota's June primary, and they illegally turned away Native American voters from the polls when they did not have it. The state's elections auditor sent out a memo to state poll workers stating that all voters must have IDs, but did not widely disseminate information that said that voters could sign an affidavit in lieu of showing identification. State Democrats say that the actions by poll workers were an extension of a wider move by the GOP controlled state legislature to suppress Native American turnout. The law requiring voters to show identification was passed last year. One South Dakotan voter turned away from the poll was told by an elections worker that "if she didn't' have a photo ID, she could just turn around and home." [Argus Leader, 6/11/04]

Kentucky Republicans Will Place Vote Challengers In African American Precincts. Kentucky's Jefferson County Republican Party announced that it will place Republican vote challengers in predominantly African American precincts during the November 2004 elections, reiterating their 2003 attempt to suppress voter turnout. In 2003, county Republicans placed challengers at 18 polling places in predominantly black districts. However, even Republicans have taken offense this year, and a dozen Republicans including two African Americans joined together to protest their party's actions. [AP, 7/30/04; Courier-Journal, 8/3/04]

Michigan Republican Lawmaker Says Gop Needs To "Supress" The Detroit Voters. Michigan State Representative, John Pappageorge, told members of the Oakland County Republican party that the GOP would do poorly in this year's elections if it failed to "suppress the Detroit vote." Pappageorge's comments were a thinly veiled mandate to suppress African American voter turnout in a city where 83% of the population is Black and overwhelmingly votes Democratic. [Detroit Free Press, 7/16/04; AP, 7/21/04; Washington Post, 8/26/04]

The guide being used in Maryland is consistent with Republican efforts across the country, and in past elections, to challenge voters in order to deny them their right to vote and to manipulate the outcome of an election. A similar effort in 1981 led to a court ruling that forces the Republican National Committee to obtain the court’s permission prior to carrying out any such program, and to give the Democratic National Committee 20 days notice prior to going to court. On Monday, DNC Chairman Howard Dean sent a letter to RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman asking him to comply with both the letter and the spirit of the law, and confirm that neither the RNC or its affiliates would carry out any such tactics to disenfranchise voters. The effort to challenge voters in Maryland uncovered by the Washington Post clearly shows a disregard for that court ruling and is further evidence of the Republican Party’s commitment to keeping Americans they disagree with from voting.

The Washington Post story also comes a day after an agreement was reached in front of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, which gives voters a partial victory guaranteeing that nobody will be turned away by a lack of ID documentation. [Columbus Dispatch, 11/02/06] Thanks to the plaintiffs who took on the Republican Voter ID law, hundreds if not thousands of voters, including college students and our brave men and women in uniform, who otherwise might not have been able to vote will now get to cast a ballot. However, the confusion surrounding this year's election only reinforces the need to closely examine these requirements after Election Day.

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean issued the following statement:

“The Republican efforts in Maryland to keep Americans from voting, and the fact that voters in states like Ohio and Indiana are still facing confusing voter ID laws are exactly why the Democratic National Committee has established the most comprehensive national voter protection program ever in all 50 states.

“All Americans should have full confidence that they will be able to vote, and that their votes will be counted. The DNC will continue to fight to restore the American people’s confidence in their elections, and to protect the most fundamental right we have as Americans. I challenge my Republican counterpart, Ken Mehlman, to denounce the Maryland GOP manual, and to join the DNC in working to ensure that no American ever has to worry about their right to vote being challenged or their votes counted. And I encourage every American who can, to come out to vote next Tuesday. The best way to deter and defeat voter suppression is to have greater turnout.”

The following are key elements of the national Democratic voter protection strategy for 2006. For information visit the DNC’s Voter Protection Resource Center online at http://www.democrats.org/voterprotection :

NATIONAL VOTER PROTECTION HOTLINE: The DNC established the national 1-888-DEM-VOTE hotline so voters all across the country can get information about how and where to vote and to report problems at the polls on Election Day;

PROVIDING ELECTION PROTECTION STAFF: National Democrats will place election protection staff in key states and provide training and step-by-step Election Protection manuals to other states.

RECRUITING LEGAL ASSISTANCE ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY: The National Lawyers Council is recruiting 7,500 pro-bono lawyers and law students to support the DNC's election protection program. These lawyers will be placed in precincts to augment voter protection efforts at every level-including not just statewide office and Congressional races, but local and county races as well. These offices from state representatives to county sheriffs and judges will have a profound impact on the lives of real citizens throughout the year.

ADVANCING LEGISLATION FOR VERIFIED VOTING: The DNC will continue working with Congressional leaders, grassroots activists and state parties to build support for federal legislation to mandate a verified voting paper trail for voting machines that has been proven as the best method of securing votes.

FILING LITIGATION TO BLOCK LEGISLATION: The DNC will work with state parties to file litigation to prevent imposition of egregious photo ID and other Republican sponsored legislation that disenfranchise voters. This follows the successful partnership the DNC has undertaken with state parties pursuing legal challenges to, for example, Indiana's voter ID law and to the effort to investigate the criminal phone-jamming scheme in New Hampshire.

MONITORING STATE LEGISLATION: The National Lawyers Council and the Voting Rights Institute will continue to meet with top election law attorneys and monitor state legislative initiatives that have the potential to dilute the voting rights of key constituency voters. They are also updating manuals from the last election cycle to reflect new changes in election laws across the country.

On November 7, voters will have the opportunity to reject the failed policies of President Bush and the Republican rubber-stamp Congress on Iraq, the war on terror and their failure to make Americans more economically secure. Under the watch of Washington Republicans Americans are facing rising college tuition costs, skyrocketing health care prices and unstable gas prices, which have made it harder for working families to make ends meet. The CBC PAC has been at the forefront in the battle for change and will use this tour to emphasize what’s at stake for the fall elections.

“The Democratic National Committee is excited about the efforts of the Congressional Black Caucus PAC which will help get out the vote in these last critical days,” said Democratic National Committee spokesperson Amaya Smith. “This effort is part of a larger committment that Democrats have to not take any vote or voter for granted. This November, voters will be offered a real choice between the failed ‘stay the course’ policies of Washington Republicans and the new direction Democrats offer for America.”