DNC Report from 12-4-05

by Jason Rae

Greetings Wisconsin Democrats!

I hope that this chilly winter weather finds you well. I cannot believe that it is already the first week of December! Where does the time go? I wanted to take just a few moments of your time today to update you on the happenings of the Democratic National Committee.

I’ve just returned back to Milwaukee from an absolutely wonderful fall DNC meeting in Phoenix, Arizona. I was already feeling confident about our prospects for the elections of 2006 and 2008 after the results in New Jersey, Virginia, and California, but after this weekend, I feel rest assured that Democrats will be taking over one year from now.

I want to highlight just a few of the things that went on this past weekend for you:

On Friday afternoon, the members of the DNC met with the official DNC pollster. While I am not able to share with you the exact numbers we were presented with, let me tell you that we are on our way to victory. The numbers are getting very close to the place they were in 1994 when the Republicans took over Congress. After next year, the Democratic Party will once again be running this country!

On Saturday morning we held a general session of the Democratic National Committee. One of the major facts highlighted at Saturday’s general session was that we currently have field organizers in 49 out of 50 states! (Illinois is the only one currently without any.) When Governor Dean was elected Chair of the party in February, he committed the resources of the DNC to running a year around campaign in all 50 states. We are certainly on our way to doing just that.

Here in Wisconsin we have four amazing individuals who are paid by the DNC but work for the Democratic Party of Wisconsin. Throughout our weekend, we heard only positive things about the work that these organizers are doing around the country a year out from the 2006 elections. I was just wondering what your opinion on the field-organizing program is? I would appreciate any feedback you have as we continue evaluating the effectiveness of these resources.

We also approved a variety of resolutions at the general session. When I ran for my position as a DNC member, I advocated that the DNC needed to do more to reach out to our nation’s newest generation of voters. I am more than ecstatic to inform you that the DNC adopted a resolution calling for the establishment of a Youth Coordinating Council. The purpose of this council is to develop a plan for increasing youth participation in voting and in the Democratic Party. I, as the nation’s youngest DNC member, will be taking a very active role in this council alongside officials from the College Democrats of America and the Young Democrats of America. I am officially submitting my name to Governor Dean tomorrow to ask to be considered for the position of Chair or Co-Chair of the Youth Coordinating Council. I truly feel this is one of the most important steps that the DNC can take to ensure electoral victories in the future years; it is essential we make an active effort to reach out to those 18 to 25 year olds.

We also approved several other resolutions, including one sponsored by the Wisconsin delegation commemorating the life and service of former Senator Gaylord Nelson. I am pleased to say that that resolution passed unanimously.

Those are just a few of the many things that went on during our meeting in Phoenix. I would love to elaborate further, but I will restrain from doing so. If you should have any questions or comments about anything else that happened at our fall meeting, please do not hesitate to contact me. I would be happy to expand on these things more for you.

On a completely personal note, I wanted to take a moment and share with you some exciting news. Each year, the Anti-Defamation League sponsors 15 political active college students to travel to Israel to meet with Israeli and Palestinian leaders. I am proud to say that I was selected to participate in this all-expenses paid trip this year. I will be heading out January 2nd and returning on the 10th. It should be an amazing experience that I will certainly tell you about after I return to the United States.

Well all that being said, I will let you get back to your busy lives. As always, if there is anyway I can be of assistance to you or your local party in any way, shape, or form, please do not hesitate to let me know. I was elected to the DNC to represent you.

I wish you all a very safe and joyous holiday season!

Democratically yours,
Jason R. Rae
DNC Member – WI
raejason@yahoo.com
715.790.4334

DNC report from 9-20-05

by Jason Rae

Greetings Wisconsin Democrats!

I received an email yesterday from Linda Chappetto, DPW Political Director, informing me that the state party has finished its hiring of DNC staffers for the state. I was so excited to receive this email. I know that when I traveled the state this summer I spoke with many of you about these people coming. I know how excited you and I both were to have people spread throughout the state to help out. I wanted to be sure forward this email on to you, so you would know who is out there willing to help out and get Democrats elected as we head in to 2006 and 2008.

I hope that all is going with you and your party. As always, if I can be of any assistance, just let me know.

Democratically yours,
Jason Rae
Democratic National Committee
raejason@yahoo.com
715.790.4334

*****
Email from Linda Chappetto, DPW Political Director:

After receiving over 50 applications and interviewing over 30 applicants, we have hired our DNC field organizers. Below are their biographies and email addresses. Feel free to contact them, and expect them to contact you in the coming weeks! Thank you all for the resumes you sent and the references you provided. If there are large projects you would like help with from these folks please contact me, Linda Chappetto, at lindac@wisdems.org otherwise please contact them directly.

Andrea Nair – SE Wisconsin Field Organizer
Naira@DNC.org
Andrea was an intern at the Democratic Party of Wisconsin in 2003, and she is a graduate of our Democratic Leadership Institute. Andrea worked as a Research Analyst for the Wisconsin Center for Educational Research before leaving to work for America Coming Together (ACT) in 2004. Through the course of the election Andrea managed over 1,100 volunteer and paid canvassers in the Madison area. She then moved to Milwaukee and began working for Wisconsin Citizen Action where she acted as the Voting Rights Campaign Coordinator from February of this year until agreeing to come on board with the DNC. Andrea is originally from the Madison area and she attended the University of Wisconsin Madison where she received a BA in Political Science and Psychology. Andrea is excited to be back with the Party and working to begin organizing for the 2006 election.

Bob Meyer – SW/So Central Wisconsin Field Organizer
Meyerr@DNC.org
Bob is originally from the Eau Claire area of Wisconsin. He attended University of Wisconsin La Crosse where he was active in his College Democrats chapter. He interned for Congressman Kind in 2000 and 2001 both on the campaign and in his Legislative District office. He then worked as the Field Director on Congressman Kind’s 2002 re-election campaign. Bob was in charge of all of the field operations for the campaign including organizing the 6 counties that had been added to the Kind district because of redistricting. Bob moved to Madison after the Kind campaign and worked on the Doyle transition team. After that he worked as an Assistant Manager at Consolidated Air Express which is a DHL/Airborne independent contractor. Bob is excited to be getting back into politics and back into some of the counties he organized during the Kind campaign.

Annie Olson – NE Wisconsin Field Organizer
Olsona@DNC.org
Annie is originally from Minnesota. She attended the University of Minnesota – Morris where she was active in environmental causes on campus. While at UMM, Annie served as MPIRG Environmental Task Force Leader and worked as a Budget and Appropriations Policy intern for the Wilderness Society in Washington, D.C.
In her junior year Annie coordinated a Conservation Task to reduce utility costs and the negative environmental impact of the campus. In June 2004 Annie came to Wisconsin to work for Senator Russ Feingold’s campaign. During the summer of 2005 Annie worked in the Appleton regional office and September Annie moved to Wausau to coordinate the GOTV operations. Since the campaign Annie organized a petition drive in Oakland, CA to qualify ballot initiatives for a November special election. If passed, the ballot measures will help lower the cost of prescription drugs and protect consumer rights. Annie is excited to be back in the Fox Valley and to start organizing.

Nathan Franklin – NW Field Organizer
Franklinn@DNC.org
Nathan was born and raised in central Wisconsin on a dairy farm. He moved to Eau Claire in 1997 to attend the University. He has been there ever since. He has worked on two consecutive legislative races in the Eau Claire area against Rep. Rob Kreibich. Nathan is currently attending Graduate School at University of Wisconsin Eau Claire in History and Education and he has been working at the Chippewa Valley Technical College assisting faculty and students with the online course delivery program. He has also worked as a Clerk at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and as an Intern for the City of Eau Claire. Nathan is married and has a two year old daughter named Lucy. Nathan is well thought of already in the NW corner of the state and is anxious to get to know more people in the region through his work with the DNC.