Patlak takes the primary!

According to the Miami-Dade election folks, with 95% of the votes counted, Dave has over 53% of the votes cast!

We're one step closer to sending Dave to Washington to serve the citizens of the 18th Congressional District, the State of Florida, and this great country of ours.

Get out and vote!

Yes, today is the first opportunity you have to cast your votes for Dave Patlak.

Wondering where to vote? For residents of Miami-Dade, go here.

For up-to-date vote counts, go here.

For election news from today's Miami Herald, go here.

Dave is a member of Dean's Dozen!

Dave's been endorsed by Democracy in America and named a member of Dean's (final) Dozen!

This is only one small step in our journey to send Dave Patlak to The Hill and bring Ileana Ros-Lehtinen home. Let's send Dave away and bring Ileana home!

On the web!

I found Dave on the web at Daily Kos... Pretty cool, I thought.

And, then, here he is mentioned at Grass Roots Miami... Very cool, I though.

Further along my travels, I found him on Wes Clark's site... Beyond cool. (General Clark was my candidate in the earlier Presidential primary cycle; I still think General Clark is the ideal servant leader. He'll do great things in the next Cabinet.)

And a little further along, I find that Dave was in USA Today (the McPaper of newspapers) a while back... Well, I'm just tickled pink.

And back in blog land, I find that Frank Lynch has blogged about Dave in Really Not Worth Archiving. I'm thinking, "Check it out. Dave not only has a whole blog dedicated to him and his campaign, but other bloggers are blogging about him." Hot.

So there we are: Dave's on the web. All over!

Now, it's incumbent on you to spread the word about Dave's candidacy for the House of Representatives. Get on the move!

The time for action draws near

Greetings fellow Citizens. The time for action draws near. What are you doing about it?

Okay, a bit formal, but the message is clear: time draws nigh. The Primaries are only a couple of days away; while Dave is doing well, this is not a time to slack off. He (and, I would suggest, our country) needs you to act. What are you doing to help Dave's candidacy? Have you talked to your neighbors? Have you spread the word? Have you donated funds?

We all need to do something. And, if your situation is anything like mine, we all can be doing more.

These are trying times, all across the Country. While the political stew continues to simmer -- and will likely reach a boiling point in late October -- we need to remember a couple of things.

• First, free speech is a fundamental right. For others. And for me. And for you. Exercise it.


• Second, one of the things that makes this country great is the fact that we can disagree (even strongly disagree) and still roll up our sleeves and work together, side by side, when we need to.

Many years ago at my boyhood church, we installed a stained glass window over the altar. The stained glass was made by an artist who had done work throughout Africa. The work he did in Africa was as service instead of serving in the military in Vietnam. He didn't dodge the draft; he didn't serve as a National Guardsman; he didn't move to Canada. Instead, he took alternative service and worked in Africa, not only doing stained glass, but helping build communities. A physical labor for more than seven year. Anyway, he did the stained glass for our church. And, when he came to install the glass, he needed assistance. And the man who stood on the ladder on the other side of the wall helping with the installation was a retired Army colonel, who had served in Vietnam. The two of them worked for a nearly a week installing the glass. Two men with different notions of policy, but both with a shared vision of what the world was supposed to be. And both men acting on that vision.

We must make America a better place, for all citizens. Part of that action is electing leaders who share our values, share our vision, and share our desire for right action.

Dave Patlak is, in my book, a leader who we need to send to Washington. His values, his vision, and his desire demonstrate responsibility to all Americans.

Join me helping sent Dave Patlak to Congress. Get out and act; get out and do; get out.

All politics is local (Part 1)

They say all politics is local, even national politics. Take a gander at this site, a focus on the national perspective.

Congress needs to take a stand

The Washington Post reported yesterday that a "memo issued last summer by a U.S. Army military intelligence officer appealed for suggestions on how to extract information from prisoners in Iraq and called for tougher means of getting intelligence." What we might be seeing is the start of a wealth of information which shows the Abu Graib interrogations were not some abnormal behavior which were created out of context by a couple of junior enlisted military personnel.

Why do I mention this? Well, part of the responsibility of the Congress is to bring issues to light, to investigate, to hold hearings, to bring the American government into the age of transparency. And, at the moment, most of our elected representatives are more concerned about their own jobs than transparency in government.

I seek out elected representatives who will bring transparency to the Hill and other power spots in Washington. I seek out representation which strives to find the truth.

I seek out representatives like Dave Patlak. I hope you do too. Support Dave Patlak.

A need for federal funding for accurate weather forecasting

Receieved the following from the "Home Office." They requested I post here on our Blog for Dave.

To all interested parties,

As a local charter boat captain I have a necessary familiarity with the remote sensing instrumentation employed by NASA and NOAH, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. These agencies provide some of the most valuable tools professionals such as myself rely on to make a living. My academic background is in meteorological science, which comes in quite handy and I apply that basic knowledge on a daily basis with help from NOAH to create working forecasts of weather conditions at sea. I depend on my experience at sea and on the derived meteorological products from key satellite systems to keep my clients and myself safe.

However, you don't have to be a sea going captain to understand the importance of accurate weather forecasting services. It is of grave concern to me that the public is now exposed to a clear and present danger posed by the shut down of the TRMM satellite program. TRMM is an orbiting surveillance platform, which observes and reports important information needed to make sound weather forecasts. TRMM provides sea surface temperature and sea height data, which is factored into the statistical forecasting models, which estimate hurricane growth potential and direction of travel.

The TRMM satellite program has been used for over a decade in successful forecasts of intensity and tracking for tropical systems like Hurricane Charley. To the dismay of working professionals, coastal residents and the world science community, funding for this vital program has been terminated by the Bush administration, even as these scientists argue that we are now handicapping our ability to deliver concise warnings of impending hurricane landfalls. The premature closure of this very valuable weather forecasting mission is certainly not laudable given our present circumstances.

The problem with TRMM is not technical; it is all about reassigned budget priorities to accommodate the president's vision of manned space exploration. In the absence of the political will to continue the program a decision was made to implement the controlled de-orbiting of this perfectly good life saving satellite. All because the mere $28 million to $36 million needed to operate the system for another two years could not be found in the new working budget shared between NASA and the Japanese space agency with whom we are in partnership.

Let's do some math and examine the false economy realized in this shortfall. Accurate forecasting reduces the scope and scale of evacuations. The costs of evacuating 1 mile of coastline has been estimated to be about $1 million dollars and there are hundreds if not sometimes thousands of miles evacuated during even a mild Hurricane season. The cost of a human life lost to a storm is a calculation that I would not care to endure and yet sadly manyhave done just that.

I would like to ask Mr. Bush to justify why he deemed it appropriate for his administration to impair our forecasting system and thus blind our eyes to the next storm which arrives to take from us the very things government can not replace. I think that it is incumbent for him to assign thenecessary funding to ensure that NASA and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration can continue their mission of protecting the nation from the consequences of violent weather. Any reluctance to do so would be worthy of some very close attention by the residents of Florida. The president's recent visit to the disaster sites at Punta Gorda and Arcadia certainly takes on new meaning when we consider these implications.

/s/ Captain Wayne R. Genthner
629 Payne Parkway
Sarasota, Fl


Supporting data:

Fundraising reception to be held this Saturday!

Another message from the home office.

You are cordially invited to a fundraising reception for Dave Patlak with a viewing of the documentary "OUTFOXED" afterwards. "OUTFOXED" exposes the media basis behind the Fox News network with personal interviews, white house distributed talking points, and other revelations.

Help us reach our "Double our Money" fundraising goal, so we can fund David's slingshot against Ileana's Goliath money machine.

Contribute on-line right now and put "OUTFOXED Event" in the comments section. Then print out your receipt and use it as your ticket in or just contribute at the door. Here is the on-line link: http://www.patlak.org/id8.html.

WHEN: Saturday August 21, 2004 Starts at 5:30 pm
LOCATION: The Kenilworth 10205 Collins Ave, Bal Harbour.
Tell the Concierge you are going to Apt. 107 (Last Name: Lieberman)

If you wish to RSVP or get better directions the phone #s are: 305 861-9355 or 305 865-3206

Minimum Suggested contribution: $100
Maximum contribution: $4,000 ($2000 each election cycle)
Checks payable to: Patlak for Congress
Contributions are not deductible for federal income tax purposes.
Corporate contributions are not permitted by law.

Weekly "Patlak for Congress" Volunteer E-letter

A message from the "Home Office."

Hello PATLAKers,

NOTE: There is an excellent chance that Saturday morning's precinct walk will be covered by Miami Herald reporter, Nicole White. It would be great to have a HUGE TURNOUT on Saturday to show our support for Dave.

Here's what's goin' on this weekend:

Saturday and Sunday Morning, August 20th & 21st:
Precinct Walk in South Dade

Join us for flyering this Saturday and Sunday morning, from 9 to noon. We'll be leaving Patlak literature at the homes of every Democrat in South Dade. We'll be covering one of the most heavily Democratic areas in all of Dade County, so your participation is vital to our efforts to reach everyone in just two days. We'll all be meeting both Saturday and Sunday morning at the Burger King on SW 112th Ave at SW 211th St, at 9am. We'll all go out in teams at about 9:10, and then get back together at noon for lunch. I'll be there at 8:30 to greet early arrivals.

Saturday Afternoon, August 20th:
Honk and Waves

Saturday evening, from 6 to 8pm, join us for a honk and wave. Come out to wave signs Patlak and Kerry signs at one of the following locations: (Don't forget to wear those snazzy Patlak for Congress t-shirts.)

• US 1 and Sunset


• US 1 and SW 136 ST


• US 1 and Eureka Dr. (SW 184 St.)


• US 1 and SW 312th ST


• US 1 and Palm Drive (Homestead)

Saturday Night Insanity

Following the Honk and Wave, join us for a round of miniature golf at TROPICAL MINI GOLF, at 27201 US 1, in Homestead. We'll meet at about 9:30pm and she or he who shoots the lowest round will receive a brand new anti-Bush t-shirt.

Sunday Night, August 21st:
Phone Banking

Come help us Phone bank for Dave: Put your free cell phone minutes to good use from 6 to 9pm, at my apartment. The address is 8370 SW 65th Ave, Apt. 9, in South Miami. FREE PIZZA and DRINK, for all who attend!

Please give me (David Jordon) a call at 305 666-2519 to RSVP for this weekend's events or to get directions to my house for Sunday events.

The (past) WEEKEND IN REVIEW:

Thanks again to everyone for yet another terrific weekend of flyering, honking, waving, and phone banking. Thirty volunteers came out this weekend to help and they took no prisoners (literally and figuratively).

In the Gables Saturday and Sunday morning, fourteen PATLAKers pounded the pavement (a lot of alliteration) leaving literature at Democratic doorsteps. Thank you all for your hard work.

We also had at least 25 volunteers out in the evening at Honk and Waves along US 1. For two hours, Patlak and Kerry supporters waved signs and handed out bumper stickers and pins. Thank you all for coming and for wearing those Patlak t-shirts - golly they're sharp.

We wrapped up the weekend with a Sunday evening phone bank. From 6 to 9pm, we reached out to Democrats in Miami Beach and South Miami, and much to our delight; we were graced once again this week by the presence of the candidate himself. Dave joined us for phone calls and pizza (or in Dave's case, pizza toppings - it's a South Beach Diet thing).

Thanks you everyone for coming out. You light up our weekends.

David Jordan
Volunteer Coordinator
305 666-2519

From the "Home Office"

Greetings everyone,

Another successful weekend for volunteers has come to a close. Thank you for your hard work.

GREAT NEWS!!! We are in the Miami Herald AGAIN both yesterday and today. The first is an article from the Sunday Metro section page 3 untitled “Democrats aim at tough incumbent Ros-Lehtinen.” The second is an excellent letter to the editor from today’s paper titled “Cuban Politics” written by Elaine Cruz (The text for both are included at the end of this posting). That is Dave Patlak in the press 5 times in the last week and half. Help us keep the press coming by writing a letter in response to the Sunday article. The contact info on where to send your letter is printed right before the articles at the bottom of this post.

TAKE ACTION RIGHT NOW!!!

There are three quick actions you could do right now that would significantly help our campaign.

• Click on this link and sign the internet petition to make Dave one of the last Dean Dozen. It will take you 1 minute to do, yet if we are successful it could mean thousands of dollars for our campaign.


• Send this e-mail to friends on your list and ask them to sign the petition as well. It doesn’t matter where in the country people live. Congress is a national office and Dave’s race will make the difference for John Kerry in South Florida.


• Contribute right now. We have begun a 10 day fundraising blitz to double our money. HELP US REACH OUR GOAL by contributing what you can now. We have an incredible campaign plan for the general election.

We are David fighting Goliath when it comes to fundraising, but never forget that DAVID WON. We don’t need 2 million to go head to head. We need $200,000 and her game is over. At our last filing with the FEC, we had raised $30,000. That’s it and look what we have done. All of us. Together. Help us double our money and reach $80,000 by August 31st. Contribute now.

Here is the address to write a letter to the Herald:

• e-mail HeraldEd@herald.com or


• Fax to: 305 376-8950 or


• snail mail it to: The Readers’ Forum, The Herald, One Herald Plaza, Miami, FL 33132-1693

REMEMBER: All letters to the Herald MUST INCLUDE your name, address, and a daytime phone number. They almost never call, but they won’t print your letter without it.

Thanks again EVERYONE!!!!!! Enjoy the reading below!

Sincerely,
Charles Chamberlain
Charles@PATLAK.org

MIAMI HERALD ARTICLE from Sunday, Aug. 15, 2004

“Democrats aim at tough incumbent Ros-Lehtinen”

The Democrats who will square off in an Aug. 31 primary in U.S. House District 18 are taking shots at incumbent Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and her support for President Bush.

BY NICOLE WHITE

The effort to unseat Republican congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen essentially comes down to this: a battle cry to defeat the woman who opponents say has ignored the needs of U.S House District 18 to campaign tirelessly for President Bush.

Democratic candidates Dave Patlak of Miami Beach and Samuel Sheldon of Pinecrest both say that belief was at the core of their respective decisions to seek to represent the district that stretches from Miami Beach to Key West.

Patlak and Sheldon are competing in the Democratic primary on Aug. 31 for the nomination to run against Ros-Lehtinen, an eight-term incumbent heavily favored to keep her seat.

NOT BEING SERVED

''I just had enough,'' said Patlak, 49, a retired U.S Coast Guard officer, who touts his 25-year experience in the agency and his knowledge of the nation's waterways.

''It sickens me to hear Ileana get on the radio to urge voters to stay the course for four more years when the people of her district aren't being served,'' he said.

Sheldon, 28, a University of Virginia Law School graduate and a political neophyte who admits to having ''underestimated the amount of work this campaign would take,'' said he is offended by the congresswoman's routine defense of the Bush administration.

''I see Bush as a problem on many levels and Ileana as an enabler who has to go,'' Sheldon said.

Whoever wins the primary will have to do more than deliver firecracker rhetoric to topple the popular incumbent.

Ros-Lehtinen has retained her congressional seat in seven elections with only token opposition, and she is a veritable ''institution in Miami-Dade politics,'' said Miami-based pollster Sergio Bendixen.

Ros-Lehtinen's 1989 victory in a special election to replace beloved congressman Claude Pepper after his death represented the ''the beginning of a chapter in Cuban-American politics,'' Bendixen said. ``It was one of the great victories of Cuban Americans. She'll be very difficult to defeat.''

In addition to shaking that legacy, whoever wins the primary must also overcome Ros-Lehtinen's near $2 million campaign war chest. Patlak and Sheldon have so far raised a combined $30,800.

As the incumbent, Ros-Lehtinen, whom The Herald could not reach for comment for this report, also enjoys the ability to remind her constituents of her accomplishments. She does this via newsletters and mailers that emphasize her role in securing funding to help clean the Miami River and her role in helping to introduce the Early Treatment for HIV Act ``to allow states to expand their medicaid programs to cover HIV positive individuals before they become disabled.''

The two Democrats are taking different approaches. Sheldon has sent no direct mail and will not campaign door-to-door. He'll embark instead on an Internet campaign blitz.

Patlak, on the other hand, has been more old-school, going door-to-door, even hurricane warnings Thursday night in Marathon.

He has seized on the chance to woo Cuban-American voters who aren't happy with Ros-Lehtinen's support for President Bush's tough new Cuba travel policy.

The new policy cuts remittances to $100 a month and travel to the island by Cuban Americans from once a year to once in three years.

Patlak's campaign postcards, signed by 150 Cuban Americans, declared the new policy ``Un-American, unjust and inhumane.''

He has also responded to Ros-Lehtinen's claims that the foundation run by Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry's wife may have indirectly helped the Cuban government link to the Internet more than a decade ago. Democrats dismissed the accusation against Teresa Heinz Kerry as an absurd smear.

Patlak called it ``the worst kind of negative campaigning I've seen in years.''

THE REAL CHALLENGE

While Patlak's strategy -- admittedly designed to woo Hispanic voters who make up 56 percent of the district's more than 285,000 registered voters -- could very well earn him the Democratic nomination, he would face an uphill battle against Ros-Lehtinen, Bendixen said.

''Patlak seems like an earnest person, but he's going to have to work hard, and he's going to have to do much, much more to win this race,'' he said.


LETTER TO THE EDITOR in Monday, August 16, 2004 Miami Herald

Cuba politics

Re the Aug, 12 article Cuba policy is used against GOP:

It is not candidate Dave Patlak who is using President Bush's latest travel restrictions for political gains. Patlak is simply standing up for a basic human right to visit family. President Bush is the one who implemented cruel restrictions aiming to secure the votes of right-wing Cubans.

I'm a Cuban American who applauds Patlak for standing up against measures that only serve to divide the Cuban family.

/s/ ELAINE CRUZ, Miami

Your help is needed now

Your help is needed now.

Here are three easy ways to help Dave Patlak's campaign for Congress:

1. Help get Dave on the Dean's Dozen list sponsored by the Democracy for America folks. Click here to sign the petition. Come on! It's quick, painless, and doesn't cost a thing!

2. Blog here: drop me an email and I'll add you so you can blog here on our Patlak for Congress blog. Okay, this one will cost you creativity and a few words spent blogging. So be it. It's worth it!

3. Donate money to Dave's campaign. In today's world, it takes money to run a successful campaign, even one run on a shoe string. These are not the days of yore where public appearances by the candidate and volunteers knocking on doors did the trick. Nope, not any more. Today, cash is needed. That's the reality of the matter. The good news is that every bit counts. This doesn't cost you any creativity, energy, or words, just a few bucks. Give up dinner out one night this week and help send Dave to Washington.

There you go; three easy things to do... Now get to work...

Material Wealth... who's got it? who doesn't?

Yesterday, the President sat stone-faced through a sermon imploring the congregation to "jettison their material possessions." I'll not make any judgments on the President's wealth, or on the wealth of Senator Kerry, but I will utter a word or two about Mr. Patlak:

Dave is no born with a silver spoon in his mouth guy. No, David Patlak is a retired military officer, drawing a simple retirement pay for his years of service in uniform. And, Dave is no academy graduate, but rather worked his early years in uniform as an enlisted member. He's a regular Joe. And, as such, he understands where most Americans, and most people living in the 18th District in Florida, are coming from. His vision is one for all Americans, and one where those at what we sometimes consider the "bottom of the food chain" can succeed. Our youth. Our recently arrived to this country. Our veterans, disabled and able-bodied alike. Our minimum age earners. All those who form the bulk of our great country.

No silver spoon here; David wants to work with you and for you... not the other way around.

This can only happen, however, if each of us contribute our time and talent and treasure to his candidacy. We, each, must do what we can to support Dave Patlak and to ensure his run for Congress is successful.

The Miami Herald has spoken

And spoken they have. In yesterday's paper, the Herald staff endorsed Dave Patlak in the upcoming primary. Said the Herald about Dave's experience:

Such expertise equips him to advocate in Congress for better security at our
ports and along this district's shoreline, which stretches from Miami Beach to
Key West.

Get on board and help send Dave to Washington. We want Ms. Ileana Ros Lehtinen to come home!

Volunteer. Support. Dave Patlak for Congress!

Get out & volunteer... Later this month, get out & vote...

It's been one of those weeks where I'm not sure if I'm coming or going, both personally and professionally. Politically, well, I know both where I'm coming from and where I'm going, but more on that in a minute.

As you may know, this was a very important week: 214 years ago on the 4th of August, the United States Coast Guard started as the Revenue Cutter Service. I mention this because, as you know, Dave is a Coast Guard veteran. The values of the Coast Guard -- honor, respect, devotion to duty -- are ingrained in his being. These are values which will guide him as the Representative from the 18th District.

However, he can't get there without your help. We're coming from years in the wilderness where the average American doesn't count inside the Beltway. With your help, we're headed to a time when you and me, plain-old-ordinary-Americans, count. Your help is needed to put Dave, and those who agree with his values, in Washington.

How can you help? Well, today I received the following. Take note:

Greetings Everyone,

Thank you all for making this weekend our most successful yet, as twenty-five Patlak volunteers came out to help at our Saturday and Sunday events. In case you missed it, the weekend in review is right after the info on what’s up this week.

Here’s what we got going on this week:

Saturday Morning, August 7th: Canvass Pinecrest
Join us on Saturday, from 9 to Noon, as we canvass the registered Democrats of Pinecrest. We’ll all go out in teams to knock on doors and talk with our base about Dave Patlak. We’ll all be meeting at the Starbuck’s located in the strip mall on U.S. 1 and SW 112th St at 9:00am. We’ll all take off at about 9:10. I’ll be there at 8:30 for early arrivals.

Sunday Afternoon, August 8th: Grand Opening of the new DCCF Office in Homestead
Come join us from 3 to 6pm for the Grand Opening of the DCCF Office, located in the Pioneer Mall at 224 Washington Avenue, in Homestead. Dave Patlak will appear in the flesh (and a suit), as well as Air America Radio AM 940 and Haitian Radio AM 1610, who will be broadcasting the event live and on location. Come show your support, and don’t forget to wear those stylish Dave Patlak for Congress t-shirts.

Sunday Evening: Phone Bank
Then, after the grand opening, join us as we break in the new office. Come help us phone bank from 6 to 9pm – help us reach out and touch Democratic voters in Homestead and beyond. We have less than a month to go before the primary, and with your help we can make sure that people know the name Dave Patlak on August 31st.

Food and drink for all who attend.

Monday and Tuesday Evening: Phone Bank
On every Monday and Tuesday evening, from now until the primary on Aug. 31st, there will be phone banking at the home of the volunteer coordinator (me) from 7 to 9pm. Everyone who attends will have ample and delicious food, and more importantly, the pleasure of my company. These phone banking sessions will be held at Dave Jordan’s house, at 8370 SW 65th Ave, apt. 9, located in Jade Gardens Apartments in South Miami. PLEASE CALL 305 666-2519 TO RSVP, and for directions to this venue.

THE WEEK IN REVIEW:

On Saturday morning, fifteen of us attended the Cuban American protest against the new and insidious travel restrictions outside of Ileana’s office, located outside the district (go figure). Patlak volunteers handed out signs and flyers to an enthusiastic crowd of four hundred protesters. More than two hundred protesters signed our postcard petition against these extreme and inhumane measures. Also on hand was Dave “Elvis” Patlak, who was mobbed for an hour by protesters and press for quotes, handshakes and autographs. We made the networks with a long spot on ABC at 6:30. Thank you to everyone for attending and helping create such a successful event.

Then in the afternoon, we dodged the raindrops in Westchester to flyer the doors of all registered Democrats. Great job by all - Thanks!

On Sunday afternoon, a dozen volunteers converged on the home of the volunteer coordinator to stuff envelopes and construct lawn signs. We stuffed and sealed more than a thousand fundraising letters in less than an hour and a half – shattering last weeks pace of two hours and fifty minutes. Athens, here we come! Thank you to everyone for your dedication and manual dexterity.

We finished off the weekend with a Sunday evening phone bank for Dave. Seven of us, including the candidate himself called and identified hundreds of District 18 voters for the August primary. And Dave treated us all to fresh mangos from his backyard’s trees and pizza from Pizza Hut. Thanks Dave! And thanks to everyone for doing such a great job this weekend.

A general announcement: Erika Brigham’s dog – the loveable and hungry dachshund, Henry, is now our official campaign mascot (just don’t tell that to Dave’s bunny, Pluto).

See y’all this weekend, and beyond,

Dave Jordan
Volunteer Coordinator
305 666-2519

P.S. I would be neglecting my duties if I didn’t mention you can contribute on-line at http://www.patlak.org . Your support makes it possible for all these great event to take place. If you can’t volunteer this weekend, please consider a contribution instead. Thanks!!

To help out with the campaign, write patlakvolunteer@hotmail.com.