NTD NEWS     August 2, 2017
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Last week was a week filled with surprises -- in other words, a typical week in the world according to Trump. The biggest surprise was the loss of the President's dream White house buddy, Anthony Scaramucci, after only 10 days as the new White House Press Secretary. How sad it was to see President Donald lose such a perfect Oval Office confidant. I'm sure he saw "The Mooch" as someone who would be totally in sync with his own personality - a fellow loudmouth, braggart and bully. And wouldn't he have been the ideal enabler? But it was not to be.
     Also, last week we saw the President's son, Donald Jr. get in deeper hot water caused by his less than forthright statements about his involvement with the Russians during last year's political campaign. And now we learn that President Trump "weighed in" on the wording of his son's misleading statements. Interesting choice of words -- a bit like "Bonnie 'weighed in' on the route Clyde should take in the getaway car." Was it obstruction of a federal investigation?
Time will tell.
     What is becoming clearer every day is that President Trump is in way over his head. He has no idea how to conduct himself in the presidency. Perhaps that's because he entered his job with very little understanding of how a democracy works. I'm not talking about a failure to understand the complexities of government at its highest level. This guy doesn't appear to understand government at the level of an eighth grade civics class.
     Of course this isn't the first time the United States has had a less than competent president. We had a string of bad ones back in the middle of the 19th century. -- The Civil War followed. - And although history should never blame that tragedy entirely on those mediocrities, their ineptness played a role. The truth is, we've had a good number of presidents who were in beyond their depth. Sometimes their advisors saved them from disaster. But in many cases, the inadequacies of those presidents and the flaws of their advisors led to seriously bad times -- not just for us here at home but for people halfway around the world.
     So, it's always smart to take the competency of our President and his/her cabinet very seriously. The lives of millions of people literally depend on their sensibilities and skills. --
But I digress.
     Today, we progressive Democrats have a clear goal. (Actually have for a long time.) We want to move our country in a direction that is more equitable, more hopeful, more rewarding for every citizen across our nation. But how do we do this when the White House is occupied by an erratic narcissist with apparently no strong personal convictions? (And by the way, we could almost say the same thing about the Governor's office in Springfield.)
     Obviously, we need to gain more leverage in the legislative branches of our federal and state governments. Our founding fathers recognized the importance of such checks and balances. If we must live with a bizarre executive branch, we Americans better make sure our legislative branch has its act together. This certainly hasn't been the case in recent years - especially since the appearance of the Tea Partiers and the Citizens United Decision that has allowed millions of anonymous dollars of oligarch wannabes to influence election campaigns at every level of government.
     But here's something we shouldn't forget: Republicans don't have a majority of Americans under their tent. The opposite is true. (Regardless of what the President says about millions of illegal immigrant votes.)
     This is why I have been so encouraged by the burgeoning grassroots efforts coming from a variety of directions to shift the majority of state and federal legislators to the Democratic column. The "Resistance Movement" continues to gain momentum. Since Trump's election last fall, growing numbers of volunteers across the U.S. have gotten involved in pushing back. Some of you reading this may have attended one or more rallies, rung doorbells or worked a phone bank. Several U.S. House Republicans in neighboring states are now targeted for defeat next year. Our Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky is very much a part of this growing effort. The DPOE is also keyed into this.
     And last night at the New Trier Dems Executive Committee meeting we heard from Doug House, the President of Illinois' Democratic Party County Chairman's Association. You may not have heard much about their efforts yet, but you will. They are seriously organizing to help elect Democratic candidates for state and federal offices in 2018 across Illinois. At this point prior to the party primaries, their work has been targeted at fielding strong candidates and getting them in front of the public. Doug reported that the Democratic message, already being spread by the Democratic gubernatorial candidates, is now beginning to resonate in every corner of our state.
     The New Trier Dems also have plans to get engaged in helping the campaigns of several Democratic candidates vying to replace vulnerable Illinois Republican members of Congress. And closest to home of course, we'll be working to elect New Trier's state and federal Democratic legislators.
     Think how good it would be to see Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell lose their gavels in 2018. It can happen -- but only if enough of us get involved in these efforts. Our incentives are easy enough to find. Just keep watching the weekly antics in the Oval Office.
 
                                                                      Nels Howard
                                                                    NTDO member since 1973 

P.S. A couple weeks ago at the NTD Meet & Greet at AVLI in Winnetka...
I met Fritz Kaegi. He is a Democrat who has declared he is running to replace Joe Berrios as Cook County Assessor. The New Trier Dems will not be endorsing any candidates until our endorsement meeting in January, 2018. However, Fritz is an intriguing candidate. (He refuses to take donations from attorneys who do business with the assessors office. Certainly a refreshing approach.) You can learn a bit more about him by visiting his website: http://fritzforassessor.com     


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Are your NTD annual dues up to date? You can only vote at endorsement meetings if you're paid up.  Check with the NTD office if you're not sure when your "annual dues date" is.

To renew your NTD membership or to become an official member of the New Trier Dems for the first time,
visit our NTDO website. You'll see information on all you membership options.

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Have you visited Senator Biss' website "The Road Back" --
click on the link to his video -- then, throughout the summer follow his plan's development on the website.

Daniel explains a lot about how Illinois got where it is today and how we can begin the journey on the road back toward achieving our state's tremendous economic potential.
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FYI: The NTDO Events Calendar 
for the rest of 2017


June 23-24 GLENCOE SIDEWALK SALE  
9 am-5 pm Downtown Glencoe
July 14 -15 WINNETKA SIDEWALK SALE
9 am-5 pm Downtown Winnetka
July 17 ANNUAL MEET AND GREET at AVLI ESTIATORIO
566 Chestnut, Winnetka, 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm

July 22 -23 WILMETTE SIDEWALK SALE
9am-5pm Downtown Wilmette
Sept. 10 NTDO ANNUAL MEETING AND PICNIC
Lake View Room and Beach Pavilion 1 pm - 4 pm
Oct. 8 2017 NTDO ANNUAL DINNER
Maggiano's Old Orchard, Skokie, 5 pm-9 pm
Nov. (Date & Place TBA)  
"HEAD START FOR 2018" CONFERENCE
All North Shore Democrats Invited

 
Thursday, August 31 in Chicago - Lisa Madigan's Birthday Bash - Cubs vs. Braves Baseball.

When: Thursday, August 31. Reception at 6:00pm, game starts at 7:05pm
Where: Wrigley Rooftops, 3609 North Sheffield, Chicago
What: Root for the Chicago Cubs at Lisa Madigan's annual Birthday Bash.
For additional information or to RSVP , register online, or email Michelle Young at michelle@lisamadigan.org or call 312-670-0606.
 
The guest speaker for the October 8, 2017 NTD Annual Dinner has been confirmed.

It's Congressman Mike Quigley. As a member of the House Intelligence Committee, Rep. Quigley will bring his perspective on the possible Russian meddling in our 2016 Election and the seriousness of such a threat to our democratic process.  (Were any Trump operatives involved?) -- By October, who knows what our guest speaker may have to report?

Your Legislators:


Legislators Democratic Legislators
who represent New Trier Township in 
Washington, Springfield and Cook County 
 



You'll be hearing a lot from these exceptional public servants. --

And they want to be hearing a lot from you. 
     The fact is, they need to hear from you and want to hear from you in order to represent you most effectively. So, the first thing you can do is get to know who these people are. The links below to their campaign websites are a good place to start. 
 
Jan Schakowsky , 9th U.S. Congressional District Representative  and Chief Deputy House Democratic Whip. The new Ninth District boundaries include all of New Trier except for Glencoe. 

Brad Schneider , 10th U.S. Congressional District Representative which includes a number of precincts in Glencoe.
     
Daniel Biss,   State Senator for Illinois' 9th State Senate District.The Ninth District includes all of New Trier Township.
  
Julie MorrisonState Senator for Illinois' 29th State Senate District. The district includes New Trier's northernmost precincts.   

Robyn Gabel, IL 18th District State Representative. The 18th District includes much of New Trier up to Hazel Avenue and Dundee Road.
 
Laura Fine , IL 17th District State Representative.
The 17th District includes the East Glenview and West Wilmette areas of New Trier Township.

Scott Drury IL 58th District State Representative. 
The 58th District includes the northernmost precincts in Glencoe.

Larry Suffredin, Cook County 13th District Commissioner. The 13th District includes all of New Trier, Evanston and Niles Townships. 
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Dear Fellow Democrats, 

If you are not already an NTDO member, and enjoy our Newsletter, we hope you consider joining us as a dues-paying member. NTDO is a not-for-profit political action organization. We depend on our membership dues to support our Democratic causes and candidates.

There are two options for dues payments: by check or credit card.

 

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or go directly to ActBlue by clicking here. 
Still not a member of the New Trier Dems? Your participation in grassroots political action will make a difference. -- Come join us.

When you're a member of the New Trier Democratic Organization, you have an active role in affecting the political process; participating in grassroots campaigns, staying in touch with elected officials, playing a role in deciding which candidates are endorsed. You'll also gain free admission to select forums and events throughout the year.

Come be a part of New Trier's grassroots political community.    
About Us:
The New Trier Democratic Organization is made up of hundreds of grassroots volunteers dedicated to advancing progressive ideals through the political process. We welcome your participation.

Sincerely,
Dean T. Maragos, Committeeman New Trier Township

We are located at 800 Oak Street, Suite 112, in Winnetka, IL. Ph: 847-446-8030
Contact: newtrierdemocrats@gmail.com.

*This Internet communication paid for by the New Trier Democratic Organization and  not authorized by any federal or state candidate or campaign committee. A copy of our report filed with the State Board of Elections is available for purchase from the State Board of Elections in Springfield, Illinois.