Tenn. Democratic Party Spokesman Says It’s Time for Republicans to Put Seniors & the Middle Class First and Agree to Avoid the Sequester with a Balanced Plan that Closes Loopholes for the Wealthy and Big Business

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — This morning, President Obama discussed common sense solutions to avoid the sequester and reduce our debt [...]

President Barack Obama presented a plan today to protect our children and communities by reducing gun violence.

Our nation has suffered too much at the hands of dangerous people who use guns to commit horrific acts of violence. As President Obama said following the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy, “We won’t be able to [...]

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Democratic Party is advocating for the extension of middle class tax cuts today following the release a National Economic Council of the White House state-by-state report that shows serious economic problems for hard-working Tennessee families if the extension fails.

Click here to see the National Economic Council’s [...]

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee Democratic Party Chairman Chip Forrester released the following statement on President Barack Obama’s commitment to fighting for an extension of tax cuts for the middle class, in addition to working toward a balanced approach to reducing our nation’s deficit:

“When the American people went to the polls on November 6th, [...]

President Obama reminded us during the campaign that “we are the people we’ve been waiting for,” we are the agents of change.  If we want the President to accomplish what he promised throughout the campaign, we need to stay active and let our elected officials, both at the state and the federal level know that we support the President’s policies.  Throughout the President’s term, we’ll be posting ways that you can help.  Please take the time to make phone calls, send emails, or write letters whenever you can.  Come to rallies and meetings when your schedule permits.  And get involved.  Our voice is stronger when we speak as one, and we worked too hard to get the President re-elected to squander this opportunity through inaction.  Devote 15 minutes a week to contacting your elected officials and see what kind of difference we can make together

Here is a list of actions that you can take NOW to help support the President’s agenda:

At the state level,  please contact Governor Haslam (615-741-2001), Rep. Ryan Williams (526-4163) or Rep. Cameron Sexton (615-741-2343), and Sen. Charlotte Burks (839-3392) to urge them to support the state-run insurance exchange and Medicaid expansion included in the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare).  A state-run exchange will likely be more responsive to local needs and more familiar with the local health insurance market and may make the automatic enrollment process for Medicaid easier and more user friendly.    The additional costs of both programs will be likely be offset to a large degree by a reduction in uncompensated care, increased revenues in the health care industry, and more money in the pockets of people who are currently uninsured.  (***We just found out there will be a Republican Party sponsored forum Dec 4th at 7 pm on the third floor of the County Courthouse.  Please stop by if you have questions or if you want to talk to Rep. Williams in person about your support!)

At the national level, please call Sen. Harry Reid (202-224-3542), Sen. Lamar Alexander (202-224-4944), and Sen. Bob Corker (202-224-3344) about the need for filibuster reform so that the Senate can once again serve the public and address the nation’s problems.  Secret holds and a record number of filibusters have brought the Senate to a standstill and previous efforts to reach a solution have been unsuccessful.  We need to eliminate the secret hold and make Senators engage in a true filibuster where they speak on record about why they oppose legislation, nominees, judicial appointments, etc. if we want a Senate that works for us.

And finally, please call Rep. Diane Black (202-225-4231) to express your support for the President’s efforts to fulfill his campaign promises and enact the vision of America for which the majority of Americans voted on November 6 — including tax increases for those making more the $250,000, no cuts to Social Security, no cuts to Medicare benefits, and no gambling with the economy of the United States.

Thanks for all you do!

Today is the day! If you didn’t get a chance to get out early and vote, today is your last chance! The polls will be open until 7 pm and we want everyone to get out and support President Obama and Vice-President Biden and our roster of local candidates. We want the President Obama to win the popular vote as well as the Electoral College vote, so every vote counts.

If you live in Monterey, please get out and vote for Flo Matheson for State Representative There’s some indication that this race may have tightened up and your vote may make the difference. For the rest of Putnam County, Thomas Willoughby is your candidate for State Representative. We’re writing in Rachel Robinson in the 6th Congressional District race against Diane Black. And you can vote your heart in the Senate race — write in your favorite Democrat, support one of the independent candidates, or vote for the candidate on the ballot.

The office will be open all day today, so feel free to drop in. We’re calling voters in North Carolina to get out the vote in our neighboring swing state, taking people who need a ride to the polls out to vote, and holding signs to show our support. And we’ll be having our Election Night party tonight. So come on down and watch the election result come in. We’ll have food and beverages, but feel free to bring something!

Thanks for all you do!

Join us at the Putnam County Democratic Party on Saturday March 3 to phone bank for Presidnt Obama’s re-election! You do need a cell phone to bring to make the calls, and if you’d like you can bring a computer or tablet to use the barackobama.com phone tool. We will have print outs and scripts available as well, so please come even if you can’t bring a computer. (If you don’t have a cell phone that you can use we can take shifts!)

You can find more information and RSVP at https://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/phonebank/gppvlb

Rep. Diane Black just had an interview with Lou Dobbs where she stated that the President is using fear mongering when it comes to the Debt Ceiling talks.

The President said that he, himself, cannot promise that social security checks will go out on time if there is not a deal reached.

Black is just using GOP rhetoric to stonewall moving the country’s economy forward. Mitch McConnell has stated again that he will not help re-elect President Obama.

If you want to watch Black’s interview you can here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxOfneBZwFo&feature=player_profilepage

These Republicans need to put politics aside and stand up for the people in their districts – OUR district.

On May 1, 2011 President Obama addressed the nation from the East Room of the White House announcing that he directed an operation that successfully killed Osama bin Laden. Here are the words of his speech, and you can find the video at www.whitehouse.gov

THE PRESIDENT: Good evening. Tonight, I can report to the American people and to the world that the United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of al Qaeda, and a terrorist who’s responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent men, women, and children.

It was nearly 10 years ago that a bright September day was darkened by the worst attack on the American people in our history. The images of 9/11 are seared into our national memory — hijacked planes cutting through a cloudless September sky; the Twin Towers collapsing to the ground; black smoke billowing up from the Pentagon; the wreckage of Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where the actions of heroic citizens saved even more heartbreak and destruction.

And yet we know that the worst images are those that were unseen to the world. The empty seat at the dinner table. Children who were forced to grow up without their mother or their father. Parents who would never know the feeling of their child’s embrace. Nearly 3,000 citizens taken from us, leaving a gaping hole in our hearts.

On September 11, 2001, in our time of grief, the American people came together. We offered our neighbors a hand, and we offered the wounded our blood. We reaffirmed our ties to each other, and our love of community and country. On that day, no matter where we came from, what God we prayed to, or what race or ethnicity we were, we were united as one American family.

We were also united in our resolve to protect our nation and to bring those who committed this vicious attack to justice. We quickly learned that the 9/11 attacks were carried out by al Qaeda — an organization headed by Osama bin Laden, which had openly declared war on the United States and was committed to killing innocents in our country and around the globe. And so we went to war against al Qaeda to protect our citizens, our friends, and our allies.

Over the last 10 years, thanks to the tireless and heroic work of our military and our counterterrorism professionals, we’ve made great strides in that effort. We’ve disrupted terrorist attacks and strengthened our homeland defense. In Afghanistan, we removed the Taliban government, which had given bin Laden and al Qaeda safe haven and support. And around the globe, we worked with our friends and allies to capture or kill scores of al Qaeda terrorists, including several who were a part of the 9/11 plot.

Yet Osama bin Laden avoided capture and escaped across the Afghan border into Pakistan. Meanwhile, al Qaeda continued to operate from along that border and operate through its affiliates across the world.

And so shortly after taking office, I directed Leon Panetta, the director of the CIA, to make the killing or capture of bin Laden the top priority of our war against al Qaeda, even as we continued our broader efforts to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat his network.

Then, last August, after years of painstaking work by our intelligence community, I was briefed on a possible lead to bin Laden. It was far from certain, and it took many months to run this thread to ground. I met repeatedly with my national security team as we developed more information about the possibility that we had located bin Laden hiding within a compound deep inside of Pakistan. And finally, last week, I determined that we had enough intelligence to take action, and authorized an operation to get Osama bin Laden and bring him to justice.

Today, at my direction, the United States launched a targeted operation against that compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. A small team of Americans carried out the operation with extraordinary courage and capability. No Americans were harmed. They took care to avoid civilian casualties. After a firefight, they killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body.

For over two decades, bin Laden has been al Qaeda’s leader and symbol, and has continued to plot attacks against our country and our friends and allies. The death of bin Laden marks the most significant achievement to date in our nation’s effort to defeat al Qaeda.

Yet his death does not mark the end of our effort. There’s no doubt that al Qaeda will continue to pursue attacks against us. We must –- and we will — remain vigilant at home and abroad.

As we do, we must also reaffirm that the United States is not –- and never will be -– at war with Islam. I’ve made clear, just as President Bush did shortly after 9/11, that our war is not against Islam. Bin Laden was not a Muslim leader; he was a mass murderer of Muslims. Indeed, al Qaeda has slaughtered scores of Muslims in many countries, including our own. So his demise should be welcomed by all who believe in peace and human dignity.

Over the years, I’ve repeatedly made clear that we would take action within Pakistan if we knew where bin Laden was. That is what we’ve done. But it’s important to note that our counterterrorism cooperation with Pakistan helped lead us to bin Laden and the compound where he was hiding. Indeed, bin Laden had declared war against Pakistan as well, and ordered attacks against the Pakistani people.

Tonight, I called President Zardari, and my team has also spoken with their Pakistani counterparts. They agree that this is a good and historic day for both of our nations. And going forward, it is essential that Pakistan continue to join us in the fight against al Qaeda and its affiliates.

The American people did not choose this fight. It came to our shores, and started with the senseless slaughter of our citizens. After nearly 10 years of service, struggle, and sacrifice, we know well the costs of war. These efforts weigh on me every time I, as Commander-in-Chief, have to sign a letter to a family that has lost a loved one, or look into the eyes of a service member who’s been gravely wounded.

So Americans understand the costs of war. Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when our people have been killed. We will be relentless in defense of our citizens and our friends and allies. We will be true to the values that make us who we are. And on nights like this one, we can say to those families who have lost loved ones to al Qaeda’s terror: Justice has been done.

Tonight, we give thanks to the countless intelligence and counterterrorism professionals who’ve worked tirelessly to achieve this outcome. The American people do not see their work, nor know their names. But tonight, they feel the satisfaction of their work and the result of their pursuit of justice.

We give thanks for the men who carried out this operation, for they exemplify the professionalism, patriotism, and unparalleled courage of those who serve our country. And they are part of a generation that has borne the heaviest share of the burden since that September day.

Finally, let me say to the families who lost loved ones on 9/11 that we have never forgotten your loss, nor wavered in our commitment to see that we do whatever it takes to prevent another attack on our shores.

And tonight, let us think back to the sense of unity that prevailed on 9/11. I know that it has, at times, frayed. Yet today’s achievement is a testament to the greatness of our country and the determination of the American people.

The cause of securing our country is not complete. But tonight, we are once again reminded that America can do whatever we set our mind to. That is the story of our history, whether it’s the pursuit of prosperity for our people, or the struggle for equality for all our citizens; our commitment to stand up for our values abroad, and our sacrifices to make the world a safer place.

Let us remember that we can do these things not just because of wealth or power, but because of who we are: one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Thank you. May God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee Democrats have published a draft plan to select delegates to the 2012 Democratic National Convention. The delegate selection process is open to all voters who wish to participate as Democrats.

“This plan provides Tennessee Democrats a blueprint for getting involved and making their voice heard in the 2012 presidential election cycle,” said Chip Forrester, Chair of the state party. “We advocate for open, accountable government and we hold ourselves to the same standard so we’re looking for citizen feedback on the plan before the rules are adopted by the state party executive committee.”

The delegate selection plan specifies the methods and timetable for selecting delegates to represent Tennessee Democrats at the national convention to be held in Charlotte, N.C. scheduled for Sept. 3, 2012.

All written public comments received between today and May 30 will be submitted to the Democratic National Committee Rules and Bylaws Committee, the body that must issue final approval to the plan.

The full text of the delegate selection plan is available at www.tndp.org or by calling the Nashville headquarters at 615-327-9779.

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Media Contact: Brandon Puttbrese, 615-327-9779