NEWS FLASH FROM NYC "KUCINICH FOR PRESIDENT" VOLUNTEERS & THE NEW HAMPSHIRE CAUCUS

Many of us NYC volunteers received a wonderful email yesterday from Jessica [thank you so much in letting me share it with others - so inspiring] telling us about adventures during New Hampshire caucus. Read on and I think you'll be inspired too:

Well, as many of you know, I traveled up to New Hampshire with a car load...actually not quite true. We had six people and some were uncomfortable at the idea of two in the bucket seat in the front, so Rob and Harry decided to hitchhike, and Danielle, BC, Paul and I rode in relative comfort and safety. Fortunately, I had all the stuff necessary at home to equip "the boys" with a sign. Harry ever the artist made it. He took one of the good sized "KUCINICH" window signs, stapled it to poster board and wrote NEW HAMPSHIRE in big letters on one side and MANCHESTER on the other. We drove them to an aupiscious spot on I-95 (the group agreed to tolerate 6 for a little while). I was a little concerned for them. They had no cell phone and know way of connecting with the local organizers who were madly trying to find 'beds" for us all! But Rob and Harry were like...well... "the universe will provide..." and were sure they'd beat us up there!

We in the car made it up while it was still day light and went straight to the rally, and found the Kucinich supporters, who had come from all over, including a wonderful local couple who agreed to take all three of my passengers for the night and to drive them to and fro! We got Paul his press pass to get into the 'spin room". Needless to say this was a great learning experience as far as organizing goes.... the Kucinich campaign has a large number of "travelling supporters... including a bus load from California and the local coordinators here had a very difficult time with the logistics. This wasn't helped by the fact that the state coordinator had apparently had a bad fall and was in the hospital recovering from surgery to repair her badly broken elbow! Lots of ice here! Since I wasn't staying for the Debate, once it was clear that we woudn't be getting in but watching from TV's in a student lounge, at one point knowing my "car mates" were going to be warm and safe for the night, I decided to set out to be with my cousins. The girls needed to get their bags out of my car, so we left Paul at the lounge and went off to the car, which was a fair distance. Because It was so far we decided to try to drive as close to the 'hall" as possible so they wouldn't have to walk so far in the snow. AND wouldn't you know it! Just as I was dropping BC and Danielle off with their bags, out of a car, right in front of us, pop Harry and Rob! BC was actually saying that she hoped they were OK and there they were! They must have had a wonderful "adventure" and they were driven right up to the entrance of the debate! They were pumped and wanted to get straight to leafletting. I was really happy to see them and to know that the NY group had all connected again!

I left them all together. I'm looking forward to hearing about their adventure! One can only imagine that it must have been magical! The school where the debate was happening was just "overrun" with hundreds of placard waving folks... the largest contingent seemed to be "Deaners", but there were tons of Clarkites, and some for Kerry. "Kucitizens" were a small but very loud group, featuring these special japanese drums which the folks from California had and we chanted and danced... it was cold so the dancing was good. A few of us tried to sing, but we needed more people singing to "carry" over the "Deaners" and not enough knew the words. The place was packed and wild... if Rob and Harry hadn't appeared just when they did, I doubt we'd have connected. Today we'll meet up at the Manchester office and be put to work... I hope they have "yard signs" for us to put up there are all sorts of places where you can just stick a post in the ground with a sign on it and I have a shovel! More news as it comes in..................

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So George Bush delivered his version of the State of the Union. Well as you might imagine, there's another way to look at things. Without the benefit of spin-masters, focus groups, or donors whispering in my ear, we've come up with a simpler and more straightforward way to look at what's going on with our nation's government based on where they actually spend our money. Let's just say Oreo cookies are a key ingredient.

Check it out at:
http://action.truemajority.org/ctt.asp?u=380807&l=275

It's also a great introduction to the values of TrueMajority for your friends, so be sure to pass this email around.

Ben Cohen
President, TrueMajority.org
Co-Founder, Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream*