After doing a little investigation I've come up with the following info on the jet and its buyer and the connection to Alaska Republicans:

The jet, tail number: N328SA was bought by a Larry Reynolds..

Reynolds didn't give to Palin's campaign but it looks like his wife (occupation listed as "housewife") in turn gave $1000.00 to John L. Harris in the 2006 General election.

It turns out for those of us in the lower 48 who don't know who HE is, that Harris is the Republican Alaska State Legislature Speaker of the House and he in turn hooked up Reynolds with Governor Palin to do the sweetheart jet deal (apparently at a loss to the State of Alaska)

http://community.adn.com/node/109650 (News story on how Reynolds used Harris to get the jet)

The campaign contribution:
https://webapp.state.ak.us/apoc/contributions.jsp?name=...

In a common trick used to throw people off in campaign contribution research, the report included a "harmless typo" and it should actually be JANICE REYNOLDS as his BOAT registration shows the name of his boat is the JANICE RUTH II.

http://www.boatinfoworld.com/registration.asp?vn=319176

The FAA aircraft registration:
http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNumSQL.asp?NNu...

http://aprn.org/2007/08/24/larry-reynolds-valdezs-great... /

FAA Registry
N-Number Inquiry Results
N328SA is Assigned

Aircraft Description

Serial Number 425 Type Registration Individual
Manufacturer Name ISRAEL AIRCRAFT INDUSTRIES Certificate Issue Date 09/13/2007
Model 1124A Status Valid
Type Aircraft Fixed Wing Multi-Engine Type Engine Turbo-Fan
Pending Number Change None Dealer No
Date Change Authorized None Mode S Code 50706631
MFR Year 1984 Fractional Owner NO

Registered Owner

Name REYNOLDS LARRY
Street PO BOX 750
City VALDEZ State ALASKA Zip Code 99686-0750
County VALDEZ-CORDOVA
Country UNITED STATES



Airworthiness

Engine Manufacturer GARRETT Classification Standard
Engine Model TFE 731 SER Category Transport

A/W Date 06/19/1985

Fellow Democrats:

Just in case you haven’t seen Alan’s new ad on TV yet, you can check it out on-line at the DailyKos:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/7/25/155020/561/340/556978   Read More »

Florida Legislature imperils voting rights; two Federal injunctions prevent implementation.

NAACP v. Browning
Federal injunction issued December 18, 2007

League of Women Voters v. Cobb
Federal injunction issued August 28, 2006

Both lawsuits name the Florida Secretary of State -- Kurt Browning replaced Sue Cobb.   Read More »

From an Edwards campaign e-mail:

John Edwards has stated that, as president, he will require the use of safe, renewable energy sources like wind, solar power and biomass to generate 25% of the nation's electricity by 2025. In the first 100 days of his presidency, John will send legislation to Congress to halt global warming and achieve energy independence.

John has promised to invest $1 billion a year to develop the ability to permanently store carbon emissions and ban the construction of new coal plants that cannot capture their own carbon.

And, as president, John Edwards would invest an additional $1 billion to help U.S. automakers advance the latest technology -- including biofuels, hybrid and electric cars, ultra-light materials and drivetrain improvements -- to ensure the world's most fuel-efficient cars are made in America by union workers.

The Economist magazine summarized it this way:

"On global warming, too, the Edwards campaign has set the pace. He wants to reduce America's greenhouse-gas emissions by 80 percent before 2050 with a cap-and-trade system of carbon permits."

Jim Callahan
Orlando, FL

In person, early voting starts today (Monday, January 14, 2008) in Florida at a limited number of locations in each of Florida's 67 counties for the January 29 primary.

On the ballot, is the Presidential Preference Primary, Amendment #1 concerning property taxes and in Orlando there is the Mayor's race and one City Council race (District #6). There is also a special election for Florida House district 32 in eastern Orange County and portions Brevard County.

The district 6 City Council seat is held by City Councilman Sam Ings and his district includes predominately African-American neighborhoods.

A City of Orlando District 6 ballot:
http://www.ocfelections.com/Ballots/23.PDF

Early voting sites and other information is available here:


Jim Callahan
Orlando, FL

A CNN poll released today concluded that Senator John Edwards is the only Democrat who can beat all four major Republican candidates.   Read More »

The New York Times has an article on social networking for Apartments and Condos, "Meet your neighbors, but just not in person" after discussing a service that charges $6,000 to set up a site for one complex, it goes on to discuss a free experiment at the Annenberg School of Communication at the University of Pennsylvania.
Link

Others have experimented with social networking Web sites aimed at city residents without intending to make money. I-Neighbors.org is a site set up by Keith N. Hampton, a sociologist at Annenberg School of Communication at the University of Pennsylvania, to study the role that Web sites can play in strengthening offline social ties.

Mr. Hampton said that I-Neighbors continues to grow, with 45,000 people now using the free service. He said, however, that people in apartment buildings generally do not pursue social connections with their neighbors.

I have created GrandeDowntownOrlando in the 32801 zip, but sorry it is private and for residents only. Create your own!

Jim Callahan
Orlando, FL

I urge each one of you to call and email your Representatives in Congress to override the President's recent veto of the S-CHIP bill just passed overwhelmingly by both houses of Congress. This bill makes sure that no child in America will be without medical insurance because their family cannot afford such coverage on their own.
President Bush vetoed this bill in spite of his previous pledge to support it because he believes that the cutoff level for participation in the program is too high at $83,000 and he has ideological fears of "socializing" medicine.   Read More »

To Whom It May Concern:

I have repeatedly told Ron McBride both publicly and privately that he is not welcome in any of my groups. Yet he continues to ignore my request to leave me and my groups alone!

He does not have any logical reasonable reason to join because he doesn't even live in Florida - he lives in Illinois - yet he insists on joining my local and regional groups over and over again and forcing me to delete him over and over again.

He is abusing this network for his own purposes and he ought to be removed forthwith.

Who REALLY has 1921 friends and can participated in well over 100 groups?

This is clearly either an information collector or a points gamer or someone trying to crosspost to everyone in the universe. No one can possibly participate in an interactive manner to 1921 people and in 100+ groups.

The DNC needs to limit people’s participation to a meaningful level and stop the spam and cyberstalking by people who just won’t go away when asked.

If someone is banned from a group, they should not be allowed to re-apply over and over again on their own without the group owner first extending an invitation to join to them.

Very irritated!

Doug De Clue
Edwards Meetup Orlando Organizer,
Orlando One Corps Co-Captain,
Precinct Committeeman, Orange 311, FL

Newsweek released a new Iowa Poll
Link

Among all Iowa Democrats surveyed, Clinton enjoys a 6-point lead over her nearest rival, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama. But among likely Democratic caucus-goers, she is locked in a three-way race with Obama and former North Carolina senator John Edwards, with Obama enjoying a slight edge.

Discussion at Democratic Underground
Link

At the Barack Obama campaign web site:
Link

Daily KOS
Link

USA Election Polls
Link

Jim Callahan
Orlando, FL
PS Remember, Florida is the big state with demographics close to the national average, don't put too much importance on bizarre twists and turns in unrepresentative small states.

Will be showing Director Katy Chevigny's "Election Day" on Sunday night at 6:30 at Rollins College SunTrust Auditorium (we could see the GPFF volunteers setting up the signs during BlogOrlando). Tickets are $8.

According to Orlando Weekly review by Billy Manes,
Link

["Election Day"] eschews the pretensions of voter-fraud overstatement in favor of a real-time portrait of actual poll-station shenanigans. * * * Pollsters, poll-workers, political operatives and voters swirl around in a frustrated symphony (Orlando included)

   Read More »

Orlando Sentinel reporter John Kennedy (yes, that's his real name) is reporting in his blog, that US Senator Bill Nelson(D,FL) will be filing a lawsuit in Federal court next week challenging the Democratic National Committee (DNC) sanctions against Florida using a "one person, one vote" argument.

Link

We may learn more details at Orange County, Florida Jefferson-Jackson Dinner on Saturday, where Senator Nelson is likely to be in attendance and the delegate selection plan is a likely topic of conversation.

Jim Callahan
Orlando, FL

I have submitted the following question to the MSNBC debate tonight:

Last week Andrew Meyer, a student at the University of Florida, was tased after asking Senator Kerry why he conceded the 2004 election after reports of the disenfranchising of black voters in Florida and Ohio. The Democratic Presidential candidates have signed a pledge not to campaign in Florida. What can you say to voters in Florida tonight that will reassure them that you will stand up for them in a recount at the end of the election, if you have already abandoned them before the first vote has been cast in the 2008 election?

Andrew Meyer's first question (See WikiPedia article University of Florida Taser Incident) Link was:   Read More »

Hillary's Catch-22 plan makes no sense. You have to have insurance to get a job so that you can get insurance.

Joseph Heller would be so proud.

Forcing mandatory health insurance makes zero sense given that many people simply cannot afford it when they have a hard enough time with the basics of food, shelter and clothing.

An individual policy can cost $300-$400/month for a health single person. Add kids and a family and this can be $1000/month. For a great many people, this is simply out of their price range.

That is why I think Hillary's plan (and the Romney plan in MA) are both preposterous.

What is needed is either mandatory EMPLOYER funded healthcare for ALL employees regardless of full-time/part-time status, massive government subsidies and price controls, or single-payer gov't run (Canada style) health care and above all a total ban on pre-existing health conditions and pre-acceptance physicals.

Nothing else is fair.

Nothing else is affordable.   Read More »

THIS TASER STORY IS A BUNCH OF ****!

THIS STUDENT CRASHED THE LINE, WOULD NOT LET OTHERS
ASK THEIR OWN QUESTIONS, GOT BELLIGERENT WHEN ASKED
TO LEAVE (TRESPASSING), RESISTED ARREST, INCITED OTHERS TO ASSAULT (INCITEMENT TO RIOT) THE POLICE AND COMMITTED BATTERY ON A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER.

FROM WHAT I'VE READ ON DEMOCRATIC UNDERGROUND, HE IS APPARENTLY ALSO SOMETHING OF A PROFESSIONAL HECKLER KNOWN FOR HECKLING SPORTS FIGURES IN THE PAST.

THAT THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA POLICE WERE AS PATIENT WITH HIM AS THEY WERE IS ACTUALLY QUITE STUNNING.

THAT JOHN KERRY WAS SO VERY PATIENT WITH THIS MAN WAS ALSO QUITE REFRESHING. IN FACT KERRY WAS QUITE WILLING TO CONTINUE ANSWERING THESE QUESTIONS EVEN AFTER THE POLICE STARTED TO REMOVE THE HECKLER FROM THE ROOM AND HAS PUBLICLY EXPRESSED HIS OWN DISMAY OVER THE TASERING.

YET BLOGGERS YESTERDAY AND TODAY HAVE BEEN CYNICALLY ATTEMPTING TO MAKE THIS INTO A "SKULL AND BONES" CONSPIRACY
BY JOHN KERRY AGAINST THIS PROFESSIONAL HECKLER.

THEY ARE BLATANTLY ATTEMPTING TO SMEAR JOHN KERRY ALTHOUGH
IT IS QUITE CLEAR THAT JOHN KERRY HAD ABSOLUTELY NO CONTROL OVER THE ACTIONS OF EITHER ANDREW MEYER OR THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA POLICE.

SHAME ON YOU BLOGGERS.   Read More »

Last night, before the Orange County Democratic Executive Committee Alan Grayson(D) announced his candidacy for the 8th Congressional District of Florida seat currently held by Ric Keller(R).

Alan Grayson in a strong appeal for local Democratic party support told the Democratic Party gathering that he was "like you" for "peace, justice and fairness." Specifically, in his speech, without prompting he supported ending the Iraq War and would vote to cut off funding; would vote for national health insurance and also pledged to vote pro choice.

Grayson also ran in 2006, but lost the Democratic nomination to Charlie Stuart. As a strong anti-war candidate, Grayson senses this is his moment.

Mr. Grayson has filed dozens of lawsuits against Iraq contractors on behalf of corporate whistle-blowers. * * * For the contractors in his cross hairs, Mr. Grayson, 48, is a formidable opponent. He received his undergraduate, master's and law degrees from Harvard. He made millions during a two-year stint as the president of IDT Corp., a start-up that has since grown into one of the nation's largest providers of discount telecommunications services. Mr. Grayson says he has poured hundreds of thousands of dollars of personal funds into his small eight-person law firm to help defray the costs of pursuing Iraq fraud cases that may not make it to trial for years. "I have deep enough pockets to subsidize the legal work," he says.

Link
IDT (NYSE: IDT)
http://www.idt.net/   Read More »

The Florida legislature will not be called into special session until October so there is no way to change the date of the primary from January 29. So, the latest alternative proposal summarized in an e-mail by DNC member Jon Ausman is "a vote by mail (VBM) proposal for the purpose of selection delegates to the 2008 Democratic National Convention."

Projected highlights of the proposal are:

1. The January 29th primary is non-binding and will not be used in any way for the selection of delegates;

2. The price tag is $2.3 million which will be used to print, mail and tabulate ballot;

3. Each returned piece of mail will require signature verification (with an estimated 400,000 ballots and at least a minute per signature that equals 6,666 work hours by staff to very signatures)

4. Ballots postmarked by a certain date will be counted;

5. If the ballots are sent out bulk rate mail then 20% of them will not be delivered as voter registration record addresses often lag behind actual addresses;

6. Tally results will probably be announced two weeks after the postmark cut off date to allow mail to be delivered, to verify signatures and to audit/certify the results;

7. A second audit done thirty (30) days after the first audit will be done to ensure an accurate vote count.

With the Democratic National Committee (DNC) commitment of $880,000 this means the FDP only needs to raise $1,420,000 to carry out the plan.

My additional suggestions:   Read More »

Are you a leader? What are you waiting for?
USA Presidential meetup groups on meetup.com
Link
2,491 waiting for a Dennis Kucinich Meetup Group
2,225 waiting for a Edwards/One America Meetup Group
1,622 waiting for a Barack Obama Meetup Group
1,144 waiting for a Hillary Rodham Clinton Meetup Group
533 waiting for a Draft Al Gore Meetup Group
21 waiting for a Mike Gravel Meetup Group
Jim Callahan
Orlando, FL

Florida is not just TV and fund raisers. Democratic meetup groups in Florida, click on a city Link

Pin Map (drag and zoom)
Link
Jim Callahan
Orlando, FL

Nelson for Senate

Dear James,

I think the vote of Floridians in determining our nominee for president must count. This year, the Florida Legislature moved our presidential primary to January 29, giving you a real chance to participate in the nomination process. But the national Democratic Party is trying to take away that right.

The DNC says that Florida's earlier primary would alter the sequence of contests in Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire and South Carolina, and they are threatening to penalize us by stripping our 210 delegates to the national convention. This would essentially take away our right to pick a Democratic presidential nominee.

This is a case of fundamental rights vs. the rules of a political party. We have a right to vote, and to have that vote count, and there is no debating that.

We've put the party on notice that if they strip away any of Florida's delegates to the national convention, we're prepared to ask appropriate legal officials whether this could violate any state or federal civil rights laws.

Take a stand today. I need your help. Demand that the DNC allow Florida a fair say.

I'm not backing down from this fight. Please join me by adding your name:

Sign the petition Link

We deserve a say. We deserve a vote. We deserve for our vote to count. Please stand with me.

Sincerely,



Bill Nelson