For those handful of Daily Gotham readers who haven't already made up their minds:

11th Congressional District Candidates Forum

Sponsored by The Human Rights Campaign, Lambda Independent Democrats and Stonewall Democrats of New York

Come meet Carl Andrews, Yvette Clarke, Chris Owens, and David Yassky as they seek to fill the first open Congressional Seat in New York City in over seven years and replace 12-term U.S. Representative Major Owens.

Listen to what they have to say about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights in the midst of the increasingly intolerant Bush Administration.

When: Wednesday, August 30th

7:00pm to 8:30pm

Where: The Montauk Club

25 Eighth Avenue,

Brooklyn, NY 11215

Well, rumors of Tish James lending out her staff to Carl Andrews (which I know are almost CERTAINLY false) and to Hakeem Jefferies seem to be coming to naught. Either the staff member was freelancing behind James' back or the rumor was hot air. Anyway, Tish James is poised to endorse Bill Batson for the 57th Assembly race. From the Batson campaign:

City Council Member Letitia James to Endorse NY State Assembly Candidate Bill Batson at September 6th Press Conference

Brooklyn, NY – On Wednesday, September 6th Council Member Letitia James will endorse 57th Assembly District candidate Bill Batson at an 11am press conference, in front of the recently closed Associated Supermarket at 176 Myrtle Avenue.

Bill Batson is the former Director of Community Relations for New York State Senate Democratic Leader David A. Paterson. He has a 20-year record of community-based, city and statewide activism. Batson has been an advocate for the homeless, renters, small business, and home owners. He has also worked on behalf of labor, arts and culture groups, responsible policing, innovative youth programs, expansion and protection of voting rights, community-centered development, education, and multicultural cooperation and tolerance.

This coming Tuesday, September 12 is Primary Day , and those of you who are registered as Democrats face an important choice that day. For the first time in decades, our district will be electing a new Congressperson. The person who wins next Tuesday is 99+% sure to be that Representative, and will likely retain that office for many years to come. So it is important for us all to consider the candidates carefully and to choose well.

As many of you already know, I have been working as a volunteer for Chris Owens. Knowing him for the last couple of years, I've had the chance to become familiar with him and his stands on the issues, and I am sure that he is clearly our best choice. He is smart, honest, forthright, and deeply committed to fighting for our community, our country and progressive values. He was an early opponent of the war in Iraq, is focussed on cleaning up the mess that the Republicans have made of our country, and is the only candidate who stands opposed to the current Atlantic Yards development plan for downtown Brooklyn. I urge you all to vote for him.

That is why I invite you to attend theCandidate's Forum at Beth Elohim Temple, 8th Avenue and Garfield Place, tomorrow night, Wednesday, Sept. 6, at 7 pm. All four candidates will participate, and Chris is his own best spokesman.

Sorry for the short notice on this one, but I hear there is still room for more people. Steve Harrison wants to thank his volunteers with a BBQ and baseball game. This is an invitation from Steve Harrison:

Thursday, September 7th [that's today!], I'm hosting a ËœVolunteer Appreciation Day" at the Staten Island Yankees game. In their last game of the regular season, the Yanks will take on the Tri-City Valley Cats.

We've reserved the picnic area in the stadium, and are inviting all our supporters to come out, enjoy the game and a barbeque, and help me show thanks to the people who have already worked so hard.

The game is at 7:10 pm, and the barbeque will start around 6:30 and run through the game. There's a great view of the field from the picnic area.

The stadium is a short walk from the ferry terminal, so the whole thing is very convenient for people coming home from work in the city. We'll also run car pools from Bay Ridge for people from the Brooklyn side of the district.

We're hoping to offer free tickets to as many volunteers as possible. Can you help by sponsoring a volunteer at this event?

Every $30.00 donated between now and September 7th will be used to give a free ticket to one of our volunteers.

Act Now presents: Thursday, September 7th: Free Movie Showing "The Fog of War"

2003 Academy Award Winner: Best Documentary

7 PM at Telephone Bar, 149 2nd Ave between 9th and 10th St in the East Village.

Closest subways are 6 (Astor Place), N/R (8th/NYU), L (3rd or 1st Ave). It's got a bank of red British phone booths out front. We'll be in a reserved party room. Movie is free. Food and drinks are available for purchase at the bar.

Join us for a great documentary and a chance to meet some new friends. No activism strings attached.

A fascinating look at Robert McNamara -- Secretary of Defense during the Vietnam War and self-described "war criminal" -- and at the valuable lessons we can (and should) apply to the Iraq War. 85 years old by the film's creation, McNamara is unexpectedly contemplative, though still self-serving, arrogant, and unresolved. Those watching closely will likely see an unsettling resemblance to current Defense Secretary Don Rumsfeld.

The New York Times's Stephen Holden: "If there's one movie that ought to be studied by military and civilian leaders around the world at this treacherous historical moment, it is The Fog of War."

Saturday, September 9th: Target CT Canvass for Diane Farrell And Turn Out the Vote for Ned Lamont

Meet at 9:45 AM at the Clock in Grand Central. We'll return by 5 PM. Roundtrip Metro-North cost will be roughly $18 ($12 for Seniors). Let us know if this creates a financial hardship.

Please RSVP at this Link

Join us on our first foray into Connecticut, to canvass for Diane Farrell in the 4th Congressional District, less than an hour from NYC. Diane is an extremely promising Democratic challenger running her second race against vulnerable Republican House member, Chris Shays.

The 4th Congressional District is also Ned Lamont's home turf, so in turning out the vote for Diane, we'll be helping to send Lamont to the Senate.

Diane is a fantastic progressive candidate who lost her 2004 bid for this seat by a slim 4%. This is one of the most competitive House races in the country and is key to winning Democratic control in November.

SEPT 9-10 / First Annual Meeting of the New Yorkers for Verified Voting. All are welcome. Plenary Talks - Workshops - Strategy Sessions with fellow voting activists from around New York State.

http://www.nyvv.org/am06.shtml

A beginning session to learn the issues will be held Saturday morning. Only downside is the location in Finger Lakes. I am trying to go on Friday. Accommodations are cheap for the bunk beds and more adventurous at Arnot Forest, the facility run by Cornell University, in Ithaca, NY. Check here for details.

http://www.dnr.cornell.edu/arnot

SEPT 9-10 / First Annual Meeting of the New Yorkers for Verified Voting. All are welcome. Plenary Talks - Workshops - Strategy Sessions with fellow voting activists from around New York State.

http://www.nyvv.org/am06.shtml

A beginning session to learn the issues will be held Saturday morning. Only downside is the location in Finger Lakes. I am trying to go on Friday. Accommodations are cheap for the bunk beds and more adventurous at Arnot Forest, the facility run by Cornell University, in Ithaca, NY. Check here for details.

http://www.dnr.cornell.edu/arnot

You are invited to a party to support the re-election in 2006 of Washington Senator Maria Cantwell, straight from our great Northwest to New York City, as she stands with us in our national battle for a deep and beautiful blue Senate.

With Special Guest Speakers Sen. Chuck Schumer, Chair of the DSCC and the Hon. Christine Quinn, Speaker of the New York City Council

Senator Cantwell:

• Co-sponsored The “Clean Money, Clean Elections Act”
• Said Yes to federal funding for stem cell research
• Said No to the “Trifecta Bill” (which threatened a $5-an-hour pay cut for Washington’s minimum-wage tip workers)
• Said No to oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
• Was designated “Environmental Hero” by the League of Conservation Voters
• Supports Net Neutrality

Please note - We will be live-blogging this event.

Donations from $250 - $2000

Come join us as we celebrate the hopeful beginning of a new season for the Democratic Party.

Meet in Washington DC on September 11 to learn more about the business, politics and art of blogging. From 10:30am until 12:00pm you will have me and only me to answer all your technology, writerly, political and administrative questions about what I do as a writer, activist and blog publisher.

This is from Democratic Leadership for the 21st Century:

On Thursday September 14th DL21C's Economic Development Committee presents an event that is sure to be a lively debate featuring two very different points of view!!!

Land Use Policy in NYC:

How It Affects Businesses and Homeowners

An analysis of the pros and cons of New York City's zoning laws featuring two speakers who have worked extensively on this issue:

Hope Cohen

Deputy Director - The Center For Rethinking Development, The Manhattan Institute

Tom Angotti

Center For Community Planning and Development, Hunter College

Thursday, September 14th 7:00PM

Goddard Riverside Community Center

593 Columbus Avenue at 88th Street

$7 admission for non-members

Please RSVP on our website

*******************************

Upcoming Events - PLEASE RSVP THRU OUR WEBSITE

*******************************

Monday, September 25, 2006

7:00pm

DL21C is pleased to host as part of our Take Back the Senate series:

The Hon. Claire McCaskill

State Auditor and Candidate for U.S. Senate (D-Missouri)

To learn more about Claire, please visit: http://www.claireonline.com/

Manhattan Young Dems CAMPAIGN INVASION I: CONNECTICUT FOR DIANE FARRELL

This Saturday, September 16th, MYD embarks on its first of three campaign invasions!

Join us for the short train ride to Stamford, Connecticut where we'll be going door to door for one of THE closest congressional races in the country: Diane Farrell's race to take Connecticut's Fourth Congressional District.

In 2004, Democrat Diane Farrell lost to Republican incumbent and Iraq-War apologist Chris Shays by just 4% of the vote. Now she's back for a rematch! With Bush and the Republican Congress more unpopular than ever, Diane's in a strong position to win, but she needs our help. You can read more about Diane at http://www.farrellforcongress.com.

Diane's campaign will provide us with breakfast when we get there and pizza when we finish!

We'll meet at the Central Clock in Grand Central Station at 9:30 am, and we'll be back at 6:30 pm. Please email rsvp@manhattanyoungdems.org if you can come.

MYD members will receive a free train ticket, otherwise the ticket will be approximately $18 (click here to become an MYD member) Let us know if this is a financial hardship for you, and we will work something out.

Manhattan Young Dems CAMPAIGN INVASION I: CONNECTICUT FOR DIANE FARRELL

This Saturday, September 16th, MYD embarks on its first of three campaign invasions!

Join us for the short train ride to Stamford, Connecticut where we'll be going door to door for one of THE closest congressional races in the country: Diane Farrell's race to take Connecticut's Fourth Congressional District.

In 2004, Democrat Diane Farrell lost to Republican incumbent and Iraq-War apologist Chris Shays by just 4% of the vote. Now she's back for a rematch! With Bush and the Republican Congress more unpopular than ever, Diane's in a strong position to win, but she needs our help. You can read more about Diane at http://www.farrellforcongress.com.

Diane's campaign will provide us with breakfast when we get there and pizza when we finish!

We'll meet at the Central Clock in Grand Central Station at 9:30 am, and we'll be back at 6:30 pm. Please email rsvp@manhattanyoungdems.org if you can come.

MYD members will receive a free train ticket, otherwise the ticket will be approximately $18 (click here to become an MYD member) Let us know if this is a financial hardship for you, and we will work something out.

Sunday, September 17th: Target PA: Meet and Canvass for Lois Murphy, Super-Competitive House Challenger and Help Sack Santorum at the same time!

Meet at 9 AM at the NW corner of 33rd St and 7th Ave. We'll return to the same spot by 7 PM. Total cost will be $23. Let us know if this creates a financial hardship.

Please RSVP at this Link

Join us as we meet and canvass for Lois Murphy, a Democratic challenger leading the charge to take back the House. She's a fantastic candidate with admirable positions, a winning personality, plenty of funding, and endorsements from major progressive organizations.

In turning out the vote, we'll also be helping to defeat extremist PA Senator Rick Santorum: two for the price of one.

From the American Jewish World Service:

SAVE DARFUR NOW:

Voices to Stop Genocide

Sunday, September 17, 2006, 2:00 p.m.

East Meadow in Central Park

New York, NY

Contact: Joshua Bloom, AJWS Darfur Field Organizer at

212.356.2977 or jbloom@ajws.org.

Please note: No alcoholic beverages, glass, bottles, coolers, pets, bicycles, rollerblades, folding chairs, beach umbrellas, large bags or large purses will be allowed on site.

DIRECTIONS

Enter park from 5th Avenue at 90th Street. Follow East Drive uptown (north) to East Meadow.

Subway: Take the 4, 5 or 6 to 86th Street or the 6 to 96th Street.

Bus: Take the M1, M2, M3 or M4 southbound on 5th Ave. or northbound on Madison Avenue or take the M106 or M96 across Central Park.

Transportation From Outside NYC:

To be connected with buses going to the rally from your community, sign up for the rally and indicate that you need transportation. Or sign up directly with groups organizing in your community.

BACKGROUND

“Voices to Stop Genocide” is organized by the Save Darfur Coalition, of which American Jewish World Service is a leading member. In order to stop the genocide, a United Nations peacekeeping force must be immediately deployed to the Darfur region.

As you probably know by now, tomorrow President Bush is speaking at the UN before the General Assembly in order to promote his "Freedom Agenda." But in fact, the Bush agenda -- preemptive wars, endless occupation, torture, undermining civil liberties -- has nothing to do with freedom.

We urge you to join us tomorrow morning to send a message loud and clear: Occupying Iraq, new preemptive wars, and curtailing civil liberties is not a path to freedom!

We stood up last week for our right to protest and dissent. Now we have to use it! We need to make this protest as large and as vocal as possible. We need to make it so loud that the rest of the United Nations will hear us and join in!

We had agreed to march on the sidewalk, however, the NYPD has announced that if our numbers are large enough, they will open up a lane for us on the street. So let's get everyone out there! Help us spread the word far and wide!

TODAY: Tell everyone you know to join us out on the streets tomorrow! Forward this message to all of your email contacts! Come to the UFPJ office TODAY and pick up leaflets to distribute all over town this evening! Call us at 212-868-5545 or just come to the office at 261 W. 36th Street, 7th Fl (east of 8th Avenue, use the freight entrance). You can also click here to download the flyer and make copies yourself: http://www.unitedforpeace.org/downloads/Sept 19 flyer.pdf

For those who can't make Tuesday's more stuffy, Schumer-hosted fundraiser for Steve Harrison's run for Congress in the NY-13 district (Bay Ridge and Staten Island), here is a more pedestrian, less glamorous fundraiser on Monday. Tuesday's fundraiser is in Brooklyn while Monday's is in Staten Island, so EVERYONE in the district can find one to attend.

An evening of music to benefit the Harrison campaign:

The Cup

388 Van Duzer St.

Staten Island

Monday, Sept. 25

7pm-10:30pm

Monday September 25th, Democratic Leadership for the 21st Century's Take Back the Senate Series continues with an address by

The Hon. Claire McCaskill

Missouri State Auditor and Candidate for U.S. Senate

with introductory remarks by Brooke Ellison

Candidate for New York State Senate (Suffolk County)

Claire McCaskill's candidacy for the U.S. Senate places Democrats in a strong position to re-capture a seat that was narrowly lost during a special election in 2002. This race is viewed nationally as one of the few opportunities for Democrats to capture a Republican-held Senate seat. Having Democratic statewide leadership in the swing state of Missouri is critical not only for winning back the US Senate this year, but for Democrats' hopes of winning back the White House in 2008.

The race has added significance due to a stem-cell item on the November ballot, which Claire supports and her opponent has flip-flopped on - many believe this will be a major if not the decisive issue determining the outcome of the fall election. The most recent poll (Sept) by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch shows Claire ahead going in to the fall election season. With our support, we can keep her ahead, and help her win back Harry Truman's Senate seat for the Democrats!

Fundraising Dinner for Steve Harrison's Congressional Campaign

Senator Charles Schumer, Honorary Chair

Representative Anthony Weiner, Scheduled Guest Speaker

JT’s Restaurant

9703 3rd Avenue

Brooklyn, NY

Tuesday, September 26, 2006 6:30-10:00PM RSVP ASAP: (718) 836-0760

Please Reserve ___ Tickets @ ___ $150.00 ___ $500.00 ___ $1000.00

To Donate Online visit http://www.harrison06.com/donate.php

For more information visit harrison06.com

Help the Democrats Take Back the House

Vito Fossella, a corrupt crony of Dick Cheney and Karl Rove, was nearly defeated 2 years ago by a 76 year old man who had touble campaigning effectively due to age. This year, Fossella is being challeneged by Steve Harrison, formerly a very effective president of Community Board 10 and, by the way, a marathon runner. Harrison is the candidate who can beat Fossella. Now, Senator Chuck Schumer is hosting a fundraiser for Harrison that should give his campaign a big boost.

Senator Charles Schumer, Honorary Chair Representative Anthony Weiner, Guest Speaker

JT’s Restaurant

9703 3rd Avenue

Brooklyn, NY

Tuesday, September 26, 2006

6:30-10:00PM

RSVP ASAP: (718) 836-0760

This is very exciting news for two potential reasons. First of all it is always nice to have the fund raising power of a Senator behind an event. But second, and possibly more telling is Rep. Anthony Weiner's attendance. With the primary battle for NY-11 over, and his candidate Yvette Clarke getting the nod, Rep. Weiner who has his sights on the mayoral race is going to do what he can to show off his bench building power. Now with NY-13 as the only legitimately contested congressional race do we see Weiner's organizing and campaigning abilities turned towards helping this race, and maybe others, to shore himself up as the front runner to succeed Bloomberg?

STATEN ISLAND DEMOCRATIC ASSOCIATION

45th Anniversary Banquet

Sept. 28, 2006, 7:00 PM, at Staaten, 697 Forest Ave.

(718) 442-4742

* $60 per person / $110 per couple

* SEnd to: S.I.D.A., P.O. Box 140371; Staten Island, NY 10314

The Staten Island Democratic Association (SIDA) was founded in 1961. It is a progressive Democratic club that addresses today's political and social issues. The club holds informative meetings with experts and activists, presenting the latest information on a wide range of issues. SIDA takes positions on these issues and works to advance its positions with legislators and the community.

Brooklyn's New Democratic Majority Group next meeting is Thursday, September 28th, at Ozzie's on 5th Ave and Garfield in Park Slope.

This month we will be discussing how you can get involved to win in November. Efforts covering Staten Island and Bay Ridge (NY-13 Congressional race), NY State Senate races, PA and CT races and 30 House races across the country will be represented. Come prepared to sign up for phone banking or field trips.

There will also be an update on voting machines, another critical issue.