Dear fellow Georgia Democrats,

Your DNC representatives are committed to keeping you updated in 2013 and beyond.  This is the first of what will be a regular series of emails to keep you posted on DNC activities and national issues as they relate to us in Georgia.  Below you will find a number of details about the upcoming Presidential Inauguration and a review of the September DNC meeting.  We also have links for you to several recent videos featuring President Obama, including his moving remarks related to the tragedy in Newtown, CT.

Our next DNC meeting will be on Tuesday, January 22^nd.  You can count on us to be advocating for the Obama for America team to share their voter information garnered during the 2012 cycle with the state parties.  The Presidential campaign did not spend money in Georgia, but there were thousands of Georgia volunteers who helped in other states and likely hundreds of donors.  We will also be building national connections to make sure Georgia IS a targeted state in 2016!

May the New Year bring you and yours much joy and peace in our world!

– Your DNC members, Mike Berlon, Wendy Davis, Dan Halpern, Lester Jackson, Dubose Porter, Richard Ray, Sally Rosser, Nikema Williams and Dave Worley

It’s Official – President Obama was Re-Elected
On Monday, December 16^th, the Electoral College officially elected President Obama to a second term!  Now let’s talk about some of the details of his second inauguration.

2013 Presidential Inaugural Committee Initial Details
2013 Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) has announced its official launch, preliminary schedule of events and co-chairs for the second Inaugural of President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden.

The 57th Presidential Inaugural weekend will kick off with a National Day of Service, a tradition started by the Obama family at the President’s first Inauguration in 2009. President Obama will ask Americans across the country to organize and participate in service projects in their communities on Saturday, January 19th, to honor our shared values and celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  President Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, Vice President Biden, Dr. Jill Biden and members of the President’s Cabinet will participate in service projects in the Washington, DC area.

In keeping with tradition for Inauguration Days that fall on a Sunday, the President will participate in a small private swearing-in ceremony on January 20. The President’s public swearing-in, the parade and the official Inaugural balls will take place on Monday, January 21.

The honorary co-chairs for the 2013 Presidential Inaugural Committee are:
President Jimmy Carter, 39th President of the United States
President George H.W. Bush, 41st President of the United States
President Bill Clinton, 42nd President of the United States
President George W. Bush, 43rd President of the United States

The co-chairs for the 2013 Presidential Inaugural Committee are:
Ambassador Matthew Barzun, National Finance Chair of President Obama’s reelection campaign and former Ambassador to Sweden
Eva Longoria, Actress, Obama for America Campaign Co-Chair and Founder of the Eva Longoria Foundation
Jane Stetson, National Finance Chair of the Democratic National Committee
Frank White, former member of the National Advisory Council on Minority Business Enterprises

In addition, the PIC announced the following positions:
Jim Messina, Chair, Inaugural Parade
Stephanie Cutter, Chair, PIC Board of Directors
Jen O’Malley Dillon, Chair, National Day of Service
Julianna Smoot, Chair, Inaugural Balls and Receptions
Rufus Gifford, Chair, PIC Finance
Patrick Gaspard, Chair, National Mall

The staff for the 57th Presidential Inauguration will be led by Stephen J. Kerrigan, who will serve as Chief Executive Officer, and David J. Cusack, who will serve as Executive Director.

The Presidential Inaugural Committee will work closely with the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies (JCCIC) which oversees the ceremonial swearing-in on the west steps of the Capitol and other Inaugural activities that occur on the Capitol grounds, and the Joint Task Force National Capital Region (JTF-NCR) the military joint force command composed of all five branches of the United States armed services that oversees security for all official Inaugural-related events.

Links for Inauguration Info

A limited number of official inauguration tickets are distributed through congressional offices.  These tickets may already be spoken for, but it can’t hurt to ask if you want to go stand in the cold on January 21^st.  Please note that viewing the Swearing-In Ceremonies from the National Mall does not require tickets. The non-ticketed area of the National Mall begins at Fourth Street NW.

Congressman Sanford Bishop has a link on his website:

https://bishop.house.gov/inauguration-ticket

As does Congressman John Barrow:

http://barrow.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=628&Itemid=100023

Per their websites, these folks are already out of tickets – Congressman John Lewis, Senator Chambliss, Congressman Gingrey.

Contact info:

Senator Isakson (770) 661-0999

Congressman Hank Johnson (770) 987-2291

Congressman David Scott (770) 210-5073

Congressman Jack Kingston (912) 352-0101

Congressman Tom Price (770) 998-0049

Congressman Tom Graves (706) 226-5320

Congressman Paul Broun (706) 549-9588

Congressman Lynn Westmoreland (770) 683-2033

Congressman Rob Woodall (770) 232-3005

Congressman Austin Scott (478) 971-1776

Congressman-elect Doug Collins may get tix after he is sworn in, but I don’t have a contact number for his office yet.

Inauguration Plans? Some helpful advice from Congressman John Lewis
If you are planning to travel to Washington, D.C. during the time of the Inauguration regardless of your ticket outcome, there are a few things to take into consideration.  First, I suggest making travel arrangements as soon as possible, as most flights and hotels are already completely booked.

Keep in mind that since the inauguration takes place outdoors in January, it may be cold and wet.  The crowds will be very large and guests will likely be outside for at least four hours.  Food and beverages, large bags (including diaper bags), and strollers are not permitted in ticketed areas.  Because of the dense crowds, mobility is likely to be a challenge.  Please consider these issues when planning your trip.

Also, please be advised that congressional offices do not distribute tickets for the Morning Worship Service, Procession to the Capitol, Inaugural Luncheon, Inaugural Parade, or Inaugural Balls.

The Georgia State Society of Washington, D.C. Inaugural Ball will be held on Sunday, January 20^th at 7pm at the National Museum of Women in the Arts.  Tickets are $200 and can be purchased here:  http://georgiainaugural2013.eventbrite.com.

Message from the DNC Secretary Alice Germond:  I know we’re all struggling to come to terms with Friday’s tragedy in Newtown. As we search for words and try to understand the unthinkable, it’s only natural to look at our communities, at our elementary schools and our children, and know that, while it should not have happened at all, it could have happened anywhere. We know we are not invulnerable, and we all feel deeply connected to the shock, pain, and grief felt by the Sandy Hook community. Our most heartfelt thoughts and sympathies are with all of the victims’ families this week, and in the weeks to come.

Below are links to our President’s powerful statements in response to the attack.

Watch the President’s remarks at the Sunday night Vigil:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/photos-and-video/video/2012/12/16/president-obama-speaks-newtown-high-school

Watch the President’s remarks in this statement from the White House:

US Senator from Hawaii, Daniel Inouye, passed away on December 17^th .  Senator Inouye was the longest serving Senator in US History and a decorated World War II hero.  He will long be remembered for his integrity, statesmanship and dedication to working on behalf of our nation’s veterans and servicemembers.

Here is a link to a story about this great American hero:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2012/12/17/hawaii-sen-daniel-inouye-dies-at-age-88/.

Below is a link to a video of the remarks given by President Obama at the Daimler Detroit Diesel Plant, Redford, MI in early December. The President spoke about the importance of supporting American manufacturing and explained how harmful “right to work” laws can be. He credited unions with helping to build a stronger middle class and a stronger America. He praised the innovation and efficiency of the American auto industry, and reaffirmed his commitment to extend middle-class tax cuts. To watch the President’s speech, click here.

Our email messages to the state committee and county chairs will be archived on the DPG website.

Check it out: http://www.georgiademocrat.org/our-party/georgia-dnc-members/

The new delegates to the Democratic National Committee attended their first meeting on the Friday after the Convention in Charlotte.  The room was packed to overflowing and Georgia was seated about 5 rows from the front!  Our new terms as DNC delegates from Georgia began that morning and will end on the last day of the Convention in 2016.

1.  New members were acknowledged.

2. Numerous motions for commendations for the Mayor of Charlotte, the City and the entire Convention organizing committee were made and accepted.  The Chair was overflowing with praise for everyone and how well the convention had been organized and the management of the transition from the stadium back to the arena was handled in less than 24 hours.

3.  Several people commended Debbie Wasserman Schultz for her extraordinary leadership. It was the best Convention ever.

4.  The items of business were limited to the approval of the Northern Mariana Islands becoming a delegation to the DNC.  Their two delegates were present for the meeting.  The next motion was to edit the bylaws and charter to reflect the inclusion of the N Mariana Islands as a delegation. This was passed unanimously.

5.  The final matter of business matter was multiple questions about voter suppression and voter ID requirements.  We were directed to two websites, www.gottavote.org andwww.protectingthevote.org.  The Chair also promised to conduct a conference call for those interested to discuss these issues in greater detail.

6.  The next meeting is scheduled for the day following the Inauguration in Washington DC.  The meeting was adjourned.