Majority Council Memo

Sep 9, 2009: September 2009
Remember when town hall meetings were sleepy affairs about as likely to draw news cameras as county zoning board hearings? Those days seemed like ancient history this year, as members of Congress across the country faced angry and, in some places, armed constituents egged on by conservative groups eager to defeat health care reform. Try as I might, I have a hard time understanding how people could swallow the ridiculous talking points peddled by the likes of Sarah Palin and Fox News — “death panels”, rationed care, and other ideas too preposterous to be believed.

Aug 12, 2009: August 2009
As expected, the Senate confirmed Sonia Sotomayor to be associate justice on the U.S. Supreme Court -- the third woman and first Hispanic ever appointed. To celebrate, we’ve put together a congratulatory web page on our site that drives home the historic nature of this moment: photographs of every one of the 111 justices who have served on the Supreme Court since 1790.

Jul 17, 2009: July 2009
This month, we’re joining the blogosphere with Read My Lipstick: the EMILY’s List blog. It’s a clearinghouse for all the news on women and politics -- the place to go for all you need to know.

Jun 2, 2009: June 2009
Dr. Judy Chu won a decisive victory in the May 19 special primary election to replace Hilda Solis in California’s 32nd congressional district with 32 percent of the vote in a 12-person field.

May 15, 2009: May 2009
What an exhilarating, energizing Majority Council conference! We visited with senators and prospective senators, congresswomen, cabinet secretaries, top White House officials, and esteemed journalists -- and heard from the smart, savvy EMILY’s List staff, who taught us a thing or two about technology.

Apr 9, 2009: April 2009
I’m looking forward to Changing America, the 18th annual Majority Council conference, which takes place here in Washington, D.C., Thursday and Friday, May 7 and 8 -- less than one month from now!

Feb 9, 2009: February 2009
Just as soon as we finished celebrating the inauguration of our new president, we got back to work at EMILY's List, looking for promising opportunities to put new progressive women in office. And boy, did we find them!

Jan 9, 2009: January 2009
Happy, hard-working 2009! It’s been a busy, busy time here in Washington, as the city prepares to inaugurate the 44th president. At EMILY’s List, we are particularly interested in the changes that are taking place in the states, where President-elect Barack Obama’s cabinet and staff selections have opened up new opportunities to add women to office. The appointment process to replace Obama and Hillary Clinton in the U.S. Senate has been dramatic, to say the least (especially in Illinois!).

Dec 15, 2008: December 2008
We are cheering the selection of two longtime EMILY’s List candidates, New York Sen. Hillary Clinton and Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, to fill two of the new administration’s most prestigious and powerful cabinet posts. Come January, Hillary Clinton will become the third woman secretary of state in U.S. history, and Janet Napolitano will be our nation’s third secretary of homeland security (and the first woman). Obama has also selected Susan Rice as ambassador to the United Nations, which he has restored as a cabinet-level post (it was downgraded by President Bush). She will be the first African American woman to serve as U.N. ambassador.

Oct 15, 2008: October 2008
Once again, we’re heading into the final weeks of an incredibly tight election. Polls show an electorate nearly evenly divided, just as it was in 2000 and 2004. So many races could go either way, from the top of the ballot on down. And I don’t think it’s an overstatement to say that the very future of our country is at stake. This is our chance to reject the right-wing policies of the last eight years, rehabilitate our economy and our global standing, and change course towards a brighter future. But we face an energized right wing and powerful corporate special interests who are determined to keep their allies in power. It won’t be easy.

Sep 7, 2008: September 2008
With the party conventions and Labor Day behind us, EMILY’s List is moving full-steam ahead toward the Nov. 4 election, which takes place just eight weeks from now.

Aug 7, 2008: August 2008
Our office is alive with activity as we get ready to head to Denver for the Democratic National Convention at the end of this month -- and prepare for the EMILY’s List convention gala on Tuesday, August 26, from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Sheraton Denver Hotel, 1550 Court Place in downtown Denver.

Jun 11, 2008: June 2008
I hope you enjoy the enclosed "cheat sheet" of all our endorsed candidates and the latest news on their campaigns. It's quite a list! We've talked a lot about the sheer number of candidates this year, and I think every one of them has a chance to win and make the changes we yearn for.

May 15, 2008: May 2008
Democrats are on track to achieve historic victories in November, and pro-choice Democratic women are at the forefront of sweeping change. With a record number of open House seats, promising races for Senate and governor, and the most important and exciting presidential contest of our lifetime, there is a lot at stake.