One would think that with Democrats in charge of both houses of Congress, there would be less meddling in the local affairs of the District, but that’s not the case.

Recently Senator Tester of Montana and Congressman Travis Childers of Montana introduced legislation that would completely eliminate any locally-enacted regulation of firearms or ammunition in Washington. That’s right – anybody would be free to walk around with a semi-automatic rifle in DC. Talk about a threat to national security!

It’s a slap in the face to local governments everywhere, and was only done to gain cheap political points with the National Rifle Association. It’s clear Tester and Childers don’t give a rip about the people of DC, or the countless families who have lost loved ones to gun violence.

We’ve had enough of Congressional meddling with DC, and now we’re fighting back. My PAC, the Free and Equal DC Fund, will be running radio ads in Montana and Mississippi starting this week. We’ll be letting Tester’s and Childers’ constituents know that they don’t have full-time representatives in DC…and that maybe their Senator or Representative should be a DC City Councilmember instead.

You can see a sample of the ad below:

Please make a donation to keep them on the air at:
http://www.actblue.com/page/montanaradio

As you may know, I’m up for re-election this year, and the primary is September 14th. I need to step up my outreach efforts over the next two months, and like any campaign I need to raise a little bit of money to do help do that.

Of course I’d like to have some cash from you (hint, hint) but it would really mean a lot to me if you would take a minute and forward a message to your friends via email, Facebook, or Twitter. I’ve taken the liberty of writing up who awesome I am, but of course feel free to edit.

I’m now able to raise money through the Democratic fundraising site, ActBlue.com, which makes it very easy for people to give a little something to my campaign. The link to my page is here: http://www.actblue.com/page/happybirthdaymike

Everything you need is below. I hope you can take a few minutes and help me out – it would be a super-special birthday present.

THANK YOU!!

- Mike Panetta

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Twitter:

Help me wish my friend “Shadow” U.S. Rep @MikePanetta a happy Bastille Day Birthday with a campaign donation today: http://bit.ly/aJcL2Q

Facebook:

Help me wish my friend, “Shadow” U.S. Mike Panetta a happy birthday today with a campaign donation. He’s been working hard for the people of DC, so please think about helping him out. Thanks! (Add this link:
http://www.actblue.com/page/happybirthdaymike/)

Email You Can Send:

Subject: Help my Friend Mike Panetta

Today is Bastille Day, but it’s also my friend Mike Panetta’s birthday.

If his name sounds familiar it’s because he’s the “Shadow” U.S. Representative for the District of Columbia and a leading voice in the drive for statehood and full local autonomy for DC.

He’s up for re-election this year and the primary is two months away. I hope you can join me consider giving him a campaign contribution today. He’s been working hard for everyone in DC and has a proven
track record in working to end taxation without representation, including:

• Generating over 20,000 constituent grassroots communications to congressional offices in support of the District of Columbia Voting Rights Act
• Starting the Free and Equal DC Fund, a PAC to elect congressional candidates who support statehood and expanded home rule for the District
• Deploying radio campaigns in Montana and Mississippi targeting the Congressmen and Senators attempting to revoke our locally enacted gun laws
• Launching the “Where’s My Star?” campaign to re-brand the DC Statehood movement
• Organizing a District of Columbia “Olympic” curling team to raise awareness

Please help Mike continue to do the good work he’s been doing for everyone in the District by making a contribution to his campaign here: http://www.actblue.com/page/happybirthdaymike

You can find out more about Mike Panetta here: http://www.mikepanetta.com

Thanks!!

The member of DC for Democracy have always been the most active organization in the city when it comes to lobbying and advocating for our full representation on Capitol Hill. I thank them both for their endorsement and for their leadership and commitment to the people of Washington.

I sent the following message to the Ward 3 Democratic leadership this morning:

Ward 3 Democrats,

Thank you!

I was honored to receive the endorsement of the Ward 3 Democrats last night, and I thank you all for your continued support. I enjoyed the comments and conversations I shared with many of you last night, and I’m always looking to hear from others about ways we can achieve full voting representation in Congress and statehood for the District.

Please take a look at my web site at http://www.mikepanetta.com or become my “friend” on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/mikepanetta and share any thoughts or concerns with with me. Or just email me at mike@mikepanetta.com.

Thanks again for your endorsement, it really means a lot to me and the work I do in the “shadows”

I ask that you spread the word about my re-election efforts, and help me continue the work I’m doing. See you at the polls on September 14th.

Sincerely,
Mike Panetta

Mike Panetta won the “Shadow” U.S. House poll with 41% of the votes in a 6-way race.

“Thanks to all the Democrats who came out on a hot, sweaty Saturday to support my efforts. I truly appreciate the vote of confidence in what I’m doing for congressional representation and statehood,” said Panetta.

You can read more about the results here: http://www.dcdsc.org/events/stawpoll2010.htm

(Listen to the advertisement)

Washington, DC, June 11, 2010 – The Free Equal DC Fund launched a radio advertising campaign in Montana today urging Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) to
focus on representing his constituents instead of meddling in the local affairs of the District of Columbia government.

In recent months, Senator Tester has been actively working to re-write legislation previously passed by DC’s elected city council. His efforts would
drastically modify local laws regarding semiautomatic weapons, ammunition, and firearm registration requirements that were passed by the duly elected
leaders of the city of Washington.

“We wanted to make sure that people in Montana know that Senator Tester isn’t giving his full attention to the state. He seems to be more
interested in getting involved in ‘big city’ politics as opposed to serving his own constituents,” said Mike Panetta, “Shadow” U.S. Representative for the
District of Columbia and Treasurer of the Free and Equal DC Fund.

“I’m sure the Montana families that have lost their jobs or are facing foreclosure are thrilled that their U.S. Senator is meddling in the local affairs of
a city over 2,000 miles away instead of focusing on their needs,” said Panetta.

“If Senator Tester is so interested in writing local laws for the District of Columbia, perhaps he should consider running for mayor,” Panetta added. “There’s still
time to file for the September primary.”

WE NEED YOUR HELP TO KEPT THESE ADS ON THE AIR. PLEASE DONATE TODAY:   http://www.actblue.com/page/montanaradio/   (Donation Request is $25.51)

]]> http://www.mikepanetta.com/2010/06/free-and-equal-dc-fund-launches-montana-radio-campaign/feed/ 0 http://www.mikepanetta.com/2010/05/statement-on-elimination-of-statehood-funding-in-mayors-budget/ http://www.mikepanetta.com/2010/05/statement-on-elimination-of-statehood-funding-in-mayors-budget/#comments Fri, 14 May 2010 12:38:14 +0000 Mike Panetta http://www.mikepanetta.com/?p=228 The mayor’s proposed budget eliminates what little funding there was for statehood initiatives. You can read more in this Washington Times article. (link)

I’ve released the following statement on this, which I hope you’ll share:

“For many years Congress mandated that the District couldn’t spend our local tax dollars to lobby for statehood or expanded home rule. With those restrictions now removed, it’s painfully ironic that the Mayor’s proposed budget eliminates what modest funding there was for these efforts. If the final budget lacks any resources to fund statehood advocacy efforts, the Mayor and the Council are essentially embracing the status quo and sending a signal that we’ve given up the fight. ”

- Mike Panetta, U.S. “Shadow” Representative (D-DC)

Now, if only the people who got all worked up over proposed taxes on yoga were as passionate about this issue, we’d be the 51st state sometime next week.

If there ever was a time to move forward on this issue, that time is now. In the last four years we have seen sweeping changes to the national political landscape. Both chambers of Congress and the White House have switched from Republican to Democratic-controlled institutions — which from a tactical perspective give us an opportunity to advance the Statehood issue for the first time since 1993.  We need to move quickly as that majority is already eroding – as demonstrated by the Scott Brown victory in Massachusetts.

However, even with Democrats in control, we all know too well that nothing is a given when it comes to the District’s efforts for expanded home rule. As we have been made perfectly aware of during efforts to pass the DC Voting Rights Act, sometimes even our friends don’t always have the same priorities as we do. It’s wonderful that the Statehood cause has been infused with new energy and purpose, yet this passion will not translate into substantial or measurable progress without a tactical approach. We need to get things moving forward on a number of fronts including local awareness, national education campaigns, and a 2010 political strategy. My thoughts on these approaches are listed below.

I would like to commend Councilmember Michael A. Brown for his coordination and leadership on the Statehood issue at the Council level. His efforts have been a tremendous asset in taking this fight to the next level, and I look forward to working with him on this important issue.

The following items are what I see as the important next steps in to take towards DC Statehood in 2010. I encourage feedback and suggestions at feedback@mikepanetta.com or via comments at http://www.mikepanetta.com.

1. The DC Statehood Movement Needs a New “Brand”

The DC Statehood movement lacks any cohesive brand, which is a necessity in today’s media environment. To be successful in raising awareness, especially on a national level, any issue needs to develop a brand that succinctly defines the image of the cause within the marketplace of ideas. A well-crafted brand boils down an issue down to its core message and gives people something to identify with or become part of.

Recent examples of successful issue brands include “LiveStrong” from the Lance Armstrong Foundation and the “Where Is Their Vote?” campaign organized by Iranian ex-pats during the election showdown in that country earlier this year. The latter cause was picked up by many people around the world – most of which had no connection to Iran, but identified with the issue because of the strength of the brand, as it was something they could easily identify with.

>>Action Item: The DC Statehood movement needs to develop a new brand that has national appeal and the produce the materials to support it (i.e. a logo, website, social media outposts, etc.)

2. The Statehood Issue Needs a Centralized Message

While I like to think we are all on the same team, we often don’t give that impression in public statements testimony, or media interviews. Any good candidate or political campaign knows how important it is to “stay on message” – as it provides a unified and consistent theme and information to the public about a given issue.

This centralized messaging is a component that is sorely lacking from the DC Statehood efforts. Currently each organization, political leader, and activist has their own messaging around statehood efforts, plans, and desired outcomes. This scattershot approach causes confusion with conflicting information and thus keeps the issue from moving forward. Remember, our opponents will look for any opening to drive a wedge into our efforts, we shouldn’t just hand it to them.

It would, of course, be up to each group as to whether or not to actually use the messaging, but not having it available putting us at a disadvantage from a communications perspective.

>>Action Item: A set of “Statehood talking points” needs to be developed and a number of diverse spokespeople and surrogates should be recruited and given basic media training on how to effectively talk about the issue.

3. The Statehood Issues Needs to Go “Mainstream”

DC Statehood needs be much more than a local, borderline fringe campaign. If we are going to become the 51st state, we’ll need support from diverse groups of people around the country, and need to talk in terms that will motivate them towards action. We need to think about how to appeal to “soccer moms” from Kansas, union workers in North Carolina, technology professionals in Silicon Valley, and other Americans from all walks of life.

For the last several years, most activists, non-profit groups and political leaders (myself included) have put a great deal of their home-rule related efforts into the passage of the DC Voting Rights Act, leaving the Statehood issue to a smaller group of committed activists. If things are going to advance in 2010 on Statehood, that equation needs to change and the political establishment in the District be advocating for Statehood as their default home-rule issue.

It is my opinion that DC Statehood needs be advocated for as single, stand-alone issue and must not be solely associated with the efforts of any single local party. The issue must try to avoid any unnecessary entanglements with other divisive social issues or political figures as they will complicate the issue and distract from our basic messaging. The goal is to make as many people as possible embrace and take action on behalf DC Statehood, and we’ll need all parties to remain singularly focused on that objective.

>> Action Item: Reposition DC Statehood to be the main home-rule issue and begin messaging to constituencies outside the District.

4. The Door Needs to Be Shut for Good on Retrocession

We need to nip this in issue in the bud, as it always comes up as a way to derail both DC Statehood and voting representation in Congress. It’s a non-starter as DC doesn’t want to go back to Maryland, and Maryland doesn’t want DC back either. The best way to cut off issue is to get something passed by Maryland Assembly that states something along the lines of the State of Maryland forever gives up the right to the land that currently makes up the District of Columbia and, if possible, that the body supports full Statehood or congressional representation for DC.

Groups in DC that do advocate this position should not be part of any coalitions, hearings, or discussions and should be aggressively relegated to “fringe” status.

>>Action Item: Find possible sponsors of such a resolution – starting with Sen. Jamie Raskin or other friends from the local Maryland suburbs. Also reach to other state legislatures for supportive resolutions.

5. Statehood Stakeholders Need to Be Active in 2010 Elections

Obviously the 2010 elections in the District will generate a lot of activity, but we need to direct some of that energy into the congressional and local elections happening around the country.

We all know that there are certain Members of Congress who take the “in all cases whatsoever” clause of the Constitution very literally. Members such as Rep. Jason Chaffetz from Utah, Rep. Louie Gohmert from Texas, and Senator John Ensign from Nevada interfere will local laws and voting rights efforts because they know that there will be zero push back that affects them. Yes, we can shout all we want about this injustice here in the District, but until we make their meddling an issue back in their home districts they will keep attempting to impose their will on the District.

Every member of the House of Representatives is up for election in 2010, as is 1/3 of the Senate. We need to leverage the political expertise and donor base that exists here in the District and mobilize it for our own good. By using tools such ActBlue.com, we can rally District residents to direct funds to candidates that are challenging “anti-DC” members of Congress. I started a similar effort in 2008 with my PAC, the Free and Equal DC Fund, which funneled modest contributions to Senators Mark Begich (AK), Kay Hagan (NC), as well as candidates in several other states.

The fight for DC Statehood takes place in every election in every congressional district – it’s time started we showing up for these fights.

>> Action Item: Identify key races and candidates to support in 2010 congressional elections. Begin to solicit contributions of funds or in-kind support to bring as many pro-DC members to Congress as possible.

There’s going to be a screening on December 2nd at the Avalon on Connecticut Avenue. Please come if you can!

Here’s the email from DC Vote:

Join DC Vote and former Representative Tom Davis (R-VA) at the historic Avalon Theatre for an exclusive screening and lively discussion of Un-Natural State, a new documentary exploring the struggle for DC voting rights. Delegate Norton, local elected officials, DC Vote staff and supporters feature prominently in this film directed by Kirk Mangels and produced by Brad Mendelsohn.

On Wednesday, December 2 at 8:00 PM, Tom Davis, in discussion with DC Vote Board member Trish Vradenburg, will provide context and war stories from the movement. A Q&A session with the filmmakers will immediately follow the screening.

Tickets are $25 and available online. Proceeds benefit DC Vote. Save the date for this highly entertaining, behind-the-scenes look at the movement for DC democracy!

Plus, not yet a member of DC Vote? All movie attendees who join for the low $10 rate—available only on December 2nd—will receive a free I Am DC t-shirt!