Democrats prepare for summer of action

Grant County followers meet to plan their countywide presidential push

With fiery rhetoric and a decision to do whatever it takes to bring victory to their candidates in the upcoming elections, Grant County Democrats met Thursday night to plan the last details of their campaign efforts.

These efforts will go from putting together booths and tables in different county events this summer, to placing yard signs, to canvassing and encouraging voter registration.

"When we vote, we win," said, Ellie Webb, chairman of the Get Out The Vote program of the Grant County Democrats. "Republicans can't beat us when our people get out to vote."

During their meeting at the Moses Lake Fire Department Station 1, followers of the Party of Jefferson underscored the need to have more people involved during the days of summer, putting issues forth to the people, from the presidential race to the several initiatives that might be on the ballot this year.

Webb said that Democrats working on reaching out to voters had to help them be knowledgeable on these initiatives, lest they just vote without knowing what they are really about.

The contact with voters will focus on the other side of the aisle, as well.

"There might be Republicans angry about many things who might want to vote for (Democratic presidential candidate) John Kerry," Webb said. "One of our jobs would be to find these people."

Another task for Democrats will be to install tables at different events, from the Ephrata Farmers' Market, to the 4th of July Festival in George, and the Grant County Fair in August. Plans are in place to bring the winner of the Democratic gubernatorial race to Grant County for a fund-raiser, as well.

Anabel Romero-Juarez, co-chair of Get Out The Vote and one of two Grant County Democrats who will attend the party's national convention in Boston , said that the effervescence and energy shown by the people who filled one of the meeting rooms of the fire station underscores the kind of campaign local party members want to have in Grant County.

"There is a big group of people who feel like they can make a difference," she said, adding that that desire will be put to use in order to make Kerry the nation's next president.

"People want to put a president in the White House that is going to take care of issues that are critical to them," she said.

Webb agreed, saying President George W. Bush had challenged head-on everything the Democratic Party believes in, from human rights and the environment to defense policies.

"He has brought his right-wing agenda to the country," Webb said, and he has done it not through Congress but using any method at his disposal,"

As an example, Webb mentioned the cutting of funds for the Environmental Protection Agency, mercury regulation on freshwater lakes she said the Columbia Basin areas depends on, and the war in Iraq."

"He lied, and we are in this war." she said. "We have got to be committed to getting our soldiers back."

The combat in Iraq, she said, had brought to action people who had not been active since the Vietnam era. This is because they could see many similarities between the two situations, she added.

Romero-Juarez said that the higher turnouts at this meeting as well as during the state and county conventions was due to the grassroots nature of the Democrats' campaign. "When you start from the bottom up, when you do a grassroots campaign, you get people together," she said.

Regarding her participation in the national convention this July, Juarez said she was excited to represent the county and eastern Washington at the event. The other delegate is Quincy's Dora Trevino.