By JOHN HACKWORTH
Sun Managing Editor
03/21/08
Charlotte Sun

She is first Democrat to file in legislative race

Betty Gissendanner wants to make sure people have an opportunity to vote for their District 71 state legislator in November.

Gissendanner, 57, plans to announce her candidacy for the District 71 seat at an 11:45 a.m. news conference on the steps of the historic Punta Gorda Courthouse today. She will be the first, and perhaps only, Democrat in the race.

"I think more than anything else," she said of her reasons for running, "is that we have a two-party system that has served us well" and we need to preserve it. "As we look at the system right now, it has not been very balanced."

continued

Gallup Poll (for the Presidential race), taken every day until the November election:
http://www.gallup.com/..

Primary results for Florida

http://www.cnn.com/..

Hello Charlotte County Democrats! Let’s bring in a Blue Year!

I am Judy “JJ” Juliano, Candidate for State Representative, district 72 that includes portions of Charlotte, Lee and all of DeSoto County.

I am a proud first-generation Italian American. Both sets of Grandparents and my Parents emigrated from Calabria, Italy by way of Ellis Island. They became American citizens, overcoming language barriers and the cultural differences they faced. I am very proud of what Frank and Rose Juliano accomplished in order for their family to have a better life in their adopted country.

I have been working as a medical professional for 23 years in Florida, as a Registered Nurse. During this time, I have cared for, stood up for, and advocated for patients, their families and friends. I have done the same for my family and friends my entire life. Being an advocate for people is what I do best and that is exactly what I will do in your behalf as State Representative.

As a caring person and Nurse, I understand the needs of many. To listen, to find out the needs, and then to address them are among my most important qualities.

For me it's about “People, not Power”.

I am running because I care about the direction of our Communities and our State.

We need a Representative who will stand up and advocate to make the changes we need to streamline our health care costs, improve education, preserve our unique Florida's environment, and keep Florida affordable for all it's citizens . We need a stronger voice to advocate on behalf of the middle class people of our district.

The issues we face are many and varied, much like the characteristics of our District.

People deserve a State Government that is honest, responsive and accountable. We need Representatives who are willing to put our needs above all other interests, including holding onto their own power or personal agenda. It's time to shake up the old conviction in S.W Florida that being a Republican is an entitlement program for election or re-election in our region.

During this time of the New Year, we often think of making changes for ourselves, our families and our community. It is time to make changes in our State; we cannot afford to continue the direction Florida is headed.

I am asking for your vote & your support in whatever way you can afford to help: hosting a fundraiser, offering financial support, or even just walking and talking with me during this election cycle.

I look forward to meeting many of you as I go around our district and hear your concerns and your hopes for the future. I ask you to stand with me so we may walk together towards victory in “08”.

It’s time to turn the “page”, and together, we will!

With warm wishes, I am

“JJ”

Judy Juliano, Candidate, for State Representative

Please visit Julianoforstaterep.org

Published by Kenneth Quinnell on 2 December 2007
at Florida Progressive Coalition Blog

I don’t know much about Bob Moser, but if this article from The Nation
is any measure of his journalistic skills, I don’t have much to say for
him. (The article was posted on Alternet on 11/30 and appears in the
12/17 issue). I won’t go after it line-by-line, although I could, but
will focus on some of the more outrageous parts of the article.

> read more

The Charlotte County Democratic Party is pleased to announce that our State Committee Woman Judy "JJ" Juliano has announced she has filed for Candidate, State Representative District 72.

District 72 includes all of DeSoto and portions of Charlotte and Lee Counties.

Contributions are welcomed, checks payable to : Juliano Campaign

Contact information:

Judy Juliano
P.O. Box 510149
Punta Gorda 33951
941-626-4659

JJ's web site - JulianoforStateRep.org - will be launched soon.

By Eric Pooley
Time Magazine
Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Let's say you were dreaming up the perfect stealth candidate for 2008, a Democrat who could step into the presidential race when the party confronts its inevitable doubts about the front-runners. You would want a candidate with the grassroots appeal of Barack Obama—someone with a message that transcends politics, someone who spoke out loud and clear and early against the war in Iraq. But you would also want a candidate with the operational toughness of Hillary Clinton—someone with experience and credibility on the world stage.

In other words, you would want someone like Al Gore—the improbably charismatic, Academy Award–winning, Nobel Prize–nominated environmental prophet with an army of followers and huge reserves of political and cultural capital at his command. There's only one problem. The former Vice President just doesn't seem interested. He says he has "fallen out of love with politics," which is shorthand for both his general disgust with the process and the pain he still feels over the hard blow of the 2000 election, when he became only the fourth man in U.S. history to win the popular vote but lose a presidential election. In the face of wrenching disappointment, he showed enormous discipline—waking up every day knowing he came so close, believing the Supreme Court was dead wrong to shut down the Florida recount but never talking about it publicly because he didn't want Americans to lose faith in their system. That changes a man forever.

It changed Gore for the better. He dedicated himself to a larger cause, doing everything in his power to sound the alarm about the climate crisis, and that decision helped transform the way Americans think about global warming and carried Gore to a new state of grace. So now the question becomes, How will he choose to spend all the capital he has accumulated? No wonder friends, party elders, moneymen and green leaders are still trying to talk him into running. "We have dug ourselves into a 20-ft. hole, and we need somebody who knows how to build a ladder. Al's the guy," says Steve Jobs of Apple. "Like many others, I have tried my best to convince him. So far, no luck."

[continued]

The Charlotte County Democratic Executive Committee
is pleased to invite you to:

THE RACE FOR ’08!

a 2008 elections kick-off fundraiser dinner to be held on:

Monday, March 12th
5:30-10:00 PM
American Legion Post #103
2101 Taylor Road
Punta Gorda, FL

Guest Speaker:
Karen Thurman, Florida Democratic Party Chair

This spectacular evening includes: appetizers (5:30 to 6:30), Dinner Buffet, Guest Speakers, Live Music and Entertainment, a 50/50 Raffle and a Silent Auction

Dinner choices are: Roast Beef with Mashed Potatoes, Baked Chicken Breast with Mashed Potatoes or Pasta Alfredo (Vegetarian). Dinner will include salad, vegetables, roll and dessert. Water and soft drinks are included. There will be tickets sold to purchase cocktails, wine or beer.

The ticket price is $65 per person. Please mail your checks to Attn: Valerie Guenther, CCDEC, PO Box 494843, Port Charlotte, FL 33949-4843. .

Note: We can only accept cash or checks for this event. Make your checks payable to CCDEC. Please write your dinner choice (Roast Beef, Chicken or Pasta) on your check.

For questions or to reserve a table call Valerie Guenther at 941-697-2003