Week in Review

	CALLING THE GOP'S BLUFF ON SECURITY ISSUES Bush all talk, Democrats all leadership on Homeland Security After President Bush bungled the response to Hurricane Katrina, received failing grades on national preparedness by the 9/11 Commission, and now cut corners on our port security, the record is clear that he has provided few real solutions and little leadership on the issue of national security and American women know it. A little more than a year ago, President Bush boasted, "I earned capital in the campaign, political capital, and now I intend to spend it. It is my style." Now, even GOP leaders such as Republican Senate Leader Bill Frist, Republican Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert - and even embattled Rep. Tom DeLay - have sought to distance themselves from the President. [White House Press Conference, 11/04/04] In the face of sagging poll numbers on his domestic agenda, President Bush must realize that women voters are discouraged and unhappy with his continued lack of leadership on security issues. And while the GOP is losing the façade that it is strong on defense, Democrats continue to provide leadership for our nation - from supporting veterans with health care that honors their sacrifice to demanding honesty about the Iraq war, a plan for national Port Security and an end to the waste of taxpayer dollars through the GOP culture of corruption. TOP TEN DEMOCRATIC WAYS TO IMPROVE DISASTER RESPONSE This week President Bush's Homeland Security team released the results of the White House's investigation of the response to Hurricane Katrina, along with a lengthy list of recommendations for changes to improve government disaster response. But Democrats know there are some basic changes - like hiring a FEMA director with specific emergency management experience and letting that director have direct access to the President during an incident of national significance (such as a hurricane or terrorist attack) - that would be ridiculous not to address. Democrats on the Homeland Security Committee issued their own 'Top Ten' of missing or stronger reforms to get down to real and bold change - change that is needed to ensure our citizens we'll not leave them behind again. Read the report for yourself to learn the details for yourself! Landrieu Headlines DNC Podcast Log on and download the recent DNC Podcast which features Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA), who speaks out against the lack of outrage shown by the Bush White House over recent reports citing serious mistakes in recent disaster response. Calling it a wake-up call for Americans of all political stripes, Landreiu says the Bush Administration indifference speaks volumes about its misplaced priorities for homeland security - including port security. "Having just lived through the horror of Katrina and Rita, this is not something to fool around with," said Landrieu. To listen to the podcast, click here. The DNC's Podcast, a brief audio broadcast that listeners can download for play on portable music devices or on computers, gives listeners a chance to regularly hear from party leaders, newsmakers, strategists, policy makers, and the grassroots of the Democratic Party. American Families Feeling Economic Insecurity Under Bush's Failed Policies Feeling secure - economic security, family security and physical security - is important to American women. Democrats understand these desires and that's why we work to represent these important concerns of women and their families. Under President Bush's failed economic leadership, too many American families are feeling less secure financially. According to a new study by the U.S. Federal Reserve, average family income fell by 2.3 percent from 2001 to 2004. Median real wages also dropped more than 6 percent during that time. Under President Clinton, in contrast, average family income increased by 17.3 percent from 1998 to 2001. [USA Today, 2/24/06] Equally distressing is the fact that the minimum wage has not been raised in nine years. As a result, the Economic Policy Institute noted recently that the "real value of the minimum wage has fallen significantly. Minimum-wage workers earned only 32 percent of the average hourly wage in 2005," creating the "greatest inequality between minimum-wage and average-wage workers since the end of World War II." [Economic Policy Institute, 2/17/06] Too many American working families today live on a financial cliff. With nearly half of US households headed by an unmarried person, families are now experiencing the greatest economic insecurity since the second World War. Democratic leaders have put forward a plan to create jobs that will stay in America, restore fiscal responsibility and middle class tax fairness. The Bush Administration Fiscal Year 2007 budget will only further families' economic insecurity. With proposed cuts in funding for health care, education and Social Security disability payments, among other things, this proposal continues to impose real hardship on families least able to shoulder it, while preserving and extending whopping tax breaks for millionaires. DNC research has issued a state by state analysis of the Bush Administration budget proposals for Fiscal Year 2007. Click here to view specific information for your state and how the Bush Administration's economic plans will affect your family. DEMOCRATS TAKING THE LEAD PINCHING PENNIES FOR AMERICAN TAXPAYERS It takes a woman to manage the checkbook! Congresswoman Louise Slaughter (D-NY) lambasted Republicans this week for wasting millions through their ties to lobbyists while Americans have been denied access to basic social services. As the ranking Democrat on the House Rules Committee, Slaughter points out that lobbyists - many of whom make huge yearly salaries as contractors and corporate representatives - have "purchased access to a government that is supposed to belong to the people," The report, available here does not name specific names and lays out specific examples of the Republican culture of corruption and how it shortchanges American families. Kudos to Congresswoman Slaughter for speaking up for us and our tax dollars! I AM A WOMAN VOTER: HEAR MY ROAR New research on an important group of women voters - unmarried women - is available from Women's Voices Women Votes. Yielded from a recent national survey and focus groups, Women's Voices Women's Vote (WVWV) has released its research in time for the 2006 elections and can be fully accessed at www.wvwv.org. WVWV is a non-partisan organization that partners with the newly formed Women's Voices Women's Vote Action Fund to engage in the 2006 elections. According to WVWV, unmarried America is growing: almost half of all US households are headed by an unmarried person. Unmarried women make up 46% of all voting age women; are approximately 1/3 never married, 1/3 divorced and 1/3 widowed. The survey finds unmarried women are different from married women - economically, socially and politically - and they are clearly seeking change in the 2006 elections and have a renewed focus on domestic and economic issues that directly affect their lives. Their top priorities include access to affordable health care, stronger retirement security, better educational opportunity, and raising the minimum wage. These women do not see the Republican Administration addressing these issues. Increasing the number of unmarried women who register and vote can have significant electoral benefit for Democrats, since unmarried women are more populist and share strong democratic values. In 2004, unmarried women increased their share of the electorate by 3.4 percentage points, going from 19% of all voters in 2000 to 22.4% in 2004. Looking at the WVWV data, this group of voters and non-voters can be mobilized if the Democratic Party speaks to their issues with the right messages and messengers. Recent history suggests that more than 6 million unmarried women who participated in the 2004 elections will not show up in 2006 unless mobilized. These drop-off voters can make the difference in November 2006 for Democratic candidates. How do you use this information? Review the data, which in some cases is state specific. As all the research and related presentation materials are available to the public, you can encourage your state and local Party to talk to these important voters. Educate other women in your community by speaking about the research and how each of us can improve the outreach to unmarried women and ask them to participate in the electoral process.
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