Betty MacDonald Trio to Headline for Congressman Hinchey

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JULY 10, 2009
Contact: Susanne Herl
845.338.8890

Kingston – The Friends of Maurice Hinchey today announced that the Betty MacDonald Trio with Pete Levin and Jim Curtin will headline a Sunday Brunch with Soulful Jazz fundraiser in support of Congressman Maurice Hinchey’s re-election campaign. "Betty has thrilled audiences from Santa Fe to India with her intimate and energetic stage presence." She is well known throughout the Hudson Valley as a jazz performer and for her many years as host of jazz radio programs on WDST and WAMC. In her 16 years as a programmer she had opportunity to interview jazz legends Dave Brubeck, Sonny Rollins, Dizzy Gillespie, Carmen McRae, Jack DeJohnette, Pat Metheny, Joe Williams, Marian McPartland, and Nancy Wilson. In a diverse music career spanning several decades, keyboardist/arranger Pete Levin has performed and recorded with hundreds of Jazz and Pop artists - including Paul Simon, Annie Lennox, Miles Davis, David Sanborn, Lenny White, Wayne Shorter, Jaco Pastorius, Robbie Robertson and John Scofield - receiving critical accolades for his work during a 15 year association with the legendary Gil Evans, and his 8 year stint with jazz icon Jimmy Giuffre. Renowned bass player and vocalist Jim Curtin, who has performed with countless noted musicians, rounds out the trio. Congressman Hinchey, who will be running for his 10th term in 2010, will be on hand to greet supporters and to speak about current local, national and international affairs.
The sumptuous, spirited event will be held on July 19, 2009 from noon to 2:00 p.m. on the deck of The Steel House, 100 Rondout Landing in Kingston’s Historic Rondout Waterfront District. Three ticket levels of contributions are being offered – Improv $56; Fusion $84; Harmony $112. Cash bar. For reservations or further information, please call 845.338.8890.

July 19, 2009

Noon Steel House
100 Rondout Landing
Kingston NY

It is a privilege and our great good fortune - to be members of your constituency. Your courage and conviction regarding basic human and democratic issues are inspiring and heartening, as expressed in your great letter of March 19. With your leadership we dare to hope and believe: we and those cherished principles will survive. Thank you!
Roy & Amy Godes

Keep up the good work. I appreciate your honesty, integrity and courage.
Karen & Peter Goertzel

Thanks for your work for peace!
Bill McCabe

Thank you for being one of the few congressmen to speak out against this illegal and criminal war.
Harriet & Ed Nadel

Thank you for having the courage to vote against this invasion.
Gloria Phillips

Your stance in opposition to this war, to the attack on our civil liberties, and the other acts of the Bush administration that you have outlined, make us feel truly represented. We are horrified that this Congress has surrendered its prerogatives and powers. We are proud that you have had the courage to support our constitution, our democracy and have opposed "preemptive" war.
Bernard & Elizabeth Rosen

Thank you for your tireless efforts to unseat Bush and bring back sanity and responsibility to the White House. Help us reverse the course the President has chosen.
Dorothy Ross

It is such a relief to hear from a politician what we know to be true of the Bush administration. Please, please continue to speak the truth in these dark days. We need you.
Nancy & Polly Piore

I can barely express the relief I feel in the midst of a government turning inside out - to have my very own representative who behaves like an educated man and understands something of the chaos the administration has invited the whole world to share. Thank you.
Marguerite Matthews

Thanks for your outstanding position on the war!
Ross & Lucille Pattison

This gift is a direct consequence of Mr. Hinchey's courageous stand against Bush's dirty little war in Iraq.
John Hussey

You are one of the few voices of reason in this world of chaos - Please shout if that is what it takes to be heard.
Judith & Robert Schneller

It was wonderfully refreshing to hear you speak out against the recent policies of the Bush Administration. It is a message that needs to go out to the entire public. Thank you for your courage. Please continue speaking out.
Cheryl Papa

Hinchey Rocks!
Nora Edison

The letter enclosed is truly masterful. I'm sending it to many people - it sums up what should have been done and what we must do in the future to prevent further destruction of what our country has always stood for. Best of luck to all of us.
Jean Cinader

Thanks for saying, "Dissent is the Essence of Democracy"!!!
Ruth Blizard

Keep up your great work. You are a beacon of hope and light in these most difficult and dark days. You display tremendous courage speaking out against the madness of this war, and your voice rings out on behalf of working families who want peace.
Charles Vogel

Thank you for your letter of the 19th of March. It expresses exactly my opinion. Our invasion of Iraq, without endorsement by the UN is contrary to International Law and has created widespread hate against the U.S. among many nations. But in spite of my opposition to this policy, I also fully support our men and women in the field.
Dr. Hans A. Bethe

In this depressing and alarming time, it gives us hope to read a letter from our representative that we wholeheartedly support. Please keep up your strong and courageous work.
Paul & Harriet Tomasko

I feel relief that there is at least one voice of sanity in Congress - someone who cares about our country, our civil rights, our responsibilities as citizens of the world. It is hard and depressing to see our government controlled by bullies who appear to care only about power and increased wealth for their cronies. May you succeed in your public service.
Sally Jennings

Congratulations on your courageous critique of Bush's war in Iraq and his administration's misplaced domestic priorities.
Sanford Gutman

Thank you for being one of the few elected officials who has maintained his integrity!
Diane Brown

Thank you Maurice for being brave and honest enough to take a stand on Bush's destruction of environmental, economic and global diplomacy policies that have served Americans well - until now.
Patricia Adams

I received a copy of your March 19 letter from my daughter. Although I am not a constituent, it is a joy to make a contribution to the campaign treasury. Please add my name to your mailing list.
Sally Baughman

How on earth did the American public have their attention switched from Osama bin Laden, the 9/11 alleged mastermind, to Saddam Hussain? It is one of the greatest scams ever pulled on a people, it is disturbing to see so many fell for this stunt. Thank you for keeping some sanity in this conflict.
Trudy Weber

I'm proud to support a legislator like you. Bush and his administration is destroying our international relations, our environment and our economy. You have a tough job but fight on and encourage your fellow congressmen to do the same.
Bob Schumann

Thank you for standing up and speaking out when so few do. Please keep me on your mailing list.
Prof. Patricia Hunt-Perry

Thank you for your correct and courageous stand against the U.S. attack on Iraq. We have no right or legitimate reason to invade and conquer.
Dooley Kiefer

Bravo for the action that you took in the House of Representatives. I am hopeful that the president will take the recommendation seriously.
Jacquelyn Efram

Good work, Maurice. Thank you!
Nancy Gabriel

Maurice is my hero.
Betty H. Eickler

THANK YOU, MAURICE!
LINDA BIEMER

Thank you, Congressman, you have always kept faith with the Constitution.
Anne McCabe

BRAVO Maurice!
Your courage is so remarkable.
Tara and Ned Sullivan

Well, let me tell you something. This is the first step of a new majority in this Congress taking the right kind of action on the basis of our obligations and responsibilities under the Constitution to stand up to the actions of this administration and to put this country back on the right track. Not just in the case of what is going on in Iraq, even though that is so terribly disastrous, but the consequences here in our own country, the intimidation of people, the internal spying, the elimination of habeas corpus, all of the impingements on the American Constitution, based upon the culture of fear cultivated purposely by this administration for their own personal and political objectives. No one in the previous leadership, no one in the previous majority, stood up to this administration in any kind of a constructive way.
~Rusted View Blog

I am proud to call you my Representative. I have not heard any national politician to date publicly state the case for the Iraq tragedy as boldly and honestly as you did tonight. Although I have heard you speak about Iraq often here in the Hudson Valley, seeing and hearing you speak about Iraq on the floor of the House gave it much more importance and prominence. You summed up by emphasizing that this resolution of no confidence was only a first step in bringing this terribly misbegotten military adventure to an end. Please continue to use your position and influence to bring as wise and early an end to this war as possible.
Dick Ernenwein

By now, I am no longer surprised at the incisiveness and clarity with which Congressman Hinchey tackles the awesome problems facing our nation. His hearkening back to Bush's infamous State of the Union address which propelled us into this gruesome war stimulated the following version of the old miners' song, "Sixteen Tons":

He spoke sixteen words and what did we get?

A war in Iraq and deeper in debt.

St. Peter, don't you call me -- I've still got work --

Gotta rid TV of that self-satisfied smirk.

Henry Foner

Both Sally Luther and I are thrilled with Maurice's wonderful work he is doing in Congress.
John Neumaier

Thanks, Maurice, for continuing to stand up to the evil in the White House.
Roberta Wallitt

Thank you, Rep. Hinchey for speaking out about this. We are fortunate to have you as our Representative in Congress!
Janice Viola

Hinchey for President
Rokki Carr