(This is our top Congressional challenge in 2010. If you have a few bucks to spare, consider making a donation. - promoted by David Dayen)
Last year, thanks to the grassroots, we came closer to beating Ken Calvert in California's 44th District than anyone thought possible.
With that near upset, people from across the country took note of this seat - especially the Republicans!
National Republicans have already begun raising money hand over fist from their big business, special interest contributors to keep Ken Calvert in office.
In fact, later today, Ken Calvert is set to receive $100,000 from the National Republican Congressional Committee as part of their "Patriot Program." They're doing everything they can to hold on to the seat!
According to the NRCC, these Patriots will be provided with the resources they need to build strong campaigns to help Republicans fight their way back to the Majority. We can't let this happen!
Last week, the Rothenberg Political Report http://rothenbergpoliticalrepo... came out and listed our race as having moved from last year's "Solid Republican" ranking to now "Leaning Republican".
With that new ranking, we've been told we're one of the three top races in the country to watch.
As encouraging as that is, I am also being told that I now need to immediately raise huge sums of money if I want to remain competitive.
I didn't get within 2% last cycle by raising millions of dollars and sending out flashy ads. Instead, I did it the old fashioned way. I walked the district and I actually talked to voters one-on-one. I was able to connect with thousands of families who have watched their jobs disappear and their homes lost to foreclosure - even though they always played by the rules. In 2008, I did what I do best: connect with voters one-on-one and discuss issues to explain exactly how I would be different than their current representative. At the heart of each issue (the economy, health care, the environment), we all share the same basic beliefs that we want our children to grow up in a safe, secure, thriving community and to do better than we did.
Unfortunately, I know that this race will be different and that strategy alone won't work in 2010 because the other side is so desperate to retain the seat.
The NRCC now realizes this seat is vulnerable and have made it clear they don't want to lose it. They've already set up a donation page for Calvert and Newt Gingrich is hosting a fundraiser tonight to help raise money for him.
Ok, so no one is exactly shocked to hear that today I've made it official but I wanted to come here to this blog to post it myself since the folks at Calitics have always been good to me.
I also wanted to post a little more about myself so that you understand why I'm running and why you should care about this race.
(The D-Trip is really taking an interest in CA-44. - promoted by David Dayen)
I'm excited to announce that my district is one of only six nationwide being targeted by the DCCC in a series of radio ads being rolled out next week.
The ads will target Republican members of Congress who opposed the middle class tax cut in President Obama's economic recovery act. These ads are the DCCC's way of taking the message of middle class tax cuts and economic recovery directly to the public in radio ads called "Tax Man" that will run in the lead up to April 15th (tax day).
My opponent Ken Calvert is one of the six Republicans being targeted for his vote against the middle class tax cut.
This is the DCCC's fourth phase of the "Putting Families First" campaign and we've been fortunate enough to be included in the other phases as well.
Representative Calvert is back in usual form - putting politics rather than families first. He released a newsletter this week touting the fact the he's once again defied the new administration.
Of particular interest was his slam against what he calls the "Mortgage Cram-Down Bill" (H.R. 1106), saying it would allow judges to "cram down" the principle amount on home mortgages.
Has Mr. Calvert somehow forgotten that the largest city in his district (Riverside) now has the fourth largest foreclosure rate in the country?
It turns out that Rep. Ken Calvert is at it again.
First, he voted against the Stimulus Bill. In his world of bizarre partisan purity, Calvert said that the Stimulus Bill spends too much. This argument would be more compelling if it were not coming from someone who voted to bailout banks and corporate CEOs to the tune of $700+ billion with no oversight just a few months ago, and who repeatedly voted to spend a budget-busting trillion dollars in Iraq.
After that last vote, he came back to the district for a series of town hall meetings where he spoke about the Stimulus Bill and the 9800 new jobs that would be created in the 44th and told the local paper, he'd do what he could to direct as much money as possible to the Inland Empire.
He followed that up by voting against the spending bill, complaining about the earmarks that had been added to it. But in today's Press Enterprise, it was reported that Mr. Calvert included 34 of his own earmarks totaling more than $42 million to it. When the Press Enterprise asked about adding those earmarks to the bill Representative Calvert said, "That doesn't obligate me to vote for the spending."
I think a more accurate statement to the press would be "In spite of all my efforts to prevent it from happening, there will be 10,000 new jobs and $42 million coming to this Congressional District."
Congressman Calvert is sending out an email in response to the President's address this past week. In his response Calvert says, "The market-based loan modifications make sense for homeowners who are on the margins, but in some cases, people simply bought homes they could not afford. While I agree that foreclosures adversely impact other homeowners, I do not believe homeowners who pay their bills on time and renters, who have saved up to buy a home, should foot the bill. The moral hazard in this case is simply too great and establishes a troubling precedent."
This argument hardly seems credible coming from a gentleman who authored a bill loosening adjustable rate regulations that encouraged folks to purchase homes they couldn't afford. Back in 2003, Calvert wrote HR 1443 (Access to Affordable Mortgages Act) which amended the National Housing Act to assure that 5/1 Adjustable Rate Mortgages (ARMs) were offered competitively in the marketplace. At the time Calvert said, "Congress has recognized the importance of more loan options to home-buyers and banks by allowing a range of adjustable mortgage rates. This provision will increase interest rate flexibility and thereby contribute to a stable economy and a robust real estate market."
Considering that Mr. Calvert himself is a real estate professional, it's amazing he couldn't see the flaw in his own legislation and believed it would lead to a more robust real estate market and a stable economy. The largest city in his district (Riverside) now has one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation and ranks as the fourth largest foreclosure market in the country. This is also the same "real estate expert" who purchased land illegally in Jarupa (another portion of his district). With real estate experts like Mr. Calvert telling us what does and doesn't work with regards to the real estate market, who needs the Obama economists, right?
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) posted a map today detailing the benefits for the Recovery Plan. The DCCC has made Congressman Calvert one of 12 GOP House members they are targeting in an e-mail, text, and telephone campaign calling these members out for voting against the stimulus package. As the DCCC states, "Congressman Ken Calvert's vote against President Obama's economic recovery package means that he tried to block a badly needed and shovel-ready project to repair streets in Riverside, California, creating 23 jobs alone."
To view the map, visit www.DCCC.org/Content/Recovery
Did Calvert and Co. get special treatment to 'further curry political favor'? With questions still swirling about Representative Ken Calvert's role in the purchase of public land, a $1.5 million lawsuit alleging the land sale may have been improper - or worse - continues to make its way through Riverside County Superior Court.
(Bill Hedrick is on the Calitics ActBlue Page. You can give there to all four of our candidates in tight races, Bill, Charlie Brown, Alyson Huber, and Hannah-Beth Jackson. - promoted by Brian Leubitz)
The Hedrick campaign still needs help paying legal costs to make sure every vote is counted. Can you help? The ActBlue page is at www.actblue.com/page/hedrickballotfund.
The energy and determination of the Hedrick for Congress campaign remains high as the tally of the final votes in the 44th Congressional District race began last week. Signature verification and sorting of ballots are continuing this weekend, with the actual count beginning on Monday, November 11th and resuming after the holiday on Wednesday.
The Hedrick Campaign has enlisted over 100 volunteers to observe the process, working in shifts to cover every available hour at the Riverside County Registrar of Voters in Moreno Valley.
Volunteers last week remarked repeatedly that they were impressed with the professionalism and efficiency of the Registrar's staff. The campaign has found the Riverside County Registrar of Voters, Barbara Dunmore, to be completely forthcoming in answering all questions and clearly explaining the process ahead.
