CHERRY VALLEY - 65th Assembly District Democratic challenger Carl Wood has invited Republican incumbent Paul Cook to a series of debates. In a personal letter Wood declared it "our duty" as candidates "to make every effort to inform voters about our candidacies." In an election year where voters are said to be hostile toward incumbents Wood's invitation includes his assurance that he will make "every accommodation" for Cook in order to make these debates happen.
Wood's campaign manager, Michael Kreizenbeck, hopes Cook will agree to the debates. "A debate that discusses issues like jobs, home foreclosures and the substantial needs of veterans is certain to hurt Cook's chances of reelection, but I don't see how Cook can run from this opportunity to explain himself directly to voters," Kreizenbeck said.
I was proud to attend the event held for Senator Barbara Boxer at the San Bernardino County Central Committee on Memorial Day. The mood was festive and lively as Senator Boxer laid into her opponents and defended her record on offshore drilling moratorium, the stimulus package (which is seen by the expansion and rework of the 215 FWY), and health care reform legislation. She is really trying to build a grassworks network here in the Inland Empire and I am glad that someone of such import has FINALLY paid attention to the Inland Empire aka the bastard step-child of the Democratic Party. However, we do need a new microphone system for the SBCCC because the one provided kept cutting off and was sometimes caught in an ear screeching feedback loop. Afterwards, Sen. Boxer attended the VA Hospital in Loma Linda to chat with veterans there and pay them the respect and honor they deserve for their service. For full disclosure, I am running for the Central Committee of San Bernardino County and if elected I will raise funds to purchase a new mic system!
Assemblymember Mary Salas (37th AD) is running for Senator Denise Ducheny's seat in the 40th. Salas already has the endorsement of Denise Ducheny and Manuel Perez (CA80AD), but she faces a GOP-funded primary opponent in Juan Vargas. This is a safe Democratic seat if we pay attention to the primary. More on Vargas over the flip.
Our club loved her, Mary is businesslike but warm, and very attractive, there is no way this lady can be 61.
Salas emphasized her work on healthcare and veterans' issues. When asked about the Governor's race: she said she's looking for a Governor who will have the guts enough to make the hard decisions for California. Tired of political self-interest in that office. She has seven bills on Arnold's desk being held hostage to his blanket veto threat.
(Some thoughts for Memorial Day from CA-10 Candidate Anthony Woods... - promoted by Brian Leubitz)
The willingness to make the "ultimate sacrifice" in defense of our country stands as the enduring value which binds every active duty serviceman, servicewoman, and every veteran of the United States military.
Each Memorial Day we are reminded---and rightly so---of the courageous Americans who have given their lives in defense of our nation--between 1 million and 1.3 million since the American Revolution, depending on whose numbers you read.
Indeed the willingness to make that sacrifice is the pre-requisite-along with adherence to a strict code of conduct and respect for the chain of command---to joining an impenetrable fellowship as diverse as the nation every veteran has pledged their lives to defending.
As the son of a veteran, a West Point Graduate and Iraq War Veteran, Memorial Day will always be a day of gratitude, of solemn reflection, and remembrance for me.
When you go beyond the headlines, there are several interesting elements of the Governor's May Revise - which by the way, was illegally delivered, under the February budget agreement, but hey, what's the law, right?
We know some of the major portions of the Governor's plan - cutting education, thousands of state employee layoffs, lots of borrowing (something like 40% of the gap through revenue anticipation warrants), selling public landmarks, etc. First of all, with respect to selling off public property, easier said than done.
Case in point: the governor's plan a while back to sell EdFund, the state's student loan guarantee fund. It was projected to bring in $1 billion, but still hasn't been sold (and was last valued at 50% of its original estimate). I mention that because in this proposal, the governor suggests $1 billion for selling off part of the State Compensation Insurance Fund. Maybe it's an easier deal than EdFund (and others in the past), but...
Some other interesting pieces:
• Despite the fact that Schwarzenegger adamantly insisted there will be not tax or fee increases as part of any solution, there in fact are new fee increases included. The Governor seeks higher fees, but significantly, those fees would hit some of the most vulnerable citizens in the state. For example, he raises fees for residents living in veterans homes throughout the state, adding $2.8 million dollars. What's important here is that he betrays his own rhetoric by raising some fees inside his own revised plan.
• While the budget deficit exists because of an historic drop in revenue during this Great Recession, instead of temporarily cutting various services, the Governor's revised budget would cut them permanently, particularly in programs like Medi-Cal, In-Home Supportive Services, SSI/SSP, regional centers, Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants. This despite, once again, the Governor reconciled his raid of local governments by saying that "hopefully the economy comes back." But even if it did, the permanent cuts to programs serving the most vulnerable elements of society would remain. The vast majority of those cuts would be implemented regardless of the outcome of the May 19 ballot measures.
• Never one to let an opportunity in crisis to slip by, the Governor would also allow the first new offshore drilling off the California coastline in 40 years, putting a major dent in any possible depiction of Schwarzenegger as some kind of environmentalist. Despite not being able to tax the severance of oil from California land, the Governor would lease new offshore drilling sites to bring in $100 million from the state. And this would nullify a ruling by the State Lands Commission that denied further oil leases. As recently as last summer, Schwarzenegger vowed not to allow new drilling off the California shore.
You won't read much of this fine print in the discussion of the budget, or the glorifying media profiles of the "Governator." But it's important, because every aspect of this reveals him as a cheap fraud.
As you probably know, President-elect Obama has called on all Americans to honor Dr. King by participating in the National Day of Service on January 19th, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and the Presidential Inauguration Committee has asked Veterans for America to be part of this great volunteer effort.
(here's a less gory Charlie Brown story. GOTV - promoted by shayera)
As many of you know, Charlie Brown is running a different kind of campaign. He is not running for fame or for power or to derail the ambitions of an opponent. Instead, Charlie is running a campaign focused on taking action, solving problems and producing results.
You can now add Rep. Brian Bilbray (R-CA 50) to the new heap of GOP incumbents who should be suddenly very worried. A new poll, conducted for atty/ex-San Diego City prosecutor Nick Leibham's (D) camp, shows him trailing Bilbray by a miniscule 44-42% margin.
This may feel like deja vu for GOPers. In the '06 special election to fill imprisoned-Rep. Duke Cunningham's (R) term, Bilbray needed $4.5M from the NRCC to skate by a relatively lackluster Dem. What's worrisome for Bilbray is that the cash-starved NRCC can't afford to put anywhere near that amount in his CD to save it this year. And the DCCC has enough cash, if it chooses to enter the contest, to make a difference. The NRCC simply can't afford to overwhelm Dem efforts here like they did in '06.
This is particularly acute in CA-50. Leibham beat Bilbray in fundraising in the third quarter, and they are almost even in cash on hand. Which means that, barring a life raft from the national party, Bilbray is largely on his own. And he doesn't have much to run on. Here he is whining about that powerful ad from Leibham supporter Joe Hoar, a retired Marine General, which ripped Bilbray for voting against the new GI Bill:
Bilbray said he was one of the GI Bill's original co-sponsors, but voted against it after congressional Democrats loaded it up with extraneous goodies, including a "massive tax increase" and a foreign aid package for Africa and Mexico.
"That's the kind of cynical tactics we said 'no' to," the Carlsbad Republican said. "We forced it to come back as a clean bill and we were able to pass it and it was signed into law in June."
Actually, it wasn't a clean bill at all, it was folded into an Iraq appropriation. And he objected to it initially because it was funded by a tax on millionaires.
Liebham supporters have put up an attack website called Wrong Way Bilbray highlighting his votes. Now that the campaign has settled into attacking Bilbray on the issues, with the Democratic wind at their backs, they are gaining traction.
And more than CA-50, what we're seeing is an across the board re-evaluation of Republican incumbents, with multiple GOPers in trouble.
(You guys are awesome. Thanks so much for getting us to our goal. But there's still more work to be done before midnight; we need to get $500 raised for each candidate. Right now 4 of our 5 candidates need a little more. Visit our ActBlue page and donate!)
Calitics Match candidate Charlie Brown is facing California's Alan Keyes, perennial candidate Tom McClintock, in the most hotly contested Congressional race in the state. And I think the pressure is getting to McClintock.
He put together a website called "Vets for Tom" which has a page with a list of resources for veterans. There is substantial evidence that McClintock's team plagiarized the resource list from Charlie Brown's website.
Campaign manager Todd Stenhouse said that not only did a list of resources on the site exactly match what was on Brown's site, but one link that was broken on Brown's site had the same problem on McClintock's site.
When visitors clicked on the "AmVets" link on McClintock's site, Stenhouse said, the broken address took visitor to a site with an address from Charlie Brown's site, in what Stenhouse called "a smoking gun."
"Everything he's learned about veterans and the military, he's apparently learned from Charlie Brown," Stenhouse said, referring to Brown's criticism of McClintock, a state senator, for voting against legislation related to veterans. McClintock established the veterans' site late last week.
There's really not much more to say on that. Some people lead and others follow.
Meanwhile, Brown and McClintock are strating to meet in forums and debates. Last week Brown called into a Sacramento radio show where McClintock was appearing, and last night they discussed the financial industry bailout. As expected, McClintock favors the exact same failed solutions which brought us to this crisis in the first place, like suspending the capital gains tax. Brown's position is more nuanced, supporting enforceable standards on executive compensation and returning proceeds from selling assets to taxpayers, while concerned about the consequences of doing nothing (which is McClintock's specialty).
The larger point is that McClintock is an enthusiastic supporter of the failed policies of the past, while Brown would reliably represent the future and lead on key issues.
We recently wrote about the Department of Veterans Affairs decision to open its facilities to voter registration drives after months of urging by voting rights groups and elected officials. This week, however, "VA voter suppression continues," as AlterNet's Steven Rosenfeld wrote Tuesday, with voter registration efforts being blocked in California and the VA general counsel criticizing the pending Veterans Voting Support Act (S. 3308), which would bolster federal protection of voter registration opportunities for all wounded veterans. With just three weeks left to register voters in most states, advocates say now is the time to support voter registration efforts in VA facilities and, most importantly, it needs to be explicitly protected from now on through federal law.
Things are happening very quickly in the most hotly contested campaigns in California. Here's an update:
• CA-04: Watching himself falling behind in the race to replace John Doolittle, perennial candidate Tom McClintock decided to borrow one of his predeccesor's smear campaigns and release an ad claiming that Charlie Brown dishonored servicemen by appearing at an anti-war rally.
The idea that wearing a camouflage jacket constitutes being "in uniform" is ridiculous, and so is the idea that a retired military officer has no free speech rights. But the idea is to smear Charlie as some kind of radical leftist and anti-military, despite Brown's long record of supporting veterans and McClintock's longer record voting against them.
The ensuing press conference put on by the McClintock campaign was a wild affair.
SACRAMENTO - A press conference on congressional candidate Charlie Brown's actions in 2005 at the home of an anti-war display nearly descended into conflict itself, with disruptions before, during and after the event and a near-appearance by police officers [...]
But before the event even began, a handful of Brown supporters - accompanied by Brown's campaign manager, Todd Stenhouse - were asked to leave so that they wouldn't cause a disruption.
One man loudly protested that as a military veteran and the father of an active-duty U.S. soldier, he felt he could stay. "This is not Russia," he said.
McClintock campaign consultant John Feliz and Stenhouse eventually got the man to agree to leave, but not before security at the Hyatt hotel where the press conference took place made calls to Sacramento police to remove the man [...]
But a third man who was with the veterans pointed out that Brown was within his First Amendment right to do so, prompting Feliz to ask him to leave as well, while also saying Brown should re-enlist and face a court martial for his actions.
The man, who gave his name as Bret Sherlock, said afterward that he attended because he was tired of non-veterans like McClintock smearing veterans like Brown.
"Did he do anything illegal?" Sherlock said of Brown, adding that if anyone should be able to protest the war, it should be Brown, as both a veteran and a father of a soldier who has served four tours of duty in Iraq.
McClintock campaign spokesman Bill George said the video came from a "concerned citizen." Neither McClintock nor Brown appeared at the press conference.
After the press conference concluded, Stenhouse tried to give McClintock's campaign a pledge to join a Brown program that donates 5 percent of Brown's campaign contributions to nonprofit community groups that work with charities.
Feliz angrily took it and threw it down without looking at it.
They don't want to talk about issues. So McClintock tries to smear a decorated veteran to win an election. Typical.
It has been said that actions speak louder than words.
Thursday, September 4th marked another day on the calendar for many people. But for some veterans down on their luck in California's 4th Congressional District, it was a day for hope. Retired Lieutenant Colonel Charlie Brown was joined by retired General Wesley Clark for a check presentation ceremony to three very special veteran's service providers: Rebuild Hope, the Greater Oroville Homeless Coalition, and Cottage Housing.
Last week, I shared a tragic story of a veteran who committed suicide less than three hours after being assessed as a "low risk" patient, and was released from VA care. The carelessness of his assessment was largely due to a standardized questionnaire that was used to identify high risk patients. This is a serious oversight, especially when you consider the statistic that by the end of the day, 18 veterans will have taken their own lives.
Since these troops make it home from Iraq, Afghanistan or other battlefields alive, they are not counted as casualties of war. In 2007, 6,256 veterans committed suicide. That's about two thousand more than the number of troops who died in Iraq since the beginning of the war. And yet, these deaths are not counted among the war casualties.
(This is an issue that's starting to reach critical mass, and Charlie Brown is at the forefront of it. Between recent reports about record numbers of veteran suicides and foreclosures in military towns tripling the average rate, the care and treatment of our veterans is an absolute disgrace. And it has fallen to leaders like Brown, BEFORE reaching Congress, to show the compassion and wisdom to get those who served this country what they need. I can't have more pride in how he's run this campaign. - promoted by David Dayen)
As many of you know, back in 2006, first time candidate and Retired USAF Lt. Col. Charlie Brown came from obscurity to within less than 9,000 votes (or 3%) of victory in a district that had been electing Republicans by 30 point margins just two years before.
I worked on Charlie's campaign in 2006, and I'm proud to be serving Charlie again in 2008. I didn't come back because I enjoy the 16-hour days. I certainly didn't come back because of the paychecks. I came back because there's something different about a "typical day" on the Charlie Brown for Congress campaign---something that can't be described in sound bytes or talking points...something so important, you want the world to experience it with you...
[War's] glory is all moonshine; even success the most brilliant is over dead and mangled bodies, with the anguish and lamentations of distant families ... It is only those who have neither fired a shot nor heard the shrieks and groans of the wounded who cry aloud for blood, more vengeance, more desolation.
You cannot qualify war in harsher terms than I will. War is cruelty, and you cannot refine it; and those who brought war to our country deserve all the curses and maledictions a people can pour out.
-William Tecumseh Sherman
On March 19, 2003, Pres. George W. Bush declared war against Iraq and the US attacked that country. Six weeks later and exactly five years ago today, Bush landed a fighter jet onboard an aircraft carrier, far from any dangers of real battle, and declared "Mission Accomplished." He appeared almost giddy from the excitement of his most excellent adventure.
"Major combat operations in Iraq have ended. In the battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed."
-- George W. Bush
Today, on that anniversary, Lt. Col. (Air Force Ret.) Charlie Brown appeared at a townhall meeting for veterans accompanied by former Army Capt. and Sen. Max Cleland. Both Charlie Brown and Max Cleland served in Vietnam; indeed, that's where Cleland had both legs and his right arm blown off by a grenade.
(Up goes the diary from Charlie. We'll have video from the Calitics interview soon. - promoted by Brian Leubitz)
Yesterday was a powerful press day in CA 04, most notably on the Opinion page of the Auburn Journal.
As all of you know, the treatment afforded American veterans has long been a national disgrace---and like so many of the challenges we face, it's not a new problem either. That's why Charlie is not waiting for January of 2009 to make a difference for America's veterans--donating 5% of campaign contributions to help those most in in need in our community.
And then somthing else happened---30 local veterans, including more than a dozen vets of Iraq and Afghanistan submitted a response of their own. Wanted to share their comments with all of you, below the flip.
As you know, so many of the big challenges facing America-both here in CD4 and across the country---simply cannot wait until January of 2009 for action.
That's why together, we've made this campaign
not about partisan politics as usual--but solving problems and leading by example.
Beginning last spring, we provided vital support to several area veterans organizations, and to relief efforts for those displaced by a devastating wildfire in South Lake Tahoe.
In September, we went a step further---committing 5% of every dollar raised in this campaign to support organizations helping veterans and families in need---through our
Promises Kept Veterans Charity Challenge
.
In the months since, we've received letters from many worthy organizations, each doing incredible work.
This week, we've selected
three finalists
for you to consider as our first donation recipients under the "Promises Kept" program.
What happens when you deploy troops who have seen high intensity combat time and time again with inadequate dwell time between tours? You see skyrocketing mental health issues.
After months of investigative work, talking to our troops and veterans, we released a report on the situation at Fort Drum in Watertown, New York. Since 9/11, the 2nd Brigade Combat Team has been deployed for more than forty months, more than any other brigade in the Army, and we are seeing what is nothing short of a cry for help from the men and women on the base; a cry we will answer, and one we will answer here in California which has seen thousands of its young men and women deployed.
A cry for help that is also coming from the leadership on the base. In a New York Times article today about our report, Major General Michael Oates, commander of the 10th Mountain Division, says: "We recognize that there is stress on our force and their families from this conflict, but until recently, we have not fully appreciated the extent of some of the mental stresses and injuries or how to best identify them." Please read the rest of the article here.
What is happening at Fort Drum -- with Soldiers still on active duty suffering from PTSD, with Soldiers and their families in need of counseling, with Soldiers literally dying while still on duty -- is going to happen all around America unless we begin to address some of the basic issues of this war. As our report explains, DoD itself has stated that the likelihood of troops having mental health problems increases by 60% with every tour of duty. So, in short, through ourdeployment policies, we are consciously compounding the wounds of war.
This is unacceptable to us. Veterans for America's Wounded Warrior Outreach Program will continue to address these problems from the bottom up.
We are going to go to as many bases as we can afford to go to, see what is happening on those bases and see how we can help. If you can help us, we would greatly appreciate it.
We are going to continue our Wounded Warrior Registry Outreach -- if you or someone you know needs help getting help with PTSD or TBI, please click here.
And above all, we are going to continue to serve and help those that serve and have served us with the same level of dedication and courage they have shown. Click here to learn more about what we are doing.
Around the United States, including here in California, we see that the military is overwhelmed as it tries to assist servicemembers.
Here at Veterans For America, where I am proud to be Director of Policy, we are determined to do something to help the men and women who have served us. Part of our efforts include our easy-to-use registry that will help us get you the help you need (or help for someone you know).
If you or someone you know needs help, we will work to make sure that you get it -- it's as simple as that. We will answer every single request we get. Sometimes it can be just knowing how to fight through the bureaucracy and get the mental health appointment you need or it might be how to get your family counseling.
Please let us help you or someone you know get the help you need and deserve.
Veterans For America was founded over thirty years ago by Bobby Muller, who was paralyzed by a bullet in Vietnam while leading a Marine patrol. Originally named the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation, VFA now works all across the country, focusing on the high rates of mental health problems and mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBI) as a result of our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
This Wounded Warrior Registry will help us determine how many military men and women need help and what is the best way to get them that help.
(I wish we'd hear from all of our challenger candidates more regularly. - promoted by David Dayen)
I am Steve Young, the Democrat challenging John Campbell [R, CA-48] the sixth richest member of congress. My challenge is truly a David vs. Goliath battle -- and we know how that one turned out.
I am writing to ask for your help. Two reasons make the House race in California's 48th district important:
We need a representative with the spine to vote his heart; and
As we have learned from sad experience, we don't have the votes in Washington to pass necessary legislation.
We need a voice - reflective of our values - in the U.S. House in Washington.
The willingness to make the "ultimate sacrifice" in defense of our country stands as the enduring value which binds every active duty serviceman, servicewoman, and every veteran of the United States military.
On March 19, 2003, Pres. George W. Bush declared war against Iraq and the US attacked that country. Six weeks later and exactly five years ago today, Bush landed a fighter jet onboard an aircraft carrier, far from any dangers of real battle, and declared "Mission Accomplished." He appeared almost giddy from the excitement of his most excellent adventure.