With only three and a half month left before election day, Nevada bloggers have joined forces and today announce the creation of the "Nevada Bloggers for Jill Derby and Dina Titus" ActBlue fundraising page.
Dean Heller and Jon Porter were almost beaten in 2006 in what were the closest races the 2nd and 3rd Nevada Congressional Districts have seen to date. Considering that Democratic voter registration has significantly increased since 2006 and that Nevada will be a battleground state in the presidential contest both Jill Derby and Dina Titus have a big chance of beating the Republican incumbents this fall.
However, both have one disadvantage: they have significantly less cash-on-hand than the incumbents. While they both reported good fundraising numbers in the last quarter it will be hard to make up the time and incumbency advantages of Heller and Porter. Therefore, Jill Derby and Dina Titus need all the help they can get. Whether you can give $5,$20 or $100 - anything helps!
The following blogs have been and will continue to cover one or both of these contests and today we are announcing that we stand together to help elect Jill Derby and Dina Titus: Blue Sage Views, Desert Beacon, Helluva Heller, My Silver State, Nevada Mojo Rising, Nor'Town, Nye - Gateway to Nevada's Rurals, Reno and Its Discontent, and Vote Gibbons Out.
We support Jill Derby and Dina Titus for Congress! Help us in our effort!
Showing posts with label Jill Derby. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jill Derby. Show all posts
Monday, July 21, 2008
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Foster! Cazayoux! Childers! Derby?
Why did the Jill Derby campaign and countless other Democratic congressional campaigns across the United States likely look to Mississippi last night?
Because of this man:
Travis Childers yesterday won a race that he never was supposed to win. He beat a Republican in a district that voted for President Bush with 62%, that his predecessor (who was appointed to Trent Lott's Senate seat) last won with 71% in 2006.
Yet, Childers not only beat his Republican opponent, he beat him by a significant margin: 54% to 46%. This after the Republicans tried to attack Childers by associating him with Barack Obama and Reverend Wright and the bad, bad liberals. The almost bankrupt NRCC spent more than a million dollars here and Nevada's own Sheldon Adelson's dollars didn't help the Republicans either. Neither did Dick Cheney's last minute appearance.
Why is this so important? Because it is the third special election in a heavily Republican district in a row that the Republicans lost. The first was fmr. Speaker Hastert's seat in Illinois, won by Democrat Bill Foster. The second was just a week ago in Louisiana (the only state John Ensign seriously thinks he can beat a Democratic incumbent Senator), where Don Cazayoux won. House Republicans are in pure panic mode now. From The Hill:
All this is good news for Jill Derby of course. Like Foster, Cazayoux and Childers she faces the challenge of winning in a Republican district. She narrowly lost against Dean Heller in 2006. So, what is different this time around? Due to the caucus voter registration is up. In the primary, Barack Obama faired much better in this CD than Hillary Clinton, especially amongst independents. This could mean that Obama's likely to have coattails in November. Dean Heller now has a record that he has to defend. And Republicans are even more unpopular than two years ago.
You can of course help Jill Derby get elected by contributing through the My Silver State ActBlue page.
Jill Derby for Congress website
Cross posted from My Silver State.
Because of this man:
Travis Childers yesterday won a race that he never was supposed to win. He beat a Republican in a district that voted for President Bush with 62%, that his predecessor (who was appointed to Trent Lott's Senate seat) last won with 71% in 2006.
Yet, Childers not only beat his Republican opponent, he beat him by a significant margin: 54% to 46%. This after the Republicans tried to attack Childers by associating him with Barack Obama and Reverend Wright and the bad, bad liberals. The almost bankrupt NRCC spent more than a million dollars here and Nevada's own Sheldon Adelson's dollars didn't help the Republicans either. Neither did Dick Cheney's last minute appearance.
Why is this so important? Because it is the third special election in a heavily Republican district in a row that the Republicans lost. The first was fmr. Speaker Hastert's seat in Illinois, won by Democrat Bill Foster. The second was just a week ago in Louisiana (the only state John Ensign seriously thinks he can beat a Democratic incumbent Senator), where Don Cazayoux won. House Republicans are in pure panic mode now. From The Hill:
The sky is falling on House Republicans and there is no sign of it letting up.
The GOP loss in Mississippi’s special election Tuesday is the strongest sign yet that the Republican Party is in shambles. And while some Republicans see a light at the end of the tunnel, that light more likely represents the Democratic train that is primed to mow down more Republicans in November.
The third straight House special election loss in three conservative districts this year is a clear indication that the GOP brand is turning off voters and the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) is in disarray.
All this is good news for Jill Derby of course. Like Foster, Cazayoux and Childers she faces the challenge of winning in a Republican district. She narrowly lost against Dean Heller in 2006. So, what is different this time around? Due to the caucus voter registration is up. In the primary, Barack Obama faired much better in this CD than Hillary Clinton, especially amongst independents. This could mean that Obama's likely to have coattails in November. Dean Heller now has a record that he has to defend. And Republicans are even more unpopular than two years ago.
You can of course help Jill Derby get elected by contributing through the My Silver State ActBlue page.
Jill Derby for Congress website
Cross posted from My Silver State.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Jill Derby going negative against Dean Heller?
Douglas Hill of Fallon wrote a letter to the Lahontan Valley News published today. He opens his letter with "Does Jill Derby have to open her campaign with an attack on Dean Heller? According to her, Heller just follows the Republican line." [Lahontan Valley News]
"Yet at the Republican Lincoln Day Dinner, Heller stated, 'We (Republicans) truly need to change,' adding that the Republicans mishandled the war, had undisciplined spending habits and corruption. Sounds like Heller is pretty independent to me!"
Having read Mr. Hill's letter I turned to the Derby website to see what she said in her announcement she was going to run against Heller again. [Jill Derby for Congress] Here is what she wrote:
"* Rather than be independent, he (Heller) put the profits of drug companies ahead of making prescription drugs affordable for Nevada's seniors.
"* Rather than push for new solutions to the quagmire in Iraq, he has been in lockstep with the Bush Administration.
"* Rather than be independent and put Nevada first, he has put Big Oil first, giving corporate welfare to Oil companies making record profits, while Nevadans struggle with record prices at the pump.
"* Rather than be independent and put Nevada's children first, he chose tax breaks for the wealthy and voted against check ups for kids.
"* Rather than be independent, he has voted over 90% of the time towing the line of the Bush administration and his Party."
I fail to see those remarks as being attacks, as Mr. Hill appears to think. I see Derby's remarks as pointing out deficiencies in Mr. Heller's representation of Nevada's 2nd Congressional District. They are fair criticisms which Derby should be highlighting.
Mr. Hill's letter pointed out that "Heller states he voted against the expansion of the SCHIP because "If H.R. 3162 just focused on improving children's health care, my vote probably would have been different. Yet 75 percent of this bill cut Medicare and raised taxes on the middle class ... Medicare cuts affect 30 percent of seniors in Nevada ... This legislation includes ... mandating new taxation on private health plan." This bill would have eliminated the current proof of citizenship requirement."
But read what health care professionals were saying back when SCHIP was moving through Congress (September 2007) before Bush vetoed it.
"A group of healthcare professionals gathered today to voice their support for the SCHIP bill.
"According to the professionals, Nevada has one of the worst insurance rates in the country and this legislation is critical to ensuring the healthcare of children uninsured in Nevada.
"If President Bush vetoes the bill, it might not just be these children who lose out.
"They say the healthcare of the estimated 30,000 children enrolled in the Nevada Checkup program would also be jeopardized.
"Martin Gallacher, a registered nurse, says "if it doesn't pass, it will affect the neediest of us in the state of Nevada. Again, parents who are forced to choose the emergency room as a primary source of care".
"The group says the veto of the bill will force thousands of families to continue to choose between basic needs, including food and healthcare." [KTNV Channel 13, Las Vegas]
How does Heller square his rejection of SCHIP with the children of families in the 2nd Congressional District? Even Jon Porter voted for SCHIP.
Of course George Bush vetoed SCHIP, twice I recall. Heller backed Bush's vetoes. And keep in mind that Bush flew into Heller's District in 2006 to help him raise campaign funds.
No, one of the primary problems Heller has in getting re-elected is the fact he joined himself to George Bush's hip. George Bush has been a disaster as President of the United States. I admire Heller's loyalty to Bush but I fail to see that loyalty as a benefit to the residents of Congressional District 2.
"Yet at the Republican Lincoln Day Dinner, Heller stated, 'We (Republicans) truly need to change,' adding that the Republicans mishandled the war, had undisciplined spending habits and corruption. Sounds like Heller is pretty independent to me!"
Having read Mr. Hill's letter I turned to the Derby website to see what she said in her announcement she was going to run against Heller again. [Jill Derby for Congress] Here is what she wrote:
"* Rather than be independent, he (Heller) put the profits of drug companies ahead of making prescription drugs affordable for Nevada's seniors.
"* Rather than push for new solutions to the quagmire in Iraq, he has been in lockstep with the Bush Administration.
"* Rather than be independent and put Nevada first, he has put Big Oil first, giving corporate welfare to Oil companies making record profits, while Nevadans struggle with record prices at the pump.
"* Rather than be independent and put Nevada's children first, he chose tax breaks for the wealthy and voted against check ups for kids.
"* Rather than be independent, he has voted over 90% of the time towing the line of the Bush administration and his Party."
I fail to see those remarks as being attacks, as Mr. Hill appears to think. I see Derby's remarks as pointing out deficiencies in Mr. Heller's representation of Nevada's 2nd Congressional District. They are fair criticisms which Derby should be highlighting.
Mr. Hill's letter pointed out that "Heller states he voted against the expansion of the SCHIP because "If H.R. 3162 just focused on improving children's health care, my vote probably would have been different. Yet 75 percent of this bill cut Medicare and raised taxes on the middle class ... Medicare cuts affect 30 percent of seniors in Nevada ... This legislation includes ... mandating new taxation on private health plan." This bill would have eliminated the current proof of citizenship requirement."
But read what health care professionals were saying back when SCHIP was moving through Congress (September 2007) before Bush vetoed it.
"A group of healthcare professionals gathered today to voice their support for the SCHIP bill.
"According to the professionals, Nevada has one of the worst insurance rates in the country and this legislation is critical to ensuring the healthcare of children uninsured in Nevada.
"If President Bush vetoes the bill, it might not just be these children who lose out.
"They say the healthcare of the estimated 30,000 children enrolled in the Nevada Checkup program would also be jeopardized.
"Martin Gallacher, a registered nurse, says "if it doesn't pass, it will affect the neediest of us in the state of Nevada. Again, parents who are forced to choose the emergency room as a primary source of care".
"The group says the veto of the bill will force thousands of families to continue to choose between basic needs, including food and healthcare." [KTNV Channel 13, Las Vegas]
How does Heller square his rejection of SCHIP with the children of families in the 2nd Congressional District? Even Jon Porter voted for SCHIP.
Of course George Bush vetoed SCHIP, twice I recall. Heller backed Bush's vetoes. And keep in mind that Bush flew into Heller's District in 2006 to help him raise campaign funds.
No, one of the primary problems Heller has in getting re-elected is the fact he joined himself to George Bush's hip. George Bush has been a disaster as President of the United States. I admire Heller's loyalty to Bush but I fail to see that loyalty as a benefit to the residents of Congressional District 2.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Heller Had 12th Worst GOP Result in 2006
Nationally, many pundits and bloggers didn't take Nevada's 2nd district too seriously in 2006. It was too safe a Republican district to be even slightly competitive, so the argument went.
Well, we all know that Dean Heller in the end won his election against Democrat Jill Derby. Against expectations though, his result wasn't very convincing. The man who was elected Secretary of State of Nevada three times, barely won more than 50% of the vote in a district that doesn't include Democratic Las Vegas. So today, I ventured out in search of Republicans who won their districts in 2006 and did worse than him. Turns out that there weren't that many.
Only 11 Republicans were elected with a worse result than Heller. Among them: Rep. Sali of Idaho, Rep. Cubin of Wyoming, Rep. Musgrave of Colorado and Rep. Doolittle of California. All these districts were presumed to be safely in Republican hands. There was no way they would become competitive and yet they were.
Again, there is talk of Heller being safe, of other Republican districts more important than Nevada's 2nd. This is reminder for all of these folks that Heller is among the vulnerable dozen Republicans currently serving in Congress:
Well, we all know that Dean Heller in the end won his election against Democrat Jill Derby. Against expectations though, his result wasn't very convincing. The man who was elected Secretary of State of Nevada three times, barely won more than 50% of the vote in a district that doesn't include Democratic Las Vegas. So today, I ventured out in search of Republicans who won their districts in 2006 and did worse than him. Turns out that there weren't that many.
Only 11 Republicans were elected with a worse result than Heller. Among them: Rep. Sali of Idaho, Rep. Cubin of Wyoming, Rep. Musgrave of Colorado and Rep. Doolittle of California. All these districts were presumed to be safely in Republican hands. There was no way they would become competitive and yet they were.
Again, there is talk of Heller being safe, of other Republican districts more important than Nevada's 2nd. This is reminder for all of these folks that Heller is among the vulnerable dozen Republicans currently serving in Congress:
- 50.37% Heller
- 50.24% Pryce (OH-15)
- 50.21% Wilson (NM-01)
- 50.14% Hayes (NC-08)
- 50.08% Buchanan (FL-13)
- 50.05% Bachmann (MN-06)
- 49.95% Sali (ID-01)
- 49.53% Ferguson (NJ-07)
- 49.26% Doolittle (CA-04)
- 48.46% Porter (NV-03)
- 48.33% Cubin (WY-01)
- 45.91% Musgrave (CO-04)
Thursday, May 10, 2007
The Future of Nevada Democrats is Female
Cross posted from Turn Tahoe Blue. Will Heller's challenger also be a woman?
Women are clearly on the rise in Nevada politics. Especially so on the Democratic side. Consider the following: in the 2006 elections Democrats nominated women in all three congressional districts, four out of six candidates for statewide office were women, including Governor.
While Jill Derby (NV-02) and Tessa Hafen (NV-03) didn't win their respective races, they did come pretty close and it's quite possible that Dean Heller and Jon Porter will have to run against female candidates again in 2008.
Women have captured high offices in Nevada in the past, though they were mostly Republican: former Congresswoman Barbara Vucanovich (NV-02, 1983-97), former Treasurer Patty Cafferata (1983-87), former Lt. Governors Sue Wagner (1991-95) and Lorraine Hunt (1999-2007), Secretary of State Cheryl Lau (1991-95). The only Democratic women previously elected to statewide office were Superintendent of Public Instruction Mildred Bray (1937-51) and Frankie Sue Del Papa who was Secretary of State (1987-91) and Attorney General (1991-2003). There has not been a female US Senator yet, the only Democratic nominee was Mary Gojack in 1990.
Recently female Democrats were much more successful in being nominated and elected than their Republican counterparts. Currently, three out of four Democratic (six total) constitutional officers in Nevada are women: Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto, State Treasurer Kate Marshall, and State Controller Kim Wallin. Las Vegas is represented in Congress by Shelley Berkley. The Nevada State Democratic Party has recently elected a woman, Jill Derby, as its chair. Among the five-person leadership are three more women: 2nd Vice Chair Teresa Benitez-Thompson, Secretary A'shanti Gholar, and Treasurer Jan Churchill.
In the State Assembly, Barbara Buckley was recently elected Speaker, the first woman in that position in Nevada's history. Majority Whip Sheila Leslie and Assistant Majority Whip Debbie Smith are among the five person Majority Leadership in the Assembly, while the Democratic leadership team in the State Senate is entirely comprised of women: Minority Floor Leader Dina Titus, Minority Whip Valerie Wiener, and Assistant Minority Floor Leader Bernice Mathews. As far as I could find out, no other legislatative body in the country has an entirely female leadership, at least on the Democratic side.
10 out 27 Democratic Assembly members are women (37%) and 5 out of 10 Democratic State Senators are women, making up 50%.
Therefore, it comes as no surprise that in a recent poll at Helluva Heller, asking who should run against Heller on the Democratic side, out of the seven mentioned possibilities five were women: Kate Marshall, Debbie Smith, Jill Derby, Sheila Leslie, and Teresa Benitez Thompson and the female candidates were in the lead at last count.
When you consider all this, it is only a matter of time when Nevada will send another woman to the House, the first woman to the US Senate and elect its first Governor.
You can read more about the history of women in Nevada politics here.
Go to Turn Tahoe Blue to see photos of the women mentioned.
Women are clearly on the rise in Nevada politics. Especially so on the Democratic side. Consider the following: in the 2006 elections Democrats nominated women in all three congressional districts, four out of six candidates for statewide office were women, including Governor.
While Jill Derby (NV-02) and Tessa Hafen (NV-03) didn't win their respective races, they did come pretty close and it's quite possible that Dean Heller and Jon Porter will have to run against female candidates again in 2008.
Women have captured high offices in Nevada in the past, though they were mostly Republican: former Congresswoman Barbara Vucanovich (NV-02, 1983-97), former Treasurer Patty Cafferata (1983-87), former Lt. Governors Sue Wagner (1991-95) and Lorraine Hunt (1999-2007), Secretary of State Cheryl Lau (1991-95). The only Democratic women previously elected to statewide office were Superintendent of Public Instruction Mildred Bray (1937-51) and Frankie Sue Del Papa who was Secretary of State (1987-91) and Attorney General (1991-2003). There has not been a female US Senator yet, the only Democratic nominee was Mary Gojack in 1990.
Recently female Democrats were much more successful in being nominated and elected than their Republican counterparts. Currently, three out of four Democratic (six total) constitutional officers in Nevada are women: Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto, State Treasurer Kate Marshall, and State Controller Kim Wallin. Las Vegas is represented in Congress by Shelley Berkley. The Nevada State Democratic Party has recently elected a woman, Jill Derby, as its chair. Among the five-person leadership are three more women: 2nd Vice Chair Teresa Benitez-Thompson, Secretary A'shanti Gholar, and Treasurer Jan Churchill.
In the State Assembly, Barbara Buckley was recently elected Speaker, the first woman in that position in Nevada's history. Majority Whip Sheila Leslie and Assistant Majority Whip Debbie Smith are among the five person Majority Leadership in the Assembly, while the Democratic leadership team in the State Senate is entirely comprised of women: Minority Floor Leader Dina Titus, Minority Whip Valerie Wiener, and Assistant Minority Floor Leader Bernice Mathews. As far as I could find out, no other legislatative body in the country has an entirely female leadership, at least on the Democratic side.
10 out 27 Democratic Assembly members are women (37%) and 5 out of 10 Democratic State Senators are women, making up 50%.
Therefore, it comes as no surprise that in a recent poll at Helluva Heller, asking who should run against Heller on the Democratic side, out of the seven mentioned possibilities five were women: Kate Marshall, Debbie Smith, Jill Derby, Sheila Leslie, and Teresa Benitez Thompson and the female candidates were in the lead at last count.
When you consider all this, it is only a matter of time when Nevada will send another woman to the House, the first woman to the US Senate and elect its first Governor.
You can read more about the history of women in Nevada politics here.
Go to Turn Tahoe Blue to see photos of the women mentioned.
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Democrats Can Win in the Rurals
When talking about trying to win the 2nd congressional district in Nevada, which encompasses almost all of Nevada except for the heavily populated parts of Clark County, you almost always encounter one argument: Democrats cannot win in the rurals.
Now, at first look that might be true, statewide Democratic candidates often lose the rural counties and often by a large margin. One reason for that might be that statewide Democratic candidates most often hail from Clark County and might not campaign too much in the rurals.
However, when you take a closer look you might come away shocked. Why? Because Democrats actually get elected in the rurals on a regular basis. Just take a look at this list of current office holders who identified themselves as Democrats on the ballot:
Churchill County:
Vicky Tripp, County Recorder
John Serpa, County Public Administrator
Elko County:
Mike Nannini, County Commissioner
Esmeralda County:
Nancy Boland, County Commissioner
R.J. Gillum, County Commissioner
Karen Scott, County Auditor/Recorder
Eureka County:
Michael Rebaleati, County Recorder/Auditor
Lander County:
Gladys Burris, County Clerk
Lincoln County:
Bill Lloyd, County Commissioner
Leslie Boucher, County Recorder/Auditor
Kathy Hiatt, County Treasurer
Tommy Rowe, County Commissioner
Mineral County:
Ed Fowler, County Commissioner
Richard Bryant, County Commissioner
Cheri Emm-Smith, District Attorney
Nye County:
Gary Budahl, County Treasurer
Sandra Musselman, County Assessor
Pershing County:
Roger Mancebo, County Commissioner
Celeste Hamilton, County Assessor
Donna Giles, County Clerk/Treasurer
Darlene Moura, Recorder/Auditor
Dave Ayoob, County Commissioner
Storey County:
Harold Swafford, District Attorney
White Pine County:
Robert Bishop, County Assessor
RaLeene Makley, County Commissioner
Martha Rivera Sindelar, County Recorder
Now, at first look that might be true, statewide Democratic candidates often lose the rural counties and often by a large margin. One reason for that might be that statewide Democratic candidates most often hail from Clark County and might not campaign too much in the rurals.
However, when you take a closer look you might come away shocked. Why? Because Democrats actually get elected in the rurals on a regular basis. Just take a look at this list of current office holders who identified themselves as Democrats on the ballot:
Churchill County:
Vicky Tripp, County Recorder
John Serpa, County Public Administrator
Elko County:
Mike Nannini, County Commissioner
Esmeralda County:
Nancy Boland, County Commissioner
R.J. Gillum, County Commissioner
Karen Scott, County Auditor/Recorder
Eureka County:
Michael Rebaleati, County Recorder/Auditor
Lander County:
Gladys Burris, County Clerk
Lincoln County:
Bill Lloyd, County Commissioner
Leslie Boucher, County Recorder/Auditor
Kathy Hiatt, County Treasurer
Tommy Rowe, County Commissioner
Mineral County:
Ed Fowler, County Commissioner
Richard Bryant, County Commissioner
Cheri Emm-Smith, District Attorney
Nye County:
Gary Budahl, County Treasurer
Sandra Musselman, County Assessor
Pershing County:
Roger Mancebo, County Commissioner
Celeste Hamilton, County Assessor
Donna Giles, County Clerk/Treasurer
Darlene Moura, Recorder/Auditor
Dave Ayoob, County Commissioner
Storey County:
Harold Swafford, District Attorney
White Pine County:
Robert Bishop, County Assessor
RaLeene Makley, County Commissioner
Martha Rivera Sindelar, County Recorder
What conclusions can be drawn from that list? Democrats can win in the rurals, so much is for sure. How do they win? My guess is by meeting the voters and proving that they're more qualified for the job than their Republican opponent.
Ahead of her election as Chair of the Nevada State Democratic Party, I asked Jill Derby about her experiences on the campaign trail. Here's what she had to say:
I was able to connect with many people in all 17 of Nevada’s counties during my campaign for Congress. That experience provides me with a network of positive relationships with which to build the unity, focus, and cohesion which will be important to the Party in the year ahead. Democrats often talk about being the party of inclusion and I intend to make that happen by involving everyone – rural and urban, north and south. I also learned that many Nevadans are independent and not locked into strict party vote. I learned that reaching out and framing our message in ways that resonate beyond our traditional Democratic audience can bring support across party lines, and is particularly attractive to independent voters, of which there are many in Nevada.
In order for a Democratic candidate to beat Dean Heller next year, one can only encourage Jill Derby and hope she'll focus more heavily on the rurals, highlight achievements in counties like Lincoln and Pershing, and set up a party structure in the rural counties.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
VoteVets Targeting Dean Heller
VoteVets are currently targeting 32 House members who voted against a deadline for redeploying the troops from Iraq using automated phone messages, reports the Politico. Among them: Nevada's Dean Heller.
Here's the message, narrated by Brandon Friedman, a veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan:
VoteVets is an extraordinary and very credible organization caring about the needs of America's veterans. On its advisory board sit (among others):
Retired Gen. Wesley Clark
Former Sen. Bob Kerrey
Retired Major General Paul Eaton
Retired Major General John Batiste
Clark was in Nevada last year campaigning for Jill Derby.
VoteVets also aired this very powerful commercial against then Sen. George Allen last year:
Of course, these calls come at the same time as the ad by Americans United for Change. Here it is again:
Here's the message, narrated by Brandon Friedman, a veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan:
"Hello, my name is Brandon Friedman. I served America in Iraq, and I'm calling to tell you how angered I am that on March 28th, your Congressman,______________, stood against America's troops, by voting against legislation that would finally set a course to responsibly redeploy them from Iraq's civil war.
"Congressman_________ talks a lot about supporting the troops, but when the chips were down, he voted with President Bush and against the troops. He voted in favor of sending more and more of my fellow troops to Iraq- with no end in sight. If you're as disappointed as I am in Congressman________ let him know. Call him at ____________. Thank you."
VoteVets is an extraordinary and very credible organization caring about the needs of America's veterans. On its advisory board sit (among others):
Retired Gen. Wesley Clark
Former Sen. Bob Kerrey
Retired Major General Paul Eaton
Retired Major General John Batiste
Clark was in Nevada last year campaigning for Jill Derby.
VoteVets also aired this very powerful commercial against then Sen. George Allen last year:
Of course, these calls come at the same time as the ad by Americans United for Change. Here it is again:
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Heller's Campaign is in the Red
Dean Heller might have raised a pretty good amount of money for the first quarter with a total of $254,102. And at the end of the quarter he had $247,969 cash-on-hand. This might look impressive. (See FEC report for details.) But only if you ignore the following:
A lot of Democratic freshmen have raised considerably larger sums. The most impressive being Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand (NY) with $668k and Rep. Ron Klein (FL) $611k and even a westerner like Gabrielle Giffords (AZ) representing a rural district raised $320k.
More importantly, though, Dean Heller is deep in the red as his campaign carries a debt of $406,382. It's funny how Heller actually considers himself a fiscal conservative. Read what he said during the campaign:
As you can see above, the one thing his record shows is that the only way he was able to win last year was by spending more than what his campaign received in contributions. Contrast that with Jill Derby who managed to win 45% of the vote against Dean Heller last year in a deeply red district and all of that without going into debt. She actually still had cash-on-hand at the end of the year and has balanced out at exactly $0 at the end of the last quarter.
It's quite clear that Jill Derby was actually the one in last year's campaign showing fiscal responsibility, Dean Heller was and still is not.
A lot of Democratic freshmen have raised considerably larger sums. The most impressive being Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand (NY) with $668k and Rep. Ron Klein (FL) $611k and even a westerner like Gabrielle Giffords (AZ) representing a rural district raised $320k.
More importantly, though, Dean Heller is deep in the red as his campaign carries a debt of $406,382. It's funny how Heller actually considers himself a fiscal conservative. Read what he said during the campaign:
We need candidates and elected officials who are fiscally conservative in taxes and spending. I am the only candidate who is both and my record shows that.
As you can see above, the one thing his record shows is that the only way he was able to win last year was by spending more than what his campaign received in contributions. Contrast that with Jill Derby who managed to win 45% of the vote against Dean Heller last year in a deeply red district and all of that without going into debt. She actually still had cash-on-hand at the end of the year and has balanced out at exactly $0 at the end of the last quarter.
It's quite clear that Jill Derby was actually the one in last year's campaign showing fiscal responsibility, Dean Heller was and still is not.
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