Archive for the 'Democrats' Category

I’m Voting Republican, Too!

Sunday, October 5th, 2008

I normally don’t like to “copycat” other local blogs, and JM Bell posted this a couple of days ago, but I couldn’t help myself. Watch, and sound off with your favorite reason to vote Republican.

For me, my favorite reason to vote Republican is because I want the middle class to disappear. All that hope that I might someday not have to stress over money is just too much stress. At least if the middle class is gone, I won’t have to try anymore. And my kids can relax on their schoolwork, too, since that hope of getting into college won’t be hanging over their heads for the next 10 or 12 years.

Oh, and because… I can.

Matheson Wants My Opinion

Tuesday, September 23rd, 2008

Utah’s lone Democratic Congressman, Jim Matheson, sent me an email tonight, asking for my opinion (via  radio-button survey) on the Financial Crisis. In case you aren’t on his “advisor list”, here are the questions he asked, along with my responses. My answers are the ones shown as bold.

Dear Misty,

Most economists accept that the nation’s financial crisis demands intervention by the government.  But I have concerns about the proposal to put $700 billion to $1 trillion in taxpayer money on the line.

Are we acting too quickly, without gathering enough information? Will the proposal work? What benefit will taxpayers receive, if the financial system is stabilized?  Are we giving too much power to one government agency?

I would like to hear from you.  Please take a moment to respond to the following brief survey.

Sincerely,

U.S. Representative
2nd District of Utah

Do you support the use of taxpayer money to buy up the bad debt on the books of troubled investment banks?

yes
no
don’t know enough about it

How concerned are you about financial executives receiving excessive compensation even as their companies go bankrupt?

Not too concerned
Quite concerned
Strongly opposed to it

Should homeowners facing foreclosure be allowed to restructure their mortgages to afford the payments and stay in their homes?

Yes
No
Don’t know

If the bailout plan is approved, should an independent oversight board be appointed to keep tabs on the program?

yes
no

Who do you blame most for the current crisis?

Banks
Wall Street executives
Homebuyers
Mortgage lenders
Homebuilders
Realtors
A combination of the above
the government

How worried are you about the safety of your savings accounts and mutual funds?

Not worried
somewhat worried
very worried

I found the phrasing of the questions quite interesting, and much of it quite leading. Especially the question about who I blame most. Why wasn’t this question a checkbox? I can’t blame the government as much as Wall Street, and if I want to blame both Wall Street execs and Banks, I have to blame the home builders, too? That doesn’t make much sense.

If you want to give Matheson your thoughts, you’ll have to use his web site. Unfortunately, I don’t think the survey is “open”, but you can use a feedback form to pass your answers on. Or give them a call at (202) 225-3011.

Feel free to leave a comment telling if you’d answer differently than me, and why.

Upcoming Walk for Brian King, District 28

Wednesday, September 10th, 2008

I live in Rep. Roz McGee’s district, 28, and since she’s retiring, the seat is open. Brian King is the Democratic candidate for the district, and I really can’t say enough good things about him. I had lunch with Brian before the primary, and I learned a lot about him. In the months since, I’ve had several opportunities to meet with him, and his campaign manager, Chris Fleming. They’ve been very supportive of Obama for Utah, and the grassroots movement. Brian King will continue to represent District 28’s interests, and will be a very accessible Representative.

The King Family

Here are the issues Brian is running on, as stolen directly from his web site:

  • Representative Politics: I’m running to ensure that the interests of the people in District 28 are represented by an experienced, knowledgeable, and established advocate.
  • Education: I was gratified to see the voucher issue so decisively defeated at the polls last year. We must build a strong educational infrastructure to effectively fund public education at all levels in the state while at the same time put in place mechanisms to attract and retain excellent teachers.
  • Ethics Reform: We must continue to press for basic, common-sense legislation in this area. For example, it is absurd that legislators have the ability to take unused campaign funds and use them for personal benefit at the end of their service.
  • Economy: We must ensure that our economy stays strong. Thousands of people are losing houses due to the mortgage crisis and as a state we must provide avenues for residents of District 28 and across the state to manage their money so that they don’t lose their home while at the same time ensuring that new homeowners can buy a home.
  • Environment: Too often the environment takes a back seat to development or other economic interests. Our representative in the legislature must work to bring greater balance to all environmental issues we in District 28 are concerned about.
  • Health Care: We must work as a state to ensure that every Utahn has health insurance, and is allowed access to quality health care while at the same time encouraging the best and safest possible medical practices in our community.

You can get a good sense of who Brian is by reading his blog, or if you enjoy reading lawyer-speak, check out his law blog.

I got this email, titled 56 Days Till Election day, from Chris Fleming earlier:

Fellow Brian King Supporters:

We need to take every ounce of frustration we’ve felt during eight years of George W. Bush and channel it into a wave of grassroots energy dedicated to electing Brian King to the House of Representatives.

If we want our open spaces to be protected, quality education for our children and a affordable healthcare we need volunteers like you to get out and help Brian Keep 28 Blue.

Brian, his family, and volunteers are walking four days out of every week, twice on Saturdays and this coming Saturday we have an aggressive walk scheduled for two very large Precincts.

COME JOIN US!  HELP US KEEP 28 BLUE!

Brian King Canvass
Precincts 2632 and 2634
9:30 AM-12:30 PM
1:30 PM-4:30 PM
Meet at Dan’s Parking Lot in Foothill Village!

Please email me at Chris@KingForRep.com if you can attend.

Democratically Yours,

Chris Fleming
Campaign Manager
Brian King for Representative
“Together We Can…For All of Us

If you’re free this Saturday, please consider helping the Brian King campaign out, and walking with them.

Or, if you’re in House District 47 (West Jordan and Midvale), I got this email for Jennifer Burley Wolfe, who also needs help:

Hi folks!

So we’re in the home stretch with UNDER 2 months!  And it’s getting heated over here.  For instance, I saw my first “Obama / Mascaro” lawn sign combination this morning - how can that happen?!!   Let’s turn it around by going door-to-door together and getting the word out about the REAL Democrat running in this area.  I need ALL the help I can get to pull this off!

Email me and let me know which 2-3 walking shifts you can make:

TOMORROW  Thurs. 9/11  6pm

Fri 9/12  6pm

Sat 9/13  10am or 3pm

Wed 9/17  6pm

Thur 9/18  6pm

Fri 9/19  6pm

Sat 9/20  10am or 3pm

Wed 9/24  6pm

Thur 9/25  6pm

Fri 9/26  6pm

Sat 9/27  10am

Reminder - all month there are VOLUNTEER PERKS!  Everyone gets a free campaign shirt while supplies last (I’ll replenish, but there may be a few days delay.)  Each time you canvass in September, your name goes into a hat and you may be randomly selected to win a $50 gift card.  Then whoever walks the most shifts gets a $25 card, just for being there for us.  And each Friday night we have pizza!

THANKS for everything!

–Jayla

Jennifer (Jayla) Burley Wolfe
Candidate for House, District 47
www.burleywolfeforhouse.com

If you’re not in either district, but you want to help candidates, you can use the Neighborhood Volunteer Program or call the Utah Democratic Headquarters at 801.328.1212 to find out which candidates in your neighborhood need your help the most!

(Updated for the right district, duh!)

Huntsman Kissing Up For A McCain Cabinet Position?

Wednesday, September 3rd, 2008

I know that Utah Governor Jon Huntsman, Jr. keeps saying that he doesn’t want to leave Utah before his term is up, but how else do you explain this:

GOP vice presidential nominee and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has foreign policy experience because of the sheer location of the state she leads, Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. said Wednesday.

“I love when people say she has no national security experience, no foreign policy experience,” Huntsman told Utah delegates to the Republican National Convention. “The state borders Russia and Canada, for heaven’s sake.”

Huntsman gave a full-throated defense of Palin - a surprise pick by Sen. John McCain as his running mate - during a morning breakfast with delegates. Palin, who until Friday was a relatively unknown governor, is expected to speak tonight at the convention.

As a surrogate for McCain, Huntsman has made the rounds in the Twin Cities, speaking to several delegations and appearing on television to boost the Republican ticket.

He said Wednesday that he can’t wait for the vice presidential debate between Palin and Sen. Joe Biden, Democratic candidate Barack Obama’s running mate.

“The expectation will be so low, and she’ll just hit it all out of the park,” Huntsman said.

(Emphasis mine)

Burr’s Salt Lake Tribune article goes on to quote Huntsman defending Palin’s family, which has obvious contradictions to the “Conservative Family Values” that are so often pushed from the GOP. Huntsman has been a long-time fan of John McCain, but seriously….continuing the “Russia is next door, that’s foreign policy experience” meme is below him. Especially when his primetime speech just got bumped from the GOP Convention “coincidentally” right after it was revealed that it would be an environmental call to arms for the GOP.

Perhaps more Utahns should give Bob Springmeyer a second look?

This Blogger’s Goin’ to Denver!

Friday, August 22nd, 2008

Yes, it’s last-minute. But it’s decided. I’m going to Denver with the rest of the Utah Amicus crew! I’ll be blogging live from the Democratic National Convention, so that you, too, can experience history as it happens!

Don’t forget to check in often at the Utah Amicus for all the greatest coverage!

Utah Getting a Campaign Office Again!

Wednesday, June 11th, 2008

Barack Obama has announced that he’s taking the 50-State Strategy all the way, and there will be campaign offices in every state, including Utah. Monday morning I was able to confirm that it will likely be late July before we see them on the ground here, but that’s far earlier than I had even hoped for. So far, they’re not telling us much more than that, but I’m sure that when it gets closer, they’ll be looking for housing for staffers again. If you have the ability and willingness, please keep an eye out here for the announcement.

Here’s the email from David Plouffe about it:

Dear Misty,

I have some news that I wanted you to hear.

People like you have been the heart of Chairman Howard Dean’s 50-state strategy to rebuild our party and empower Democrats to compete everywhere. We’ve all seen the energy and enthusiasm at the grassroots level impact races up and down the ballot over the last three years.

I am proud to announce that our presidential campaign will be the first in a generation to deploy and maintain staff in every single state.

The network of volunteers and the infrastructure built up during the historic primary season — on behalf of all the Democratic campaigns — have given us an enormous and unprecedented opportunity in the general election.

Now it’s time to expand our network and push our organizing resources even further. No matter where you live, our success this November will depend on your involvement. Sign up to join our campaign now, and we’ll make sure you’re aware of all the latest news and opportunities to make a difference:

http://my.barackobama.com/getinvolved

Of course, some states will be more competitive than others, and we will scale our resources accordingly.

But your work building our party means that the list of competitive states will be longer than ever before — and it will include states like Virginia and Montana where your work has helped a Democratic resurgence at the state level.

And in every single state, no matter what the likelihood that we carry it in the fall, our staff will build volunteer capacity that will provide help where we need it and impact races up and down the ballot this November.

Every day counts — voters head to the polls in less than five months.  This is your opportunity to shape this election and our unprecedented 50-state campaign now:

http://my.barackobama.com/getinvolved

Thanks to your support, we are on our way to building an unprecedented organization for the November elections.

As the presumptive Democratic nominee, Barack Obama will fight to unite our party and win contests up and down the ballot.

But he cannot determine the outcome of this election on his own.

It will all come down to what you are willing to do.

It’s time to answer the call.

Thank you,
David

David Plouffe
Campaign Manager
Obama for America

Blogging is likely to be a bit sparse again for a while. I just started a new contract through the company I work for, and I’ll be doing some overtime in order to be able to take off in August to go with Rob and the rest of the Amicus gang to the DNC in Denver. And I have to admit, I’m loving the new job. It’s so odd to work for a company that has written decent, organized code, and gives good requirements. In fact, I was able to write code on my first day there, and finish it by the second. I’ll be there around 90 days, and I have a feeling I’ll be happy there right up until the end of the contract.

Nikki Norton is being drafted as my Co-Chair for Utah for Obama tomorrow night. She’s been a lifesaver as of late, and I’m glad she’s finally agreed to it. She was highlighted in this TIME.com article:

Utah is hardly the place that jumps into most Democrats’ minds when brainstorming about red states where they have a chance to make headway this November. The Beehive State was one of just three states in which President George W. Bush swept every county in 2004 — all of them except for two with more than 55% of the vote. In the state’s 2008 primaries on Super Tuesday, Republican voters outnumbered Democrats by a margin of 2.5 to 1.

None of that, however, has discouraged Nikki Norton and her band of 40 volunteers from organizing for Obama ahead of the General Election. And surprisingly, it hasn’t deterred the Obama campaign from formally helping Norton by investing in the state; Norton, co-chair of Utah for Obama’s grassroots campaign, got a call a couple of days ago telling her to expect paid staffers to arrive within the next month. “Even if we don’t win Utah we definitely want to create a downstream effect for local candidates,” Norton said. “It could also force [Republican presumptive nominee John] McCain to defend Utah; he might have to split his resources for a state like ours where he probably wouldn’t have needed to before. And our volunteers had a big effect on border swing states, particularly in rural areas in Nevada, and that was a big benefit for Obama [who won Nevada's delegate count over Hillary Clinton by dint of his rural victories].”

From the earliest days of his upstart campaign, Obama pledged to run a 50-state effort, vowing to move past the traditional partisan divide and expand the electoral map by appealing to independents and even Republicans. But few people, even in his own staff, thought he’d actually invest in every single state. As it turns out, Obama’s phenomenal fundraising has allowed him to deliver on his bold promise and place campaign staff in every one of the 50 states, as his campaign announced it would Monday. The strategy could force McCain to defend Republican strongholds, may help those lonely Democratic candidates in so-called Red States and could further expand Obama’s already massive volunteer and donor bases (indeed, the move was announced in a fundraising e-mail plea to donors).

Obama is able to do this, in part, because of the grueling, drawn-out delegate fight with Clinton that only just ended. The long primary season forced the campaign to build bases of support for the Illinois senator in every single state. The dividends of the high-profile Democratic presence are already being felt. Earlier this year, Democrats picked up three long-held GOP congressional seats in special elections in Mississippi, Louisiana and Illinois. The party is also mounting House challengers in 14 states that Bush won in 2004, including Wyoming, Alabama and Arizona. And Democratic candidates are contesting at least five GOP stronghold seats in the Senate: Alaska, Kentucky (Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s seat), Nebraska, Kansas and New Mexico. “Senator Barack Obama’s plan to compete in all 50 states is a reflection of the overwhelming desire for change that is transcending state boundaries and has energized voters in every corner of the country,&q uot; said Maryland Representative Chris Van Hollen, who runs the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which works to elect Democratic candidates.

No one contends that the 50-state strategy is Obama’s brainchild; it actually comes from Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean, who not so long ago took a lot of heat from Democrats angry that he was squandering their limited resources on perceived long shots in the south and west. But after his gamble paid off in 2006, when Dems won both chambers of Congress, his expansive notion suddenly seemed a lot more viable. “The 50-state strategy has been historic — just the enthusiasm that our volunteers have, that our candidates have, that our party is visible and active even before the campaign, it pays off on so many levels for a state like Kansas,” said Mike Gaughan, executive director of the Kansas Democratic Party. In a state where only two out of 105 counties voted for John Kerry in 2004, Democrats took a House seat, six seats in the Kansas Legislature and the attorney general’s office from the GOP in 2006. “We saw Obama’s staff at w ork here during the primary season. They had organized on the ground back from October for the February 5 caucuses,” Gaughan said. “The way that they activated their supporters is going to pay dividends” for all Kansas Democratic candidates as the party seeks to expand its presence there.

I’ve been telling people for a while, that we’re in this to win, and that Utah for Obama is going to put effort into getting Utah to go blue this November. It’s very, very, very gratifying to find out for sure that the Obama campaign believes in us. Then again, that’s kind of why we believe in the Obama campaign, huh?

My Dirty Little Secret

Monday, June 9th, 2008

I’ve been a proud supporter of Senator Obama’s run for the White House, way back since the time we weren’t even sure he was going to run. I’ve also been very against the idea of Senator Clinton as POTUS, way back since we were all very certain that she would run.

Now that Barack has secured the nomination, I feel the need to share a secret: I’m absolutely thrilled that Hillary Clinton almost won the Democratic Nomination.

Just to clarify, the word “almost” is in there. I most certainly don’t want her for President. However, I am very glad that she’s set the stage for the future. I really think that within my lifetime I will see a woman as President of the United States. And Hillary’s run showed us all that it can be done, and isn’t something to be afraid of. Her comments about having cracked the glass ceiling are true. I really hope that when a woman finally does make it, that she will be the candidate I can believe in, and support.

Last Tuesday, I was asked how I felt “being part of this historical campaign”, and I’ve thought about that question a lot since then.

My skin is basically white, and I’ve never experienced the discrimination that many others do feel. Being female, you’d think I would have, but really it’s been very minor. I’m a software developer, and I work in a man’s world. Not because women aren’t accepted, but because many women just don’t choose this as a career, and the field is dominated by men. Yet, if I am honest with myself, I can’t say that I’ve often encountered any sort of discrimination. If anything, I’m very welcomed as either a bonus for HR’s statistics, or a “change in the scenery”. The few things that could be attributed to discrimination really haven’t been more than an excuse to myself for why someone didn’t seem to like me.

My family background is very diverse. The only heritage that I know of is that I’m about 1/4 “Native American”, and I’m pretty sure that breaks down to Cherokee and Quapaw tribes. I often claim that as my race when filling out forms. Mostly, because I think it’s really cool, and I wish I knew more about it. As far as the rest goes, it’s anyone’s guess. I am only half joking when I tell people that I’m “Heinz 57″. But, whatever the breakdown, my skin is white, and my eyes are blue. The nice tan I get in the summer from my Indian blood looks good, but I’m white, and I’ve never had to deal with the crap that so many others of various races within our country have had to.

So, when I think of the feminist movement, I identify with it as far as human rights go. I would love to call myself a feminist, but I’ve seen that taken too far, and I think we are equal, and not better than anyone else. In my mind, the feminist movement is in the same boat as making sure we don’t discriminate against blacks or Hispanics or gays or anyone else based on some superficial difference. I adore the Human Rights Campaign because, while their “main” issue seems to be GLBT, when you go to their web site, “The Issues” cover things like “People of Color” and religion.

We’re all people, ok? Whether we identify with one minority or another, we’re all working to be seen for more than that. And, if anything, we’re proud of whatever that minority is. While I live a monogamous life with a great boyfriend, and have no personal need for gay marriage to be recognized, I identify with the GLBT cause (the “B” in there), even if I didn’t personally, I have some great friends who gay, and I don’t like that they have such a struggle to be able to have their relationships recognized. If it weren’t for the fact that they need legal recognition to have what most people consider normal lives - things such as hospital visitation, financial dependence, etc - I doubt that there would be a big “gay marriage” debate in this country. That debate might exist within churches, as it rightfully should.

And so, I’m confessing my dirty little secret, that I’m thrilled that Clinton cracked the glass ceiling, because I believe she cracked that ceiling for all sorts of people. And while I’m glad that Barack will likely be the first black President, I’m mostly thrilled that we get to have a president who will do a good job, and I believe that his skin color also helped human rights fights for women, people of any race, and for those in the GLBT community - and that’s icing on the cake.

Attention Obama Supporters: Respect is the Word of the Day

Friday, June 6th, 2008

According to Dictionary.com, “respect” has 16 definitions. Here are the ones I find relevant to the subject of Hillary Clinton’s withdrawal from the Presidential race:

3. esteem for or a sense of the worth or excellence of a person, a personal quality or ability, or something considered as a manifestation of a personal quality or ability: I have great respect for her judgment.
4. deference to a right, privilege, privileged position, or someone or something considered to have certain rights or privileges; proper acceptance or courtesy; acknowledgment: respect for a suspect’s right to counsel; to show respect for the flag; respect for the elderly.
5. the condition of being esteemed or honored: to be held in respect.
6. respects, a formal expression or gesture of greeting, esteem, or friendship: Give my respects to your parents.
7. favor or partiality.
8. Archaic. a consideration.

–verb (used with object)

9. to hold in esteem or honor: I cannot respect a cheat.
10. to show regard or consideration for: to respect someone’s rights.
12. to relate or have reference to.

13. in respect of, in reference to; in regard to; concerning.
14. in respect that, Archaic. because of; since.
15. pay one’s respects,

a. to visit in order to welcome, greet, etc.: We paid our respects to the new neighbors.
b. to express one’s sympathy, esp. to survivors following a death: We paid our respects to the family.
16. with respect to, referring to; concerning: with respect to your latest request.

Listen to what Senator Obama had to say about Hillary Clinton on Tuesday:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgO-k3sYsDY]

We’ve spent the last year and a half looking at her as the competition. Many have other reasons for disliking or not wanting Senator Clinton to become our first woman president. But, today, that is irrelevant to our goal of having Senator Obama as the 44th President.

Do we want Senator Clinton’s supporters to now support Senator Obama as the Democratic nominee? Well, I do. In order for that to happen, we need to redirect ourselves at this point in time.

We need to understand that the bitter voters that the media told us about don’t represent all of Senator Clinton’s supporters, and I’d venture to say they are a small minority. I’ve spoken to many of her supporters, and I have yet to meet one face to face that holds that sort of resentment. Many of them are grateful to have been part of her campaign, but are ready to move on with Senator Obama as the nominee. Some of them will join us in campaigning for Barack. Some of them will watch quietly from a distance, and cast their vote for him in November. Some of them will have discussion with us, trying to decide whether they can support Barack.

As we engage in discussion with the Hillary supporters, we need to respect what she accomplished, without bringing any of our negative feelings into it. We don’t need to debate the reasons we didn’t support her. We don’t need to question her supporter’s motives. We don’t need to be negative. Period. Dot. The end.

We need to do as Senator Obama did, and recognize the positive aspects of her presidential run. We need to be gracious about Senator Obama’s win, and the role that Hillary played. If anything, her constant testing of him helped set the tone of the General election - he’s been tried and tested, and come out on top. We wouldn’t be going into the General knowing he’ll succeed against the GOP attacks, if it weren’t for that.

When we do run across Hillary supporters that have not accepted Obama as their candidate, we don’t have to convince them of anything. We do have to respect their opinions, and avoid debates. We don’t need to give the media or the Republicans any fodder for their cannons. Only when those supporters of Hillary feel that we respect them and their goals will we stand any chance of uniting with them behind Senator Obama.

August gives everyone time to gain perspective, and watch as Hillary stands behind Barack’s candidacy. August is the next big date on our timeline leading to January 20, 2009. These are exciting times for us, but we have to focus on the November election, and realize that our hard work during the primary needs to continue into the General election. That is our focus, and we no longer need to work against Senator Clinton.

I think that these two statement summarize my thoughts well:

If we want Hillary’s supporters to respect us and our candidate, we must do so first.

If we want Barack to be our leader, we must follow his lead.

When we see the media publishing crap articles like the op-ed from Maureen Dowd in such an untimely manner, we need to realize that it’s an attempt to create drama that the media thrives on. Ignore it, or deny it, but don’t be sucked into it, and don’t let it affect your ability to have respect.

Climate Security Act

Thursday, June 5th, 2008

URGENT: Support the Climate Security Act!

Target: US Senate
Sponsored by: Environmental Defense Fund

UPDATE (June 5, 2008): The Senate has scheduled a “cloture” vote to end the filibuster on the Climate Security Act tomorrow morning. It could come as early as tonight.
———–
The Senate is set to vote on the Climate Security Act in early June.

It is crucial that the bill gets passed this year. Each year we wait means extra effort in reducing emissions to avoid catastrophic global warming.

There are five simple but extremely important reasons why the Senate must act now:

  • Every year we wait equals extra effort.
  • The science is unforgiving.
  • The political opportunity is ripe.
  • Someone is going to win the global race to reinvent energy. It should be us.
  • This is an opportunity for the 110th Congress to leave its legacy.
We have no time to lose. Help keep up the pressure so the Senate doesn’t miss this historic opportunity!
I signed this petition:
Dear Senator,

I strongly urge you to put an end to the Senate filibuster on the landmark Climate Security Act by voting Yes on cloture.

This is the most important climate vote in the Senate in three years. No time has been more critical for the environment and our future generations.

Here’s why you should vote Yes on cloture and the Climate Security Act:

1. Every year we wait equals extra effort. If we delay this bill by just two years, we will have to make twice the annual cuts in carbon emissions to hit the same cumulative reductions by 2020.

2. The science is unforgiving. As the Earth warms, we approach a “tipping point,” after which large destructive climate changes become inevitable.

3. The political opportunity is ripe. 78% of Americans want Congress to act on global warming. We need to take advantage of the tremendous momentum that exists today.

4. Someone is going to win the global race to reinvent energy. It should be us. Renewable energy promises to become one of the world’s most profitable industries. But advances in renewable energy technologies will not be fully realized without a national cap on global warming pollution. The sooner we act, the sooner these new industries will start to flourish.

5. What legacy will the 110th Congress leave? When future generations look back at this moment, they will either praise the Senate for starting us down the path to solving the global warming crisis, or blame the Senate for squandering this opportunity.

Thank you for your leadership.

Sincerely,
[Your name here]

Maybe Jim Matheson will get the hint.

Wow! Obama Declares DNC Won’t Take Lobby or PAC Money Any Longer

Thursday, June 5th, 2008

Just one more reason I trust Barack Obama to do the right thing, and follow through.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48LS-Z3Wdhs]

From Boston.com:

“I’ve sent a strong signal in this campaign by refusing the contributions of registered federal lobbyists and PACs,” Obama said in a statement. “And today, I’m announcing that going forward, the Democratic National Committee will uphold the same standard and won’t take another dime from Washington lobbyists or special interest PACs. They do not fund my campaign. They will not fund our party. And they will not drown out the voices of the American people when I’m President of the United States.”