Note: This digest was written entirely by DavidNYC.
Tag: Dick Cheney
LA-06: Can YOU Outraise Dick Cheney?
On Friday, we learned that Dick Cheney will be coming to Baton Rouge to raise money for Republican hopeful Bill Cassidy on Monday.
Can YOU raise more money than Dick Cheney? Can you help stand up for Don Cazayoux? Don stood with us on the bailout, voting NAY both times the House voted, on Monday and Friday.
Don’s opponent, Bill Cassidy is sitting on a war chest of $565,000, which is certain to grow after Dick comes through for him. And the lies emanating from the Cassidy campaign have already started.
Can YOU raise more money than Dick Cheney? Can you stand up for Don, who voted to increase our investment in alternative energy sources? Can you stand up for a Congressman that gets it, rather than one who believes that running against earmarks will save the economy?
CA-44: What’s Cheney Doing in “Nixonland”?
(Proudly cross-posted at Clintonistas for Obama & The Liberal OC)
In case you missed it, something really frightening is coming to Orange County this week. Believe it or not, The Lord of Darkness (aka Dick Cheney) will be coming to here to raise some money for a good friend of his. He’ll apparently be holding a fundraiser at Richard Nixon’s beloved Casa Pacifica (how fitting!) in San Clemente for CA-44’s own Ken Calvert.
Scared yet? I guess the GOP is. I mean, really… They’re bringing in the only person in DC more unpopular than Dubya himself? And this is supposed to attract big $$$$ for Calvert? Oh my, the GOP is in hard times!
Well, we Democrats need not be. We’re making big gains in the 44th District. The partisan gap is narrowing fast, and we’re blessed to have a terrific candidate in Bill Hedrick. Unlike Calvert, Hedrick isn’t a Bush-Cheney acolyte. And unlike Calvert, Hedrick won’t put personal profit over the best interest of the people of the 44th District.
Calvert may have Bush & Cheney on his side, but Hedrick has us… All of us! Let’s show the GOP big wigs that our people power beats their dirty money.
Are you ready to show Dick Cheney & Ken Calvert what we think of their “heckuva job”?
AL-03: Josh Segall Nipping at Rogers’ Heels — GOP Calls In Cheney
Josh Segall is a great young progressive Democrat running for Congress in Alabama's third district. He's young, smart, enthusiastic and hard working, convinced that his district can and should be more prosperous than it's been under incumbent Mike Rogers, and he's raised enough money to be a threat. The district is a favorable one for a Democrat too — it's the second most Democratic district in Alabama with 33% African American population and a high proportion of young voters. Segall has outraised Rogers in the first and second quarters of this year and the incumbent is worried enough to have already started running television ads attacking him — so Josh is on the right track. The problem is, he's not just running against Mike Rogers anymore — the Republicans have brought in their big gun, Dick Cheney himself, to raise money for Rogers and other Alabama Republicans. Josh Segall needs grassroots help to cancel out the big donations Cheney will rake in at the Shoal Creek Country Club from the have-mores — the people George W. Bush likes to call "my base."
Yeah, Cheney's popularity is hovering somewhere around "dirt" with average Americans but he's still one of the Republican party's most effective fundraisers. "The base" loves this guy no matter what he's done to the Constitution. For the Birmingham event, those who still like Dick Cheney will pay $500 for lunch and pony up $2000 for a photo op with Cheney, gun not included. A photo op with the gun will cost you extra, but I'm sure they're willing to oblige if the monied elite demand it. Alabama GOP Chairman Mike Hubbard expects 100 to 150 to attend the luncheon which some are predicting will raise $250,000 — as much as Michelle Obama raised on her Alabama visit last month. Is that crazy or what???
And where are they holding this event? Shoal Creek Country Club, an extremely posh place with it's own little piece of civil rights history.
Up until 1990, there were no African-American members of the club. Pressure from various groups prior to the 1990 PGA Championship led the club to integrate just nine days before the tournament. This happened in spite of founder Hall Thompson, who said "This is our home, and we pick and choose who we want. We have the right to associate or not associate with whomever we choose."
Very inclusive now, I'm sure, if you can afford the price of entry.
About Josh Segall:
Segall is a 4th generation Alabamian and a 2001 graduate of Brown University (where he was active with the College Democrats) and the University of Alabama School of Law. While at Alabama he founded an organization called "Homegrown Alabama" which worked with the university to buy its food from local Alabama farmers. He worked on Mark Warner's successful 2002 gubernatorial campaign, Russ Feingold's Senate campaign and worked for the late Senator Paul Wellstone in his Washington office. He is currently with the Memory and Day law firm in Montgomery. Josh's father, Bobby Segall, is a past president of the Alabama Bar Association and is on the Board of Directors of the ACLU of Alabama, so you know he comes from good folks.
Just how progressive is Josh Segall? I've listed his position on several issues below so you can judge for yourself. As a longtime Alabama Democrat accustomed to Republican-lite congressional candidates, I just can't tell you how exciting it is to see Segall running as a bona fide Democrat. Notice I don't call him liberal. He's to the right of me and might not pass muster as the "best" Democrat in a lot of districts on either coast, but he is in step with his district, progressive in a forward looking way and he's easily the "best" Democrat running for Congress from Alabama this cycle — the best in several cycles, actually. He's the sort of new Southern Democrat we need to cultivate to replace some of our Blue Dogs who are too often just a pale shade of Republican. Segall does not expect to get an endorsement from the Blue Dog Coalition — which elevates him considerably in my opinion.
Josh Segall supports:
- Network neutrality legislation and bringing affordable broadband internet access to every household in Alabama,
- Health care benefits for national guardsmen and reservists,
- The GI BIll for the 21st Century,
- A moratorium on unfair trade deals such as CAFTA
- Investing in renewable energy and alternative fuels.
- The Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.
And he's pro choice, recently telling a reporter "We should have fewer abortions, and I wouldn't advise it for a family member, but I don't think the federal government should decide that for you."
Unlike incumbent Mike Rogers, Segall also believes a Congressman should listen to his constituents and put his district above everything else—including his political party. Voting with his party 92% of the time, Rogers has been little more than a rubberstamp for the Bush/Cheney agenda since he got to Washington 6 years ago. He hasn't built much of a name for himself in Washington either, with a power ranking of 403 out of 435 — he's 44th of the 46 members remaining from the class of 2002.
If you want to know more about him, here's Josh Segall liveblogging at Future Majority, an interview with Segall by Nathaniel Bach, and a Heading Left blogtalk radio interview by Adam Lambert and David Atkins. There is also an online video called Alabama Roots.
About Alabama's 3rd District:
This seat has only been in Republican hands since 1997 and the white Democrats here tend to be of the populist flavor. Democrats are not out of favor in the 3rd district — they hold 75% of the locally elected offices. Manufacturing, agriculture and the military are important industries in the 3rd district which is home to the Anniston Army Depot and has a large number of National Guard members and Reservists.
Although the often quoted partisan voting index rates AL-03 as just R+4, the district actually has a very Democratic voting history. The PVI only takes into account presidential voting and it skews Republican in states like Alabama, that have not seen a Democratic presidential campaign in a decade or so. Let me quote PubliusIX who has made a study of the voting patterns in the 3rd district:
In terms of aggregate Democratic vote, this is the most Democratic district in Alabama outside Artur Davis’s African-American-majority Seventh District. For only one precise metric, let’s look at the Alabama House of Representative districts nested in the Third. There are 14 with a majority of the state districts within the congressional. Of those 14, ten are held by Democrats, and in five of those ten, the GOP didn’t even bother running a candidate in 2006. The aggregate Democratic vote in those State House seats in 2006 was 65.5%, compared to an aggregate Republican vote of 34.5%. If you eyeball the courthouse offices, and count sheriffs, circuit clerks and probate judges, the results aren’t going to change much, if any. Clearly, the majority of the voters in this district tend to vote Democratic most of the time.
Now, about that youth vote. There are 4 colleges in the 3rd district: Alabama State University (5500), Jacksonville State University (9000), Auburn University (24,000), and Tuskegee University (3000) with a total student population of about 38,000. The Segall campaign will have a coordinator on every campus and Segall will be doing a college tour, visiting those campuses, starting in September. I fully expect there will be an Obama coordinator (probably unpaid) doing voter registration and GOTV for each of those colleges as well. So look for a big turnout of young voters in AL-03 November 4th.
What about the "Obama effect" in AL-03? PubliusIX has some numbers to shed light on that, too:
The presidential race is something of a wild card here. Will white Democrats deserting Obama impact the congressional race? Probably not. First off, Obama did surprisingly well in this district. Although Obama tanked in a couple of counties with low minority populations (18% in Cherokee County, 20% in Cleburne), he carried some other counties that don’t have African-American majorities (56% Obama in 57% white Talladega County; 61% Obama in 61% white Chambers County). And to accept that Segall will be hurt by deserting white Democratic primary voters, you have to accept that someone who would vote in a primary for Hillary Clinton would vote for a congressman with a 100% rating from the Christian Coalition. Yeah, I got a laugh out of that, too. Even if some of these voters do defect, the downballot domination of Democrats shows they know how to split their tickets.
And that presidential race is a two-edged sword of which Mike Rogers should be very, very afraid. The district is overall 30% African-American, and anyone who thinks turnout won’t be mind boggling in Macon County (which is in this district) wasn’t paying attention on February 5. (If you weren’t, Macon County outvoted DeKalb County, a predominantly white, Democratic county with roughly three times its population, that day.) The further into the 30’s the African-American percentage of the vote goes, the more heavily Rogers has to take a white vote that tends to vote Democratic anyway. Alabama has enough residual racism to nauseate, but I doubt it has enough to neutralize that kind of turnout.
As you can see, this district is much more Democratic than "R+4" and is actually a very promising district for a Democratic candidate.
The Bottom Line:
AL-03 is a real opportunity for Democrats — something that would have been unheard of 2 or 4 years ago when we didn't even field an active candidate. The DCCC has taken notice and put it on their Emerging Races list for possible inclusion in the Red to Blue program. Meanwhile, Segall has been successfully raising money on his own. As of June 30 he had raised $552,000 and had $410,000 cash on hand, the most of any Democrat in Alabama. Incumbent Mike Rogers' fundraising has tanked this year, but he still has a warchest of $1.1 million built up over 3 terms in Washington. Now Dick Cheney is coming to raise money for Rogers and Josh Segall needs grassroots and netroots help to make sure Cheney's visit isn't the deciding factor in this election.
The folks at Progressive Electorate have set up a Chase Cheney page for Josh Segall at ActBlue. I'm asking you to please give whatever you can to cancel out some of the tens of thousands Dick Cheney will raise in Birmingham this Friday. Help send a good Democrat, Josh Segall, to Congress from Alabama! Do it for the progressive cause and, almost as important, DO IT BECAUSE THIS IS A RARE CHANCE TO STICK IT TO DICK CHENEY! In a small way, of course, but you take your opportunities where you find them.
MS-01: Cheney Arrives Ready to Campaign Hard in Tennessee!
Our friend Mitch writes in the comments:
As many of y’all know, one of the sticking points for the good folks of the 1st district is that Greg Davis, in addition to his other shortcomings, is basically the mayor of a Memphis suburb with much more connection to that city than to the rest of Northeast Mississippi.
And Mississippians want to be represented by a, you know, a Mississippian, not an all-but-Memphian.
That’s why Darth Cheney is getting ready to stump for “South Memphis” Mayor Greg Davis:
GALLOW: Monday you are going to be here — on Monday — in the state of Mississippi, and Greg Davis will be there, and you’ll be in Senatobia, Hernando, and that area?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yes, I think we are going to be. I’m not sure exactly. It’s going to be someplace in the First District. I’m not sure exactly what part of it. South Memphis or —
GALLOW: Don’t worry about it.
We can see why Cheney would be confused. Southaven, just 14 miles away from downtown, sure looks like South Memphis to us. Maybe Greg Davis would be better off running for Congress in Tennessee.
On the web:
Virtual Phonebanking for Travis Childers
MS-01: Cheney Arrives; It’s Our Turn to Fight Back
The Hill reports that Darth Cheney himself is about to land in Mississippi to scare some votes for slimeball GOP candidate Greg Davis:
Cheney appeared on “The Paul Gallow Show” to support Southaven Mayor Greg Davis (R).
Davis faces Prentiss County Chancery Clerk Travis Childers (D) on May 13 in a runoff election in the state’s 1st district, a seat formerly held by Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.).
“This seat is a very important one,” Cheney said. “It’s been in conservative hands for a long time, and we’d hate to see the liberals gain control.”
The vice president said holding the seat is crucial because it could tip the scales in close votes on Capitol Hill.
Cheney will be on the ground in Mississippi on Monday for a fundraiser and a GOTV rally with Davis.
It’s time to step up to the battle, folks. We can’t let the forces of darkness cling on to this one. To that end, the DCCC has set up a virtual phonebanking center for Travis Childers. Getting started is as easy as cherry pie. You’ve donated, you’ve followed the news, you’ve tracked the expenditures, and if your name is Trent Thompson, you’ve canvassed on the ground. Now’s your chance to help hustle out the vote for Travis Childers.
A win here would utterly crush the spirit of the House GOP caucus and signify and loud and clear appetite for change in Washington. Let’s do this thing!
Also, be sure to check back with SSP on election day on Tuesday. We’ll be posting updates and liveblogging the election that evening.
Special election: 5/13.
More Distortions From Exxon Ed Whitfield
Yesterday, I told you about the little work of fantasy and fiction that Exxon Ed Whitfield calls a website. We looked at how Exxon Eddie threw away $106 billion dollars in corporate welfare, while casting the deciding vote in denying crucial funding for the programs our veterans were promised, and depended upon.
Well, that was not the only hypocrisy and untruth on this website. It is a work of fantasy which compares with J.R. Tolkien, and R.A. Salvatore. Today we will continue our fantasy reading on another essential issue that could really help our farmers and workers here in Western Kentucky, the issue of investment in renewable energy. Lets look at Exxon Eddie’s quote on Energy Independence:
High energy costs weigh on every Kentucky family and that is why Congressman Whitfield has been focused on alternative energy solutions like clean coal technology, ethanol, bio diesel and coal gasification to reduce America’s dependence on foreign oil.
http://www.whitfieldforcongres…
Now, this fantasy unfortunately doesn’t match with the reality of Exxon Eddie’s voting record. He says he is focused on Renewable Energy, but the opposite is true. Yes, Exxon Eddie wants you to believe that he is working so hard to try and make renewables viable, but he voted against this bill in 2007:
HR 6: To reduce our Nation’s dependency on foreign oil by investing in clean, renewable, and alternative energy resources, promoting new emerging energy technologies, developing greater efficiency, and creating a Strategic Energy Efficiency and Renewables Reserve to invest in alternative energy, and for other purposes.
Here is what it sought to accomplish:
– Denies a deduction for income attributable to domestic production of oil, natural gas, or their related primary products.
– Defines conditions of new leases authorizing oil or natural gas production in the Gulf of Mexico, requiring lessees to have: (1) renegotiated covered leases to change payment responsibilities to include price thresholds equal to or less than specified price thresholds; or (2) paid all conservation of resources fees or agreed to pay them.
– Establishes fees for producing and nonproducing federal oil and gas leases in Gulf of Mexico
– Repeals incentives for natural gas production from wells in the shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico
– Creates reserve of funds received as result of this Act, that will be used to offset costs of accelerating the use of renewable energy resources and alternative fuels
http://www.votesmart.org/issue…
Wait, he has been focused on renewable energy, but he failed to break ranks with Mitch McConnell, Dick Cheney and the Oil industry to vote his conscience on this vital bill? Well, he has other motivations too:
Chevron Corp $100,001 to $250,000
Exxon Mobil $100,001 to $250,000
http://www.opensecrets.org/pfd…
How can Ed Whitfield solve the problem of high energy prices when he is actually INVESTED in the problem? When he is INVESTED in, and followed blindly the failed ideology of the most irresponsible and wasteful Administration in our history, that of George W. Bush, following of course close behind his mentor Mitch McConnell.
We need Heather Ryan in the Congress fighting for Renewable Energy and the promise it holds states like Kentucky. Here is some of her take on creating and manufacturing the Fuels of the Future:
We need to double the budget for the Dept. of Energy to research in renewable energy and increase efficiency. We should help businesses that are bringing new energy solutions to the marketplace at an accelerated pace. We should mandate the use of safe renewable energy sources that hold promise for Kentucky such as solar, wind and biomass and require them to produce 25% of our energy needs by the year 2025. We should require that Oil Companies make biofuels available at their pumps and that all new cars after 2010 be flex-fuel and be compatible with gasoline or biofuel. We must develop new ways to produce and use ethanol and cellulistic ethanol and offer incentives to new refineries for the fuels of the future. Last, we should make permanent the expiring tax credits for the production of renewable energy and repeal tax credits for dirty energy producers who have made record profits at the expense of the American citizen.
Of course, she is invested in the everyday people of our district whom she lives, works and raises her family among, not Exxon and Chevron. She wants to see her neighbors working high-paying union jobs growing and refining the fuels of the future in our district instead of creating 19,000 jobs flipping burgers and washing dishes in thirteen years. Wow, 19,000 jobs in thirteen years? Thats not much over a thousand a year. Is he bragging about that, its on his website too!!??
This is an absolutely crucial issue that our leaders are long overdue in adressing. Events of the last few years have shown all Americans that we simply must get serious about this issue. Heather understands what investment in the fuels of the future means not only for this district and state, but for the country. While Whitfield is mired in the failures of the past by his own investments, Heather is ready to blaze new ways, with new ideas in a new century.
Ed Whitfield has had a long run as Congressman of the First District of Kentucky. He has become wealthier in that thirteen years as the people of this district fall further behind. He is invested in the old ways that have failed the American people. He is invested in the failed Energy policies of the Bush Administration and will continue to vote for them as long as he holds office. Our energy prices will continue to soar, and he will make more profit.
On the other hand, Heather is young, smart, energetic, and understands that we can’t remain in the failed policies of the past. She is educated and has dreamed of a life in public service since she was ten. She tries to find the most sensible solution to every problem. She must depend on the people of the first district because she hasn’t amassed a million dollars in special interest money to run on. She is a Washington outsider, and understands the challenges we face because she lives among us and faces them with us.
We are truly a grassroots campaign and we need the support of Democrats everywhere who think that any qualified person in this country should be able to serve. Support us here:
http://www.actblue.com/page/am…
Lets take this country back district by district together!!!
MI-07: Cheney to Appear with Tim Walberg
I would also like to note that Walberg’s fellow GOP Congressman, Joe Knollenberg (MI-09), also voted against H.R. 5351. Republicans. Argh!
At some point this week, Vice President Dick Cheney is scheduled to make an appearance in a suburb of Battle Creek to raise funds for Rep. Tim Walberg. It's no surprise that these two Republicans will share the stage; just a few short days ago, Walberg voted “nay” to the Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act (H.R. 5351), a bill that would lower gas prices and reduce American dependence on oil from the Middle East. Why on earth would a congressman from Michigan, a state whose economy has been especially wounded by the wrongheaded policies of the Bush administration, vote against the economic interests of his constituents? For the same reason that GOP congresspersons cheat their constituents every time; money. And apparently, ExxonMobil is one of the prominent contributors to Walberg's campaign.
Walberg is a textbook example of what the Republican party has become; he hoodwinked his constituents into voting for him by getting them all worked up over the social/religious issues. Once he entered Congress, he became a shill for Big Oil and other moneyed interests, at the expense of the people he is supposed to represent. So, I certainly hope that Cheney's visit to Michigan serves as a giant motivator . . . for progressives to donate to Mark Schauer's campaign, so that the residents of the 7th District can actually be, you know, represented.
Republicans. Sheesh!