As many of you know, EENR initially stood for Edwards Evening News Roundup. We Edwards supporters posted nightly diaries about John’s campaign and what he stood for. Now, you didn’t expect our candidate advocacy to end once John Edwards suspended his campaign did you? More below the fold….
The bloggers of EENR have decided to start posting Monday evening diaries about Congressional Candidates we not only endorse, but candidates we believe share the same progressive goals we do. Tonight, we are officially endorsing three fighting progressives from Louisiana, Indiana and North Carolina. All three of these candidates share many of the same values Edwards does. Ending the war in Iraq, lifting up Americans living in poverty and creating a green energy economy here at home.
First up, the bloggers of EENR endorse……
Gilda Reed!
If any area in the United States needs a progressive representing them it’s Louisiana’s 1st CD. The district is home to Lake Pontchartrain to Slidell to Hammond. There are so many neighborhoods in the 1st district that have yet to be rebuilt since Katrina battered the area. There’s no excuse for it, and the people of Louisiana deserve better. They deserve a Representative that will fight for them, and that person is Gilda Reed.
On Working Americans…
Here’s a quote from Gilda:
“I support the work of unions. I do not support free-trade agreements that do not protect the rights of employees,”
Gilda is a staunch supporter of the Employee Free Choice Act, raising the minimum wage and is against free trade agreements that only serve to hurt American workers.
On the Environment….
Gilda Reed supports investing and developing alternative fuels, strengthening environmental and labor regulations, and requiring car companies to increase fuel efficiency standards. Gilda also has stressed how important it is to collaborate with other nations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Gilda is also a huge proponent of wetland conservation and restoration. The wetlands not only provide economic stability to Louisiana’s fishing industry, they also help protect citizens from the storms.
On Health Care….
Here’s a quote from Gilda:
“Every American man, woman, and child should have access
to affordable universal medical care,”
Gilda favors raising taxes as a way to pay for Universal Health Care. She supports a expanded Medicare system competing with the private sector. Gilda is also a proponent of stem cell research in an effort to find cures for the incurable diseases plaguing American families.
On the Constitution…
Gilda is as outraged as you and I are about our constitutional rights not being honored by our government. Gilda opposes immunity for Telecom, opposes torture, wants Habeas Corpus restored and our privacy rights recognized.
Who Gilda is up Against…
The two Republican front runners for the nomination are State Senator Steve Scalise and Slidell Mayor Ben Morris. Both of these men are as conservative as they get these days. Scalise has a history of fighting against minimum wage increases and mandated equal pay no matter gender or race. Scalise believes we need to keep Bush’s tax cuts permanent and the way to create good paying jobs is to cut taxes. Seriously. He also voted to cut 177 million in public school funding.
Ben Morris is the former Chief of Police and current Mayor of Slidell LA. A staunch defender of gun rights and an avid opponent to a women’s right to choose. He also wants to lower taxes even though we can’t afford it. Morris wants to cut programs (no mention of ending the war) to reduce the deficit. Here’s a snippet from his website:
Democrats and liberal special interest groups have eroded the moral fabric and freedoms on which our country was founded.
Nice huh? Apparently Ben Morris has us confused with the Republicans pushing for immunity for Telecom. Here’s another gem from Morris:
“If I ever vote to raise taxes, and we’re not in a nuclear war, I’ll resign,” Morris said.
Can Lousiana really afford either Morris or Scalise? Can America afford to have either of these voices on the halls of Congress? We have to get out of Iraq and solve our economic crisis. Both of these Republicans will let our country’s needs go by the wayside, and that’s why we have to work doubly hard to elect Gilda Reed.
Give Gilda Money!
The bloggers of EENR have set up a fundraising page via Act Blue. We need to help Gilda spread her message to the working people of Louisiana. Donate if you have a little to give…
Second up, the bloggers of EENR endorse….
Barry Welsh!
Barry Welsh is running for a second time against Mike Pence in Indiana’s 6th c.d. In 2006, Barry had an impressive showing with 40% and was outspent with Pence’s 1.5 million to Barry’s $60,000. This may be a red district but it’s a district that is struggling economically. The 6th c.d. is having a tougher time economically than the rest of the state. They have seen population decreases and job losses in the past six years. Plus, wages in this district are lower than the average wage in other areas of Indiana. Someone needs to represent these people and help rejuvenate the communities of the 6th c.d. That person is Barry Welsh.
On Iraq…
Barry Welsh has opposed the Iraq war from the start. Here’s a snippet from a letter Barry sent to Mike Pence:
The Iraq War and Occupation has
cost the tax payers of Indiana’s 6th District over 725 Million
Dollars, which is in addition to the immeasurable price paid in loss
by our brave troops. If that 725 million dollars were in this
district instead of in Iraq, the property tax might not have been
forced to skyrocket, but as it is, the fewer dollars that come back to
the state from the federal level, the more dollars the state must
raise on it’s own.This country should have remained focused on Afghanistan and capturing
Osama Bin Laden, and that focus should have remained clear, but
instead this country was lead into Iraq, and it is time to put the
focus back upon Osama Bin Laden, where it should have been since
9/11/01.
I don’t know about you, but I like how Barry confronts Pence head on when it comes to Iraq. If we want to end the war in Iraq, we can’t just unseat Republicans like Mike Pence. We need to elect strong progressives that are committed to ending the war. Barry is that candidate. Barry has pledged to support a gradual redeployment of our troops, starting with the National Guard and Reserves.
On ethics in government….
Barry wants to end the harmful earmarks and lobbyist influence on government. In a pledge to the voters of Indiana he said:
I will author and/or support legislation that limits the amount of money a Federal campaign can spend per election cycle. Trying to limit campaign financing has not worked, so we must limit spending and create fair, equal, and honest elections. We must also tether the influence of money channeled through lobbyists. I will author legislation stating that former Senators and Representatives, spouses, direct family members and staff members will have the choice of their pension and benefits, or a job lobbying after they leave office, and can have either, but not both. They may have other employment, but may not be a registered lobbyist. Logs of all meetings between Senators, Representatives, senior staff, and lobbyists must be of public record and limited in number per year.
On Working Americans…
Barry Welsh is an advocate of raising the minimum wage. He is also for rescinding NAFTA and CAFTA, here’s what he pledged:
I pledge that I will fight to put America back to work. I will author legislation that immediately rescinds NAFTA and CAFTA. We must not allow any more jobs to leave our shores. We can make more than just debt in America, and we should!
On Health Care…
Barry Welsh has pledged to work for affordable single payer universal health care. Need I say more?
Who Barry Welsh is up Against…
Republican Mike Pence is one of the most conservative Republicans in the House. He’s a staunch opponent of a woman’s right to choose. He voted against SCHIP, the College Tuition bill and reauthorizing the Head Start program. Pence voted against amending the Civil Rights bill to include prohibition of employment discrimination based on sexuality. Pence even voted against a mortgage reform bill, completely ignoring what’s going on around him. Indianapolis, which is just west of the 6th c.d. is ranked 18th in home foreclosures. Indiana ranks 10th in the country. Those are not facts anyone should be happy with, apparently Mike Pence doesn’t think they’re so bad. Lastly, Mike Pence has been an avid supporter of the Iraq War, and had these words for CPAC last March:
With their plan to lose the war, to quit on freedom in Iraq, Democrats have determined to measure their success in failure.
Over and over the media tells us America is tired of the war-as if attention span is a legitimate measure.
Yes, America is tired. It’s tired of what we’re being told about this war. It’s tired of the incessant negativity. Tired of the constant coverage of every roadside bomb while excluding mention of any of the many positive stories.
Now, will you stand up and fight to unseat Mike Pence and replace him with Barry Welsh? I hope so!
Give Barry Money!
If Barry can have such a strong showing without a war chest, that should tell you something. Barry is a formidable candidate, and we can help strengthen his campaign. The people of Indiana’s 6th c.d. need to hear Barry’s message. You can help spread that message! Give what you can, and let’s make sure the working people of Indiana have real representation!
Last but not least, the bloggers of EENR endorse….
Larry Kissell!
Larry Kissell is running in North Carolina’s 8th c.d. He ran back in 2006 and came within 330 votes of beating Republican incumbent Robin Hayes. Folks, we have to elect Kissell this time around.
North Carolina’s 8th district is struggling. They have a high school drop out rate that rivals big cities. The district has the highest unemployment rate of any area in North Carolina. North Carolina’s workers are struggling because of harmful trade agreements. The furniture and textile companies have been leaving North Carolina for cheaper labor overseas. The home foreclosure rate has been nothing but troubling for the 8th district. Something has got to change.
Larry on Civil Liberties…
Kissell is not about to sit idly by while our government disregards the rights granted to American citizens by the constitution. Larry has said, “I’m a pro-privacy candidate for Congress”. Larry respects women’s reproductive rights, the right to religious freedom and separation of church and state. Here’s a snippet from Larry’s website about the abuses being made by our current administration:
A hallmark of a commitment to “less government” includes a commitment to protecting our personal freedoms and civil liberties, not the dangerous consolidation of executive power, abusive efforts to spy on our citizens, and intrusive legislation from a federal government treading in unchartered areas it has no business.
Larry on Trade and Jobs…
CAFTA has directly hurt the textile and furniture industries in North Carolina. Robin Hayes voted for CAFTA, and Kissell has been nothing short of outspoken when it comes to the harmful trade deal. It’s not surprising especially since Kissell worked in textiles for 27 years. Kissell promises to be a tough advocate for fair trade deals and oppose trade deals that leave American workers behind. Here’s a quote from Kissell:
“We’re not this way because of bad policies in Raleigh. It is because of bad policies in Washington, D.C. And the first thing we have to do to fix it is allow no more free trade deals until we get jobs in the 8th district.”
Larry Kissell doesn’t just believe that we need to address NAFTA and CAFTA as a way to bring jobs back home. Kissell believes we need to seriously invest in alternative energy production here at home. Kissell is also a strong advocate for the minimum wage.
Larry on fiscal responsibility…
Larry Kissell has been outspoken when it comes to the outrageous spending for the, “confusing boondoggle” Medicare prescription drug plan. He’s also criticized NCLB and the Homeland Security Dept. Here’s a little snippet from his website about spending and cronyism in DC:
Congressional pork spending, cronyism, lobbying and rubber stamping are at an all time high in Washington, while ethics, integrity and accountability are at an all time low. It’s truly going to take one of us to return our values to Congress. I will be the change honest people seek.
Larry on Iraq…
Larry Kissell has been calling for a gradual withdrawal of troops from Iraq since 2005. He offered up a plan to have all the troops out in one year. That was three years ago folks. He continues to call on Bush and the Republicans to begin a safe withdrawal from Iraq. It sure would be nice to have his voice in the halls of Congress rather than pro-Iraq War Hayes.
Who Larry is up Against…
Robin Hayes is yet another staunch conservative. He has voted against stem cell research, is a proponent of a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage and 100% against a woman’s right to choose. Robin Hayes was against joining Kyoto, for drilling in ANWR and voted no raising CAFE standards and investing in alternative energy. Hayes voted against the recent SCHIP bill and voted against negotiating lower drug prices for Medicare part D. Hayes also voted against drug importation legislation which was intended to lower drug prices. Oh yeah, he wants to build a fence along the entire Mexican border. Had enough yet?
We owe it to the people of North Carolina’s 8th c.d. to help unseat Robin Hayes and replace him with Larry Kissell. Robin Hayes has done nothing to help boost the economy in North Carolina and give workers some relief. That’s just another reason we need to help elect Larry. Larry will fight for North Carolinians to have a livable wage. He’ll fight to end the war and start spending our resources here at home. Larry will represent the people of North Carolina the way they deserve to be represented. Are you with me?
Give Larry Money!
We have set up a fundraising page for Larry Kissell via Act Blue. We lost this seat last time around by 329 votes folks. Give what you can and help Larry spread his message more effectively!
Thank you all for coming by and let’s work together to elect more Democrats to Congress in 2008!
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I gave.
Glad you cross posted here.
I’m so glad we’re doing this, and you did an awesome job on our first endorsement diary!
Author
This is my first diary here. Be nice! I’m a member of EENR, and we all decided to endorse these progressive candidates.
It was a real bummer for me when Edwards suspended his campaign. However, I feel a new burst of energy and inspiration coming when I start checking out some of our Congressional candidates. Barry Welsh, Gilda Reed and Larry Kissell need our help! I hope you all will take a look at these fine candidates, and consider spreading the word, or donating if you have a little dough. 😉
information on these three candidates. Part of creating a world I want to leave to my grandchildren is providing for more progressive leadership in Washington. Part of the campaign season for me this year is learning not to settle in that quest. All three of these candidates meet the standards I’m setting for myself in evaluating who I will help.
and we need them to push the peddle to metal on progressive ideas JRE had in mind.
Congressional Candidate’s Wife, Barry exemplifies to me the stance I admire on the issues that I think matter. I support him for exactly the reasons that I supported Edwards, and I think that we can be much more effective in races like this than in the National election where we were drowned in a tide of money raised by the celebrity candidates.
A fifty dollar contribution to the presidential primary is essentially wasted in my view, compared to a $50 contribution that goes to Barry and is used to fight against one of the worst of the goopers, and a few dozen $50 contibutions can have an effect in a place like central Indiana where the costs of media exposure are manageable-but they still are costs. If we can help take Pence out we get a real progressive democrat with a substantial policy platform, this is not a case like in VA where we take out Allen and get a blue dog like Webb, Barry is the real deal and I hope that all my old Edwards buddies, and the rest of you too, will take a good look at Barry and send him some of the money that would have gone to help Edwards. I assure you it would be money very well spent.