I wrote this diary, "John Waltz Continues to Show Strength" yesterday when I realized that the Waltz campaign had put up a very strong showing in fundraising for the last quarter. However, now it appears as if I put it up before I realized just how strong this showing really was. You see, as a political newcomer and a Progressive in a red area John Waltz did the unthinkable. He actually OUT-RAISED the sitting Republican Geoff Davis. Even more remarkable is that Waltz smoked Davis in donations from individuals.
In Kentucky we have some great candidates bidding to pull upsets in the Congressional races. In the Fourth we have John Waltz and in the Fifth we have Jim Holbert. In the Second Congressional District we have Ed Marksberry, no stranger to us here at Hillbilly Report, and definately a fine candidate in his own right. He is ready to go to Washington and fight to once again expand the American middle-class. Today in a press release, he Unloaded on Kentucky Republicans for their "cozy industry relationships".
I was thinking it was just a matter of time. A matter of time until everyone else started to realize what I already knew. John Waltz in Kentucky's Fourth Congressional District has quietly turned into a very viable contender. Waltz has been working hard and one need only look at the money he has raised on ActBlue to be impressed. Now, Democracy for America is noticing the hard work and vision the Waltz campaign is offering and has nominated them as one of the top grassroots campaigns in the country.
Last month much was made among the right-wing foghorns on the radio and elsewhere about the Republicans taking the lead in the generic Congressional ballot among the American people. Despite all the self-righteous celebrating one thing was lost on them that evidently has set in on the American electorate. Republicans have absolutely no vision, or solutions to fix the huge problems that still confront our country. They offer only the same failed ideas that have been disgraced and have failed time and again. The party of no, no ideas and nothing good may be finding out that it takes something besides a lot of hot air to win elections. It takes ideas.
As many of you know that are regular readers Kentucky's Fourth Congressional District has a Democratic candidate. They have a real citizen, veteran, and Progressive alternative to corrupt Geoff Davis for representation in Congress. While he has shown some great success on ActBlue in that district he needs and deserves the support of national and statewide Democrats. Today, he is fighting back against the threats of Geoff Davis, who is playing both sides of the tea-bag movement.
I wrote a few diaries several months ago about a Democratic newcomer in Kentucky politics when John Waltz announced his run here, here, and here. While I very much liked what Waltz was saying, I wondered about his ability to mount a race as a newcomer and in Kentucky's Fourth Congressional District. However, as this race is progressing John Waltz is proving to be an extremely viable candidate as well as being a real fighting Democrat. Now, Waltz's campaign is picking up steam and with our help could mount a real challenge to put Republicans on defense this fall in at least one previously secure district.
We have been pretty disappointed here for most of the heatlhcare debate. I mean, we lost single-payer before sitting down to bargain, and now barring a Christmas miracle from sixty or so House members we have lost the public option while being mandated to buy coverage. Folks like myself with a pre-existing condition in my case Type 1 Diabetes can still be discriminated against for five long years. Now in retrospect we lost another battle that shows nicely just how bought and paid for our Congress really is.
In my email in-box today, was the weekly message from the White House with the video of the President's weekly address. This week, he focused on why I should support the Senate's "health care reform" (i.e., the Insurance Company Revitalization and Stimulus Act of 2009). Without noting that the address was recorded before the Senate bill was finalized, Mr. Obama gave all the now tried-and-true reasons: historic opportunity, better than status quo, yada yada yada.
Populist Caucus Chairman Bruce Braley (IA-01) and House Trade Working Group Chairman Mike Michaud (ME-02) wrote to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer today, urging them to make sure the upcoming jobs bill contains a strong "Buy American" provision.
From a press release Braley's office issued:
"Recently, as America has suffered the worst economic recession since the Great Depression, unemployment has risen and is now around 10 percent," the letter reads. "We believe that the shipment of American jobs overseas is a factor in this rising unemployment. If we are going to pass a strong job creation bill then it only makes sense to include strong Buy American provisions, to further ensure that the jobs created as a result of this legislation are created within the United States.
"We have an obligation to create jobs in America. While some would argue that Buy American is nothing more than a trade protectionist label, it is clear that these provisions would equate to greater investment, and greater job-creation, within the U.S. In addition, Buy American provisions are perfectly legal under current trade agreements and many other nations use similar mechanisms to protect their domestic manufacturers. Therefore, we feel that it is entirely appropriate that this language be included in any upcoming job-creation measure, and we believe that this provision is essential to creating and retaining American jobs.
Members of the House Populist Caucus, chaired by Representative Bruce Braley (IA-01), held a press conference on Thursday to endorse a bill that would "assess a small fee on Wall Street day traders to pay down the national deficit and invest in America's middle class families."
Oh, those poor souls who are crying so hard about the legislation provided for Universal Healthcare in the House. I mean, our "leaders" were so concerned with helping the average working American who do not have and cannot afford to buy private insurance for whatever reason that they just were so very unfair to those who have contributed so much to the problems we now face. My heart just bleeds with sympathy for these groups of people.
