If you don't live here in Central Florida, you might be wondering, "why should I donate to a campaign that is not in my district?" The answer is simple. As a member of the Republican leadership in the House, Adam "Howdy Doody" Putnam will be the obstructionist in chief to anything President Obama is trying to accomplish. Putnam's role in the House doesn’t just impact FL-12, it impacts all working families throughout the nation. The result of the FL-12 race has an effect on all of us! We need your help to get Doug Tudor elected to Congress in Florida's 12th District! Today is the day that Kossacks can make a difference!
CLICK HERE TO DONATE to Doug Tudor for Congress in Florida's 12th District!
Howdy Doody is the nickname given to Adam Putnam, the third ranking Republican in Congress, and the current Representative for Florida's 12th District. Another nickname he's been called is "Opie," after the adorable son of Sheriff Andy Taylor played by Ron Howard on the the fondly remembered Andy Griffth Show.
What do you think about Adam Putnam? Is he the adorable Opie Taylor, who always does the right thing after learning lessons from his father, Sheriff Taylor? Or is he Howdy Doody, a puppet for the Republican Party?
Do you want to see Putnam re-elected to Congress for another term? Do you want him to have the opportunity to be the obstructionist in chief to anything President Obama is trying to accomplish? Do you really want to see another "Opie Won" picture after the election on November 4?
When Adam Putnam championed the story painting Nancy Pelosi as arrogant, by constantly promoting a false story about her travel accommodations, was he representing his constituents, or was he putting the Republican Party first?
Today's Tampa Tribue [sic] is carrying a profile of one of the key drivers of this tale: Florida GOP Rep. Adam Putnam. As chairman of the House Republican conference committee, Putnam plays a key role in pushing the GOP's message in the media, and he aggressively pushed the plane story from the start. But now he's cheerfully admitted to the Tribune that not only did he have no idea whether the plane story was true, he didn't particularly care, either.
(snip)
I'm not sure it gets any clearer than that. Putnam had no idea whether the story was true or not. Yet based on an anonymously sourced Washington Times story (and allegedly based on CNN, though what exactly CNN had added to the story at that point is unclear), he happily attacked Pelosi for "arrogance" and "extravagance." More important, he is still "unapologetic" about the fact that the story turned out to be false, because, well, it's not his job to care about such things. It's his job to "drive" the GOP's "message."
GOP Rep. Who Pushed Pelosi Plane Story Admits He Didn't Know -- Or Care -- If It Was True, February 20, 2007
Adam Putnam's primary objective is to push the Republican Agenda and he will unapologetically do everything in his power to undermine anything that the new Democratic President Obama and Democratic Congress try to accomplish. As a member of the Republican leadership in the House, Adam "Howdy Doody" Putnam will be the obstructionist in chief. His role in the House doesn’t just impact FL-12, it impacts all working families throughout the nation. It impacts all of us!
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) has the resources needed to win with a nearly a $40 Million advantage over the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC). It is races like Doug Tudor's that need Kossack support because the national party isn’t paying attention to the progressive wave underlying the overall Democratic year. Now consider this number:
That is the amount of money that will make all the difference in the world! Why will it make a difference? Because it is the amount that Doug Tudor's campaign needs to raise in order to pass the $100,000 mark of non-candidate donations. What does that mean? This late in the election season, it means that the national party will finally take notice of Doug Tudor's campaign!
Certainly, as the DCCC looks at the landscape in the next few days, they will decide which candidates they previously endorsed who are not viable, as well as candidates that have received no help nationally who may now benefit from a last push of DCCC help. Doug Tudor is one of those candidates.
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Before I knew how close Doug was to reaching the $100,000 mark in non-candidate donations, I set up a Page at ActBlue to try and help raise funds to purchase television commercials for the remaining days of this election. That is why the goal is set at $5,000. Rather than create yet another page, I'm leaving this one up. At the time of this writing there have been $935 in contributions through the page. First, thank you to those who have answered my repetitive pleas for this cause.
If we can get the amount collected on this ActBlue Page to $1,750, then we'll know that we've pushed Doug Tudor's campaign over the $100,000 non-candidate donations mark, and he will have a chance at getting the DCCC to take notice of his campaign and potentially receive national assistance for the final push in the remaining days of the campaign!
I'm begging you to recommend this diary and give it a chance to appear on the Recommended List so that in the morning it will be seen by as many Kossacks as possible. Also, please post a comment because that will help the impact of the diary and move it up. Just write what you think of Adam Putnam! (The last time I posted this plea, the diary received enough recommends, but the lack of comments kept it off the list. This is a case of now or never to raise that $813.15.)
I've seen this community come together for many worthy causes. This is a worthy cause! I sincerely believe that Doug Tudor, a man who has dedicated his life to this great country through his actions and deeds, not just words, deserves our support. He's so close. We can make a difference!
Please help Doug Tudor get noticed by the DCCC. Please make Sunday the day that pushed him over the $100,000 mark in non-candidate funds raised! This is possibly his last opportunity to get the attention of the DCCC! Adam Putnam has over a $1.5 Million war chest, and you know he's going to be using it to hit the airwaves in these waning days of the election. As Swing State Project sees it:
Putnam has been part of the Republican leadership for the past eight years. His district has also grown more Democratic, in large part to the growing Hispanic population of Poinciana and the college student population of Temple Terrace. Senior citizens (aka: those that lost large investments courtesy of Putnam tailoring the Republican agenda) compose a large percentage of the population within the district. Lakeland, the stomping ground of former Governor Lawton Chiles, is the epicenter of the district. To Howdy Doody's disadvantage, Democrats have a 20,000 voter registration advantage over Republicans. However, to his advantage, or to the dismay of Polk County Democrats, a strong Democratic challenger had not stepped forward to challenge Howdy Doody. Democrat Doug Tudor has attacked Putnam for vacationing in Nantucket, yet with very few funds in the bank, Tudor will have a hard time getting his message out. His only hope, which is probable due to Putnam's position in the Republican caucus, is to hope that Democrats and independents vote against Putnam, thereby giving Tudor their vote.
Adam "Howdy Doody" Putnam (FL-12th)
Cook Political Report rates this race at R+5, but there haven't been any polls conducted. The Tudor Campaign can not afford to spend $25,000 in resources to commission a poll. However, there was a rumor going around that Adam Putnam has had an internal poll conducted, and the results had Doug Tudor winning by five points. Naturally, the Putnam campaign isn't going to release such a poll for public consumption.
There is strong dislike of Putnam here in District 12. With enough money to get his message out through the media, Doug Tudor can win this election! The St. Petersburg Times published an article about this race a few days ago.
By many standards, Putnam has the advantage. He's running for a fifth term. He's the third highest-ranking Republican in the House. And he has raised about $1.5-million more than Tudor.
But Tudor thinks Putnam's party and past might work against him this election. People are fed up with Republican leadership, Tudor said. He points out that Putnam has voted in line with his party about 98 percent of the time.
"Adam's bought and paid for," Tudor, of Riverview, said.
Tudor says that although he's running on the Democratic ticket, "nobody owns me." He said he'll vote independent of his party when needed.
(snip)
Statistics show the party-line division in District 12 is close, even leaning Democratic. There are about 160,000 Republicans and about 180,000 Democrats registered in District 12, according to July data from Florida's Division of Elections.
District 12 voters have clear options
I encourage you to check out the readers' comments at the end of the article. Every single comment is in support of Doug Tudor and against Adam Putnam! That's the atmosphere around here in District 12 among people who are aware. We need to get the word out further, and that takes media buys, and that takes money!
Reaching the $1,750 mark will get Doug Tudor's campaign over the magical $100,000 non-candidate donation mark to garner the notice of the DCCC and potentially additional funding in his fight against Adam Putnam! Getting this fundraiser over the $5,000 mark will guarantee that Doug Tudor can purchase Nine Days of Twenty 30-Second TV Ads Per Day in his FL-12 race against Adam Putnam, the third ranking Republican in Congress!
[Photograph by MELISSA LYTTLE | St. Petersburg Times]
Twenty-five years ago last Thursday, Doug Tudor served this country "by joining the excavation team and personally digging out three United States Marines alive," as explained in a comment by one of his supporters in a local newspaper forum:
Has Adam Putnam ever had the stench of scorched American flesh in his nostrils? Hell, no. All Adam Putnam knows of terrorism is what his Dear Leader Bu$h told him.
But let me share this with you.
Do you know what happened 25 years ago today?
At 0620 Beirut time, Islamic terrorists drove a Mercedes truck laden with explosives into the Marine barracks housing 2MARDIV Marines, detonated and turned the building into instant rubble, killing 241 American servicemen.
Doug Tudor was a sailor on his first sea deployment in October 1983. When the Marines were bombed, the call went out for nearby personnel to respond. Doug answered the call, joining the excavation team and personally digging out three United States Marines alive. Some others...
Anyway, Doug told me recently that on that day 25 years ago today he became a man, having been thrust into a dusty, bloody hell at the very start of his Navy career. I hope he doesn't mind me sharing that with you.
It resonates with me personally because the bombing started an exploration for me as an Emory pre-med student into the possibilities of service beyond self. I looked at the Corps, and eight months later I was standing on yellow footprints at Parris Island, 5 July 1984. I would become a brother in arms to those who'd given their all since 1775 and especially to those who'd died in Beirut and whose sacrifice pushed me to join the Corps.
Adam Putnam says Doug Tudor is soft on terror? Adam Putnam would crap his silk boxers if he had been face-to-face with the aftermath of terror, or with its offspring 20-odd years later, as Doug was upon his return to the Middle East with CENTCOM.
Click Here to Read the Entire Comment
Doug Tudor has served this country his entire adult life. He is asking for an opportunity to serve it further by giving the people of District 12 a voice and honest representation in Congress! Please, please help give him that opportunity!
My husband remarked the other day that Adam Putnam is young enough to volunteer to serve in the National Guard. Help Doug Tudor get elected so that Adam Putnam will be relieved of his congressional duties, and will be free to join the National Guard! Then, let him come back after a 15-month tour and report back to us about his experiences in Iraq.
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UPDATE: Thanks to glassbeadgame for a fantastic suggestion! If you are tapped out, something you can do is contact the DCCC and ask them to support Doug Tudor's Campaign! Please help yourself to any information you find in any of my diaries about the FL-12 Doug Tudor campaign to help support your persuasive argument to them: Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Contact Page.
UPDATE II: Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! To everybody who has donated, written to the DCCC, and given me so many words of encouragement. I've spent over a week writing diaries for Doug Tudor's campaign, and for you all to come together like this and help means so very much! Thank especially to eeff for writing a sacrifice diary, and helping Doug's campaign get some notice and getting this diary on the recommended list. Kossacks are awesome! OMG! I almost forgot ... Lava20 too for a diary encouraging everybody to come and read this diary! (I haven't had any sleep, and that almost slipped my mind.) I'm trying to write a thank you to everybody who posts their donations and efforts to write to the DCCC and ask them to pay attention to this race. If I missed your message, please know that I sincerely appreciate what you have done!
UPDATE III: I forgot to mention that there will be a 30-minute debate between Doug Tudor and Adam Putnam this week:
If anybody reading this lives in the District-12 or Tampa Bay area please watch, or if you have friends or family who live in the area please ask them to watch:
What: Debate between Doug Tudor and Adam Putnam
Where: PBS WEDU, Channel 3
When: 9:30 p.m., Tuesday, October 28!
If you can't meet Doug Tudor in person, this is your opportunity to watch him make his case!
Also, if you know anybody who lives in the Central Florida area, please email a link to this diary and encourage them to vote for Doug Tudor!
UPDATE IV: Kossacks are awesome! You guys did it! It's official! The Doug Tudor Campaign has now officially raised over $100,000 in non-candidate contributions! A special BIG THANK YOU to cinnamondog for seeing the total at $1,710, and donating $50 to put Doug Tudor over the goal. Now he can contact the DCCC with the fantastic news!
Thank you, all! And if you can still donate, please do! We aren't out of the woods yet. Adam Putnam still has that $1.5 Million war chest, and the ability to place media buys in the remaining days will be crucial for Doug Tudor!
I haven't had any sleep! I've been up all night and morning, so I'm going to go pass out now. Kossacks rock!
UPDATE V: In all the excitement, of trying to write responses to all the comments, thanking everybody for their support and donations, catching a few hours of sleep, and asking everybody to write to the DCCC and ask them to send some additional funds Doug Tudor's way, I completely forgot to write to the DCCC myself. I have corrected that oversight. Here is my letter to the DCCC. I hope it will inspire others to help by writing letters of their own.
I live in Florida District-12. My husband and I stretched our budget and donated $150 to Doug Tudor's campaign against Adam Putnam because we feel that Doug Tudor will better represent us in Congress.
We also strongly believe that as a member of the Republican leadership in the House, Adam Putnam will be the obstructionist in chief to anything President Obama will try to accomplish.
Today Doug Tudor's Campaign reached an important milestone by passing the $100,000 mark in non-candidate donations from citizens like me.
In these remaining days of the campaign, Doug Tudor needs all the help he can get for media buys to spread the word about how he will better represent the citizens of District 12.
I implore you not to let down the citizens of District 12. Please match the $100,000 Mr. Tudor has raised so that he can wage an effective media campaign against Adam Putnam in these final days of an historic election!
UPDATE VI: I just spoke to Doug Tudor on the phone. He's been out campaigning hard for District 12 all day. Doug is very grateful for the support everybody has shown to him here today. Doug asks that anybody who can, to please contact the DCCC, especially by making a phone call or writing an email. Here is the information:
Who to Contact: Brett Wask at the DCCC
Phone Number: Office:(202) 863-1500; Cell:(202)607-1595
email Address: wask@dccc.org.
All you need to say is (Politely): "Please support Doug Tudor in FL-12 and get involved in the campaign to restore representative democracy to Central Florida."
It is not necessary to go into long explanations as to why. We just want Brett to get hundreds of calls saying the same thing.
UPDATE VII: Doug Tudor has posted a diary! Please read and recommend!
FL-12: Help Me Defeat Adam Putnam