$5 Friday: Pimp your candidate - Second Quarter Edition

Welcome, everyone, to the third edition of "$5 Friday."  Use this diary to "Pimp your candidate" below in the comments.  Give us all your sales pitch as to why we should donate $5 (or more) to your candidate on this last day of the Second Quarter.

The only thing I ask in return for giving you this forum to pimp your candidate is to look over the list and find a candidate you'd be willing to give $5 to and donate the money. That way we'll all hopefully pull in a few extra dollars for our candidates.

Make sure to recommend this diary after you pimp your candidate.  If we can get this up on the recommended list, we'll all get more exposure for our candidates.  I'll pimp first below the fold!

In my first edition of this series, I only pimped one candidate, Kirsten Gillibrand.  In this edition, I was going to hit a couple of them, but one was going to be Larry Kissel in NC-08, and he just got the front page treatment from Kos, so I'm going to just stick with Gillibrand for today.

You want a candidate that gets the netroots to work for her?  Try Kirsten Gillibrand.  You want proof that we're on top of this race here?  NY-20 has more diaries written about it than any other Congressional Race except CA-50.  You want people powered politics?  Volunteers from all over NY-20 have gathered 10 times the required petition signatures to get Kirsten Gillibrand on the ballot.  You want a progressive, workable policy on Iraq?  Kirsten Gillibrand wants our troops back home within a year and has challenged incumbent Rethug John Sweeney to a debate on Iraq issues.

In short, if you want a netroots candidate, Kirsten Gillibrand is your woman!

Disclaimer: I don't work for the Gillibrand campaign.  They don't give me any money.  Rather, I have given them my money, and my time, in the form of phone banking, canvassing, and collecting signatures for petitions.

---------------------------

Now, on to your job.  Pimp your candidates!  However, try not to pimp the ones that have gotten massive exposure here.  If, like Gillibrand, there are lots of diaries, but nobody seems to notice, go for it!  But don't pimp Ned Lamont.  Or Jon Tester.  Or anybody else that's currently on the "Netroots Candidates" page.  They're all great candidates, but this is a chance to show everyone the other great candidates.  And after you pimp your candidate, recommend this so we can all get as much exposure as possible for our worthy candidates!

•  I'll take your tips...

  ...but I’d prefer if you sent them to Kirsten Gillibrand via:

  ActBlue
  Democracy For America or
  her website

  by Team Slacker on Fri Jun 30, 2006 at 06:08:25 AM PDT

•  NY-19

  The 19th Congressional District of New York is ripe for the picking.  Sue Kelly has been in power since 1994, and while she tries her hardest to portray herself as a "moderate", she's a tried and true member of the Bush Rubber-Stamp Congress.  Democrats in the 19th are looking at a very crowded primary, with six qualified candidates.  However, I believe that only one candidate has the charisma, personality, and platform to win the district and the appreciation of the Netroots.  His name is Ben Shuldiner.
  Ben is a 29 year old principal, the youngest principal in the state.  In 2002 he started his current school with a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and turned a failed school into the succesful High School for Public Service.  Ben has pragmatic stances on many issues and can find the moderate ground while not pandering to Republicans.  On health care, he has a three step plan over five years to move the country to a single payer system, one that both gives people access to health care and cuts costs for businesses.  On education, Ben supports ending No Child Left Behind and setting up large block grants for more localized education programs while funding better teacher recruitment programs.  On Iraq, Ben wants a sensible end to the conflict and a move to withdrawing troops from Iraq.  If Ben is elected, he'll be the youngest current member of Congress.  I think Ben is a great candidate both on the issues and on his personality.    I would urge all the netroots to look into this guy as the candidate to beat Sue Kelly in the 19th.
  http://www.ben2006.com  

  by circlesnshadows on Fri Jun 30, 2006 at 06:16:34 AM PDT

  •  NY-19

    A worthy district, with many worthy candidates!  Ben's a good one though!

    by Team Slacker on Fri Jun 30, 2006 at 06:19:32 AM PDT

•  Here goes . . .

  I got into active politics via the influence of this blog and Howard Dean's urging to rebuild the party from the ground up.

  I'm now a candidate in one of the nation's largest and strangest partisan school board races (130,00 registered voters in my school board "district").

  I've come a long way since my "greatest hit" diary, Party Takeover Underway, but am also discovering how much further there is to go.

  We are working to renew the local Democratic party in a county that, despite a Dem registration advantage, is run by the GOP.

  The old-school party regulars here need proof that the internet works! Donate anything with ending in .02 to give them your two cents worth.

  Please comment and ask questions, too.

  Thanks for the opportunity, Team Slacker.

  by demondeac on Fri Jun 30, 2006 at 06:19:39 AM PDT

•  ANDRE FOR SCHOOLS

  Dear Friends, Neighbors and Fellow Bloggers,

  My name is Andre Araujo and I am running for School Committee in Cranston, Rhode Island's second ward. I am asking for your vote on Tuesday, November 7, 2006.

  I am a 32 year old married father of a young daughter attending Cranston’s public schools. We own a single family home in the Forest Hills neighborhood of the city.

  Importantly, to this online community, I am a long-time Daily Kos blogger!

  I am an employee of the US Navy. I also serve as an enlisted technical sergeant with the RI Air National Guard and I am a vestry board member of the Church of the Ascension in Cranston.

  I graduated from East Providence High School in 1991. I was discharged honorably from the US Air Force in 1997. I hold two associates degrees, one from CCRI and the other from the Community College of the Air Force. I am currently completing my bachelor’s degree at URI.

  We were all very disappointed with the way that Horton Elementary School was shut down and shocked by the callous manner in which our community was treated by the school committee.

  Instead of just complaining, I want to do something about it. I want to work hard for more reasonable school budgets. I want to work with City Hall to get better state and federal aid and to alleviate the burden from the city property taxpayers.

  We have hardworking and loyal teachers in the schools that deserve a decent wage so that they can continue to provide quality education to our children.

  If elected, I will do my utmost to serve the community and our future generations to the best of my ability.

  Sincerely yours,

  Andre Araujo

  Website: AndreForSchools.com

  E-Mail: [e-mail]

  Phone: [phone]

  Andre Araujo for Cranston School Committee
     

  by aaraujo on Fri Jun 30, 2006 at 06:27:20 AM PDT

•  AZ-08

  Jeff Latas is a retired air force pilot, veteran of the Iraq war, an aerospace engineer, an environmentalist, and his son is a veteran of the current Iraq war.
  Jeff wants renewable energy, health care for all, and to get us the hell out of Iraq.  Well worth your 5 bucks.  Jeff's in a tough primary, but he's the best candidate to hit the ground running as a newbie in congress.  He is endorsed by PDA, DFA, and Max Cleland.  Thanks for your donation :)

  by Desert Rose on Fri Jun 30, 2006 at 06:30:22 AM PDT

•  School Board, Pinellas County Florida

  My 72 year old father is running for school board district 6 in Pinellas County Florida.

  When he told me he was running I thought he was nuts, but he said that he'd been complaining about the educational system for years and finally decided to actually do something about it.

  The more I think about it, the more it makes sense. If there is one thing my father values it is a good education.  He worked hard to make sure all three of his kids could go to college.

  When I was a child, whenever I asked a question related to my schoolwork or just out of curiousity, he would take me over to our stack of encyclopedias and help me look up the answer.

  Now he wants to help the School Board find the answers to its problems.

  He is a father and grandfather who wants to get involved and help future generations gain knowledge and succeed in life.

  To find out more, please visit his website at: jackkillingsworth.com

  by meowmissy on Fri Jun 30, 2006 at 06:35:53 AM PDT

•  IA-5...Joyce Shulte

  As someone said before, Joyce's incumbent opponent, King, is a lizard in every bad sense of the meaning.  You can see a diary on Joyce here.

  by Los Diablo on Fri Jun 30, 2006 at 06:38:56 AM PDT

•  Barry Welsh- IN-06

  First, he is really and truly one of us.  He is not a dKos poster just because he's running.  Go to Barry's website, and you will see one of the earliest, AND BEST, 50 state strategy sites.  There are many deserving of our support for their dedication to our causes, but none more deserving.

  Second, his opponent is simply evil.  Mike Pence is one of the most theocratic, fundamentalist, uberconservative, smarmy, dishonest, and manipulative "up and comers" in the new Republican Party of Christ.  He bills himself as "Christian first, Conservative second, and Republican third."  Anybody with half a brain will notice that there is no room in there for "Representative," or "Hoosier," or even "Congressman."  No, he means it.  His one "principled" stand is against pork, so he brings none home, but at the same time NEVER votes against it for anybody else, unless the vote is already secure and he has the Party's permission.

  Third, while many consider Pence unbeatable, Barry brings the very credentials that make this a race.  Pence is "Christian first."  Barry is a Methodist Pastor.  Pence is a local guy.  Barry is even more so, a former football star and radio personality.  Pence is a "strong supporter of our right to bear arms."  Well, that might scare people in rural Indiana against voting for Ted Kennedy, but it holds no water against a gun-owning Pastor.

  Fourth, Indiana is truly in play.  If you look at the competitive races, three are already here.  Not only that, but Bush is terribly unpopular, our Senators are Lugar (one of the less insane Republicans) and Bayh, a Democrat.  The Governor is unpopular, even with the new Honda plant, because people think he's selling the state. They are also VERY pissed about Daylight Savings Time (you'd have to live here to get it- the farmers think Mitch is 'messing with God's time').  In other words, everything is in place for a wave, and Barry is close enough in internal polls to ride it to victory.

  Fifth, Barry's own race is closer than people think.  Some internal polling, which was actually biased against Barry, showed him in a dead heat.  Every day he meets people who say "you know, I voted Republican because I think it's a sin to kill babies, but they ain't done nothing about that, and now I've lost my job and nobody cares.  This year I'm voting for you."

  by dhonig on Fri Jun 30, 2006 at 06:55:22 AM PDT

  •  I do have to give Barry Walsh some mad props

    for his 50-state page.  It really is the most comprehensive list out there.  Best of luck to him!

    by Team Slacker on Fri Jun 30, 2006 at 07:00:59 AM PDT

  •  Seconded.

    A true candidate of the netroots...Barry is the real deal.

    by Yoss on Fri Jun 30, 2006 at 07:06:23 AM PDT

•  David Sanders IN-4

  David is a great guy and an amazing candidate running against one of the most extremist representatives out there, Steve Buyer.

  Check out David's campaign website and throw him $5 so he can compete with one of Bush's best friends in Congress. Supposedly David was on Air America yesterday...did anyone catch it?

  Get the facts on Steve Buyer here, if you aren't familiar with his particular form of right-wing-wankery.

  Thanks!

  by Yoss on Fri Jun 30, 2006 at 07:12:48 AM PDT

•  Marcinkowski in MI-08

  
  
  

  www.marcinkowskiforcongress.com

  Contribute

  
  
  

  Jim Marcinkowski is an attorney and former CIA agent and he is running against Mike Rogers in Michigan's 8th CD.

  CQPolitics just changed their rating in the District from pretty much a sure Republican win ("Safe R") to a slight leaning towards the R ("R Favored").

  Marcinkowski is a good candidate.  As an ex-CIA guy, he has some great insight into the Plame case.

  I hope you will check him out and support him.

  P.S.

  I don't work for Marcinkowski.  I don't even live in his District.  I just think he is a good candidate and has a good shot at winning and that would be a good seat for the Dems to pick up.

  by R2 on Fri Jun 30, 2006 at 07:36:48 AM PDT

•  Joe Donnelly, IN-02

  Donnelly for Congress

  4 words: Chris "the Count" Chocola.  Need I say more?

  by exiled texan on Fri Jun 30, 2006 at 08:16:20 AM PDT

•  Al Weed, Fighting Dem from VA-05

  Al Weed is my favorite candidate this year.  He's running a strong, very grassroots-based campaign in Central and Southside Virginia, which is a HUGE district stretching from the liberally inclined Charlottesville area down to the economically-depressed Southside of the state.  Since his initial run at incumbent Virgil "MZM" Goode in 2004, Al has traveled throughout the district to listen to the people about what they believe and what they need.

  You can find out more about Al at his website.  Al has joined us here at DK--6/11 live blogging, and has the support of lots of folks here plus our other favorite Virginia candidate Jim Webb.

  While Al made it to the 2nd round of Mark Warner's Mapchangers, he hasn't been highlighted by the national campaigners and may not make the 3rd round (though I strongly believe he should).  He needs our support now to keep the pressure on.

  Al Weed is a great person and the best candidate to take down pseudo-populist Virgil Goode.  Please consider him as you plan your last minute donations today.  Thanks!

  by edgery on Fri Jun 30, 2006 at 08:18:16 AM PDT

•  Vermont needs help electing Scudder for Governor

  Scudder Parker - love the name - is sound on environmental policy, the incumbent is not. He's anti-GMOs. The present officeholder just supported Montsanto over the State's many organic and conventional farmers who don't use GMO seed.

  There could be no other reason than the usual dishonorable Party of the opposition's greed to block the simple GMO bill that would pass crop liabilities back to Montsanto if non-GMO seed was contaminated with GMO seed.

  Scudder has a strong energy policy, the Governor does not. Scudder works for renewable energy and has always worked for the general good. Gov. Douglas sold a generating dam to private interests most likely in exchange for campaign contributions, as it did nothing for the long term energy needs of Vermont.

  The governor managed to water down and render practically useless a State plan for universal health coverage. Then he signed the watered down version and took credit for it.

  He spends about two hours a week in his office, and the rest of the time cutting ribbons and giving talks around the state. It's a 365-day-a-year campaign opportunity for Jimbo on public funds. Now that election time is nearing, his visage can be found mulitple times daily on the air promoting tourism, handcrafts, bridge openings, and county fairs. His office has given him a bully pulpit to sound far more moderate than he is.

  Vermonters are conservative, despite their liberal outlook on life in that they most always support an incumbent unless he's truly evil. Dean slipped into office when Lt. Governor because the Governor died. Then he did a good job and got re-elected. He would probably never have replaced the Republican Snelling had he not died in office.

  I could carry on, but I think this crew can see the picture. If you can spare the $5, Scudder Parker, who has been a minister and has great credentials as a knowledgeable, decent human being, deserves every cent we can spare. Douglas is convential Republican atavistic fare. He needs to seek other employment.

  Here's a link:

  https://services.myngp.com/ngponlineservices/custom/parker/contribute.html

  by 4Freedom on Fri Jun 30, 2006 at 08:32:22 AM PDT