Thirteen votes. Seven Congressmen. That's all it would have taken to overturn the President's veto and provide Health Care to 10 million kids. Seven lousy seats stood in the way of doing the right thing. Seven Republican Representatives who could have voted to help America decided not to.
I happen to live in an area represented by one of those seven. I'm from Florida's 8th District and our "esteemed" member of Congress is Ric Keller. Have you ever heard of Ric "Fast Food" Keller? No? Well, I'm not surprised. In his 4 terms in Congress he is best known for sponsoring the McDonalds Protection Act. That's pretty much it.
Not a compelling record for 4 terms in Congress is it? I didn't think so either. That's why this year, instead of writing angst filled blogs about how awful he is, I decided to do something about it. I joined a campaign. This is my tale.
Politics ain't pretty.
I guess I'm a bit lucky. Some people know they want to volunteer but get stuck with a candidate that represents their party, not their passions. I on the other hand managed to luck into a fantastic spot. Instead of just candidate de jour, I happened to land the job as the Netroots Coordinator for Alan Grayson.
Who is Alan Grayson and why do you care? Well, even if you don’t live in Florida (and obviously most of you don't) you’ll still care about him. Alan is a one man wrecking crew of justice when it comes to War Profiteering. You might have heard about him on the news lately (or read a great article in this month’s Vanity Fair) because he is taking the thieves and robbers to court for stealing from the American tax payer. He is, as Vanity Fair described him "a crusader against government-contractor fraud." And brother is there ever a lot of fraud to crusade against.
To me, he is doing in the real world what we all dream we could do through our blogs- holding Halliburton and other contractors accountable.
See? I told you you would care.
If that was the extent of Alan’s credentials, I might have worked for him anyhow. Fighting the fight against corruption is a major selling point in my book. Seven years of George Bush makes that a priority I think. Luckily, that isn’t the end of the story. Unlike many other candidates running for the Florida 8th, Alan is actually a progressive. A big P progressive. I can support him with a clean conscience.
Unlike other candidates here, he is not an opportunist or someone looking for a promotion. He is someone who shares OUR values and works hard to carry them out. He’s a "good" democrat in a state all too often saddled with Republican Lite. He’s the kind of guy we need in Washington. He doesn’t NEED this job. He’s serving because he has talent we can use; he’ll take a massive pay cut to share it with us. Civil service. What a concept.
I’m not saying that because I volunteered. I volunteered because I can say that. It’s such a refreshing change.
So why am I telling you all this? Well first, it's my job. I'm not going to lie to you and say this isn't an attempt to drum up support. Of course it is. I was at YearlyKos with you all, I heard the questions you asked, the points you raised. I'm telling you that Alan is the kind of guy you want to rally around.
Second, because Alan deserves to have people talk about him. We are in one of the few competitive districts in the country. The incumbent, Ric "Mr. Fast Food" Keller, is vulnerable and we need that seat. Last week’s defeat over Children’s Healthcare should make that brutally obvious.
You and I both know that all Congressional elections are national elections these days. We all need to help win anywhere we can. We can win here. We need to win here.
Let me be honest with you, I need your help. I'm not some expert at this by any stretch of the imagination. I’m not a politico and never claimed to be. I’m just a guy who knows right from wrong and is willing to write about it. What I don’t know about politics could fill a library.
Yet, even with the lack of experience I know that over the last 3 years we have made a difference. We have found our voice and have helped change "business as usual." We have a chance to take the next step and help a man who walks our talk. I need your help to make that happen.
None of us pays taxes because we want our hard earned dollars wasted. Nobody who reads Progressive blogs likes corruption, enjoys being lied to, or thinks that more of the same is a recipe for a healthier American political system. Over the course of this campaign, I hope you’ll avoid taking the easy route of following talking points, and take something greater from the blog entries I post here about my experiences. Like you, I’m a guy with an ideal in my heart about what my country can and should be. Like you, I’m sick of old-school old rules politics. I’m ready for some honesty in my political landscape, I’ve found a candidate I believe in, and I’m doing it.
Thanks for coming along for the ride.
Tom Baker
Netroots Coordinator
Grayson for Congress