This is a dual prong diary. First, the
50 State Strategy, then our campaign.
When Governor Dean, The Democratic National Committee Chairman, said we were going to contest every race, and every issue, we took him literally. We sat out to create a site that tracked all of the House races. Little did we know how much would go into this.
However, it is all worth it, and it is updated for Ohio. We have some other updates and those will be done by the weekend.
Ohio 7, 8, and 16 are listed as unopposed. There will be someone in the 8th, and I am hoping it is someone that I have confidence in, as it will be one of two people, only one of which I know. I am hoping she is taking petitions to meeting tomorrow and I will have a message tomorrow night.
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Ohio 7 and 16, I know of no potential candidates, and after a day of searching, do not even have a lead. We need help in these areas to get a candidate. The 7th is Springfield and Xenia and south of Columbus to Circleville and Lancaster. The 16th is Canton, Wadsworth, Medina, Ashland and Wooster. Who do you know in these districts?
Switching to our campaign and my candidacy for Congress.
I am a populist candidate with a populist message, and it is not tailored or fabricated, but based upon my life, my experience, my faith, and my education. My public education. If I were running for myself and glory, I would not be encouraging others to run and potentially dividing up what funds might be available, let alone working to field every seat. I challenge a man that voted for torture, claims the budget cuts as his own hand and craves more, while cutting taxes of the ultra wealthy, and would rather see people die than advance medicine and science, and who rabidly votes to send troops into harms way, having never served himself, Congressman Mike Pence.
I did not choose to run because of some massive ego trip, or an idea of elitist predestination.
I did not choose to run because of grooming or planning.
I did not run because the DCCC asked me.
I am running because real people asked me to represent them, based on how I conducted our State Senate Campaign in 2004.
I did not want to run, but had to run.
I had to stand up and fight for my daughter's futures and the futures of their children.
I had to run to voice opposition to an unopposed noise machine.
I had to run because we are not a nation that tortures.
I had to run because we believe in laws and the right to privacy.
I had to run because My Dad was a veteran and I respect veterans, and they are getting disrespected now.
I had to run because I am a proud product of public schools and they are under attack.
I had to run to call a President that lies, a liar, and to say that when a congressman names a bill "Fairness" does not mean it is fair.
I had to run to protest a budget that is authored by professed Christians yet denounced by the mainstream church leaders for it's immorality.
I had to run because in the immortal words of Edwin Starr, "War? What is it good for? Absolutely nothing!" War does not solve it destroys. War does not create it maims. War is hopeless and we are a people of hope. We must stop this Iraq boondoggle.
I had to run because our government is a government of checks and balances, and we are missing those checks and balances. We want them back. We must take them back.
I had to run because big money is the cancer on Congress and our elections, and I had to show there is another way.
I had to run because my mom died in September, and without Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid I can not imagine what her last days would have been like.
I had to run because big money people only represent other big money people.
Now that I am running, I have to win. That is where you, the reader come in. To win, first I, and every candidate, need Fair Elections, and honest voting methods, please keep these front burner, I need your financial support, and your activism, I need you to spread the word that what a congressperson does from one district impacts people all over the country, because it does.
In the Welsh for Congress Campaign, we are melding the net roots, the grass roots, the traditional party, and some out of the box concepts, like old fashioned campaigning, and hard work. We can not win with just one, and we can not win without all of the components, but we can win. Mike Pence is the Chair of the RSC and he plays "holier than thou " and I am going to call him on it. I am the pastor of a United Methodist Church, and there are other pastors and ministers running for their progressive values, and the holier than thou will not work on me. The swiftboat will come I am sure, but that means we have him on the ropes.
We have the grass roots growing, we will unite the 6th District Democratic Party, we are a presence on the netroots scene, and we will win in November.
I did not run because the netroot community asked me to, I come now, asking the netroot community to explore, and support our effort.
Place a hundred dollars on a long shot. Imagine the payoff in November if it comes in!
Thanks for reading this and taking the poll. Please visit our campaign website and give if you can.
Barry IN 06 District Democratic Congressional Candidate