I am proud to be supporting a woman for my Congressional seat. She is Heather Ryan, in Kentucky's First District. However, just clicking on the sig lines of fellow Kossacks I see that all over our country we have some simply awesome women running for Congress this year. Along with Heather, I would like to take some time to notice a couple more Southern Democratic women that we need in Congress.
First, in the 13th Congressional district of Florida we have Christine Jennings. Please, take some time to look at what Ms. Jennings has to say about running for her Congressional seat:
I am Christine Jennings and I proudly offer a change for the better, a return to responsibility, and the promise that you can count on me. From healthcare to housing costs, Floridians are struggling to get by and worried about the future of our country. I understand the hardships facing our state and nation, and will focus on those concerns when I get to Congress.
Being honest with people and backing my words up with real action have always been at the heart of who I am. Those values helped me work my way up from bank teller at the age of 17 to to the founder and CEO of the Sarasota Bank. The values of integrity and determination continue to drive everything that I do.
As your next Member of Congress from Florida's 13th District, you can count on me to join the continuing wave of change in America. With your continued support, I will restore honesty to our discourse, integrity to our government, and empower all Floridians to finally reclaim their share of the American Dream.
http://www.christinejenningsforcongr...
Looking further you see that Christine is dedicated to bringing Ethics to Washington, which is sorely needed:
Christine has an Ethics Reform Package that enumerates ways to return confidence and credibility to Congress through transparency and full disclosure. This plan includes measures to enhance lobbying disclosure, slow the revolving door between lobbying and legislating, curb excesses in privately funded travel, and toughen enforcement and oversight. As a member of the banking industry for 40 years, oversight, transparency, and ethics were the foundation upon which Christine earned her customers' trust. She will bring these same ethics and principles to Congress.
http://www.christinejenningsforcongr...
Hear Christine in her own words here:
Why not give her some support here?:
https://secure.politicalcfos.com/...
Next lets look at Gilda Reed, and awesome Democrat in Louisiana's First District. Ms. Reed's position on Iraq is music to my ears:
Unfortunately, the Iraq War will not be over any time soon despite the mandate of the people in last November’s mid-term elections. The supposedly "temporary" military base in Iraq already has established plans for Burger Kings and Pizza Huts. So there is a lot of work that will need to be done to get out of Iraq and to reestablish world respect. I plan to support our troops the right way, by removing them from the raging civil insurgency. We should never have taken our eye off of Bin Laden.
"We should never have taken our eye off of Bin Laden."
This business about giving in to terrorists if we vacate Iraq is hogwash. Terrorists are so much stronger because of the hate fueled by this administration’s mishandling of the war. Terrorists were here on our soil biding their time in the 8-year span between the 2 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. And they are still here planning the next tragedy with renewed venom regardless of whether or not we remain in Iraq. More people hate us than ever before, so surely we are not safer from terrorism.
The fear card is not going to work any more because we as a people have become smarter. We know that Iraq did not attack us on 9/11. And we also know that losing more soldiers in Iraq is not going to make us any safer or less likely to suffer another terrorist attack. It is not cowardly to redeploy; it is smart.
I have a vested interest in this war. My firstborn son is a Navy pilot. He has already served in the Mid-East several times, and I do not want him to go back. My young nephew at the tender age of 18, scraped body parts off the streets (outside) of Baghdad for a year. He signed up for the Army National Guard after high school, erroneously thinking that he was joining a homeland defense team in exchange for college tuition. He was promised he would not be sent to Iraq. Before the ink was dry, he learned otherwise. Somehow, he came home alive but a return trip to Iraq is more probable than medical help for his PTSD.
Having loved ones in harm’s way does not give me moral authority to demand an end to the war. Being a loyal American who can see right from wrong does. I resent our true patriots being authoritarian-ly used as pawns on a chess board to achieve a clouded purpose that has changed so repeatedly (revenge for 9/11, WMD’s, freedom from a dictator, voting privileges.) It is so much easier to move these chess pieces when no one you know and love personally is on the board. Detachment must be nice.
Awaken America!
We must publicly demand that the White House and Congress listen to reason. Every one of us has a voice---unless we choose to lose it by remaining silent. Our collective voices must resound and ricochet until the deafening clamor brings results. The 2006 elections were not enough. Passing a tough bill that the President vetoed is not enough. Compromising is damn sure not enough!
http://www.gildareed.com/...
We need as many candidates who see the "War on Terror" for what it really is as we can get!! Thank you so much Ms. Reed, for saying what we were all thinking!!
She also hits the nail on the head about Labor Unions:
I support the work of unions. Labor unions are our first line of defense for worker’s rights. Unions strengthen America’s middle class and are vital to America. My husband was a union man for many years and served as a union officer. Neither of us would ever consider crossing a picket line.
Unions are the protective forces which have gained salary increases and health benefits for countless workers. They have fought to raise the minimum wage and to have equal pay for equal work. They have fought for safe working conditions and for protection of pensions and retirement security. They have fought for the right to organize and expand health care benefits. Unions help more than just the employee members because other employers are forced to match the wages won by union negotiations.
The Constitution protects our right to organize. Americans have the right to form labor unions without fear of reprisal. I heartily support the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) and was very disappointed when the Senate struck it down after the House had passed it.
"I heartily support the "Employee Free Choice Act"
http://www.gildareed.com/...
It appears they have noticed:
Reed Gets United Transportation Union Endorsement in 1st Congressional Race
February 11, 2008
"the only candidate ...that understands the needs of union members, the working class, and the underprivileged"
Calling Reed "the only candidate ...that understands the needs of union members, the working class, and the underprivileged" Gilda Reed has been endorsed by the 4,000-member United Transportation Union. This comes on the heels of the endorsement of the United Steelworkers, Local 13-12, President Robert Landry.
Last month Reed received the endorsement of the Ponchatoula Times, which referred to her as" a courageous newcomer...who is not afraid to stand up to the fat cats and corporate pirates who have brought our country and our economy to its knees."
The district, still recovering from Hurricane Katrina, will have had four congressmen within a nine-year period. Reed has pledged to never run for a different office, saying that the lack of stability in the seat puts the district at a disadvantage in obtaining help at the national level.
5 February 2008 For Immediate Release
Gilda Reed has picked up the endorsement of the United Steelworkers, Local 13-12, President Robert J. Landry in her bid for the 1st Congressional District seat. The endorsement was made on Friday Feb.1, the same day that Exxon Mobil Corp. posted the largest annual profit ever by a U.S. company -$40.6 billion. Members of Local 13-12 work at Exxon Mobil in Baton Rouge
This latest endorsement comes just three weeks after receiving that of The Ponchatoula Times, which referred to Reed as "a courageous newcomer...who is not afraid to stand up to the fat cats and corporate pirates who have brought our country and our economy to its knees."
"I am so pleased to be recognized as the candidate of and an advocate for the mainstream working family,’ said Reed.
The district, still recovering from Hurricane Katrina, will have had four congressmen within a nine-year period. Reed has pledged to never run for a different office, saying that the lack of stability in the seat puts the district at a disadvantage in obtaining help at the national level.
http://www.gildareed.com/...
Lets support Gilda Reed and expand our Congressional majorities!! Go to her site, sign up for updates, and donate!!:
http://www.gildareed.com/...
Lastly we have my Congressional candidate in Kentucky's first district, Heather Ryan. She recently answered questions from the blogosphere, including mine about John Edwards and his agenda here:
And the ultimate question from vox humana here:
Yes, George Bush definately makes me spit up too!!!
Here is Heather, asking for some love!!:
You can donate directly to Heather at the site:
http://www.ryanforkentucky.com/...
Or you can help me on my personal fundraising page to meet my goal of $1500 for Heather by the time of the primary she is unopposed in on May 20 here:
http://www.actblue.com/...
However you do it, please support this campaign. We are up against the mighty McConnell machine here in Kentucky and we can expect little or no help from our state or national party. Lets send a message to McConnell that his party is over in Kentucky, and to the Democratic establishment that we simply must support our great Democratic candidates everywhere.
Please support these three great Democratic women in their bids to expand our Congressional majorities not only with Democrats, with Democrats that will fight for us!!