My name is Stephen Camp, and I am running to unseat Lynn Westmoreland in Georgia's 3rd District. As most of you know, Westmoreland described Barack and Michelle Obama as "uppity" last Thursday afternoon outside the House chamber. The comment has been widely reported, including on DailyKos, and sparked outrage nationwide.
Westmoreland's antics have done two other things relevant to this November's election. First, they have reminded voters of Westmoreland's embarrassing and utterly failed leadership here. Second, they have brought new people to our campaign in search of a viable, progressive alternative for the people of Georgia's 3rd District. A number of those people have come from this site, and I thank you for that.
Given this opportunity, I wanted to write to provide a window into my campaign, how we will win in November, and why this race is important, both to Georgia and as a symbol of what is wrong with our election process.
My wife Katie and I live in Newnan, Georgia with our 3-year-old son, Jack. The Camp Family. I have my own law practice here, where I specialize in employment counseling and litigation. In my nine years practicing law, I have brought suits and obtained relief for workers for unpaid overtime compensation, employment discrimination, mortgage fraud, and violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act. I also assist business clients in compliance with Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and other employment laws and regulations. I went to college at Georgia Tech, law school at the University of Virginia, and am active in my church and community.
I am running for Congress because when something important is fundamentally wrong, we have a responsibility to stand up and fight to make it better. Westmoreland's remarks last week are simply the latest in what has become a troubling pattern of behavior that shows an out-of-touch insensitivity to his constituents. As posted in a recent diary here, Westmoreland is one of just two Congressmen to vote against the Emmitt Till bill, which authorized funds for the Justice Department and FBI to investigate outstanding murders from the Jim Crow and Civil Rights eras. He joined Tom Delay and nine other Congressmen to vote against a critical aid package to Hurricane Katrina victims. And he has fought against renewing the protections of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. All in less than four years in office.
And there is so much more. Westmoreland voted twice this summer against the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act, without which 60% of doctors in Georgia would have had to stop or sharply curtail seeing new Medicare patients. He voted last year against expanding health care eligibility for millions of needy kids under the State Children's Health Insurance Program. This April, when gas prices and the unemployment rate were skyrocketing, Westmoreland was using his time and Congressional seat to introduce a resolution requiring a judicial inquiry into the BCS College Football System, with the aim to federally legislate a college-football playoff system.
I want to fight for an economy that works for ordinary Americans; a tax policy that is not hand-written for the very wealthiest of us; and affordable, quality health care for all. I believe in the GI Bill of Rights and will vote to end the war in Iraq. I will work to pass an energy policy that will pave the way for a sustainable future, and fight to invest dramatically in education to make our public schools the envy of the world.
Congressman Westmoreland is not representative of the majority of people here. He is an entrenched incumbent, however, in a District where many voters check the box with the 'R' by it out of habit and inertia. And in less than four years, Westmoreland has taken over a million dollars in PAC money. For all Republicans' talk championing markets, that is not how political markets are supposed to work in a democracy. Indeed, a healthy and functioning democracy and electoral process can and should flush out anomalies like Westmoreland.
This year, people are frustrated and fed up, and that creates an environment for change. Families further and further up the economic ladder are hurting. Georgia's unemployment rate is the highest its been in 15 years, and well over the national average. Its foreclosure rate also is among the nation's highest. Westmoreland continues to embarrass this District. And the Presidential campaign is on the ground helping to register voters with at least five active field offices serving this District alone. By way of illustration, the registration goal for Coweta County, which I firmly believe we'll meet, is 5,000 new voters. That's nearly half the 2006 margin in that county, just with new registrations.
We have a compelling message and a vulnerable incumbent who is his own worst enemy. Since last Thursday, dozens of members of the DailyKos community have contributed to our campaign. I am asking for your collective help in ousting an anachronism by helping fund my campaign effort. You can do so through our ActBlue site. The Netroots community has the power to fight, push back, and overtake the "market" that funds Westmoreland and people like him. Please help me prove it in this race. If you do choose to contribute, please add $0.03 to your donation, so we'll know the money came from here.
I will monitor this diary for an hour or so to respond to comments and will check in again later. Thank you all for your time, and I look forward to future posts.
Sincerely,
Stephen Camp
www.stephencampforcongress.com