Tuesday, I announced my run against the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Arizona.
I'd like to tell you why this race for U.S. Senate is so important for the people of Arizona.
Arizona needs a U.S. Senator who understands and represents all Arizonans. For more than 20 years John McCain has jetted over Arizona on his way to meet with foreign dignitaries and heads of state, barely touching down in Arizona except to have barbecues to court the national press during his presidential runs. His homes in Phoenix and Sedona sit empty, along with tens of thousands of homes that have been foreclosed upon. The families who occupied those homes, though, don't have other homes to jet off to. Their dreams of owning a home were destroyed, and McCain has refused to take the bold steps needed to rebuild those dreams. Arizona needs a U.S. Senator who will work for Arizona's future.
If elected I will represent Arizona. That means being in Arizona every chance I get, and when I am in Washington, I will cast votes with Arizona's future in mind. Being a U.S. Senator is a serious responsibility. Sometimes senators miss a vote to be somewhere else that is in the best interest of their constituents, but Senator McCain's 63.9% absentee rate far exceeded any other senator in the 100th Congress (2007-2009). The closest any senator comes to rivaling McCain’s abysmal attendance record is Tim Johnson who was recovering from a stroke. No wonder McCain can’t fight for Arizona -- he barely shows up for work.
Being a U.S. Senator should not be a permanent vacation or a perpetual chance to campaign for the Presidency. When in Arizona I will travel and constantly meet with the people I represent. My office will be open to every Arizonan who wants to address the concerns of Arizona. When in D.C., I'll be voting in the best interests of Arizonans that I know well from traveling the state -- from our retirees to those who've just had the good luck to be born into the Grand Canyon State.
As Vice Mayor, I was always accessible to my constituents. I personally answered every email sent to my office. I printed my mobile phone number in the newspaper on a regular basis. I make the same commitment now that I will continue to be open and accessible as a U.S. Senator.
One thing I've heard over and over as my campaign was in the exploratory phase: We need a U.S. Senator who will work for Arizona's future. Arizona has a bright future ... but only with the right policies. Solar power market incentives can help us take advantage of our endless sunshine. Rainwater harvesting can help us conserve our most precious resource. Tax incentives can encourage small business growth and job creation. We need good jobs that will stay in Arizona. We need investment in schools at all levels, ensuring our next generation can compete in the new economy. We must work together to move Arizona and our country forward.
Soon, we will be announcing a statewide tour in which I intend to meet as many Arizona residents as I can to learn even more about the concerns of my fellow Arizonans. I have my website, my Facebook page and my Twitter accounts, and I will make myself available through those venues on a regular basis to answer questions and share ideas.
I have also made a commitment to the netroots. We have a volunteer from this community that we're working closely with to ensure that the bloggers at this blog site and elsewhere have the same sort of access that other news outlets do, and we're putting together a bloggers list so that we can communicate with you. To us, our bloggers outreach is just as important as traditional press outreach. The first conference call after I made the official announcement regarding my U.S. Senate campaign was with bloggers. We will continue hosting regular bloggers calls throughout the campaign. If you're interested in getting on our bloggers list, email us at bloggers (at) rodneyglassman [dot] com with your name, email address, phone number, and a link to your blog or your Daily Kos User ID. You can also sign up for our text messages by texting ‘arizona’ to 28737
I look forward to getting to know you and working with you to move Arizona forward. Together we can work for Arizona's future.