We just had an awesome front page piece by one Meteor Blades about how Tom Perriello is getting it done in Virginia's 5th.
Perriello has taken tough, progressive votes on health care, cap-and-trade, and fin-reg and he is not only not running away from his votes in this conservative Virginia district, but he's running on them as well.
So I head over to Blue Virginia this evening, and I see that Tom is about to embark on a 24 hour day of campaigning.
Yes, you read that correctly. 24 hours. Of boots on the ground campaigning.
Tom will start his awesome journey in about 40 minutes, and you can read his campaign itinerary here.
But it is not just the length of his mammoth campaigning that is impressive, but it is the list of constituents he is going to be meeting.
His campaign stops will include:
College students, truckers, hospital workers, sheriff's offices, a bonafide dairy farm, steelworkers, small businesses, non-profit workers, and will end the evening by taking in Monday Night Football with some bar patrons.
How could you ask for a better cross-section of America than that?
Tom is about to embark on a journey that will take him across his district and will let him meet a variety of different people, engaging in a variety of different livelihoods. This is real America, unlike anything Sarah Palin spews about. And it's who Tom Perriello cares about.
Tom has the endorsement of the NRA, the VFW, and an "A+" rating from Iraq/Afghanistan Veterans of America.
In short, Tom is a well-rounded representative who understands and works with his constituents in his district. He takes progressive votes and stands up for them where weaker Democrats would cower and run.
According to Blue Virginia, Tom is doing this not just as a "campaign stunt", but to show just how different he is from Robert Hurt...a teabagger whose views are out of step with Virginia and mainstream America. Such wonderful positions like:
Transportation? High speed rail?
Hurt says it's a good idea, but the government can't help us there.
Educating our children?
The Federal government has no role in that.
Extending unemployment benefits?
Tough luck, buddy.
....
Health care
Hurt promises to repeal health care reform, including repealing protections for people with pre-existing conditions, and repealing provisions allowing kids to remain insured until the are 26 and are able to get themselves established on their own in this tough economy.
Outsourcing
Hurt favors tax loopholes that benefit companies that send jobs overseas, policies that have cost us more than 24,000 jobs in the Fifth District. These policies do not benefit workingmen and women, but are vitally important to the multi-national corporations that fund Hurt backer the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. For the workingmen and women of the Fifth District, Hurt has only excuses and inaction. For the Chamber of Commerce's corporate fat cats, well, he's there for them.
Yep.
That's all the crap that Tom stands firmly against.
Tom is going to do a massive tour of his district to show a wide swath of voters that he's their man.
Robert Hurt will Hurt Virginia. Period.
We have to keep Tom in his seat.
Help him if you can!
Tom Perriello for Congress