You may have seen this ad at some point last year here at Daily Kos.
She's Tennessee State Senator Rosalind Kurita a Registered Nurse who is running to fill the seat of retiring Bill Frist.
I first met her in September 2005 when she spoke at a Democracy for Tennessee meeting in Nashville. After her brief remarks, she took questions from the audience. It wasn't a George W. Bush type event where everyone was vetted & coached...it was a nice grassroots gathering of Green Party folks, Libertarians, Yellow Dog Democrats, and others.
Senator Kurita answered the questions with the poise and grace of a seasoned veteran. (Too bad she isn't President! Wouldn't it be wonderful to hear a coherent sentence uttered by our President again?!)
OK...I'm getting ahead of myself with the President remark....let's concentrate on the 2006 Senate race....here are some things you need to know about Rosalind Kurita:
Women's Health Issues
In March 2006 the Tennessee Senate voted 24 to 9 to pass SJR127 - an amendment to the Tennessee Constitution which could open the door to banning ALL abortions in Tennessee. State Senator Rosalind Kurita was one of the nine. Sen. Kurita stood before the Senate body and said that it should never be making these types of decisions for a woman. They are medical decisions. They are decisions of conscience.
Sen. Kurita also pointed out what she knew about certain medical conditions, all of which would jeopardize the life of a woman - if she were pregnant. There were cancers that accelerated with pregnancy, cancers that cannot be treated during pregnancies, and a host of other health conditions that could be life threatening in the event of pregnancy.
Sen. Kurita spoke from her heart as a woman and from her mind as a nurse. She is someone you want on your side in this fight.
Read more here.
Health Care
Over 40 million Americans do not have health insurance. Four out of five uninsured Americans are in working families. Healthcare premiums continue to skyrocket and employers are finding it more and more difficult to offer health benefits.
All Americans should have access to quality, affordable healthcare. The health care system in America has the best science and most advanced technology in the world, but we're also burdened with inefficiency. To get the best outcomes, we have to improve our healthcare delivery system.
Kurita is committed to fighting for increased access to healthcare, lowering healthcare insurance premiums, and making prescription drugs more affordable to all Americans.
Read up on Sen. Kurita's health care ideas here.
Environmental Protection
Kurita doesn't believe we can drill our way out of our energy problems. We can't afford to destroy ANWR just for the promise of a few months' supply of cheaper oil. We need a real commitment to renewable energy. We need to explore wind power, solar power, hybrid cars, and alternative fuel sources. The bottom line is we have to get over our addiction to fossil fuels.
More here.
That was just a "highlight" version of the issues. You can see where Sen. Kurita stands on many other issues by clicking here.
I've done a bit of volunteer work for her campaign & met her in person. Rosalind Kurita is the real deal. Right now she needs some traction from the Net Roots to get some better name recognition. I have NO DOUBT that she can win the general election in November. Here's a "by the numbers" look at why Rosalind Kurita can win in November.
I've never asked for a "recommend" for any of my diaries before, but I would appreciate it for this one. This race needs more national attention & the blogs are one way that can happen!
References
Rosalind Kurita for U.S. Senate
Tennessee Senate Member Rosalind Kurita
Diary by Yellow Dog Dem Woman