The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) posted a map today detailing the benefits for the Recovery Plan.  The DCCC has made Congressman Calvert one of 12 GOP House members they are targeting in an e-mail, text, and telephone campaign calling these members out for voting against the stimulus package.  As the DCCC states, “Congressman Ken Calvert’s vote against President Obama’s economic recovery package means that he tried to block a badly needed and shovel-ready project to repair streets in Riverside, California, creating 23 jobs alone.”

To view the map, visit www.DCCC.org/Content/Recovery

In Mr. Calvert’s world of bizarre partisan purity, the Stimulus Bill spends too much. This argument hardly seems credible coming from a gentleman who voted to bailout banks and corporate CEOs to the tune of seven hundred billion dollars with no oversight, and who repeatedly voted to spend a budget-busting trillion dollars in Iraq.

As of November 2008, the Bureau of Labor Statistics ranked Riverside the highest unemployment rate in the country (surpassing Detroit).  Failed trade agreements, deregulated financial markets, and tax policies that have encouraged the concentration of great wealth into pockets of a handful of Americans have put the middle class at risk.  All things that Mr. Calvert supported and voted for.  Today, in Riverside County hundreds of businesses have shut their doors.

By voting against this Bill, Mr. Calvert once again proves how out-of-touch he is with his own constituents and why he lost 80% of his district.

To help oust Calvert once and for all, visit HedrickforCongress.com and donate to the campaign.

On Wednesday, February 18th the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) posted this press release…

Shady Representative Calvert Land Deal Still in Court

Did Calvert and Co. get special treatment to ‘further curry political favor’?  With questions still swirling about Representative Ken Calvert’s role in the purchase of public land, a $1.5 million lawsuit alleging the land sale may have been improper – or worse – continues to make its way through Riverside County Superior Court.

“Representative Calvert’s shady land deal refuses to go away.  After all, Calvert and his partners got a sweetheart deal on a prime piece of property that avoided a competitive bidding process and was done to ‘further curry political favor, relations and influence,'” said Andy Stone, Western Regional Press Secretary for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.  “Congressman Calvert should spend less time focusing on his real estate holdings and more time addressing the needs of his constituents like he could have done by supporting the economic stimulus package which is projected to create 9,000-plus jobs in California’s 44th District.  The fact that Calvert’s ‘rare’ economic chat today is a ‘private’ fundraiser shows how out of touch he is.”

Calvert says he was a silent partner in the $1.2 million deal to acquire a plot of land near new residential construction to build self-storage units.  

But it appears the Jurupa Community Services District sold the property to Calvert and his partners without first offering it to other public agencies, as required by law.  That means Calvert and his partners were able to buy a plot of land, close to the freeway, in a booming real estate market – with no competitive bidding.  In fact, a Riverside County grand jury found that the community services district violated the law when it sold the land to Calvert and his partners.

And the lawsuit goes even a step further calling the land sale “actual fraud, corruption and actual malice” and alleges that the land was sold to Calvert – who had previously supported federal legislation benefiting the Jurupa Community Services District – and his partners as a way to “further curry political favor, relations and influence.”  Of course, Ken Calvert has a long history of engaging in questionable land deals, even reportedly coming under investigation by the FBI because of allegations about Calvert-sought earmarks benefiting his property holdings.  

(Well, let’s say hi to Mr. Hedrick once again. – promoted by Brian Leubitz)

Today, the DCCC added Ken Calvert’s name to its list of “House Republicans Hypocrisy Hall of Fame” for “celebrating the benefits of President Obama’s economic recovery bill in their districts” even though Mr. Calvert voted against it.  

“It’s no surprise that House Republicans are betting on failure, while President Obama and Democrats are investing in success.  But for House Republicans to unanimously vote against the economic recovery bill in Washington and then take credit for it at home is the height of hypocrisy,” said Jennifer Crider, Communications Director for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

Calvert made the Hypocrisy Hall of Fame when in early February, in response to a series of radio ads launched by the DCCC Working Families First criticizing his vote against the Stimulus bill, Calvert told the Press Enterprise, “It’s a boondoggle…The more people that know I voted against that bill, the better.”

Mr. Calvert is in the 44th Congressional District this week for the Congressional District Work Period, and he is now taking credit for critical stimulus spending that will be allocated to the 44th CD as a result of the passage of Economic Recovery Bill, saying “All of us in the Inland Empire will do what we can to direct as much money as we can.” [The Press Enterprise; 2/13/09]

In addition, Mr. Calvert added an amendment to the bill to renew a pet program when he had no intention of voting for the Stimulus.  When his e-verify amendment was stripped out of the bill, he told the Press Enterprise:

“The one candle in the darkness of this disastrous bill was the reauthorization and requirements to use E-Verify,” Calvert said. “Now all we are left is a bill that places illegal immigrant interests above those of hard working American families and leaves the bill at the foot of future generations.”

In parts of the 44th CD unemployment has already risen into the double-digits.  The Stimulus Bill is estimated to bring 9000+ jobs to the 44th CD, and in Riverside – the district’s largest city – the City Council estimates it could decrease the unemployment rate 5-6%.  Mr. Calvert is once again demonstrating he is out-of-touch with the needs of his constituents.

As you know, we came within 2% of defeating Mr. Calvert last November.  We are gearing up early and stepping up our fundraising efforts so we can wage an aggressive campaign against Mr. Calvert for 2010 and bring common sense back to the 44th Congressional District. Visit my website at www.HedrickforCongress.com to learn how you can help.  An early donation to the campaign would be much appreciated!

 

(It’s good to see the DCCC investing. – promoted by Brian Leubitz)

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), today announced the DCCC is launching a “Putting Families First” ad and grassroots campaign in 28 targeted Republican districts throughout the country.  Our district (the 44th) is one of those included.

These ads will remind voters that members of Congress in these 28 districts (including Representative Calvert) voted to bail out big banks last year, but opposed tax breaks for 95 percent of American workers.  And while Mr. Calvert gets his health care at taxpayers' expense, this past week he also voted against health care for 11 million uninsured children.

The Putting Families First ads begin airing on Tuesday morning (February 3, 2009) during drive time and will run for a week.

In addition to the strategic radio ads in these 28 Republican districts, the DCCC will also begin a grassroots initiative which includes targeted e-mails to 3 million voters and nearly 100,000 person-to-person telephone calls.

 To read more about this new series of ads, visit the DCCC site at:  http://dccc.org/blog/archives/dccc_announces_families_first_ad_campaign/

(Bill Hedrick is on the Calitics ActBlue Page. You can give there to all four of our candidates in tight races, Bill, Charlie Brown, Alyson Huber, and Hannah-Beth Jackson. – promoted by Brian Leubitz)

The Hedrick campaign still needs help paying legal costs to make sure every vote is counted. Can you help? The ActBlue page is at www.actblue.com/page/hedrickballotfund.

The energy and determination of the Hedrick for Congress campaign remains high as the tally of the final votes in the 44th Congressional District race began last week.  Signature verification and sorting of ballots are continuing this weekend, with the actual count beginning on Monday, November 11th and resuming after the holiday on Wednesday.

The Hedrick Campaign has enlisted over 100 volunteers to observe the process, working in shifts to cover every available hour at the Riverside County Registrar of Voters in Moreno Valley.

Volunteers last week remarked repeatedly that they were impressed with the professionalism and efficiency of the Registrar’s staff.  The campaign has found the Riverside County Registrar of Voters, Barbara Dunmore, to be completely forthcoming in answering all questions and clearly explaining the process ahead.  

Moreover, the Campaign shares Ms. Dunmore’s determination to make sure that every legitimate ballot is counted in this race.

The campaign, with its legion of dedicated volunteers, looks forward to participating in the procedure in the weeks ahead with absolute confidence in the transparency, security and consistency of the process.

(We owe Bill Hedrick a debt of gratitude.  We also need to study his race to figure out why it worked when others faltered. – David Dayen, I’m in for $25 for Bill and $25 for Charlie, who’s with me? You can give to both at the Calitics ActBlue Page. – promoted by Brian Leubitz)

Dear Friends and Supporters,

We may be down, but we are by no means out.  This race truly is too close to call until every last vote has been counted.

That, however, is not stopping Ken Calvert from trying to end the counting before we can close the gap. Calvert’s lawyer is already challenging signatures and trying to get vote-by-mail ballots disqualified.

Today (two days after the election), Ken Calvert told the OC Register that he’s sure he won re-election.  We beg to differ.  With 100,000+ votes still left to be counted and a vote difference of only about 4000 votes, it looks like he knows he’s in trouble, and is trying to declare a victory before all the votes have been counted.  We can NOT let this happen.

We have assembled a legal team to make sure the process is fair and that all valid ballots get counted.  We have the best lawyer money can buy, but good lawyers are expensive.

Can you donate to the Hedrick Ballot Fund right now to help pay our legal costs and make sure every vote is counted?

http://www.actblue.com/page/hedrickballotfund

Do not let Calvert steal this election.  We don’t need another Florida 2000 popping up here in Riverside.  We are making waves and even the national press has taken notice that the race for the 44th isn’t over yet.

Here’s an excerpt from today’s Huffington Post:

   Two days after the Nov. 4 elections, a congressional race in conservative Orange County, California that was dismissed by most observers as a lock for the GOP remains unresolved.  Democratic challenger Bill Hedrick is down by about 4,600 votes against 16-year incumbent Republican Ken Calvert in the 44th congressional district, but nearly 100,000 provisional and vote-by-mail absentee ballots have yet to be counted.

   GOP lawyers are descending on registrars’ offices in Orange and Riverside, the district’s two counties, trying to influence the vote counting which began today.

   Of the 200,000 Riverside County ballots to be counted, about half are from the 44th district. According to Rebecca Martine, Riverside County’s chief deputy registrar, 47,000 provisional ballots represent 38,000 on paper and 9,000 electronic provisional ballots.

   Calvert’s team has apparently been having private conversations with the registrar’s office in Riverside County, which was the last county in California to report its election results. There were numerous reports from Democratic Party officials, voters and even a poll worker in Riverside County that voters were “forced to use provisional ballots” or “denied ballots entirely” on Tuesday.

Our story of ‘too close to call’ has also popped up on DailyKos, the National Journal, Calitics, Swing State Project, Politicker, the OC Register, and the Press Enterprise.

The country is watching.  This race for the 44th is not over.  We have the chance to beat Ken Calvert, as long as we can afford the legal tools to insure every vote is counted.

Please donate to our legal fund today.

http://www.actblue.com/page/hedrickballotfund