(A real contest? Perhaps, but he is an intriguing candidate at least. – promoted by SFBrianCL)
I would like to bring everyone’s attention to a particular congressional race in California. I want calitics to encourage and support Robert Rodriguez for Congress.
Robert Rodriguez has made many sacrifices in order to take on Howard “Buck” McKeon, a lobbyist-loving, hard-core Bush Republican with a horrible record. In fact, McKeon is more of a DeLay Republican than anything and that should make him vulnerable if Robert can gain enough support.
More on Robert Rodriguez after the fold.
His drive to get involved with politics stemmed from his sister’s battle with kidney failure and lupus as she dealt with the hardships of living on Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Her struggle to overcome the obstacles within our healthcare system continue to inspire him today.
I would like to contrast this man’s personal drive to make a difference with the fact that McKeon has taken over $23,000 from drug companies in his career.
Robert is cut from the same cloth that most of us are made from and his style and game plan could have been pulled directly from the book, Crashing the Gate.
I remember the exact moment I made the decision to run for congress. On the night of June 23, 2003 the Republicans called a vote on H.R. 1, the Medicare Prescription Drug and Modernization Act. The bill was an abomination. It drove up the deficit while failing to provide seniors with the drugs they need. But it was the way the Republicans abused their power to pass the bill that pushed me to action. They opened the vote at 3 am and held it open for three hours, the longest vote in the history of the U.S. Congress. I was in the House gallery watching as “Buck” was laughing and joking, as he and his cronies extorted their congressional colleagues.
Robert Rodriguez has spent time in Washington and seen the corruption first hand. From his blue collar background, he knows the plight of working people in California and across the country and is ready to take the fight to Washington.
Taking on seven term incumbent “Buck” McKeon has been both more exciting and more challenging than I expected. Leaving the DC bubble and starting my campaign has shown me how far the divide is between the on the ground reality and the games people play in the capital.
Robert is running the campaign we are hoping for and wants to be a 21st century model for Democrats, proving that we can win by doing the following:
Throwing out the standard talking points, speaking in terms real people understand, using local talent to make persuasive and cost-effective campaign ads, and putting the grassroots and netroots before big-dollar contributors. Hopefully when we win, future candidates can look back at the chronicles for inspiration.
In the current political environment, this is a winnable this district. However, I can’t do it without the help of the grassroots and netroots community. Together, let’s take the campaign to the next level!
Check out his website and his blog and send him some encouragement anyway you can.