Tag Archives: fundraiser

GASLAMP FUNDRAISER TO CAP WEEK OF ENDORSEMENTS FOR LUTZ CAMPAIGN

NEWS RELEASE

Lutz for Congress 2010 Campaign

165 E. Main St., El Cajon, CA 92020

FEC# C00479477

Media Contact: Brennan Purtzer, Media Director

619-447-3246 / [email protected]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

GASLAMP FUNDRAISER TO CAP WEEK OF ENDORSEMENTS FOR LUTZ CAMPAIGN

COUNCILWOMAN, CONGRESSMEN PAST AND PRESENT AGREE ON LUTZ

San Diego, Calif. (July 30, 2010) – “I really appreciate all this support from people who have seen my work,” said Ray Lutz, a 52-year-old activist, engineer and educator running as a Democrat to replace freshman Congressman Duncan D. Hunter in East County’s 52nd District. “Hunter follows in his father’s footsteps, and represents the worst of Bush-era extremism. Join with me to return sanity to this seat.”

Lutz is announcing endorsements from San Diego Congressman Bob Filner (CA-51) and former Congressman Jim Bates, who will be attending Lutz’s fundraising event this Friday.

Endorsements have also arrived from San Diego Councilwoman Marti Emerald, who represents District 7 of San Diego City, and Community Advocate and County Supervisor Candidate Stephen Whitburn, also attending Friday’s engagement.

Many other V.I.P.’s are expected at the event.

The fundraiser will take place today, July 30, 4-7pm, at the Tequila 100 Bar & Grill (756 5th Avenue) in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter. The event is open to the public, with a suggested donation of $25 (though no one will be turned away).

CA LT Governor Race: Florez Strikes Gold In Hahn’s Back Yard; Hahn Leaves Town To Seek Funds

In what has to be a major embarrassment to LT Governor candate and LA City Councilwoman Janice Hahn, when it comes to campaign fundraising, it appears she does not have the support of many high profile SOCAL residents she has served and/or live “in her own back yard“. While she heads out of town this week headed for Oakland for two campaign fundraisers, Candidate and State Senator Dean Florez, has not not one, but TWO MAJOR campaign events in the Los Angeles area.  

The two campaign events in Oakland for Hahn, both arranged by Oakland City Attorney John Russo, are for a $150 per person breakfast at the Cathedral Building Gallery and a $300 a head luncheon at Leavened East, both on Thursday December 10.

Meanwhile, candidate Florez supporters will have a show of force on Monday, December 14th, when top luminaries in their field, from real estate, medicine, and the arts show their support at The Regency Club in Los Angeles.

Billionaire philanthropist and healthcare visionary Patrick Soon-Shiong, M.D., is inviting Florez supporters to join him and a who’s-who of California success stories for a reception honoring the candidate at The Regency Club in Los Angeles. Co-Hosts for the event include actor Martin Sheen, Janet and Jerry Zucker (who directed the movies  “Ghost” and “Airplane”). David Geffen, the billionaire record executive, film and theater producer and philanthropist, who cofounded “Dreamworks” and medical luminaries Dr. Richard Merkin, and Dr. Gary Michelson, and Ed Roski and Rick Caruso, noted real estate developers also known for their philanthropic activities. Tickets start at $2000 and range up to $13,000.

A second campaign event for Florez, ONE HOT DECEMBER NIGHT, again in Southern California (Los Angeles), will be held on December 17 at The Myan. Fundraising tickets are running $20. to $6,500.

I don’t know about you, but it seems to me a candidate for Statewide office surely would have the strong support of those in his or her own area, especially those who are high profile and known for supporting Democratic candidates for statewide and national office. One single donation to Florez at his first event could wipe out the entire event donations at the Hahn fundraisers. This turn of events (all to happen in the span of a week or so) surely cannot be a good omen for the Hahn campaign, especially this early in the campaign for LT. Governor.  

CA-04: People would rather go thru a Haunted House than see McClintock

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Wednesday, October 29, 2008.  8pm.  Tom McClintock addresses a group of potential voters at the McBean Park Pavilion in Lincoln, CA

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Over four hundred people stood in line outside at a fundraiser put on by the Lincoln Police Auxiliary and Lions Club, to donate canned goods to enter this Halloween Haunted House, also at the Lincoln McBean Park Pavilion last night, Oct 29, 2008, adjacent to the building McClintock was in.

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“Vell- come to my House of Economic Horrors” .  That’s McClintock campaign spokesperson Bill George guarding the door making sure the Democrats and other Subversives, like Independents and other people with notepads, don’t get in.  It worked, George.  There were 18 people.  At least 5 of them were campaign staff.  

Note the Igor force field effect.  He’s not in the viewfinder but within a few yards so the picture blurred again.

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Another view of the Secret Republican Political Meet Tom McClintock in Lincoln event. Peering thru the camelia bushes outside the building

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This is Team McClintock’s sentry standing in front of the local Lincoln Massage Parlor 2.5 hours before the Lincoln McClintock event that evening. It is across the street from the McBean Pavilion.  He whipped out that cell phone when I pulled into the parking lot.  I think it’s time to mention that the former Lincoln Planning and Zoning commissioner during the time Lincoln was approving every single proposed commercial development (during the early 2000’s, when Kevin Ring, Doolittle’s ex legislative aide,  was a lobbyist for the city )  was eventually  busted on prostitution charges and owned another massage parlor in town.   While we’re at it,  McClintock voted against regulating massage parlors while in the State Senate.  

It just writes itself, sometimes.   I can’t make this stuff up.   More pics to come.

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Roseville,  Maidu Community Center, 6:30 pm, Wednesday Oct 29 2008.  McClintock addressing potential Republican voters at his first event that evening. View from outside the room, looking  through the window.  McClintock is to the far left, light grey hair, suit, standing facing audience.  Doesn’t look too crowded in there, does it ?  Note door sentries.

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Roseville, Maidu Community Center, Wednesday Oct 29, 2008.  It is 7:10 pm.  They just had about 35 people total dribble out of the room, including the staff and others working as Republicans. The yoga class next door had more people.   McClintock is supposed to be in downtown Lincoln at 7:30 pm.   Is this going to happen ?  Not unless he teleports.  

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This is the fun part.  Meanwhile, back in Lincoln, at the main road into town from the south, there’s some serious Brown support going on !   A demonstration with at least 50 to 60 people is showing their public support for the local candidate.

McClintock is going to have to drive past this to get to his next event in Lincoln.  ( I was there very early and as it ended, but left to see what was going on in Roseville, so these are not my pictures )  

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Charlie Brown supporters waiting along the highway, Lincoln, evening of Oct 29,2008, during commuting hours, ready to give Travelin’ Tom McClintock that Big Lincoln Hospitality Welcome he deserves !

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This is one of the first people that was out there that evening. Veterans for Brown.  

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Young people for Brown.  

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Older people (“seasoned and sage” )  for Brown.

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Working people for Brown  

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Ladies and Gentlemen of Lincoln for Brown

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Jumpin’ for Joy for Brown !

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And once McClintock and his crew got past that, they still had to go thru this .

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The families waiting in line to donate food to the Lions Club, and visit the Haunted Castle House in Lincoln, next to the McBean Pavilion building, Oct 29, 2008.  

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Happy Halloween from Lincoln, CA.  The Great Pumpkin has Arrived, Charlie Brown.  

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McClintock’s bloggers are making bizarre claims about having 3 thousand donors making over $300,000 in donations over the last 10 days-  this is bloviating nonsense, his campaign is still in debt, but  getting big money from outside the district via independent expenditures.  And you should see where some of the dough is coming from, you’d be shocked.  Well, maybe not, after all, it’s McClintock, running the Doolittle playbook.  Remember one of those Indian tribes involved in the Abramoff scandal ?  Remember some companies that Doolittle did earmarks for, then they contributed to his legal defense fund?   Remember how McClintock makes this stupid dig all the time, about how we can’t send somebody to Congress who would implement the same policies as Herbert Hoover ? So what does he do?  He takes a big donation off of a old Reaganite who works for the Herbert Hoover Institute.   Link to McClintock’s FEC filings, the F6 ‘s are the larger last minute filings which have to be reported within 48 hours,  and the F3 ‘s are the quarterly, primary or general filings (covers a longer period of time)   http://query.nictusa.com/cgi-b…

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For just one example, on the latest McClintock F6 filing,

http://query.nictusa.com/cgi-b…    there is a 10/27/2008 donation to McClintock of $2000 from the HERGER PAC, which is Congressperson Wally Herger’s (R, CA- 02) slush fund.  A look at the latest filing of the HERGER PAC show that they just received money from the Credit Suisse Securities PAC,  a  Swiss Investment Bank. From Opensecrets:    http://www.opensecrets.org/pac…

Here’s a list of the individual large donors for Credit Suisse Securities. Note all the New York addresses.  http://www.opensecrets.org/pac…

and from Wellpoint WELLPAC in Indiana.  (Wellpoint was based in THOUSAND OAKS CA, which McClintock uses as his current legal residence for collecting per diems from the state of CA-  what a coincidence )

This is an HMO health insurance PAC. From Opensecrets:   http://www.opensecrets.org/pac…

Now they’re in Indiana. Same business. http://www.opensecrets.org/pac…

Check the donors to this PAC, they’re the executives of this HMO administrator.

http://www.opensecrets.org/pac…

Foreign investment banks based in NYC and HMO’s are giving money to McClintock via Bush enabling Republican Wally Herger.  You’ll never hear McClintock bragging on this while he’s busy playing the “family values” card. He attempts to go to DC not to change anything but to preserve the Republican status quo of NO regulations and more tax cuts.   And this is one of the more pedestrian donations.   Don’t forget Jeff Morris is running against Herger in CA- 02.  

So much for all of McClintock’s alleged “local support.”  Here’s the pictures. Here’s the FEC filings.  Undeniable.  The polls are the 3rd key.  Charlie Brown has the support of the voters.  McClintock just has a PR consultant.

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Now let’s not let all the outside the district forces like ex- Congressman Richard Pombo, sworn enemy of the Endangered Species Act,  and his PAC/West Communications, a lobbyist group dedicated to the Drill Baby Drill mantra in the Artic National Refuge, buy out our congressional district.   Let’s keep Charlie Brown on the airwaves for the last 5 days.  

Charlie Brown for Congress  site  http://www.charliebrownforcong…

Actblue donation link

http://www.actblue.com/page/or…

LA Quarterly Wrap-Up: Party By The Beach

We had another stellar turnout for our Q3 Quarterly in Santa Monica, with close to 100 people coming out to meet and greet.  Thanks to everyone that made it down; and all props have to go to Jesse Rubin and Lucas O’Connor for coming up from San Diego for the event; that’s some dedication right there, and now I’ll have to return the favor.  And they had plenty of friends to hang out with.  Let me see if I can name them all…

We had LA City Councilman Bill Rosendahl out, and he thundered forth with a big speech about his work getting an Out of Iraq Resolution through the LA City Council (after being bottled up in committee, it should finally happen in October).  Congressional candidates Russ Warner and Ron Shepston met and mingled, talking to each other about where they’re going to room in Washington when they both get elected next year.  Of course, the SoCal Calitics team was there (Hekebolos, Shayera, even Andrew from the Liberal OC), along with national bloggers Todd Beeton from MyDD, Kossacks thereisnospoon and BruinKid and vernonlee and Major Danby, and the inimitable Digby.  The LA for Edwards people told me that they’re starting to see more interest in their meetups.  The West LA Democratic Club was out in force, as were our Drinking Liberally regulars.  And Marcy Winograd showed up with some PDA members and told us about a public hearing on yet another proposed LNG terminal off the SoCal coast (there weren’t a lot of people at the meeting, apparently; time to raise public awareness on this one). 

But I was happiest to see Tim Goodrich and two other members of Iraq Veterans Against the War in atendance, handing out bumper stickers and relating their experiences to the crowd.  Tim, by the way, told me that he’s running for Torrance City Council, which is fantastic.  These are just the kind of nonpartisan seats that the progressive movement needs to start paying attention to, building from the ground up.

No pics because I was busy drinking.

San Diego Quarterly in Pictures and Open Thread

(Get your give on – promoted by Lucas O’Connor)

With the San Francisco and Los Angeles Quarterlies ready to kick off tomorrow (watch out LA, I’m coming), let’s take a pictoral tour through last week’s San Diego event.  Consider this an open thread, but focus on how great Calitics is :).


Some of the last revelers of the night (L to R: cmanaster, Ron Shepston, orangeclouds115, Major Danby, a very demonic looking Lucas O’Connor)


Future Congressman Nick Leibham (center, CA-50) and Ron Shepston (right, CA-42) talk shop with Greg Diamond/Major Danby.  Consider Rove nullified.


Mike Lumpkin (CA-52) talks strategy with Ira Lechner.  Dunc Jr. is not ready for this campaign.


Steve Filson chats with Leon Thompson, bringing some Bay-Area perspective to the locals.


Todd Gloria blogs and talks at the same time (with tface1000 lurking in the shadows).  Half of San Diego’s city council is turning over next year due to term limits, and he’s after one of the seats.


I get caught a bit rosy cheeked talking with Miriam Raftery and Leon Thompson.  I’m not drunk, I’m just drinking.


But best of all, surprise live music just for us!

San Diego Calitics Quarterly Open Thread

Getting ready to kick this thing off, but surprise news arrived just an hour ago in my inbox that I wanted to pass along.  In a completely unexpected move, Republican Mayor Jerry Sanders here in San Diego has announced that he will sign the resolution passed by the city council to file a friend of the court brief in support of full marraige equality.  His full statement on the flip, updates and comments to come from local activists throughout the night.

via email:

Earlier this afternoon, I announced that I will sign the resolution that the City Council passed yesterday directing the City Attorney to file a brief in support of gay marriage. My plan, as has been reported publicly, was to veto that resolution, so I feel like I owe all San Diegans an explanation for this change of heart.

During the campaign two years ago, I announced that I did not support gay marriage and instead supported civil unions and domestic partnerships. I have personally wrestled with that position ever since. My opinion on this issue has evolved significantly – as I think have the opinions of millions of Americans from all walks of life. In order to be consistent with the position I took during the mayoral election, I intended to veto the Council resolution. As late as yesterday afternoon, that was my position.

The arrival of the resolution – to sign or veto — in my office late last night forced me to reflect and search my soul for the right thing to do. I have decided to lead with my heart – to do what I think is right – and to take a stand on behalf of equality and social justice. The right thing for me to do is to sign this resolution.

For three decades, I have worked to bring enlightenment, justice and equality to all parts of our community. As I reflected on the choices that I had before me last night, I just could not bring myself to tell an entire group of people in our community that they were less important, less worthy and less deserving of the rights and responsibilities of marriage — than anyone else — simply because of their sexual orientation. A decision to veto this resolution would have been inconsistent with the values I have embraced over the past 30 years.

I do believe that times have changed. And with changing time, and new life experiences, come different opinions. I think that’s natural, and certainly it is true in my case. Two years ago, I believed that civil unions were a fair alternative. Those beliefs, in my case, have since changed.

The concept of a “separate but equal” institution is not something that I can support.

I acknowledge that not all members of our community will agree or perhaps even understand my decision today. All I can offer them is that I am trying to do what I believe is right.

I have close family members and friends who are members of the gay and lesbian community. These folks include my daughter Lisa and her partner, as well as members of my personal staff. I want for them the same thing that we all want for our loved ones — for each of them to find a mate whom they love deeply and who loves them back; someone with whom they can grow old together and share life’s wondrous adventures. And I want their relationships to be protected equally under the law. In the end, I could not look any of them in the face and tell them that their relationships – their very lives – were any less meaningful than the marriage that I share with my wife Rana.

Thank you.

I have never been a fan of Jerry Sanders, but this is great on a number of levels.  Credit where it’s due.

Bill Clinton San Diego Fundraiser Tonight

Bill Clinton is in San Diego tonight hosting a fundraiser and I won’t be there.  Can’t afford it. $500 to get in the door.  Unless I suddenly don’t need to pay rent next month, it ain’t gonna happen.  Maybe you’re like me, and you constantly wish that someone would hold a kickass fundraiser that you can afford?  Well now somebody is.  If you’re in driving distance of San Diego, we expect to see you at the Calitics Quarterly Fundraiser.

We’ve got office seekers and holders at the federal, state and local level.  We’ve got the beloved local blogger Terry Williams (terryfaceplace) and notoriously non-prolific blogging gadfly Lucas O’Connor.  We’ve got the San Diego Drinking Liberally crew led by founder Jesse Rubin, so you know it’ll be a party.  And most importantly, we have tireless, brilliant and criminally underappreciated activists from throughout the San Diego area.

We don’t have Slick Willie, but we have a chance for you to pitch in and have a great night for $20, $40, or whatever it is you can afford.  We don’t quibble over pennies.  What we’re after is the passion.  See you Wednesday.

Calitics Quarterly Santa Monica – One Hell of a Party

So if you built a bar, invited Digby, John Amato from Crooks and Liars, Skippy the Bush Kangaroo, SteveAudio, RJ Eskow of HuffPo, Todd Beeton of MyDD, members of the Russ Warner for Congress campaign, Drinking Liberally Westside LA, thereisnospoon, hekebolos, vernonlee, some CDP delegates, Calitics commenters like Zack from the SFV and Tim Goodrich, a whole mess of SoCal Kossacks like Shockwave and shayera and Major Danby and BruinKid and more, and ME… and had them come together to raise money for some great California candidates and have a blast…

Then you would have some indication of how it went last night.

We had lots of fun and energized the LA blogging community.  We have so many great bloggers here, but a lot of them focus on national issues.  It was great to have them out to support the local scene.  And of course, it was great to meet and thank Digby for all of her incredible work (from what I hear, those going to a certain convention in Chicago in August may get a chance to do that as well).  There was a parent who brought his 17 year-old daughter to the bar just to meet her!

It was a fabulous night.  Pics (besides this great picture of Digby with dday-edit by Brian) on the flip:

skippy, John Amato (Crooks & Liars)

vernonlee, thereisnospoon

hekebolos, Todd Beeton, Suzanne Savage from ACLU-Southern CA

shayera, Leighton Woodhouse (SEIU)

Digby holds court with hekebolos and thereisnospoon

Shockwave, thereisnospoon

dday, Todd Beeton

My Evening With The Chairman

(also in blue)

I had the pleasure of seeing Howard Dean speak at a fundraiser in Los Angeles Wednesday night. He addressed us, a crowd of 100 or so who’d paid $50 each both for the privelege of hearing him and to support the 50-state strategy. That was $50 well spent indeed.

My overall reaction to seeing Dr. Dean this time was to marvel at how deftly he walks the line between the establishment and the activist base. He spoke to us firmly, with optimism, cheerleading as one would expect the head of a party to do, but he wasn’t evasive…he addressed head on the hard question, namely WTF with that last vote on the war supplemental? Only Howard Dean could bring up that vote to the party faithful (including a good number of activists by the sound of it), defend Pelosi and Reid and get out of there alive. He didn’t pander, he didn’t condescend, he spoke to us like the idealist who got a job that requires pragmatism that he is. And the crowd loved him.

Dean got the room going with a solid dose of old fashioned partisan Democratic pride, speaking about the success of the 06 elections, Nancy Pelosi’s being the first woman (and first Californian) Speaker of the House, and hitting on three succinct  points that really seem to sum up the message he’d like us all to spread to other Democrats far and wide:

1. There’s no such thing as a red district anymore
2. We will win when we talk about values
3. Change takes time

More…

The first point will come as no surprise, of course, as it is the heart of the 50-state strategy. Dean spoke eloquently about campaign events he’d headline during his 03-04 race in the middle of red America where he was amazed to see all these Democrats come out to see him. That’s when he knew — there are Democrats everywhere and they need support! And certainly 2006 showed us how important it is to compete everywhere. Dean talked about all the unexpected places Democrats won in November, traditionally conservative strongholds such as Indiana, upstate New York and Arizona. And he spoke about his cousin, Peter Corroon, Democrat and Salt Lake County mayor. If we can win in Utah…

Dean also spoke about values. This is where he really impressed me in a “wow, he gets it” sort of way. At one point during his speech, he touched his chest firmly and said “people vote from here.” The presidential race is not going to be won on the varying points of the candidates’ healthcare proposals, it’s going to be won when the candidates speak about values and appeal to a voter’s gut. Now, I remember, back in 05, going to an event where depressed Democrats gathered in a large room to watch a video of George Lakoff giving a sort of primer on framing. We then were all tasked with coming up with a list of values that defined the Democratic Party that could rival the Republicans’ “smaller government, lower taxes, strong defense” line, which believe it or not, used to actually be the envy of aspiring Democratic framers everywhere. Well, Wednesday night, Dean laid out the values that he believes the Democratic Party represents today:

  • fairness
  • fiscal discipline
  • toughness

What I like about this is that it mixes arguably the central tenet of the progressive movement (fairness, which informs our stances on everything from healthcare to labor to immigration) but then also appropriates two that have traditionally been seen as strengths of Republicans, and in so doing, reveals the extent to which Republican leadership has failed on these two points, thus making them all the more ripe for the picking. When Dean spoke to us about values, it was certainly a message for candidates outside that room, but it was also meant for us, his loyal foot soldiers and our circles’ political taste makers. Dean’s message, albeit unspoken, was that when WE speak about the Democratic Party, we need to do so in these terms.

And finally, Chairman Dean made a really interesting point about the length of time it takes for change to take root. We perhaps have been spoiled, having witnessed a dramatic electoral turnaround in 4 short (although they seem like an eternity) years, but he urged us all not to lose sight of how far we still have yet to go and when it seems like there are setbacks, to just remember, it’s a long struggle. Dean spoke of being in college in 1968 when Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated. He pondered how proud King would be today to see the diversity of the Democratic candidates for president but also noted that it took 40 years after King’s death to get here. This is a point he said it is especially important to make sure young people understand — changing our country is not an instant gratification proposition. The youth vote is crucial to our ongoing electoral success. It was the only demographic John Kerry won and if you get them early, you get them for life.

Needless to say, seeing Howard Dean on Wednesday was awesome as always, and it was really great to be able to actually afford one of these events. Getting an offline perk for giving online is a rare treat for us small-dollar donors. Thanks, Dr. for taking the time to speak directly to us and for sharing your vision, I hope I’ve done it some justice here.

Scandalicious Saturday Night Open Thread Spectacular!

It’s over! It’s over! It’s finally over! The Liberal OC has the last word on the crazy rumor about the Nancy Pelosi fundraiser, and the Republican spinners at OC Blog have clearly failed in their attempt to create civil unrest among Orange County Democrats. Horray, the non-scandal has died! ; )

OK, and now for more scandaliciousness… Bill O’Reilly now claims that the liberals have declared war on the white, male Christians! Cheese louise, when will these crazy right-wing folks learn to stop stirring up s**t over non-scandals?!

So what “scandals” are happening in your neck of the woods? What non-issues are the Republicans trying to stir up in your area? And is Bill O’Reilly crazy, or is he just talking nonsense? Go ahead. Make my day. Fire away! : )