4th of July Parade

Campaign memories

Here you can share your thoughts about the campaign, your favorite memories, your hopes for the future, etc.

Please post a comment-- you can do this anonymously, without registering at Blogger.

Thank you, Gretchen!

The campaign may be over, but the fight goes on-- for an end to the war in Iraq, no new unnecessary wars, jobs with justice, health care for all, etc., etc.

This is your chance to thank Gretchen for running, for fighting, for caring about all these things. Gretchen has been going nonstop for months, sacrificing financially, emotionally, and otherwise, to make this run. Words can't express how proud I am of her, how much I admire and appreciate her. But we can try-- so please post a comment (you can do this anonymously, no need to register with Blogger) and let her know how you feel.

Get Out The Vote!

Who could resist if this crew came knocking?

Volunteers are mobilizing all over the district to get out the vote for Gretchen Clearwater... Don't forget to vote on Tuesday if you haven't already done so. And come to the Primary Night Party Tuesday night!

Vote Early!

Early voting is underway-- I voted yesterday (contact us if you have questions about how you can vote, early or otherwise). And let me tell you, voting for Gretchen felt better than any vote I think I've ever cast. I voted for Gretchen because I know that she would be a true Representative of her constituents: someone who puts the interests of the people of the 9th district first. Someone who will vote to end the war in Iraq. Someone who will vote to keep us out of another disastrous war in Iran. Someone who will vote for universal health care. And workers' rights. And women's rights. And human rights. Someone who will stand up for her values and not be silent in the face of injustice.

On another note: be listening to your favorite radio station for Gretchen's radio ad (also available on this blog; see earlier post). It starts airing today on some stations (including in Bloomington) and tomorrow on some others.

And one last time: please consider writing a letter to the editor of your local newspaper, explaining why you're voting for Gretchen!

Spreading the word in New Albany

Gretchen recently spent an evening in New Albany meeting with some progressive voters. We had a great time and definitely made some friends, as illustrated by the picture below!


And an update on the radio ad: we will be ON THE AIR in at least 3 (and perhaps as many as 5) radio stations starting on Tuesday. These stations include ones in the New Albany area, the Columbus-Seymour area, and the Bloomington area. Keep your ears open!

Gretchen's first radio ad

You can click here to listen to Gretchen's first radio ad of the campaign. The ad will be running soon on a radio station near you.... we'll keep you posted on where to listen.

By the way, speaking of radio, listen to Gretchen tonight on WFHB's Interchange program if you're in the Bloomington area.

And in other news, Gretchen spoke at last night's candidate forum, sponsored by the Monroe County Democratic Party. I'm quite disappointed that the Herald-Times chose not to cover the event, even though they had run an announcement about it a few days before. Why is Bloomington's local paper so uninterested in local politics? Someone should write a letter...

If any of you were at the forum, please write a comment telling us what you thought about it!

Upcoming events this week (partial listing):
tonight, 6:00, WFHB Interchange
Wednesday evening: Gretchen in New Albany
Thursday: Gretchen at candidate forum at North Harrison High School
Friday: house party in B'ton, also JJ dinner in Seymour
Saturday: Gretchen in Perry County and Brown County, campaign volunteers at Bloomington Farmer's Market

See you on the trail!

The Clock's Ticking... Who Will Stand Up for American Workers?

Gretchen Clearwater will. That was the message Gretchen and several volunteers took last week to Clarksville's Colgate workers.

Colgate has announced that it's closing the plant, which makes most of Colgate's toothpaste (among other products), and moving most of its production to Mexico, with the rest going to Tennessee (a 'right-to-work', aka right-to-exploit-workers, state).

Colgate apparently felt that it just couldn't afford to do business here in Indiana, with workers who earn $22 an hour or so. It can afford, mind you, to pay its CEO, Reuben Mark, an average of 47 million dollars a year for the past few years. Yep, that's right, forty-seven MILLION. Per. Year.

But paying American workers a decent wage? And health care? Even a modest pension? That's way too much to ask, apparently.

These are among the results of the free trade agreements which have been crafted and implemented by Republicans and Democrats alike. Anyone remember Ross Perot, who during the debate over NAFTA famously said that we'd hear a "giant sucking sound" of jobs going to Mexico? He was denounced as a nutcase at the time. He doesn't sound so nutty now.

Is unrestricted free trade good for America? Well, it depends on how you define your terms. If by "America," you mean big multinational corporations like Colgate, then the answer is yes. If by "America," you mean multi-millionnaire CEOs like Reuben Mark, then the answer is yes.

But if you define America the way Gretchen Clearwater does, as the workers, the middle class, the vast majority of the population, then the answer is clearly no.

That's why Gretchen has pledged NEVER to support trade agreements that send our jobs overseas. And NEVER to vote for agreements that don't include worker protections in foreign countries. What we have right now is a race to the bottom-- lower wages, fewer benefits, less chance of earning a living for your family. And at the same time, we have an ever-increasing gap between average workers' wages and CEO salaries.

The Bush Administration's only response is to try to make the tax cuts for the rich permanent.

We can do better. And if Gretchen Clearwater is in Congress, we'll have one more voice for sanity, for the workers who made America great, and against the corporate lobbyists.

We made a lot of friends at the plant (the folks from the union put a yard sign in front of the Union Hall, as seen above) and in Clarksville/Jeffersonville (yard signs are sprouting up there too!). People seemed to really appreciate having a candidate for Congress talk to them, in person, about their concerns. Gretchen was also well received the next night at a meet the candidates forum at the VFW hall.

The campaign continues to pick up support and enthusiasm from all over the district. It's not too late to contribute or volunteer, get a yard sign, and tell your friends to vote on May 2nd!