All Americans are idealists. All true Americans, anyway, even if we disagree on what the ideal is. If we ever lose that spark of hope that accompanies idealism, we lose our identity.
It is wise to underline idealism with a dose of pragmatism, but it is the difference between where we realize we are today and where we hope to be tomorrow that gives us our direction.
Those who vote speak for those who won't, and those who speak vote for those that don't! If you have an issue you value, and it is good for the rest of us, too, speak up! It's okay to wear your political heart on your sleeve in America.
You can find this post via either http://www.RaceforAmerica.com/ or http://www.BloggingforAmerica.com/.
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Little Battles, Big Wars
If there is one mistake President Bush made in entering into War in Iraq America
The good news is, Bush will not be here in two more years. We’ll have a new chance to put a less head-on Republican (or Democrat) in charge.
We are NOT at war with
The outcome of the 2006 election will have both a healing and a damaging effect on the situation in
A war, unlike other fires, cannot be put out with water. You have to let it die on its own. You can blow on it, but that makes it bigger, so in some ways, the best thing we can do for Iraq is ignore the situation, let it burn until there are a few orange coals, and eventually they will reach a natural end. We can try to stomp it out, but that may spread the coals further. You can try to withdraw the wood that has not burned, but that is not the troops--it is Bush, and of course Rumsfeld, who has already withdrawn himself. You can stand guard, and that is what we are doing, and in the long run, it will give us a chance to save the rest of the forest.
But the best thing we can do is ignore the voice of terror, while letting a few specialists do their job to defend our country. Invisible people, that terrorists can't talk about.
Bush’s “War on Terror” was a double edged sword. It got us the support we needed from Congress to take things as far as we have, but also put us more directly in the firing line of terror. The best way to win a duel is not to accept it. Al-Qaeda challenged Bush in order to challenge
I have been to
Are the Democrats the answer? Absolutely not, but the election has split
If there is one thing
Jed Merrill
P.S. – The Republican candidate I was supporting in
You can find this post via either http://www.RaceforAmerica.com/ or http://www.BloggingforAmerica.com/.
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
America, God Shed His Grace
The election is done, and results are mostly in. I'm reeling a bit with how well the Democrats have done, but unlike some people, I don't see them as the enemy. I don't fully trust them, but they too represent a part of the voice of this people.
At the time of writing, the Democrats control the House, the Republicans control the Presidency, and the Senate is split. That actually allows for a precariously sensational balance that should make listening to the radio a lot more fun over the next few years, though I worry that Democrats will get brazen, fat heads and forget why they have been elected. It is not because we agree with homosexuality or abortion or many of the other stands they have paraded over the past decade, but because we recognize the need for balance in a true Democratic system.
We have not upended Bush or tossed out the virtues of the Republican party, but we have done a little bloodletting, and hopefully our country will be more fit and less swollen for it. Thank God (literally) that Nancy Pelosi is only Speaker of the House and not President, and I think we can call it a day and maybe sleep tonight.
From the point of view of my team, we've had our victories, and we will go home to sweet memories and two years of egalitarian rewards. Dave Reichert hasn't won yet, but last I heard he was up 51% to 49%. It may just come down to the effort that our little band has put in, and that makes me feel good all over, and ought to be a tepid lesson in political activism. A very small number (forty, in our case) can make a real difference, and who knows? Maybe the exactly 250 calls I made today and the people I inspire through this blog will make a lasting impression on the face of my beautiful America.
Jed Merrill
You can find this post via either http://www.RaceforAmerica.com/ or http://www.BloggingforAmerica.com/.
At the time of writing, the Democrats control the House, the Republicans control the Presidency, and the Senate is split. That actually allows for a precariously sensational balance that should make listening to the radio a lot more fun over the next few years, though I worry that Democrats will get brazen, fat heads and forget why they have been elected. It is not because we agree with homosexuality or abortion or many of the other stands they have paraded over the past decade, but because we recognize the need for balance in a true Democratic system.
We have not upended Bush or tossed out the virtues of the Republican party, but we have done a little bloodletting, and hopefully our country will be more fit and less swollen for it. Thank God (literally) that Nancy Pelosi is only Speaker of the House and not President, and I think we can call it a day and maybe sleep tonight.
From the point of view of my team, we've had our victories, and we will go home to sweet memories and two years of egalitarian rewards. Dave Reichert hasn't won yet, but last I heard he was up 51% to 49%. It may just come down to the effort that our little band has put in, and that makes me feel good all over, and ought to be a tepid lesson in political activism. A very small number (forty, in our case) can make a real difference, and who knows? Maybe the exactly 250 calls I made today and the people I inspire through this blog will make a lasting impression on the face of my beautiful America.
Jed Merrill
You can find this post via either http://www.RaceforAmerica.com/ or http://www.BloggingforAmerica.com/.
Monday, November 06, 2006
A New National Record
Day Four - Today we made over 40,000 calls. 40,000! That is a new national record for a single district in a single day, and half of those calls came from our small group. The record is exhilarating, but by the end of the day, I was on the edge of burnout. I openly mourned in one call, "There comes a time when one can barely remember his own name, let alone those of his candidates," but I had fun, and really feel that we did some good. Some of those I called were also exhausted by all of the calling, but we are all buoyed by the fact that tomorrow is it! Dave Reichert and the majority Republican Congress FTW! (And then no more calls, FOR TWO MORE YEARS!)
The staff kept us well stocked with water, sandwiches, and pizza, and the hotel had fruit and another grand breakfast. I made myself a chocolate waffle, adding half a packet of hot cocoa mix to the waffle mix.
The Democrats have been spinning the media hard today, but I really don't believe there are enough of them to swell the voting ranks to win the House and the Senate. The prospect of Nancy Pelosi being House Majority Leader is downright scary. She was a political misfit to begin with, and I don't see her as any kind of solution to "balancing Bush power."
Are Republicans really abusing the control we have given them? I don't think so. I admit to discomfort over high oil prices (my car requires Premium gas), and am not convinced Bush was motivated to do everything necessary to resolve the oil crisis, but nightmarishly worse things could happen with a raging Democratic House led by Ms. Pelosi. The war? What a disgrace if we pull out now! We did the right thing, and it will stay the right thing, and Democrats will not get to rewrite history if I have anything to say about it. We are on the right track, and it is not the time to let a party of bandits run us off that track. I actually read one editorial suggesting that Democrats should vote for Democrats who are far worse than Bush in order to put Bush in check... Where is the legitimacy and reason in that?
Bush made a decision. Bush made the right decision. And Bush should stick with it. As an Iraq Veteran, and someone who was part of the search for Weapons of Mass Destruction, and knowing exactly what we did and did not find, that is my unwavering opinion:
DON'T LOOK BACK.
We did the right thing at the right time, for the right reasons. We found enough to justify our actions, and where would we be with Iran if they had the now death sentenced dictator of Iraq as a security blanket? (Not that Iraq and Iran are friends, but geographically, Iran would be too isolated to fear retribution for their nuclear ambitions.)
Can we really trick ourselves into believing Iraq is nothing more than a second Vietnam? Wake up, you who smell coffee. Along with the thorns, there are roses blooming in Iraq, and I ask you not to dig them out.
My prediction--due to efforts like ours and the intrinsic weakness of the Democrats' chosen platform (have they told you what they are for, or merely who or what they are against!), the Republicans will keep control of both House and Senate. Republicans maintain their moral majority mandate, in spite of Democrat propaganda and propiquery, and we all have a merry and white holiday season to ride out bad feelings. The media has stirred up a rattlesnake nest (Nancy and party) and it's time to handle it, tame it, and let it go, both for Republicans and moderate Democrats. Is the grass really greener on the other side? Cough, cough, choke.
Jed Merrill
You can find this post via either http://www.RaceforAmerica.com/ or http://www.BloggingforAmerica.com/.
The staff kept us well stocked with water, sandwiches, and pizza, and the hotel had fruit and another grand breakfast. I made myself a chocolate waffle, adding half a packet of hot cocoa mix to the waffle mix.
The Democrats have been spinning the media hard today, but I really don't believe there are enough of them to swell the voting ranks to win the House and the Senate. The prospect of Nancy Pelosi being House Majority Leader is downright scary. She was a political misfit to begin with, and I don't see her as any kind of solution to "balancing Bush power."
Are Republicans really abusing the control we have given them? I don't think so. I admit to discomfort over high oil prices (my car requires Premium gas), and am not convinced Bush was motivated to do everything necessary to resolve the oil crisis, but nightmarishly worse things could happen with a raging Democratic House led by Ms. Pelosi. The war? What a disgrace if we pull out now! We did the right thing, and it will stay the right thing, and Democrats will not get to rewrite history if I have anything to say about it. We are on the right track, and it is not the time to let a party of bandits run us off that track. I actually read one editorial suggesting that Democrats should vote for Democrats who are far worse than Bush in order to put Bush in check... Where is the legitimacy and reason in that?
Bush made a decision. Bush made the right decision. And Bush should stick with it. As an Iraq Veteran, and someone who was part of the search for Weapons of Mass Destruction, and knowing exactly what we did and did not find, that is my unwavering opinion:
DON'T LOOK BACK.
We did the right thing at the right time, for the right reasons. We found enough to justify our actions, and where would we be with Iran if they had the now death sentenced dictator of Iraq as a security blanket? (Not that Iraq and Iran are friends, but geographically, Iran would be too isolated to fear retribution for their nuclear ambitions.)
Can we really trick ourselves into believing Iraq is nothing more than a second Vietnam? Wake up, you who smell coffee. Along with the thorns, there are roses blooming in Iraq, and I ask you not to dig them out.
My prediction--due to efforts like ours and the intrinsic weakness of the Democrats' chosen platform (have they told you what they are for, or merely who or what they are against!), the Republicans will keep control of both House and Senate. Republicans maintain their moral majority mandate, in spite of Democrat propaganda and propiquery, and we all have a merry and white holiday season to ride out bad feelings. The media has stirred up a rattlesnake nest (Nancy and party) and it's time to handle it, tame it, and let it go, both for Republicans and moderate Democrats. Is the grass really greener on the other side? Cough, cough, choke.
Jed Merrill
You can find this post via either http://www.RaceforAmerica.com/ or http://www.BloggingforAmerica.com/.
A Day of Rest
Day Three - It is Sunday, and Dave and Campaign grant us three hours to attend Church. It is tempting to talk about what we are doing here while in our meetings, but we steer clear of partisanship in our congregation. There is a need for a vibrant community of each party in any church, and we don't want to offend anyone out of ours just to win an election. (The worth of a soul is greater than victory, in the scheme of things.) As liberal as Democrats seem to be becoming, it does not mean Republicans should have a monopoly on religion. I do not want to have to choose between religious and political freedom. The failure of the Democrats to embrace morality is, in my opinion, the root of their decline, and the single biggest advantage the Republicans have this election. Democrats need more moderates.
Mike, a local volunteer, tells me stories about King County Democrats and how they stuff ballot boxes and "find" last minute "missing votes." He says, "We have lost the right to speak ill of Cook County, Illinois." I found this funny, because I was born in Cook County, where my father attended grad school at the University of Chicago. My father would tell me stories later in life about the Democratic Party Union in Illinois. Could King County, Washington really be that bad? He nodded a Republican nod. "We have to legitimately win by at least 15,000 votes to feel comfortable," he says.
In the afternoon, we drop by Dave's place and pick up more fliers. We go door to door and visit twice as many homes as before, under light rain. In the evening, I make another 82 calls, this time in two hours, and retire very satisfied for the evening.
Jed Merrill
You can find this post via either http://www.RaceforAmerica.com/ or http://www.BloggingforAmerica.com/.
Mike, a local volunteer, tells me stories about King County Democrats and how they stuff ballot boxes and "find" last minute "missing votes." He says, "We have lost the right to speak ill of Cook County, Illinois." I found this funny, because I was born in Cook County, where my father attended grad school at the University of Chicago. My father would tell me stories later in life about the Democratic Party Union in Illinois. Could King County, Washington really be that bad? He nodded a Republican nod. "We have to legitimately win by at least 15,000 votes to feel comfortable," he says.
In the afternoon, we drop by Dave's place and pick up more fliers. We go door to door and visit twice as many homes as before, under light rain. In the evening, I make another 82 calls, this time in two hours, and retire very satisfied for the evening.
Jed Merrill
You can find this post via either http://www.RaceforAmerica.com/ or http://www.BloggingforAmerica.com/.
Running the Phones Into the Ground...
Day Two - We wake up, eat waffles and hot chocolate, and make our way to the Dave Reichert Rally at a local elementary school. We get lost, but arrive shortly after the rally in time to meet Dave, eat donuts and OJ, and pick up t-shirts, stickers, and fliers. Photographers are still busy snapping pictures. One takes mine and asks for my name, but I don't give it to him. He complains a bit, but I want the attention to be on the candidates, where it belongs.
From the rally, we go to lunch, then split into vans again and go missionary style (teams of two) from door to door. Joe and I get to 23 assigned homes and talk to people in the street. Some of the girls do better, but we are all happy and very, very wet when 4:00 comes around. We should have worn swimming suits, as the rain falls down and bounces right back up, soaking us to the skin, and it's not hot rain, either. We are glad we have one umbrella, though at more than one moment I am ready to fly through the air like Mary Poppins. It never lets up.
At one door, I learn the difference between a politician and a statesman. A statesman is someone who understands that he is accountable to someone higher up.
Dave gets a lot of compliments. Nobody hates him, though we do run into one woman Democrat who tells us why she is a Democrat. "I don't believe in the war," she says. Not meaning to argue, I tell her I have been there. She says there has never been peace in the Middle East, and there is no precedent for Democracy. That depends, I suppose. There are many Middle Eastern countries that are hybrids of Ottoman hierarchy and Western capitalism, and they are plenty stable. Qatar, Jordan, and Kuwait come to mind. In Iraq, women had the vote before Saddam came to town. Egypt has its own kind of peace, and overall the region is relatively stable, with the media tending to blow singular events out of proportion. Jerusalem is safer than New York. This month there are more attacks in Iraq than ever, but it will go away after the elections. It is the knowledge that their attacks may affect this election and take power away from Bush that is leading to a renewed fervor.
What is Iraq really like? There are 20 million people out there, and only a few people are complaining. They have loud voices, because they speak with bombs. But does that mean we should let a maturing Democracy be ruled by a minority voice that has not even tried to make its point in a peaceful way? Should we let their policy or ours be dictated by people in a mob state of mind?
Saddam killed over 1 million of his own people. If there are 20 million people in Iraq, that means he killed 5% of his country's population in 20 years. That is 500 people a day. If 50 people a day die in Iraq now, are they not ten times better off?
There is a lot more I could say on this subject, but I am proud of the work we have done there.
The woman then says she thinks the rich should pay taxes like the poor. They have the money! I think the poor shouldn't have to pay taxes, like the rich! But I don't say that. I do say higher taxes take away some of the motivation for being rich, and also that who will make jobs for other people if not the rich? For that matter (and I don't say this either), who will pay the lobbyists that are advancing her rights? If we disenfranchise the rich from the American dream, what is left for the poor to work for? But on one level she is absolutely right--we share responsibility for the improvement of our nation, and if taxes are really the best way to accomplish that...well, let there be tax. What is funny to me is that there are no income taxes in the State of Washington. Everything is supported by Sales Tax. So the rich and poor really are equal here! In the end, we are all just as rich or just as poor as our talents and God's grace make us, after taxes.
She doesn't change her mind, but we both have something to think about. What a great country this is!
In the evening, we report to Dave Reichert's campaign office and I make 115 phone calls. At 7:59 pm, I've run the phone into the ground. The day is done.
Jed Merrill
You can find this post via either http://www.RaceforAmerica.com/ or http://www.BloggingforAmerica.com/.
From the rally, we go to lunch, then split into vans again and go missionary style (teams of two) from door to door. Joe and I get to 23 assigned homes and talk to people in the street. Some of the girls do better, but we are all happy and very, very wet when 4:00 comes around. We should have worn swimming suits, as the rain falls down and bounces right back up, soaking us to the skin, and it's not hot rain, either. We are glad we have one umbrella, though at more than one moment I am ready to fly through the air like Mary Poppins. It never lets up.
At one door, I learn the difference between a politician and a statesman. A statesman is someone who understands that he is accountable to someone higher up.
Dave gets a lot of compliments. Nobody hates him, though we do run into one woman Democrat who tells us why she is a Democrat. "I don't believe in the war," she says. Not meaning to argue, I tell her I have been there. She says there has never been peace in the Middle East, and there is no precedent for Democracy. That depends, I suppose. There are many Middle Eastern countries that are hybrids of Ottoman hierarchy and Western capitalism, and they are plenty stable. Qatar, Jordan, and Kuwait come to mind. In Iraq, women had the vote before Saddam came to town. Egypt has its own kind of peace, and overall the region is relatively stable, with the media tending to blow singular events out of proportion. Jerusalem is safer than New York. This month there are more attacks in Iraq than ever, but it will go away after the elections. It is the knowledge that their attacks may affect this election and take power away from Bush that is leading to a renewed fervor.
What is Iraq really like? There are 20 million people out there, and only a few people are complaining. They have loud voices, because they speak with bombs. But does that mean we should let a maturing Democracy be ruled by a minority voice that has not even tried to make its point in a peaceful way? Should we let their policy or ours be dictated by people in a mob state of mind?
Saddam killed over 1 million of his own people. If there are 20 million people in Iraq, that means he killed 5% of his country's population in 20 years. That is 500 people a day. If 50 people a day die in Iraq now, are they not ten times better off?
There is a lot more I could say on this subject, but I am proud of the work we have done there.
The woman then says she thinks the rich should pay taxes like the poor. They have the money! I think the poor shouldn't have to pay taxes, like the rich! But I don't say that. I do say higher taxes take away some of the motivation for being rich, and also that who will make jobs for other people if not the rich? For that matter (and I don't say this either), who will pay the lobbyists that are advancing her rights? If we disenfranchise the rich from the American dream, what is left for the poor to work for? But on one level she is absolutely right--we share responsibility for the improvement of our nation, and if taxes are really the best way to accomplish that...well, let there be tax. What is funny to me is that there are no income taxes in the State of Washington. Everything is supported by Sales Tax. So the rich and poor really are equal here! In the end, we are all just as rich or just as poor as our talents and God's grace make us, after taxes.
She doesn't change her mind, but we both have something to think about. What a great country this is!
In the evening, we report to Dave Reichert's campaign office and I make 115 phone calls. At 7:59 pm, I've run the phone into the ground. The day is done.
Jed Merrill
You can find this post via either http://www.RaceforAmerica.com/ or http://www.BloggingforAmerica.com/.
Friday, November 03, 2006
Safe, Sound Seattle!
We arrived in Seattle at about 6:30 this evening. My little group of 30 to 40 (out of 600 total volunteers) was sent to Washington State to support Dave Reichert in his first re-election campaign. My friend Piper, who got me involved, is in Baltimore, and others are divided among about fifteen total cities nationwide.
Who is Dave Reichert? http://www.reelectdavereichert/
I asked his staffers who are in Washington State "volunteering to save their jobs" dozens of questions about our candidate. Dave Reichert is known locally as "Sheriff Reichert", as he served in law enforcement for over 30 years prior to running for Congress. Dave has exceptional name recognition in this area, due to his involvement in capturing the Green River killer in the 1980's. He is also Chairman of the Emergency Preparedness Committee, and is only the sixth first term Congressman to be made a Chair. Due to his experience, Reichert is intimately involved in Homeland Security issues. Dave is a friend to the environment (I have a soft spot for that myself), and as a human being, Dave is said to be a great leader and storyteller.
Is all of this accurate? I will find out tomorrow, when I and my 30 compatriots attend one of Dave's rallies!
After arriving at our twin hotels, I was invited to have pizza, and was immediately put to work. In about thirty minutes, I made 23 calls to known Republican supporters to remind them to vote. This year, as many as 70% of all voters in King County will vote by mail. Next election that number will be closer to 100%! As the ballots are long, a lot of people procrastinate. They often need a series of reminders to actually act, especially to support an incumbent who they believe is a shoe in!
Only one person I called gave a negative response, saying she wanted Dave to lose, and would certainly vote against him. She was polite enough to thank me for reminding her. One college age voice joked that he was voting twice. Some thanked me for the reminder or reported that they were already current with their patriotic duty. Another half dozen required concise and neighborly voice mail messages.
My anticipation for the work in this area is growing. The election is just days away, and we will impact a key corner of the national campaign to keep Republicans in control of both House and Senate!
Is that a good thing? I try to keep an open mind, and I think there is much to say both ways, but as an Iraq War vet myself, I am in favor of the work we are doing in Iraq and have to stand against any effort to end it prematurely. That is not to say we should not leave when our work is done. But who will make that decision? The legitimate voice of the Iraqi people, NOT terrorists.
John Kerry has been criticized the last few days for his purported comments on US servicemen in Iraq. "You know, education, if you make the most of it, you study hard, you do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. And if you don't, you get stuck in Iraq.” While I get that he was really making a jab at Bush, I was moved enough to send him an e-mail.
There are some people who are smart enough to know the value of freedom, and kind enough to share it. I hope we do not lose sight of why we are in Iraq, and for those of you who are cynical, it's a lot easier to believe when you see women and children waving their thanks and hailing you as a hero as you drive into their country. What a contrast it is to return to one's own country and hear Kerry call you a fool. But then, that's Kerry, and he does not represent the entire Democratic party, does he? (Does he?)
Jed Merrill
You can find this post via either http://www.RaceforAmerica.com/ or http://www.BloggingforAmerica.com/.
Who is Dave Reichert? http://www.reelectdavereichert/
I asked his staffers who are in Washington State "volunteering to save their jobs" dozens of questions about our candidate. Dave Reichert is known locally as "Sheriff Reichert", as he served in law enforcement for over 30 years prior to running for Congress. Dave has exceptional name recognition in this area, due to his involvement in capturing the Green River killer in the 1980's. He is also Chairman of the Emergency Preparedness Committee, and is only the sixth first term Congressman to be made a Chair. Due to his experience, Reichert is intimately involved in Homeland Security issues. Dave is a friend to the environment (I have a soft spot for that myself), and as a human being, Dave is said to be a great leader and storyteller.
Is all of this accurate? I will find out tomorrow, when I and my 30 compatriots attend one of Dave's rallies!
After arriving at our twin hotels, I was invited to have pizza, and was immediately put to work. In about thirty minutes, I made 23 calls to known Republican supporters to remind them to vote. This year, as many as 70% of all voters in King County will vote by mail. Next election that number will be closer to 100%! As the ballots are long, a lot of people procrastinate. They often need a series of reminders to actually act, especially to support an incumbent who they believe is a shoe in!
Only one person I called gave a negative response, saying she wanted Dave to lose, and would certainly vote against him. She was polite enough to thank me for reminding her. One college age voice joked that he was voting twice. Some thanked me for the reminder or reported that they were already current with their patriotic duty. Another half dozen required concise and neighborly voice mail messages.
My anticipation for the work in this area is growing. The election is just days away, and we will impact a key corner of the national campaign to keep Republicans in control of both House and Senate!
Is that a good thing? I try to keep an open mind, and I think there is much to say both ways, but as an Iraq War vet myself, I am in favor of the work we are doing in Iraq and have to stand against any effort to end it prematurely. That is not to say we should not leave when our work is done. But who will make that decision? The legitimate voice of the Iraqi people, NOT terrorists.
John Kerry has been criticized the last few days for his purported comments on US servicemen in Iraq. "You know, education, if you make the most of it, you study hard, you do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. And if you don't, you get stuck in Iraq.” While I get that he was really making a jab at Bush, I was moved enough to send him an e-mail.
There are some people who are smart enough to know the value of freedom, and kind enough to share it. I hope we do not lose sight of why we are in Iraq, and for those of you who are cynical, it's a lot easier to believe when you see women and children waving their thanks and hailing you as a hero as you drive into their country. What a contrast it is to return to one's own country and hear Kerry call you a fool. But then, that's Kerry, and he does not represent the entire Democratic party, does he? (Does he?)
Jed Merrill
You can find this post via either http://www.RaceforAmerica.com/ or http://www.BloggingforAmerica.com/.
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