Ed, Peggy, Herb and the Internet
Ed Perlmutter's website has a new look. Peggy Lamm is fighting for net neutrality. And both of them allowed me the honor of making cameos in their campaign videos. But Herb Rubenstein may have gone his Democratic rivals one better by launching his ad on YouTube, which lets me stream it onto Coloradolib with ease.
Putting it out there like this seems like a smart move, and one which I wish more candidates would make. But is Herb's strong opposition to the Iraq War enough to win not just the primary, but the general election? It's up to you, CD7. Let me hear it.
Putting it out there like this seems like a smart move, and one which I wish more candidates would make. But is Herb's strong opposition to the Iraq War enough to win not just the primary, but the general election? It's up to you, CD7. Let me hear it.
16 Comments:
HR's "plan" to end the War in Iraq is about as realistic as attaining world peace by asking all the little children of the world to join hands and sing "Imagine". As far as Herb being willing to lead, leading is not what freshman congressmen get to do. First they have to get elected, something that would be a negligible possibility for HR. Then all they have is the option of supporting any legislation that the Dems can manage to bring to a vote.
Only if we re-take the house will there be any possibility of ANY Dem vote resulting in more than a symbolic statement. Both HR and Perlmutter could have been counted on to join the majority of Dems, for instance, in supporting the non-binding resolution for a phased redeployment which couldn't have passed even if every single Dem had voted for it. Woopie. So let's get real.
Perlmutter is a fine candidate, progressive on all the important issues, who actually has an excellent chance of winning and contributing to a Democratic take- over of the house. With that take-over would come subpoena power, chairmanships of all house committees, ability to exercise real oversight, hold hearings, even initiate impeachment proceedings. Without such a take-over we remain powerless to do anything more than make statements in non-binding proposals that never have a chance of passing anyway.
That's why the most important thing for every Dem in every district across the nation is to support whichever decent Dem candidate has the best chance to win the general. Perlmutter is way better than decent, has national party support and the best chance to win. Period.
The Republicans have understood this for over a decade and that's why they are in complete control of our present one party government. Remember all those who decided in 2004 they'd rather use their vote to make a statement by voting for Nader because Gore just wasn't pure enough? We're now one 86 year old away from a Supreme Court that will rubber stamp anything Bush wants. Let's remember that winning is the only way out of the mess we're in.
f.sage,
I count myself as a repentant Nader voter. Seriously, I would give anythiung to go back to 2000 and cast my vote for Al Gore.
That is a horrid campaign ad...
Wow, so 1996 video production class...
Herb seems to think that he can get a cease-file and deploy international peacekeepers by fiat, or perhaps the force of his own personality. Since both of those key points in his plan to bring the troops home by July 1, 2007, are dependent upon others (the population of Iraq in the first instance and foreign governments in the second), outside of the jurisdiction of the Congress of the Untied States, how does HR in Congress make this more likely?
The voters of Colorado's Seventh CD deserve a serious thinker, with the ability to propose legislative action within the power of the Congress, rather than dreamers with no concept of how to accomplish that which they purport to champion. I have nothing against men with vision, but when one pretends that that vision can be accomplished by setting an arbitrary deadline and that a multitude of individuals with varied agendas will then fall in line (with nothing being offered to motivate them), that is delusional.
Spartan,
I, too, am a reformed Nader voter. I figured I'd vote my heart since I knew Colorado would go Republican.
I actually like the ad but it reinforces HR as a single-issue candidate in a big way.
You're forgiven, Spartan and oops... I did mean to say 2000. I think we had ALL learned that lesson by 2004. Of course, in spite of the Nader vote, we actually WON both of the last two presidential elections. We just let it get close enough for them to steal and that's just what they'll do if we can't win by a little more next time. Seriously, though, I never did understand the appeal of that squirrely little self-righteous Nader guy. He always kind of creeped me out. Different strokes, as they say.
What is with everyone bashing the Herb Rubenstein ad? I personally like it. It gets to the heart of the issue and proposes what Herb thinks we should do.
And for all you complaining about how the ad is bad because it "shows wounded soldiers" or whatever, you need to get real. We have a guy willing to show the general public what REALLY is going on, and just because it isn't pretty doesn't mean you guys have to freak out.
Herb Rubenstein for CD7!!!
I support Lindsay's comment and believes that Herb Rubenstein is the only candidate willing to step up and take care of the issue. Go Herb!!
I hope that Herb Rubenstein's message to the public through the YouTube Ad helps get through. I think that it is enough for me to vote for him in the primary. I firmly support his stance. We need a strong candidate like him. What do you all think?
I think HR is a nice guy but a hopeless candidate with an Iraq plan just as pie-in-the-sky as the original "they'll throw flowers" neocon plan. I think nobody really believes he can win a general in his district which will require the lion's share of the independent vote. I think people need to focus on the only thing that matters: Getting a majority in our own congressional delegation while playing an important role in taking back the house. I think we have our best chance with Perlmutter in the 7th.
Democrats who oppose the war can win and have one. Mike Feeley was wishy washy on the war and lost.
We lost the US Senate in 2002 because Democrats lacked the guts to oppose the War. In 1964 Democrats were told it was suicidal to support civil rights. The result was the biggest Democratic landslide of all time. Guts in politics equals victory.
Those who feel passionately that the war must end as Herb Rubenstein does should go to his website www.herbforcongress.com and make a donation
This is not a choice between a candidate who is against this administration's war policy and candidates who oppose it. Perlmutter has said he supports the Murtha plan for redeployment. Sure, HR has a more specific plan than either Lamm or Perlmutter but it's a completely unrealistic plan that relies on numerous separate sets of pigs suddenly sprouting wings and flying. Realizing that it is ridiculous to pull such a detailed plan, so dependent on the actions of others beyond our control, out of the blue is not being wishy-washy. And of course no freshman Dem will have the influence to do jack about the war in a Republican house. That's why we need to TAKE THE HOUSE. Only then can we demand, as heads of all the relevant committees, access to all the information as well as demand our right to perform oversight and exercise the legislature's constitutionally guaranteed power. That's what it will take to have the means to craft sane policy, on the war or anything else, and make that policy a reality. For that we need the support of moderates and unaffiliateds in the 7th. It isn't rocket science, just plain common sense.
Why is it unrealistic to withdrawal our troops by July 1, 2007?
This put your head in the sand and say you are against the war but will do nothing to end it because you are too gutless to really oppose the war has been a recipe for electoral disaster. Mike Feeley was wishy washy and lost. John Kerry was wishy washy and lost. The Democratic controlled US Senate was wishy washy and we lost a majority in the Senate as a result. (this according to Senator Feingold) I will agree that Perlmutter has a better position than Lamm. Lamm's position is simply pure gibberish. Perlmutter will be against the war until he sees a poll showing support going up and than he'll switch back and support the war.
Nobody's recommending "putting your head in the sand". Just what do you think ANY Dem can do about this war if we don't get elected in sufficient numbers to take back the house, just for starters? And there is a lot more to HR's plan than just a specific deadline. It also only works if HR gets elected, the rest of congress goes along with his plan, forces the administration to accept it and then the entire international community and every faction of the Iraqis gets on board with it,too. Pardon those of us who just don't see all of that happening or believe that any candidate can realistically offer us any such thing and therefore don't base our decision entirely on such a remote likelyhood. But the most relevant point is this: All of you HR fans out there...do you really believe in your heart of hearts that he would have chance of winning the 7th and actually going to Washington? Or would it be a "statement" vote? Talk about head in the sand! That's going to be my last word on the subject.
At least HR has the guts to come out and live or die by a principle. Most politicans are so wishy-washy that we don't know what the hell they stand for. What we need is conviction on issues, and the courage to go after the issue - way to go HR! You're on the right track. Rob
As further proof of Herb Rubenstein's growing momentum in CD7 popular radio talk show Jay Marvin has announced that he supports Herb. Marvin has a huge listening audience among Democrats in CD7.
Herb's powerful commerical can be seen tonight if anyone is interested on the Channel 2 News twice from nine to ten PM tonight.
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