Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Nastiness in the Indiana 9th

The race between Mike Sodrel (R) and Baron Hill (D) is heating up. According to a survey performed by Constituent Dynamics, Hill is currently leading Sodrel by a wide margin - 53% to 42%. Other polls show the margin to be lower. CQ Politics is listing the race as "no clear favorite" (you can read it here). The Washington Post also calls it close. This is one of the hottest races in the country, and one of the dirtiest. My wife and I have been receiving flyers from the Repubs, and they are getting disgusting. Granted, there have also been Democrat flyers, but they're not nearly as nasty as the Republicans. I've been collecting and scanning these to submit to Taking Down Words and Baron Hill's campaign. Here's some samples of this garbage (please excuse the alignment of some of the images - I could not get some of them to align properly) :



This flyer is a smack at the Democrats, disguised as an absentee ballot application. The desparation of these people shows. As far as new heights, it wouldn't take much to rise above where they are. BTW, I wonder why Eric Koch doesn't have a picture attached?






"Capitol" Hill"? Seriously, folks. Now they are resorting to name-calling. As far as what is wrong with Washington, Baron Hill didn't cause this mess we're in. Sodrel and his bunch did.







This one is just chock full of lies. The bills they speak about in this flyer were ones that the Republicans tied to other legislation, knowing that they would be voted down because the main piece of legislation was flawed in the first place. They were political set-ups, designed to be used as ammunition against them in the election. As far as "opposition of a strong national defense", nothing could be further from the truth. Baron Hill supports a strong national defense, and has always supported our troops. Sodrel, on the other hand, has voted against giving our troops additional body armor, pay raises, etc. If you want to know the real truth about Baron's stand on these issues, and know who is funding the lies, click here for the truth. The lies about Baron's stand on defense and other issues are being funded by the same person who financed the Swift Boat Campaign agains John Kerry in 2004, Republican donor Bob Perry. He, in fact, is the sole donor for the so-called "Americans for Honesty". If that's honesty in Washington, no wonder the place is such a mess.

There are other flyers coming in the mail every day, and my wife is getting sick of it. These flyers show the desperation of a party who knows they are losing. They will say or do anything to stay in office. The sad thing is, there are people who believe these flyers. We even received one today that said that after the election in 2004, Baron didn't return to Seymour. I know that is a lie, because I personally spoke with him at a local gas station in Seymour several times in the weeks following the election. Who do they think they are kidding? Certainly not me, or my wife.

Baron doesn't live in a mansion, or drive a brand-new car. He has no qualms about walking right up to people to talk to them, no matter who they are. Not sure about Sodrel, but I think the only time I've seen him was in a parade last weekend. Other than that, we don't see him much.

Folks, this election is important. It is about restoring integrity to Washington, and regaining a voice in Washington. Sodrel is part of the reason we are in the mess we are in. He must go, along with the rest of the Republicans.

I urge you to vote for Baron Hill on November 7th.

Bring Back Baron!

Saturday, October 14, 2006

More Republican Troubles

Seems another Repub has bit the dust. Rep. Bob Ney of Ohio has been convicted of making false statements and conspiracy. Ney admitted that he received money and gifts in return for favors for Abramoff and friends. He could get ten years, but will receive 27 months in prison under a plea agreement. Not a lot of time for someone who stole so much. Many people have had far worse for a lot less.

Another one in trouble is Pennsylvania representative Curt Weldon, who, as of today, is under investigation by the FBI to determine whether he "used his influence to secure lobbying and consulting contracts for his daughter", according to sources close to the investigation. Allegedly, this had something to do with work that Weldon performed between 2002 and 2004. The companies involved were two Russian companies and two Serbian brothers who had connections to the former leader of Yugoslavia, Slobodan Milosovic. Apparently the company, Solutions North America, which was run by Weldon's daughter, Karen Weldon, had a contract worth $1,000,000 with the Russian companies and the Serbian brothers. A Republican ally of Rep. Weldon, Charles Sexton, was also involved.

Add these scandals to the Foley mess, the cover-up by Hastert, and the various other scandals of late, and you have a Republican party in trouble. So much trouble, in fact, that according to a poll taken by Constituent Dynamics and a post on Bill Earl's site Americans for Bayh, (thanks to Americans for Bayh for the post and link), the Democrats are now leading in the polls by 19 seats, more than enough to gain the majority. This is indeed great news for the Democrats, and bad news for the Repubs.

We now have a chance to make a change in this nation. We can win this November, and put the brakes on Bush and his buddies' power grab. We can end the "culture of corruption" that has engulfed Washington, and begin to restore dignity and honor to the Congress. Please join me in voting Democratic this November 7th. Our time has come.