Red State Rebels

Fancy a weekend in Vegas ... or Bozeman?

The Obama-Biden campaign is asking Idaho supporters to consider taking a trip to Nevada or Montana over the next few weeks to help reach voters in those important swing states. Nevada in particular looks ready to tip Obama's way. As The Washington Post's Chris Cillizza wrote on The Fix today:

The Nevada caucuses way back in January gave Democrats a huge jump on voter registration and voter identification efforts. (The Republican side was barely contested with former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney winning easily.) At the end of August, there were 458,877 registered Democrats in the state as compared to 397,172 registered Republicans. Compare that to November 2004 when there were 442,122 registered Republicans and 438,906 registered Democrats and you see that the trend line is moving in the wrong direction for the GOP.

Now it's a matter of registering even more people - then getting out the vote. So be like these people, and If you can spare some time to travel to one of our neighboring states, fill out this form. And if you can't travel between now and Election Day, never fear: there's plenty you can do here in Idaho by pitching in with the Obama campaign, the state party, your county Democratic office, or the campaign of your choice.

Weekend edition 9/19-21: Three cool events

Every election season, there are a few events that just rise above the rest in utter coolness. This fall, so far, these are my picks for the most Ida-licious shindigs for progressive people who care:

Tuesday, September 23 - "Turn the Feather Blue" is a fundraiser for state Senator Kate Kelly, future state Senator (and current Rep.) Nicole LeFavour, and the Canyon County Democrats (represented by future Canyon County Commissioner Estella Zamora). Enjoy great local food and fine beverages at the Red Feather Lounge in downtown Boise. Tickets are $25 for happy hour or $75 for a full six-course meal hosted by the Red Feather's Dave Krick. Get more info here and sign up here.

Sunday, September 28 - Several downtown Boise businesses are teaming up for an afternoon of music and fun to help elect officials who will safeguard our clean air, water, quality of life, and natural places. Conservation Voters for Idaho board member & Record Exchange owner Michael Bunnell and CVI Executive Director Lee Flinn are hosting the party with free hors d’oeuvres and drinks, friends, and music, plus a silent auction featuring a Nirve Paul Frank Cruiser bike and other great items. Tim Johnstone of KRVB 94.9 The River will emcee, and Idaho Mountain Touring and the Boise Co-op are helping out, too. All proceeds from the auction and from the sale of the Record Exchange’s 3’ x 3’ mounted rock posters will go to Conservation Voters for Idaho Action Fund. The fun runs from 2 to 6 p.m. No RSVP's needed; just come to the RX at 11th and Idaho and have fun.

Friday, October 10 - Internationally known Boise-based musician Curtis Stigers will give a rare solo acoustic performance to benefit the Ada County Democrats' Get Out the Vote effort. The "Concert for A Change" is set for 8 p.m. at the Egyptian Theater in Boise. Tickets are $30; order 'em online here or get 'em at the Record Exchange, the Boise Co-op, or the Egyptian Box Office.

This is an open thread. I'm going to spend my weekend walking in the Women's Fitness Challenge (Go, Team Obama!), watching the Broncos battle the Ducks, and planting Team 17 yard signs all over my precinct. What are you doing?

Letters ... we send letters

Letters-to-the-editor are the single best way to get our Democratic candidates maximum newspaper coverage, and this is the weekend to sit down and write one. For example, The Idaho Statesman allows only one letter in 30 days from each reader, and the pre-election letters deadline will probably fall in late October. So by writing and sending a letter this weekend, you'll be able to write another one toward the end of next month. You can find letter-writing tips and links to many Idaho newspapers here.

Several people have stepped up in the past week to lead a Democratic grassroots letter-writing effort. If you or someone you know is interested in talking points, sample letters, or pairing up with someone to help you write and submit a letter, please contact Chuck at ed_tech4u at yahoo dot com or Mary at gneissgirl at icehouse dot net. Or just write your letter and send it - today. You may not have money to donate or time to volunteer, but this is one easy thing everyone can do to boost Democrats' chances to win this fall. (Follow me into the comments for some tips from a longtime letter writer ... and check out this great example from today's Times-News in Twin Falls.)

Legislative forum TONIGHT

Just a final reminder that a candidates' forum for Legislative Districts 17, 18, 19, and 21 is set for 7 to 9 TONIGHT, September 18, in Boise State University's Jordan Ballroom A, 1910 University Drive in the Student Union Building.

The other Ada County districts (14, 15, 16, and 20) will hold their debate a week from tonight, on September 25 at the Maple Grove Grange, 11962 President Drive, Boise. Click here to see a map of the county's eight districts.

Update 9/19/08: We read in the Idaho Statesman this morning that a candidate forum for the 1st Congressional District and for state districts 14A, 15B, 16, and 17 is set from 9 to 11 a.m. tomorrow (September 20) at the DoubleTree Hotel Riverside, 2900 Chinden Blvd. Garden City.  

Holmes announces endorsement, coming events

Contribute via Actblue! Check out Debbie's website!

Debbie Holmes, idaho's 2nd District candidate for Congress, has been endorsed by the Alliance for Retired Americans.  The Alliance represents more than 3.5 million retirees, older Americans and community activists, including more than 6,900 members in Idaho. From the endorsement letter:

"Your positions demonstrate a strong commitment to improve the quality of life for older Americans.  Your leadership on issues such as fighting social security privatization and strengthening the Social Security and Medicare systems exhibits that commitment.  In addition, our members can support your candidacy because of your belief in the need to provide more affordable health care for older Americans, to create a Medicare drug program that benefits seniors, not insurance and drug companies, as well as the need for stronger retirement and pension security, and quality long term and nursing home care."

Debbie Holmes is pleased to receive the support of this prestigious organization which has been a strong voice for retired American workers since its foundation. She looks forward to working with them in Washington as a strong voice for the protection of retiree benefits.

Debbie has also had some media coverage:

In Pocatello: Channel 6 covered "Meet and Potatoes" http://www.kpvi.com/Global/story.asp?S=8956515,

Video: http://www.kpvi.com/global/video/flash/popupplayer.asp?ClipID1=2880352&h1=Local%20Democrats%20Converge%20in%20Bannock%20County%3B%20Cecil%20Andrus%20Keynote%20Speaker&vt1=v&at1=News&d1=87233&LaunchPageAdTag=News&activePane=info&rnd=80800597

Debbie also went to Political Soup and was covered by the Idaho State Journal:
http://www.idahostatejournal.com/articles/2008/09/11/news/local/4.txt

Also, please mark your calendar for the debate between Debbie Holmes and Mike Simpson on October 12 in Boise. The debate is co-sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Idaho and Idaho Public Television, which will air it.

Last but not least Debbie's schedule for next week:

Monday, Sept. 22, 7 p.m., Idaho Humane Society, Boise, Volunteer Spay/neuter clinic.

Thursday, Sept. 25, 7 p.m., Mini-Cassia Town Hall Meeting at the Best Western Burley Inn.  

Friday, Sept. 26, 4 p.m., House Party in Teton County (Victor); call Ann 1208-520-4946 for info.

Saturday, Sept. 27, 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Steelworkers union hall 1955 W, 17^th St, Idaho Falls, Meet the Candidates (all of the locals too).

Saturday, Sept 27, 3 to 5 p.m., meet and greet at the Oregon Trail Restaurant in Fort Hall.

Saturday, Sept 27, 6 p.m., Bonneville Democrats Harvest Festival ($30 donation), for more info call Dino Zeman, 208-523-8742.

Calling all Idaho Democratic candidates

Later this week, Red State Rebels will publish a massive new list featuring all available websites or blogs from 2008 Democratic candidates for state and local office. It'll feature state legislative races, but we'd also like to include candidates for local offices, too. So if you are a Democrat running for office in Idaho this fall, you can save us some time by adding your website in the comments below or emailing it to me at juliewrites at yahoo dot com. (Please put "Candidate website" in your subject line.) Thanks!

Otter lets Risch hog the spotlight

How often does someone from Idaho win an Olympic gold medal? How often do Idaho universities land a $15 million research grant - our state's largest ever - from the National Science Foundation? You'd think such things would be worth a personal high-five from the governor, right? But Butch Otter has repeatedly ceded the spotlight in such recent high-profile media events to Lt. Gov. Jim Risch, who is running for the U.S. Senate.

As you can see from this media advisory (still posted on the governor's website as of this afternoon and preserved here for posterity; click it to enlarge), Otter was scheduled to attend a press conference last Friday to announce the NSF grant, but he backed out and let Risch do it. And last month when the city of Boise welcomed champion cyclist Kristin Armstrong home from Beijing, it was Risch - not Otter - who joined her on the podium on the state's behalf.

Now everyone knows that lieutenant governor is a largely ceremonial role, and Risch clearly needs something to do, especially since he's passing up most opportunities to debate his opponents. But it seems odd that Otter is consistently having Risch enjoy the best photo ops. It's especially ironic that Risch was asked to hail a grant to study the effects of climate change on the Snake and Salmon River watersheds.

Climate change?! Why, just two years ago when serving as our temporary governor, Risch told the Los Angeles Times he remained unconvinced that global warming is caused by humans. Less than two months before the election, he still hasn't posted anything on his website about where he stands on energy, never mind anything like the detailed plan Larry LaRocco presented on the issue back in spring 2007.

Update: Energy isn't the only issue on which Risch seems to have no position. Check out this side-by-side comparison from the LaRocco campaign on Risch's shocking lack of substance. As of today, Risch has approximately 300 words' worth of policy on his website. LaRocco has more than 2,000 words on energy alone, plus lengthy statements on health care, immigration, veterans, and the war in Iraq.

50 days to go ...

Fifty days may still seem like a long time. But with the push for early voting, it's clear that Election Day (or, more accurately, the election season) is almost upon us. Now is the time to fully engage with your favorite campaign, or volunteer with your county or state organization to help elect as many Democrats as possible, here in Idaho and beyond. Here are ways you can make a difference right now:

Sign up to help at the Ada County Democrats' office, where they'll be preparing a huge mailing next week. Call 331-2128.

Call the Idaho State Democratic Party and offer to help with phone banking or data entry. Phone banks are happening in West Ada, Canyon, and Kootenai counties, and you can make a huge difference by giving just two hours of your time in the next two weeks. Call 336-1815 to sign up, or to find out about other opportunities closer to you.

Contact your county Democratic chair and see what needs to be done.

Join the Idaho for Obama outreach to swing states. Click here for Boise HQ information, or here to learn about events and opportunities statewide. The race is very much a toss-up in key battleground states; let's swing the momentum toward Obama-Biden and real progress.

Live from Sandpoint, Senate debate #2

We had the live feed here earlier this evening. Click here for the recorded version, although it seems the first 15 minutes or so are missing. I'll replace it with a better link if the campaign provides it.

Mid-week comic relief - except for Dirk

I heard about this Sunday (at church, as a matter of fact), and 43rd State Blues had it days ago, but I just now watched Idaho state Sen. Michael Jorgenson attempt to explain "small-town values" to a Comedy Central "reporter" at last week's Republican National Convention. Check it out at New West.

Meanwhile, a year after Larry Craig's career was reduced to a punchline, his attorney today suggested in court "that his foot tapping in an airport men's room may have been protected by the First Amendment right to freedom of speech." There's more at CNN and the AP.

Also from the Republican culture of corruption department, get a load of this breaking report of sex, drugs, and other bad behavior at the federal agency that's supposed to be regulating the oil industry. I'll wait for your jokes in the comments ... they're so obvious ...

To be fair, we'll note here that the period covered in the report is from 2002 to 2006, so Dirk Kempthorne had just arrived on the scene at Interior. Still, this is certain to create headaches for our former gov. According to The New York Times, "The reports portray a dysfunctional organization that has been riddled with conflicts of interest, unprofessional behavior and a free-for-all atmosphere for much of the Bush administration’s watch." More here. And rec this diary at Kos. (And this one, too.)