Week of July 7, 2008
Dear
Like you, I spent the long Fourth of July weekend firing up the grill, spending time with my family, and catching a summer blockbuster. Of course, this year, July 4th marked another important milestone -- exactly four months until election day! And there are many sizzling developments on the campaign trail this week.
Let Freedom. . . Watch?
The right-wing group Freedom's Watch chose a less than festive way to celebrate the Fourth -- not with fireworks or a parade, but a sizable, quite nasty radio campaign blaming House Democrats for Americans' pain at the pump. The ad targeted 16 House Democrats, including several of our pro-choice women: Carol Shea-Porter in New Hampshire, Kirsten Gillibrand in New York, and Gabrielle Giffords in Arizona.
The ad is laughable given the Republicans' blockage of recent energy bills, including legislation to impose a tax on oil companies' excess profits. Undeterred by Big Oil's scare tactics, these forward-thinking congresswomen are out talking to voters about their own plans: Gillibrand's Plan for Immediate Gas Price Relief, Shea-Porter's bill to provide a tax credit for home heating oil expenses, and Giffords's recent Southern Arizona Solar Energy Development Conference. Now I'll wave a sparkler to that!
Clash of the Titus
Here at EMILY's List we celebrated Vegas-style by endorsing Dina Titus, who's challenging Republican Jon Porter in Nevada's third district. During her 20 years in the Nevada Senate she has fought to promote and protect children, seniors, and persons with disabilities. And thanks to her opposition to cuts in higher education and initiatives like her University of Nevada-Las Vegas Legislative Internship Program, Titus is inspiring young voters in particular -- a critical bloc that could put her over the top in November.
I'm not much of a gambler, but we sure like the odds on Dina Titus -- and we're not the only ones. Recently, Titus was also placed on the DCCC's "Red to Blue" roster of top-tier races. We'll keep you posted as this high-stakes race heats up!
Michelle O. Stumps in the Granite State
Michelle Obama recently campaigned with Jeanne Shaheen in Manchester, New Hampshire, to draw attention to the concerns of working women. Obama reminded the largely female crowd that only with their voices and their votes will Jeanne Shaheen and other progressive Democrats finally be able to pass legislation on pay equity, family leave, and affordable child care. Added Shaheen, "We're here today because we want to make sure there's a better America for our grandchildren."
Women Voters Hold the Key
The New Hampshire rally highlighted the importance of women voters to Sen. Obama, former Gov. Shaheen, and Democrats up and down the ticket -- which is, of course, one of our top priorities here at EMILY's List between now and November.
Click here to make a contribution to EMILY’s List, so that we can fully fund our biggest voter mobilization program ever.
Johnny-Go-Rightly
Pssst. . . Just a week after aggressively courting women voters with promises of a moderate, bipartisan agenda, we hear John McCain met privately with a small group of arch-conservatives in Cincinnati, Ohio. In the Queen City sit-down, McCain pledged to "highlight his pro-life record and views on other social issues" like gay marriage, and consider the group's opposition to stem-cell research. McCain reportedly also said he would take seriously their requests for an anti-choice VP (yowza, think of the possibilities -- James Dobson? Sam Brownback? I think Gary Bauer has some time on his hands). The leader of Ohio's 2004 anti-gay marriage measure seemed pleased with the session, saying, "We realized that he's with us on the majority of the issues we care about." Whoops -- just the kind of religious-right pandering McCain hopes women voters won't hear about.
Click here to read more about McCain's true record.
Mother-Daughter Act May Make History in Maine
All eyes in Maine are on Chellie and Hannah Pingree, who could be winning their respective races (a U.S. House seat for mother Chellie and Speaker of the Maine House for her daughter Hannah), creating what's being called an "unprecedented" familial link between the state's congressional and state legislative leaders. It looks like Chellie has a slight edge in her race against Republican Charles Summers, and Hannah Pingree has a good shot at the speaker's gavel if Democrats retain control of the Maine House as expected. Chellie has her own take on the potentially historic partnership: "Hannah is my oldest child, so she has kind of mentored and raised me. . . People bring up Hannah in glowing terms, and I try to ride her coattails."
This mother-daughter duo is a great example of how important it is that we support women candidates at all levels of government -- from the U.S. House to the state House. And our Political Opportunity Program is set up to do just that for women candidates running at the local level, training 5,550 women in 158 trainings in 35 states since its inception in 2001.
Thanks as always for taking a moment to read the latest developments in our exciting races. If I haven't covered a race you’re following, or if you have a question, please don't hesitate to get in touch with us.
Warmly,
Britt Cocanour
Chief of Staff