As many of you know, I have lived in Arizona for the vast majority of my life. My family roots are embedded in the tierra with eight generations of blood, sweat and tears. My ancestors provided the grunt work for the roadways, the copper mines and the blacksmithing that kept tent cities alive in the 1800s when the rush West was consuming the United States.
Yet today, September 28, 2005, I have absolutely no voice in the United States Senate as a Democrat. Despite John McCain’s “maverick” status, I rarely agree with any of his votes. That’s why I am joining other progressive activists in this state to defeat arch-wingnut Jon Kyl and get Jim Pederson elected to give voice to my values–my Arizonan values, my American values.
A glimpse of hope and a shot of outrage below the fold…
This morning I received two emails that brought big smiles to my face. The first was from John Kerry, who still has my admiration despite his horrible candidacy last year:
As one of the leading Senate challengers in the country, Jim is running a strong campaign built around common sense solutions to immigration reform, increased national security, and greater access to quality education and health care. Your help now can give Jim’s campaign a boost at a critical moment in the campaign.
I thought to myself, “Alright! Some of the big-guns are helping out with Jim’s campaign!”
I got even happier when I checked my email later on today and saw this from Barack Obama, who garners a lot of my respect for his populist messaging:
The Arizona tradition is one of independence, of putting the well-being of people ahead of party, ahead of ideology, ahead of big campaign money, and Jim will make sure that he brings this tradition with him to Washington. As one of the leading Senate challengers in the country, Jim is running a strong campaign built around common sense solutions to immigration reform, increased national security, and greater access to quality education and health care.
It felt good to see two high-profile Democrats supporting Jim’s candidacy. It gave me a flicker of hope that perhaps we had a shot at deposing the scourge; until I read this:
On Sept. 14, Jamie Molera, former superintendent of public instruction and a consultant to the Kyl camp, released a list of nearly 50 elected Democrat officials, most of them from rural areas, who say they support Mr. Kyl in his bid for a third term.
[snip]
“It never mattered to me that I was a Democrat. Jon Kyl reached out to work with me,” Ms. Chase said. Mr. Pederson “has no experience and is out of the mainstream of Arizona. His support for Ted Kennedy, John Kerry and Howard Dean shows that he is part of the liberal wing of the Democratic Party.” (emphasis mine)
That final quote was from State Rep. Cheryl Chase, Az District 23. She is on a list of 50 Democrats who are trying to sabotage Jim Pederson’s Senate race. I know Ms. Chase’s area very well; she hails from a town that is 30 minutes away from the gravesite of my great, great, great, great grandmother. My family still lives nearby. How dare she undercut the hardworking, labor-supporting citizens in her area by spewing forth Republican talking-points?
I am disgusted with people in our party who insist on cutting the throat of those who are fighting for our values. Unless we make it clear to them that we are sick and tired of their attempts to dilute our message, we will forever be the party that stands for nothing.
“Big Tent” has many connotations. To this Democrat, it means that we will stand up for the equality of all Americans regardless of gender, race, sexuality, etc.; anything that diminishes a person’s right to a full life in this country should be fought against–hard and relentless. I believe Jim Pederson will carry on that fight.
Why people like Cheryl Chase can’t see the harm they are inflicting, I will never know…but I do know that she deserves a barrage of hate mail for her efforts.
Cheryl Chase (DINO-Az District 23)
Email: cchase@azleg.state.az.us
Phone Number: (602) 926-5030
Fax Number: (602) 417-3123
Address: 1700 W. Washington, Room 128, Phoenix, AZ 85007
Have at it, please, on behalf of my family and the rest of the progressive community in Arizona who are searching for a voice in our government. We’ve worked too hard to be silenced in the Senate for another six years.
