Saturday, May 27, 2006

Weekend Walks

Being only 10 days before election, I thought that I might get a feel for what is happening in Santa Clara County by walking around the down town during the Mushroom Mardi Gras. So here are a few disjointed observations.

On the way there, Pombo signs have begun to spring up. There were a number of them planted along the main road from 101 toward the Mushroom Mardi Gras parking. Every one of them had been placed directly in front of and obscuring a McCloskey sign. The sign wars have begun.

The Republican and Democratic Parties each had a booth with a lot of material on a lot of candidates. There was Pombo material and when I asked about McCloskey Material, I was directed to the Big Red RV that was NOT paid for with taxpayer money.

That RV was parked in the first parking space off Monterey Rd (the venue for the Mardi Gras) and it was very visible and easily accessible. Whoever parked it there did a good job.

Walking around, I only say buttons and t-shirts for McCloskey and McNerney. I also met Marty Cheek, a writer for the local newspapers over here (MH Times, Gilroy Dispach, Hollister Freelance). Marty told me that he thought Santa Clara County would go for Pete: two issues, ethics and environment.

Even the McNerney supporters were telling me that McNerney vs. McCloskey would be a win for everyone. But maybe that was only because I was wearing a McCloskey button.

Then, you may remember that Kevin posted the tepid endorsement of Pombo from the Modesto Bee. Today, they ran the following at the top of the Letters to the Editor page.

Pombo has failed to deliver

Last Updated: May 27, 2006, 08:05:32 AM PDT

About six months ago, in a letter to The Bee, I asked whether there could be a green Republican, or if the term was an oxymoron. In your endorsement of Richard Pombo, you seem to have answered that question for all of your readers.

You commented that "even a deeply flawed Pombo has more to offer the district than (Pete) McCloskey." Yet, you did not give a single reason why that should be so. Pombo consistently has told us (I live in the district) what he is doing on our behalf, and just as consistently failed to deliver. He has failed to deliver the appropriation for levee repair. He has failed to deliver (voting for HR 4437) the immigrant worker program that the Farm Bureau says is needed. He even has failed to deliver on reforming the Endangered Species Act, his No. 1 project. Why we should return a failure to Congress is something that I don't understand. Do we keep sending him back until he gets it right?

Wes Rolley, Morgan Hill


So, what did the rest of you find. Was anyone in Brentwood today?

4 Comments:

Blogger A Progressive Alamedan said...

Actually I was in Brentwood today (picking cherries with the family; I kept thinking about the phrase "cherry-picked intelligence" that is in the California Dem Party 2006 Platform, but I digress) and I didn't see any signs of political activity there or in any othe neighboring sprawling towns to the north.

9:19 PM, May 27, 2006  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

APA -

Looks like you missed our intrepid McNerney crew cherry-picking voters for Jerry in Brentwood today. ;-)

That volunteer-driven event was just one of 18 different McNerney for Congress events this Memorial Day weekend, including 12 precinct walks, 3 house parties, and 3 phone banks. Saturday's highlight -- a large McNerney BBQ in Stockton (as published in the Stockton Record).

If you're in Morgan Hill on Sunday, you might run into Jerry at Mushroom Mardi Gras. A number of volunteers will be joining Jerry and pressing the flesh clad in McNerney gear, as they did today when Delta apparently ran into them.

But that's not all. If you're at the San Ramon Art & Wind Festival around 12:30ish on Sunday afternoon, look high up in the sky for some rather prominent visibility. As soon as we get a chance, we'll post the juicy details on the McNerney blog.

GOTV weekend will be even bigger, with 20 different events across the district. Blade by blade, our grassroots movement is growing by the day. Cheers to every single volunteer who has stepped forward to contribute their valuable time for the McNerney campaign so far -- Jerry would not be where he is without you!

EDJ

p.s. McNerney vs. McCloskey? Let's just say -- given the alternative -- I wouldn't be very disappointed in that "Fighting Irish" matchup. ;-)

2:20 AM, May 28, 2006  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yo edj.

Rocky here. Now you got duh write idea, as duh more Rocky sees of duh Fightin Repuglican duh more he seems like one of us. Plus dis guy has the best right hook Rocky ever seen.

Duh way Rocky sees it, the longer we in dis Inner Circle use our circular reasonin to keep the Repugs fightin amongst demselves duh better. We Dems gotta be pullin for duh Fightin Repug, as like you say if its Mc vs Mc dat ain't a bad choice to have. You know what I mean?

I mean even Pretty Boy vs duh Fightin Repug would be a big home improvement too, wouldn't you say?

Rocky out.

8:22 AM, May 28, 2006  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Rocky -

Yes, while that goes without saying, I appreciate you saying it. There's no doubt that Filson would be a better candidate than Pombo.

As you know, of course, I'm a McNerney man. I believe in Jerry. I think he can win, not only now but in November.

We've got 9 days to prove that McNerney is the right man to take on -- and defeat -- Richard Pombo. And many events to do it. On that note, I've got to get to another one!

Cheers,
EDJ

12:27 PM, May 28, 2006  

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