[1]
This is great news for the 4th CD.

Go Angie!!!!

Posted by em dash at Friday, September 16, 2005 12:21:50

[2]
I'm glad to hear that someone will be challenging that extremist Musgrave.

In order to win, the Democratic candidate must give ordinary people in the vast eastern part of the district a reason to register and come out to vote. This means she must show ordinary people that she (a) understands their problems, and (b) will fight for their interests. We need a candidate with a populist economic message.

Much of the legislation in Congress pits the interests of business owners against the interests of workers and consumers. Which side will Angie Paccioni be on? If she's allied with the Larimer County Democratic Party's "Democratic Business Coalition" or with the Democratic Leadership Council, I'm afraid she'll fail both of the above tests.

Farmers need higher prices. People who work in Wal-Mart or gas stations or stores in small towns need job security and health care. We don't need free trade bills that help large agribusiness corporations instead of farmers. We need to put the interests of Main Street ahead of the interests of Wall Street. Will Angie Paccione do that?

Posted by BobB at Friday, September 16, 2005 12:21:51

[3]
Speaking of Wal-Mart:

Garment workers at factories in China, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Swaziland, and
Nicaragua that produce goods for Wal-Mart have filed a lawsuit claiming that WalMart failed to ensure compliance with its code of conduct for suppliers, paid below minimum and overtime wages in their respective countries, allowed sweatshop conditions to persist, and then misled the American public about its efforts on behalf of foreign workers. Jane Doe I v. Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Cal. Super. Ct., Case No. BC339737 (complaint filed September 13, 2005). http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/...

The lawsuit also seeks certification for class of employees who work for California businesses that have been harmed by Wal-Mart's allegedly unfair labor practices. This includes union members forced to make wage and benefit concessions to allow their employers to try to compete with Wal-Mart.

The workplace good news - bad news series that started today should give Paccione some ideas of the work that lies ahead - and of conditions that have developed on her opponent's watch.

Posted by shirah at Friday, September 16, 2005 12:37:37

[4]
I agree. I've heard over and over again throughout my travels in CD-4 for Democracy for Colorado that immigration will be the new wedge issue for the Republicans in 2006.

Getting in front of both issues—immigration of people and migration of jobs overseas—will be key.

Bottom line: working people are getting screwed by Musgrave and the plutocratics within the Republican Party.

Posted by em dash at Friday, September 16, 2005 12:45:01

[5]
IN KS-3, the immigration issue was used by the GOP challenger Kris Kobach, in a race that the RNCC thought they had a good shot at winning, it is a majority GOP district afterall.

Kobach's campaign took money from groups aligned with Rep. Tancredo and he went down in flames - in a district that the incumbent Dem won by less than 2% since his initial victory in '98, I doubt that strategy will be too successful. After all the war on terror TM (a link Kobach tried to tenously tie to immigration) is what people are worried about. And now we have Katrina.

Posted by AJC at Friday, September 16, 2005 12:53:19

[6]
Awesome news!! Angie, will you be at the "Musgrave Must Go" fundraiser for the Larimer Dems this evening?

Posted by Adam at Friday, September 16, 2005 12:54:01

[7]
Many people who live in the district say it's changing. I'll be happy if Paccione can persuade the greens-through her actions-to vote for her. Last time Kinsey (G)took 4%. It was a close race.

Posted by Em Rosa at Friday, September 16, 2005 12:59:45

[8]
In defense of Kinsey, as in defense of Nader the first time he ran (2000), it is my opinion that the reason the Green Party has risen even to the extent it has in the U.S. is because, in a two-party system, it's pretty challenging for the two parties to represent the different views of all their constituencies well or effectively.

It is my feeling that, since the Reagan victory in 1980--and perhaps before, therefore leading to Reagan's victory in the first place--the Demorcratic Party at the national level (and therefore I think, at other levels), has significantly drifted from its populist, progressive roots.

I believe this was why the Republican national apparatus ws even close enough in the 2000 election to defeat Gore (by stealing the election away from him, and depriving thousands--if not hundreds of thousands--of Floridians of their right to vote and have their votes counted, and the country of its rightfully elected president).

Nader himself was not the problem.
Personally, I look forward to being part of a national Democratic movement that embraces the many important perspectives he provided and issues he raised in the 2000 campaign. I feel confident that Angie is both a true populist and a true progressive. I am excited about her candidacy, and will be a vocal supporter of her effort.

With respect,
Tom Griggs

P. S. I am in the process of considering a run for the Democratic nomination for the State Board of Education in the Fourth CD (th same district Angie is hoping to represent in Congress). If you would like to contact me about this, you can do so at <tomgriggs@riverrock.org>.

Posted by Tom Griggs at Saturday, September 17, 2005 11:33:36

[9]
Today's Musgrave newsletter covers health care. Instead of bandaid proposals, HB676 Universal single-payer health care for all, by John Conyers, Dennis Kusinich, et al., would cover all as in other developed countries, at less than we are now paying per capita for health care while 45 million are uninsured. As is about 50% of our funds are skimmed off by insurance companies, drug companies (paperwork).

Corporations and small businesses have to go overseas to compete with corporations in countries which provide health care. Toyota recently chose Ontario, Canada, for a new Rav4 factory because Canada provides universal health care (and because their workers are better educated). Jobs are going elsewhere.

Posted by Dolores Williams at Saturday, September 17, 2005 14:13:13

[10]
This comment was inadvertently posted elsewhere, I'm copying it here to keep the thread self-contained.

Love, Em

***********************************************

State Representative Angie Paccione has announced her candidacy for Congress from Colorado’s 4th Congressional District, and that is GOOD NEWS! Angie has shown her wisdom and insight in the State House! She is a proven leader and a person who hears all the voices of those she Represents. Won't that be nice for a change? It is the "infrastructure" that failed the people of Louisiana and New York and cost so many lives. Our highways,roads, bridges, levies, dikes, waterways, dams,hospitals, railways some of which are hundreds of years old and it real bad need of repair and replacement. Our infrastructure not only will help keep us safe against terrorists and natural diasters, but allow America to grow a strong economic base. Our military size can be reduced if we enlarge the Army Corp of Engineers and Navy Seabees and re-examine how we deal with our friends and neighbors, as if they ARE our friends and neighbors. It is time for a Congressperson who hears the cry of our farmers, working class and those who feed America and the World and have built America....Angie is that person. She is smart, wise, caring, compassionate and in my opinion just what Colorado needs in these troubled times. She understands the vital link our infrastructure plays in facing these problems tearing us apart today! Good Luck Angie and good hunting!

Posted by Richard A. Payne at Saturday, September 17, 2005 11:59:40

Posted by em dash at Sunday, September 18, 2005 12:17:36

[11]
Good luck Angie. You are truly the best candidate for the job!

Posted by DYW at Monday, September 19, 2005 09:22:27