We at The Progressive Electorate are having a contest/vote to determine who we will back as our first candidate. We will committ to raising/donating $1,000 for the winner and $500 for second place. I will promote the candidate through an Act Blue page and posts on the blog. Feel free to post about other candidates at the Blog as I'm thinking about doing a second contest in September.

The candidates are

AL-03 - Josh Segall - I've been talking about finding a challenger for Mike Rogers not three minutes after he was elected. Segall has just made the DCCC emerging races list He's 29, but wise in terms of political acumen and experience having worked on several high profile campaigns

For more info on Segall go to a good read at the Politico -

IL - 10 - Dan Seals - This is a Dem district in terms of what has happened in last few Presidential Races. Rematch from 2006 where Seals garnered almost 47% of vote.  Having worked in Illinois politics in 2002, I had to find an Illinois race to cover. I like what I see from Seals. There may be worse Congressman than Mark Kirk, but this is a hot race and one we can win. Seal's interactive website

NC -08 - Larry Kissell - I know Kissell almost won in 2006 and that is about it. I know Robin Hayes has been a target for a while and voted for CAFTA at the last minute much to the chagrin of people in his district. District stretches from Charlotte to Fayetteville (think Central North Carolina.

Read about Robin Hayes the incumbent here.

TX-Sen- Rick Noriega - I've already been covering a lot of Rick this cycle and raised some money ($1200) at my Better Senators for Veterans Act Blue page  I really do not like "Big John" Cornyn.  Noriega winning would be some sweet revenge for losing Max Cleland in 2002 over the patriot issue.


Miss -Sen - Ronnie Musgrove - Granted Musgrove would not be the most progressive member of the Senate. But he has got to be better than Wicker. MS-01 showed us this race is a good possibility The Swing State Project even had a front page diary showing Musgrove as +8. Musgrove had a good deal of popularity in Miss for creating jobs.

Go to http:/www.progressiveelectorate.com and vote

With all the focus on FISA the last few days, I want to draw your attention to an issue that we must focus on: Better treatment of Veterans. Last week I read two disturbing reports. One that there are discrepancies in female veteran health care treatment. The other was how veterans have been exeperiments for drug testing without proper knowledge of suicidal and violent side effects.

I've got an Act Blue fund Called Better Senators for Veterans.  I started this last month to help those candidates running against the incumbent republicans that voted against the Webb GI Bill. I have raised about $1200 and have more in pledges. I still want to get to $1500 this weekend and I've pledged some of my own money. Rick Noriega is a great candidate and needs your support against John Cornyn.

Well I've also taken an interest recently in the GA-12 house race. I know there is a lot of discussion about that race with Obama backing Barrow and I've got another diary on that.
I think Regina Thomas is certainly one to back there and add that to your list and I have an Act Blue page GA-12 Taking on a Bush Dog for that race.

However, I have not had the time to really dig and target those house races where we have incumbents that are bad for veterans. I would like to extend my efforts to the House. Please let me know who should be on this page. I will make an effort to blog on this issue also.

Thanks for your comments and assistance.

Obama got brave and endorsed John Barrow in the GA-12 Primary. John Barrow is probably the second or third most conservative dem in Congress with Nick Lampson and Jim Marshall - his Georgia homeboy. Barrow's district is D+3 unlike some of the other Blue Dogs or Bush Dogs as some progressives call most of them who sit in R+10's or higher.

I don't know much about State. Sen. Regina Thomas. But I do know she's a great deal more progressive than Barrow. This is a heavily populated African-American seat so she has a chance. Probably won't be as well funded as Denise Edwards and not a lot of time so I'm going ahead and offering some support. If nothing else this will push Barrow to get more in line with his district knowing that the challenge won't come from the right but from the left.

If you have a couple bucks Click Here and Donate

She does have a video up that has hit You Tube and you can find it other places around the net.

Today has been a day of clear contrasts in the Presidential Race and the Texas Senate Race.

I just have a problem with the McCain flip-flop and spin on his support of the GI Bill. Especially when he knows better. The first part of my diary talks about this issue.

Rick Noriega leaves the campaign trail for the better part of two weeks for active duty and his opponent is hypocritically whinning about about politics as usual. The second part of my diary deals with this.

Let me preface this by saying that I am not paid by the Noriega campaign and have no official affiliation with them.  Nor do I with the Obama campaign either.

I've raised almost $1200 for Noriega and other candidates better for vets than what we have now with my Act Blue Page. I want to get to $1500 as soon as possible. Read my diary as I connect the dots and the contrasts. ACT Blue Page here

<strong>1.</strong>
McSame only supports the troops when it is just the right time. He showed his lack of judgement before on this issue considering his past as a war hero. There was more than partisan Democratic support behind the GI Bill that passed last month

I certainly find myself disturbed today that the Republicans including McSame are supporting the 21st Century Bill of Rights because it's tied to more funding for the war. These members of Congress dedide its time to support the GI Bill now. They claim its better now because of the provision that will transfer benefits to children and spouses.

Read McSame's statment.  <blockquote>

With the addition of the transferability provisions sought by Senators Graham, Burr, myself and others to give service members the right to transfer earned G.I. Bill benefits to spouses and children, we will have achieved in offering vastly improved educational benefit while also offering incentives for continued service by the most capable, experienced NCO’s and officers. Our courageous NCO’s and officers called for this option, and I believe that its inclusion in this bill will help maintain retention levels in all the Services where it needs to be for the well being of the All Volunteer Force and our Nation.”

</blockquote>

<a href="Full'>http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/06/mccain-now-supp.html">Full article</a>

Mind you that before we had all the veterans organizations and a bipartisan coalition supporting this bill. Now we get to listen to McSame posture himself as supporting the troops.

<strong>2. </strong>I can't write a Rick Noriega diary or blog without finding a way to get in a jab the incumbent "Big John" Cornyn. I haven't seen any statements from Cornyn on the GI Bill today  but I imagine he's going along with McSame.

Cornyn did say today about Obama (<b>From Fox News, yeah I know!!!</b><blockquote>Rather than sending a message that he’s about change or a new type of politics in America, it really looks and sounds like he’s about the same old ... type of politics in America,” Republican Texas Sen. John Cornyn </blockquote>

<a href="Cornyn'>http://www.elections.foxnews.com/2008/06/19/republicans-hammer-obama-for-sidestepping-public-funds/">Cornyn on Obama today</a>

Contrast this to a comment by Rick Noriega,<a href="full'>http://www.theexaminer.com/npps/story.cfm?ID=2232">full diary by Rick</a> who says<blockquote> What occurred to me when I was in the field was the sharp contrast in what we were doing, my band of infantry brothers, preparing for combat, and what John Cornyn was doing in Washington, DC at the same time.</blockquote>

He goes on to say <blockquote>When I drove onto post on June 1st, gas was $3.78 a gallon. When I left training two weeks later it was $4.00 a gallon. In the meantime, Cornyn voted against tax incentives for renewable energy investment, leaving Texans high and dry at the pump and undermining efforts for America to achieve energy independence</blockquote>

Rick serves our Country while Cornyn serves his big oil buddies. That's what I get from that.

<strong>So let me ask you? Who is about the same old - type of politics? Rick Noriega and Barack Obama? or John McCain and John Cornyn?</strong>