I admit it. I wasn't paying attention. I was never politically active. I was one of those low-information voters. My method was simple. I handed the sample ballot to my husband, who was more politically aware, and he would mark it for me. Not this time. In fact, I'm more informed than he is these days and often he'll say, "Did you hear about ..." and I am able to tell him more than he already knows. It's my turn to mark his sample ballot.

The first time I paid attention to anything Adam Putnam had to say was after the 2006 election when he went on a Republican political crusade to demonize House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for "requesting" a military jet to fly back and forth to her district in California. Up until that point, I didn't think much one way or another about my representative in Congress.


It was later revealed that Pelosi had never requested the jet. Worse yet, it was Rep. Adam Putnam, the third ranking member in the GOP hierarchy in the House of Representatives, that pushed the bogus story:

Today's Tampa Tribue [sic] is carrying a profile of one of the key drivers of this tale: Florida GOP Rep. Adam Putnam. As chairman of the House Republican conference committee, Putnam plays a key role in pushing the GOP's message in the media, and he aggressively pushed the plane story from the start. But now he's cheerfully admitted to the Tribune that not only did he have no idea whether the plane story was true, he didn't particularly care, either.

(snip)

I'm not sure it gets any clearer than that. Putnam had no idea whether the story was true or not. Yet based on an anonymously sourced Washington Times story (and allegedly based on CNN, though what exactly CNN had added to the story at that point is unclear), he happily attacked Pelosi for "arrogance" and "extravagance." More important, he is still "unapologetic" about the fact that the story turned out to be false, because, well, it's not his job to care about such things. It's his job to "drive" the GOP's "message."

GOP Rep. Who Pushed Pelosi Plane Story Admits He Didn't Know -- Or Care -- If It Was True, February 20, 2007

This one instance told me that the person elected to represented me in Congress, puts his party first and foremost above all else, including the concerns and needs of his constituents.

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ADAM PUTNAM'S DOUBLESPEAK ON SUPPORTING THE TROOPS

The DCCC has launched a multimedia campaign to highlight House Republicans' hypocrisy in claiming to support our troops and veterans, but then playing politics with funding them.



Despite Republicans' claims to fund our troops, Rep. Adam Putnam refused to vote "yes" or "no" on critical funding.

House Republicans knocked the carefully choreographed Iraq war funding process into chaos Thursday when they declined to vote for $162.5 billion for combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The vote was a GOP protest against the tactics of Democrats, who added hard-to-veto domestic spending to the measure and bypassed the committee process. Instead of voting "yes" or "no" on the funding measure, 132 Republicans instead voted "present."

Because of that, the measure failed by eight votes. In the final tally, 141 members voted yes, 149 voted no, 132 voted present and 12 did not vote.

(snip)

"What you saw is certainly an aggressive, imaginative floor tactic," said House Republican Conference Chairman Adam Putnam (Fla.). "What you see is that a majority of the majority doesn't support this spending bill for the troops." Puzzled Democrats said Republicans had committed an offense most often pinned on Democrats -- failure to support the troops.

House GOP throws Iraq funding into chaos

In addition, Adam Putnam voted against Jim Webb's G.I. Bill. Here is the Roll Call Vote.

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FL-12 HAS A CHOICE THIS ELECTION!

Unlike in 2006 when Adam Putnam had no Democratic challenger in his bid for re-election, there is a viable alternative this election! His name is Doug Tudor. He is a 20-year Navy veteran who retired on March 1, 2008, as a Master Chief Petty Officer, the senior enlisted grade of E-9. In his last six years of active duty, Doug Tudor served as the administrative aide for three Commanders, U.S. Central Command -- General Tommy Franks, General John Abizaid, and Admiral William Fallon. He has traveled to the combat zones of Afghanistan and Iraq on over 30 occasions.

Doug Tudor Supports:

● Bringing Our Troops Home From Iraq

● Ensuring Access to Affordable Healthcare for all Americans

● Shifting the Tax Burden Off of the Backs of Working-Class Americans

● Making the Improvement of America's Public School System the #1 Long Term Domestic Priority, Including the Repeal of No Child Left Behind

● Funding the Research and Development Needed to Find Alternative Fuel Sources

● Finding A Workable Solution for Non-Documented Workers

● Sensible Measures to Protect Our Environment

● The Revocation of The Patriot Act

Doug Tudor Opposes:

● Tax Credit and Exemptions for Corporations Which Send Jobs Overseas

● Privatization of Social Security Benefits

● Domestic Wiretapping and Other Patriot Act Provisions

● Permanent Military Bases in Iraq

● Further Oil Drilling in the Territorial Waters of the Gulf of Mexico

● The Militarization of the America/Mexico Border

Doug Tudor Will Vote for Bills that Promote Economic Justice, Fiscal Responsibility, Energy Independence, Ecological Sense, Civil Rights, and Military Restraint

Doug Tudor is running for Congress to give working families a voice: a voice that Adam Putnam has sacrificed in his never-ending submissiveness to party politics. Doug was interviewed by the local newspaper:

"I can win," he says.

"People have absolutely had it with the status quo in Washington," Tudor said.

"I was working at the national level, serving our country in uniform while watching our civilian leaders run the country off a cliff. So I decided rather than complain, I'd take a stand. I'm running for the same reason most people do. I got (mad)."

Tudor said his opponent is a rich guy who can afford to lose a few million on the stock market, isn't fazed by $4 gas, "is bought and paid for by big business" and who voted with President George W. Bush 98.7 percent of the time.

Navy Veteran Challenging Putnam

In a previous article announcing Tudor's candidacy in May, we learned more about Putnam's challenger:

He and his wife, Paula, who is on active duty with the Air Force, have three children, Hannah, Alec and Elle.

Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, he grew up in Danville, Va. He received a bachelor of science degree in political science from the University of Maryland in 1995 and an executive juris doctorate degree from Concord University School of Law in Athens, W. Va., in 2007. The degree is an alternative to a regular law degree and is for people who want to study law without becoming lawyers.

Tudor said he is not concerned about the odds of running against a powerful Republican with deep family roots in Polk County, where most of the district's voters live.

"The Republican brand has failed miserably, and people are going to vote their pocketbooks in this election,'' Tudor said. "He is a nice guy, but being the number three Republican in the House, he has so closely tied himself to this president that there is no way he can separate himself. He votes wrong, and as a multimillionaire, he can't see how working families are suffering."

Navy Veteran Challenges Putnam for U.S. House

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Florida District 12 covers east Hillsborough (where Tampa is located), most of Polk and west Osceola counties. The Tampa Tribune in an article endorsing the re-election of Republicans, including Putnam, stated:

Putnam, 34, is being challenged by Democrat Doug Tudor of Riverview, a retired Master Chief Petty Officer and 20-year Navy veteran. In his last six years at U.S. Central Command, he served as administrative aide to Gen. Tommy Franks, Gen. John Abizaid and Admiral William Fallon.

Tudor is rightly proud of his military experience, and his familiarity with the world's hotspots. The Kentucky native criticizes Putnam for being submissive to party politics and failing to watch out for the working man. He makes the point that Putnam served on the House Financial Services Committee (along with Brown-Waite,) which oversees the nation's housing and financial services sectors.

Still, Putnam, who is seeking his fifth term, understands the complexities of the global financial markets and was among the architects of the Wall Street rescue plan.

Return Incumbents To U.S. House

While claiming that Putnam was an architect of the rescue plan, the Tampa Tribune neglects to tell its readers that while other members of Congress were working day and night to solve the economic crisis, Adam Putnam, Chairman of the House Republican Conference and member of the House Financial Services Committee, was busy doing other things. He was hosting a $2,500 fundraiser in Nantucket, Massachusetts, September 19-21, 2008. Seriously! Here's the Invitation to the Event to raise money for his RED PAC, so named because President Bush nicknamed Putnam "Red."

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While the Tampa Tribune may heart Adam Putnam, readers of Lakeland's newspaper in Polk County, The Ledger, have other things to say when writing letters to the editor:

I have never believed that Adam Putnam represents me or the people whom I know: the working class people who are trying to keep a home and food on the table for our families, and gas in our cars to get to work.

Putnam represents the pharmaceutical companies that charge exorbitant prices for medications that we need. Putnam represents the big oil companies that are raking in billions in profit. Putnam represents the agricultural industry - and they all make sure they get their tax exemptions, while Putnam gets contributions from them to keep him in office. One hand washes the other, as they say.

(snip)

I believe Doug Tudor is a man who will represent me and the people of the 12th District when he gets to Washington and will remember who we are, back here in Polk County.

We need to support Doug Tudor and make him the next congressman from the 12th District of Florida in November.

Doug Tudor, August 16, 2008

:::

The wealthy Putnam, who has never held a meaningful job other than to work on the family citrus-and-cattle farm, and to serve in the Florida and federal legislatures, has no understanding of the needs of the people. He only represents the Republican Party.

His job has been to "make noise" and block all progressive legislation. The new Obama administration will bring hope and change, but the changes will be easier without the third-ranking Republican obstructionist in charge, Putnam.

We as voters in the 12th Congressional District have the opportunity to say we don't need you Adam Putnam to cause problems in our government anymore. Doug Tudor will also be on the ballot this November and, with our support, could unseat Putnam. Please look at the background of Doug Tudor and see if you believe, as I do, that he would truly better represent the people of the 12th District.

Doug Tudor, September 9, 2008

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Adam Putnam is an embarrassment whom we no longer have to endure. Vote the whinny little kid out of office and replace him with an adult.

Putnam, GOP Put Fragile Feelings Ahead National Financial Need, September 30, 2008

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If the nation is turning to socialist solutions, it is because of the excesses of "anything goes" capitalism. Putnam and his party are responsible.

Rep. Adam Putnam, October 12, 2008

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Rep. Putnam, please run a campaign on what - if anything - you plan to do differently so we won't have to endure the same lied-about war, economy and border insecurity we have incurred in the past eight years. We are all anxiously awaiting to hear about your new plans.

Your congressional record is not very impressive and perhaps it is time for you to rejoin the real world for awhile, and get some real-life experience.

I hear the Armed Forces have some openings.

Rep. Adam Putnam, October 17, 2008

:::

Putnam supported President Bush's policies on war in Iraq, secret prisons, torture, deficit spending, an interventionist foreign policy that costs nearly $1 trillion a year (more than the rest of the world spends combined) and spying on U.S. citizens.

Neoconservatives such as Putnam cannot be trusted. They promised us they would only spy on suspected terrorists without a court order. Recently it was revealed that American spies eavesdropped on the private conversations our soldiers in Iraq with family and friends back home. It was further reported that, on many occasions, these American spies shared the recorded conversations with each other for their own entertainment.

Doug Tudor, October 17, 2008

:::

We know that his innocent appearance and squeaky-clean record were exploited by that administration to lend credibility to its flawed, irresponsible and dangerous leadership philosophy.

We tolerated his "attack dog" role because of our selfish belief that it would better enable him to bring home the "pork" (not to be confused with "the other white meat"). Unfortunately, Congressman Putnam and his confused House colleagues again ignored the duty of Congress to provide checks and balances against executive and administrative abuses of its power and authority.

These abuses have brought this nation to its knees. They have undermined its economic balance and stability in favor of global financial and business interests.

Putnam recently ignored the opportunity to stand tall and reject the irresponsible, unworkable and corrupt bailout plan inflicted upon Congress by Bush, Paulson, Bernanke and Goldman Sachs. He disregarded the overwhelming pleas of his constituents and unbiased learned economists to stay calm and avoid a knee-jerk giveaway of taxpayers' funds.

Rep. Adam Putnam, October 20, 2008

:::

Please do not misrepresent to the public that Adam Putnam can protect Polk County's interest in Washington. All he has ever protected is the corporate giants and has voted in support of Bush's policies 98.7 percent of the time. Also, make it clear to your readership that The Ledger supports torture, unnecessary wars and that they even doubt the reality of global warming.

On the other hand, maybe The Ledger will do some serious soul-searching and become courageous enough to say enough is enough and that it is long past time for a change. Adam Putnam has well over a $1 million to spend, while Doug Tudor has less than $100,000. It would seem that The Ledger would at least make it known that there is a congressional race this year and provide daily information about it.

To not endorse Doug Tudor is the same as endorsing all that the Bush administration has done in the past eight years, as Mr. Putnam was with him 98.7 percent of the time. They are twins.

Mr. Tudor has an outstanding resume, which readers can read for themselves at www.teamtudor.org.

Doug Tudor, October 20, 2008

Amazingly, in all the Letters to the Editor I was able to locate, not one of them supported Adam Putnam. The closest anybody came was to say that we shouldn't be pointing fingers right now during the financial crisis.

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SUPPORT DOUG TUDOR

If we can raise $5,000, we can help the Tudor Campaign purchase Nine Days of Twenty 30-Second TV Ads Per Day!

If we surpass that goal, and are able to raise more, here is what additional funds can do:

● $ 2,700 = 10,000 piece mailer targeted to seniors, women, etc.

● $ 2,000 = Floods the Hispanic radio airwaves from now until election day

● $ 550 = 1/2 page color ad in The Ledger on Election Day

A rumor going around here in Florida Congressional District 12 is that Adam Putnam is down by 5 points in his race against Doug Tudor. The Putnam campaign conducted an internal poll just after the vote on the bailout and Tudor was beating Putnam by 5 points! Doug Tudor can win his race against Adam Putnam with our help!

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For more videos of Doug Tudor see this diary at DailyKos: Crush their Spirits...3rd Ranking House Republican Seat CHALLENGED.