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First of all, a giant THANK YOU to all who contributed to CSP Week on Blue Hampshire. (You too, Paul!) Even though I did not time it intentionally with Rep. Shea-Porter's CODEL trip to Afghanistan, or her terrific fundraising numbers, I think it was a success for a number of reasons, and I look forward to doing another one or two further into the fall when more folks are online and engaged with the election, for both Carol and others.
I wanted to relay a more personal revelation I had as a result of this project that I think will be a useful guide for the future. It's so basic, and something I've seen (and lamented) played out on a bigger national stage with political strategy, yet I didn't notice it in my own little micro-corner of The Internets until this week.
Basically: over time I have found myself increasingly in the habit of chasing down and responding to every false hit job that the right tries to put onto our Carol. Don't get me wrong: I think it is still essential to respond immediately and forcefully to the bogus attacks on her.
What I lost sight of is that only doing that puts the right wing wurlitzer, and the state media organ that enables it, in the driver's seat, free to spend time coming up with the next bit of nonsense.
By instead spending a week on Carol Shea-Porter's many accomplishments over her short time in congress, I rediscovered how proud I am that she represents us. I marvelled how in a sausage making machine of over 400 disparate interests, she has time and again led on issues and put her stamp onto critically important legislation - no easy feat! And finally, I felt more strongly than ever how important it is to do what we can to keep someone working for "the rest of us" in that seat for as long as she wants it.
There's another reason besides personal fulfillment that made CSP Week a success, however. It drove the other side nuts. Instead of stirring the pot on the latest non-scandal or planning a new one, they were hyperventilating on this little project. I managed to get insulted on just about every major NH right-wing blog that's out there, for simply pointing out some of Carol Shea-Porter's many accomplishments. That, dear readers, is a true sign of the success of this thing.
So I encourage all of you to make every week CSP Week. If you hear about something Carol voted on in the House to make our lives better, write it up to your local paper. Blog about it. Facebook status it. Tweet it. After all, Carol Shea-Porter is working for you and you have every right to make that work known to the majority of Granite Staters who twice voted for her.
This is not going to be an easy November. Some people who have done everything right still stand to lose their jobs thanks to a few Ben Nelsons and Joe Liebermans in the Senate, along with a wall of nonsensical obstruction from the GOP and their political shop, i.e., FAUX News and hate radio. Let's do what we can to ensure that Carol is rewarded for her public service with the chance to do even more for the rest of us.
Not a surprise, exactly, but nice to see an endorsement of Carol Shea-Porter by the non-partisan League of Conservation Voters turn up at the end of CSP Week ( h/t Shira):
Rep. Shea-Porter has consistently supported tax credits that would encourage the development of wind, solar and other clean energy sources while creating thousands of jobs. In 2007, she voted to reduce taxpayer handouts to Big Oil and to shift government subsidies from oil to cleaner, more secure renewable energy sources.
Greetings from the Young Democrats of America summer national conference in Washington, where I'm representing New Hampshire as YDA National Committeeman. This is my first time visiting our nation's capital since I left after living here for six months. As some may know, I had the privilege of serving as an intern in Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter's office for the first half of 2009.
I was here for President Obama's inauguration and for, among other things, the battle for the Recovery Act-a bill to allow the government to blow air into the leaking balloon of our national economy, proposed because the new President took the oath watching seven hundred thousand jobs disappear each month. Although Republicans were nearly unanimous in their opposition to the bill, they were happy to offer suggestions and had a talking point list of specific items to strip out. One such item was funding for the National Park Service to perform much-needed maintenance on the National Mall. In addition to fortifying the memorials against the very real possibility of sinking into the Potomac, the project was to include revitalizing the grass in our national front yard, and it needed it-imagine looking at patchy New Hampshire grass at spring's first thaw, year round. Despite their ideological opposition to the idea that stimulus spending works at all, Republicans insisted this was not stimulus, that it was just wasteful. I found the removal of this project appalling. People in the District of Columbia need jobs too, and the National Mall is a public park used by tourists, locals, and events (including tea party protests). It's home to many of our country's most cherished symbols.
More to the point, the grass should always be greener in America's front yard.
I left CSP's office and went back to school in June 2009, just before the healthcare debate heated up. 467,000 jobs were lost that month-dismal, but far less than what it had been before President Obama replaced President Bush and got to work, with help from Carol Shea-Porter, Paul Hodes, and Jeanne Shaheen.
As it's been a year since my last visit, tonight I went to one of my favorite places in the world. If you've never been to the base of the Washington Monument at night, put that on your bucket list. From that spot, you can see the US Capitol, the White House, the Lincoln Memorial, the WWII Memorial, the very top of the Jefferson Memorial, and many of the spectacular museums and office buildings that line the Mall. After enjoying the view, I walked along the path from the Monument to the Capitol Building.
As I said, it's been a year. Private sector employment went up by nearly a hundred thousand last month. The Dow Jones has gone up by four digits in the past year. The panic has subsided. And the grass on America's front lawn is a little bit greener. A helpful little sign informed me that the Mall is being revitalized after all. Despite the best efforts of a negligent minority party, we're all better off because Democrats are leading the way.
The grass should always be greener in America's front yard. The streets are not paved with gold and our problems can't be fixed overnight, but America is a place where people's hope is rewarded. That is who we are. That is what we do. And that is why I'm voting for Carol Shea-Porter, Paul Hodes, and their fellow Democrats this fall.
Did you know that the new health care law that Carol Shea-Porter worked so hard to pass (despite it being a less progressive bill - with a public option - than she would have wanted) will allow for no cost preventive care in some instances? (email)
Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter today released the following statement regarding the announcement from the Department of Health and Human Services that new health care plans must cover preventive services at no cost to the patient.
"The health care reform package enacted in March is already helping Granite Staters," said Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter. "These newly enacted provisions will allow patients to receive free preventive care, which lowers medical costs and helps Americans lead healthier lives."
Depending on age and health risks, the types of preventive services that will be available without a deductible, co-pay or co-insurance under these new provisions include:
Blood pressure, diabetes, and cholesterol tests;
Many cancer screenings;
Routine vaccines for diseases such as measles, polio, or meningitis;
Flu and pneumonia shots;
Counseling, screening and vaccines for healthy pregnancies; and
Regular well-baby and well-child visits, from birth to age 21.
This is a no-brainer. If people can afford to go to the doctor for preventive care, they will spend far less later. And of course the larger point: early detection is key to better health and longevity.
It's CSP Week on BH. Learn more here about it. Get involved, and give what you can.
(It's CSP Week on BH. Learn more here about it. Get involved, and give what you can. - promoted by Dean Barker)
Carol's efforts in Congress are many and varied and this sometimes makes it hard for people to keep track. This week's CSP posts are a great way to start and I'd like to add my two cents. Yesterday, Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter voted with a bi-partisan majority to send the Improving Nutrition for America's Children Act, a bill she also co-sponsored, to a vote on the House floor. HR 5504 represents the first real (i.e. non-inflationary) increase in federal support for school nutrition in almost 40 years, a move applauded by First Lady Michelle Obama.
Military and environmental policy rarely cross paths. Which is a great shame, because our men and women in uniform are often asked to perform under some of the worst environmental conditions around.
But it doesn't have to be this way.
Carol Shea-Porter helped bring soldiers' concerns about KBR's use of open air burn pits to the light of day:
The noxious smoke plumes that wafted over the military base in Balad, Iraq, alarmed Lt. Col. Michelle Franco. The stench from a huge burn pit clung to her clothing, skin and hair.
"I remember thinking: This doesn't look good, smell good or taste good," Franco said recently. "I knew it couldn't be good for anybody."
She wheezed and coughed constantly. When Franco returned to the U.S., she was diagnosed with reactive airway dysfunction syndrome. She is no longer able to serve as an Air Force nurse.
Shea-Porter got to work, and a law was signed by President Obama:
Today Eller, Sheridan, and the many others affected by these pits are getting some good news, thanks in part to the work of Rep. Tim Bishop, Democrat of New York, and Rep. Carol Shea Porter, Democrat of New Hampshire, who have championed their cause for months. They successfully lobbied for the inclusion of provisions to limit the use of these toxic pits in the National Defense Authorization Act, which the president will sign into law this afternoon. Under this new law, open-air burning of medical and hazardous waste will be prohibited except where the Defense secretary deems there is no alternative, the DoD must justify the use of burn pits to Congress, and it will develop a plan to eliminate the use of burn pits entirely.
It's CSP Week on BH. Learn more here about it. Get involved, and give what you can.
Removing DADT is almost a foregone conclusion at this point. But not a year ago, when Carol Shea-Porter was at the vanguard of exposing the stupidity of a policy that excludes patriotic Americans who want to serve this country:
This post is dedicated to the out-of-state haters who are descending on New Hampshire today to protest the fact that we are one of the few places in America where some tax-paying, patriotic citizens are afforded the same right of marriage under the law as I am.
Basically, what Granite State Progress said in an email yesterday:
Be a silent witness to marriage equality tomorrow, Thursday, July 15th when NOM brings its hate campaign to town. Bring a sign or make one there as we remember and celebrate the great Live Free or Die tradition that has led New Hampshire to continue to support equality for all loving, committed same-sex couples.
Tomorrow, Thursday, July 15, 2010
Noon - 1 p.m.
City Hall Plaza
900 Elm Street, Manchester, NH 03101
It's CSP Week on BH. Learn more here about it. Get involved, and give what you can.
We start 2009 in the midst of a crisis unlike any we have seen in our lifetime... Nearly two million jobs have now been lost... Manufacturing has hit a twenty-eight year low. Many businesses cannot borrow or make payroll. Many families cannot pay their bills or their mortgage. Many workers are watching their life savings disappear. And many, many Americans are both anxious and uncertain of what the future will hold.
That is why I have moved quickly to work with my economic team and leaders of both parties on an American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan that will immediately jumpstart job creation and long-term growth.
On February 13, 2009, Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter cast her vote in favor of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Our nation is facing the most severe economic crisis since the Great Depression, and it is critical that we act now. This bill will create and protect jobs, build and repair local infrastructure, and provide tax relief to New Hampshire workers and families.
In May, 2010, the independent, bipartisan Congressional Budget Office reported on the results:
...the $800 billion economic stimulus package "has had a slightly bigger effect on the U.S. economy than was projected when it was passed more than a year ago."
"Through the first quarter of 2010, the stimulus boosted employment by an estimated 1.3 million to 2.8 million jobs, about a quarter or half million more than projected. Gross domestic product was 1.7 to 4.1 percentage points higher than it would have been without the stimulus."
A partial list of funds made possible by the passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and made available to New Hampshire residents follows below the fold.
Upon her return from the CODEL to Afghanistan, Rep. Shea-Porter said"I believe our best chance for success depends on the local tribes' willingness to defend their own backyard."
Well, tonight it looks as if General Petraeus has a similar plan in mind:
Afghan President Hamid Karzai and his national security team endorsed a U.S.-backed plan Wednesday to set up local police forces around the country, allowing villagers to protect themselves in areas where international and Afghan forces can't be spared.
...NATO officials declined to publicly comment on the program, even though NATO Commander Gen. David Petraeus has been intimately involved in discussions about it in recent days at the presidential palace.
Shea-Porter issued a release on this news (posted in full below the fold), including:
"I have consistently said that local defense initiatives by Afghan tribal leaders and villagers are critical to success in Afghanistan," said Congresswoman Shea-Porter. "I am pleased that this new community police program will rely on local Afghans defending themselves, and I am hopeful that this will enable Afghans, from the village level up, to take increasing responsibility for their own defense.
Finally, here's a priceless shot of NH's finest from Carol's latest trip:
It's CSP Week on BH. Learn more here about it. Get involved, and give what you can.
This is shaping up to be a big news week for Carol Shea-Porter; I'm glad we chose this same time frame to highlight her on BH.
Pindell's got the exclusive on CSP's fundraising totals for the quarter, her best yet:
First District Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter (D-Rochester) raised $209,498 in the last three months, her best fund-raising quarter of the cycle, NHPoliticalReport.com has learned.
It is highly unlikely that any of her potential Republican opponents - besides Sean Mahoney - will raised anything like that during the same period.
Her campaign says that she now has $605,595 cash on hand.
And remember, that's without business PAC money.
The great thing about this will be obvious to anyone who has seen the Shea-Porter campaign in operation in previous cycles. With her tendency to start heavily campaigning a little later than others, her frugal use of campaign resources, and her army of grassroots supporters - the kind of folks who don't just put signs up, but who do all kinds of volunteer campaign work - that 605,595 cash on hand is going to go a long way.
It's CSP Week on BH. Learn more here about it. Get involved, and give what you can.
(Thank You, Rep. Hodes! - promoted by Dean Barker)
Carol Shea-Porter has been a remarkable advocate for New Hampshire families. She's an example of the very best in public service - principled, passionate, and not afraid to roll up her sleeves and fight for what's right, even when it may be politically inconvenient.
She fought tirelessly for health insurance reform, for tough rules to crack down on Wall Street, and for equal pay for every American woman. Nobody in New Hampshire ever has to wonder where Carol stands - she's tough, she's a fighter, and she is an outstanding Representative for the people of New Hampshire's 1st District. It's is an honor to work together with her for the Granite State.
If you're on Medicare, the federal health program for people 65 and older and the disabled, and you've fallen into the prescription-drug coverage gap known as the doughnut hole this year, the U.S. government is putting a $250 check in the mail for you starting Thursday. You don't have to apply for your check because Medicare tracks your drug costs. The agency will send you your $250 check automatically as soon as you reach the coverage gap this year, experts from AARP said during a conference call Tuesday.
Can you hear it? That's the sound of Bush's deficit-laden Medicare Part D donut hole being filled. And it doesn't end there with that quick fix. The new deficit-reducing health care reform bill slowly fills that hole so that seniors don't get dumped into the political ploy W. pushed on them back in the day.
The closing of the Medicare Part D donut hole is a major achievement brought to you by the Democratic party, over unbending opposition from Republicans.
But what you may not know is the the critical role Carol Shea-Porter played in this aspect of the health care bill. Back in December, she was leading the charge:
And when the Senate was threatening to water down the closing of the donut hole, Carol Shea-Porter stood firm. January:
While we applaud the Senate's efforts to shrink the donut hole in 2010, it would not be completely eliminated. The House language provides for similar immediate relief, but continues to make additional progress in the following years until the coverage gap is fully closed in 2019. Efforts to partially alleviate the financial burden caused by the gap are important, but they must be accompanied by a long-term approach that provides for the complete elimination of the donut hole. The House-passed language achieves precisely that.
Others may disagree, and they are many hands that went into this critical piece of the health reform bill, but I consider Shea-Porter's leadership on this to be her signature achievement in her time in congress so far. She never backed down, and as a result we have a deficit-reducing bill that makes will significantly improve the lives of seniors.
It's CSP Week on BH. Learn more here about it. Get involved, and give what you can.
Much is (rightly) made of Carol's hard work and persistence on the House Armed Services Committee.
Did you know that she also serves on the Education and Labor committee? Here she is in her first term speaking on behalf of the College Opportunity and Affordability Act (and yes, this Democratic bill was strong enough to withstand opposition and was ultimately signed by President Bush):
Now you know.
It's CSP Week on BH. Learn more here about it. Get involved, and give what you can.
If you get your news from New Hampshire, you may have missed this huge win Carol Shea-Porter secured for veterans in the National Defense Authorization Act. From a May 18th release:
Shea-Porter's amendments will ensure that TRICARE health care and prescription drug costs and co-payments do not increase in 2011.
"Our military personnel, retirees, and their families have made enormous sacrifices on behalf of our country, and our country must honor our commitment to them," said Congresswoman Shea-Porter. "Our military families rely on TRICARE and they should not have to worry about cost increases during these difficult economic times. My amendments will ensure that TRICARE costs do not increase next year."
And that's not all. The full release below details Carol's efforts to ensure that TRICARE gets full consideration under the new health care reform law.
Adding: and if you think protecting TRICARE is some kind of election gimmick, think again. This article from February 2008 details Shea-Porter's efforts to stop George W. Bush from jacking up TRICARE co-payments on American's veterans.
It's CSP Week on BH. Learn more here about it. Get involved, and give what you can. Note: photo of CSP honoring a veteran earlier this year.
(This is a fantastic testimonial. Hoo-ray for Carol Shea-Porter. - promoted by Dean Barker)
Yup, it's gushing, but I do so admire Carol and what she has managed to do so far, the power of example she is to me, and the things she can continue to do if we all work hard to re-elect her. She is most definitely a woman whose place is in the House!
I have been involved in Carol's campaigns from the start, and between her and Howard Dean, I have a pretty high standard for those in the political system that I truly admire. Carol has never lied to us, or tried to hide what was going on. She has always explained why she was doing what she was doing, she takes a stand for a well-thought out reason and sticks to it. She really truly works for us, the rest of us, without a thought to her own aggrandizement or profit.
Correction: Carol's spox emails to note that WMUR may have painted with a too broad a brush. The congresswoman is planning on seeking hearings on corruption in Afghanistan, not the war itself.
WMUR has more (including a video I can't find a way to embed) on Carol Shea-Porter's CODEL to Afghanistan we highlighted earlier:
Shea-Porter said she believes the United States should scrap the idea of nation-building and focus on going after the enemy.
"We are at the point now where I think this is, in my opinion, too large a footprint," she said.
Shea-Porter said she plans to call for hearings before the Armed Services Committee to discuss the future of the U.S. mission in Afghanistan.
But do click the link, because there is more there on what appears to be basically a loss of confidence on her part of Hamid Karzai.
Last week, Carol Shea-Porter, who sits on the House Armed Services Committee and who has long been a champion for our men and women in uniform, was part of a congressional delegation to Afghanistan. From the release her office put out today:
"This is my second trip to Afghanistan, and I am humbled by the enormous sacrifices being made by our service members and their families. However, I have great concerns about the concept of nation building, the rampant corruption, and the Taliban using money from the drugs there to fund the fight against our troops. I believe our best chance for success depends on the local tribes' willingness to defend their own backyard."
I applaud Rep. Shea-Porter's willingness to be open about her Af-Pak concerns, even as she pays homage to the tremendous effort being expended by our troop presence there.
(I think we made the right choice kicking off CSP Week today. Full release below the fold.)
If you get your news from New Hampshire, you may have missed this huge win Carol Shea-Porter secured for veterans in the National Defense Authorization Act. From a May 18th release:
