[Davis Democrats] What I said at the debate...--Jerry McNerney vs. Pombo

Sun Oct 8 17:06:59 PDT 2006

------ Forwarded Message
From: "Jerry McNerney, McNerney for Congress" <info at jerrymcnerney.org>
Reply-To: <eden at jerrymcnerney.org>
Date: Sun, 8 Oct 2006 00:25:23 -0400 (EDT)
To: <jac07 at dcn.org>
Subject: What I said at the debate...

 <http://www.jerrymcnerney.org>
        Hello,   Thank you so much to everyone who came to the candidate
forum in Tracy on Thursday to support me.

<http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=5kyl5ybab.0.46zosvbab.uuaecqbab.9778&ts=S0207&p=htt
p%3A%2F%2Fwww.jerrymcnerney.org%2F>

It was thrilling to see you pack the room in such large numbers and feel the
energy you generated. By most estimates, over 300 people showed up, and most
of them were supporters of my campaign. Thank you all for the tremendous
applause you gave me when I walked into the Poet Christian School gym and
throughout the rest of the night.

Keep in mind that this wasn't just any candidate "debate." This was an event
located in Richard Pombo's home town. If you had told some Washington
pundits and power-brokers in 2005 that McNerney supporters would outnumber
Pombo supporters at a debate in Tracy, they would not have believed it.

But that's how much our people-powered movement has grown in the last two
years. We have gone from waging a long-shot write-in campaign in 2004 to
polls showing that we are leading Richard Pombo in 2006 (48-to-46 percent,
according to Greenberg Quinlan Rosner).
<http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=5kyl5ybab.0.4f8r7ybab.uuaecqbab.9778&ts=S0207&p=htt
p%3A%2F%2Fweblog.jerrymcnerney.com%2F2006%2F10%2Fnew_poll_mcnern.html>  With
only 30 days left in the campaign, the momentum is on our side. And it
continues to grow by the day.

For those who weren't there on Thursday, I thought you might want to read
what I said that night in my opening statement. While media reports have
provided decent sound bites from both candidates, my opening statement
provided the heart of my message -- that we need a new direction in this
country. And the time for that change is now.

The following is a transcript of what I said on Thursday night in my
five-minute opening statement (somewhat pared down from the prepared
statement due to your applause!):

> TRACY PRESS CANDIDATE FORUM
> Opening Statement
> 
> My name is Jerry McNerney.
> 
> I decided to run for political office in 2004 because I was becoming more and
> more concerned about the direction of our great nation and I decided that I
> needed to do everything that I could for my country.
> 
> The President and Congressional leaders used the tragic attacks of 9/11 to
> drive us -- a trusting and patriotic nation -- into an unnecessary war,
> allowing the vicious people who attacked our country to remain free, while
> creating a dangerous and volatile situation in the Middle East.
> 
> My opponent is satisfied with the progress of the war in Iraq despite
> overwhelming evidence that the war is actually making America less secure. We
> need a tough and smart policy in Iraq that makes us more secure.
> 
> Even though Mr. Pombo holds a hard line in Iraq, he often votes against
> veteran¹s benefits -- I will vote to make sure that our veterans get the
> benefits that they¹ve earned.
> 
> The Republican majority, including my opponent, allow an ³anything goes² ethic
> in Washington, D.C., putting the good of the Party above any standards of
> decency. I only need to mention Rep. Foley, the VECO scandal, and the flesh
> trade in the Mariana Islands, and ask Richard Pombo to stand up and take
> responsibility, or hold those who were responsible for these outrages
> accountable. 
> 
> After 14 years in the Congress and four years as chairman of a powerful
> committee, Richard Pombo should be able to bring some federal programs home.
> But the record shows that he brings home only about 10% of the highway funds
> that Rep. Bill Thomas of Bakersfield brings for his district. And this is
> despite the fact that our roads are crumbling and traffic is a nightmare.
> 
> In fact, 14 years later, our local communities are forced to raise local bonds
> to pay for improvements on federal highways. And what¹s his answer to this? To
> bring the Transportation Secretary to the district two months before the
> election for a photo op.
> 
> Our country needs a new direction. We need honesty, integrity and
> accountability in Washington, and I'm going to bring that to our district.
> 
> Like many of you, I¹m a father and a husband who worked throughout my career
> to give a better life to my children. I¹ve struggled to provide for a good
> education and adequate health care. And I¹m determined to work to make health
> care affordable for all Americans.
> 
> On a personal note, I understand the threat of terrorism. I was on a hijacked
> airline in 1971, spending the night in the air, looking down the barrel of
> guns held by men who had no respect for human life. America must do everything
> necessary to defeat the terrorists. This means a tough and smart approach to
> fighting terrorism. It means using our military effectively. We can defeat
> (the terrorists), but only if we are smart.
> 
> Of the 435 members of Congress, Richard Pombo has been named one of the 13
> most corrupt. His party is now pumping $1 million of Washington, D.C., money
> on negative campaigning to depress voter turnout. Please don¹t let that
> happen. 
> 
> Please vote for me on November 7th.
> 
> Thank you very much.

When I said "please don't let that happen," I meant it. Over the next 30
days, I need each and every one of you out there talking to voters and
making a difference. We are in a great position to defeat Richard Pombo, but
we will not win unless you volunteer
<http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=5kyl5ybab.0.5hawsybab.uuaecqbab.9778&ts=S0207&p=htt
p%3A%2F%2Fwww.jerrymcnerney.org%2Fevents.asp> , contribute
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p%3A%2F%2Fwww.jerrymcnerney.org%2Fcontribute.asp> , write letters to the
editor 
<http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=5kyl5ybab.0.noco5ybab.uuaecqbab.9778&ts=S0207&p=htt
p%3A%2F%2Fjoin.jerrymcnerney.org%2FlettersToEditor.php> , put up yard signs
<http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=5kyl5ybab.0.6hawsybab.uuaecqbab.9778&ts=S0207&p=htt
p%3A%2F%2Fjoin.jerrymcnerney.org%2Fyardsigns.php>  and spread the word!
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p%3A%2F%2Fwww.jerrymcnerney.org%2Femailafriend.asp%3FID%3D1>

Thank you again for being there for me every step of this long journey to
restore honesty, integrity and accountability to Washington. With your help
over the next month, we can do it!

P.S. Please join me next Sunday, October 15th, as we have dinner on the
Klamath Ferry, 
<http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=5kyl5ybab.0.ooco5ybab.uuaecqbab.9778&ts=S0207&p=htt
p%3A%2F%2Fwww.jerrymcnerney.org%2Fcontribute_klamath.asp>  in a reception
hosted by our honorary campaign chairperson, California Insurance
Commissioner John Garamendi. Tickets are only $50
<http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=5kyl5ybab.0.ooco5ybab.uuaecqbab.9778&ts=S0207&p=htt
p%3A%2F%2Fwww.jerrymcnerney.org%2Fcontribute_klamath.asp>  and your money
goes to a good cause -- our campaign!

http://www.jerrymcnerney.org/contribute_klamath.asp
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P.P.S. If you can't come on the Klamath Ferry, please consider contributing
to the campaign in whatever amount you can afford right now. There are only
two days left until absentee ballots are mailed and we need every dollar to
get boots on the ground in every corner of the district from here to
Election Day. A contribution of $50, $100, $250, $500, or even the full
$2100 federal maximum will give us the resources we need to win!

http://www.jerrymcnerney.org/contribute
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 email: info at jerrymcnerney.org

 phone: 925-833-0643

 web: http://www.JerryMcNerney.org
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McNerney for Congress | P.O. Box 12022 | Pleasanton | CA | 94588

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