Candidate Vince Joins DU!

[eyesroll]

Good morning, everyone.
If you glanced at the "newest member" link for a few brief moments this morning, you might have noticed "Whitacre D_WI" signed up, and if you had your coffee, you might have noticed that sounded familiar.

That would be Candidate Vince Whitacre, AKA the Candidate of Candidate's Wife acclaim, aka the guy whose candidacy for U.S. Representative I've been talking up, linking to, annoying several people with and ending sentences with prepositions for.

He should be posting his own intro as a follow-up to this post. As they say in the Lounge, ask him anything.

[shirlden]

1. Welcome Vince

and a :kick:

[Whitacre D_WI]

2. Thanks for the intro, eyesroll!

An open letter to the Democratic Underground community
by Vince Whitacre

I imagine many of you have heard tell of me over the past month, through eyesroll's (the missus) posts on my behalf. Anyway, please allow me to formally introduce myself.

My name is Vince Whitacre, and I expect to be the next Representative from Wisconsin's Fifth Congressional District. Like many of you, when I look at Washington today, I get confused. Then I get sad. Then I get angry. The current Republican leadership in Congress, with the full support and at the urging of the White House, is sending us toward trillion-dollar deficits, body bags returning daily from a war based upon (what can charitably be described as) misinformation, lower wages for those lucky enough to still have jobs (and little support for the many who don't), and skyrocketing health-care costs that leave millions of Americans without insurance.

This Immoral Majority steals from the poor to give to the rich; cuts military pay and veterans benefits; attacks the Constitution; mortgages the future of Medicare and Social Security to appease monopolistic corporations; and then turns a blind eye while those same corporations loot pension funds, cut off health insurance, lower wages, and send American jobs overseas.

We deserve better than this.

Today's Republican Party bears no resemblance to the Party of Lincoln, to the sage who spoke of government "of the people, by the people, and for the people" that "shall not perish from this earth."

If today's Republicans, the party of George Bush and Jim Sensenbrenner, get their wish, that government will indeed perish -- it will become little more than a faded artifact, a footnote in our history books.

Today, we face a critical moment in American history. We can choose to allow the piracy of the Republican Party and their basest whims rule the day, or we can expect more from our government. That's right, friends, OUR government. Let's not forget that. 2004 presents us with the opportunity to do to these robber barons just what they've done to millions of Americans: put them out of work.

That's why I raised my expectations, and that's why I decided to run. Jim Sensenbrenner has "represented" the Fifth District since 1979, and many seem to think he's invulnerable to a Democratic challenger; but I need to be perfectly clear on this: everybody is vulnerable to the dissatisfaction of their constituency.

I am running for the House because Jim Sensenbrenner does not represent me; and I am fully confident that once my message gets out, the majority of citizens in the Fifth will come to the realization that he doesn't represent them either. I am running, simply, because I can win; and because once I do, I can be the kind of Representative my constituents can be proud of.

I ask all DUers to take a few minutes today in order to visit my website, http://www.vince4congress.com. Please take a look at where I stand on the issues that matter most to you. And if you find yourself thinking "hey, this guy might actually do a good job," I ask you to help me get my message out with your financial support.

My first fundraising drive is more of a marathon than a sprint, but I feel that's what I need to do in order to be competitive in this race. I expect to raise $100,000 from individual donors by January 1. This will send the message to Jim Sensenbrenner and his multi-millionaire cronies that the American people are not to be trifled with, and that we will stand up for what is right.

Thank you all for your time,
Vince

[GainesT1958]

5. My wife and mother-in-law are native Wisconsinites...

VINCE--They're originally from Kenosha, and THEY"RE pulling for you, too! :D

Pullease beat that idiot (No)Sensenbrenner! :kick:

B-)

[jarab]

6. Welcome to DU, Whitacre D_WI

jarab - DU moderator

[Tinoire]

10. Welcome to DU Vince!

:toast:

That's a great letter. Thank you!

[wryter2000]

12. Welcome, Vince

You go, guy. We need people like you in Congress. :toast:

[w4rma]

13. Welcome to DU, Mr. Whitacre! I totally and fully agree with you on this.

:hi:

[diamondsoul]

14. Welcome Candidate Vince!

Wonderful letter, and while I'm not in a position to help with a donation or my vote, I'll most certainly pass your name on to others in Wisconsin!

Time to take back Congress AND the White House!:toast:

[Rose Siding]

16. Give 'em hell, Vince

I really appreciated what you wrote. A hearty welcome to DU :hi:

[UrbScotty]

20. YEAH VINCE!

You know, fellow DUer AWD (Jeff Seemann) is running against Ralph Regula in Ohio, so that makes two DUers running for Congress!

[indigo32]

21. Hello There!

welcome and go kick some Sensenbrenner butt!
:hi: from MN

[wtmusic]

3. Nice message to wake up to

Hey Vince, what's up? Great to have you around!

[Whitacre D_WI]

4. Great to finally be around!

Actually, I've been lurking for a few weeks...

Thanks for the welcome, wtmusic and shirlden!

[HereSince1628]

7. Warm welcome...

I respect your courage to run out of one of the most Republican communities in the state and country.

Dem's in Wisconsin need more people like you.

[AWD]

8. I just saw that....

...my wife is a member too (chryslin).

One piece of advice...ALWAYS check to see who is logged in before making a post!

Welcome aboard, Vince! GOOD LUCK!!!!!

[Whitacre D_WI]

11. Thanks, AWD

I look forward to working with you in 2005 and beyond.

Thanks to all who have welcomed me!

[AWD]

15. Let's create legislation

that makes DU a national monument, thus guaranteeing it funding and making it a federal crime to hack it.

[eyesroll]

19. I hope you've got separate computers...

I mean, if both of you were posting prolifically...
Is your daughter here yet?:-)

[VolcanoJen]

9. Wicked Cool!!!

Welcome to the fray, Candidate Vince!!!!!

VolcanoJen
DU Moderator

DU Welcomes You!!

[proud patriot]

17. Welcome Underground

:hi:

[davidinalameda]

18. welcome Vince

[Whitacre D_WI]

22. Shameless kick and thanks to all...

Thanks for the warm reception, everyone, and thanks to those who have contributed to the cause (don't know if I have enough posts to send a PM yet, but y'all know who you are)!

[Ripley]

23. Sorry I can't vote for you!

Because I'm in Alabama. But good luck on your campaign!! Have you met AWD? He's running for office in Ohio.

Welcome to DU! :toast:

[goobergunch]

24. Welcome to DU, Vince Whitacre!!

I'll give your research thread an honorary kick.

:hi:

I'll donate as soon as the Supreme Court strikes down the ban on minor donations.

[zekeson]

25. Hey Vince

Glad to have you here and in the race! I admire your courage.

[AnnabelLee]

26. Welcome to DU!!!

:toast:

And I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to calling you my Congressman in 2005. Best wishes for your campaign!:hi:

[Whitacre D_WI]

27. Just a morning kick...

:kick:

[TheYellowDog]

28. Welcome to DU!

eom

[eyesroll]

29. And you, yourself!

Welcome!