From: "bernie@bernie.org" <bernie@bernie.org>
To: me
Subject: Bernie's likely opponent
Date: Fri, 5 Aug 2005 01:23:12 +0000
Dear Friends:
If you need to be reminded why Bernie Sanders needs our financial support check out columnist Peter Freyne's piece in "Seven Days" about Bernie's likely opponent entitled "Senator Megamillions?". (below)
There is no question that Bernie's opponent, the Republican Party, and right wing interest groups will pour tens of millions of dollars in to Vermont to buy Vermont's open Senate seat. We're gearing up for a helluva campaign and we're planning on doing it the old fashioned way-- through grassroots door to door campaigning.
By the way-- check out today's "Brattleboro Reformer" editorial on Bernie. They get it. (below)
Keep the faith.
Phil Fiermonte
Sanders for Senate
http://bernie.orghttp://bernie.org/documents/2005080305.aspSenator Megamillions?
by Peter Freyne
08/03/05, Seven Days
Republican U.S. Senate hopeful Rich Tarrant filed his personal financial disclosure forms with the U.S. Senate last Friday afternoon and also released copies to the press.
Are you sitting down?
The IDX CEO's report marks the first time we've ever seen a candidate check the box for "over $50,000,000."
That was the box Tarrant marked to indicate the value of just his IDX stockholdings alone! Unfortunately, there is no box on the form for "over $100,000,000" or "over $250,000,000."
Tarrant also reports up to $30,000,000 earned from real estate partnerships, and millions more from approximately 300 holdings in publicly traded assets including stocks, money market funds, etc.
Tarrant's Florida property holdings and his new Bentley, which he has registered in the Sunshine State, were not included. Campaign Manager Tim Lennon said Tarrant does not have to report personal property.
Incidentally, Richie Rich might want to contact the online Winkipedia Encyclo-pedia. That's because the Winkipedia bio of Mr. Tarrant still identifies him as a Florida resident.
"Inside Track" has also learned of a recent pro-Tarrant telephone poll that the Tarrant Campaign claims to know nothing about. It was conducted around 10 days ago.
Those called were asked, among other things, if they would "find Tarrant appealing if they knew he was a basketball star who went to school in Vermont, had borrowed money to start IDX, had created 900 jobs and had done philanthropic work?"
Another question asked if they would be "negatively influenced knowing Tarrant had resigned from the Fletcher Allen board through no fault of his own?"
Or how about this little dig at the frontrunner, Independent Rep. Bernie Sanders: "Would you think negatively about a person who has been a congressman for 12 years and had only one piece of legislation passed?"
We're also told there were about 10 questions on abortion and stem-cell research.
Interesting.
We wanted to talk to Candidate Tarrant about his financial disclosure, the poll and his recent appearance at an event sponsored by an ultra-right-wing, antigay group called Vermont Renewal. According to the Vermont GOP website, Tarrant was the "special guest" at the Vermont Renewal Summer BBQ at the home of David and Judy Sargent in Chittenden.
Vermont Renewal recently wrote town clerks letters informing them that it is illegal to issue civil-union licenses to out-of-state couples.
Secretary of State Deb Markowitz said she has notified town clerks to ignore the missive from Vermont Renewal because it is a misinterpretation of state law.
Wonder what our gazillionaire GOP senate candidate thinks?
Unfortunately, Mr. Tarrant did not respond this week to our request for an interview.
http://bernie.org/documents/2005080405.aspLesson from Bernie
08/04/05, The Brattleboro Reformer
Our Congressman, Bernard Sanders, is on the cover of the current issue of The Nation, an early indication of the intense media attention that next year's Senate race will attract.
But the cover story, written by John Nichols, The Nation's Washington correspondent, is about more than the 2006 contest to replace James Jeffords. It's about how Sanders offers Democrats a blueprint for winning elections.
Sanders is one of the most liberal members of Congress. He is also the most popular politician in Vermont.
People outside of Vermont can't figure it out. Those of us here who have watched him over the years know why he's won eight straight terms to Congress.
In Nichols' words, Sanders "offers confirmation of a fundamental reality that too many progressive pols have forgotten: An ideologically muscular message delivered in a manner than crosses lines of class, region and partisanship is still the best strategy."
Sanders has been consistent in his ideology over his 35-year political career and there is absolutely no doubt about where he stands. But what has endeared Sanders to Vermonters of all political stripes is his advocacy for working people, veterans and retirees on economic issues.
Few members of Congress hold as many town meetings on issues such as health care, trade policy or other assorted pocketbook issues than Sanders. As a result, people who oppose Sanders on the Iraq war or abortion rights solidly support him because he upholds the interests of average Vermonters in Washington.
This is something that too many Democrats around the country have forgotten. Too many Democrats running for public office are afraid or are unwilling to talk about economic issues.
Sanders has not had that fear. Because he has made a long-term effort to educate the voters, he has shown an ability to get beyond the spin and connect with people on issues that matter.
The race for Senate will be the hardest and more expensive campaign that Sanders has ever had to wage. The Republican Party will throw everything they've got at him. But, in a recent visit to the Reformer, he told us that he plans to stick to what has worked for him in his past campaigns -- old-fashioned grassroots organizing and lots of town meetings.
It's hard to argue with that strategy. If more Democrats around the country followed the Sanders blueprint -- take clear political stands, educate voters, work and organize and build coalitions with people on common issues, and never lose touch with people's everyday concerns -- they will again be the majority party.
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