http://himesforcongress.com/blog Jim Himes for Congress Blog en info@himesforcongress.com Copyright 2008 2008-05-13T13:55:00-05:00 http://himesforcongress.com/blog_entry/its_a_unanimous_decision (Photo by CTBlogger on Flickr) Last night in Bridgeport, Democratic delegations from every one of the 17 towns in the 4th CD gathered to unanimously, enthusiastically, and officially nominate Jim Himes as their candidate for Congress this November. Speakers included Bill Finch, Diane Farrell, Ned Lamont, and more... and, of course, Jim. As the CT Post reports, delegates at the convention were to a person voicing their feeling that this is - finally - the year: "The country's in a different climate than even two years ago," said John Mitola, of Fairfield, referring to one of two races in which Shays narrowly withstood challenges by Diane G. Farrell, the former Westport first selectman. "There's a lot of people who want us out of the war, and Shays is not going to give us that," said Norwalk Common Council President Fred Bondi. "Jim's a solid guy," said Bridgeport district leader Daniel Roach, who also pointed to public distaste for the war. "This year is our time," declared Linda Arden, of Stamford, who added she saw calls for change at every elective level. CTBlogger has some great photos up already on Flickr. More coming soon. Update: More photos are up on the campaign Flickr page: 2008-05-13T13:55:00-05:00 http://himesforcongress.com/blog_entry/saturday_news_roundup • The Wilton Bulletin has an article on last weekend's DTC breakfast, and quotes some of Jim's speech there: For Jim Himes, who is challenging Congressman Christopher Shays for the 4th District seat, the issues that convinced him to run more than one year ago and were highlighted when he first met with Wilton residents at the previous year’s event at Trackside are more pressing than ever. Issues such as the war in Iraq, the loss of civil liberties and a need to take on a national energy initiative continue to be the thrust of his campaign. “It’s a little sobering because not only haven’t we turned these things around, they’re worse,” said Mr. Himes. He said “George Bush and his cronies in Washington” are “eroding the American dream” with deliberate policies that have directly led to the economic downturn and the situation many Americans find themselves in today. • Genghis at CT Local Politics notes that the Cook Report has changed their rating of CT-02 to "solid Democrat" (from "likely Dem"). In other prognosticating news, Cook has also rated Rep. Shays as one of the most vulnerable incumbents in the nation, and Roll Call recently rated CT-04 a "tossup." • The NYT yesterday had a sobering editorial on the startling recently reported statistics of income inequality in Connecticut. (Read Jim's op-ed on the issue from last month.) • Michael Ian Black writes to his Congressman. Leave a comment below and let us know what else is going on. 2008-05-10T13:48:00-05:00 http://himesforcongress.com/blog_entry/tuesday_afternoon_roundup • Jim's interview on "Where We Live" this morning is up on WNPR's website - listen here: mp3. (Also, there seems to be an interesting show scheduled for tomorrow on transportation issues in Fairfield County.) • The Courant's Jesse Hamilton writes up Diane Farrell's endorsement and Monday's convention today. Westport Now also has a post up about the Farrell endorsement. • Jim will be a speaking at a forum on "21st Century Activism and the Future of the Democratic Party" at Fairfield Ludlow High School next Tuesday May 13th, along with Democracy For America's Jim Dean, State Rep. Kim Fawcett, and First Selectman Ken Flatto. Since the event is focused on 21st Century Activism, you should probably RSVP on Facebook, and while you're at it, friend Jim on Facebook as well. Anything else happening? 2008-05-06T21:34:00-05:00 http://himesforcongress.com/blog_entry/its_convention_time The Fourth CD Nominating convention, where the Democratic candidate for the 4th CD will be officially nominated, is taking place this coming Monday night, May 12th at Cesar Batalla School in Bridgeport. We've set up a special "convention central" page with everything you need to know about the convention - you can RSVP, invite your friends, RSVP to the after-party, or become a "virtual delegate" by contributing online. It's all here: http://www.himesforcongress.com/convention 2008-05-06T20:08:00-05:00 http://himesforcongress.com/blog_entry/diane_farrell_endorses_jim Sunday afternoon in Stamford, Fourth District Democrats presented a united front against Chris Shays in advance of the 4th CD nominating convention next Monday May 12th, as two-time Democratic candidate Diane Farrell officially endorsed Jim Himes in front of a crowd of supporters. Here's the Stamford Advocate's report: Himes, a Greenwich resident who runs a New York City nonprofit housing agency, is attempting what Farrell failed to do in two bids - unseat longtime incumbent U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays, R-Bridgeport, in the 4th Congressional District, the only one in the state held by Republicans. "It's a huge honor for me to get Diane's endorsement for this race," said Himes, who was joined by his wife, Mary, and two daughters, Emma, 8, and Linley, 5. "By all rights, Diane should be our congresswoman," he said to applause.... Farrell said Himes will succeed because Shays' continued support for the war in Iraq and Bush's fiscal policies "will give voters pause." "I think the story of this campaign is Jim's qualifications," she said, "and the closeness of the last two races indicate that voters have looked closely at Shays' record." More photos from yesterday on the HimesForCongress Flickr page. 2008-05-05T13:02:00-05:00 http://himesforcongress.com/blog_entry/jim_on_where_we_live A quick note: Jim Himes will be joining host John Dankosky for an interview on WNPR's "Where we Live" on Tuesday morning, May 6th at 9am. For more info, and to listen live on Tuesday morning, visit Where We Live's website.  2008-05-03T16:47:00-05:00 http://himesforcongress.com/blog_entry/mission_not_accomplished At an event at Norwalk City Hall yesterday, 5 years to the day after George Bush declared "Mission Accomplished" on board the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln, Jim Himes spoke about the mission not accomplished in Iraq, and how our continued presence in Iraq is affecting other unaccomplished missions - the economy, health care, education, and energy - that we face here at home. Watch video highlights here (and subscribe to HimesForCongress on Youtube): Today's Stamford Advocate has more on yesterday's event: Himes' campaign manager, Maura Keaney, said what Shays says and does are two different things. "His real power in Congress is where he votes," Keaney said. "The most recent timeline was proposed by the Iraq Study Group, which (Shays) claimed to support. But now he says that's not realistic and moves the goalpost back another year, and another year, and now five years have gone by." Going back down memory lane, this was Chris Shays' opinion of Bush's Mission Accomplished speech as expressed to Larry King on CNN, five years ago last night: REP. CHRIS SHAYS (R), CONNECTICUT: Well, this was so exciting. We were looking at 18 and 19-year-old kids. That's the average age on this ship. And on a scale of 1 to 10, our military performed at an 11. And this president had a right to rejoice. But it was just a compassionate, wonderful speech. 2008-05-02T16:52:00-05:00 http://himesforcongress.com/blog_entry/jim_himes_op_ed_in_stamford_advocate_today Jim has a great op-ed in the Stamford Advocate today on the unique economic challenges and inequalities in Connecticut and the fourth Congressional district in particular, and a way forward towards facing these challenges. Here's an excerpt: The great question facing America in the 21st Century is not whether we will be successful, but who gets to share in that success. The answer to that question is particularly important here in Connecticut where income inequality is growing faster than in any other part of America, according to a study released this month. While the top fifth of Connecticut residents are doing extraordinarily well (their income grew 45% over the last 17 years), the working class has lost real ground, losing 17% of their household income. Disturbingly, Connecticut is the only state where income for the worst off among us has actually significantly decreased. As a result, Stamford and Norwalk are growing less and less affordable for middle class families every day. The National Low Income Housing Coalition reports that rents in Stamford and Norwalk are the most expensive in the country. Neighborhoods in Stamford that have historically been affordable for young families breaking into the middle class – Glenbrook, Springdale, the East Side, and the Cove – are now too expensive for most working families. A worker wishing to rent a simple two bedroom apartment here must earn more than $31 an hour, nearly twice the national average hourly wage. Simply put, our middle class families are being squeezed. How can we reverse this trend?... Read the full piece and forward to your friends, family, and co-workers. 2008-04-30T17:57:00-05:00 http://himesforcongress.com/blog_entry/ct_blogosphere_covers_bush_shays_trip Todd Beeton has a good roundup this morning of local CT blog coverage of the President's visit to Connecticut on Friday - with Chris Shays riding shotgun on both Air Force One and Marine One: In good blogger style, the CT netroots made sure no one forgot that the exceptionally unpopular Mr. Bush was coming to town and so held a march against the war to protest his arrival. My Left Nutmeg covered it HERE with more pics HERE. Looks like a great turnout. As for the fundraiser itself, helpfully, the CT Republican Party has provided its own documentary evidence of the event, although a few pictures seem to be missing. In a great catch by MattW, take a look at the CT GOP's Flickr photo stream, and you'll see there's a conspicuous gap of about 7 missing photos between the last shot of David Cappiello and the first picture of George Bush up on the stage with Kissinger. Hmm, why the scrubbing I wonder? Bizarrely, CT-04's Chris Shays, who co-chaired the event, doesn't seem to have the same compunction about appearing with Bush in public. CTBlogger, CTBob, NBPoliticus, CT News Junkie, Orient Lodge, MattW at MLN, Scarce at MLN, and CT Local Politics all had a lot more to say this past weekend about Friday's Bush-Shays jaunt to CT. Click on the links for more. 2008-04-28T15:50:00-05:00 http://himesforcongress.com/blog_entry/jims_op_ed_on_earth_day Jim has an op-ed in this morning's Connecticut Post on building a green economy in CT-04. And this email just went out to supporters: Dear Friend,   Today is Earth Day, a day to remember the fact that our stewardship of this planet is the primary legacy we will leave all of our children. As I argue in an opinion piece in today's Connecticut Post, now is the time for us to act decisively to ensure that our state is a leader in green collar jobs, and that our children have the opportunity to live in a healthy and sustainable world. We need to act together in order to face this huge challenge. Please take a minute now to invite your friends, neighbors, and family to join us in this collective effort, and then let us know your thoughts. Help us reach 100 new people today: http://www.himesforcongress.com/earthday We all realize that the health of our planet is an issue that affects every aspect of our lives, and which deserves our attention every single day. We are mired in a financial mess brought on by Bush-Shays economic policies and mired in a disastrous war brought on by Bush-Shays foreign policy. And there are other huge challenges on the horizon, so many of which are tied to climate change, our nation's energy policy, and our planet's very survival. When I'm in Congress, not a single day will go by where I don't stop to reflect on this basic truth.  To get there, I need your help. The time to act is now. If we are going to make progress, we need more allies on our team, and I'm counting on you to help spread the word. Can you think of a co-worker, neighbor, friend, or family member who cares as much as you do about our country's future - our economy, our planet? Please forward today's Op-Ed to them and ask them to join you on our team: http://www.himesforcongress.com/earthday Thanks, Jim  2008-04-22T17:52:00-05:00 http://himesforcongress.com/blog_entry/springing_into_spring As the weather keeps on getting warmer and warmer, the campaign is heating up too. A few things going on: - According to a plethora of FEC stats compiled by the indispensiable Swing State Project, Jim Himes has the most cash on hand of any Democratic challenger to a GOP incumbent Congressman in the nation, just as the campaign did at the end of 2007 (see the press release on our Q1 numbers here). Spazeboy has more. - The JJB dinner is on April 28th. If you're going, we want you to help us make sure there's a big show of support for Jim: volunteer here. - And the 4th CD nominating convention is on May 12th. A great time is planned (more details soon) and we want you there as a supporter! RSVP here and we'll let you know when details are finalized. 2008-04-18T13:45:00-05:00 http://himesforcongress.com/blog_entry/mydd_blogger_on_shays_liberal_makeover Blogger Todd Beeton, originally from CT-04, was at one of Chris Shays' town meetings this morning in Darien and has posted a pretty detailed write-up of his impressions over at MyDD. Here are a few of them: But it quickly became clear to me that this series of townhalls is essentially his "see, really, I'm a liberal, I swear" tour and it was actually sort of sad.... The fact that he began in such a defensive crouch said a lot, of course, about how vulnerable he believes he is this year, but as he spun his answers to constituent questions, it became even clearer just what a liberal makeover he is attempting.... You know this is going to be the strategy of many of the so-called moderate Republicans running for their lives this year -- a blurring of their entire records with their Democratic opponents, just as they did on Iraq in 06. The blurring has begun, it's up to us to call them on it. It's also really important to promote and support the embarrassment of riches that is our Democratic challengers this year and so please support Jim Himes's campaign if you can. 2008-04-13T23:06:00-05:00 http://himesforcongress.com/blog_entry/wednesday_round_up1 • In case you missed it, this was on the front page of The Hour on Monday: Read more in the news section.  • Bloomberg News has an article today about the race, including these comments from a new voter in Bridgeport: Presidential coattails ``could be the single largest factor in the race,'' Himes said in an interview. In Bridgeport, which has a sizable black population, it is easy to find voters who are registering to vote Democratic. Italio Raucci, 43, whose parents were black and Italian, said he wants to cast a ballot for Illinois Senator Obama in November, and would back Shays' opponent while he's at it. ``It's the first time I ever felt compelled to vote,'' said Raucci, who is unemployed. • There's a great post in the Huffington Post by John Riley from Students for a New American Majority (SNAP) about the orgaization's mission (SNAP-PAC has already endorsed Jim Himes): Not all PACs deserve a bad name. Here at Yale University, a student run political action committee in its second electoral cycle is actually trying to expand grassroots field operations, unlike many of its corporate brethren. 2008-04-09T15:05:00-05:00 http://himesforcongress.com/blog_entry/they_write_letters_to_editors From a letter to the editor in today's Advocate: On April 5, U.S. Rep. Chris Shays kicked off his series of town meetings in New Canaan by continuing to characterize himself as a moderate. However, there was nothing moderate about his deciding vote in 2005 (216 to 214) to cut $38.8 billion over five years from Medicare and Medicaid, college loans, child care and disability programs. The same is true of his other votes during the same period, including tax cuts for the rich in war time that affect our ability to take care of the infrastructure at home. So what is Shays' idea of being a moderate? * Pouring more of our tax dollars into Baghdad's roads, schools and other infrastructure than into the schools and needs here at home. * Saying you oppose waterboarding, but continuing to insist that the Abu Ghraib scandal was confined to a few low-level soldiers representing an aberrant "sex ring," while refusing to acknowledge recent disclosures confirming the sanctioning of unlawful conduct by officials at the highest levels. ...It appears that Rep. Shays likes to have things both ways, claiming to be a "moderate" while strongly supporting the hawks of the Bush administration. 2008-04-09T15:02:00-05:00 http://himesforcongress.com/blog_entry/jim_on_blog_talk_radio_monday_6pm_et A quick note: Jim will be joining hosts clammyc (Adam Lambert) and thereisnospoon (David Atkins) for an interview on their internet radio call-in show on Heading Left on Blog Talk Radio tomorrow (Monday 4/7) at 6PM ET. Get those questions ready... 2008-04-06T13:48:00-05:00 http://himesforcongress.com/blog_entry/roll_call_shays_himes_race_a_barnburner From today's Roll Call (subscription required): 16 months after Democrats Joe Courtney and Christopher Murphy ousted then-GOP Reps. Rob Simmons and Nancy Johnson and GOP Rep. Christopher Shays held off a stiff challenge for the second consecutive cycle - the Nutmeg State has lost much of its luster as a campaign hot spot for 2008.... The one Connecticut contest that does look like a barnburner this cycle is the Shays-Himes race..... Democrats here say that Himes is focusing intensively on assembling the kind of get-out-the-vote efforts that could have put Farrell over the top. They also say that Shays' continued support for the Iraq War keeps him out of sync with the district. "Voters in that district have finally reached a tipping point," argues [Roy] Occhiogrosso, the Democratic consultant. Democrats say that in this generally Democratic state, the fact that it's a presidential year should produce conditions similar to the 2006 midterm wave. The district includes wealthy areas that have been trending Democratic as well as more urban areas with a strong Democratic lean. While it's true that 2008 promises to be a lot less crazy than 2006 in Connecticut, it's also true that Democratic enthusiasm and activism here is only increasing - one need only look at recent voter registration numbers to be reminded of that. ...and CT-04 promises to be the main focus of all that energy this year. 2008-04-02T18:37:00-05:00 http://himesforcongress.com/blog_entry/dems_continue_voter_registration_surge_post_primary From the Connecticut Secretary of State's office (via Genghis at Connecticut Local Politics) comes a press release today touting an amazing continued increase in Democratic voter registration throughout the state that has come after the 2/5 primary: “There is an incredible renewed sense of enthusiasm and interest in the political process,” said Bysiewicz. “The surge in voter registration we experienced before the February 5th primary has continued through March. This is great news as we head toward our goal of two million active registered voters for the 2008 presidential election.” Currently, there are 1,941,035 registered voters in Connecticut. Among newly registered voters nearly 9,000 Democrats and 2,600 Republicans registered to vote. Additionally, more than 8,000 unaffiliated voters registered. Of the nearly 20,000 newly registered voters, more than 4,500 are between the ages of 18 and 29. Since February 5th, among newly registered younger voters, Democratic registration has outpaced Republican registration: 2,311 to 469. That's a Democratic registration advantage of over 3-to-1 among all new voters and 5-to-1 among new young voters one since 2/5. 2008-03-28T16:23:00-05:00 http://himesforcongress.com/blog_entry/pub_quiz_iii_in_stamford_recap Great post by CTBob on last night's Pub Quiz fundraiser in Stamford (with photos below). Bob's team - The "Nay Shayers" - managed to beat out 9 other teams for trivia bragging rights. And Rep. Chris Murphy even dropped by to say hi to the grassroots and netroots activists in the crowd: Many thanks to all who showed up from points all over (especially the Yale team... braving I-95 in rush hour for the cause). 2008-03-27T13:00:00-05:00 http://himesforcongress.com/blog_entry/morning_news_round_up Some goings on, on this crisp spring day: The third end-of-quarter Pub Quiz is tonight from 7-9 pm at Bradfords in Stamford. So far, 22 people have RSVPed and contributed online. Do I hear 30? The Ridgefield Press reports on the "Art of Peaceful Politics" event being sponsored by the Ridgefield DTC tomorrow. Jim will be there. A diary on Daily Kos comments on Chris Shays' 20th trip to Iraq: With a record like this, Democrats and Republicans alike have to ask: what use is visiting Iraq if you are so utterly blind to the reality unfolding there?  With his history of misjudgments, extremist stances, and broken promises, how many more times can we afford to send Chris Shays to Iraq?  And how many more times can we afford to send him to Washington? Peter Urban at the Connecticut Post interviews Shays about his 20th Iraq trip, which saw a marked deterioration in security conditions and the 4,000th American killed in action (over 900 since the surge began last year): Shays said he was able to travel to Diyala province and visit Sadr City, a suburb of Baghdad, where violence has been curbed but safety is relative. A series of rockets or mortars exploded Sunday in the U.S.-protected Green Zone about 200 yards away from the building where Shays and other members of Congress were gathered.... "One landed about 150 to 200 yards away but we were bedded down in a pretty safe area," Shays said. "They told us not to get near the windows." 2008-03-26T13:45:00-05:00 http://himesforcongress.com/blog_entry/passive_voice Chris Shays justifying his years of inaction on our nation's crumbling infrastructure, today: "The bad news is we have been ignoring the problem, but the good news is we can't keep ignoring it.... Eventually we are going to see significant expenditures in our infrastructure, but it won't be as well thought out as it should be." Chris Shays justifying years of inaction on Iraq, when voting against timelines last July: "We are going to bring our troops home because we can’t maintain this level of engagement in Iraq without extending troops from 15 months to 18 months.... Our troops will be coming home, but not by April. They will be coming home in a more thoughtful way."  2008-03-24T20:32:00-05:00 http://himesforcongress.com/blog_entry/ap_up_to_50_endangered_house_republicans_this_fall Chris Shays isn't the only one. Mired in scandal and at a massive fundraising disadvantage, the NRCC is going to be playing some major defense this year. Two articles in today's papers indicate the depth of their problems: AP: Money is pouring into the party's coffers, and potential competitors are surfacing for as many as 50 House seats now held by Republicans. That's an astounding number, considering most incumbents usually coast to reelection. Wall St. Journal: The electoral forecast for Republicans turned chillier Thursday with the retirement announcement from New York Rep. Tom Reynolds, who became the 29th Republican to decide against seeking re-election since the 2006 Democratic takeover of the House.... The House Democrats' campaign arm continues to have a considerable cash advantage over its Republican counterpart. According to financial-disclosure reports released Thursday, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee had $38 million on hand, compared with $5.1 million for the National Republican Congressional Committee. 2008-03-21T15:01:00-05:00 http://himesforcongress.com/blog_entry/father_of_norwalk_marine_on_iraq_war_enough_is_enough This was on News12 yesterday, a poignant piece on a Marine soon returning home to Norwalk after his first deployment, and his father’s concern about him going back: Chris Shays, currently leaving on his 20th trip to Iraq, said on NPR earlier this week that he thinks our troops can’t come home yet: "Oh, I have a district that I think is almost evenly divided, maybe more now wish we weren’t there. But I think a majority but not a wide majority believe that we can’t leave until we leave Iraq in a better place. So there’s a lot of unhappy people in the district. And I understand that." 2008-03-20T21:55:00-05:00 http://himesforcongress.com/blog_entry/jims_statement_on_the_5th_anniversary_of_the_war Jim Himes released this statement today on the 5th anniversary of the beginning of the war: I will go home tonight to my wife and two daughters, acutely aware of the unfathomable and unrelenting loss felt by the thousands of American children, husbands, and wives who will go home tonight without the person most dear to them. On this fifth anniversary of the start of the war in Iraq, we will also remember the tens of thousands of lives shattered by injury and dislocation, as well the ruined world of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis on whose behalf we traded despotism for murderous chaos. "This war has primarily been shouldered by our brave troops and their families, but it has also severely damaged our military readiness, eroded our reputation and credibility around the globe, made our country less safe from terrorism, and cost taxpayers in our district alone an astounding $3 billion. "Tonight, we will reflect with profound appreciation on the sacrifice of the men and women who have lost their lives in this war and on the courage of our troops who remain in harm’s way.  Tomorrow, we must awake with a renewed determination to seek solutions rather than talk in terms of victory or surrender, to bring our troops home instead of continuing to ask them to referee an Iraqi civil war, and to hold accountable those whose mendacity, neglect, or incompetence have wrought such damage to our nation." 2008-03-19T23:44:01-05:00 http://himesforcongress.com/blog_entry/welcome_to_the_himes_for_congress_blog Welcome to the new himesforcongress.com, and the official blog for Jim Himes for Congress! You’ll be hearing from many different voices from within the campaign on this blog as we move forward, as well as from voices of voters around the Fourth Congressional District about why this campaign is so important. On the right, you’ll find a blogroll of local and national blogs who are also commenting on and covering the race. And, of course, most importantly, we want to hear from you as well in the comments. We’ll be getting to all of this very soon. In the meantime, fire up those RSS readers (you can subscribe to the feed here), sign up for email updates (you can do so here), check out our new online digs, and let us know what you think of the redesigned site in the comments below. 2008-03-18T04:10:00-05:00 http://himesforcongress.com/blog_entry/the_dccc_shows_jim_himes_some_love This post is not about high-priced prostitutes or primary pie-fights. No, there’s actually some political news of the day that should bring smiles to the faces of CT Dems. Namely, that Jim Himes was named by the DCCC today to their selective "Red to Blue" list of challengers, further establishing the Fourth CD as one of the premier targets for national Democrats: "These candidates have come out of the gate strong and the Red to Blue Program will give them the financial and structural edge to be even more competitive in November," said Chairman Chris Van Hollen, Chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. "The candidates for change in our first round of challenger Red to Blue are strong examples of Democrats who represent a commitment to new priorities for the families in their districts." In an email to supporters today, Jim Himes commented that this recognition from the DCCC is not so much of his own performance as a candidate as it is of the accomplishments of those who have  generated the groundswell of activism and support on the ground in the district: This is not an honor for what I am doing - it’s an honor for all you are doing - for your ideas, your enthusiasm, and your investment in time and contributions. You’ve sent a clear message, and it’s your voices that are being heard. Anyone who was at the amazing Hilltop Brigade event last Friday in New Haven knows just what Jim is talking about. It’s what Rosa DeLauro was talking about that night, too, as the New Haven Independent reported: To the standing-room-only crowd that gathered and promised to hit the streets over the next seven months, she said: "You can be of tremendous help to us. We can expand the majority in the house by 40 seats. We can take 40 Republicans. I have that on good order. We could take 40 Republican seats," she repeated to cheers. The energy among the committed Democratic activists in the room was remarkable - and it’s energy that is only growing as Democratic voters who turned out in record numbers for the primary in February are getting ready to do the same in November to show both George Bush and Chris Shays the door. And seeing a picture like this in front of the Capitol on inauguration day, 2009? That’s the prize. You can make it happen. Contribute today here: http://www.himesforcongress.com/redtoblue 2008-03-12T21:05:00-05:00 http://himesforcongress.com/blog_entry/blue_america_welcomes_jim_himes (Cross-posted from Firedoglake.) "The last year has been fascinating and challenging. The Bush administration and its supporters in Congress, like Chris Shays, have so wildly bungled nearly every aspect of governance that it is hard to know where to start. Our fiscal deficit has balooned, our credibility abroad has been destroyed, our economy is hostage to foreign creditors and spiralling oil prices, our Constitution has been tossed aside like so much used Christmas wrapping, and the really critical problems facing most of America--healthcare, education, rocketing energy prices - have been ignored. Seriously… where to start?" I certainly intend to point out that Chris Shays has been a senior member of the government oversight committee through this period. What oversight, you ask? Good question. Chris Shays’ answer was to demand the chairmanship/ranking member slot of that committee from his own party and to threaten to not run or resign if he weren’t so promoted. Is that what is meant by promotion on merit? In all seriousness, I came across Rockwell’s "Freedoms" paintings some time ago, and I was struck by "Freedom from Fear". The paintings, of course, were based on Roosevelt’s "Four Freedoms". Fredom from Fear . . . imagine! The administration has used fear--fear of attack, fear of people who look, pray or think differently, fear of immigrants, fear of change--for so long that it’s now part of the background noise. I was in Bridgeport for a meeting with community activists a few weeks ago, and a burly African American man stood up to talk passionately about the fear he feels, the sense that government has devoted itself not to giving people like him a leg up or a catch should he fall, but to the narrow interests of people who really don’t need its help. I think a big part of distilling the progressive message in the face of universally bungled government will consist of taking seriously the notion of Freedom from Fear, and addressing the anxiety I sense around my district by pointing out that government once not only protected the vulnerable and the needy, but did great ambitious things that benefited all of us (ironic note as I post this on the internet!). Sounds almost quaint, no? 2007-12-27T16:52:00-05:00 http://himesforcongress.com/blog_entry/fdl_book_salon_welcomes_jim_himes_drew_westen_and_the_political_brain (Cross-posted from Firedoglake.) Two years ago, I was days away from giving a speech at the annual fundraising dinner for the affordable housing foundation that I lead in New York. I had prepared a list of our accomplishments and an explanation of our objectives. Then the story broke of Nixzmary Brown, the seven year old girl who was starved, chained and malnourished in her awful Brooklyn apartment until she was killed by a blow to her head by one of her abusive parents. I have young children. It was a day or so before I could compose myself enough to reflect on the small ways in which decent affordable housing can help prevent the kind of outrage visited on Nixzmary. I threw away my speech and read the New York Times report of the murder to 400 people. I really didn’t know what else to say. I asked how that could happen, and whether we were doing all we could to prevent it. I don’t think I was conventionally articulate. But I was moved. You could hear a pin drop.  The brief story of Nixzmary’s short life touched (and outraged) nearly every deeply embedded emotion and value we have: fairness, protection of the weak, concern for children, personal responsibility.  That evening changed the way people in that room thought about affordable housing, which is usually far less viscerally appealing to donors than hunger, education or healthcare.  And visceral is what it is all about, according to Drew Westen’s fascinating new book, The Political Brain. Westen, who is completely upfront about being a deeply committed Democrat, has written a devastating critique of the Democratic Party, its candidates and their consultants. It is the job of political parties and their candidates to literally and figuratively move voters, and Westen argues that voters are not primarily moved by facts but by appeals to deep seated values and emotions, what Westen calls “activating networks”. He uses example after example to illustrate the Democratic penchant for being really smart but leaving people absolutely cold. Think Mondale, Dukakis, Gore, Kerry: smart as hell and yet they lost. He accuses Democrats of having a “dispassionate vision of the mind”, that is, assuming that people carefully and rationally weigh candidates’ policy proposals to determine which will maximize their individual utility. In fact, he argues, voting decisions are driven by a complicated interaction of values, emotions, images, analogies and oratory, in which logic is only a bit player.  Bill Clinton, of course, is the Democratic exception that proves this rule. Thus, when Bernard Shaw asked Michael Dukakis whether he would favor the death penalty for someone who had raped and murdered his wife, Dukakis thought he was being probed on the merits of the death penalty. In fact, he was being asked a much more profound question: “Are you a man? Do you have a heart?” Dukakis’ answer told millions of Americans that the answer was no. Westen, a clinical psychologist, is mercifully brief in his tour through the amygdala and brainstem, explaining just enough to satisfy the reader that he knows what he’s talking about when he says that three things determine how people vote.  In order of importance, they are: their feelings toward the parties and their principles, their feelings toward the candidates, and their feelings toward particular policy positions. He is clear that Democrats come up woefully short on all but the third. The Republicans get it intuitively and use emotions and simple narratives to hide the stunning inconsistencies in their stories (government should shrivel and die except when it transfers resources to oil and pharmaceutical companies or makes reproductive choices for women). Still confused about how George Bush became president? The power of Westen’s analysis is most excitingly clear when he proposes responses that Democratic candidates might have made to their Republican tormentors. He cites a Bush-Gore debate in which Bush challenged Gore’s fundamental credibility.  Gore’s response? “Look, Governor Bush, you have attacked my character and credibility and I am not going to respond in kind.” Westen points out that one southern man had just challenged another southern man’s honor with no response. Game over, at least in the south. The alternative speech that Westen crafts for Gore has Gore calling Bush a drunk, a coward and crooked, in some of the most beautiful oratory I’ve ever seen.  He concludes with: Where I come from, we call someone who does those kinds of things a disgrace to his family, his state and his country. So, Governor, don’t you ever lecture me about character. And don’t you ever talk about me that way again front of my family or my fellow citizens. I believe that Gore might still be President if he had used such a speech. As resonant as the message of The Political Brain may be, it is also slightly uncomfortable.  The Greeks, writing millennia ago, recognized politicians who “activate networks” and gave us a word for them: demagogues.  Which, of course, is precisely Westen’s point; we Democrats may not like the fact that people choose leaders emotionally rather than rationally.  Maybe someday we’ll evolve into Vulcans. But until we do, if we want to win, we had better get into the game. Reading The Political Brain at the start of my campaign for Congress in CT-04 has been eye-opening.  As a candidate, I’m thrilled that Dr. Drew Westen, author of The Political Brain and Professor of Psychology at Emory University, is joining us here tonight at the FDL Book Salon.  What practical lessons can Blue America candidates learn from Dr. Westen’s research?  Please join me in comments to welcome Dr. Westen to Firedoglake and to discuss his important work. 2007-08-26T17:02:00-05:00 http://himesforcongress.com/blog_entry/ctlp_guest_post_by_jim_himes (Cross-posted from Connecticut Local Politics.) Thinking about running for Congress is a serious matter. I have spent a lot of time reflecting on the ideas and values that energize me, ideas that would breathe life into my campaign. This thinking has convinced me that our nation is ready for a return to the optimism and shared endeavor that made it great. We are tired of the fear and division that have been used to narrow our vision and shrink our hopes. We are weary of stunted leadership by men of small competence and smaller imagination. We have been led to squander untold billions and the precious lives of our young in a war of choice that has inflamed the world against us and sold cheap our heritage as a city upon a hill. Can we set aside posturing and make the investments in our ports, in our intelligence networks and in our relationships abroad that will make national security something more than a political slogan? Like the framers of the Declaration of Independence, can we remember that any great venture should proceed "with a decent respect to the opinions of mankind"? Yes, we can. At home, can we move beyond tired arguments to equip all of our people with the education that will will enrich their lives in every way? Can we remember that whatever dollars we spend to educate our people are the best investment we can make? Yes, we can. Could we come together to do the hard work so that all of us have access to competent healthcare at every moment of need? Can we recall the patient courage of the civil rights workers of yesterday to claim health as a civil right tomorrow? Yes, we could. Are we ready to assume real responsibility for the stewardship of our planet? Can we remember that the shoulders on which we now stand once bent to defeat fascism, to integrate our schools and to put a man on the moon? Might that spirit inform how we aspire to shape our cities, suburbs and countryside? I think so. These are ideas and values. While they don’t substitute for the tough compromises and nitty gritty of good policy, I believe they energize its pursuit. I look forward to getting into that nitty gritty. But isn’t it possible that our nation is ready, at great long last, to craft these ideas and values into the kind of world I would be proud to leave to my two young daughters? Yes, I think so. In the end, what I think is not nearly as important as what you think. We are, after all, talking about a representative body. I look forward to your thoughts and ideas. 2007-03-28T17:26:00-05:00