What a Weekend!

Whew...this was one major weekend. 3 parades, 3 fireworks celebrations, and altogether 7 towns. Balloons, volunteers in attendance, great weather, and the 4th of July weekend was a great time to have fun and meet the voters. Thanks Bob for the T Bird, thanks to Carol, Mary, Rebecca, Mike, Dave, Matt, Johnny, Rick, Wendy, Tammy, Jeff, Jim, Don, Bill, Emily, Stuart, & Joe for coming along, all the help, and making the weekend so much fun. Mike, my college roommate, where did you ever come from and who would have ever expected you to be a Republican?

Dan, you really outdid yourself.

Memorial Day 2010

Our eternal gratefulness to those who protected liberty for us throughout our history.

This includes my father. I grew up with the history of WWII all around me. My father was in the invasion of Okinawa, and on the boat for the invasion of Japan when Truman dropped the bombs. Without that decision, my father would likely not have survived, I and my children would never have existed. My father told funny stories about his time in Okinawa, but would avoid saying much about his combat experience. When he died at the age of eighty, a contingent from the army was there and presented the family with a flag, which I have and remains precious.
Contrary to others in my generation, I always felt that the Viet Nam War was a necessary battle, as in that time we were in a life and death struggle with Communism on the march, and for a while it looked like we were losing a large part of the world. Historians are now thinking that the Viet Nam War did stop the spread of Communism in Asia, and allowed countires like S. Korea, Japan, the Philiipines, and Thailand to develope into free, captialist states, and ultimately led to the exhaustion of the Communists during the cold war.

Thanks to the Vets from all of our wars, including WWII, Korea, Viet Nam, Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan.

ON THE BALLOT !!

There were times we never thought we would make it. We had two and one half months to get 2000 certified signatures. We started off immediately, thinking that we would get this behind us quickly. Wrong. After the first month, we had 400 certified, and were beginning to believe it was never going to happen. The volunteers then began to show up, and by the end we had over 100 people from across the entire district working on nomination papers. Through them, we filed 3871, weeks ahead of schedule. By the end of the day, well over 4000.

Thank you folks, thank you. Now on to doing our local part towards recovering Congress for the U.S.

Tax Day 2010

Yes, I know that this is out of order..2,000 people were out on Tax Day in Worcester. Just like at the convention, folks know what's at stake coming up, and they are not going to let their fellow Americans forget what America is about. Here is my colleague Kate, at Tax Day with me, though Mary Lou, and Joe are not in the photo.

Convention 2010

It's been a long time since I've blogged, I know and apologize. We have been flat out campaigning. I have to take a moment to talk about the amazing energy and good vibe of the convention. Folks are juiced, they know what's at stake coming in November, and they are ready to take the state and our nation back. Mary Lou and my fabulous volunteers Joe and Dave from Northampton were amazing. This is a pic of Tammy from Leicester, working the convention floor with me.

AMERICA, YOU OWE US (bigtime)

The awful spectacle of our government running amok, with the worst of the big government impulses being unchecked, is over, or more accurately on pause. The Scott Brown election showed the stubborn independent streak that had Massachusetts give birth to the American Revolution is still alive. Massachusetts delivered again.

This doesn't change my approach to this campaign at all, as good and often simple approaches to American problems can be found with common sense, the judicious use of the precious dollars Americans give to the government in taxes, and a dedication to our basic freedoms. The government needs to step back and let the peoples ingenuity and hard work allow the economy to recover, and put our people back to work. Stop burying those who come next in a debt that will be a weight around their necks for decades.

Congratulations to Scott Brown, the people of Massachusetts, and our fellow Americans. BUT, this was only Chapter 1. Take a deep breath. The next chapter is to be written in November, 2010.

Back for More

Sorry folks, but I have been so busy campaigning that it has been hard to blog. We have been in towns all over the district, at a large variety of events. Fundraising like crazy, and continuing to meet just great people. Folks are just not happy about the continuing craziness in Washington, and people keep coming up to me and telling me that they heard me speak or heard me on the radio, and that they agree with what I'm saying even though they are Democrats. I have never in my life seen the break from reality demonstrated by our current government, and it has to stop before too much economic, security, and social disruption occurs.

Scott Brown's election is one week away...Mary Lou and I have been working his phone bank in Holyoke. There is the hope that if he wins, his presence will slow them down in D.C. until reinforcements get there in November.