Rob Teilhet Breaks a "Rule"

"Stay in your own lane." That's one of the cardinal rules of a successful political campaign. Rep. Rob Teilhet, who is running for Attorney General, broke that rule last week when he endorsed Stacey Godfrey Evans, a phenomenal young women who is running for his soon-to-be vacated House seat. That Rob endorsed Stacey means that, for him, there's one rule that trumps all the others: "Do the right thing." Rob's passion for doing what's right has been the hallmark of his service in the state legislature, and it is one of the many reasons he has my full support in his campaign to become Georgia's next Attorney General. (More on that in another post.)

Why was endorsing Stacey Evans the right thing for Teilhet to do? Because there is no doubt that Stacey will be an outstanding representative for the people of Georgia's 40th House District. Stacey is bright, accomplished and, at the same time, down to earth. She has also followed one of the "other" rules of a successful campaign: she raised a significant amount of money right away. She reported raising over $38K as of June 30th, and still had almost all of it in the bank, just over 36K. (If only the Governor had managed the state budget that well!) Stacey was able to raise that money because, for years, she has been involved in professional, political and philanthropic organizations, and the people she has worked with learned quickly that they could count on Stacey. As this article from EMILY's List affirms, Stacey is an leader to watch.

So, Rob, you might have broken a rule, but you did the right thing, and I'm proud to support both you and Stacey!

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Lewis Gets AJC Nod

Congressman John Lewis earned the endorsement of the AJC. This seems like a total no-brainer to me. Opposing Lewis for Congress is a little like opposing Santa for Christmas-they just go together. And yet, there are people who have managed to do both. Tucker, writing for the AJC, says, in part:

But a standout in those roiling partisan waters is John Lewis, a liberal Democrat whom even ultraconservative Republicans don't like to cross. Lewis may not be a living saint — though Time magazine described him that way back in 1986 — but he is hardworking, principled and conscientious. That's reason enough to send him back to Congress.

Absolutely! It is truly amazing that we have a national treasure serving Georgia in Congress, and we appreciate it so much that he has primary opposition. Truly amazing.

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Martin: "A Credit to His Party and His State"

Jim Martin has earned the endorsement of the AJC. Bookman's editorial is right on the money, both in his assessment of Martin's strengths and his assessment of the vulnerabilities of the other Democrats in the race. Here's a a bit:

Five candidates are seeking the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate and the right to challenge Saxby Chambliss, the Republican incumbent, in the fall. But only one —- former state Rep. Jim Martin —- has the experience, the character and the intellect demanded for the role.Rand Knight, an environmental engineer and software salesman, has the intellect and character but has never held or sought public office. A seat in the U.S. Senate would be too big a step, too soon. Dale Cardwell, a former TV reporter, touts himself as an alternative to "business as usual" but has done nothing to establish himself as more than a protest candidate. Camping out on a tower in the dead of winter may draw publicity, but it is not the act of a potential U.S. senator. Josh Lanier, a retired businessman and consultant, is not running an aggressive
campaign. The remaining candidate, DeKalb County CEO Vernon Jones, is a special case. He is a man of large talents and large flaws, but those flaws of temperament, character and judgment are so large as to disqualify him from consideration for higher office.

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NARAL Endorses Obama

Today, NARAL Pro-Choice America endorsed Obama for President. When a group like NARAL endorses the man in the race, it should send a signal to Clinton: this race is over. Stay in as long as you want, but it's a done deal.

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United Steelworkers Endorse Obama

This train is moving fast-very fast. Today, the United Steelworkers endorsed Obama. This development should be considered when evaluating the impact of the Edwards endorsement. Previously, the Steelworkers had endorsed Edwards and were critical to his campaign in Iowa. When we were in Des Moines in January, the hub for the Edwards campaign was the Steelworkers' Union Hall. (Just passed the train tracks where the remote control trains ran and there were no signals. But I digress.) I will forever associate Steelworker yellow with the Icy Iowa caucuses. They were a loyal, hardworking crew. Much tenacity.

Then, in February, after Edwards suspended his campaign, we were privileged to be at the Edwards' home for a dinner. The most touching moment of the evening was when the president of the Steelworkers, Leo W. Gerard, took the stage. He carried with him a statue of a steelworker, made, of course of steel. It was one of just six created by union members when the union was on a long, long strike. One of the six statues was for the Union Hall, and one for the President during that long, long winter. The other four were reserved to honor those in the future who fought for workers. The first of those four was given to John Edwards that night. It was the coolest moment. So appropriate.

I say all that to say this: The Steelworkers moved because Edwards moved.

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Nunn for Obama

The AJC is reporting that Sen. Sam Nunn has endorsed Barack Obama for President. That's quite a message to rural Georgia Democrats. Nunn may not be a Super Delegate, but he is definitely well respected in Georgia, both in the Party and without. This is a weighty, weighty endorsement. I also, personally, cannot think of a better person for Obama to tap for VP. It would be tough to argue with Nunn national security credentials, and imagine what that team would do for Democratic support and turnout in Georgia, and frankly, in other Southern states. Probably won't happen, but we can always hope.

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Kidd Endorses Obama

Another Georgia Super Delegate made up her mind today. Jane Kidd has endorsed Barack Obama. Here's the article. She's right about the Obama-effect on down ballot races in Georgia.

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Another Georgia Super Delegate Endorses Obama

Today, Mary Long, DNC Representative and Super Delegate from Georgia, announced her endorsement of Sen. Barack Obama:

“This year, Democrats are graced with the opportunity to choose among excellent candidates for our nation’s highest office. After careful thought, it is my honor today to endorse Sen. Barack Obama who day by day and state by state is challenging politics as usual and engaging so many new, diverse, Democratic voters-voters who will propel Sen. Obama to victory in November and help elect great Democrats at the state and local level. As a delegate in August, I choose to be on the side of Georgians and on the side of history as I cast my vote for Barack Obama.” Mary Long

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Who ARE These People??

So, John and Elizabeth Edwards were gracious enough to open their home and invite some supporters over for dinner. Nice gesture, right? Then, some of those people decided that instead of the customary bread and butter note, they'd call a reporter to discuss what was said. If you see a disconnect there, you're in good company. In particular, according to a CNN report, a couple of Elizabeth's "friends" took it upon themselves to share who, in their opinion is now Elizabeth's choice for President. Though the Edwards' quickly denied the report, that the rumor was spead at all is unbelieveably rude. I've always found Elizabeth Edwards entirely able to speak for herself, and rather candidly at that. Since when do you enjoy someone's hospitality and then go report your conversation to the nearest reporter?

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I May Not Have to Surrender My Feminist Card After All...

Kate Michelman, former president of NARAL, initially supported John Edwards for President. Huffington and The Swamp report that, with Edwards out of the race, Michelman has now endorsed Barack Obama. Here's part of what she had to say:

Barack Obama, like John Edwards, is redefining what is possible and in so doing he's changing us, each one of us. Many who had given up on politics are re-engaging. Many who had grown tolerant of the intolerable are now ready to demand more ­ and not just from themselves but others. And many who had given up believing that the ideals of equality, dignity and justice would ever again be as politically important as money and power, now believe again. And this too is why I'm endorsing Senator Barack Obama.

Well said.

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It's Obama for Me

Wednesday was not the best day I've ever had. After I spoke with Sen. Edwards at 9:50 AM, I walked in to chair a Platform Committee meeting for the next three hours. Let's just say that, though I did try, I was distracted and couldn't focus on what was in front of me to do much less decide which of the other candidates I would support. But after I got home, I had a conversation with my 22 year old son that first pushed me in the direction I was leaning anyway and then challenged me not to sit back, play it safe and vote but not endorse.

During the day, I talked with someone else who was undecided, and he said, "Well, let me ask you this, who do you think your boys will support (they're 22,23)." I said, "Obama, for sure." I didn't even have to ask them. He said, "Mine, too. Maybe we better follow our kids lead." Sure enough, I checked that with my sons today, and they both will now vote for Obama. I asked my son, Tyler, "why Obama?" He said that he was going to vote for the candidate he believed in. We had been talking about delegate counts and percentages, and he just stopped me and said, "I'm not going to try to calculate who to vote for; I'm just going to do what I think is the right thing. I want to vote for someone whose face I want on the television if the worst happens, for a person I trust." I told him that I was leaning toward Obama as well, for a variety of reasons, but I thought I would just sit back and not endorse anyone before Tuesday. It was the safer thing to do. "Since when," he said, "have you taught us to play it safe?" With that, he had thrown down the gauntlet for his mom. It was time to step up or shut up.

And so, just as I am proud to have supported John and Elizabeth Edwards who embraced a bold agenda for change; now, I am pleased to support another powerful agent for change, Sen. Barack Obama. Sen. Obama has inspired and engaged a new generation of Democratic voters who will help build Democratic majorities in November and in the future. Plus, in Georgia, between now and November, I will be working hard to elect wonderful Democratic women to state and local office. I want the candidate at the top of the ticket who best helps those women win their elections. Without question, that candidate is now, Barack Obama.

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Iowa's First Lady Will Endorse...

Today at a rally in Des Moines, Iowa's First Lady, Mari Culver, who had originally planned to stay quite in the presidential race, will endorse John Edwards and begin joining him for events throughout Iowa-a state where the Culver family has deep roots. The is great news for Edwards. In 2004, Culver's predecessor, Christie Vilsack, endorsed John Kerry just weeks before he won the Iowa caucuses.

In making her endorsement, Culver has this to say about Edwards:

"I think John is a winner. He's electable," she said. "He's been tested.
He's been on the national ticket before. The national polls show him beating all
Republicans in the general elections. He inspires me. I think he inspires other
Iowans, and I think he can really rally Americans in the fall."

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Iowa Paper Endorses, Compares Edwards to JFK

Today, John Edwards scored. He got the endorsement of the Valley News Today. This is the first non-student newspaper endorsement of this cycle in Iowa. In making the endorsement, the editors said,

John Edwards is a family man who, if elected, will be the first president since John F. Kennedy to bring young children with him to the White House. And we think that’s a good thing. Each morning when he rises, he will have his children, Jack and Emma, to remind him how important each decision he makes really is to our future generations. Edwards isn’t afraid to speak out against the political machine that has corrupted our system for years and has pledged as a candidate to refuse contributions from Washington lobbyists – a personal decision that is an important first step towards true campaign finance reform. In an unusually strong field of contenders, Edwards is by far the least polarizing of the other top tier candidates and will clearly provide Democrats the best chance of defeating the Republicans next November.

I agree with all of that, in spades. This paper just articulated my top reasons for supporting Sen. Edwards. You can read the endorsement here.

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Special Guest Post from Michael Miller

Since I'm in a New York frame of mind....
Volunteering on a presidential campaign has it's perks, and one of the best is getting to meet great, committed people from all over the country. I met Michael Miller, an attorney from New York City, and his lovely daughter Danielle when a group of us traveled to Iowa for John Edwards in August. It turns out that Michael is quite a good writer and often sends updates on the campaign from his NYC perspective. He's agreed to allow me to repost his reflections here. Here's today's post, followed by a brief, but impressive bio of Miller:

SPEAKING OF SWEET - WHAT A SWEET ENDORSEMENT by Michael Miller


Sen. John Edwards speaking to supporters after getting the endorsement of Caucus for Priorities, Friday, Nov. 9, 2007, in Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall) (Charlie Neibergall - AP)


Probably the sweetest endorsement yet, on Friday November 9, 2007 in Des Moines, Iowa, John Edwards received the endorsement of Caucus for Priorities, a 10,000-member strong grassroots organization of Iowa caucus-goers launched by Ben & Jerry's co-founder Ben Cohen. The group praised Edwards for his plans to root out wasteful Pentagon spending while investing in priorities like universal health care and education. Executive Director Peggy Huppert explained why the group chose Edwards over Senator Clinton: "She didn't answer any questions 'yes' or 'no,'" said Huppert. "She has a refusal to commit to anything."

Cohen, chairman of the Iowa organization and founder of the national Priorities Action Fund, joined Edwards at a news conference to announce his endorsement.
Cohen said nearly all of the Democratic candidates had courted support from the group. Members of the organization have become a fixture at campaign events, where they hand out brightly colored pens, frosted cookies and stickers, all featuring a pie chart that details Washington spending.

Peggy Huppert, Caucus for Priorities director, said that over the past two years the group's staff and volunteers attended 550 campaign events and asked more than 250 questions of the candidates.

"Now we plan to turn our persuasion and education efforts toward making caucus night a victory for John Edwards," she said. "10,000 caucus-goers can tip the scales in a tight contest."
Feel the love!

Brief Bio:

Michael Miller is a leading figure in the New York legal community, with a New York City law practice. Among his many activities, Mr. Miller has served as president of the New York County Lawyers’ Association, was a member of the American Bar Association (ABA)’s House of Delegates, and, is currently a member of the Executive Committee of the New York State Bar Association. Mr. Miller’s professional life is committed to public service and pro bono work, which includes diverse activities both locally and in the international arena. He has developed award-winning pro bono programs to assist children and families in distress in New York. He has served in very challenging circumstances as an Election Supervisor in war-torn Bosnia shortly after the Dayton Accords. Under the auspices of the Central and Eastern Europe Legal Initiative, Mr. Miller interviewed Kosovar refugees for evidence of war crimes, evidence which assisted the work of the International War Crimes Tribunal in the Hague.
Mr. Miller was also a leading figure in the legal relief effort in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. He personally interviewed, counseled and consoled numerous victims’ grieving family members and assisted with their legal needs – which included securing death certificates and entitlements to which issuance of a death certificate was an essential prerequisite. He supervised other volunteers, coordinated daily de-briefings with mental health professionals and helped refine the program to better serve the victims’ families.

Mr. Miller also developed an Adopt-A-Family Program to assist the families of firefighters, police officers and other uniformed service personnel who perished on September 11.

Among his many awards for this work, Mr. Miller received the ABA’s 2002 Pro Bono Award, a 2001 Pro Bono Award from the National Law Journal, and a 2002 Hero of the Profession Award from the Arizona Foundation for Legal Services and Education.

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This is Huge

Last night, the ten thousand member New Hampshire SEIU voted to endorse John Edwards for President. Not only does this key endorsement give him resources and "boots on the ground" in the first primary state, it keeps other SEIU state affiliates (read: New York) from working in the state, and Massachusetts members will be able to come in and assist Edwards in NH.

On the heels of a great debate performance last night, this is welcome news this morning!

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Massachusetts

The endorsements keep rolling in for John Edwards! Massachusetts SEIU has just endorsed John Edwards. The endorsements of state councils provide critical resources for the Edwards campaign and underscore Edwards' commitment to labor.

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Guest Post: Prominent Feminist Leader Endorses John Edwards

Melita Easters, a nationally known leader in the women's movement and in democratic circles, has announced her endorsement of Sen. John Edwards for President. Easters has devoted much time and energy to helping pro-choice democratic women get elected in Georgia and nationally. For President, her choice is John Edwards. Today, we are proud to feature a guest post from Melita Easters:

I am happy to support John Edwards because we share a similar heritage – he is the son of a mill worker and I am the daughter of a school teacher and a USDA worker who was street smart but reported to men with college degrees. We share the small town values of our childhood and the experience of leaving those small towns for life in more metropolitan areas. His daughter Kate and my two daughters are about the same age. John and Elizabeth Edwards are articulate advocates for the vision we share of what the America we pass off to our grand children to come can and should be.

It is hard for someone who grew up in a “Yellow Dog Democrat” household like me to see what has happened to Georgia under Republican control: a blatant disregard for children’s health care, ethical responsibility, open government and our precious natural and environmental resources. For Democrats to undo the damage of a Republican Governor and a House, Senate and PSC controlled by more Republicans, the down ballot races are critically important in 2008. The Democratic presidential candidate must be someone who appeals to all parts of Georgia – rural, urban and suburban.

John Edwards is that candidate. He understands the problems of rural towns who have lost industry to overseas competition. He understands the need for all children to have access to health care and a college education. He and Elizabeth are the epitome of integrity and ethics, true family values and a passion to make the world a better place so that others may have the opportunity to achieve as they have. It is important to have Edwards at the top of the ticket so that the candidates for state house or senate seats and local races have a candidate who will generate excitement and voter turnout. John and Elizabeth have already demonstrated a commitment to campaign in Georgia.

It is time for a presidential candidate who will not “write off” Georgia and the rest of the south coming in only to fundraise and then spend those dollars in other states. John is that candidate and his commitment to not just his own race, but to rebuilding the Democratic party in the south from the grassroots up is important to me and the women I and others are talking to about taking on and challenging Republican incumbents in 2008.

Melita Easters
Long-time activist in women’s and Democratic party circles

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Iowa SEIU Set to Endorse Edwards

Today, John Edwards was endorsed by the environmental group, Friends of Earth, and multiple sources are reporting that, tomorrow, the Iowa chapter of SEIU, along with other state affiliates, will endorse him. This is great news for the Edwards' campaign, providing important "boots on the ground" and other resources in key early states.

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SEIU and John Edwards

SEIU met this week, heard from the presidential candidates, polled their members and discussed endorsement. The buzz on the blogs is that while SEIU is officially mum on the results, Edwards won the straw poll; however, as expected, the executive committee is going to take their time with the endorsement process and will hear from the three top contenders-Edwards, Clinton and Obama next Monday about their strategy for winning the election.

Most did not expect that there would be an endorsement today. The sense is that it's early and the race is very fluid. There is some speculation that SEIU may not endorse at all, but regardless, Edwards has strong support among the members of SEIU, and if the report that he won the straw poll is accurate, then that can translate to critical support on the ground. We'll see what happens on Monday!

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