Chandler in 7th Congressional District Poll

Dave Chandler, candidate for U.S. House of Representatives for Colorado's 7th Congressional District responds to the 9NEWS report and poll broadcast yesterday evening.

Channel 9's Adam Schrager in the video report linked to here tells us that $10 to $12 million dollars is likely to be spent by and on behalf of the Perlmutter and O'Donnell campaigns in the 7th Congressional District.

Let me say it: this would be an obscene expenditure of money and borders on being immoral.

Is it any wonder that cynicism and distrust of our political system is on the increase when big-monied special interests are so eager to contribute such grotesque amounts of money to gain influence in government? You can also be absolutely certain that almost all of this tremendous amount of money will NOT come from individual residents of the 7th Congressional District or the state.

This is wrong ... and explains why a recent Gallup poll reports that 'Americans Increasingly View Most Members of Congress as Corrupt'.

The House of Representatives is supposed to be the legislative body in the national government that is closest to the people; that's why there are 435 districts and why the House is up for election every two years. When hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars are raised by special interests from outside the district for the express purpose of influencing how we vote -- that subverts the intent of the drafters of the Constitution of the United States.

I appeal to the voters of this district to give a resounding rebuke to the system of "legalized bribery" that has corrupted our politics.

There is an alternative to the current corrupt system that has survived with the connivance of the likes of candidates such as Perlmutter and O'Donnell and their big-money, partisan supporters. From my party's 2004 platform, here are the principles that I support to ensure that this becomes once again a government "of the people, by the people and for the people":

1. Political debate, public policy, and legislation should be judged on their merits, not on the quid pro quo of political barter and money.

2. We propose comprehensive campaign finance reform, including caps on spending and contributions, at the national and state level; and / or full public financing of elections to remove undue influence in political campaigns.

3. All viable candidates at the state and federal levels should have free and equal radio and television time and print press coverage.

4. We will work to ban or greatly limit political action committees and restrict soft money contributions.

5. We support significant lobbying regulation such as strict rules that disclose the extent of political lobbying via "gifts" and contributions. Broad-based reforms of government operations, with congressional reorganization and ethics laws, must be instituted. At every level of government, we support Sunshine Laws that open up the political system to access by ordinary citizens.

You do not have to put up with the nasty politics that all of the Democrat and Republican campaign money is going to subject you to in the next two months.

If the integrity of our politics in this country is of concern to you ... you have a real choice in the contest for U.S. House of Representatives for Colorado's 7th CD. You can vote to encourage the corrupt, profligate system we now have by voting for O'Donnell or Perlmutter -- or you can chose a new direction, you can vote your conscience and make political finance reform a high priority.

You can do something courageous this election that will genuinely help to renew our republic and move our nation forward -- Vote for Dave Chandler for Congress!

VIDEO

Link: New Poll: Perlmutter, O'Donnell Tied in 7th CD Race | 9 News KUSA-TV

Democrat Ed Perlmutter and Republican Rick O'Donnell are tied in a new 9NEWS poll conducted by Survey USA in the race to represent Colorado's 7th Congressional District.

The polling company called 535 "likely voters" between Friday, August 18 and Sunday, August 20.

Perlmutter, who is a former State Senator from Jefferson County, received 45 percent of those surveyed. O'Donnell, the former head of the Colorado Commission on Higher Education, also received 45 percent.

Constitution Party candidate Roger McCarville and Green Party candidate Dave Chandler each earned 2 percent support.

Comments

[w0nderm0nkey]

I would like to know how you feel about these principles that you endorsed a while back:

1.Encourage voters to register Green,

2.Encourage voters in safe seat races -- those that are so overwhelmingly Republican or Democratic that we can be confident today of who will win there on election day -- to vote for Green Party candidates,

3.Encourage voters in swing seat races, where every progressive vote is needed to defeat the rightwing candidates, to vote for the Democratic candidates, and

4.Actively and forcefully push for the use of instant runoff voting (IRV) wherever suitable, alongside ballot access reform and full public financing of campaigns.

(cached page showing your endorsement of these ideals can be found at http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:am14WubifpEJ:www.greensforimpact.com/+dave+chandler+jefferson&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=18&client=firefox-a if you have forgotte this. Sorry for the long link, but html doesn't work in the comments.)

This is undeniably a swing seat, so what exactly are you doing running here? You said yourself it's a bad idea.

[Dave Chandler]

I went along with the concept behind 'Greens for Impact' in 2004. Democrats promised us a tough fight to defeat Bush ... but alas, despite evidence on the very morning after the election that there were problems with the vote in Ohio, Kerry quickly capitulated.

Since then we have witnessed case after case of the Democrats in Washington trimming and hedging and letting the radical Republicans get what they want without a fight.

After having given the Democrats the benefit of the doubt one more time, I have concluded that going along with the plea to support the Democrats because we have no other choice is .. in truth ... a prescription for more disappointment and failure.

The often quoted tongue-in-cheek definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again yet expecting a different results. Since 1994 the Democrat Party establishment has been asking Americans to vote for them and things will get better -- the results have been the same every time. "This time for sure, we promise."

I, for one, just don't believe them anymore.

Nothing substantive is going to change unless we take some risks, stand by our principles, put up a good fight and vote our consciences as Americans.

That's why I running ... and that is why I might just win this race.

[w0nderm0nkey]

Let me agree with you on something:
"The often quoted tongue-in-cheek definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again yet expecting a different results."

In 2002 the insanely close CD-7 race was decided by 121 votes. You collected 3200 votes in that election. Had you not been in the race, we most likely would not have been stuck with Bob Beauprez for 4 years.
In 2006 we have a new open seat race that will draw national attention. Let's face it...with the millions of dollars pouring in to this district (like it or not) the chances of you winning are slim to none. There is a much HIGHER likelihood that you could end up playing a spoiler role again.
So which is the insanity? Democrats trying to gain a foothold in Congress, or a third party candidate who played the spoiler once in 2002, pledged not to do it again in 2004, and then decides to run again in 2006? What different result are you expecting this time around?

[Dave Chandler]

First, here are a couple of quotations that 'liberals' love to use ... except when it might apply to them:

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has. "
--Margaret Mead

"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win."
--Mahatma Gandhi

Greens and Green candidates are all about advocating for a new, fresh way of doing politics in this country. We start from a completely different place than the elitist, establishment Democrats and Republicans that, for instance, see no big problem in raising and spending $10 to $12 million just to elect one person to Congress.

From our advocacy for public finance of elections, to supporting Instant Runoff Voting, to ending all gifts and junkets from lobbyists to elected and appointed officals -- we want to restore our government to its rightful sovereigns -- THE PEOPLE.

Which is why it is arrogant and condecsending to assume that citizens who vote Green are "spoiling" some Democrat's election. Democrats do not own Green votes. People in this republic have a right to vote their consciences when given that opportunity. It is indicative of the moral failings of the two big, insider parties to assert anything else.

The hope for our future freedom in the United States depends upon Americans having the courage to break with the current system that is only offering us two versions of the same corporate political party. If you want to see the beginnings of REAL change -- be brave -- Vote Green and vote to elect Dave Chandler to Congress.

[The Outlander]

Why are you running against President Bush? He isn't running again.

[Dave Chandler]

"Why are you running against President Bush? He isn't running again."

Without demanding accountability from our leaders, there is tyranny. I believe that Bush/Cheney/Rove must be held accountable for the violations of U.S. law - the FISA law; for deceiving the American people about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq - see the Downing Street memos; and violating the U.S. Constitution - kidnapping and torture and secret prisons in contravention of treaties and U.S. law.

It is the responsibility of the U.S. House to exercise oversight of the executive branch -- the radical Republicans have failed miserably in this duty and the Democrats have been wimpish and hesitant to speak the truth to power that helps preserve our Republic.

If I am elected to the U.S. House, I will support an impeachment inquiry into the actions of Bush and Cheney. There is ample evidence to support such an investigation. The future of our representative democracy and the preservation of our liberties demands such a measure.