There was a great turnout to watch the debate at the Zenith Tea Room on the South Side.
About the debate itself, I’m just going to say this: I was genuinely surprised.
What did you think?
Archive for September, 2004
Debate
September 30, 2004Voter Registration Ends Soon
September 29, 2004Don’t forget! Monday, October 4 is the deadline to register to vote! If you were going to do any voter registration, this is the last weekend to do it.
ACT is looking for 70 volunteers this Saturday to reach new voters they have targeted. Meet at 10 a.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church on the North Side (416 West North Avenue). Let Ed Andrews know you are coming by calling 412.434.6192 or sending an email to tgh@americavotes.org. ACT is also looking for people to make phone calls to the newly registered voters (to remind them to actually get out and vote!) every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. from now to the elections. Call ACT 412.434.6192 to find out where to go.
For those of you who like numbers, Fester has written how Allegheny County has voted in the past few elections.
Specter attacks Hoeffel
September 28, 2004Arlen Specter once again shows his true Republican colors by airing an attack ad which distorts Joe Hoeffel’s record on — what else? — national security. Specter thinks Hoeffel is weak on security because he didn’t vote for superfluous amendments to spending bills.
While the amendments have regularly passed in the House, Hoeffel has voted against them every time.
“The president has never asked for the authority to use the armed services domestically,” the Democrat said. “If [the Joint Chiefs of Staff] or he did, I would certainly consider it and support it if circumstances warranted.
“What I have voted against is catchy little amendments that [Congress] members offer to get publicity. They pass because members are afraid of TV ads like this.”
Such amendments to defense appropriation bills have not been introduced in the Senate, but Specter does support deploying the military along the borders, according to his campaign manager, Christopher Nicholas.
Hoeffel has yet to run a negative commercial. The challenger’s only television commercial to air so far deals exclusively with his own record.
This is appropriate for Specter, since the message of his campaign is that, since he is so old, he has the “clout” to direct more pork to Pennsylvania. (Hoeffel is never hesitant to point out that it’s not much help to get federal money to renovate the bridge that goes to where your local manufacturing plant used to be.)
Debates on Thursday
September 28, 2004My humble apologies for the light updating recently. I’ve been sick for the past week and a half. If anybody would like to help keep this blog up to date with political events in Pittsburgh, please send email to hello@pghdfa.org.
As usual, there is a lot going on. John Edwards hosted a town hall meeting at CMU this morning (it is probably still going on now). Both the Kerry campaign (412-537-5076) and ACT (412-434-6193) need people to make phone calls. The big item this week is the first Presidential debate on Thursday at 9 p.m.
The “Allegheny County Debate Party” will meet at 8 p.m. to watch at Hi-Tops Sports Bar, 200 West Federal Street by PNC Park.
Robert Trakofler is hosting a Debate Party at the Zenith Vegeterian Cafe on the South Side, 86 S 26th St (corner of Sarah and 26th streets).
Lots of other people are hosting debate parties. Friends don’t let friends watch the debates alone. Let us know about other debate parties in the comments.
Illegitimate Ticket Revisited
September 21, 2004Earlier on this blog I noted that voting for the Bush/Cheney ticket was illegal in Texas, since electors may not vote for a President and Vice President that are both inhabitants of the same state as themselves. Through the Votemaster, we learn that the issue was actually brough to court in 2000, and Cheney (somehow) avoided the issue by registering to vote in Wyoming.
So, there you go, in case you were curious.
Drinking Liberally
September 17, 2004When I was an Iowa Stormer, back in the day, I visited a pub in Cedar Rapids called The Irish Democrat. It was a good pub.
What does that have to do with anything? Well, I thought of it when I saw drinkingliberally.org. Is there any interest in starting a weekly event in Pittsburgh?
Kerry-Edwards Organizing Convention
September 17, 2004Learn how to help the Democrats win in November
WHO: John Kerry Supporters in Westmoreland and Allegheny Counties
WHAT: Volunteer Organizing Convention
WHEN: Saturday September 18th, 2004
Registration – 12:30pm
Convention – 1:00pm to 5:00pmWHERE: Taylor Allderdice High School
2409 Shady Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15217Please RSVP to kpetronko@padems.com or 412-321-2995
Special Guest: Joe Hoeffel
You are invited to attend the SW Pennsylvania Kerry-Edwards Organizing
Convention. Campaign Staffers will be teaching campaign tactics that
will be used over the next two months in order to win on November 2nd.
This will be a chance for volunteers to come and learn about ways
they can help the campaign as well as meet fellow volunteers in the
surrounding areas. We look forward to seeing you all.
Correct Phone # to call Doyle to Investigate DeLay
September 17, 2004Daily Kos got the phone number wrong. The number listed is the FAX #.
The correct phone # is: (202) 225-2135
Contact Information:
Web Site: http://www.house.gov/doyle
E-mail: rep.doyle@mail.house.gov
Washington Office:
401 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515-3814
Phone: (202) 225-2135
Fax: (202) 225-3084
Main District Office:
11 Duff Rd.
Penn Hills, PA 15235
Phone: (412) 241-6055
Fax: (412) 241-6820
The person I spoke to in the DC office was very sympathetic.
Call Doyle, Investigate DeLay
September 16, 2004If you live in Mike Doyle’s congressional district (14th, see map) then call his office at 202-225-3084 and demand that the House Ethics Committee investigates Tom DeLay.
Bush is Gaining — Do Something!
September 16, 2004Bush is pulling ahead in Pennsylvania, and here is a clue why:
The ABC News poll also indicated that Bush’s team appears to be outhustling the Kerry camp in the state. One in five registered Pennsylvania voters reported being contacted for support by the Bush campaign, compared to 14 percent who said they had heard from Kerry’s workers.
You, the reader of this blog, can change that. Call the campaign at 412-537-5076 and find out how you can volunteer at a phone bank. Don’t think that just because you are tired or busy or hate making calls, that somebody else will do it. This election will be decided by how you set your priorities.
