Happy Fourth of July!
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- Non-Partisan Cook Report Upgrades 46th District Race
- Posted July 04, 2008
The Cook Political Report, an independent non-partisan publication that analyzes political campaigns across the country, today upgraded the 46th Congressional District from a “solid Republican” to a “likely Republican” district, providing a major shot in the arm to Democratic nominee Debbie Cook’s candidacy.
Notably, it’s the first Orange County congressional race to be considered competitive since Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez’s 1996 race against incumbent Bob Dornan. Movement in the Cook Political Report (no relation to the candidate) is considered significant, because it is closely watched by political insiders, the media and the national political parties.
“There is already a lot of excitement about this race among the people who live in the district and this new rating will add to the energy and enthusiasm surrounding our campaign,” said Joe Shaw, communications director for the Cook campaign. “Debbie is a fiscal conservative who has bipartisan appeal. She is a strong advocate of clean air and clean water. Those values resonate with the middle class voters of this coastal district.”
The Cook Report noted a “poor national climate for the GOP,” the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s financial advantage and said this was a race “worth keeping tabs on.” The Swing State Project, a national blog that tracks campaigns, has listed California’s 46th District as a race to watch since April.
- Palos Verdes Peninsula Gets Excited About Debbie Cook
- Posted June 04, 2008
Debbie was able to meet and talk to hundreds of Palos Verdes Peninsula residents the weekend before election day at the 21st Annual Palos Verdes Street Fair and Music Festival. Peninsula residents of all political persuasions were eager to spend a few minutes with Debby at this festive venue under beautiful sunny skies. Debbie was invited to the fair by the Palos Verdes Peninsula Democratic Club, which hosted a booth at the May 31/June 1 event.
The fair, which features dozens of booths, arts and crafts, food, musical entertainment and carnival rides and games for the whole family is produced each year by the PVP Chamber of Commerce and is a major draw for area residents.
The Palos Verdes Peninsula sits at the northern end of the 46th Congressional District. Pictured: Debbie posing with the PVP Dems Club gang.
- Getting Out the Vote: “If we don’t have a middle class America, we don’t have America”
- Posted June 03, 2008
The Orange County Central Labor Council walked precincts for Debbie over the weekend. Here’s a report from correspondent Andrew Davey:
At 9:00 AM on Saturday morning, I arrived at the Debbie Cook campaign office in Huntington Beach. Not too long after I arrived, Debbie Cook came out to talk with all the volunteers waiting in the front of the office. And from what I could tell, just about everyone in that office enjoyed speaking with Debbie Cook as she listened intently to their personal stories.
At 9:30, volunteer training began. Cook first spoke, and she got the crowd pumped up by talking about the need to protect the middle class in America, and in Southern California. “If we don’t have a middle class America, we don’t have America,” Cook said. She went on to discuss how she’s willing to reach out to Republicans and Independents to accomplish real results for worling class families, since she already has experience doing this while on the Huntington Beach City Council.
Around 10:15, I left with my partner to walk a neighborhood of apartments and duplexes near Warner and Goldenwest in Huntington Beach. Within minutes, we found a Democrat who happily told us he knew Cook very well and that he had already voted for her in the June primary. Shortly after, we found a Republican who was open to voting for Cook in November. He first opined about her being “too liberal”, but then he quickly changed his tune when he found out how Rohrabacher voted against giving Medicare the ability to negotiate with drug companies for lower prescription drug prices. Suddenly, Rohrabacher was looking to be too far to the right.
Our first few voters really set the tone for the entire day of walking. I found a Democratic woman who was relieved to hear that someone of Debbie Cook’s stature is challenging Rohrabacher this year, as she talked with my walk partner about Rohrbacher’s adherence to the Bush-Cheney party line on everything from the Iraq War to cutting taxes only for the super-rich. I found a Republican woman who appreciated Debbie Cook’s work for the environment, and she said she’d consider voting for her over Rohrabacher this fall. I found a Republican union worker who was glad to hear that a pro-worker, pro-middle class candidate is taking on Rohrabacher… he and his Democratic wife both said they will vote for Cook this fall.
All in all, “Surfin’ Dana” didn’t look all that popular in his own hometown of “Surf City USA”. Not only were Democrats in the neighborhood I walked on Saturday were ready to vote for Cook, but a number of Independents… even some Republicans were ready to as well. Most voters I spoke with did not agree with Rohrabacher’s hard right stances on Iraq, the economy, the environment, and other issues. And other than one guy complaining to me about parking tickets, no one seemed to have anything bad to say about Debbie Cook.
Just before I left the campaign office to return home, I thought of just how well my day with the Debbie Cook campaign went. Volunteers showed up excited about the prospect of defeating Rohrabacher in November. The campaign’s recent activities seem to generating buzz all over the 46th District. And most importantly, the voters are already looking receptive to Debbie Cook and her message of change.
Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if the race in the 46th becomes the hottest race in OC this fall. Debbie Cook seems to be the right person running at the right time, and the campaign is really taking advantage of this. If the campaign continues its good work and connects with voters here on the issues they care about, Debbie Cook may just become the first Democrat in Orange County since Loretta Sanchez to unseat an entrenched GOP Congresscritter.
In the 20 years that Rohrabacher’s been in office, this part of Orange County has changed. Voters here do care about the coast, about the environment, about pocket book economic issues, about the future. Hopefully, Debbie Cook can capture this longing to change and become our “Loretta Sanchez” style success story of 2008. Read the rest at www.theliberaloc.com
- Honoring Our Veterans
- Posted May 30, 2008
Huntington Beach Mayor Debbie Cook’s Tribute at Huntington Beach’s Annual Memorial Day Ceremony at Pier Plaza:
It is a privilege for me to represent Huntington Beach in honoring the fallen war heroes of our city and our nation. It was after the Civil War, 140 year’s ago, that Memorial Day was officially designated. That war’s casualties of over 700,000 took a grievous toll on our young nation’s population of 32 million. Every community, every family suffered great loss and a need for reconciliation. My own great grandfather who survived his service spent the rest of his life re-living the battles with his family and comrades around his kitchen table in Seneca Falls, New York. I am certain that the talking was not only therapeutic for him but served to memorialize the brave men who wore both the Blue and the Gray.
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