Chip for Congress, NV-CD2

This morning, Chip Evans, former chairman of the Washoe County Democratic Party, announced his candidacy in Nevada’s Congressional District #2.  No Democrat has yet held this seat, but it’s well passed time to fix that.

Chip Evans filed his candidacy papers on Saturday with the Federal Election Commission and formally announced his plans in Reno this morning.  He’ll be challenging 2nd District Republican Mark Amodei in representing CD2.

CD2 is the largest of Nevada’s four districts and is largely rural in nature.  Republicans have won this district since it was created in 1982, but in that time the Republican party has shifted so far to the right, it’s alarming and their ideology no longer truly represents the people throughout our district.  Thus, it’s time for us to step up to the plate, invite our Independent neighbors to step up as well, and unseat Rep. Amodei who is fond of voting against anything that might help women and who votes a hard-right party line set by billionaires like the Koch Brothers.

A good summary of what Rep. Amodei sponsors and co-sponsors can be found on POPVOX, but don’t just go by the misleading title when you think to yourself, “good” or “not-so-good.”  You can also find a good summary of his voting record on VoteSmart.

Republicans have been very good at crafting bill titles that say one thing, but that do something entirely the opposite.  It’s no surprise that he’s voted to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) in whole or in part, at every given opportunity he’s been given.  He’s voted to let women’s bosses decide whether female employees can have birth control.  He’s played doctor to declare that fetuses feel pain and therefore, no pregnancy should be ended. He’s voted to approve the KXL pipeline (more than once) regardless of the risks to our nation’s aquifers for no benefits to ordinary Americans. He’s voted against multiple federal budget bills (essentially voting to shut down the government and/or put the US Government into default). And, he advocates for all federal lands to be turned over to the states,effectively terminating the BLM and all the services (firefighting, etc.) so the states could then sell them off (privatize them), depriving hunters and recreationists of the opportunities to use their favorite stomping grounds.

Chip, a former high-tech executive in Silicon Valley, saw his endeavors collapse during the 2008 financial crisis. He now hosts “The Chip Evans Show” airing Monday’s on KCKQ AM Radio in Reno. He says he knows his campaign will be an uphill battle but he wants to be a voice for Nevada’s working class families.

“Congress is no longer capable of providing solutions to the pressing issues that face Northern Nevada.  We are all tired of the dysfunction, obstruction and partisanship in Washington. Congress needs to get back to working for families like yours and mine, not the special interests who enjoy unfettered influence on our electoral system.  This will be a tough race, but with the current political environment, our hard work and a little luck, this is a winnable race, and I will do my part to run a first-class campaign you can be proud of.” — Chip Evans

WHY the 2014 Election is Extremely Important

If Republicans win control of the Senate this November, and the Tea Party increases its power in Congress, they will do absolutely everything within their power to impeach President Obama.

The Washington Post’s Jonathan Capehart is sounding the alarm — and I agree with him:

“I’ve said this before and I’ll keep repeating it until the message sinks in for Democrats inclined to sit out the midterms: Obama is not on the ballot in November, but Obama is on the ballot in November. Democrats have it in their power to keep the Senate and save the Obama presidency from the all-but-certain asterisk of impeachment.”

If there is even a 10% chance that Jonathan Capehart is right, we have to do everything in our power to stop the possibility that the GOP will impeach the president — a media circus that would have disastrous policy consequences for what would have been the final two years of the Obama Administration.

The Republicans are serious.  In 2013 Senator Ted Cruz was asked why Republicans hadn’t impeached the president. His answer was that they did not yet control the Senate. Senator Tom Coburn has said he is “watching whether the president was committing impeachable offenses,” and Senator Lindsay Graham said impeachment was a possibility over the return of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl. Really? Over the return of a US Soldier who was a prisoner of war? Now half-term Sarah Palin is calling for the president to be impeached over the humanitarian crisis at the border, arguing that “the many impeachable offenses of Barack Obama can no longer be ignored. If after all this he’s not impeachable, then no one is.”

So, how would that 2-step procedure for Impeachment work? First, the House of Representatives would need to pass, by a simple majority of those present and voting, articles of impeachment, which constitute the formal allegation or allegations. Upon passage, the defendant would be considered “impeached,” but NOT out of office. Second, the Senate would then need to “try” the accused. In the case of the impeachment of a president, the Chief Justice of the United States presides over the proceedings (that would be Chief Partisan Roberts). To convict the accused, a two-thirds majority of the senators present is required. Conviction removes the defendant from office. The Senate could also vote to further punish the individual by barring him from holding future federal office, elected or appointed and to disqualify him from receiving certain emoluments of his prior office (such as a pension or secret service protection).  If there is no charge for which a two-thirds majority of the senators present vote “guilty”, the defendant is acquitted and no punishment is imposed.

If the Republicans win control of the Senate in November, even if they do NOT have a solid super-majority, and if Republican membership within the House remains in control of the Republicans, they will proceed with at attempt to impeach not just President Obama, but most likely Vice President Biden as well.  Their logic will be that he aided and abetted the President in whatever ridiculous “high crimes or misdemeanors” they manage to dream up.

Can you imagine President John Boehner and Vice President Mitch McConnell as the leaders of   our nation?  It would be the end of our nation and everything we’ve worked for throughout our lives.  Sitting this election out is the equivalent of voting for every Republican on the ballot.  We just CANNOT do that.   Not only can we NOT sit this one out, we need to engage others to vote for Democrats up and down the ticket.  We cannot afford to provide Republican candidates with seats of power through which they can achieve name recognition which can be used to fool uneducated members of the electorate into voting for them just because their name is better known (even though their deeds aren’t).

Kristen Spees

In Nevada, we can’t do anything about Republican membership in the Senate, be we can improve Democratic membership in the House.  Kristen Spees is running against Republican incumbent Mark Amodei.  We need to engage in every way possible to help Kristen win the race in CD2.  It’s up to us to help our friends and neighbors understand how Mr. Amodei’s attrocious voting record impacts them and how that record predicts how his votes could personally harm them should Republicans take control of both the House and the Senate — and then engineer an impeachment coup to usurp the Presidency and Vice Presidency.  Gone will be many of the programs millions of Americans dependent upon.  Gone will be our national parks and heritage, sold off to the Corporations and Billionaires to pillage.  Gone will be any environmental safeguards to ensure safe drinking water, clean air and the like.

Erin Bilbray

Similarly, Erin Bilbray (Open Secrets) is running against Joe Heck in CD3 which encompasses the southern outreaches of Clark County.  Rural and Urban Democrats throughout CD3 need to engage with both Democrats and independent voters across the district, get folks registered and energize  them to make it to the polls this November to vote for Erin.  Just as those of us in CD2 need to unseat Mark Amodei, those in CD3 need to unseat Joe Heck.  CD3 is a competitive district for Democrats.  We just need to get folks off their couches and out to the polls to vote for our candidate. Make your commitment now, to do just that.

Engage and pay attention.  This could be the election that ends what was our great nation.

It’s Decision-Making Time

— Brian Dempsey, Candidate for U.S. Representative (NV-CD2)

As you all know it is about 6 weeks until early voting for the Primary Election begins (May 24th thru June 6th).  That means its decision time for the Democrats to decide which of the candidates will give us the best chance to win this seat.  We all know this seat is going to be a challenge and a very long shot to win, but it is winnable!  I know that if we choose the right person, and we all come together we can do it.

I started my campaign just over a year ago.  I started early because I knew it would be hard.  People have told me that I can’t win, that I shouldn’t even try.  One year later I am still here!  I will not quit!  I will not let the negative thoughts of others persuade me to give up.  I have overcome enough bad times in my life to know that quitting is not an option.

I understand why the leaders of our party give up on this District.  I understand why they have so much negativity.  I understand I may lose this election.  I also understand leadership.  Real leaders find a way to make things happen. Real leaders don’t give up.  I may lose, but nobody will ever be able to look at me and say that I didn’t try.

I encourage you to research all of the candidates.  And you need to decide who will give us the best chance to win.  I hope that when you vote, it will be for me.  I want the chance to beat Mark Amodei.  I do not want a repeat of 2012 and have a person on the ballot that does not belong there.  If I lose the primary, whoever wins will have all of my support.  I am not running against the others, I am running against our “Do nothing Congressman.”  I feel that I give us the best chance to win.

This election is about the future.  I want to be a leader of the Party, the State, and the People.  I want to be your Representative in D.C.  Why?  Because you deserve better, Nevada deserves better, and the people of the United States deserve better!

We can do this!

Thank you everyone!

Dempsey enters the ring

Gardnerville resident Brian Dempsey filed with the Nevada Secretary of State today as a Democratic candidate for the 2nd Congressional District.

“Today I made it official,” said Dempsey, “but I’ve been on this road, literally, for almost a year now. I’ve traveled hundreds of miles at a stretch, sometimes to meet with groups as small as three or four, so I could reach out to the citizens of this district – young and old, men and women; employed and unemployed, in retirement and in training – to listen to their concerns and hear them talk about their hopes and dreams. This has given me a first-hand, first-person understanding of what the citizens of this district are going through, and what they expect from their Representative in Washington.”

A graduate of South Tahoe High School, Dempsey moved to Carson Valley in 1996. After leaving the Marine Corps, he studied at Western Nevada College and built a career as a grocery store manager. Now the pride and joy of his life is his 6 year old son, Ender.

“After all the dark times Nevada families have gone through in recent years,” said Dempsey, “I am ready to move mountains, if necessary, to build a brighter future for my son’s generation. Sadly, all we’ve seen in Washington of late has been obstructionism and partisan politics. I’m determined to change that.”

Dempsey believes the electorate knows exactly what it wants. “Regardless of party affiliation,” said Dempsey, “the voters I’ve talked to want all the same things I do: more jobs, better education, respect and fairness for all – including immigrants – and a health care system that will be affordable for the taxpayers in decades to come.”

For more information, find “Dempsey for Congress” on Facebook or go to his website at dempsey4congress.com.