|
Martin
Jeffrey is a candidate on a crusade - a
congressional crusade.
Several
weeks ago, Jeffrey told The Augusta Free Press about
the failure to secure the Democratic Sixth District
Congressional nomination: "What it came down
to, quite honestly, was that it seemed to me that
what they wanted was somebody who would kiss the
party ring, and I wasn't interested in doing
that," Jeffrey said.
The
Blue Dog was curious about Jeffrey's reference to
kissing the party ring. Is that the Virginia
Democratic party ring dealing with the issues,
campaigns and money?
It's
much more than a single issue, I soon learned.
It's
about our Democracy.
Potential
2004 Democratic congressional candidate Stephen
Winslow of Waynesboro had the same problem with the
current chair and the Sixth District Democratic
Committee last spring.
In
May, the Blue Dog wrote about the high fees and
cumbersome interview process that halted
Winslow's nomination campaign. I still am a fan of
Mr. Winslow, but am extremely please that Martin
Jeffrey is pursuing a write-in candidacy for the
congressional seat.
No incumbent
should have a free ride.
In
a Blue Dog exclusive interview, Martin Jeffrey told
the AFP, "We the people have got to show
the party and the pirates that currently we control
the process and that we will not concede our country
nor our government. I believe that Independent and
write-in campaigns are so important in that effort.
These campaign strategies can serve as corrections
to the system."
Bad
habits
Numerous
Virginia Democrat candidates have become jaded with
our political process first hand when dealing with
the party establishment - either through the attempt
to secure the party's nomination or as the eventual
party candidate. These
individuals promptly discover that the local
Democrats along with Democratic committee membership
and their advocates are more supportive of the
GOP incumbent.
Yes,
indeed, Zell Miller, there are Valley Democrats
supporting Republicans.
There
is no doubt in my mind that caucus rules are
enhanced and fees are raised to make the process
difficult for these prospective candidates. For your
information, most Democratic candidates are
handpicked and recruited by the state party leaders.
If
you're not part of that select crowd, it's very
apparent that you are not wanted. It's a cold
political shoulder that includes lot of hurdles and
hoops to navigate through. The party apparatus is
heavy-handed and often attempts to dictate vendors,
polls, managers, etc. It's that giant sucking sound
- called campaign contributions - that is
ultimately controlled by business corporations
and the special-interest political-action
committees.
These PACs dominate
and dictate Democratic Party leadership and their
issues.
In
the past, Democratic chairs have blatantly supported
the Republican incumbents with e-mail endorsements
to all of their membership, and have casually told
the candidates of their support.
But
it doesn't stop there, because there is a trail of
appointments to well-paid state jobs on commissions,
judgeships and committees that are the problem.
These
appointments are done in in an effort to co-opt the
support of like-minded organizations, and the party
loyalists and faithful few. For the most part,
Democrats running for office receive soft support
from local committees and their supporters who have
been graced by the opposition's soft-bribery - as
in, scratch my back, I'll scratch yours.
That
soft support boils down to support of the incumbent.
Because the reality behind soft support is the faint
sleight of hand or token support of candidates, and
that translates as in-kind contribution to the
opposition - and an exercise in control with local
Democrats. That way, the prospective nominee or
candidate can't cry foul because of the lack of
support.
The
same thing can be said the reign of Republican
Congressman Bob Goodlatte's reign in the Sixth District.
Goodlatte has not been challenged for some time
because most Democrats in the Sixth District believe
he's done a good job representing their so-called
personal interests. It's actually a Democratic
protection clause.
Goodlatte
is perceived as an asset to the district, much like
his predecessor, long-time Democratic Congressman
Jim Olin, who served the district well.
Many
potential Democratic candidates, in the past, have
been discouraged from challenging Goodlatte.
Most
Valley folks, including the social tea-party
that sits on the Sixth District committee, are
totally unaware of Mr. Goodlatte's duties as a
Congressman along with his congressional caucus
membership, including his whereabouts and votes for
the past 12 years.
The
Blue Dog knows that Goodlatte has worked hard on GOP
tort reform during his congressional tenure, and on
corporate deregulation. Tort
reform lessens the individual's ability and rights
to seek court compensation from corporations for
injury and product harm. Mostly dealing with
health-care issues, which the GOP in turn blames for
the high price of health care. Fact is, Health
providers and pharmaceutical companies are the top
PAC contributors to elected officials in the United
States Congress and candidates in the presidential
race.
It's
no secret that the city of Roanoke is a major hub
for health-care providers and banking corporation
interests in the Commonwealth - and the nation.
Aside
from that glaring fact, the Blue Dog believes the
lack of a district congressional candidate this year
is highly questionable in Democratic Party
principle. It's the Party's job to promote
Democratic candidacies - and oppose Republicans, not
assist them to another congressional term.
Case
in point: the politics behind the Kerry election in
the Sixth District this year.
The local committees and district leadership have
barnstormed and bombarded the district with free
anti-Bush movies, Kerry campaign signs and
fund-raising efforts, letters to the editor and
lectures on presidential issues hosted by Democrats
and like-minded groups and advocates.
But
there's more. How about that Jefferson-Jackson dinner with Kerry
as the guest speaker, and a state convention in
Roanoke with Max Cleland highlighting a banner year
for Valley Democrats in the Sixth District.
Ask
yourself, why did that Herculean effort not include
a Democratic candidate for Congress?
Blue
Dog interview with Jeffrey
In
a Blue Dog interview, Martin Jeffrey spoke out about
Goodlatte's term-limit promise along with a wide
array of topics and issues.
Jeffrey
resides in Roanoke, and is married and a father of
four His
politics are moderate- to conservative-
Democrat
in philosophy, and he is the former president of the
Roanoke branch of the NAACP.
Blue
Dog: First off, the Blue Dog has a bone to pick with
Goodlatte's term-limit promise.
Jeffrey:
"I believe that the congressman's position and
excuses regarding term limits go to the heart of my
concerns. Washington politicians have increasingly
diminished and marginalized the significance and
participation of the people. Specifically, the
congressman's excuse that congressional seniority
justifies going back on his promise to only serve
two terms.
"If
the congressman thought that seniority was the
problem, then why hasn't he, after six terms,
committee leadership and becoming deputy majority
whip, introduced any legislation aimed at minimizing
the negative effect of seniority on the people's
house?"
Blue
Dog: Congressman Goodlatte is currently holding up
action on an anti-horse-slaughtering bill in
committee. What are your thoughts on the
horse-slaughtering controversy?
Jeffrey:
"I believe that the action of the congressman
on HR 857 is reprehensible. This action and many
like it that Congressman Goodlatte has engaged in
speak to his contempt of the people and their right
to a hearing by their government. It is
clearly an example of the kind of influence big
business lobby has purchased to the tune of hundreds
of thousands of dollars to the congressman's
reelection fund. The
extremists have turned the people's house into a
slaughterhouse, and democracy is under the
knife."
Blue
Dog: Could you please comment on the possible
tolling and widening of Interstate 81 with the
cooperation of the federal government and
privately funding support from an Alaskan
congressman concerning Star Solutions?
Jeffrey:
"Tolls on America's highways are backdoor
taxes. Conservatives
insist that they do not believe in increasing taxes.
Consequently, what they usually do is cut a tax over
here and create and equal and opposite reaction
elsewhere, sometimes intentional, and sometimes it's
just a natural outcome of the action. One example is
the Virginia no car tax pledge. The actions reduced
the car tax but led to enormous deficits in state
and local budgets that were eventually off set by
various forms of taxation ... increases in food,
consumption, and/or other taxes.
"As
congressman, I will focus the influence and staff
and resources of my office on assisting the
development, funding and implementation of other
I-81 alternatives. For example, the centerpiece of
my district economic-development strategy is what I
call Rail Life Link. RLL is a strategy that supports
and builds on the Trans Dominion Express Project as
an answer to travel and job creation. The TDX
project is also an opportunity to repair and
maximize the use of track along the I-81 corridor
and government's partnership with the rail industry.
"Simply
put, I agree that putting more freight on rail is a
key part of the I-81 solution. It is also an
effective way to increase freight-transport revenues
into Virginia's economy. Those dollars would no
longer travel through the state on vehicles from
other states but would be paying Virginia's NS
Railroad to carry those goods through the state and
even beyond."
Blue
Dog: Negative political advertisements give rise to
controversial news stories and fuel campaigns. Both
presidential campaigns have engaged in that negative
process. Is there an upside to the downside of
politics?
Jeffrey:
"I believe that even negative ad campaigns give
us insight into the true character of the candidate
sponsoring the ads."
Blue
Dog: Earlier this month, Vice President Dick Cheney
and Congressman Goodlatte warned that a Democratic
presidential victory might be an invitation to
terrorists and future terrorism activities against
Americans. What are your thoughts on that statement?
Jeffrey:
"I firmly agree with others who have said that
statements such as these are manipulative and
un-American. In addition, it shows the desperation
and fear-mongering that has plagued the body politic
and our public discourse."
Blue
Dog: The Bush administration has paralyzed the
Kerry campaign and other Democratic campaigns
throughout the country with the threat of terrorism,
and patriotism involving the Iraq war. Democrats are
not addressing the real issues and the real needs of
the American voting public. After all, Kerry voted
for intervention in Iraq. At
this point in the campaign, Kerry has not offered a
viable alternate to Republican Bush - and the
Democrats have not acted like a traditional
opposition party.
Is that an accurate statement?
Jeffrey:
"I think that it is an accurate statement. I
believe that the Kerry campaign and the Democrats
ought to focus the attention of the electorate on
the Republican strategy of hate and fear-mongering as
distractions from their efforts to cut funding for
veterans' care, Medicare, public education and many
other programs.
"The
Democratic Party has a serious credibility problem
with the broader electorate that has watched the
party consistently straddle the fence on issues that
clearly went against their historic positions on
everything from war to Medicare to taxes. The party
has got to start distinguishing the differences
between them and the Republicans if they are to
survive as a political force."
Blue
Dog: Where do you stand on the issue of the current
war in the Middle East?
Jeffrey:
"Military action in the Middle East has
enormous and far-reaching global implications and
particularly increases the threat of terrorism
against the U.S. We have to tread very carefully
when considering any such action. The war in Iraq
was not a war we needed to fight and has
consequently increased the number of terrorists in
the world and their motivations against America.
This action has also decreased America's credibility
in the world."
Blue
Dog: The Kerry campaign suspended the campaign's TV
commercial money dedicated to Virginia along with
campaign staff members and channeled those funds to
other states. Has the Kerry campaign and the
Democratic Party of Virginia surrendered the
Commonwealth and added more time to the 40 years of
Republican presidential election domination?
Jeffrey:
"It would seem that both have conceded that
Virginia is probably not winnable. However, I
believe that while Virginians are conservative,
they are moderately so. Virginia can be won, but it
takes conviction and commitment on the part of the
party and its representatives."
Imagine
victory -- It isn't hard to do
Change
is never easy. Change
begins with a single individual that starts a chain
reaction that spreads over a period of time to
another and then another - until the chain becomes a
circle. A good friend said to me once,
"politics are not revolutionary, but
evolutionary." And the democratic process is
slow. Citizens need to become educated on the issues.
Candidates
who embrace change are best suited for those
candidacies, and those individuals are often willing
to take political chances and risk all while others
sit idle and watch.
As
a candidate for change, Martin Jeffrey concluded the
Blue Dog interview with these worded thoughts and
insight for election day.
"Imagine
what would happen if a write-in campaign was
successful in unseating a six-term congressman who
is the deputy majority whip in the House.
"Imagine
the impact and the message that would send to the
system regarding the willingness of the people to
retain their control over their government.
"Imagine
the influence of that congressman on the Washington
political process and national public policy."
Jeffrey
empathetically stated, "A win by our campaign
would be a win for we the people and for
democracy."
Being
part of a historical victory ...
Just like the John Lennon's song
"Imagine," "It isn't hard to
do."
If
you write in the candidate's name, remember the
correct spelling is …
Martin J - E - F - F - R - E - Y.
--
November 1, 2004
|
