JOSE HERNANDEZ FOR CONGRESS RAISES OVER $310,000 IN FIRST QUARTER

JOSE HERNANDEZ RAISES OVER $310,000 IN FIRST QUARTER

Modesto, CA – This morning the Jose Hernandez for Congress campaign announced that they have raised over $310,000 in the first quarter of 2012. This is a strong upswing from the amount the campaign raised in the fourth quarter of 2011. The $310,000 the campaign received was from more than 2,800 contributions.

This announcement comes on the heels of the campaign receiving the endorsement of the Latino Community Roundtable following their forum on April 11th.

“I’m thankful for the amount of support that my campaign has received over the last three months,” said Jose Hernandez, candidate for Congress in California’s 10th congressional district. “These strong numbers show that Californians believe that Jeff Denham is part of the problem in Washington and won’t stand with his plans to destroy Medicare as we know it and allow for the privatization of Social Security.”

For Immediate Release: Democratic Women's Club of Stanislaus County has Historic Meeting!

The Democratic Women's Club of Stanislaus has its first general meeting!  The women's club invited its Charter Members and the general public to be a part of their historic first meeting! The DWCS, also celebrated the women's right to vote that was passed by Congress on June 4, 1919.  "This is the first Democratic Women's Club in Stanislaus County and in the Northern Central Valley," said DWCS Founder, Patty Hughes. Founding Officers, Yvonne Allen and Carole Stark, are very pleased with the large group of energized Democratic women from all over the region that turned out for tonight's meeting.  Anyone who is a registered Democrat in California can become a member!  Student memberships are free! For more information contact the DWCS: demwomensclub@gmail.com (209) 551-0501.

Shout Out To Patty Hughes

I am delirious with the news that our friend, Patty Hughes, will be meeting Bo’s Papa (known to some as POTUS), this week! You know that six degrees of Kevin Bacon thing? Well, I’m only one degree of separation from The Bacon, The Big Cheese, The Top Dog, since Patty will be meeting our Commander in Chief!

Dear friends, Patty is not meeting the President at some big fundraiser or gala, with the masses. No. Our Ms. Hughes has been invited to meet personally with Bo’s Papa. I cannot say that I’m surprised, in that Patty has done more for OFA and the Democratic Party in our region than most anyone. I am in awe of her hard work, tireless dedication and loyalty to her candidates and causes. Hard work, dedication and loyalty are the hallmark traits of a canine, maybe that’s why I admire Patty so much...I think she may be part canine.

Here’s to you, Patty --- our OFA pack leader!

ps Any chance of getting a pawtograph of Bo for me?

Promises, Promises...

Being a canine politico, I enjoy the Sunday morning news shows. I was watching Meet the Press this morning, and, I must say, I was getting pretty angry when talk of the oil spill got going. As you know, dear readers, I have been very upset about this environmental travesty (in case you missed it, please refer to my “Shrill Baby Shrill” post).

As the law stands today, big oil companies are only liable for $75 million in damages, a cap put in place in the 1990 Oil Pollution Act. Considering the Exxon Valdez oil spill cost approximately $2.1 billion in clean up and damages, the cap seems a bit on the low side (that’s obvious even to this thoughtful canine). Sounds like an awfully sweet deal for Big Oil. You’d think the lawmakers that passed that bill were in the pockets of Big Oil, or something. Oh, I forgot...1990... Big Oil was running the White House.

Last week a group of Senators, led by Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), offered a bill that would push that cap from $75 million, to $10 billion. Big Oil reaps obscene profits quarter after quarter, regardless of the economy. They mess it up, they clean it up. Even a dog understands the importance of cleaning up what you dirty, so to me, it’s a no-brainer to up the cap. Those who make the mess need to take responsibility to clean it up... common sense, right?

Well, it’s not common sense to the GOP (Grand Obstructionist Party) side of the Senate. They effectively filibustered, and blocked the proposed legislation last week. As a canine, I’m dumbfounded by the plain old dumbness of some humans. I know that it’s their agenda to “just say no” to any and all proposals coming from the other side, but at the expense of taxpayers, their constituents? I simply don’t get it.

This morning on Meet the Press, Senator Jeff Sessions (R-Ala) said that raising the cap legislatively was unnecessary because “BP people have told me personally, they are going to be responsible for all legitimate claims made against them”. Well, gosh darn it, why hold BP lawfully accountable when they made the pinky-promise with Senator Sessions?

To me, this all stinks of graft and corruptionx. For a canine to say something stinks is quite a strong statement, because most anything humans find vile smelling, I adore. But this does stink. Even to one who loves the aroma of critter carcasses, spoiled cottage cheese, and cat feces...it stinks.

Shrill, Baby, Shrill!

I’m very concerned about the creatures in the Gulf Coast, and the humans who’s livelihoods are threatened because of the ruptured under-sea oil well. This is a tragedy on all levels. So many species are being be harmed -- shrimp & jellyfish, crawdads & catfish, birds & reptiles....canines and humans.

I vividly remember (anxiety-provoking flashbacks, actually) the shrill cries of “drill, baby, drill”. The “shrill”, being an avid hunter (don’t even get me started on that subject), who quit her job, lost her race, went to multiple colleges to get her undergrad degree in journalism (a profession she now reviles as “lame-stream media”) and has a litter larger than my birth-mother. Mama or I scramble for the mute button the moment she’s on the telly, but I’ve heard that rally cry enough times to haunt my subconscious forever.

I am completely dumbfounded by the fact (polls?) that some people lick up this dribble (yes, that was a play on words...I was an English major). Granted, I’m just a canine with political aspirations, but I think I may have stronger qualifications to hold public office than “the shrill”. Please note: In today’s photo I am wearing the doggie version of the obligatory flag pin that candidates must wear, in order to assure the masses of our patriotism.

I can’t, in all fairness, put everything on the ex-beauty princess from Way-silly. Bo’s papa (note: I have a huge man-crush on Bo!), approved more off-shore drilling exploration just a few weeks ago. Yes, I was shocked, disillusioned & saddened (and I intuit that my bud, Bo, was feeling the same). I have confidence, though, that Bo’s papa will re-evaluate the alternatives after reviewing the devastation of the gulf.

I understand that I’m a dog, and not part of the voting public. But I have to believe that I put more thought into many of these issues than some humans. Renewable, sustainable energy seems to be a much better place to focus our attention than finite resources that carry a great risk to our planet and our well being. Why would this make sense to a dog, but not to all humans?

On an upbeat note, in regards to the oil spill, I think I have helped with reigning in some of the oil. I just had a major haircut (the dreaded “summer-cut), and I’m pretty sure I contributed to helping the cleanup effort. This is really cool, dear readers; check out this link to learn about my contribution and how you can help too:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwQOD_Ir2vQ