The Year of Moving Forward

The Year of Moving Forward
At our 4 person wedding reception in DC

Friday, July 9, 2010

Terri Sewell: the honest candidate

What is worse, a thief or a liar?

Sheila Smoot is a liar. At least, her campaign is lying when they made this claim about Terri Sewell: "She didn't even cast one vote in Alabama until 2008."

And this one: "Sewell never even voted in Alabama until 2 years ago. ... She never even bothered to vote and now she wants to represent you in Congress. ... Sewell doesn't even vote, but she attacks Shelia Smoot's record?"

This would mean that Terri had never voted for her mother when she ran for city council.

Here is Terri's voter registration from Dallas County in 1984.




Sewell has said this, in a statement about the matter: She "went on to vote in multiple local, federal, and state races in Alabama's 7th district, often casting absentee ballots while away at college. She spent many long hours campaigning for her mother, who was the first African-American woman elected to the Selma city council, and always made a point to cast a vote in support of her mother."


So last night as I was leaving Sewell's town hall meeting in West End, a vehicle with speakers attached to the outside was broadcasting "This is a warning," followed by these lies and others, with a booming, authoritative voice, to people in the community.

If Smoot will lie to get into office, what will she do once she is elected? We don't need an embarrassment in Washington, D.C. We need a person who can relate to the big wigs there, but can also relate to the people, all of the people, in her district.

Read more about Smoot's ads at Left in Alabama, where Smoot has been asked to pull the radio ads and to apologize.

Terri Sewell is poised to become the first African-American woman elected to congress from Alabama. She was recently named one of the Next 10 Women to Watch in Politics. She is in a list with Debbie Wasserman Schultz, and in my book there could be no better comparison.

At the Town Hall last night, Terri shared her policy views, but she also shared the connection she has with individuals in the district. People from the West End area who had answered a knock at their door and opened it to find Terri were there and spoke highly of their conversation.

Terri also spoke of people that she thinks about on a daily basis during this campaign. One was a seven year old girl who dreamed of being the first African-American female astronaut (Terri gently informed her that Mae Jemison had been the first, this little girl might be the second). But she reminds Terri that every child should be able to dream, and dream big. Terri herself came a long way and she feels everyone should have that opportunity.

Another person that Terri mentioned was a contractor whose business has been affected by the economy. Terri understands the hardship that people are undergoing (including the people in Green County that Terri said unfairly lost their jobs when the Governor's Task Force closed Green Track).

I asked Terri about her positions on two issues of great importance to the President: the moratorium on deep water drilling and the lawsuit against the state of Arizona over their immigration law.

I could tell that Terri has put a lot of thought into both of these issues, because there are valid arguments on both sides. But her answers showed me that Terri's views are truly progressive and I agree with her. She supports the moratorium on deep water drilling since we don't know how to stop a leak like the disaster that is taking place right now. Shallow water drilling, and production from deep water wells already in operation, can continue.

As for the immigration lawsuit, she backs the President and sees the law as discriminatory.



And just as Terri has been able to communicate with and inspire the people she has met on the campaign, she will be able to do the same with members of congress. I could picture her last night meeting with Nancy Pelosi or Alan Grayson and having productive conversations with them, and actually getting things done for our district and for our country.

If Terri does not win this election consider it stolen. That's where the "thief" question comes in.

But Terri will not lose. She will win on Tuesday. She is upbeat. I am upbeat. Her supporters are upbeat.

See you at the polls on Tuesday.

There is beauty in the world.

Macy Gray thinks so. Here she sings "Beauty in the World"




Here's the remix, if you prefer that dance beat.

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