Platte County Democrats

Platte County Democrats Meeting on January 23rd, 2012

2012-01-18T17:02:00.004-07:00

Platte County Democrats will meet at the First State Bank Conference Center in Guernsey on Monday, January 23rd, 7 pm. Speakers include Bob Vernon-Kubicheka, Wyoming State Director of Obama for America, and Robin Van Ausdall, Executive Director of the Wyoming Democratic Party. Please attend, and bring a friend!

Platte County Democrats to Meet Tomorrow Night

2011-11-27T10:25:00.002-07:00

Platte County Democrats,

We will meet Monday, November 28, 2011, at the First State Bank Conference
Center at 7pm.

Pete Gosar ran for Governor in 2010 and will be the featured speaker.

Chris Kanwischer, Platte County Clerk, is tracking the redistricting effort
and will provide insight on this important issue.

Please plan to attend and bring your friends. It will be informative and
fun.

Terry R. Jones
Chairman

DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz's Inaugural Speech

2011-05-21T17:00:00.002-06:00

Rev. Rodger McDaniel to speak on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

2011-05-20T11:53:00.004-06:00

Press Release from the Platte County Democratic Party:

The public is invited to hear Rev. Rodger McDaniel speak on the topic of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The talk will take place on Wednesday, May 25th at the First State Bank Conference Center in Wheatland at 7 p.m. The guest speaker will also welcome questions from the audience.

Rev. Rodger McDaniel served in the Wyoming legislature from 1971-1981, was the Democratic Party nominee for US Senate in 1982, practiced law for 18 years, and was the Director of Habitat for Humanity operations in Nicaragua from 1991-1992. He holds a Masters of Divinity Degree from the Iliff School of Theology, and is an currently the pastor at Highlands Presbyterian Church after serving as director Wyoming Department of Family Services and head of the state's mental health and substance abuse programs for 8 years.

Refreshments will be served following the Q&A. The event is being sponsored by the Platte County Democratic Party.

Hope you can make it!

Platte County Meetings with reps for Enzi, Barrasso and Lummis

2011-05-14T10:15:00.004-06:00

Courtesy of Gail Heimbuck (thanks Gail!)

U.S. Senators Mike Enzi and John Barrasso and U.S. Congressman Cynthia Lummis are announcing that their representatives are scheduled to hold Office Hours in Platte County on Wednesday, May 18, 2011.
Their schedule will be:
Guernsey - Town Hall, 81 West Whalen Street, 10 – 10:30 am
Wheatland – Town Hall, 600 9th Street, 11 am – 12 pm
Area residents are encouraged to stop by during these times to discuss matters regarding the federal government. All comments and concerns will be relayed to Senators Barrasso and Enzi and Rep Lummis.
For more information, please call Jamie Gronski at 307-772-2451.

Representative Cynthia Lummis will be in Wheatland on Thursday, May 19th at the Platte County Chamber of Commerce Quarterly Luncheon that will held at the Wheatland Country Club beginning at Noon. She will be giving a Legislative update. Call the Chamber at 322-2322 to RSVP for the luncheon.

If you can attend one of these meetings, please do so! If you haven't heard, our three representatives were recently in the news for being supportive of a U.S. constitutional "repeal amendment" to give individual states to the ability to say "This part of our federal law doesn't apply to us." It's doubtful the legislation would pass through congress, but the implication is that they don't feel Wyoming should have to obey the laws of our union, our UNITED states. I feel the phrase "United we stand, divided we fall!" would be applicable to this situation.

News from the Wyoming Democratic Party Central Committee

2011-05-01T12:33:00.004-06:00

We had a good turnout and and got fired up at Wyoming Democratic Party State Central Committee meeting. I'll be posting more information summarizing what I learned at the meeting, to help answer questions about our Democrat party and our function as members. Meanwhile, our Executive Director Bill Luckett summarizes some of the important highlights of the meeting:

The Wyoming Democratic Party State Central Committee convened today Casper College in the Sharon Nichols Auditorium, to elect state officers finalize the delegate selection plan for 2012 state and national conventions.

Central Committee members elected, by acclamation, the following leadership for a two-year term and to lead the party through the 2012 election cycle:
Chuck Herz of Moose as State Chair
Jodi Guerin of Laramie as Vice Chair
Sherry Shelley of Riverton as Secretary
Leslie Petersen of Wilson as Treasurer

The Central Committee amended the 2012 Delegate Selection Plan to hold County Conventions on April 14, 2012, in every county seat across the state. The selection of this specific date will make Wyoming eligible to earn two bonuses in the size of its delegation: one by virtue of waiting until April to hold its “first-step” events in the presidential selection process, and the other for holding its events on the same date as neighboring states. The Nebraska Democratic Party is currently planning to hold its event on April 14, and the Democratic parties of Kansas and Idaho are also considering whether to schedule their events on the same date, pending votes by their respective state committees.

After approving the amendments, the Wyoming Democratic State Central Committee today voted to formally adopt and submit the plan to the DNC's Rules and Bylaws Committee for approval. Under the plan Wyoming will elect 19 delegates and 2 alternates to the 2012 Democratic National Convention. In addition, the state should be eligible for four bonus delegates, pending the formal approval of the plan by the DNC.

The Wyoming Democratic Party Central Committee is composed of the Chairs, Vice Chairs, State Committeemen, and Committeewomen from each county, State Chair and Vice Chair, State Secretary and Treasurer, National Committeeman and Committeewoman, Legislative Representatives selected by the House Caucus and Senate Caucus, and the Young Democrats Chair, Vice Chair, State Committeeman, and State Committeewoman.

Wyoming Democratic Party Central Committee Meeting, April 30, 2011

2011-04-22T07:01:00.007-06:00

The following is a letter from Bill Luckett, Executive Director of the Wyoming Democratic Party, regarding the upcoming Central Committee meeting in Casper. I would like to see a good turnout from Platte County, and encourage anyone interested to attend.

Folks,

The Central Committee of the Wyoming Democratic Party will meet in Casper on Saturday, April 30. The meeting will take place at Casper College, in the Sharon Nichols Auditorium in the McMurry Career Studies Building, which is at the extreme south end of campus. Directions: take Wolcott Street (which runs parallel to Center Street, just one block east) southbound toward Casper Mountain. Wolcott Street’s name changes into Casper Mountain Road, but it’s the same street. Go past 15th Street, past College Drive, past T-Bird Drive, and then take a right. THEN, take an immediate left onto Lisco Drive, circle around for 5 to 10 seconds, and turn left into the parking lot. The attached map should help some – just know that on this map, SOUTH is up, so our meeting place is at the top of the map.

Members of the Central Committee include county chairs, vice chairs, state committeemen and state committeewomen. But note that this meeting, like all of our meetings, is open to the public, AND we are going to focus heavily on training for county party leaders, so you may want to encourage others from your county who are not technically members of the Central Committee to attend. They’ll be most welcome. We also especially hope any members of the Legislature who are not technically members of the Central Committee will attend.

In addition to the training, the major orders of business will be to elect state party officers for the next two years and to approve our state party’s Delegate Selection Plan for the 2012 Democratic National Convention. Attached is a tentative agenda.

The Leadership Group of the Wyoming Democratic Party will meet in Casper on the previous day, Friday, April 29, for a session on Party strategy, as previously announced. That meeting is planned for 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Friday the 29th in the downstairs conference room of the Stratton Real Estate/Blue Cross Blue Shield building at 231 E. Midwest Ave., which is between Wolcott and Durbin streets just a half block south of 2nd Street. The Leadership Group and others who’ve indicated interest in attending will get further information on this session early next week.

I look forward to seeing you in a couple weeks!
Bill

Bill Luckett
Executive Director
Wyoming Democratic Party
(307) 473-1457 (office)
(307) 631-7638 (cell)
luckett@wyomingdemocrats.com

Learn About The Affordable Care Act

2011-04-22T06:23:00.004-06:00

KD Kneeburg had her Letter to the Editor published this week in both the Casper Star Tribune and the Platte County Record Times. Read it here: Learn about health reform. If you visit the healthcare.gov page as suggested you will find some of the benefits of the Affordable Care Act already in place, including:

Providing Small Business Health Insurance Tax Credits: Up to 4 million small businesses are eligible for tax credits to help them provide insurance benefits to their workers. The first phase of this provision provides a credit worth up to 35% of the employer’s contribution to the employees’ health insurance. Small non-profit organizations may receive up to a 25% credit.

Cracking Down on Health Care Fraud: Current efforts to fight fraud have returned more than $2.5 billion to the Medicare Trust Fund in FY 2009 alone. The new law invests new resources and requires new screening procedures for health care providers to boost these efforts and reduce fraud and waste in Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP.

Expanding Coverage for Early Retirees: Too often, Americans who retire without employer-sponsored insurance and before they are eligible for Medicare see their life savings disappear because of high rates in the individual market. To preserve employer coverage for early retirees until more affordable coverage is available through the new Exchanges by 2014, the new law creates a $5 billion program to provide needed financial help for employment-based plans to continue to provide valuable coverage to people who retire between the ages of 55 and 65, as well as their spouses and dependents.

For more information on the Early Retiree Reinsurance Program, visit www.ERRP.gov

Providing Access to Insurance for Uninsured Americans with Pre-Existing Conditions: A Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP) will provide new coverage options to individuals who have been uninsured for at least six months because of a pre-existing condition. States have the option of running this new program in their state. If a state chooses not to do so, a plan will be established by the Department of Health and Human Services in that state. This program serves as a bridge to 2014, when all discrimination against pre-existing conditions will be prohibited.

Learn more about the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan

Extending Coverage for Young Adults:Under the new law, young adults will be allowed to stay on their parent’s plan until they turn 26 years old. (In the case of existing group health plans, this right does not apply if the young adult is offered insurance at work.) Some insurers began implementing this practice early. Check with your insurance company or employer to see if you qualify.

Providing Free Preventive Care: All new plans must cover certain preventive services such as mammograms and colonoscopies without charging a deductible, co-pay or coinsurance.

Eliminating Lifetime Limits on Insurance Coverage: Under the new law, insurance companies will be prohibited from imposing lifetime dollar limits on essential benefits, like hospital stays.

These are but a few of the positive changes made to assist people in keeping the cost of insurance under control and to help people achieve healthier lives.

The Constitution Party in Platte County

2011-04-07T17:36:00.004-06:00

You might have seen in the Platte County Record-Times that the "Constitution Party" is going to hold a meeting and formalize their position in the county. I visited their website to read their platform. I had to disagree with them right from the start when reading the party preamble: "The Constitution Party of Wyoming gratefully acknowledges the blessing of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as Creator, Preserver and Ruler of the Universe and of these United States."

This completely ignores Jefferson's call for separation of church and state, and it leaves me with no reason to believe they would follow the constitution and the intent of our forefathers at all. Further reading of their goals and platform issues leaves me flabbergasted at their willingness to promote the rights of only certain individuals. By that I mean the rights of certain, non-gay, pro-life, ten-commandment and end-of-days preaching individuals.

What is this? What happened to the melting pot? E. Pluribus Unum? We are a country of many religions and cultures, with the right for all to practice their beliefs, even the lack thereof. Let's leave the "One religion to rule them all" to other countries like Iran. This is NOT a christian nation, no matter how much they wish it was.

Factcheck.org summarizes the exaggerations the GOP in Iowa

2011-04-04T16:56:00.003-06:00

Well, I guess now is as good as a time as any for the GOP to start slinging mud and making irresponsible statements that simply don't correlate with the facts. Here is a link to Factcheck.org's summarization of the exaggerations made by wannabe presidential hopefuls during a get together in Iowa on March 26th, 2011. Michele Bachmann, Newt Gingrich, Haley Barbour all manage to distort reality with made up figures. I would say 83% of their information is wrong, which is a number I pulled out of thin air, because hey, if they can do it, why can't I? Oh yeah, because I'm kinda partial to REAL information.

News You Can Use: April 4, 2011

2011-04-04T16:41:00.005-06:00

GOP anti-appropriators break up the spending party Cynthia Lummis, in her second term, is the league leader in bucking the committee leadership -- she voted against Rogers and Young 16 times during the HR 1 ...

Barrasso scrutinizes mineral exports John Barrasso, R-Wyo., dashed off a letter of his issues with uranium mining companies operating in Wyoming to the President of the United States, and may have uncovered a potential international incident. Uranium extraction in Wyoming continues to be ...

Obama's energy policy is doublespeak - .: United States Senator ... U.S. Senator Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., made the following comments following a speech by President Obama today regarding his energy policy. ...

Letter to the Editor - Terry Jones

2011-03-30T15:51:00.004-06:00

Terry Jones has a Letter to the Editor appearing this week. I have seen it in both the Platte County Record-Times and The Casper Star-Tribune. Go check it out!

Group stops 'robocalls' to Wyoming

2011-03-25T02:29:00.004-06:00

After a number of complaints, a nonprofit advocacy group fighting the new federal health care lawannounced Thursday that it’s suspending all automated phone calls to Wyoming.

Republicans and Democrats around the state have complained for several days of receiving as many as three “robocalls” in an hour from Repeal HealthCare Act, a nonprofit 501(c)4 group that’s a project of the conservative political action committee Restore America’s Voice. More from the Casper Star Tribune.

Press Release: Platte County Democrats Elect New Leadership

2011-03-25T02:23:00.001-06:00

Wheatland, WY – Last night twenty Democrats from across Platte County gathered and elected new leadership for a two-year term.

Terry Jones of Wheatland was elected as Chair and Stacey Reichardt of Wheatland was elected as Vice Chair. Rick Robbins of Wheatland retained his position as Secretary and Jeff Wilhelm of Wheatland will continue serving as treasurer. Michael Crowley of Wheatland was elected to serve as State Committeeman. The position of State Committeewoman is vacant and will be filled by appointment.

“I’m looking forward to leading the Platte County Democrats. I hope to see a lot more people at our monthly meetings, including a lot of younger faces,” commented Jones.

Monthly meetings of the Platte County Democrats will resume in April. The time and place will soon be announced.

Wyoming Democrats seek comments on 2012 Delegate Selection Plan

2011-03-25T02:08:00.003-06:00

The Wyoming Democratic Party is seeking public comment on its draft delegate selection plan for the Democratic National Convention to be held in Charlotte, N.C., in September 2012.

The draft plan is available to the public for comment at the Wyoming Democratic Party's Website at www.wyomingdemocrats.com. The public comment period runs from March 22 to April 21. Written comments may be offered by e-mail to: luckett@wyomingdemocrats.com, or by mail to the state party at:
PO Box 1963,
Casper, WY, 82602.

Here is a summary of the plan:

Wyoming has a total of 19 delegates and 2 alternates.

Wyoming will utilize the results of a two-tier caucus system to apportion delegates to the 2008 Democratic National Convention. The step of Wyoming's delegate selection process will occur on Saturday, April 7, 2012, with a county caucus/convention in each of the state's 23 counties.

Participation in Wyoming's delegate selection process is open to all voters who wish to participate as Democrats. All persons residing in the county and registered to vote as Democrats at least 15 days prior to the county caucus/convention (no later than Mar. 23, 2012) may vote at the county caucus/convention and be elected as delegates to the State and National Conventions.

DISTRICT LEVEL DELEGATES AND ALTERNATES
Wyoming is allocated 10 district-level delegates and 2 district-level alternates. District-level delegate positions will be allocated to presidential candidates based on the presidential preference vote at county caucuses on Saturday, April 7, 2012. Candidates who have not attained a 15% threshold on a statewide basis shall not be entitled to any delegates. At Wyoming's Democratic State Convention in Laramie on Saturday, May 26, 2012, state delegates will elect district-level national delegates.

PARTY LEADER/ELECTED OFFICIAL AND AT-LARGE DELEGATES
Wyoming is allocated 2 party leader/elected official (PLEO) delegates and 3 at-large delegates.

PLEO and at-large delegate and alternate positions shall be allocated among presidential candidates according to the results of a presidential preference vote at the state convention. Candidates who have not attained a 15% threshold on a statewide basis shall not be entitled to any at-large delegates. The election of these delegates and alternates will also occur at the state convention.

"SUPER" DELEGATES
Four members of Wyoming's delegation to the national convention serve by virtue of their respective party or elected office. They are the state party chairman, the state party vice chairman, the Democratic National Committeeman, and the Democratic National Committeewoman.

In an effort to ensure that the presidential selection process more accurately reflects the results of votes by all eligible Democrats, the Democratic National Committee has eliminated the category of “unpledged add-on” delegates to the national convention. Further, Wyoming’s members of the DNC (the chair, vice chair and two national committee people) will be required to declare their support for a presidential candidate within 10 days after the State Convention.

Platte County Democrats Elect Officers

2011-03-22T20:44:00.006-06:00

The Platte County Democrats met at the county library on March 22nd to hold elections and discuss plans for the party. Thanks to all who came out to vote! Our new Chairperson is Terry Jones, and our new Vice-Chairperson is Stacey Reichardt! Continuing as our Secretary is Rick Robbins, and maintaining the Treasurer position is Jeff Wilhelm. Michael Crowley (yours truly) is our State Committeeman, and the position of State Committeewoman will be appointed soon.

We were very fortunate to have Brianna Jones, Wyoming Democratic Party Communications Director, with us to review the party's upcoming goals and to discuss the Affordable Care Act, reviewing some of the benefits available to Wyoming citizens. For example, did you know about 9,000 Wyoming residents with preexisting conditions qualify for affordable insurance, but only 50 enrolled for the program? Go to www.pcip.gov for more information.

Brianna will be pursuing other personal goals starting in May, and thus will not continue in her current position. She has been a great asset to the party, and I know our next Communications Director will have big shoes to fill. Good luck and thanks for all your hard work, Brianna!

Our Platte County Democrats members discussed short term goals, and we will be looking at having regular meetups to work on goals, party promotion, and ways to improve local politics!

If you aren't on the local party e-mail list, please send us a message and you will be added. Also, please add to our discussions by joining our Facebook group. This group requires a request to join, so that we can keep it to just to members of our party.

2012 is just around the corner, it's time to get this party energized! Stay tuned...

New Law Requires Women to Name Baby, Paint Nursery Before Getting Abortion

2011-03-13T07:11:00.004-06:00

Posting this segment while noting concern that some members of our legislature might think it's a great idea!

Platte County Democrats Meeting

2011-03-10T16:46:00.004-07:00

The Platte County Democrats will be holding a meeting on Tuesday, March 22nd at 7 p.m. for the purpose of electing officers for the upcoming term. The meeting will be held at the Platte County Public Library Meeting Room. Linda Shelton is our current chairperson, taking up the chairmanship after the recent resignation of Charlie McDonald. See you there!

Rachel Maddow features Wyoming Legislature

2011-03-09T16:55:00.004-07:00

Rachel Maddow recently aired a segment on what small government conservatism can do, using the recent defeat of HB74 in the Wyoming Legislature as an example. Featured in the video are Cale Case and Phil Nicholas, both Republican members of our State Senate, and Chris Rothfuss, one of our four Wyoming Senate Democrats. This bill could not possibly have been defeated without the support of a number of Republicans, who chose to follow the Constitution over the opposing members desire to mingle their personal religious beliefs with the law of the land. Members of Fremont and Albany counties should be damn proud.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Here in good ol' Platte County, we had a wonderful quote from one of our representatives, Frank Peasley: "Listen, I feel like you're destroying everything else that I have. You've gotten involved in the raising of my children, the way I discipline them, the way I feed them, whether or not I can smoke in the car, whether or not I have them properly equipped; you've just gotten into my life so much, let's just let me define the relationship I'm in, OK?”

I'm fairly certain allowing gays to marry would in no way nullify Mr. Peasley's marriage. It wouldn't have anything to do with his marriage. What Peasley is really saying is that he doesn't want other Americans, two consenting adults who love each other, to have the same rights that he enjoys. Why not?

We elect people to make our lives a little better, to uphold our laws, and to create laws that make this state a better place to live. Let's keep that in mind during the next election cycle. Let's vote for fairness and equality.

Wyoming State Senate Kills HB74

2011-03-03T05:38:00.011-07:00

Two articles were posted this morning regarding how HB74, the validity of marriage bill, was stopped:

http://equalitystatewatch.blogspot.com/2011/03/house-bill-74-dies-in-senate.html

http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wpr/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=1770226

From the second piece: "WyWatch State Director Becky Vandeberge was disappointed with the vote, but says she will keep working to keep same-sex unions from being recognized in the state. "The goal here was to get a voting record on a clean bill that defines marriage as between one man and one woman," she said. "And now we have that for the next election."

I couldn't agree more Becky. In Platte County, all of our representatives attempted to pass law that simply pushes for inequality. Senators Curt Meier and Jim Anderson, Representatives Matt Teeters and Frank Peasley all voted Yea on SJ005, the defense of marriage constitutional amendment. It was placed in the general file and was not considered in the committee of the whole. Then our all Republican "representatives" got behind HB74, which was defeated in the Senate yesterday.

Our elected leaders disguise their motivations as being sound, rational attempts at "creating consistent verbiage" across the board to guide our court systems. But I truly feel this is all religiously motivated, an attempt by followers of the christian bible to influence politics, and deny other Wyomingites the freedoms that they themselves enjoy. There is a reason why we have separation of church and state. These Platte County senators and representatives don't understand it. You have the right to practice religion, but you do not have the right to push your agenda on others through the government.

By the way, the e-mails I sent to Frank Peasley and Matt Teeters went unanswered. Thanks for the representation and response to a constituent, gentleman. Outstanding work.

This issue was only one of several bills this legislative session considered to interfere and control the rights of Wyomingites. They wanted government prescriptions for abortions. They tried to force children to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. Is if this is the Republicans idea of smaller government, I'm afraid they have their wires crossed. Next election cycle, we certainly will remember this.

EDIT: and from the trib: http://trib.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/article_70dd42f1-ba13-519b-b9a8-87c0922aff6e.html

John Barrasso Among the Most Conservative

2011-02-27T15:38:00.005-07:00

Aren't we lucky here in the state of Wyoming? Not only do we have two senators who are joined at the hip when voting, but now Thing 2 has the dubious honor of being rated one of the top 10 conservatives in the Senate. Isn't that special? I wonder if he gets a little golden oil well statue with that.

http://nationaljournal.com/magazine/most-conservative-members-of-congress-20110224

WyWatch keeping tabs on our State House and Senate

2011-02-26T20:43:00.003-07:00

If you are a Facebook user, I suggest checking out the WyWatch Watchers group, which is doing a fine job of keeping tabs on the legislation and proposals that affect our personal freedoms.

There is just one week to go until the 2011 legislature session. The Republican Party candidates have clearly shown what kind of power trip they go on when they have control of the house, senate, and governorship of our state. It hasn't been pretty to watch, but hopefully this will get our party riled up and start planning for the 2012 election cycle. We need to toss out our district representatives. They have helped push through legislation that denies equality to all Wyoming citizens, and have successfully pushed their so-called morality issues while blindly ignoring our U.S. constitution.

Our county caucus is fast approaching in March. I'd like to see some serious discussion concerning our need to fight back and put some people in power that want to prevent this state from continuing down the path of prejudice and hate mongering.

Senator Enzi's Light Bulb Moment

2011-02-25T14:11:00.005-07:00

In the news...
Senator Enzi has got this all figured out. Our state government is finding new ways to interfere with our civil rights, such as the right to marry the person you love, and interfering with your personal choice to have an abortion. These are merely small fry state issues. Enzi, meanwhile, is taking care of the really important issues: Giving the people a choice of the type of light bulb they can buy, an energy saving one or a old style inefficient incandescent one. http://bit.ly/dYL4eQ

Platte County Election Results

2010-11-03T05:38:00.003-06:00

The unofficial Platte County election votes have been posted, you may find them here:http://www.plattecountywyoming.com/Clerk/Elections/Results2010.aspx Locally, it seems change is in the air.

This will be an interesting two years for the nation with a Republican majority in congress, while the Senate narrowly belongs to the Democrats. The presumed Speaker of the House talks of listening to the people. Let's hope this happens. Fiscal responsibility is something we can all agree on, a consensus on how to do it will be the rub. My fingers are crossed that our government can continue making progress, improve our economy, and help us be one nation, indivisible.

Time is ticking, no Democrats on the horizon

2010-04-13T12:57:00.006-06:00

It has been ten days past a month since Governor Dave announced he will not seek another term. Things aren't looking too good for the Wyoming Democratic Party, due to the lack of time to ramp up a proper campaign. The filing period for the gubernatorial election takes place over a two-week period from May 13-28, 2010. With no one formally announcing a run yet, I fear we are most certainly going to have someone with a big red R behind their name running this state for the next four years.

In light of this, it seems prudent to look at the Republican Party members who have announced a run for the office. Former Republican state Representative Ron Micheli, Republican State Auditor Rita Meyer, Republican state House Speaker Colin Simpson, and former U.S. Attorney Matt Mead all have announced their candidacies for governor. Check out their websites. I can't say I agree with many of their stances, especially concerning social issues. Oh, and prepare to have the phrase "Obamacare" repeated ad nauseam. Ugh. It's gonna be quite the ride.

Homophobia (again) in Wyoming

2010-01-31T17:27:00.002-07:00

When our little home town of Wheatland, Wyoming gets publicity, it is usually the bad kind. This month is no exception. Our school board, showing a wealth of bigotry and ignorance, has voted to take down "No Place for Hate" posters in the schools due to the sponsorship from a gay and lesbian organization.

http://www.9news.com/...

Here are a few stand out quotes from two of the board members:
http://www.trib.com/...
Wheatland, a southeast Wyoming town of about 3,300 residents, is an "ultraconservative community," said school board member Lee Dunham.

"If this is the way one chooses, then they can lead this particular lifestyle, but I don't believe it needs to be publicly displayed in a school," Dunham said.

School board member Joe Fabian said he believes the Anti-Defamation League is pushing an "agenda that is pro-gay marriage" and that the community of Wheatland is not supportive of that.

"They wouldn't want the organization, the Anti-Defamation League, dictating to their children that an alternate lifestyle is a normal lifestyle," he said.

It makes me sick. If you care to, please help send a message to these ill-intentioned board members by signing a petition requesting the posters be returned here: http://www.petitionspot.com/...

More commentary can be found on the local news/gossip site wheaterville.com

The students are expressing their desire to have the decision overturned, wearing buttons and putting up their own posters, and rallying support on Facebook. I hope is that the school board gets the message and reverses this distasteful decision.

Fear mongering health care- Don't Buy In!

2009-08-09T08:10:00.005-06:00

“They won’t pay for my surgery, but we’re forced to pay for abortions.”
“New rules could hike your health insurance premiums 95 percent.”
“Washington wants to bring Canadian-style health care to the U.S.”
"Reform will promote euthanasia."

These are just a few of the scare tactic comments that are being thrown around by Conservatives and right wing special interest groups. Can we PLEASE stop with the fictitious quotes and lies already? President Obama has continually reiterated the same proposal that he campaigned with. Coverage for everyone. Keep your plan if you like it. He restates his stand on the issue again in yesterday's radio address. Please read the text or watch the video. If this bill comes out of the Senate any other way, the blame should be upon folks like Mike Enzi, who wants to clip and cut this bill until it is no longer recognizable.

I'm hearing the rants around the water cooler at work. "Obama wants to kill off my Grandma!!" Give me a break. And let's not pretend that Fox news' coverage on this issue is "Fair and balanced." It's brainwashing, and I hope you are not gullible enough to fall for it. Want to sort the fact from fiction? See the latest posts on the FactCheck.org website.

We have people come to our county hospital every week that are without insurance. These are not "lazy" people who need to "get a job". These are hardworking people who are just trying to stay ahead. For some, their employers don't offer a health care plan. Others have been laid off and can't find work in Platte County. Like our President said, people shouldn't have to claim bankruptcy because they became sick. Our current system just doesn't work. New York Times Op-Ed Columnist Paul Krugman does a wonderful job of describing what is wrong with it.

Now is the time to use our big American brains and really think this through. Let's get it right, and get it done.

Cynthia Lummis is coming to town

2009-08-09T07:56:00.003-06:00

Forwarded from our Chairperson's e-mail:

Hello Fellow Democrats,

The 14th of August Cynthia Lummis will be conducting a town hall meeting from 5-6PM at the (Platte County) library. I encourage everyone to attend and show support for our President, especially concerning health care. I will make a best effort to attend, but have some medical issues Im dealing with. This is a chance for your voice to be heard. Lets show Lummis that the Democrats of Platte County are involved to progress our country forward.

~ Charles McDonald

Sage Grouse holding back the wind farms

2009-08-07T22:27:00.000-06:00

As you read this article, take note that our Governor believes there are very good areas on the East side of the state for wind farms to be developed. Now let me break out my state map. Let's see, Platte County is situated on the...hey...the East side! We don't have much in the way of coal, oil or natural gas, but we have wind! Shouldn't we be taking advantage of our resources?

http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2009/08/07/wind-power-industry-retreating-from-wyoming-citing-sage-grouse-concerns/

A Discussion Saloon

2009-05-24T18:03:00.003-06:00

Platte County Democrats,

I want to start a discussion saloon here in Wheatland. Sponsored and moderated by the democratic party here it would be a sorta of weekly open forum. There is much to be discussed and the weekly forum seems like a good idea. Not formal meetings, those would be separate but a more informal discussion on topics and issues. Health care for instance, or current legislative bills, or some need in one of our towns or farm or ranch. It would be moderated to keep it ordered and work in the time alloted. Creating open dialog is important and keeps our democracy going. This web site helps to do that, and indeed I would hope to see follow ups on the discussion on this site.

What I need is input. A sorta of show of hands ( or comments in this case) on this idea. Help me to shape this forum and where we could hold it, what time is best. I will send this out via the e-mail list as well as on the web site. Lets start an understanding of the issues and topics that will shape Wyoming's elections in 2010.

~ Charles McDonald, Platte County Democrats Chairperson

News round up for the week ending 5-23-09

2009-05-24T07:28:00.008-06:00

Here is a round up of this weeks news. Tacked on to a credit card bill, we can now enjoy concealed weapons in our national parks. Enzi, Barrasso and Lummis sound off on cap and trade. Chrysler is closing down five franchises in Wyoming. Dick Cheney can't stay out of the news, headlining the list of 13 people who made torture possible. We are so proud of him. Enzi is in disagreement with panel members on how to deter youth from smoking. Gov. Dave took some heat for nominating his wife Nancy to serve as a U.S. District Court judge in Wyoming.

Of special note, Sen. Barrasso made a special Memorial Day weekend address promoting coal and gas jobs in Wyoming. In his remarks, he states "and solar only account for about 1 percent of U.S. electricity, far below what is needed to meet the nation's energy needs." He goes on to say "There's enough oil shale in the Rocky Mountain West alone to power America for the next hundred years".

This is a complete lack of forward thinking. O.K., we can power America for the next 100 years. Then what?! Guess how long the wind is going to blow in Wyoming? Forever. Guess how long the sun is going to shine down on our state? Another billion years. Of course wind only counts for 1% of U.S. electricity...it's just starting to be used! Wyoming can and should be a vital player in alternative energy production. The change is in the wind...literally. Just ask EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson, who toured coal production and wind farms with Gov. Dave this week.

Gov. Dave in 2010... are ya in or out?

2009-05-12T23:00:00.005-06:00

Here is another article, this time from CQpolitics.com, speculating on what may come in the gubernatorial race in 2010. Some interesting points are made, including the idea that if Freudenthal doesn't intend to run, perhaps he should say so now so that another Democratic Party candidate can start getting a game plan together. It also name drops a couple of possible Republican contenders.

Letter to Editor in the Star re: Barrasso supporting torture

2009-05-03T17:29:00.003-06:00

This was a well written letter sent to the editor of the Casper Star Tribune. I thought it was worth repeating here:

Editor:

A familiar pit formed in my stomach on Friday morning as our family caught the morning news. I listened as Sen. John Barrasso described his support for "appropriate interrogation techniques" -- torture. I was filled with a mixture of disgust, frustration, anger, and despair. My representative to the Senate, a trained physician, was describing an evidence-free argument supporting the torture of mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters.

Barrasso's position was fundamentally disturbing on several levels. Growing up in a family with a long history of medical service, I witnessed the compassion and
understanding of pain felt by most caregivers. As a trained physician, Barrasso
understands the psychological and physical consequences of pain, and the
longterm results of the fear associated with longterm, predictable pain.
Fifty-nine years ago this understanding motivated the Geneva Conventions, the
codified global disgust for such actions.

As a Christian, I seek to live by the principle that respect for human dignity must trump my personal desires. Fear of the unknown or a desire for absolute security must not lead to behavior that sacrifices the clear message taught by Christ on Good Friday -- all humans have dignity and that dignity must be honored by the way I treat their body and their spirit.

Lastly, it disturbs me to the core that Barrasso is willing to dishonor our brave service persons and strip them of the moral high ground that is so important in a time of war. If captured and subjected to torture, I want my son to benefit from the energy and moral strength that comes from the certain knowledge that his country, his fellow warriors, his government, would never behave this way to a prisoner. He will need that strength to withstand the terrible experience. During his education at West Point, my son Philip's training will include strong ethics education completely antithetical to the position being promoted by his own senator. Is Barrasso telling me that he prefers to continue eroding the high moral ground that Philip, the young
soldiers he will lead, and all American service people need as a foundation as they enter into the horrific, challenging theater of war?

GREG HAYWARD,
Laramie

Well said, Mr. Hayward. The fact that Bush and his entourage were willing to stoop to these levels leaves me feeling quite disgusted as well.

Introductions: Charles McDonald, Platte County Democratic Party Chairperson

2009-05-02T12:41:00.005-06:00

Welcome to the great debate. Here is practiced the democratic principle that moves our country. Dialog about the issues of our lives, creating a consensus for how politics and policies can aid us where we need them. Part soapbox, part reporting, part editorial, here is where you can come to see the Democratic Party movement in Platte County and the state of Wyoming. Here we can cast the stones that will ripple out and affect our lives.

As the new chairperson for the Democratic party of Platte County allow me to introduce myself. My history with the party is inherited ( as I believe most of us do ) from my parent. A single mom during the late sixties and into the seventies, she instilled in me a liberal view of the world. My formative years are marked by the Civil Rights movement, Feminism, retaining the rights of individual liberty and our responsibility to community. I am a liberal and an activist. I work at the Safeway in Wheatland and am the chief steward of the Union here. The steward position brings with it the skills of leadership I will use as chairperson.

In the coming weeks and months I and others will open up debate and dialog here. Michael is our monitor and administrator for the site and I thank him for all of his efforts and work. He is our Technology/Communications officer. This site gives us voice to the Platte county community and the who, what, when and where of our political party here. Politics is said to be an art, so consider this to be our public gallery as the art of politics is practiced. I am excited and proud to be a part of this community and wish to serve it well.

Factcheck.org covers "Conservatives for Patients' Rights" Ad

2009-04-30T12:49:00.003-06:00

There's a million dollar ad campaign from a group called Conservatives for Patients' Rights trying to play to people's fears that the government is going to take over health care. Good 'ol factcheck.org scrutinizes these spots to separate the fact from fiction. The ad is below, followed by the link for factcheck.org's rebuttal.

Oooh, scary huh? Now please take the time to read the factcheck.org review of the piece. I think you will find that the ad is filled with holes and misleading information. Don't let yourselves get swiftboated on this one folks.

Gov. Dave proclaims today Equal Pay Day

2009-04-28T12:32:00.004-06:00

From the office of the Governor:

EQUAL PAY DAY
WHEREAS, forty-five years after the passage of the Equal Pay Act and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, women continue to suffer the consequences of inequitable pay differentials; and

WHEREAS, according to statistics released in 2008 by the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2006 year-round, full-time working women in our nation earned only 78% of the earnings of year-round, full-time working men, indicating little change or progress in pay equity; and

WHEREAS, year-round, full-time working women in Wyoming in 2007 earned only 63% of the earnings of year-round, full-time working men; and

WHEREAS, women earn less than men in every occupation for which enough data is available, including occupations dominated by women (e.g., cashiers, retail sales, registered nurses and teachers); and

WHEREAS, educational attainment is not free from wage discrimination with women holding a graduate or professional degree earning 66% of the earnings of their male counterparts; and

WHEREAS, over a working lifetime, this wage disparity costs the average American woman and her family $700,000 to $2 million in lost wages, impacting Social Security benefits and pensions; and

WHEREAS, fair pay strengthens the security of families today and eases future retirement costs, while enhancing the American economy; and

WHEREAS, Tuesday, April 28 symbolizes the time in the new year in which the wages paid to American women catch up to the wages paid to men from the previous year,

NOW, THEREFORE, I, DAVE FREUDENTHAL, Governor of Wyoming do hereby proclaim Tuesday, April 28, 2009 to be

EQUAL PAY DAY

in Wyoming and urge the citizens to recognize the full value of women's skills and significant contributions to the labor force, and further encourages businesses to conduct an internal pay evaluation to ensure women are being paid fairly.

Hey, we're the EQUALITY STATE, aren't we? Paying less money to women is B.S. I don't quite understand a business owners motivation for doing this. Can it be that employers don't even realize this is happening? If it is being done on purpose, all I can say is "Knock it off!"

Source: http://governor.wy.gov/proclamations/equal-pay-day.html

Swing State Project making some 2010 predictions

2009-04-28T11:18:00.003-06:00

It's rarely ever too early to start looking at the next election cycle. The folks at swingstateproject.com have already opened the conversation of which gubernatorial races will be worth watching. Wyoming receives this mention:

Wyoming - Dave Freudenthal (OPEN) (D): Likely R
A very odd duck indeed. Freudenthal is, as the law stands now, term-limited. However, a very similar statute which applied to state legislators was overturned a while back for failing to comply with the state constitution. Most legal observers seem to believe that the gubernatorial term limits would also crumble before a challenge. If Freudenthal successfully fights the law and runs again, this seat is probably Safe D. If not, then it's Likely R, if not Safe R - a crazy seesaw indeed. (D)

And how could Gov. Dave challenge the law? SSP explains:

After Democratic Gov. Ed Herschler served three consecutive terms into the mid-1980s, the state legislature passed a bill limiting Wyoming's chief executives to two terms. Then, in 1992, voters passed a ballot initiative that brought term limits to the state legislature in the finest "If it's good for the goose, it's good for the gander" tradition.

Fast-forward 12 years to a lawsuit brought by two term-limited legislators -- a Democrat and a Republican -- challenging the constitutionality of such limits. The state Supreme Court unanimously agreed that the term limits could not be imposed by ballot initiative, ruling that an amendment to the state constitution would be required.

While that decision did not apply to Wyoming's five statewide offices -- including governor -- there is a strong sense that if Freudenthal challenged the constitutionality of his own term limits, it would be a slam-dunk victory for the incumbent.

It will be very interesting to watch how this will play out. I'd certainly like to see Governor Freudenthal stay and continue to bring his thoughtful leadership to our state.

Source: swingstateproject.com

Democratic spring cleaning...think fresh!

2009-04-26T01:55:00.011-06:00

I'm probably like many people in that my interest in politics is sometimes cyclical, following the ebb and flow of the elections. I'm quite obsessive in the preceding months up to election day, and then feel the need to focus on other interests. This would explain the lack of posts on this site since November. I've spent some time recently updating the sidebars, adding in contact information for our new Platte County Democratic Party officers, as well as our elected officials information.

As I come back to posting here, I find proof that I am not alone in the lack-of-updating department. I've browsed around on the sidebar links and see that many of our Democrat related sites could sorely use some fresh information. Our state party website is a good example. I don't know at this time how big of a team Bill Luckett has to help run the site, and I see that his blog info is new, which is great. But searching around the site I find "The Statesmen" link brings me to a 2007 .pdf file, the calendar page is empty, and I grimaced at the link titled "Wyoming for Kerry".

Now how about those "Young Democrats of Wyoming"? Surely if anyone would be hands on regarding the web it would be the tech savvy under thirty-five crowd, correct? Surprisingly, I had trouble finding them on the web. A google search leads me to the DNC webpage, which links to a "Party Builder" page, which was a dead end. How about the social sites? YDWY has a group on Facebook. The last "recent news" comes from last springs state convention, and the most recent wall post is dated September 5th, 2008. With 87 members (at the time of this post) I would expect at least one mention of the Obama win, or disappointment expressed over our state Democrat losses, yet there is not.

I look at how this would be perceived by a person looking to be involved with the Democratic party. How does this look to someone seeking to stay informed and perhaps converse with other fellow Democrats in the state? My fear is that the outdated info leaves doubt that the party is engaged. When we are trying to encourage people to join and participate, I think it is in our best interest to keep these sites fresh. It is not my intent to criticize, I know it is not easy to find the time to do this. But I do think it is important. We have some great new leadership in the party, and I am hopeful that the lines of communication will be open and utilized.

Cynthia Lummis VS Stephen Colbert

2009-04-21T22:23:00.014-06:00

I missed this last month! Stephen Colbert sits down with Cynthia Lummis in his "Better Know A District" segment. I give credit to Cynthia for holding her own, even if she wasn't familiar with the meaning of "cougar" that Colbert meant. Here's the link.

Democrats elect new state officers and Young Democrats leadership

2009-04-20T19:52:00.004-06:00

Democrats elect new state officers and Young Democrats leadership
New Chair Leslie Petersen: Party must maintain its momentum of past four years

CASPER - The new state chair of the Wyoming Democratic Party said she is excited to be working with such a strong team of leaders that will guide the party over the next two years.

"I’m excited about this opportunity to help elect progressive leaders at all levels of government throughout Wyoming," said State Chair Leslie Petersen of Wilson. "I'm pleased to have such a great Executive Committee to work with and thrilled with the newly elected Young Democrats who are full of energy, enthusiasm and technological expertise."

The Wyoming Democratic State Central Committee elected new officers in Casper on Saturday, April 18, and the Young Democrats of Wyoming also met to elect representatives on the state party governing board.

State party officers elected Saturday include State Chair Leslie Petersen of Teton County, Vice Chair Mike Bell of Laramie County, Secretary Linda Barton of Fremont County, and Treasurer Chuck Herz of Teton County.

In addition, the Young Democrats of Wyoming elected the following officers for the next two years: Dana Walton, chair; Rey Fuentes, vice chair; Sean Williams, state committeeman; and Ellie Bolender, state committeewoman.

Chairman Petersen said two of her highest priorities for the coming election cycle will be spreading the Democratic Party's message and finding quality community leaders to run for elected office.

"We need to let the people of Wyoming know the many ways in which Democrats are working for the best interests of working families," she said. "Getting our message out is a critical component of the work we need to do over the next two years."

She said Democrats need to maintain their momentum from the past two elections, in which Democrats have gained a total of five state House seats. At the same time, the party needs to improve its performance statewide in county-level elections.

"There are a lot of good leaders in this state who are Democrats and who would make good elected officials," Petersen said. "Our mission will be to find those people and get them elected to office."

About Leslie
Petersen has previously served as a Teton County commissioner and has been involved with various conservation, political and natural resource boards. She has been a Teton County Democratic Party activist for years, is a former Teton County party chair, and served as the county's state committeewoman for the previous election cycle. She also worked as legislative liaison for former Wyoming Gov. Ed Herschler, and she was the Democratic Party's nominee for secretary of state in 1982 and for a state House seat in 1990. Petersen has helped organize fundraising events for presidential candidates Sens. John Kerry and Barack Obama that she said each raised more than $450,000. She is a retired realtor and is married to Hank Phibbs, chairman of the Teton County Commission.

About the Young Democrats of Wyoming
The four officers of the Young Democrats are all involved with the Rocky Mountain Democrats chapter at the University of Wyoming. Walton and Fuentes worked for the state party for several months during the 2008 election cycle.

Walton said the group plans to focus on identifying and recruiting volunteers and candidates for office. Added Fuentes, "We want to bring more young people into the Democratic fold."

Gary Trauner post election

2008-11-10T06:16:00.005-07:00

It sounds as if Gary Trauner is taking his loss to Cynthia Lummis fairly well. He ran a good campaign, and even captured more votes in Wyoming than our Democratic presidential ticket of Obama/Biden. He makes a few statements in this Jackson Hole Daily article. A couple of clips:

“I think historically, presidential years are tougher for Democrats in Wyoming,” Trauner said.

“I had faith that the people of Wyoming would see through all the crap,” Trauner said. “I was wrong.”

“I don’t feel as upset as I did last time,” Trauner said. There was “nothing we could have done differently.”“At the end, it wasn’t going to happen,” he added. “I did the best I could.”

Indeed, it was a tough year for Wyoming Democrats. But the Obama/Biden win brings hope that this national nightmare will improve. Already we are seeing the world's reaction, and we are being viewed in a more positive light.

I wonder if Gary will run again? My job will be to follow the Lummis voting record over the next two years. I predict we are going to find her voting along party lines, but I'll bet she'll show up to vote more than Barbara Cubin.

I also predict that the 2010 race will be just as hard for a Dem to win. Perhaps Obama will have made some great progress with the economy and health care by then, and people might see that voting for a Democrat isn't a deadly sin. Trauner could try for the House seat again...but a certain position held by Gov. Dave will be up for grabs soon. Maybe he needs to think about staying in Wyoming, but switching residency to a different corner of the state. He needs to step back for awhile and regroup, spend time with his family, and think about his next move. I don't think this is the last we have heard from Gary Trauner, he is too passionate to stay on the sidelines.

The First Family

2008-11-05T08:30:00.002-07:00

Platte County Elections Results November 4, 2008

2008-11-04T22:40:00.006-07:00

The results are in, and for the state of Wyoming and Platte County, the GOP has a sweep.

It was hardly a surprise that Mike Enzi (R) and John Barrasso (R) , our state Senators, would keep their elected positions. They earned 76% and 74% of the votes, respectively.

Cynthia Lummis (R) captured the larger percentage of votes, winning our lone congressional seat, 126,016 to 100,724 (2572 to 1710 in Platte County) in a heated race with Gary Trauner.

Our new representative for State House District #3 will be Frank Peasley (R), in a close race against Terry Jones (D). The final votes for Platte County were 1522 to 1240. District #5 will continue to be represented by Matt Teeters (R), who earned 66% of the vote in Platte County. The state senate race was a blowout. Jim Anderson (R) defeated Jay Wright (D) with 67.5% of the votes in Senate District #2.

More locally, we now have an all-Republican County Commissioners Board, with Terry Stevenson (R) defeating incumbant Joe Reichardt (D), 2559 to 1843. He will join Tim Millikin and Dan Kirkbride.

The people elected for the Hospital District Board were Rick Bowen, John C. Bunker, Crystal Gamblin and Lori Modesett. Chuck Witte lost his position by 30 votes.

Wheatland will have Alan Madsen and Bob Shoemaker as city councilmen.
Guernsey will have Audrey Brown as a councilwoman for a four year term. Penny Wells and Cindy Frederick have been elected to hold two year terms.

Constitutional amendments A and B both passed, as did the Senior Citizen Tax Continuation.

Further results for school district positions, judges, resource conservation districts and the like can be viewed here, under "Election Results".

Although the news from the national stage was overwhelmingly positive for Democrats, the state and local winners reflect the fact that Wyoming is still a stronghold for the Republican Party. I hope that the elected officials will make thoughtful decisions, and I encourage them to remember the nickname of our state. We are the Equality State. Let that be reflected in your work for the people of Wyoming.

And to our Democratic candidates, I congratulate you for your tireless efforts of campaigning. In this state, you have the struggle of earning each and every vote, simply for having a "D" behind your name. I've been able to listen to many of you, and know that you have selfless desires for a better way of life for this and future generations. Keep believing in those dreams, and never forget the mantra: Yes we can!

It's happening... Barack Obama, President-Elect!

2008-11-04T19:55:00.009-07:00

It's 8 p.m. MST and at this point, there is no way for John McCain to win this election. Barack Obama is going to be our next President of the United States of America!

One might notice from the celebration venues that perhaps McCain already knew this. Barack's party in Grant Park in Chicago is huge. McCain's party in Arizona is a small affair, with Hank Williams Jr. providing party music to entertain what must be a depressed audience.

The rest of the votes need to be counted, but this race is over. Congratulations Barack Obama and Joe Biden! You both ran a good race and it was a well deserved win. I'm looking forward to the inauguration on January 20, 2009!

photo by dailykos.com

Gary Trauner and the Preamble to the Constitution

2008-11-03T19:12:00.005-07:00

Tomorrow is the big day. It is my sincerest belief that we need a U.S. House Representative that will represent everyone in Wyoming. As my final plug for Gary Trauner before the election, I offer this piece from Gary, regarding the Preamble to the Constitution.

Preamble to the Constitution

When I made the decision to run for Wyoming's lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, I went back to the document that set the foundation for our new country, the Constitution of the United States of America.

The founders of this great country clearly believed in the role, and the ability, of the federal government in ensuring the success of the new democratic experiment they were embarking upon. They also clearly believed that the federal government should have specific responsibilities. In fact, the founders laid out their views directly in the very first words of the Constitution, the Preamble. It states: We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

I'd like to provide you with my thoughts on how the specific ideas set forth in the Preamble apply to Americans as we enter the 21st century.

We the People of the United States, in Order to:
* Form a more perfect Union
o Encourage voting and participation in the political process for all citizens, not just those of a certain party or race
o Remove discrimination against any identifiable group through legislation and, if need be, court enforcement
o Encourage tolerance of diversity and acceptance of differing views and lifestyles
o Ensure that all citizens have the ability to believe and worship in their own way, without forcing anyone to believe or worship in any specific way
* Establish Justice
o Ensure that we are a country that is respectful of the rule of law by setting up a system of public justice through courts and judges
o Fight corruption through reasonable regulatory oversight of our citizens and business enterprises, utilizing appropriate enforcement tools when necessary
* Insure domestic Tranquility and provide for the common defence
o Maintain a well-equipped, well-trained military that is superior in all aspects to the rest of the world
o Work with other countries
o Ensure that the National Guard is well-equipped and well trained and used primarily for domestic purposes, such as natural disasters and keeping the peace
o Protect and make secure our homeland
o Only go to war when it is absolutely necessary and as a last resort
o Ensure that all people are treated equally, regardless of race, creed, religion or lifestyle preference
* Promote the general Welfare, and
o Make policy based not solely on the narrow focus of corporate interests, but for the broader well-being of the people and our families
o Provide basic, quality health care for all citizens, irregardless of employment, age or economic status
o Provide quality educational opportunity for all children
o Ensure a level playing field for competitive enterprises through reasonable regulatory oversight and compliance
* Secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity
o Ensure individual freedoms and freedom from government intrusion in our private lives
o Act in a fiscally responsible manner, properly funding government so as not to unduly burden our children and future generations
o Preserve our natural heritage and outdoor recreational opportunities for all Americans and future generations
o Pursue an energy policy that is sustainable for future generations, works for our national security and is balanced with preserving our natural heritage
do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

I encourage you to join me in voting for Gary Trauner as our Wyoming choice for the U.S. House of Representatives.

On Election Eve, The Star-Tribune endorses Obama

2008-11-03T14:36:00.010-07:00

In this morning's Casper paper, the editorial board of the Star-Tribune endorsed Barack Obama for President. Am I surprised? Somewhat. Am I encouraged by this? Yes. A few highlights:

What America needs most in these troubled times is a president who will move the country in a positive direction. The candidate who is most likely to chart a new course that will lead us to better days is Obama. Moreover, he is the best candidate for Wyoming.

Wyoming's energy-based economy is faring better than the nation's, but there's no guarantee that will last forever. Obama supports the development of clean-coal technology, which could assure a future for our vast coal resources. His focus on energy independence through a major investment in alternative energy research and development could lead to the creation of new industry and jobs in the state, and dovetails nicely with the work being done at the new School of Energy Resources at the University of Wyoming.

McCain's selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, however, shows extremely poor judgment. She has shown repeatedly that she is simply not ready to fill McCain's shoes.

With his emphasis on diplomacy along with a commitment to protecting America, Obama gives us our best hope of regaining the respect of other nations.

His campaign has been an honorable one that has focused on inclusiveness and hope. The three presidential debates showed Obama to be a calm, thoughtful leader with a unique vision of the future. The contrast with his opponent, who seemed angry and erratic, could not have been more stark or more telling.We endorse Barack Obama for president.

Wyoming as a whole will most assuredly give our three electoral college votes to John McCain, but I don't believe he will get to the magic number of 270. I know Barack Obama is the better choice to improve our lives. I am optimistic about tomorrow, as well as the future of this country.

Source:http://www.trib.com/articles/2008/11/03/editorial/editorial/8fb5b809854145d7872574f50026785c.txt

Find where to vote in Wyoming

2008-11-01T10:30:00.005-06:00

Where do I go to vote? What precinct am I in? Where are my keys? Two out of three of these questions can be answered by visiting the Wyoming Secretary of State website. Just plug in your address, and this handy Polling Place Locator will tell you where to go, and what district/precinct you reside in. You're on your own on the key thing. Polls will be open on Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Dick Cheney Speaketh in Laramie

2008-11-01T08:46:00.008-06:00

Dick Cheney sayeth:

Vote for Mike Enzi. Grrrrr.

Vote for John Barrasso. Arrrrrr.

Vote for Cynthia Lummis. Growwwwl.

And the good Republican people replied: Yes, my Lord.

Lummis leading Trauner at end of October

2008-11-01T06:43:00.008-06:00

Polls conducted from Oct 27-29 show Cynthia Lummis having a lead over Gary Trauner, 49 to 45, compared to a previous poll where Trauner led 44-43. It's still close, but it's not the best news for those hoping for Democratic representation in Congress.

So what's going on here? My best guess is that people afraid of a "Democratic majority" are trending toward Lummis, to offset the fact that Barack Obama is likely going to be our next President of the United States. Yesterday I was speaking to one of our Democratic candidates running for office, and we agreed that in 2006 we may have seen a lot of "No More Cubin!" votes going to Gary. Perhaps it is a combination of the two. At any rate, this race is not over, and Gary Trauner is still the best choice for Wyoming to send to Congress. But we need every Democrat, Independent, and tired-of-partisan-politics Republicans to get to the voting booth. This is not a time to stand on the sidelines. Talk to your neighbors, friends and relatives. Ask them to do the same. At this point, with four days to go, it's a ground game. Game on!

Get out the vote Platte County

2008-10-31T12:58:00.006-06:00

By the end of the day, it will be "times up" for donating money to your favorite candidate(s). Most of the political hopefuls and diehards will be hitting the streets this weekend, a last push to find those few extra people that haven't quite decided to whom they will cast their ballot. This is the pre-party to the Superbowl of politics, Election Day. And like a diehard sports fan, I feel the need to trumpet the virtues of my team. We have some great players, and I'd like to see some touchdowns on Tuesday. First, Barack Obama is looking good but he needs every vote he can muster. Statewide, our best chance to bring home gold is with Gary Trauner with a U.S. House Seat. Locally, I'm thinking Terry Jones has a decent shot at getting the win in State House District #3.

Enough sports analogies. My point is, if you have a candidate that you want to support, this is the time to do it. Call your candidates and ask what you can do. Get out the vote!

Colorado looks good in blue

2008-10-30T05:55:00.005-06:00

I said it a couple of days ago, and it seems it was only a matter of time. CNN now has Colorado shaded in light blue, leaning toward Senator Obama. I knew our neighbors would come through. I think in the end, "Change" is going to win over "Fear", which is exactly how these two campaigns can be summed up. We have been led by the use of fear for too many years now, ever since 9/11/01. Colorado is ready for change, unfortunately Wyoming is bound tight in Republican chains when it comes to presidential politics. Even so, I hope a few more Wyomingites will look past the boundaries of party lines, and vote for change as well.

Republicans flood Platte County with newspaper ads

2008-10-29T14:33:00.012-06:00

Wow! The local Republicans hit the Platte County Record Times hard this week. Multiple ads from most of the candidates, and a reminder from the Wyoming Republican Party to "Vote Republican". House District #3 candidate Frank Peasley has a half dozen ads himself. He is running against Terry Jones. This ad amused me, I've done some editing:

I have a working relationship with his son here in Wheatland, who I consider a good guy. I just think this scare tactic of picturing a solely Democratic representation is a bit much. By all estimates, Enzi and Barrasso are safe in their seats, so there's a pair for the "R" column. And besides, wasn't it not so long ago that besides Governor Freudenthal, the representation we had was strictly Republican? Until the Dems won the Congress in 2006, we were completely lopsided in the GOP's favor. Our current elected officials representing Platte County and Wyoming (Enzi, Barrasso, Cubin, Anderson, Teter, Meier and Alden) are ALL Republican. So I ask the rebuttal question to our local citizens, Don't you want at least one Democratic voice heard? I know I do.

Nick Carter and John Barrasso debate on PBS

2008-10-29T09:11:00.005-06:00

On Tuesday, October 28, the debate between Nick Carter and John Barrasso took place on PBS. The whole debate, as well as the debates from the two previous nights, can be seen on the PBS website.

The discussion included climate change, diverse energy major investment in clean coal, wind energy, global warming, Pinedale and the environment regarding natural gas, public funding for campaigning and elections, the bailout, our policies of when we should go to war, government spending, Wyoming and our wolf policy. In the "question each other" portion, they discussed the inheritance tax, fair tax policies, an AARP questionnaire, showing up for debates, the decision of voting on bills with "pork", and amnesty to illegal aliens. Of course, we had closing statements.

I have to admit, I thought John Barrasso did the better job in this debate. I stated in a previous post that I am in agreement with Barrasso on his choice to vote no on the bailout. But I am still quite opposed to a good majority of Barrasso's stances, including his position on abortion, taxes, prayer in school, and gay rights. He let's his religious views get in the way of his job to represent ALL the people of Wyoming. Separation of church and state, Senator. It's written down for a reason.

Gary Trauner, a non-partisan choice for Wyoming

2008-10-29T07:29:00.005-06:00

There is a good article appearing today in the Jackson Hole Star Tribune covering Gary Trauner on the campaign trail. Here's an excerpt:

Trauner said he connects with members of the GOP by helping them understand that he's fed up with partisan politics in Washington. He also acknowledges up front
that they may not agree on every issue."When they hear that I think the biggest
problem in Washington, D.C., is blind loyalty to party on both sides, that
loosens people up pretty fast," Trauner said.He also likes to tell people that
he's a "regular guy," not a career politician, and didn't even consider running
for Congress until a few years ago."I am just a regular guy with kids who got
fed up and decided to run for Congress," Trauner said to just about everybody he
met in Cheyenne.

If you watched the debate from Monday, you'll have noticed that Gary is on point regarding his non-partisan approach. He tackled Cynthia Lummis' question to him about voting for Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House by saying, and I'm paraphrasing here, if there was a better choice presented to him, he'd surely choose him or her. Gary Trauner is the candidate who is going to speak his mind. Cynthia Lummis keeps repeating that she is for "Wyoming Values", which I feel she thinks is equivocal to "Republican Values". They are not one in the same, I assure you. We have had years of voting along party lines. It's time to put in a Wyoming Congressman that thinks for himself. Gary Trauner is that candidate.

Full article: http://www.jacksonholestartrib.com/articles/2008/10/28/news/wyoming/e932de5d36bb3051872574f100061be0.txt

Wyoming Candidates on the Issues

2008-10-29T06:30:00.011-06:00

Still can't decide who to vote for in the next week? One great resource that may help you make a decision is ontheissues.org. They compile voting records and public statements from elected officials and current candidates to give you an easy to read, concise view of their stances on a range of issues. From Wyoming, you can read the positions of most of our current candidates, including Chris Rothfuss, Mike Enzi, John Barrasso, and Nick Carter. Unfortunately, neither Gary Trauner or Cynthia Lummis are represented. On the national level, the Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates stances are available.

Also, take the 20 question quiz and see where your ideological profile lies.

Trauner, Lummis and Herbert Debate on PBS

2008-10-28T10:22:00.005-06:00

The Trauner, Lummis and Herbert debate, held Monday October 27th, is available on Wyoming PBS. You may click here to watch. Topics of discussion in part one included the economy, healthcare, social security, care for our veterans, climate change and energy. This was a question and answer portion. Part two had the candidates sitting down and asking each other questions. Topics included negative campaigning, Nancy Pelosi and political party allegiances, the current unpopular congress, and pro-life/pro-choice issues. They all finished off with closing arguments.

The video is 27 minutes long and well worth viewing.

Watch this Gary Trauner and Dave Freudenthal Ad

2008-10-28T05:34:00.005-06:00

With seven days to go, the Trauner for Congress campaign has put up this video on youtube.com. Please watch and if you can, donate a few bucks so this commercial can make the television airwaves this week. Let's help elect Gary Trauner to represent the people of Wyoming! And don't forget to vote!

Cynthia Lummis donates her pocket change

2008-10-27T16:34:00.005-06:00

Cynthia Lummis gave her campaign $100,000 of her own money on Saturday to pay the campaign's bills, including television ad production, press expenses and phone banks.

Ummm, I don't know about y'all, but I certainly don't have a bank account with that kind of money laying around. Must be rough. I'm sure if she were elected she'd be the voice of the common man, looking out for the middle class, right? I don't think so.

Source: http://www.localnews8.com/Global/story.asp?S=9246283&nav=menu554_2_2

Early voting in Platte County

2008-10-27T14:36:00.007-06:00

My wife and I headed down to the Platte County Clerk's office this morning and voted early. It was real simple, and only took about 10 minutes. We were both wearing Obama campaign buttons, and a gentlemen also at the counter commented that he liked them. A fellow blue voter! I replied that I was happy that he liked them. There was another young female at the booth voting early too...which was good to see. Not that we should have a real problem with extensively long lines here in Platte County, but why not go and vote now? There was literally no waiting. If there is a problem with your registration, you'll have time to fix it, and you'll be assured your vote is included. I encourage every eligible citizen to take the time to vote, especially my fellow Platte County Democrats! This election, we have the opportunity to make a difference. Every vote counts.

Chris Rothfuss debates Mike Enzi on PBS

2008-10-27T08:34:00.004-06:00

If you weren't able to watch the debate between Chris Rothfuss and Mike Enzi on Sunday night, Wyoming PBS has it up on their website. The sound is a bit lousy, but it's worth a look. Tonight Gary Trauner, Cynthia Lummis and David Herbert debate, followed tomorrow by Nick Carter and John Barrasso. Dr. Rothfuss is a very intelligent man, it's a shame he is up against the dominance of Republican voters in Wyoming. It would be false hope to think Rothfuss will pull this off this election year, Enzi has a healthy +25 lead. The money and support just isn't there this time around. However, Enzi toyed with the idea of retiring, but ultimately ran for his third term. Keep that in mind Chris, and get your six-year game plan ready. And don't forget about the other Senate seat that will be in play in 2012. In the meantime, we'll keep fighting for you, and it will be interesting to see how this plays out next Tuesday.

A few folks show up in Colorado for Obama

2008-10-27T08:22:00.004-06:00

On Sunday, 100,000 plus people showed up in Denver to hear Barack Obama speak, and another 45,000 attended a rally in Fort Collins. CNN is still calling Colorado a toss up state. Wouldn't mind seeing the map turn light blue over the next week.

Wyoming Democratic Party needs your help Platte County Dems

2008-10-24T16:39:00.005-06:00

I received this e-mail this afternoon from the Wyoming Democratic Party Treasurer Chuck Herz:

Ten days to go! And much at stake.

The congressional race in Wyoming is neck-and-neck. Gary Trauner leads Cynthia Lummis by a mere one percent in the latest polls and even the Republican National Congressional Committee admits that the race a tossup. We have a strong chance to elect the first Wyoming Democrat to either house of Congress in over thirty years.

We also have a strong chance to increase Democratic representation in both houses of the Wyoming Legislature, quite possibly enough to boost our representation on committees and secure any veto by Gov. Freudenthal. The Presidential and US Senate races currently look tougher, but we’ve an off-chance to pull a big surprise and should at minimum be able to narrow margins so that potential candidates, funding sources, the national party, and Wyoming Democrats will see Wyoming as much more competitive in the future.

Everything now depends on turnout. So we’re setting out to mount the strongest get-out-the-vote effort Wyoming has probably ever seen. An army of you are involved already, and thanks for that. But we need every Democrat in Wyoming to pitch in as much as they possibly can. So if you’re not already signed up as a volunteer to help whenever and wherever you can on the last weekend (November 1 and 2) and especially on Election Day itself (November 4), please, please do so now. If you’re already signed up, please consider signing up for another shift.Here are the contacts in each county with their contact information:

Here are the shifts for which we need volunteers:
Saturday, Nov. 1 Doors: 10am-1pm, 2pm-5pm
Saturday, Nov. 1 Phones: 10am-12pm, 12pm-2pm, 2pm-4pm, 4pm-6pm
Sunday, Nov. 2 Doors: 12pm-3pm, 3pm-6pm
Sunday, Nov. 2 Phones: 12pm-2pm, 2pm-4pm, 4pm-6pm, 6pm-8pm
ELECTION DAY, Nov. 4 Doors: 10am-12:30pm, 1:30pm-4pm, 5pm-7pm
ELECTION DAY, Nov. 4 Phones: 10am-12pm, 12pm-2pm, 2pm-4pm, 4pm-7pm

NOW IS THE TIME FOR ALL GOOD DEMOCRATS TO COME TO THE AID OF THE PARTY, AND OF OUR EXCELLENT CANDIDATES AT ALL LEVELS! Good hunting.

If you can lend a hand, the contacts for Platte County are Katie Lass, 307-680-6128, katie@wyomingdemocrats.com, or Dana Walton, 307-258-1825, dana@wyomingdemocrats.com.

Conservatives and Republicans voting for Obama

2008-10-23T16:01:00.006-06:00

Yes, you can.

Final Wyoming Candidates debates on PBS

2008-10-23T13:08:00.004-06:00

Here is a great chance to see the candidates debate head to head before making our choices in the voting booth on November 4th. Wyoming PBS is hosting a set of three debates, one for each open seat. The dates are October 26-28, and the lineup is as follows:

U.S. Senate Debate #1 airs Sunday, October 26 at 7:00 PM - Dr. Chris Rothfuss [D] debates incumbant Senator Mike Enzi [R], who is seeking reelection to his third term in the U.S. Senate.

U.S. House Debate airs Monday, October 27 at 7:00 PM - Gary Trauner squares off against Republican nominee Cynthia Lummis for Wyoming’s sole seat in the U.S. House.

U.S. Senate Debate #2 airs Tuesday, October 28 at 7:00 PM - Nick Carter [D] takes on Sen. John Barrasso [R], who was appointed in 2007 to the U.S. Senate.

Right now you have the opportunity to send questions for the candidates.

Over the years, moderator Geoff O'Gara has found some of the best questions for
these debates come from our viewers. So we invite you, our readers and viewers, to send your questions directly to him at gogara@cwc.edu. Questions may be directed to specific candidates, specific races, or to candidates in all three debates.

I'm sending off a couple... I encourage you to do the same, and tune in to watch! It will also be on Wyoming Public Radio if you aren't going to be near a television.

Déjà vu, Freudenthal endorses Gary Trauner

2008-10-23T08:11:00.010-06:00

Yesterday Governor Dave Freudenthal endorsed Gary Trauner in his bid for our one Wyoming seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Like the race two years ago, the endorsement has come fairly late in the game. In fact, this whole race is a déjà vu to the congressional race in 2006.

First, Gary promised to run a clean campaign and he has, just like when he ran against our soon-to-be ex-representative Barbara Cubin. Some say it cost him the seat last time around, but it is a testament to his integrity.

Secondly, the Republican National Committee has begun a mailing blitz attempting to label Gary Trauner as an extreme liberal who doesn't share the interests of Wyoming citizens. The same thing happened two years ago, when they saw that Trauner was a contender. But it's malarkey. How "extremely liberal" can a guy with an A- rating from the NRA be? Gary defines himself as an independent thinker, and will not vote simply for party politics.

Thirdly, as mentioned already, Governor Dave has waited until the final throes of the race to give the nod to Gary. I know he is picky about his endorsements, but really, why couldn't he support Mr. Trauner earlier on? Gary is the same person, with the same viewpoints and positions, as he was two years ago. I do applaud the fact that our Governor criticized Cynthia Lummis for taking credit for the budget surplus. His support is appreciated, but I was hopeful, with his popularity in the state, that he would have been behind Gary throughout the election cycle.

Lastly, as in '06, this race is too close to call. With Republicans outnumbering Democratic voters two to one in Wyoming, getting any Democratic candidate to Congress is a uphill climb. People need to look at the candidates character, read their stances on the issues, and vote. Gary Trauner would be a great representative for our state. Look what we got from Cubin over the last two years...straight voting along party lines, when she bothered to show up. Gary deserves the opportunity to show what he can do for Wyoming. He deserves my vote and yours.

Full Endorsement Transcript

Citizens gather for Platte County Nursing Home

2008-10-20T07:45:00.007-06:00

On Saturday, nursing home residents, Banner employees, and concerned citizens gathered outside the nursing home wing at Platte County Memorial Hospital to show support for keeping the nursing home open. CBS news from Cheyenne was there to cover the event. A short news video is available here: http://www.kgwn.tv/_videos/pages/200810185747.html

Banner Health is cancelling their contract to run the nursing home citing uncontrollable financial losses from the nursing home side of the facility over the past several years. In cancelling the contract, the Hospital District Board has to decide how to best handle the situation. They could:
A. Let Banner run the hospital and close the nursing home.
B. Let Banner run the hospital and find another entity to run the nursing home.
C. Find another entity to run both the hospital and nursing home.
D. Have the county run the hospital and nursing home.

What seems to not be an option is to negotiate a way for Banner Health to continue running both the hospital and nursing home. Banner, it seems, is not interested in operating the nursing home at this point, under any circumstances. Option B would seemingly be the hardest to accomplish. The nursing home and hospital share operational departments such as food service, laundry, housekeeping, and maintenence. Utilities are shared as well. It wouldn't be easy for two companies to negotiate a plan to share the employees and operational expenses. Option D is unlikely...the county simply does not have the resources and expertise to run a healthcare facility. From my vantage point, this leaves options A and C. Both will cause quite a stir, neither are optimal choices.

Regarding the politics of all this, the one person that may suffer backlash from community frustration is democratic candidate Joe Reichardt. He is the only Platte County Commissioner that is up for reelection this year. Although the commissioners have input, the negotiations in solving this dilemma are between Banner Health and the Platte County Hospital District Board. There are several names in the hat for the Hospital District Board. On the ballot in November are Rick Bowen, John C. Bunker, Crystal (Boettcher) Gamblin, Lori Modesitt, and Chuck Witte. These are brave people for wanting to be involved (or wanting to stay involved) in all this mess. The current Hospital District Board states they are doing their best to resolve the issue. Surely there must be a win/win solution to the problem. Any suggestions?

Colin Powell is voting for Obama

2008-10-19T09:05:00.007-06:00

This should be a real boost for the Obama camp. On Meet the Press this morning, Gen. Powell gave his endorsment of Barack Obama, and more importantly, made some statements that needed to be made. He questioned McCain's judgement on several issues, including his negative campain tactics and his pick of Sarah Palin. "Now that we have had a chance to watch her for some seven weeks, I don't believe she's ready to be president of the United States, which is the job of the vice president." he said. Thank you for that, sir.

After the interview on Meet the Press, Gen. Powell told reporters "I think that Senator Obama brings a fresh set of eyes, fresh set of ideas to the table. I think that Senator McCain, as gifted as he is, is essentially going to execute the Republican agenda, the orthodoxy of the Republican agenda with a new face and a maverick approach to it, and he'd be quite good at it, but i think we need more than that. I think we need a generational change. I think Senator Obama has captured the feelings of the young people of America and is reaching out in a more diverse, inclusive way across our society."

Please watch the video. It's a very honest and candid look at the big picture of this campaign, and how the extreme right agenda coming from the Republican party is not right for this country at this time. Thank you, General Colin Powell, for speaking the truth. You, sir, are the one putting Country First!

John Barrasso and Prayer in Schools

2008-10-18T07:53:00.010-06:00

I was reading an article about John Barrasso's stances on a variety of issues when I came across this quote from our Wyoming Senator: "I have voted for prayer in schools." His responses to a questionnaire is that he strongly favors teacher led prayer in public schools. "Strongly favors" means he believes Judeo-Christian values are American values. Belief in God is what America was founded upon, so praying in school or other public places does not violate the separation of church and state. Displaying the Ten Commandments is appropriate because they are the moral basis for Western law. The Pledge of Allegiance should continue to include the phrase "Under God."

I feel it's a travesty that Jr. Senator Barrasso has this mindset. To me, America is about being a melting pot and accepting all people and celebrating diversity. It seems to me that prayer in public schools opens a floodgate of opportunity for discrimination. If he is going to be for religion in schools, he should embrace all religions and allow for specific customs and time frames of prayer of non-christian faiths. For example, a Muslim child should be allowed to practice their prayers at the times required by their religion. He supports a teacher leading the classroom in prayer based on Judeo-Christianity, but what happens if the teacher is Hindu or Buddhist? The inequity is apparent. Would he require every student to participate? Can a child with an atheist upbringing opt out of participation without being ostracized by pint-sized religious zealots? Can he guarantee that every child would be treated fairly? And what exactly does he think students should be praying for in school...are they praying for better grades or loftier notions such as world peace? How much time in the school day does he deem appropriate? And how would he prevent teachers and staff, in the position of authority and power, from influencing children with their own ideologies. How can Senator Barrasso be for government run schools pushing religion of any kind? When the focus and purpose of attending a public school is education, using the classroom hours for school led prayer seems to be a misuse of valuable time.

Earlier this week I attended a field trip with my first-grade daughter. After the morning bell rang, the class stood up at their desks, put their right hands over their hearts, and recited the Pledge of Allegiance. "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." It reminded me of a piece I read about the writer of the pledge, Francis Bellamy. His original words, put to paper in 1892, were as follows: "I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." Bellamy had contemplated adding the word "equality" to his pledge, but knew the prevailing opinions of the time were against equality for women and African Americans. You'll notice there is no 'under God' in his original piece. That was added later by congress in 1954 after lobbying by the Knights of Columbus. The pledge as it now stands, in my opinion, is discriminatory. People will argue that "Under God" could mean any one's god. When you start calling these various gods by name, the absurdness of this notion shines through. "One nation, under Christ Jesus", or "One nation, under Allah". Heck, why not "One nation, under Thor"? If you can substitute any god, a Christian god, a Hindu god, a Muslim god, then what is the point of pledging allegiance? Isn't the pledge suppose to be a uniting statement? It seems to work better without the religious preferences thrown in.

The government injecting religion into schools is a bad idea. I say let people practice their religion in their churches, mosques, synagogues, and homes, but leave it out of the public school system. The fact that Senator Barrasso supports it is unnerving. Zeus bless America. In Yahweh We Trust.

Sources: http://senate.ontheissues.org/Senate/John_Barrasso.htm
http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2008/10/17/news/wyoming/29-freshman.txt
http://history.vineyard.net/pledge.htm

Obama vs. McCain Round III: Anger Management

2008-10-16T13:47:00.007-06:00

Boy, my working for a living is taking time away from this blog! I was able to catch only half the debate last night. I'll get online to see the rest soon, but I have another 24 hours of work in the next two days. My impression from what I saw is that Barack Obama is still the better debater...John McCain looked a little grumpy last night. McCain is going to be desparate and pull out all the stops over the next couple of weeks. If Barack remains cool and collected, which I don't doubt he'll do, I think we're going to see his poll numbers continue to climb.

Take a look at the new debate summary from factcheck.org. Guess what? It appears Joe the Plumber may actually get a tax CUT under Obama's plan. Checking around the web, it appears Joe may not be as "undecided" as he makes himself out to be. I think there may be something fishy about Joe the Plumber...new details are surfacing as we speak, er, blog. I'll keep an eye on it.

Debates and more debates

2008-10-13T17:12:00.004-06:00

In this article from the Casper Star Tribune, Terry Jones and Frank Peasley field questions about a statewide smoking ban, penalties for drunk drivers, health care, spending of budget surpluses, business promotion and housing shortages, among other things.

From the Gillette News-Record, this article covers the Trauner, Lummis and Herbert debate from October 5th. They discuss partisan politics, the federal bailout, the Wyoming Range Bill, and retirement benefits for congress. Is it just me or do those three names together look like a law firm? Just saying.

Coming up tomorrow is the forum at the Platte County Fairgrounds. 7-9 p.m., or until the last debater is standing.

Don't forget about Wednesday, the third Presidential debate will be broadcast on a television near you. Bring it on home Barack!

Chris Rothfuss vs. Mike Enzi: The Issues

2008-10-13T16:13:00.004-06:00

There is a great collection of clips to watch from the debate between Chris Rothfuss and Mike Enzi that took place on October 5th at Casper College. Here are the youtube.com links:

Rothfuss vs. Enzi: Emission Limits
Rothfuss vs. Enzi: Golden Parachute
Rothfuss vs. Enzi: Gay Rights
Rothfuss vs. Enzi: Abortion
Rothfuss vs. Enzi: Finacial Crisis
Rothfuss vs. Enzi: Hate Crimes
Rothfuss vs. Enzi: Budget and Demand
Rothfuss vs. Enzi: Taxes
Rothfuss vs. Enzi: Experience
Rothfuss vs. Enzi: Earmarks
Rothfuss vs. Enzi: Campaign Finances
Rothfuss vs. Enzi: No Child Left Behind

Meet the Candidates, Part II

2008-10-13T08:44:00.006-06:00

Terry Jones spoke next at the forum. He is the only person running for either a state house or senate seat that is from Platte County. He would represent House District #3. He has worked forty-two years for the railroad, has been in Wheatland for 16 years. For two decades he has been with the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen Union, serving as Chairman for many of those years. He is endorsed by Wyoming Public Employee Association, NRA, AFL-CIO, Wyoming Education Association. His campaign issues discussed included property taxes, noting that Platte County may see their taxes increased the way others around us have, and would like to do something proactively before that happens. He discussed workman's comp, stating that currently your employer can absolutely stop workman's comp. He also discussed not letting land swaps happen and conserving our public lands. He noted areas where Democratic issues have succeeded in our state, including government transparency, the Hathaway scholarship, and the sales tax on food.

In the Q&A session, the current district map was discussed. Terry feels Platte County with a population of 8,000 people qualifies to have it's own district, noting that they will redistrict this county after the next census. He would like to be the voice of Platte County when this issue comes up. He was questioned about what issues face our children in Platte County. Terry felt strongly about education, starting with Head Start funding. He was asked about ideas to bring jobs into the county. Terry was hopeful that with good labor unavailable in Casper, that businesses may look to Platte County for their labor force, and he would like to provide the Wyoming Business Council with more funding to help promote business in Wyoming. He also stated that part of the problem is employers in the county not wanting to pay a salary beyond a certain level, $1200-1500/month. Questions about the nursing home situation were discussed briefly, and were deferred to our county commissioner candidate, Joe Reichardt.

Jason Wright, running for State Senate District #2, spoke next. He works in the IT department at the hospital in Douglas. He'd like to inject some new ideas into the legislature. He would like to push Wyoming into a leadership role on some important issues. He feels Wyoming, having the unique situation of having a small population and a budget surplus, would be able to adopt the first single payer healthcare system in the nation. He also is an advocate of preventative healthcare. He envisions if Wyoming had a single payer healthcare system, there would be a rush of businesses coming to the state for the advantage of not have to pay for health insurance costs to their employees. It would take the burden of healthcare costs and put it on society, and would allow them to be more competitive from this state.

Mr. Wright discussed was the idea of having having curbside recycling in Wyoming, and other forms of transportation to get around the state. In the Q&A, there was quite a bit of talk about using the rail system for traveling, also a state bus system and again a high speed rail, which would follow the current highway system. Jason Wright will be competing against Jim Anderson(R) on November 4th.

Russell Johnson of Veteran, WY is running for State House District #5, a position currently held by Matt Teeters(R) from Lingle, WY. He spoke about his two big issues, taxes and alternative energy. He believes taxes are a little misshapen where farmers, ranchers and some businesses are taxed on personal property. He proposes a state tax starting with over-the-median income, involving only the elite wealthy. For alternative energy, Wind and solar power are on his list of priorities. He is on a committee to start up a wind power district in his local area.

Joe Reichardt, one of three county commissioners for Platte County, spoke last. The county has many current issue, he said, but the situation with the nursing home is what is currently on people's minds. He wanted to make clear that Hospital District Board is responsible for the negotiations with Banner Health. He felt that Banner has been trying to get out of the nursing home business for awhile now, but feels that they signed a contract, and should take the profit and loss together. He stated that there were currently three possible outcomes. 1. Banner stays to run the hospital, and the nursing home closes. 2. Banner stays to run the hospital and nursing home, and they come up with an arrangement that would be acceptable for both sides for this to happen. 3. Another firm would take over and run both the hospital and nursing home. There was a lot of discussion regarding the nursing home, and Mr. Reichardt encouraged people to attend the meeting being held at the Cole Building in Wheatland at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, October 14th.

Our Party Chairman, Don Kneeburg, did a great job giving everyone the opportunity to speak while keeping within the time frames allotted. This forum was a great opportunity to learn a little more about these candidates.

There will be another opportunity tomorrow, October 14th, to pose questions and to hear more from these candidates and others at the 4-H building (Platte County Fairgrounds) from 7-9 p.m. Please attend and bring your questions in written form.

Meet the Candidates, Part I

2008-10-13T06:01:00.010-06:00

This is a brief summary of what I heard from the Wyoming Democratic Candidates for U.S. Senate during the Meet the Candidates forum in Wheatland on Sunday.

"When John Barasso took office and immediately shoved his snout in the trough of special interests, I knew someone had to take him on." stated Nick Carter on what compelled him to run for the office U.S. Senate currently held by Barasso.He commented "People in Wyoming want two things. First, they want someone they can trust will represent the people of Wyoming. Second, they want someone with the courage to stand up to their convictions and vote for what's best for the people and not for what will keep them in office."

Regarding healthcare, Mr. Carter feels that people with catastrophic illnesses including the seriously ill and injured, should be covered without the worry of bankruptcy, noting that 2 million people last year had to claim bankruptcy for medical reasons. He would like to make it so small businesses could afford healthcare, reasoning that with the ability to get healthcare, we would see a blossoming of small business from entrepreneurs that can't afford to go out on their own under current conditions.

Concerning energy, Mr. Carter commented that we do not have an energy policy, it's a patchwork of plans, noting that two years ago we thought that ethanol "would deliver us from evil". He would like to see a comprehensive plan to free us from oil in 10-15 years, using clean coal, solar, wind. John Barasso, he said, takes hundreds of thousands of dollars from big oil. He won't vote for wind energy tax credits. He stated that we need to get rid of special interests.

Mr. Carter stated the current financial condition is because Washington has been "Paid to look the other way" from Wall Street. He wants people to know that "Wyoming can't be bought".

Speaking next was Dr. Chris Rothfuss, who is running against Mike Enzi. He noted that when Enzi took office in 1997, the economy was strong, but there were some problems that needed to be addressed, including the foreseen social security problem, our energy reliance issue, and the state of healthcare. In twelve years, Enzi has provided no real solutions. From 2005-2007 Enzi was the chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pension committee, which Chris stated made him "The most powerful person in the nation" regarding healthcare. He states Enzi had the opportunity to address healthcare, but says that who benefits the most from Enzi's "10 Point Plan" is the healthcare industry to the tune of 200 billion dollars.

Further noting Enzi's influence from the healthcare industry, he stated that Enzi has received a quarter million from the healthcare industry, while Wyomingites contributions have only totaled $50,000, five times less. He stated Enzi has received another $150,000 from pharmaceuticals. He chided the statement Enzi made that negotiating prices for Medicare Plan B "would not save any money", stating that Enzi is being paid to say that.

Dr. Rothfuss further spoke about the deregulation of the financial industry, noting that the banking regulation legislation from 1933 was removed in 1999, which was a catalyst for the problems we now face. He said "Nobody calls it corruption because EVERYONE is drinking from the trough". The solution? Send people to congress who are above it, referring to himself, Nick Carter and Gary Trauner as "The Untouchables".

In the Q&A session, topics discussed included if Mike Enzi's daughter was receiving money for consulting him(yes, a lot), the candidates stances on the 2nd amendment (both candidates are very much for protecting it as well as ALL our rights), how to rein in Washington lobbyists (federal financing of elections) coal fired power generation and the environment (proper regulation with cap and trade, reduce CO2 emissions produced and change over time to emission-free energy sources, both feel global warming is real), and a nationwide high speed rail system (both for it).

Part II will be a run down of the Wyoming State House and Senate candidates for Platte County, and our County Commissioner incumbent candidate, Joe Reichardt.

Platte County Democrats hold forum

2008-10-12T19:25:00.002-06:00

It was a good afternoon in Wheatland as the Platte County Democrats hosted a Meet the Candidates event at the First State Bank Conference Center. I will update with information on what the candidates talked about by tomorrow. I'm grateful to the candidates for taking the time to talk to us, I am very pleased with our Democratic Party choices. Below are a few photos of the event. More soon...

Meet the Candidates Forum Photos

2008-10-12T19:24:00.001-06:00

3 Democrats, 0 Republicans attend forum

2008-10-10T16:13:00.003-06:00

Associated Press - October 10, 2008 10:25 AM ET

LARAMIE, Wyo. (AP) - It was Democrats three, Republicans zero at the League of Women Voters Forum in Laramie.

All three Democratic candidates running for Congress attended Thursday night's forum at the Albany Public Library. But all three Republican candidates sent other people to speak in their place.

Democratic House candidate Gary Trauner drove from Teton County to attend. Republican Cynthia Lummis sent her daughter to talk for her.

Democratic Senate candidate Chris Rothfuss lives in Laramie, so he didn't have far to travel. His opponent, Republican Sen. Mike Enzi, sent a campaign representative in his place.

Republican Sen. John Barrasso also sent a campaign staffer, while Democratic challenger Nick Carter showed up in person.

I'm glad our Democratic candidates are making the rounds across the state to meet people face to face. If you are going to be for the people, you should get to know the people. I am looking forward to hearing from them in Wheatland on Sunday, and hope to see them also on Tuesday. In reading their stances on the issues (see links for websites on sidebar), I feel confident in giving each of our three candidates my vote on election day.

Source: Laramie Daily Boomerang, http://www.laramieboomerang.com/

Somebody fire McCain's DJ

2008-10-09T17:41:00.007-06:00

Well, it has happened again. It seems the Foo Fighters aren't too keen on the McCain campaign using their song "My Hero" at their pep rallies.

"It's frustrating and infuriating that someone who claims to speak for the American people would repeatedly show such little respect for creativity and intellectual property," the band said in a statement. "The saddest thing about this is that 'My Hero' was written as a celebration of the common man and his extraordinary potential. To have it appropriated without our knowledge and used in a manner that perverts the original sentiment of the lyric just tarnishes the song."

McCain has already been slammed a few times during the campaign for using music by Jackson Browne, Heart, and John Mellencamp. McCain's camp says they have acquired the necessary license to play the Foo Fighters tune, but would you really want to when the artist outspokenly dislikes you?

I thought John McCain stated earlier this year that he liked ABBA and Linda Ronstadt. What's the matter Senator, are Dancing Queen and Blue Bayou not on your playlist anymore?

Source: Reuters

Nice to be noticed

2008-10-09T12:00:00.005-06:00

Just a note to mention of couple of shout outs I received this past week.

First, Michael Shay, an author and blogger from Cheyenne, mentioned this site on his blog, www.hummingbirdminds.blogspot.com. I have been reading his posts for awhile now, and enjoy his points of view. He blogged during the DNC convention in Denver, and he is a very active member of his local Democratic Party. The state needs more folks like him. Thanks Mr. Shay!

Next, our heroes of regional news flattered me with a link and commentary. Of course I'm speaking of www.wheaterville.com. I consider the website to be Platte County's online coffee house, where the conversations are local and lively. May they continue to grow and prosper. Thanks Ace & Co.!

Freudenthal, Obama and the NRA

2008-10-08T15:56:00.006-06:00

Don't bother knocking on Governor Freudenthal's door today; he's not home. He is, in fact, on a road trip to Pennsylvania stumping for Barack Obama and clarifying our candidate's position on gun control. Barack got off on the wrong foot with the good people of PA earlier this year with his "clinging to religion and guns" comment. Enter Governor Dave; a gun rights advocate and NRA endorsee. He is making stops around the state promoting the fact that Barack has a good stance on gun ownership. "He's in the right place with it," Freudenthal said of Obama's position on gun ownership. "He understands it as a right. Remember, rights are not unlimited. They come with certain responsibilities." Obama's website outlines his positions for both the urban setting and for sportsmen. The NRA has given their stamp of approval to McCain, but Governor Freudenthal feels they are mistaken in their perception of Obama.

Taking the time to promote Obama was quite a grand thing for Governor Freudenthal to do. Pennsylvania is an important swing state. To see that an NRA endorsed, wild west, gun-toting Governor from Wyoming is A-O.K. with Obama has to be impressive for at least a few Pennsylvanians. When every vote counts, taking the leave-no-stone-unturned approach is prudent.

Source: pittsburghlive.com.

Veteran Report Card - Who supports our troops?

2008-10-08T13:50:00.000-06:00

From thinkprogress.org:
During the first presidential debate, Sen. John McCain repeatedly emphasized his love of veterans — and their fondness for him in return. “I’ll take care of them. And they know I’ll take care of them,” he said. McCain frequently exaggerates his level of support for and from veterans groups, claiming to have “received the highest award from literally every veteran’s organization in America” and to have “a perfect voting record” on veterans’ issues.

Today, the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America released its congressional scorecard for the 110th Congress, and awarded McCain a grade of “D” for his votes against veterans’ priorities. The grade makes McCain one of only four Senators to fall on IAVA’s “D List” — and marks a repeat performance for him, after receiving a “D” for his 109th congressional voting record as well.

These grades are based on a number of veteran based issues, which are explained in the report. So how did our Democratic candidates and Wyoming elected officials do on this little list? See for yourself:

Barack Obama = B
Joseph Biden = B
John McCain = D
Michael Enzi = D
John Barrasso = INC (not enough time in office for complete analysis)
Barbara Cubin = C

Looks like the Democrats ARE the ones who support our veterans more. View the .pdf file to see all the categories graded and scores for all legislators.

Obama vs McCain II: The Town Hall Debate

2008-10-07T21:06:00.006-06:00

Some thoughts on tonight's debate. I need to start by saying John McCain is my friend. He told me I was his friend 16 times tonight.

Oh, and the bill formerly known as the "Bailout Plan" will now be referred to by both parties as the "Rescue Package". Ummm, O.K. then.

What we got tonight was quite a bit of the same material we waded through in round one. I'm glad Obama brought up the fact that we were running a surplus when Clinton left office. I thought that needed to be mentioned. We Democrats CAN have a balanced budget while spending responsibly.

On healthcare, McCain said it's a responsibility, Obama said it's a right. I've expressed my opinion before, our current system doesn't work, and McCain is out of touch if he thinks every person he gives a $5000 rebate to is going to go out and buy health insurance. It just won't happen. Fact is, some people aren't responsible, but that doesn't mean their children should be penalized for it.

What should we sacrifice? I enjoyed Barack's response to McCain's spending freeze. The scalpel versus hatchet was a good analogy. Cut out the programs that don't work. Keep the ones that do.

I'd like to take the time to think through the "Drill, baby drill!" mantra. To take this to it's logical conclusion, it should be "Drill, baby drill. Burn, baby burn. Pollute, baby polute." We have so many options available to us for energy. I thought Obama was brilliant in stating that no one knew how we were going to get to the moon in ten years when JFK declared it, but the nation was determined. We can get off our need for oil if we put our minds to it.

McCain referred to Barack as "That one." I didn't like it. Not one bit.

The real loser of round two was Tom Brokaw. Absolutely no control over the debate. But the format stunk. These two need to be able to respond to each other and butt heads. We never get to see a conversation continue to conclusion. My guess is that Obama would keep his cool, and we would watch the spectacle of McCain really losing his temper. Perhaps round three should be a cage match.

Matthew Shepard, in Remembrance

2008-10-07T14:17:00.006-06:00

Ten years ago, on October 7th, 1998, Matthew Shepard was beaten, tied to a fence and left to die near Snowy Mountain View Road in Laramie. On October 12th, 2008 he passed away at Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins, CO.

This incident could have happened in any state, in any town in America. But it happened here, in Wyoming, the Equality State. When people from around the U.S. think of Wyoming, they often think of this incident. It is a violent, ugly blemish in our state history.

Here in Wheatland the Autumn temperatures are dropping into the 30's when the sun goes down. I couldn't help today but to think of Matthew Shepard and the suffering he went through ten years ago, just an hour away from here. It saddens me deeply.

The word we need to be using today is acceptance. Tolerance, in my view, is just not good enough.

Wyoming's proposed constitutional amendments

2008-10-06T21:46:00.011-06:00

There are two state constitutional amendments up for consideration on the ballot in November. It is nice to know the reasons behind the proposed amendments, or at least have some inkling of what is being changed before stepping into the voting booth. Informed decisions, what a concept. Here are the two amendments and the gist of what is to be changed if they are voted upon favorably.

Proposed Constitutional Amendment A
The adoption of this amendment would clarify and modernize the oath of office taken by all elected and appointed officials of whom the oath is required. the new oath will be "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support, obey and defend the constitution of the United states, and the constitution of the State of wyoming, that I have not knowingly violated any law related to my election or appointment, or caused it to be done by others, and that I will discharge the duties of my office with fidelity."

The oath in it's current state is more specific in what it constitutes as "violating the law", stating "I have not paid or contributed, or promised to pay or contribute, directly or indirectly, any money or valuable thing, to procure my nomination or election, except for necessesary and proper expenses allowed by law." In other words, I didn't lie, cheat or steal to win my postition. I dunno, it seems using the phrase "knowingly violated any law" leaves a wide open gap for someone to say "Gee, I didn't know I was breaking the law when I gave a considerable donation to such-and-such a group for their support". Sounds like the setup for a loophole to me.
Here is the full text in .pdf form.

Proposed Constitutional Amendment B
The passage of this amendment would change the requirement for petition signatures for an initiative or referendum. Currently a petition must be signed by at least fifteen percent (15%) of the quilified voters in at least two-thirds of the counties, as determined by those who voted in the last general election. This amendment would change the requirement to at least fifteen percent (15%) of the qualified voters in at least two-thirds of the senate districts, as determined by those who voted in the last general election.

O.K., pop quiz. How many citizen-activated initiatives have made it to a Wyoming ballot since 1996? The answer? None. Wyoming already has one of the most stringent requirements to put an initiative or referendum (I&R) on the ballot in the first place. With this amendment, instead of needing 15% of the signatures of registered voters in 16 of our 23 counties, the amendment would require 15% of registered voter signatures in 20 out of our 30 senate districts. This difficultly level in getting placed on a ballot is a two-headed beast. We don't need to see frivolous I&R's on the ballot, true. But it shouldn't be near impossible to get to vote on initiatives that address the concerns of Wyoming citizens. Statistically, getting any type of I&R on the ballot under this new proposal would be harder.
Here is the full text of Amendment B in .pdf form.

To amend, or not to amend, that is the question. It's our choice, folks.

Trauner, Lummis and Herbert at Casper College

2008-10-06T19:54:00.007-06:00

Dateline: October 5th. Gary Trauner, Cynthia Lummis and W. David Herbert (Libertarian Party) answered questions at Casper College on Sunday, taking turns speaking almost exclusively about domestic policy.

I seriously came close to blowing iced tea out of my nose in response to this statement from Lummis: I believe my party stands for limited government, low taxes, for keeping spending under control, and for balancing budgets. Sure, these are the usual pillars the GOP tout as their platform, but c'mon. She seriously wants to speak of balanced budgets and keeping spending under control? Considering the past eight years, that's a verbal pill I find a bit hard to swallow.

Lummis also made a slip of the tongue, referring to Barack Obama as "Osama". Nice one, Cynthia. She apologized after the forum. Perhaps the gaffe provides us with some insight into her psyche.

Gary Trauner made a comment regarding healthcare that tells it like it is. He said "The United States already has a nationalized health care system because 20 cents to 30 cents of every health care dollar goes toward paying for those who are not covered by insurance. Health insurance coverage for everyone is morally the right thing to do and the economically right thing to do." Well said, Mr. Trauner.

Platte County citizens will have a couple of opportunities to meet Gary Trauner and other candidates over the next week. The Platte County Meet the Candidates forum is scheduled for Sunday, Oct 12 from 2-4 p.m. at the First State Bank Conference Center (Wheatland). Then on Tuesday, Oct. 14 from 7:00-9:00 p.m. locals can meet candidates from both sides of the aisle at the 4-H Building at the Platte Co. Fairgrounds in Wheatland.

I believe I've stated this before, but it is worth repeating. Gary Trauner missed defeating Barbara Cubin in Platte County by only 125 votes in 2006. Isn't Gary Trauner the better choice for Wyoming in 2008? I ask you to talk to your friends and neighbors to discuss the congressional race. This gets down to the local level, and we can truly make a difference in our county.

And the Vice-Presidential debate winner is...

2008-10-02T20:45:00.006-06:00

Wow, good debate. Governor Palin didn't stink like she did in the Couric interviews, which was great for Senator Biden. It allowed him to be his best and he was able to avoid looking like a bully. The moderator was extremely fair. I chose to watch the debate on CNN, where it was interesting to see the real-time opinion of thirty-some Ohioans displayed on the television via a graph measuring audience mood during the discussion.

I feel Biden won the debate, but Palin restored her previously held position as a scrappy soccer, er, hockey mom. She was full-on folksy tonight, for sure, ya know. Couple of winks in there, too. The debate reaffirmed my opinion that I'd rather see Biden stepping into the presidential shoes over Palin. Joe Biden is well spoken, able to make his point, and has the wealth of knowledge and experience to assist Barack in his Presidency. He did his job well, connecting McCain to Bush, and making the case that an Obama/Biden ticket will do more for main street America than McCain/Palin.

Right now the pundits are sorting out the factual content, and I'm sure by morning the news will have some polls to let us know who prevailed. The voices that will count most will be those of the independents. For me, this was a wonderful affirmation that Obama made a great choice in Biden. What a great ticket.

Why is Cynthia Lummis Running for Congress?

2008-10-02T08:19:00.007-06:00

From the homepage of Cynthia Lummis' Website, I have taken the liberty to play the role of Gary Trauner in composing a rebuttal to Cynthia's interest in running for congress (my responses are in red):

Cynthia's Top 6 Reasons for Running for Congress
1. Because I love Wyoming; our state and its people represent a uniquely wonderful corner of the world. I completely agree, me too.

2. Because I am an idealist and an optimist; I think that public service can make a difference. Hey, so am I! I have great ideas about health care, green energy and especially taking care of our vets and soldiers. After all, haven't our military men and women provided the greatest service to our country? I 'm optimistic that I can help turn this country back around after having been under the Bush regime for eight years.

3. Because this is a challenging time, both here and abroad. Challenges, to me, are a call to service. Things have only become worse from the time I ran for congress in 2006. While Republican Barbara Cubin accumulated the worst voting record in congress, the last two years have brought us even more challenges. Challenges like the national debt, the further occupation in Iraq, the meager attempts to diminish our dependency on foreign oil. Gosh, where have those challenges come from? Oh, yeah. From the Republicans. Yeah, I am up for challenges, too.

4. Because the Federal government has always had, and continues to have, a big influence on the shape of Wyoming's future; Wyoming's voice in Congress needs to be strong and authentic. I'm pretty sure I act strong and authentic. For instance, I would never have a member of my election team call in to a question and answer session and pretend they are someone else to try and trip up my opponent. I would feel bad about doing something like that.

5. Because how we address the matters of energy, the environment, national security and the economy today, directly affects our children's future. Yeah, the Republicans have always been about the environment, haven't they. Alaskan wilderness. Spotted Owls. Global Warming. Nature freaks, that's what they are. Spending billions in Iraq, all the while creating more disdain for the United States globally, I agree are definitely affecting our children's future. In a bad way.

6 .Because I listen, and will continue to listen, to Wyoming people in order to most effectively represent their interests in Washington. I'm going to listen to all the people in Wyoming, including Democrats, Independents, and Republicans. Because I'm not about serving the party line. I'm about making a difference, and leaving this world a better place for the next generation.

With apologies to Mr. Trauner; who I'm sure would say these things more eloquently than me.

Regarding the bailout

2008-09-30T19:30:00.006-06:00

I could be wrong, but my gut feeling is that this whole bailout attempt is a bad idea. My chief complaint is, why is this the only plan being considered? Shouldn't a problem this enormous have several solutions to discuss? The thought process that "This is our only option" reeks of short-sightedness. Perhaps we need to think outside the cardboard container. Jeffrey A. Miron, a senior lecturer in economics at Harvard University, provides a different point of view in this op/ed piece which frankly, seems to make more sense to me.

After eight years of bad policy, my litmus test is as follows: If George W. Bush thinks it is a good idea, then it most likely is a bad idea.

Perhaps this is our wake up call to stop living beyond our means. The US government needs to start leading by example, and start finding ways to pay down the national debt, not keep adding to it. Perhaps for us citizens, a jolt back into reality, and not a new big screen TV, is exactly what we need.

Donate to our Wyoming Democratic candidates

2008-09-30T09:10:00.005-06:00

Have you supported our local candidates? It's a real easy thing to do online. Actblue.com is a one stop spot to donate to our Democratic Party candidates, including Gary Trauner, Chris Rothfuss, Nick Carter, and Terry Jones. We have a little over a month until the general election. If you can, chip in a few dollars and show your support. I promise you will get a warm fuzzy feeling inside when you do!

McCain/Palin attempt to be on same page

2008-09-30T06:03:00.004-06:00

This ticket scares me more and more every day. Palin is asked a question from a voter, she gives an answer. But oops, it doesn't match what McCain's views are. So, we go on CBS and state that this was "Gotcha Journalism". What?! How should that have been handled then? Should Palin have said "That's a good question, Mr. Voter. Let me call John and see how I should answer this, and I'll get back to you."

Don't give us the line that it was crowded and loud and she didn't fully hear the question. C'mon, we're smarter that that. This can't be the ticket America wants in the White House. It just can't be.

Wyoming, vote with your absentee ballot today!

2008-09-29T15:07:00.006-06:00

In Wyoming, you are allowed to vote 40 days before the General Election. This means you can vote NOW! There are two ways to vote by absentee ballot. First, you may go directly to the office of the county clerk. That's 800 9th St, downtown Wheatland for Platte County. You know the building. Grab a ballot, fill it out, and hand it in right there. Piece of cake. Secondly, you can request an absentee ballot be mailed to you by calling the county clerk (322-2315) or submitting your name, residence address, mailing address, and birth date or Social Security Number. Once your information is verified, your ballot will be sent by mail.

All ballots must be in by November 4th, at 7 p.m. and can be returned in person or by mail. If you are in the military or overseas, go to http://www.fvap.gov.index.html/ for an application for an absentee ballot.

If you're going to be busy November 4th, or happen to be bad at remembering dates, why not contact our county clerk and vote now!

Help Obama/Biden, Call the Swing States!

2008-09-29T08:37:00.005-06:00

If you are a realist, you probably have figured out that no matter how much we want it, Barack Obama will probably not win in Wyoming. So what is a Democratic Wyomingite to do? How about picking up the phone and making some calls to those swing states? The Obama website has set up an area where you can register to make phone calls to the states where we really need the votes. They provide you with names, numbers, and talking points to show those "Undecided" folks why Obama must be the next President of the United States of America. Visit the Obama website now and lend a hand.

Gary Trauner on Health Care

2008-09-28T07:00:00.003-06:00

Please take a look at Gary Trauner's stance on health care:

• Nearly 1 in every 5 of our fellow Wyomingites is without health care coverage
• The US system is the most expensive in the world
• Our system is inefficient - nearly double most other developed countries, per person
• The US is the only country that relies primarily on employer based plans for health care coverage

Gary's response to "What can we do?" is:

• Reduce the health care coverage burden on our businesses, especially small businesses
• Strive to cover every American with basic, quality coverage
• Take medical decisions away from insurance companies, medical product manufacturers and accountants and give those decisions back to patients and doctors
• Stop the fear talk about universal health care and start the hopeful work of solving this huge national problem

I think Gary Trauner hits the nail squarely on the head. This is the kind of leadership that Wyoming needs. We have a lot of issues to solve in the USA, the hottest topics being the War in Iraq, Energy and the Economy. But let's not forget about healthcare; it should be a priority too. Don't be so resigned to accept our current system as unfixable. Give this man a chance and vote for him on November 4th.

Wyoming Polls thus far

2008-09-27T19:34:00.005-06:00

We have some poll numbers conducted from Sept 22-24th, and Gary Trauner is once again in a dead heat against a Republican opponent. The rest of the Democratic hopefuls are polling in the mid-thirties percentile. These numbers are pre-presidential debate, but with only 3% stating themselves as undecided, it is unlikely Obama will make any headway here in the Equality State. Colorado is most certainly a battleground state and it will be interesting to watch the results from our neighbor.

Poll results, asking who you would vote for if the election was held today:
Trauner 42% Lummis 42% Undecided 16%
Carter 34% Barasso 58% Undecided 8%
Rothfuss 35% Enzi 59% Undecided 6%
Obama 36% McCain 57% Other 4% Undecided 3%

Other stats are available in this brief from DailyKOS.

First Presidential Debate 2008

2008-09-27T04:40:00.006-06:00

I eagerly awaited the debate last night, hoping that I would see Barack Obama trounce John McCain. I thought overall Obama did a very good job, but McCain did get in some good jabs. McCain likes to be snarky, and it seemed Obama had to take the defensive more often. The Washington Post stated that McCain twice called Obama's views "naive," called them "dangerous" four times, and seven times said Obama doesn't "understand." In reply, Obama said nine times that what his opponent claimed was "not true." Four more times he piped up to "correct" his opponent.

My ears tuned into how many foreign countries McCain has been to, and it's true, he has had plenty of time in office to travel the world twice over. I guess if we need to cut out the pork we could schedule a few less field trips? What really chaffes me is that if "foreign experience" is so tremendously important to John McCain, how on earth did he feel Sarah Palin would be ready to roll should she need to sit in the big seat? If you compare the two tickets, I feel far safer with Obama/Biden at the helm.

Barack has been accused of late of being to "cool", with newspeople saying he needs to show stronger emotion. I don't think I can agree with these opinions. I prefer to see Obama remain cool and collected. I don't think, and this has been mentioned before on the campaign trail, that appearing as an "angry black man" is going to score any points with a good deal of the population. I hate to mention race, but I would be naive myself to deny the type of comments I hear around Platte County on a regular basis. This county is full of people who won't give the man a chance because of the color of his skin. I think Barack needs to remain calm under pressure. This type of mature stature is an asset if we are to have dialogues with the leaders of foreign nations, both those who like us and those who don't.

Concerning the current economy crisis, I think Obama did a good job tying McCain to Bush, stating that eight years of bad policy is how we got into this mess. I am fearful of this bailout, but it seems it is going to happen. We're pretty much screwed either way this goes down. This whole issue is a pivotal point for our history books. I believe they're adding a chapter called "The Second Great Depression" as we speak. Obama made a good point that while McCain is railing against pork barrel spending (which has decreased over the past five years), we do have this occupation over in Iraq that is costing us billions every week.

In the sorting the fact from fiction department, both sides had misrepresentations. Rather than repeat the work of the pros, I'll simply point you to factcheck.org's summary of the debate.

The polls are showing Obama as winning, but admit the demographics watching the debate were slanting left. Most are saying it was a draw. I think, with foreign affairs being McCain's strong suit, Barack held his own. That's a good thing. Next week Joe Biden will have his chance to take on Sarah Palin. If she performs like she did when speaking to Katie Couric this week, I'm going to bring some popcorn to this comedy special.

Gary Trauner 3rd Ad 2008

2008-09-26T15:10:00.003-06:00

Biden slams McCain’s response to fiscal crisis

2008-09-26T08:06:00.000-06:00

Democratic vice presidential nominee Joe Biden sharply attacked John McCain’s evolving response to the fiscal crisis that has bankrupted investment firms and forced millions of homeowners into foreclosure.

“Where was John a week ago, where was John a month ago? Where was John five years ago?” Biden said. “I’ll tell you where he was, he was bragging to the very Wall Street titans he now calls ‘merchants of greed,’ he was literally on Wall Street bragging to them that he was shredding the regulations that were tying them down." Full Story

Factcheck.org's Whoppers of 2008

2008-09-26T07:20:00.000-06:00

Factcheck.org does an excellent job of sorting fact from fiction along the road to the White House. They just summarized the tales from the campaign trail and showed that both parties have perfected the art of distorting the truth. It's always good to have the actual facts before stepping into the voting booth, so I strongly recommend reading the whoppers uncovered thus far.

Lummis' Press Secretary Caught Calling Trauner

2008-09-25T19:51:00.000-06:00

This is a good example of sneaky politics. The old "call-in-to-ask-a-question-to-your-opponent-and-pretend-you're-someone-else" trick. Well, Rachael Seidenschnur got busted and now she finds herself removed from the Lummis campaign. Serves her right. This just shows that Trauner is the right choice for Wyoming. No dirty politics. For more on Rachael AKA Sierra, check here.

First Presidential Debate of 2008

2008-09-23T18:18:00.000-06:00

The first debate of the general election will be held on September 26th at 7:00 p.m. MST. Tune in to watch Barack debate John McCain about America's foreign policy and our role in the world.

This is a great opportunity to learn more about the issues. Watch the debate with friends and supporters, and talk about how you can get involved in this movement.

Go Barack!

Platte County Democrats Meet the Candidates

2008-09-23T17:14:00.000-06:00

MARK YOUR CALENDARS! Sunday October 12th is your chance to meet the candidates! Take the time to come meet the candidates running for legislature, including Gary Trauner, Nick Carter, Chris Rothfuss, Terry Jones, Joe Reichardt, and others.
When: Sun, Oct 12, 2pm – 4pm
Where: First State Bank Conference Center, Wheatland, WY