Nelson for DPG State Chair

Hey, Democrats!!

2007-01-29T12:07:00.000-08:00

One of the biggest things that separate most Southern liberals and Democrats from the opposition is our unwavering commitment to public education. While anti-government forces believe we’d be better off without public schools altogether, we on this side of the aisle always talk about how committed we are to excellence in public education. One of our core values is that education is a shared expense, and that public education is one of the most cost-effective places to allocate our shared resources.

But we’re supposed to be good stewards of those public resources we allocate. We have to get them from the appropriate places and make sure that those dollars are effective when spent, and give taxpayers and property owners an appropriate return on their considerable investment. Otherwise, the already endangered support for public education will erode from the folks who put up the lion’s share of the money.

The movement towards private schools and vouchers and white – flight and home-schooling may have their roots firmly planted in the anti-integration soil of the past 40 years. But as of today that movement has gained most of its ground not from the inherent racism of its birth - as many liberal pundits insinuate - but at the fact that our public schools, especially across the South, are failing to return the proper investment to taxpayers, property owners and parents whose children should be attending those schools. In the case of the anti-public schools movement, what began as an ideological response has morphed into a competency-based response. Ignoring this fact will continue the downward spiral and will lead to the eventual dismantling of the American Public Education system, one of the core institutions of American public society, and what could have and should have been one of the crowning achievements of American liberalism.

As I say often, competency will trump ideology, even if all you hear about is the ideology. People will vote with their feet. One day, we wake up, and the whole public education system is de-funded because another, more competent but more exclusive system will have been built while we argued about who is to blame.

Maybe that is just a natural evolution of public institutions, but I think it would be a step backwards. If it ends up being a better education system, however, so be it. But it deserves our best fight - our best efforts - in defending our vision of American public education so that the choice is not poorly made. The final directional choice should be between two of the best educational models as opposed to grasping at whatever is better, safer, or more effective than our crumbling public institutions.

The future of the Democratic Party, Southern Liberalism, and the American way of life will factor heavily on how education is dealt with in the coming years, as an event horizon is approaching. The choice between public education v. private education will come to a head sooner than many of us on this side of the aisle are willing to think, and the results of that choice will have effects long into the future.

That choice will be made in New Orleans.

Seventeen months post-deluge, the public schools run by the locals and the state are still unable to accept all students and provide basic services for them at the schools. While some problems were to be expected in recovering from the scale of the disasters faced by this area, this is an American city, part of an American state and a piece of this Union. Last time I checked, the United States of America was the greatest, richest, most powerful and most can-do nation ever to exist on the face of this Earth, and the roughly 50% of us who consider ourselves left of center have a core value that says ‘we are all in this together’ and ‘what happens to the least of us happens to the best of us.’

Right now, in addition to those students who already went to parochial school, the Archdiocese of New Orleans has 1,500 public school kids in the system who had no space in the public schools, and made a declaration recently that they are willing to add another 300 students to that number because the need has arisen. Yes, bless whoever made that decision, because when the need arises, there is no greater thing to see than someone or some group stepping up to the plate and saying ‘we got this.’

And, as a Southern liberal and a Democrat, I have no problem with the state legislature sending some cash the Archdiocese’s way to cover some of the expenses. Separation of Church and State be damned, there are several hundred kids who won’t go to school this year if such drastic measures aren’t brought to bear. Yes, I factor in a hierarchy of need into my political and policy thought: it is called common sense.

What chills me is the slow pace of the public schools to recover, and I wonder: with the resources already so slow in coming, with the work so overwhelming, will they ever? Us Democrats and Southern Liberals should see the importance of this recovery for what it is: the line in the sand, the referendum on public schools as a shared American value. Right now, our side is losing this fight in spectacular fashion.

Madame Speaker Pelosi, Chairman Dean, we need that 101st Hour.

Nelson Announces Bid for DPG Chair

2007-01-01T16:32:00.000-08:00

First of all, allow me to introduce myself to those of you who do not know much about me. I am the Rev. Dr. Jim Nelson of Savannah, GA. I am a United Methodist Pastor and have been for the last 18 years. This past year I ran for the US Congress in the 1st District against Jack Kingston. Since that time several people have talked with me about running for the chair of the State Democratic Party. Today I am announcing that I have decided to do just that. I welcome your comments and your support.

The Chair needs to be a good communicator, both oral and written. My Bachelor’s degree is in Speech, and I have taught Speech Communications at several universities, including Armstrong Atlantic State University in Savannah. I was also a member of Toastmasters, winner of several contests and a Division Governor. During the campaign, newspaper reports frequently referred to my ability to excite and motivate a crowd.

Since 1995, I have been writing regular articles on “Faith and Politics” for the Wesleyan Christian Advocate, and The Georgia Guardian, which ceased publication in 2000. In addition I wrote the book, Where Would Jesus Put the Sidewalks? A Study of Faith and Politics: A Most Holy Alliance.

I hold several graduate degrees, an MA in History/Political Science, a Master of Divinity, and a Doctor of Ministry in the area of Ethics focusing on the relationship of faith and politics.

If you have specific questions, please let me know what they are and I will try to answer them in future entries along with additional information about my background.

The following is a copy of the letter I sent to the members of the State Committee announcing my intention to run for State Chair.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
DPG Resolution: Make 2007 the year we get back on a winning track.

TO: State Committee Members

Winning! That is all that matters. The Democratic Party of Georgia exists solely for the purpose of electing Democratic Candidates to office. The Party does not need to be better organized; it needs to be organized to win. We don’t need to raise money to run the Party; we need to raise money to win elections. Winning should be our only focus. The Democratic Party State Chair needs to have a winning attitude, and to be an excellent communicator who can electrify the rank and file and motivate people to do the work necessary to WIN! in all 159 counties. Without the energy, enthusiasm, and dedication to victory coming from the top, we are doomed to lose. I have the passion, dedication, skills and enthusiasm to move the Democratic Party of Georgia into the 21st Century.

November 7, 2006 was a bittersweet day for Democrats across Georgia. We celebrated a national victory when Democrats took control of Congress and the majority of Governor’s mansions. In state after state the Democratic Party succeeded in connecting with voters, articulating our message, and getting our voters to the polls. But alas, we were filled with grief in Georgia because victory was not to be ours.

While campaigning in the 1st Congressional District, it became painfully obvious the Republicans were running a more unified, better organized, 21st Century campaign focused on winning. We, on the other hand, were mired in the politics of the past with every candidate having to fend for him or herself. Coordination from the top of the ticket to the bottom would have allowed for a more efficient use of sparse resources. Too many counties had either no party or a poorly organized one with no one to coordinate their GOTV efforts. Republican held State House and Senate seats went uncontested; we cannot win races we do not enter. But, what bothered me most was the defeatist attitude of Democrats: too many have given up; feeling beaten down and discouraged. Depressed workers are not capable of winning elections.

In the 70’s & 80’s, I sold computers for IBM and other companies. I understand the need to more effectively utilize the Internet, which is low cost and highly effective. My campaign website, http://www.electjimnelson.com, included video, a blog, and a link to my speech at the State Convention in September on You Tube (www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hhck9o8tfs). Plus, I was able to raise money from all over the nation via the Internet. In the ‘90s I owned a fundraising consulting firm and have been a successful fundraiser. I have been sent to serve as the pastor of churches that had divisions and financial difficulties, and in a short time brought the various factions together and eliminated their debt. In this election, I was able to raise more money than any Democrat has in the 1st District in years without the support of the national or state party. I can do the same for the DPG.

We need to demonstrate we are on the path to victory and will recapture the Governor’s Mansion in 2010. I ask for your vote. Go to my blog, http://www.electjimnelson.blogspot.com/ to learn more about my plans, and to endorse my candidacy. I believe we can win. I know we can. Help me move the DPG into the 21st Century.

Yours truly,
Rev. Dr. Jim Nelson

Updates, etc

2006-12-05T13:24:00.000-08:00

Well, update your blog links, folks. The 2006 Elections are over, the Democratic Party took back the US Legislature nationwide. But way down South in Georgia, we're busy working on what the future holds, and what direction the Democratic Party of Georgia will take between now and the 2008 Elections.

The Democratic Congress So Far

2006-11-12T19:40:00.000-08:00

Oh yeah, the really cool thing is, they haven't even been sworn in as the majority yet. Think the country was ready for a change?

So, we all know that, the day after the elections, Rumsfeld was out as Secretary of Defense, and hopefully the soon to be confirmed Mr. Gates is a conservative member of the reality based community, a huge step in the right direction for this country. I think this is going to be a very good thing.

Second, I submit a hearty Thank You to ultra-Northern Progressive Sen. Feingold, for announcing that he will not run for President in 2008. I don't like Senators running for President, and this has nothing to do with their success rates. They have a huge responsibility to their posts in the legislature, and Presidential campaigns destroy their Senatorial credibility (IMHO). Also, Feingold as an almost undefeatable progressive Senator is far more valuable to the nation, even on issues where I disagree with him, in the legislature than mounting a distracting fight for the Presidential nomination.

Third, I'd rather Maryland Representative Hoyer become Majority leader than Jack Murtha. Only part of this is that the dude is from Maryland, and that's almost considered a Southern state. But Rep. Murtha is not the dude I want to publicly speak for the party from an actual position, because even when he makes good points, I don't like the way he makes them. I'm very tired of lightning rods filling every leadership role. Love him or hate him, Murtha is the very definition of "lightning rod."

Fourth, Pelosi is being awful shrewd, and is talking an excellent game so far. The right wing shrill machines will howl about how liberal she is all they want, if Americans see her holding out a hand to the other side to get stuff done, it is the shrill machines who will get egg on their faces. I hope she walks the walk she's talkin about.

This also sounds like a really smart divide and conquer plan, as the schism war between the really real conservatives and the big government Bushitistas has already opened up cracks. If the door to get legislation amended and passed remains open, especially with a Democratic focus primarily on effective government and Congressional oversight instead of partisan retribution for the past decade, some real work may get done - and quickly - without falling into the same holes of hackery that led to the Republican Congressional maturity issues (that consequently led to the GOP's electoral defeat last Tuesday). I think that's one thing the real conservatives and the variety of Democrats are really looking to achieve at this point.

This is some pretty cool stuff to hear about, and like I said up front, they haven't even been sworn in yet...I sure wish Georgia District 1 could be a part of that this time around.

But we'll get there.

Message from the Nelson Campaign

2006-11-10T07:17:00.000-08:00

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT NOW AND IN THE FUTURE!!!

Rev. Jim Nelson ran a great campaign against Jack Kingston, a 14 year incumbent with 1.5 mil war chest. The Nelson Campaign raised $100,000.00, a fraction of that spent by his opponent. We need to retire about $10,000.00 in campaign debt incurred to cover necessary expenses in the closing days of the campaign. The books need to be settled on this campaign endeavor, so we can begin gearing up for 2008.

With the firm foundation built during this campaign, along with the many requests from constituents, Rev. Nelson looks forward to being your Democratic Candidate for the First Congressional seat in 2008.

Thank for your continued support.

Thank You

2006-11-08T10:18:00.000-08:00

Rev. Nelson,

I know this might not be the best morning, but I would like to personally thank you for running for Congress this election. Because of you we had a choice that we wouldn't have had otherwise. Good folks like you, who stand up and run for office with all the mud and frustration and work that entails, win or lose, make Democracy work and keep this country the shining light to the world.

Again, thank you.

Patrick Armstrong

Something to Do

2006-11-07T12:39:00.000-08:00

Oh yeah!

Today is voting day. Everyone who reads this should go to their district polling place and vote, if they haven't done so already.

Yes, this means you.

As a citizen and contributing blogger, I would like to thank all the candidates for taking the time to run for office - it can be a brutal process and we need good folks to stand for office so the voters can have the choice. I would like to thank all the volunteers who worked on the campaigns and for the political parties and donated their time. I would like to thank the poll workers and poll watchers and all those people that show up at the Election Board office to open and count and verify ballots. I would like to thank all the voters for actually showing up and voting. I would also like to thank all the folks who wrote for or commented on this blog.

Democracy ain't a lazy form of government, that's fo' sho'.

Now, make sure you and all yo' frens have voted, and then get ready to celebrate/drown your sorrows/write angry blog posts/letters to the editor early this evening/tomorrow morning.

Have fun!

General Wes Clark Endorses Jim Nelson

2006-11-01T19:41:00.000-08:00

That's right, General Wes Clark Endorses Jim Nelson. Isn't it time we listen to the generals?

6 Questions

2006-10-25T21:41:00.000-07:00

Ahh, election season sure brings out the trolls. As Dante has taught me, it is usually best to leave the trolls to their craft, making their wild, street-preacher zeal for whatever ‘cause’ they ‘represent’ anonymously on other people’s websites and emails unchallenged and ignored.

Call me easily baited.

One thing that has hindered, in my opinion, the Democratic Party in recent years – and this is especially true for folks of the ‘Southern Democrat/Southern Liberal’ wings – is that we have too often allowed trolls to put words in our mouths and we have too often allowed the shrillest, whiniest members of the left do our talking for us.

So people get a sort of distorted picture of what a Democrat is. The other side says that we are monsters in this or that way and those on our side who look the most like this or that monster respond, fulfilling the prophecy.

I’m kinda sick of that sort of discussion dominating the public perception of my Party. I also think it makes us look kind of weak when we can’t speak to our own defense effectively, when the trolls speak up.

We’re dealing with such a discussion over on Rev. Nelson’s Blog, as one usually ignored commentator is getting her kicks by playing the ‘God card.’ She’s trying to get Rev. Nelson to say something and get himself in trouble, or one of the volunteers to do it for him. Luckily for me, she’s run into a couple of bloggers who know better than to cause trouble.

“Who comes first God or your district? Will you advocate to put prayer back in schools? Will you advocate to stop the killing of innocent unborn children. Will you protect marriage. If you answered yes to all of these questions then you sir are not a democrat. Because if the democrats had their way a man of GOD would not be able to serve his country in Washington.”

Didn’t the Pharisees put a similar line of questioning to Jesus, trying to get him to slip up verbally? One of the most vital Christian passages comes from such a situation, when he instructs his followers to give God what is God’s and give Ceasar what is Ceasar’s?

I cannot speak for the Reverend himself on these answers, but I know how I would answer them. First of all, one of the highest callings of any Christian is to serve others. Sometimes this can be done by washing another’s feet, sometimes this can be accomplished by going to the United States Congress and making sure the government works for the people as opposed to the moneychangers.

Second of all, prayer has never left our schools. When I was at Glynn Academy, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes gathered at the flagpole at least once a week to open the day with public prayer on school grounds. It was student led, and as long as they didn’t obstruct anyone else, or force anyone who may follow a different set of beliefs to participate, they were completely within their rights to do so. Having a heart filled with faith means the faith goes with you, into the schoolhouse, the courtroom or the United States Congress, and you don’t need opulent monuments or pictures on the wall to demonstrate otherwise.

Third of all, I advocate a stop to the killing of unborn children by example, not by legislation, and that’s where this particular problem can only be solved. This is where I, personally, reconciled my pro-choice stance as far as the law is concerned with my pro-life stance as far as my personal life is concerned. I cannot, by definition, become pregnant. But that would be a cop out of sorts, so I take that one step further. At this point in my life, I do not engage in activity that could cause someone else to become pregnant.

As an aside to that above, it is which great trepidation that I write such things publicly. I could not tell you how many times I have had to deal with uncomprehending looks on the faces of many conservative, Republican, pro-life Christian compatriots when I found my way to a Waffle House at 2:30 in the morning instead of a warm feminine embrace. At which point those same conservative, Republican, pro-life, Christian compatriots did conclude not that I was acting responsibly and according to my beliefs, but that my sexual orientation was in question. (Thanks, ass****!)

Fourth, marriage would be better protected by maturity, communication and honesty than it will ever be from tax breaks and legislation. I’m lucky. I know many, many couples who have very strong marriages. Those are examples to me, and make my whole concept of marriage very strong. This isn’t an institution that is in trouble from without. If there is any trouble, it is trouble from within. That’s why I’m not married right now: I haven’t found someone who fits my requirements, and I haven’t fit the requirements of anyone else, and if you’re going to be involved for the 40-50+ years a real marriage takes, you’d better get involved with your eyes wide open.

Fifth, I answered yes to all of the questions, and I am undoubtedly a Democrat. Not only that, but I’m a liberal. You can ask my friends. You can ask my family. You may not believe it, but I am what a Democrat looks like. I am what a liberal looks like.

Boo.

Sixth, and final: the Democrats are going to have their way, as are the Republicans who are tired of out of control spending and crony-run bureaucracies, as are the Independents who are tired of the shenanigans and embarrassment this current bunch of children in Congress has saddled us with, when we send a United Methodist Minister named Jim Nelson to the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. in January, and when we say so on November 7th, 2006.

Mirror Post at Hurricane Radio.

Jim's new and improved website

2006-10-23T11:24:00.000-07:00

Check out Jim's new and improved website here. The address is the same, but the look and content are new and improved. To our Valdosta supporters: Be sure to check out Jim's Calendar. The final debate before the election is in Valdosta tonight!

Been a Long Time

2006-10-15T14:50:00.000-07:00

Just a few weeks left until District 1 sends Rev. Nelson to Washington City.

Sorry the blog has been so quiet lately, I'm in New Orleans with the family and haven't had consistent computer access until recently. I have sent my absentee ballot back to Georgia, however, along with my most important vote.

Since I've been in the Crescent City, watching a people determined not to surrender an American cultural jewel to standing water, my reasons for voting against incumbency this election have even further solidified.

I grew up on Island City, and like most of the population of District 1, know what it is like to live under the spectre of hurricane season. It is important but chilling to see the little blue signs that say "a Category 3 Hurricane would produce a storm surge this high" and think about how high that water really is - what high water like that would really mean.

A category three on Island City would destroy my parent's home, where I was raised; the homes of my childhood friends; the homes that my friends now own - raising their own families; all the local haunts that I love to frequent (Gnat's Landing, Marsh Point, Beachcomber, Crabdaddy's....); and would wash historic Brunswick away with the surge.

I don't have to imagine this anymore. I've seen the waterlines on Tulane Avenue in New Orleans. I stood next to buildings that took on water higher than my head. I drove through Lakeview - where the 1950's ranch style homes and neighborhoods reminded me of Savannah between AASU and the Old Town, or the homes just off Broadway on St Simons - where no home was left fit for human habitation. I've driven Highway 90 from Long Beach, Mississippi to Biloxi, where the surge crested at around 28 feet and left little but rubble behind.

I'm not blaming Republicans for a hurricane. I won't even go so far to blame them solely for the response to a hurricane. Lord knows, there were enough foul ups to go around.

But what I know from looking at all of this is how lack of oversight allowed it to happen. What I know from looking at all of this is that lack of management allowed resources to be squandered, lives to be lost, and plans to be ignored or not made in the first place. I know that warnings were ignored, and politically powerful individuals were allowed to do whatever they liked because other politically powerful individuals refused to speak up, indeed turned a blind eye to things that were going on in order to protect their own rice bowl.

It is in that mindset that I cast my vote.

It is in that mindset that I look at the record of this Republican Congress, which arrived in Washington City so long ago on the tide of so many promises. Balanced budgets, term limits, smaller government. Now I look at that same Republican Congress, and I see what happens when a lack of oversight, lack of management and ignored warnings occur at the highest levels. Out of control spending, decadent incumbency, huge cronyist bureaucracies that fail to move effectively in the face of our greatest disasters.

I am unhappy with the way things have gone in this nation over the last 12 years. I don't think we're in a better place than we were. I worry that we are still on the wrong track.

I took that mindset into account when I cast my vote.

Jim Nelson for PRESIDENT

2006-09-19T14:01:00.000-07:00

This post from Georgia Women Vote! proves that the Glynn County delegates to the Georgia Democratic Convention weren't just being biased when they said at the meeting last night that Jim "brought the house down." I wish someone would upload video of that or any other of Jim's speeches to YouTube, so we could start spreading the message. Jim is most compelling in person, but video would be great, too. Actually, if we could just get some money into his coffers, maybe he could get an ad or two on tv.
By the way, he's going to debate Jack Kingston on October 2 at 7:30. It will be at the Camden campus of Coastal Georgia Community College. Am I dreaming to hope that WTOC might cover it?

Un-Revising History

2006-09-13T21:06:00.000-07:00

It really is disappointing that "dramatic interpretations" are being sold as explanations for real history. Especially when the moviemakers themselves have agendas, using outright falsified information as part of their "dramatic interpretation."

Yeah, I'm talking about The Path to 9/11, a controversey-causing dramatic re-interpretation loosely based on The 9/11 Commission Report (pdf). This was even going to be marketed to high schools as resource material, and has been defended as 'fiction that helps us understand history.'

When I think of how well fiction helps us understand history, I only have to stop at George Washington and the Cherry Tree.

Luckily, I found this on Slate. I hope they screen more of these shorts, where they fact check The Path to 9/11 with subtitles on the screen. This could be the most effective rebuttal tactic I've ever seen.

Especially in the Age of YouTube...

From the Desk of Jim Nelson

2006-09-08T08:27:00.000-07:00

LABOR DAY 2006

Labor Day has a special significance for me and for the campaign. It was last year at the Labor Day Union Picnic in Savannah that I first announced publicly I was running for Congress in the 1st District of Georgia. I must admit this past year has been exciting to say the least.

I have met so many people, been in so many places, and had opportunities to speak that I otherwise would not have had. I've been to picnics, BBQ's, union rallies, churches, community centers, senior centers, private homes, and more. I have visited all 25 of the counties that comprise the 1st District. Been featured in most of the local newspapers, and appeared on several TV news shows. I have even been maligned by my opponent and several of his minions, but then that is part of the price you pay when you enter politics.

I entered this race because I care about this nation. I volunteered for the Army and served several years on active duty back during the Vietnam War. I am a descendant of men who fought in the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Civil War, and WWII. Both of our sons served in the military, and one was a Marine during Dessert Storm, although he was not deployed to the Gulf. I care about this nation, I care about our freedoms, I care about the people.

I also entered this race because I am a pastor. I see the devastating effects of bad legislation everyday, and felt I could no longer just stand on the sidelines writing letters and calling my Representative. I had to do something about it. I am a Democrat because I find the core values of the Democratic Party are more in line with the teachings of Jesus than those of the Republican Party. Greed is not a virtue. As a matter of fact it is one of the 7 deadly sins.

I want to work for working families. I want to ensure every child has an opportunity to succeed regardless of who his or her parents are. I want to ensure everyone has the opportunity to earn a living wage, not just a minimum. That is why I chose Labor Day to announce. We need to honor and respect the men and women who built and maintain this great nation of ours. We can no longer stand by and watch as real wages decrease and jobs are shipped over seas. I stood with union workers from the Hugo Boss facility in Midway. Workers in Georgia make $7.38/hr while a worker in Ohio doing the same job can make over $16/hr. Georgia workers should be treated with the same dignity and respect as Ohio workers. We should not be worth less.

In addition, we need a Congress that will provide oversight to ensure safety regulations are complied with. Government regulation make sure workers are not injured or killed unnecessarily. Regulations also protect the general public. The next time you fly remember it's not the terrorists you need to worry about, after all you did surrender your makeup, your mouth wash, and the gel insoles from your shoes. Worry about the over worked, over stressed, overly tired air traffic controllers. Because the Republican controlled government is trying to do everything on the cheap, the airport you are flying in and/or out many only have 2/3 or less of the required number of air traffic controllers, and they are working overtime. How safe are you? Government regulations are not meant to be punitive; they are to protect the public.

We need to make a change in Washington. Help send me to Congress. If you can help financially CLICK HERE TO DONATE or send a check to: Nelson For Congress, P.O. Box 14407, Savannah, GA 31416.

To host a House Party Fundraiser, call our office at 912-631-5455. If you haven’t already, write to info@electjimnelson.com to request a yard sign. Click the links at the top of the newsletter to visit our website, sign up to volunteer, blog in Jim’s blogosphere or buy apparel at the online store. And, most importantly, forward this e-mail to everyone in your address book. We need all the help we can get. Besides word of mouth from people you know is a lot cheaper, and much more effective than TV advertising, or phone banks.

Thank you so much for your continued support and encouragement.

Get Out the Vote!

2006-09-01T06:42:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,

My name is Ben Hubby; I'm a family practitioner in Savannah.
A group of us have formed to Get Out the Vote and elect Jim Nelson to
Congress. We're looking for folks on the coast, in Brunswick and inland who
will work along side their neighbors to bring forth a large turn-out for Jim
in November. Contact me if you'd like to be a volunteer in the area where
you live or whether you'd like to join us in seeking others to expand our
network.

We applaud what you're doing on the coast to end the nightmare of the Bush
years and to get America back on track!

Ben Hubby hubby@ix.netcom.com

Slam Dunks

2006-08-28T21:09:00.000-07:00

US Intelligence agencies (currently working under the oversight of the Republican Congress) are being criticized for not knowing enough about Iran to properly advise US policy makers.

"American intelligence agencies do not know nearly enough about Iran's nuclear weapons program" to help policymakers at a critical time, the report's authors say. Information "regarding potential Iranian chemical weapons and biological weapons programs is neither voluminous nor conclusive," and little evidence has been gathered to tie Iran to al-Qaeda and to the recent fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, they say.

Despite the fact that this report was issued by a Republican, other more local members of the Republican party have already made their decisions on Iran and are beating the war drums loudly.

My Daddy always told me not to count my chickens before they've hatched. Yes, a nuclear Iran is a very dangerous thing. But not near as dangerous as flying blind when it comes to foreign policy. Being strong on national security means getting the facts ahead of time.

And as we've all seen recently with the media frenzy surrounding a confessed killer, you don't convict someone before the evidence is in the lab.

Blessed are the Peacemakers...

2006-08-28T21:07:00.000-07:00

The longer the ceasefire holds, the better. Even if we can't disarm Hezbollah right away, we are working towards that goal. We can walk and chew gum at the same time.

I'm sure the Israelis of Haifa and the Lebanese in Beirut would rather deal with political ramifications than to have missiles and bombs raining on their heads.

Peach Kids for the USA

2006-08-24T19:18:00.000-07:00

Every Child Should Have Access to Health Care

When Lt. Governor Mark Taylor becomes Georgia's next Governor, he has a plan called Peach Kids, which will make sure every child in Georgia has access to health care. His plan is based on an expansion of the successful PeachCare for Kids.

This is a needed program, especially to children in Georgia's District 1. Health Care is a family value and this plan will make life a little easier on working parents, schools and - most importantly - Georgia's children.

This plan will work best when it is fully supported by our Congress in Washington, and when we send Rev. Jim Nelson to Congress next January, we can count on his support.

Over?

2006-08-23T20:47:00.000-07:00

Did you say Over? Nothing is Over Until We Decide it Is.

This reminder brought to you by people who understand why football teams actually play the games, and championships are decided on the field.

Thank you.

Union Rally in Savannah

2006-08-16T11:36:00.000-07:00

Come support the Labor Movement in Georgia!

WHAT: Press Conference/Union Rally
WHEN: Thursday, Aug. 17 at 1:30 p.m.
WHERE: Johnson Square, Savannah

“The American Dream is not to work hard, productive hours for low wages and poor benefits. I call for executives at Hugo Boss to do what’s morally right; agree to a fair contract with a livable wage and pension plan.” - Rev. Jim Nelson

First District Congressional Democratic Party Nominee Rev. Jim Nelson will speak at a union rally on Thursday, August 17, 1:30 p.m. at Johnson Square in Downtown Savannah. Nelson will join several community leaders in demanding that Hugo Boss USA give workers at its Midway, Ga. distribution center a fair contract.

Others scheduled to speak include State Rep. Al Williams (D-Midway), Union Leaders, Hugo Boss employees, local clergy and other concerned citizens.

Hugo Boss’ Midway distribution center employs 80 workers, mostly African-American women, who earn an average wage of $7.63 an hour and have no retirement plan. They have been working without a union contract for nearly three months because Hugo Boss refuses to offer more than a thirty-cent raise, which won’t even pay for the gas cost increase employees have incurred on their drive to work.

At the same time, Hugo Boss is charging $1200.00 per suit for the company’s new line of designer suits. In fact, Hugo Boss workers must cope with low-wages and no pension at a time when the company is making record profits. In the first half of 2006, sales increased by 19% with the strongest gains in the company’s American division. Last year, the German luxury apparel giant had sales of $1.57 billion and net profits over $120 million. Their stock price shot up more than 30% over the past year. (source: UNITE HERE and www.behindthelabel.org)

Nelson said, “The American Dream is not to work hard, productive hours for low wages and poor benefits. I call for executives at Hugo Boss to do what’s morally right; agree to a fair contract with a livable wage and pension plan.”

Workers at the Midway distribution center are represented by the labor union UNITE HERE. Lorenzo Walker, a Hugo Boss employee and UNITE HERE member, said: “We work very hard to make our company prosper. All we want in return is a fair wage increase and a start for our pension.”

Brett Hulme, president of the Savannah Central Labor Council, said, “The 34 unions that make up the Savannah Central Labor Council support any workers with bona fide labor disputes, especially the workers at Hugo Boss.”

Nelson is the First District Congressional Democratic Party Nominee. The First District covers most of Southeast Georgia, including Midway, stretching along the coast from Savannah to St. Marys, and inland from Valdosta to McRae.

Contract With American Veterans

2006-08-11T22:40:00.000-07:00

The following CONTRACT is a pledge my supporters and I have signed that outlines legislative principles. It's dedicated to our brave veterans who have fought and continue to fight for our nation's freedom and prosperity. The bottom line is that government must take better care of our veterans; they deserve it.

A CONTRACT WITH AMERICAN VETERANS

SIGNED AND AFFIXED BY JIM NELSON, VETERAN AND FORMER AIRBORNE INFANTRY OFFICER

TO ALL AMERICAN CITIZENS, GREETINGS: KNOW YE THAT ON THIS DAY IT IS PROCLAIMED AND PRESENTED:

I. WE WILL LEAVE NO VETERAN BEHIND. DEMOCRATS ARE STRONG ON NATIONAL DEFENSE AND SUPPORT OUR TROOPS. WE WILL CARE FOR OUR SERVICEMEN AND WOMEN PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE.

II. SUPPORTING OUR TROOPS DOES NOT END WITH DEPLOYMENT TO OR REDEPLOYMENT FROM OUR NATIONS WARS. IT CONTINUES FOR AS LONG AS NECESSARY AFTER THOSE WHO SERVED BRAVELY COME HOME TO A GRATEFUL NATION.

III. WE WILL NOT ABANDON VETERANS TO FIGHT WITH THEIR GOVERNMENT AFTER THEY HAVE FOUGHT SO VALIANTLY FOR THEIR GOVERNMENT WHEN SEEKING ASSISTANCE FOR THE SACRIFICES THEY HAVE ALREADY BORNE AND THE COSTS THEY CONTINUE TO BEAR, BE THEY PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL OR PSYCHOLOGICAL; BE IT TODAY OR TOMORROW.

IV. WE ASSERT THAT VETERANS RETURNING FROM COMBAT ZONES OR WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED OTHER HORRORS OF WAR SHOULD BE TREATED UNDER THE ASSUMPTION THEY ARE SUFFERING POST TRAUMATIC STRESS AND NOT BE ABANDONED TO FIGHT A BUREAUCRACY OF RESISTANCE ONCE THEY ENTER THE CARE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

V. WE DEMAND THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS BECOME CONGRESSIONALLY MANDATED FOR RECEIPT OF OBLIGATORY BUDGET FUNDING AND THEREBY PERMANENTLY REMOVE THE ANNUAL RISK OF BUDGETING CUTS AND REDUCTIONS THAT CONTINUE TO ABANDON OUR VETERANS.

VI. WE OBLIGE OURSELVES TO MILITARY RETIREES BY ENSURING ALL PROMISED BENEFITS EARNED BY THEM AS SERVICEMEN AND WOMEN BASED ON THEIR INITIAL SERVICE CONTRACTS WILL REMAIN INTACT AND WILL NOT BE INFRINGED UPON.

VII. WE SUPPORT THE FAMILIES AND DEPENDENTS OF OUR COMBAT VETERANS AND MOVE THAT THE EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS OF VETERANS KILLED OR SERIOUSLY WOUNDED BE TRANSFERRED TO THEIR IMMEDIATE FAMILY TO ENSURE OUR PROMISES TO THESE GREAT AMERICANS ARE KEPT FOREVER.

VIII. WE SEEK A TRUE LIAISON WITH VETERAN GROUPS SUCH AS THE DISABLED AMERICAN VETERANS, THE VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS, THE NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS ASSOCIATION, THE MILITARY OFFICERS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA AND OTHERS IN ENSURING THAT THE VOICES OF VETERANS FROM ALL SECTORS OF SOCIETY RETURNING FROM SERVICE TO THEIR COUNTRY ARE TREATED WITH THE DIGNITY AND RESPECT THEY HAVE EARNED AND SO WELL DESERVE.

Important Issues Open Thread

2006-08-11T22:05:00.000-07:00

Well, I already know the big reasons I'm voting for Rev. Jim Nelson in November. But what about y'all?

What are the three most important issues each of you will take into that voting booth once November rolls around?

An Adult Conversation

2006-08-07T19:46:00.000-07:00

It is time to have an adult conversation on the topic of American Foreign Policy. It is time to have an adult conversation on the topic of the War in Iraq. The posturing for political expediency has proven deadly on all sides, and the ‘fair and balanced’ debating style of American punditry screaming at each other on cable news gets us closer to neither real peace in the Middle East nor a reality based finish line in Iraq.

The myth that an Iraqi civil war is a creation of the media was dispelled last week when two American Generals and the Secretary of Defense admit to the United States Senate that the situation is deteriorating. Our soldiers have been fighting in Iraq for more than 4 years, and the people in charge of this nation’s defense are telling us that the situation is getting worse. No matter how many tactical victories we celebrate our proud military for winning, this Administration’s unclear strategic goals in Iraq keep us all from knowing how close those tactical victories get us to the end-zone.

Call me crazy, but I’d wager ‘taking the same hill’ again and again is a much more important factor to troop morale than any California peacenik.

And just when we thought it couldn’t get worse, the Arab-Israeli conflict rears its ugly head again. Now innocents in Israel and Lebanon pay the price for out of control ideology, and the failure of a six year Administration and subservient Congress to make any significant headway in the realm of Middle East peace. We are the only nation who can bring these warring parties to the negotiating table with any serious intent, and it is time we stopped passing the buck by saying it is ‘not our job.’

Wringing our hands and pointing fingers (not even the UN can handle this situation!) as some members of this Congress have said, is not an excuse for American non-involvement.

Some people may say the War in Iraq and the War in Lebanon are not related, but tell that to the thousands of Shiites who took to the streets of Baghdad in support of Hezbollah. If you don’t think such displays are dangerous to our men and women in uniform, then you are not ready for an adult conversation on this matter.

And that is what this is all about. There are more levels of diplomacy than what this Administration and its Congress would like us to think. There are more levels of diplomacy than “you are with us or you are with them.” We have to get control of this Administration, and the Congress, and force them to do a better job, to give us strategic goals in Iraq, and engage in diplomacy with those who disagree with us as well as those who are already on our side.

The lives of our soldiers, and overall American national security, are worth more than political sound-bytes. It is time we stood up, as adults, and figure out a better way to do things. Our soldiers and our nation deserve better than what we are getting right now.

My Most Important Vote

2006-08-04T19:46:00.000-07:00

Howdy. My name is Patrick Armstrong, and Rev. Nelson invited me to blog on this site with him. To those of you who don't know me, I'm a Southern boy, born and bred. I eat red meat, drive an American-made car and I bleed Red and Black on college football Saturdays - living and dying with every Georgia Bulldog first down. I have lived in Coastal Georgia, notwithstanding a seven year stint in Athens, since my family moved here in 1983.

I'm here to tell you that my most important vote this November is going to be for Reverend Jim Nelson, United States Congress, Georgia's 1st District. It will be a pleasure to cast that vote and send Rev. Nelson to Washington so he can represent me in the United States House of Representatives.

There are many reasons why that will be my most important vote. I'm sure we'll get into those soon. But the big dawg, the most important reason that I have to cast that vote, is that I know Rev. Jim Nelson will do a good job in the United States Congress. I know that because I've met him, I've spoken with him and when he says he is going to be somewhere, he shows up on time and ready to get to work. When he walks into a room, I don't think of the America we do have, I think of the America we should have. I believe that Rev. Nelson is one of the men who will get us there.

The United States Congess is one of the shining symbols for American Democracy. In recent years, it seems, that shine has lost some of its luster. I want to see that shine restored, so my most important vote in November will be for Rev. Jim Nelson, United States Congress.

Graphics

2006-08-01T20:31:00.000-07:00

Campaign Kickoff Tour

2006-07-31T22:05:00.000-07:00

Check out the photos from my Campaign Kickoff Tour. The Nelson Team visited all 25 counties of the First Congressional District, talking with folks about their ideas for South Georgia. I told people about my vision for the district, and discussed several of my policy plans: Energy Independence 2020; the South Georgia Economic Development Initiative; and the Contract With American Veterans.
press release & tour schedule

Let's blog!

2006-07-31T22:01:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my new blog. I will be making regular posts here throughout the rest of the campaign. This will be one of the best places to get to know me and find out my views. I look forward to blogging with you!