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OK-Sen: This Week with Andrew Rice (Mar. 30-April 5) |
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After picking up important endorsements and contributions last week, Oklahoma’s progressive Senate candidate Andrew Rice hit the ground running this week.
Inhofe is well aware of Andrew’s progress, and he’s not pleased. A Democracy for America email tells us that Inhofe understands that no seats are safe this year:
Last Thursday, DFA members nationwide took action and raised over $21,000 for Andrew Rice and his campaign to unseat Republican extremist, Oklahoma Senator Jim Inhofe. Now, Sen. Inhofe is running scared.
His campaign knows Sen. Inhofe will never win on the issues or by defending his extremist record and ridiculous statements. So instead, they attacked you, the so-called “far-left”. Here is an excerpt from their fundraising message on Friday:
Just yesterday, a group founded by Howard Dean called Democracy for America (DFA) sent a fundraising email to liberal activists nationwide calling my friend, Senator Jim Inhofe, a “Republican Extremist.” I hope that, like me, you laughed at this kind of over-the-top language, especially since it comes from a group that thinks America isn’t even a democracy.
What’s not funny is this far-left group’s fundraising potential. They’ve timed their message just three days before the end of a critical quarter. With the help of DFA and many other liberal groups fundraising on his behalf, Senator Inhofe’s likely opponent hopes to impress his liberal counterparts in Washington, New York, and San Francisco so he can attract even more out-of-state dollars.
According to Sen. Inhofe’s campaign, we’re “pouring tens of thousands of dollars into [Oklahoma] so [we] can distort Senator Inhofe’s record. Outrageous lies are being spread and partisan negative attacks are being launched”
They go on and say they are worried that “liberal groups like Democracy for America may succeed in their efforts to demonize Senator Inhofe.”
They’re afraid of the power of millions of voices calling for change. They are afraid that Andrew Rice will win and deliver real results for Oklahoma and America. Sen. Inhofe is afraid of you.
A campaign email confirms how well Andrew’s fundraising is going:
It struck me yesterday that Inhofe’s campaign had challenged his supporters to help him raise $25,000 online in March to show how much backing he had from “grassroots supporters.” I don’t know how Jim Inhofe did, but I know we certainly proved how much grassroots support we have. In just the last five days of the quarter, Andrew Rice raised over $68,000 online. And more than $43,000 of that came in on Monday, the last day of the quarter. Much of that money came in $10 or $25 at a time, with hundreds of donors standing up to show that this is their campaign, a way for their voices to be heard in Washington.
All of that goes to show just how seriously people on both sides are beginning to take this race.
But Andrew wasn’t just raising funds - he was out demonstrating leadership.
A bill he helped write, which will provide food assistance to hungry Oklahomans, made it through the Oklahoma Senate Finance Committee and will now go to the Senate floor.
Andrew also issued a statement calling on the Senate to help save working families from home foreclosures.
“It is clear that homeowners and the communities where they live are suffering from a credit crisis that is outside of their control,” Rice said. “Washington was quick to rescue Wall Street bankers last month. Now it’s fair to extend a helping hand for Main Street as well.”
As if that wasn’t enough, Andrew inspired progressives around the country by making a personal contribution to a nonprofit group that buys body armor for American soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. He pointed out that even $200 can buy life-saving helmet liners and other items that protect our troops from concussions caused by IEDs.
This is another contrast between Andrew and his opponent. Corporate Republicans like Inhofe are always snarling about supporting the troops (read: whatever Republicans want), but many of them fail to go beyond rhetoric. Peace Arena reminds us that a veterans’ group gave Inhofe a “D-” grade for his voting record on equipment and veterans’ issues. Andrew, meanwhile, is out demonstrating what real support for our soldiers looks like.
If you choose to support Andrew, you can do so here.
