I made a hard choice.

[mick063]

Sorry DU.
I was going to buy a membership and get a little star next to my name.
I sent a hundred bucks to Obama's campaign instead.

I'll get the star soon enough but it still has lower priority to my next contribution to oust Rep Doc Hastings (R), Washington.

I believe he is chair of the House Ethics Committee. He also is being questioned about using federal money to improve infrastructure adjacent to his brother's business. A business he "gave" to his brother so that the constituents wouldn't suggest "conflict of interest". Did I say that he chairs the Ethics committee?

[mick063]

1. Hmm... Chairmen of Natural Resouces.

I swear he once headed up Ethics. *Gonna have to look it up.

Regardless, as Chair of the Natural Resources Committee, his district sits on the largest EPA "superfund" site in the nation. His biggest campaign contributer is the oil and gas industry.

He has to go.

* Found it from Wiki:

Committee assignments

Committee on Natural Resources (Chairman)

As Chairman of the full committee, Rep. Hastings may serve as an ex officio member of all subcommittees.
Rep. Hastings was formerly the ranking member of the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, also known as the House Ethics Committee, and a past chair of that committee. He replaced Joel Hefley as chairman in 2005 when Hefley's term expired. He chaired the Ethics Committee for the duration of the 109th Congress and switched to ranking member when the Democrats won the majority for the 110th Congress.

[Orangepeel]

2. Good.

If a person is choosing between donating to DU to get (what I think are) the relatively minor bells and whistles a star provides, and donating to help democratic candidate(s) win, I hope they choose the candidate(s).

In my mental budget, DU is entertainment more than politics, so I'll probably continue to donate, instead of, say, an extra latte once a month or a couple of novels a year.

I know I'm lucky to be able to do that for my own enjoyment and others have to make tougher choices. That's why I'm glad the site seems to have found a revenue model that doesn't rely on donations and opened up all the content areas to all.

[riverwalker]

3. gave to Emily's List today

for the future of my three granddaughters.

[eridani]

4. No Dem is running against Hastings AFAIK

Jay Clough decided to run for state legislature instead.

[mick063]

5. It seems crazy

But I had pondered taking a shot at it. Too late in the game though. Hastings was opposed last election cycle by a health physics technician and the opponent received a decent amount of local press considering the lop sided nature of the contest.

Obviously, I would get trounced, but I would at least like to see Hastings defend his walking in lockstep with the extreme right wing of the GOP. I don't understand how he can adopt the Tea Party line and not be called out for it. He has definitely moved to the right. An extremist running unopposed.

I do have to give him credit for corresponding with me although his e-mails are the standard GOP jibberish. Can't raise taxes on the "job creators", blah, blah, blah.

For the record, Doc is in his 70s and due to health issues, he has missed out on a considerable number of House votes lately. Indeed, one of the worst vote participation records in all of Congress. I can't understand how he is not challenged.

I assumed he would have an opponent again and was looking to contribute. Thanks for clueing me in that he will not have an opponent.