So why the hell do people do this?  Why?

We have to.  It's imperative that we fight this fight.  I know I have a huge problem with being honest to a fault, "over sharing" and TMI!  But it's the only way I know how to live my life, it really is who I am.

Someone has to walk the fine line in such a conservative county by trying to be more moderate.  I hate to break it to you kossacks but most people really don't care about party names or labels.  Most people are the huge lump in the center who are doing every thing they can to get away from the partisan bickering and name calling.  Most people just want things to work and it doesn't really matter who fixes it, just do it.

Just do it.  Somebody fix this mess.

But it's just not that easy is it?  Entrenched interests raise more money and have more support merely based on their name recognition and party affiliation where I am.  Orange County, where Dick Cheney comes to raise money for corrupt Republicans in "Nixonland".  Seriously, not joking.

And as Gary and I struggle to make it through our daily lives we've taken this battle on.  I work full time and have a five year old daughter and then there is my battle with my health.  I wish I had the time and energy to do so much more than I am capable right now.  I post diaries, make some phone calls, go to events when I can but that's about it.

Gary knocks on doors every single weekend.  Tonight?  He's at the South Orange County Democratic Club meeting.  I picked Charlotte up from day care and we went out to dinner.  We don't see much of him lately, that's hard too.

Tonight Gary is speaking with Bill Hedrick who is the Democrat running in the 44th district.  There is also the amazing Debra Carrillo who is a Deputy DA and she's running to be an Orange County Superior Court Judge.  It's amazing that I've gotten to meet these people and talk to them.  It's amazing that I have an opportunity to meet possible Congress members and I can see for myself that they are so deserving of going to Washington on our behalf (Debbie Cook is another local favorite of mine and someone I would expect to see more of on Daily Kos).

So many events, so many people to meet and full time jobs to hold down.  The thought of the things we need to do makes my poor head spin.  And then there is fund raising.

A necessary evil as they say, it's a must, it's the only way really to get noticed where we are.  So we keep asking for money.

So here it is, I'm asking you to donate just five dollars.  That's it, just five dollars to our campaign.  I so want to see Gary do well and to just have a chance to be heard, he's good and he gets it and I'm so proud to say that I talked him into running for State Senate.  

And the funny thing is, I've learned that I have to ask, even when I know the answer will be no, I HAVE TO ASK.

So, here is part of a speech he wrote that I want to share with you.

I am a 37yr-old, married father and longtime resident of Orange County.

My professional background is in education.

I hold a Ph.D. in Social Science from UCI, a Bachelor's degree in Music from Chapman, and am a Tenured Professor at Cerritos College, and have recently become Program Director for a federally funded grant aimed at helping students who failed to graduate high school and are not pursuing either a vocational or academic degrees.

I am running as a moderate democrat who values consensus building and fiscal responsibility over partisanship and deficit spending and borrowing.

Earlier this year, with the support of family and friends, I answered the call to run in the 33rd State Senate race.

I am running to amplify the voice of Orange County in Sacramento.

My belief for the future of modern politics rests in the ability of parties to stop rehearsing ideological differences and begin to find solutions.

Orange County residents are reasonable, honest, hard-working people who want to know that the money spent in Sacramento reflects two simple priorities: transparency and fiscal responsibility.

Everyone should have access to how their taxes are spent.

It should be easy to find and understand who exactly was responsible for spending increases and cuts.

Fiscal responsibility is imperative at all times, not only when the economy is moving but also when it slows.

When our economy was booming, we didn't bother saving.

Wouldn't the average household prepare for hard times by saving when times are good?

We should expect the same common sense approach in our Government by demanding our legislature treat our money like it's their own.

My Grandparents used to remind me that taxes are the price we pay for the country we want to live in. As a citizen, I understand the necessity of generating revenue as long as there is accountability.

I don't want to see good programs go down because they weren't properly funded. As such, any new programs should include a revenue stream that won't go dry after a couple of years.

The revenue stream should fit the program it's designed to fund (e.g. gas taxes and roads).

It's also no secret that the housing market bubble has set our state back. Arnold Schwarzenegger gambled on the housing market when he entered into politics. In the short term, his gamble paid off. But, here we are again and now the Governor wants us to gamble some more only this time it's with our state's lottery.

Such leaders come from the 'borrow and spend' school of thought. Give the people immediate changes by borrowing to off-set spending. Voters aren't taxed now but feel the squeeze latter on when the next administration takes office. Or, worse still, the debt incurred is deferred until it becomes the problem of the next generation of taxpayers.

As much as I thought Gray Davis had made some serious errors in judgment while Governor, he knew that if voters kept on agreeing to expand programs we would have to pay for them.

Either we would or as the case is now our children will be shouldering our debt if we do nothing about it. On one side the federal debt and on the other side the state's debt.

If the social programs we agree are worthwhile, then we must fund them.
George Bush's No Child Left Behind has placed great expectations on our schools to properly educate their citizens but did not put in place any means of paying for a mandate that assumes one child is like the next, a one size-fits-all program.

What about measuring what exactly students who succeed are like? Rather, than assuming that good students are the logical end to a good program. Once again, bad planning has led to even more ruinous policy and an eroding distrust of our elected officials.

SO here is to brutal honesty and breaking some rules along the way, I figure, what have we got to lose?

And a pootie just because...