You know that being an American is more than a matter of where your parents came from. It is a belief that all men are created free and equal and that everyone deserves an even break. Harry S. Truman Though he may soon become yet another casualty of new technology, the paperboy is one of our most revered icons. At least two presidents, Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower, are among […]
Josh Harder
Josh Harder: The Congressman Unmasked
“The Postal Service is enshrined in our Constitution. It’s what brings America together; it’s the connective fabric of America.” We caught Josh Harder without a mask yesterday, but we had to use a zoom lens. Harder has been wearing a face mask and practicing social distancing for months. Monday, he was outside and more than six feet from the nearest person when he took off his mask for a short […]
Ted Howze will Burn You Too
Republican Candidate for Congress Ted Howze is starting to look more and more like Donald Trump, the flailing President whose every move reveals desperation and incompetence. Howze’s latest move must have sounded good at first. In a campaign ad, he juxtaposed a photo of incumbent Congressman Josh Harder and his wife Pam kneeling with masks on next to one of Nancy Pelosi, also kneeling while wearing a mask. Like Jeff […]
Withrow Withdraws Howze Endorsement
Stanislaus County Supervisor Terry Withrow has withdrawn his endorsement of Ted Howze, Republican candidate for congress in California Congressional District 10 (CA-10). Howze, rocked by revelations of hateful and racist posts on his social media accounts, has denied he made the posts. But after news about an official rebuke from House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Howze faced a rapidly eroding base of support. “I asked around with people I know, […]
Can Democrats Bring a Blue Wave to the Valley?
In retrospect, Jerry McNerney’s upset win over Richard Pombo in 2006 may have been an omen. A seven-term congressman with a high national profile and leadership credentials in the House of Representatives, Pombo’s loss to the low-key but high-integrity McNerney didn’t produce the Blue Wave Valley Democrats had hoped for, but it did show an increasing voter concern for rising corruption in government. Pombo had been tainted by a close […]
Josh Harder—Leading by Example
It’s only a few months into Josh Harder’s first term as California District 10’s Congressman, but he’s already more than delivered on his promise to be available for his constituents. Somebody, somewhere, is probably counting the town halls, office hours, ribbon cuttings and meetings Harder has attended so far, but the number is not as important as the quality. Congressman Harder has been on a district-wide listening tour that has […]
Josh Harder’s Bay Area Friends
April 26, the Modesto Bee ran a story about an event Josh Harder held for Bay Area supporters of he and TJ Cox. One reader wrote he could see no difference between support from the Bay Area and support from Russia. That seems to be the view of many Valley citizens. If only John Flint were around to comment. Ed. The late John Michael Flint used to say nothing could […]
Josh Harder One-on-One
Continuing the blistering pace he set during his campaign for Congress, Josh Harder has been meeting one-on-one with constituents throughout his district since Saturday. He’s also holding town hall meetings while visiting locales from Turlock to Tracy and points between. Saturday, he hosted “office hours” at the Veterans’ Center in Modesto, participated in the Women’s March, and then held a town hall meeting in Ceres, where there was standing room […]
Valley Democrats: It’s About Winning
The midterm wave of Democratic wins in traditionally Republican California districts brought on a spate of conspiracy theories, none wackier than the one put forward by California District 1o (CA-10) loser Ted Howze. But it turns out District 10 was indeed illustrative of several factors that could well determine the future of the Democratic Party, not just in California, but across the nation. The Primary race began with a crowded […]
Still Undecided? Vote for America
Once upon a time there was an America people believed in. Like most things people believe in, part of the power of the belief was based on myth. Myths are stories that don’t have to be factual to be true. Consider the myth of George Washington and the cherry tree, for example. The anecdote—little George confessing to chopping down his father’s cherry tree—may or may not be factual, but the […]