Video Town Hall with Idaho's next Senator!
Wednesday, July 16, 2008 at 1 PM MST
Today’s live online town hall meeting with Larry LaRocco begins at 1 pm MST. To ask Larry a question, please scroll down to the chat room underneath the video player and submit it. Be sure to include your name and location with your question. Thank you for joining us today!
Update: Thanks to everybody who joined us for today's online town hall meeting with Larry! For those of you who missed the town hall -- or for people who were there but want to watch it again -- you can watch the video of today's town hall below.
Welcome to Idaho’s second-ever video town hall meeting and thank you for joining. This is part of an ongoing conversation I am having with my fellow Idahoans about the future of Idaho.
Since April 11, 2007, I have worked daily, tirelessly, creatively and effectively to bring responsible change to Idaho and put the Idaho U.S. Senate seat back in the hands of middle class, working Idahoans.
I am well on my way to bringing the hope and change that comes with new leadership. I have the grassroots campaign infrastructure in place, with field offices in Boise, Moscow, and Twin Falls. Two more offices will open in the next two weeks. My field organization is mobilized and led by Kassie Cerami, who helped organize Barack Obama’s presidential campaign in Idaho.
Much was made today in the Idaho press about Risch’s lead in raising money. But he’s not sitting well at all. I have raised more than $800,000—more than any Democratic U.S. Senate candidate has ever raised in Idaho at this point in the race. Jim Risch is lieutenant governor, a former governor and he was hand-picked by Idaho’s GOP elite to take over for Sen. Larry Craig. That gives Risch incumbent status. But if you take away the $480,000 of his own money, Risch is only at $1.2 million raised. Risch’s “war chest” of $1 million is not troubling at all.
Recall what happened in Montana and Virginia in 2006:
In 2006 at the end of the second quarter, Conrad Burns had raised $6.3 million and Tester had taken in only $1.5 million. Burns had $2.2 million cash on hand and Tester had $514,000.
In 2006 at the end of the second quarter, George Allen had raised $11.4 million to Webb’s $1 million. Allen had $6.6 million cash on hand to Webb’s $424,000.
We are just 111 days from the most important election of our lives. In November, Idahoans will have a chance to vote for a change.
Idaho needs a change of leadership. The old style of catering to special interests is failing us. Middle class, working Idahoans have been forgotten in Washington, D.C. We need leadership that will get Congress working again. We need a U.S. senator who will seize opportunities and help put our nation back on track.
Now, let’s have a discussion our great state’s future.
