I will not support Heidi Heitkamp.....

[brooklynite]

Apr 17 2013 -
HEITKAMP STATEMENT ON MANCHIN-TOOMEY AMENDMENT
WASHINGTON, DC- Today, U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp released the following statement regarding the Manchin-Toomey Amendment:

“I’ve been adamant from the very beginning of this conversation that the focus should be on mental health issues, full and accurate reporting into the NICS database and ensuring that we are prosecuting criminals in possession of or trying to possess firearms. This conversation should be about what is in people’s minds, not about what is in their hands. I commend Senators Manchin and Toomey for working so hard to bring a serious bill to the floor. However, in its current form I do not see a path for my support. I’ve thought long and hard about this, I’ve taken the tough meetings, and I’ve heard overwhelmingly from the people of North Dakota; and at the end of the day my duty is to listen to and represent the people of North Dakota.”

My wife and I contribute upwards of $100,000 in each election cycle. We do not require a specific ideological philosophy, but we have a few "dealbreaker" issues; gun control is one of them.

In 2013, Senators Heitkamp and Begich voted against the Manchin-Toomey amendment to impose stronger background checks on gun sales. I financially supported both of them in their initial Senate races; I cut both of them off (and told them that personally) after their 2013 votes. Senator Begich is no longer in the Senate. Senator Heitkamp is running for re-election. Unless her position has publicly changed, she will have to look for money elsewhere.

[AJT]

2. Sadly, money talks and politicians listen.

I'm glad you and I share views, but I wish political contributions didn't have so much sway when it comes to creating the policy that runs our nation.

[mikeysnot]

3. See that's part of the problem

rural states are applying their standards to non rural states. I agree that when you are that remote, especially in mountainous states where wild mountain lions and bears roam, law enforcement is sparse it makes sense... but you do not need under any circumstances an AR-15, which are designed to look cool and kill, that is all.

A nice shotgun is all you need.

I want a state by state and municipals to make their own laws. We had a gun ban in Chicago, and the NRA spent millions to take down our laws that we wanted, er a majority wanted.

[BannonsLiver]

4. Thanks for the update

[Funtatlaguy]

5. Yes, but

She represents a very rural, very pro gun state.
Do you think the Republican that will try to unseat her will be less pro gun than her?
No way.
To somehow flip the Senate, we can’t lose any seats.
This is one of those bite the bullet (excuse the gun reference) scenarios.
She will be with us on many other issues that a Republican replacement would not.

[brooklynite]

8. If I was in ND, I'd vote for her as the best available option...

As for financial support, since I can't help EVERY candidate, I'll give my assistance to those that meet a barely minimal threshold.

[brooklynite]

9. NOTHING in Manchin-Toomey restricted gun purchases in any way.

And neither Heitkamp or Begich offered a reasonable argument against expanded background checks.

[bluestarone]

12. hate to say it BUT this is so true!

lesser of two evils here!!

[Blue_Adept]

6. Yeah, that's not even a weak statement on things. That's being a lead weight on the issue

that not just the party, but according to the latest polling, 97% of the population supports changing.

[yallerdawg]

7. Begich was defeated by a Republican.

Now you want Heitkamp to share the same fate?

Over an issue that requires 60 votes to matter?

When I consider a Blue Dog/"DINO" I look for ANY bone tossed my way! Heidi Heitkamp has tossed a few our way!

Party over purity!

[brooklynite]

10. I didn't say I wanted her to lose; I said -I- wouldn't support her financially.

[yallerdawg]

11. We need two MORE Democratic senators - to change everything!

I just get nervous when we start - harshly critiquing? - our own.

[winstars]

13. 100k is a lotta dough, thank you and please use it where ever you see fit, I trust your judgement.

[Hortensis]

14. I respect your feelings, but to me getting government

out of the hands of those currently controlling it trumps all individual issues. Politico's view last summer (just hope our prospects in ND have improved enormously since then):

North Dakota’s last Democrat? Heidi Heitkamp’s uncertain political future will help determine whether Democrats’ big tent will fold in 2018.

There is much riding on Heitkamp’s political prospects, which are central to Senate Democrats’ plans to ultimately retake the chamber by 2020 — few think any other Democrat could hold the seat. Heitkamp is a rare politician, the last Senate Democrat left that opposed universal gun background checks and who peppers her speech with mild expletives in her prototypical Plains State accent. Despite 12 years between her gubernatorial run and her Senate race, she still maintained near-universal name ID in the state.

And the state’s Democratic Party couldn’t be in worse shape after the 2016 bloodbath, holding just 15 percent of the state Legislature’s seats. Republicans hold every statewide office except for Heitkamp’s seat.

“If we don’t have her as a Democrat at the top, it’s a big loss for the party,” says Tyler Axness, a former state senator swept away by the Trump wave. “When I say that I’m a Democrat, I’m a Heidi Heitkamp Democrat.”

[hfojvt]

16. gotta be tough for the D's in ND

and losing a big name would make it worse. I know how tough it was Kansas after we lost Sebeliius.

[brooklynite]

17. Simple question: which pro-gun control Democrat should I NOT give money to?

[Hortensis]

20. One who'd lose to another Democrat?

Brooklynite, what part of the Republicans' behavior in congress has convinced you that another of them would be preferable to a Democrat like this one? Massive corruption in government, as just the beginning?. How about taking money from funneled to them from Russia to get elected?

The massive tax heist with many more to come if they get their way? We just took out a 10-year mortgage on the nation to pay the wealthy over 1.5 trillion for...just being wealthy. If we can't make the annual payments, PayGo automatically takes the money from programs like SocSec and Medicare. And that's only the biggest of the transfers of wealth to the wealthy and tax burden to everyone else, MANY others already in place and MANY more to come.

Kidnapping people out of their homes and putting them in holding camps effectively without legal rights. They've talked a few times about separating children from their parents and holding them in different locations. It's only a matter of time if they keep power to do it.

Drilling for oil off all our shores and further dismantling the clear air and water acts, instead of abiding by our Paris agreement? Seizing rights to all power generated on private land and giving it to power companies?

How about a nice draft, so in addition to being shot down in schools a couple hundred thousand of our kids die fighting for oil in Asia or Africa? Of course, invading countries and murdering those people in pursuit of greed and power--better than a Democrat who won't vote for gun control?

Trying to close all JD investigations down? How about legally declaring the president above the law, which they will support? Institutionalizating permanent corruption in government, designed to serve the few? Stacking SCOTUS and cementing money in politics, crooked elections, exploitation of workers, on and on and on?

Plenty more, of course. My husband's Jewish, half our grandchildren have a Jewish name. Just this morning someone wondered in my hearing if it was true that Jews control almost all of Wall Street. Didn't know these strangers, but I told her that Jews are maybe 2.5% of the entire population, recommended she look it up, and asked her just about how likely was it to be true. If Jews were so powerful, how come they couldn't get into country clubs until the Supreme Court put a stop to blatant discrimination? Heard a few weeks ago that they're supposed to control the pornography markets also.

Frankly, the only principle guiding me in the next election will be to vote for the best Democrat, and the best is the one with the best chance of being elected. I have that luxury with a totally clear conscience because the worst Democrat, even a typical blue dog, is far, far better than giving power to the evil forces the Republican Party has become merely a front for.

[brooklynite]

24. You're missing the point...

Heitkamp isn't the only candidate in a competitive race. I can't support all of them, so at a minimum, I'm filtering out those that can't meet the barest threshold of responsibility on a critical issue.

[Bradshaw3]

26. Yes but $100,000 could go a long way in ND

Not so much in other competitive races in bigger states. I think we have a real chance to take back the senate. ND, MO, AZ, NV are the keys I believe. I don't like her stance but to me right now there is nothing more important to the future of our country than the Dems taking back control of at least one and hopefully both houses in 2018.

I appreciate your stance and that you said you would vote for her but control of the senate could very easily come down to this race and she does have a chance to hold onto a seat in a very red state where any hint of being anti-gun would doom her.

[brooklynite]

28. Im only allowed to give $5,400 to one candidate.

[Bradshaw3]

30. OK sorry forgot about that

[Hortensis]

36. A point I haven't investigated is whether anyone else

is now considered a genuinely viable candidate for the GE. I've just been assuming from what I read that incumbent Heitkamp is the one Democrat with the strength to defeat a Republican rival and that even so we may lose this senate seat to the Republicans.

If some other Democrat's star is starting to soar, that person isn't hitting the national political news yet. I haven't dug into ND papers.

But as I said I respect your right to donate as you believe right, and certainly that you are donating, only that my decision would be to do my best to elect a Democrat. I believe we are in a battle to preserve our basic form and purpose of government and that what would replace it would be a tragedy at its best.

[riversedge]

15. I found this graph helpful.....

Maybe Heidi will have a change of heart soon?? maybe.

https://www.npr.org/2018/02/19/566731477/chart-how-have-your-members-of-congress-voted-on-gun-bills

[hfojvt]

18. For the most part

I think even Democrats should represent the people who elect them rather than bowing to the wishes of big money donors from other states.

Maybe you should be donating more money to educate voters. I mean, I found it annoying when Jean Carnahan (D-Senate Missouri) and Dennis Moore (D-House Kansas) both advertised in 2004 (IMS) that they voted for the Bush tax cuts. On the one hand, the people in their districts supported those tax cuts, but as a person who tries to inform the public that the Bush tax cuts were bad policy, it was very annoying to have them embrace the tax cuts.

As a party, we need to do a better job of promoting our views.

That's what the right does to a very large degree, They flood the airwaves with their propaganda favoring their policies. Then when the Devil's songs are dominating the top 40, it becomes easy and safe for Republican politicians to say "I agree with the Devil".

[brooklynite]

19. Two days before Parkland, I had coffee with Fl. Senator Bill Nelson...

I mentioned my gun control position. He didn’t see them as presenting a conflict with “representing his constituents”.

[Exotica]

21. I support her over ANY Republican and SHE is BY FAR the best chance we have to retain the VITAL seat

Fuck these fucking purity tests.

Our country is in nightmare crisis and so many get their knickers in a wad over trivial shit.

I am pro Manchin too!

Grrr, so mad, I am sorry but this is circular firing squad SHIT.

Our country is diverse! We cannot expect every red State Dem to be a goddamn Sanders clone.

[brooklynite]

22. How much are you contributing to her campaign?

I'm tracking 92 competitive House Seats, 16 competitive Senate seats, and 22 competitive Governorships. I can't give to all of them; which candidate should I not contribute to to give money to her?

[Exotica]

23. It is not up to me alone to give her cash, I am just saying.. What is the option?

No Heitkamp equals a Republican Senator from ND.

Ripping her on a major Dem board like this seems to be inviting that outcome.

[Bradshaw3]

29. I'll take a stab at the senate races

I just saw a list of the most competitive so I assume these are on your list. I think Casey will win easily in PA, and Tester in Montana and Baldwin in Wisconsin will be fine. All signs point to a Dem tide (I know it's early) but if the trends continue these races ultimately may not be as close as some think. If they are I could see your point but as I wrote in another post, control of the senate could come down to ND where, and not to be repetitive, 100k would mean a lot more than it would in PA.

[brooklynite]

25. ...and they're not.

Being a Blue Dog and "pro-gun rights" doesn't mean you're opposed to any reasonable change. I support "pro-life" Bob Casey because he doesn't apply that philosophy in his voting history. I'm supporting Conor Lamb who's "pro gun" but doesn't see a problem with something as simple as background checks.

[guss]

27. Hiedi bloody hands

She is a Democrat and has voted against every gun control law and most Dem agendas, She is a Deceptacon in sheep's clothing.
...sad

[fairfaxvadem]

31. Senate Dems understand the politics here...

And so should we.

Heitkamp, Manchin, and Donnelly this cycle are crucial to hold. Tester slightly in better position but not by much. What they lack are solid enough blue populations in their states. McCaskill would be in trouble too, if she had a really solid opponent yet, and even then, she needs to campaign hard. Sherrod Brown had a very rough election 6 years ago. Mostly due to southern Ohio voters. Hopefully this year, it won’t be so bad. But with Mike DeWine as Gov R candidate, who knows? Same with Bob Casey in PA. And Bill Nelson in FL?? That’s still an open question with Rick Scott.

Reid and now Schumer, understands their state politics, which is all that matters in an election. I’d take any of them over the alternative R from their states.

[SharonClark]

32. It's your money, spend it where you think it will do the most good.

There are many good Dems who could benefit from your donation. If you don't like HH then spend it elsewhere.

[liberalhistorian]

34. HH is not a

"good Dem." She's a spineless, chicken-shit repub-lite.

[liberalhistorian]

33. I live on a South Dakota Indian reservation near

North Dakota and near the Standing Rock reservation, and I can tell you right now that she will NOT get the ND Indian vote in this election. This means she very well may not win this time, since she barely won last time, and only with the overwhelming support of the ND Indian vote, a vote she very heavily courted. But she's done very little in support of them, has pushed, or not pushed back against, anti-Indian policies, and has shown little interest in communication with Indian leaders and constituents.

Her biggest betrayal, however, and the primary reason she will not receive Indian support this time, is her lack of support of Standing Rock during the No DAPL protests. She lost many an Indian vote based on that alone, although she'd been ignoring them before that. The majority of ND whites, like the majority of SD whites, hates the Indian population, and hated the protests, hassling and harassing Indians in Bismarck and Rapid City over them. I'm white, and you should have heard what I heard from many whites when there were no non-whites around. Heitkamp really is little better than republicans, she might as well be one. Repub-lite Dems are almost worse than republicans themselves, frankly.

[guss]

35. She a fake

She twists in the wind. I don't know how she got a Democrat stamp she is a fake!

[OnDoutside]

37. So, no Heidi Heitkamp for you, and didn't you back Gillibrand when she brought Franken down in MN

where Democrats could potentially lose Franken's seat in November ?

There's a bit of track record here !!!

[Ilsa]

38. I just want to say

Bless you for being so financially as well as ideologically involved and generous in supporting candidates.

[grantcart]

39. The only vote that Jeitkamp makes that is relevant is for Majority leader

everything else is quite trivial.