(ex) Candidate's (ex) Wife

Semi-Open Thread

Talk amongst yourself, but the "semi" is because, per Folkbum's comment on the previous entry, we need a graphic for Vince's "Send the Special Interests Packing" fundraiser. You know the type -- the ones we can fill in with color to show how much money we've raised.

These are the criteria:

• The graphic must either be easy to create (I have the el-cheapo version of Photoshop), donated by an eligible individual contributor (it's considered an in-kind contribution, so we can't take a free graphic from a corporation, foreign national or government contractor unless it's free to everyone else), in the public domain or otherwise utterly free for commercial use.


• Either way, it needs to be easy to update so we can show progress. I guess that also means whatever license we get must allow us to do that. If I draw it myself, that's not a problem, but like I said -- el-cheapo Photoshop and minimal drawing skills.


• Please, no thermometers...


• Howard Dean already has the baseball bat. Can't use that.

OK, the floor is yours.

Wanna Hear A Secret?

Or, here is where I ask for money, poorly

According to an article in the Washington Post, spending on classified programs is at its highest level since 1998. We've been living under the most secrecy-oriented administration in recent history (unless, of course, they're your secrets), as well as the most military-focused, so this is by no means a surprise.

Hmm...wonder where all that money's going...

Secret military spending is great, for those doing the spending. Can't track it -- that's classified. Can't question it -- that's classified. Can't tell you why it's there -- do you even need to ask?

Oh, and no, of course we can't cut it...but the reasons are classified.

I think we need to bring back Mr. Subliminal, updated for the 21st Century Blogosphere:

"Hmm... wonder where all that money's going."

This is why we need special interests out of politics, people!

Vince's first fund drive is dedicated to this goal.

I am really, really terrible at asking for money. Really. (That's why there are all those hint-hint links in previous posts. Way to be subtle.) But this is important. If you're an American citizen or lawful permanent resident over the age of 18, please click and give what you can.

I know times are tough. But hopefully, with your help, we can boot the current Republican crop of leaders out of office, and be that much closer to better times. (I can put on a sad Sally Struthers face if you want.)

Oh, and by the way, I will be asking for money again, when we get a date for our first real-live fundraiser. And probably again after that. Just so you know.

Has The Campaign Achieved Personhood?

Just about everyone who has ever registered for a free e-mail address has actually registered for several. Perhaps they've created aliases, whole new personas. This allows anonymity on the Internet, well beyond the anon-servers of years past. (Anyone remember all of those "anon.penet.fi" addresses on every Usenet group dealing with anything controversial?) This also allows people to register to read newspapers online and send the spam somewhere other than their primary mailbox.

I have a few such addresses, and I determined that one of my addresses had achieved "personhood" when it received personalized spam.

I can't speak for the campaign e-mail box, but the campaign snail-mail box received its first piece of unsolicited, not-a-contribution, commercial mail. It wasn't for weight-loss drugs, adult-oriented entertainment or "make! money! fast!" (wow, am I dating myself here or what?) -- it was actually someone who wanted to sell the campaign a legitimate service!

So does this mean that V4C is people?

What I Learned While Blowing Off My 10-Year Reunion

When I graduated from high school, I promised myself I would attend my 10-year reunion. That was on Saturday, in downtown Chicago, for $75 a person.

A lot has changed in the last 10 years. I am in touch on a regular basis with precisely one person from high school, and I see one or two more at parties occasionally. And, the kicker -- I really have no desire to see 99% of these other people again, let alone pay good money to do it.

So, I skipped it, and instead volunteered at a rally for this other campaign I'm working for. Fine print: The V4C² does not at this time endorse anyone for president in 2004, but I, taking a break from being Candidate's Wife and acting of my own accord, do volunteer from time to time for DFA.

The rally was in Milwaukee on Saturday night. I'm not going to recap it here -- there are tons of other sites that have or will have recaps.

But I will snap back into Candidate's Wife mode and list some of the finer things I learned about planning an event that requires a lot of volunteers:

• If you can't let people choose their assignments for the evening, at least make sure they have the skills needed and the desire to do said work. For instance, if you want someone to drive a 15-passenger van, you should probably ask them if they feel safe doing so, and more importantly, if they are qualified to do so.


• Don't even bother to have a rain contingency. That way, it won't rain.


• If you use volunteers over the lunch or dinner hour, feed them.


• Magic markers are our friends!

I suppose we'll never be running an event in an airport hangar, so I guess our mileage may vary. But this event had the potential to be complete and utter chaos, and it wasn't. People were well-behaved and orderly and nobody yelled at me or protested when I asked for their name and the staffers put up with my whining all day. Very cool.

On Hold With The FEC

Why does every single voice-mail system I've ever called say, "Our menu has recently changed. Please listen carefully"?

My dentist has had this for the last three years. And the menu hasn't changed.

Google is Fun

Apparently, this site is findable from Google, not just by entering my name or something related.

Somebody got here by searching for "Kucinich wife."

To that person: Howdy. How are you?

DK's not married (though I understand he has a special friend), and thus, he has no Candidate Wife (I'm thinking of having that trademarked). But thanks for visiting.

I should note that said person may have picked up on my comment from Folkbum's blog entry about the same topic (sorry -- I can't figure out how to link directly to that post). Only I suggested "menudo Gladiators" as a search term, which still won't bring up this site.

So -- how'd you get here?

Editor's note: I just realized there's a reason why "menudo Gladiators" won't bring this site up. I used "Gladiator" singular. Duh.

My new crusade

That's it. I've had it. If I have to hear, one more time, "ohbuthatseat'ssounwinnableit'sRepublicancountrydontchyaknow?" I am going to scream.

Actually, I haven't been hearing that much about Vince's race (although the Democrats didn't even bother to float a candidate in 2002 here). But I'm hearing it all over for state, county, local races.

Why are we annointing Republicans office-holders for life?

Why are we telling Democrats in these districts that they shouldn't even bother to vote, since it won't matter anyway?

That's why I'm launching a new crusade. Spread the word to your blogs, your message boards, your friends.

It's simple:

A DEMOCRAT IN EVERY RACE. Period.

I'm not saying Democrats need to spend a lot of money -- but let's give people something and someone to vote for.

Put yourself on your city-council ballot, if you find out your entrenched opponent is running for re-election.

Get your friend to run for register of deeds or something. Why that's even a partisan race, I don't know, but it is, and we must.

Run for Congress, like Vince, and like a DUer I know.

If you're not running yourself, do what you can to support candidates morally, skills-ally and financially, if you are able, who are running against the odds.

We've got to do something, people.

Um.

I will let this link speak for itself.

Mmm....free goo!

Or, the obligatory food post

So much is said about food on the campaign trail. The folks over at Howard Dean's Blog for America seem almost obsessed with it.

Apparently, Gov. Dean ordered menudo without realizing what is was (it's stew made of innards, not the boy band).

And then, of course, there's the Kerry cheese steak flap.

Which brings me to the question — Where is the line? Candidate Kucinich gets a pass — he's a vegan. But otherwise — What must a candidate eat while on the road? What must a Candidate's Wife eat on the road?

Granted, Southeastern Wisconsin isn't a hotbed of icky stuff. And I'm a pretty adventurous eater — I'll try just anything once.

But I've tried tacos made from intestines. No, sir, I don't like it. I'm not much into anything with "blood" in its name except blood oranges, either.

I like Wisconsin's fine sausage products as much as the next person, but, um, I can't eat them without either making a mess, looking obscene, or, if there are a lot of chemicals in said product, getting sick. I chose a Boca Burger at our first joint appearance (there were more than enough to go around, so I wasn't depriving any vegetarians of their only option), but I have a feeling that won't do everywhere.

And then there's the whole question of quantity. Eat too much, I look like a piggish freeloader. Too litte and I'm unappreciative (and hungry).

I know there are bigger things to worry about (and forgive me if today's top story is about Arnold), and smaller-bigger things. I know very few people are going to care what the Candidate's Wife eats, as long as the Candidate swallows the cheese steak (no Swiss) or the menudo in stride. But, hey, if I can't bore my readers to death with calorie counting, what else do I have?

Brother, can you spare a boatload of dimes?

I am terrible at asking for money. Oh, sure, I can talk someone down at a garage sale, and I've actually succeeded in not only getting AOL to stop charging my credit card after I've cancelled, but also in getting a refund for the few months I did get charged.

But from friends and family? Wow. That's supposedly how grassroot campaigns get their seed funding -- basically, by begging loved ones to send you a check.

I am horrible at this. Sure, I can put in little subliminal messages and annoy the hell out of the five or six loyal readers I have here, but it's tough otherwise.

And it's doubly tough for me to ask my family, since I'm not the one running. They like Vince enough, but (how do I put this?) they're not past the "aw, that's cute" stage that the fundraising guy warned us about.

I hope to do some sort of fundraising party soon, and perhaps beg my DU friends for some help, but only after another DUer candidate has his fundraiser -- he got there first and declared first, so I don't want to step on anyone's toes.

Anyone have any other suggestions?

My So-Called Past Life...

Or, yay, the ed policy makes sense!

In a past life (OK, five years ago), I used to teach.

I wasn't a spectacular teacher and didn't enjoy most of it. There's just something about having a desk thrown at you or having to explain to the scariest vice-principal alive that expressing interest in the science-fiction and women's lit classes doesn't mean I wanted to steal them from the veterans who taught them forever that takes the polish off the apple. (I taught English, not that that last sentence is indicative of such.)

But I was good at the pedagogy. I had something like a 3.8 in my education classes in college, and they were all brain-research-this, pretend-you-have-free-reign-and-design-that.

I also got a few informal lessons on the politics of education and its associated B.S. from my advisor. But she and I often clashed, so I'm not sure I paid a lot of active attention.

Well, Dr. D., I guess some of it stuck. Congressmen don't really directly influence the QEO, something Wisconsin teachers and my advisor constantly and justifiably rail(ed) against, but they can influence funding and unfunding and the alleged right of government-supported educational programs to be able to discriminate against someone gay or Jewish or Muslim or perhaps Democratic based on "religious grounds."

I helped Vince with his education policy page, and, apparently, educators in Ohio give it a thumbs-up.

Not that educators in Ohio can vote for him (although they can do the hint hint thing). But it's a start.

Everyone Loves A Picnic

Wednesday night, we attended the Jefferson County Democratic Party picnic. I have pictures, but being too cheap to upgrade from free Blogger, I'll link to them once they're uploaded somewhere else. (We did get a "Concerned Vince" headshot from the picnic for Vince's main page, replacing the gawdawful "Smug Vince" pic that had been there before.)

A warm, sunny evening at Dorothy Carnes Park provided a peaceful backdrop for the festivities. Cranes flew overhead, children tossed around a ball, and the adults wasted no time in discussing strategies for evicting the current resident of the White House and his cronies.

It was Vince's first speaking engagement, and I couldn't help but think he really needed a podium to bang on. I think just about anything sounds better if you bang on a podium. Just recite the words to the worst song you can think of while banging on your desk at opportune moments..."Near...far...wherever (bang) you (bang) are (bang)...I believe (bang) that the heart (bang) does go on (bang bang bang) (let the cheering commence)."

But, overall, the speech went well, and the crowd (of about 50) gave more than polite applause. Vince got a lot of "you've got fire!" and only one "ohbutyou'resoyoung." The latter was especially encouraging, since the demographic of the picnic attendees was quite typical of these types of gatherings — a few families and many angry seniors. I'm glad they were there, and I'm glad they were angry. Too few people are these days.

And since I managed to eat a Boca Burger and a plateful of wonderful homemade sides without dumping any of it (I was wearing a white shirt, of course), I consider the evening a success for me as well.

Surprised?

Possibly the neatest thing about telling people my husband is running is the look on their face. It's the same look we'd get if I'd told them I was pregnant with octuplets. Actually, it's closer to the look we'd get if I'd told them Vince was pregnant with octuplets. My end of the phone conversation with my mother went thusly:

Yes, he's serious.

Congress.

The United States Congress.

In Washington.

(Beat.)

Because he's too young to run for President?

It's fascinating, really. Most people know who know Vince are aware of his interest in politics, and know that he'd been kicking around the idea of running for some office for awhile. But they see Congress as this far-away mythical place, that only the elite few can ever dare enter, and that perhaps he should set his sights a bit lower, perhaps to the city recycling committee or something.

Neither of us are the type of people who start at the beginning. I taught myself to cook by diving right into complex dishes, instead of scrambling eggs and making quick blueberry muffins. In fact, I can make a mean Jewish Grandma Chicken Noodle Soup from scratch, and I'm actually willing to deal with phyllo.

(Side note: I guess I can't use the Hillary Rodham Clinton line about baking cookies...I'll bake cookies for volunteers if it's not against campaign-finance rules.)

Dinner guests have been pleasantly surprised when we've cooked for them.

It'll be great to see them pleasantly surprised next November, won't it?

Welcome to Candidate's Wife.

This is the online home of Stacie Rosenzweig Whitacre, aka Candidate's Wife, aka the Research Chief of the Vince Whitacre for Congress campaign.

I hope to be able to share with you, dear reader, my transformation from relatively normal human being to Washington Wife as my husband takes on F. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI-5), American Gladiator-style. It should be a fun journey. I already have the "professional bob" haircut. I guess the pink suit is next. But if someone catches me reciting my entire vocabulary, one word at a time, into a tape recorder, please kick me in the shins a couple of times. I mean it.

Why a Candidate's Wife blog? One of the earliest pieces of advice I received when I told people my husband was running was to keep a journal. I do not keep journals. Terrible handwriting. Short attention span. Don't want to be mistaken for a certain Presidential hopeful.

But a blog, I can deal with, even if "blog" is just a fancy way of saying "journal to which one must remember to add HTML tags and links."

Hopefully, in the next few days, I'll figure out how to do something about this painfully boring layout. But Blogger's free. And we're running a skin-and-bones campaign (hint hint), and this is unofficial and unaffiliated anyway, so free is good.

But, in the meantime, feel free to leave your comments and questions. I'll be back soon with an update.