Shawn O?Donnell for Congress

During the past five years, average Americans have suffered the consequences of the incompetent, corrupt, immoral, radical right, regressive Republican administration of George W. Bush.  Every step of the way he has been aided and abetted by Republican rubber stamp cohorts in Congress like Jo Ann Davis (R-VA-01).  The results have been a devastating disaster for our country. 

During this administration, Americans watched in horror on 9/11 as the hijacked planes hit the towers and the Pentagon while Bush sat frozen in a Sarasota classroom reading My Pet Goat, then flew all over the county like a scared rabbit.  This was soon followed by the inappropriate invasion and occupation of Iraq as Bush sent our brave men and women into harm?s way based on distortions and outright lies, and without adequate protective armor, equipment, or planning.  After more than two and a half years in that quagmire, there are now more than 2,100 American soldiers dead and thousands more injured and wounded, many horribly. 

Today Americans are witnessing the continuing tragedy in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama where thousands of their fellow Americans were trapped without food, water, and other basic necessities for almost a week; countless numbers drowned and bodies floated in toxic waste while National Guard troops and vital equipment were stuck in Iraq and unavailable to perform their regular duties of responding to state and national emergencies and saving lives and property here at home. 

Americans increasingly have become aware of many other disasters inflicted by and scandals associated with this Republican administration and its Congressional accomplices including Jo Ann Davis.  It would take too many pages to list them all.  However, here are just a few brief examples of what Bush has perpetrated with Jo Ann Davis? rubber stamp support:

*Taking a budget surplus left by the prior Democratic administration and quickly turning it into a huge deficit that our grandchildren and their children will be paying off.  (A family of four?s share of the national debt is currently $105,000 and every child born in the United States already owes a minimum of $36,000 towards paying off Bush?s deficit debacle.)

*Continual tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations while average Americans? wages remain stagnant, jobs are outsourced or sent offshore, high jobless rates persist, and poverty increases.  (While Ms. Davis? salary has risen every year, minimum wage in many states like Virginia is still stuck at $5.15 an hour.  She should try living on that!)

*Trying to kill Social Security by privatizing this economical, effective, solvent, and more than seventy years old New Deal program.

*Turning the Katrina disaster into an all-you-can-eat-right-wing-policy buffet such as suspending fair wages for reconstruction workers but allowing no-bid, cost plus contracts for Dick Cheney?s Halliburton (still paying the vice-president a six figure ?deferred? salary), a repeat of Halliburton?s no-bid, cost plus contracts in Iraq where it gouged and overcharged US taxpayers by $1.03 billion in ?questioned? expenditures (those considered unreasonable by auditors) and $422 million in unsupported costs (no receipts or explanation) according to military audits released during a hearing by the Democratic Policy Committee in June.  Like Halliburton, other corporate crony war profiteering companies are salivating at the prospect of becoming disaster profiteers and beginning real looting on the Gulf Coast courtesy of Bush, Cheney, and Republicans in Congress. 

*Taking a meat axe to anything and everything designed to protect the average American and trying to destroy our ?of, by and for the people? government that exists, as the Constitution affirms, for the ?common good? and change it into government ?of, by and for the wealthy few.?

These are just some examples of how, time and time again, Republicans have put corporate welfare ahead of America?s needs.  Any way you view it, it is unacceptable representation. 

I know what Democrats have achieved and what we can once again achieve when we put people first.  Democrats MUST stand up for Democratic Party values and take the first steps now to reclaim America for average, hardworking Americans, their children, their children?s children, and the very soul of our great nation. 

I am a pro-labor businessman, Democrat, party activist, and an average working American with an identification and affinity with the Democratic base.  My credentials and experience make me an excellent candidate for representative of Virginia?s First Congressional District.

With your help and dedication, we can win in 2006!

Guest post by Shawn O?Donnell
Virginia?s 1st Congressional District

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