Jerry McNerney's website

An urgent and important request

I have an urgent and important request.

Please take just a few seconds to vote for Charlie Brown right now in the second and final round of Democracy for America's "Grassroots All-Star" congressional campaign competition, ending Wednesday at midnight.

Your vote last year made me DFA's 2006 "Grassroots All-Star," giving me a critically early boost in our campaign to defeat Richard Pombo. Your vote today can make Charlie Brown -- the only California candidate in the competition -- DFA's 2007 "Grassroots All-Star" and help him defeat scandal-plagued Rep. John Doolittle.

From our district to Charlie's district, we're building a movement to clean up the GOP's culture of corruption in Congress. Join us by voting for Charlie now at:

http://www.democracyforamerica.com/allstars

Thank you!

Putting your people power into action

I have some great news for our grassroots and netroots community.

When I asked you to dig deep to help our campaign reach a crucial $300,000 fundraising goal by the March 31 Federal Election Commission deadline, I was overwhelmed by your outpouring of support.

Just as Karl Rove's cronies at the National Republican Congressional Committee launched a Swift Boat-style web site smearing me, you responded by raising over $347,000 by the end of the quarter, showing Rove's Republicans that "when they attack, we fight back." Your generosity did not go unnoticed. The day after we posted our FEC report, local press reports heralded our -- as one reporter described it -- "€œeye-opening"€ fundraising success.

Your response to the NRCC attack has made it possible for our people-powered campaign to put boots on the ground far earlier than planned.

Today, I am thrilled to announce that we are hiring Martha Gamez as our new Grassroots Coordinator, centrally located in San Joaquin County. As many of you know, Martha directed our field campaign in Tracy and Mountain House in 2006, managing and recruiting hundreds of volunteers who canvassed thousands of voters.

Talking with Judy and Sean, McNerney for Congress precinct walkers, at Martha's house in Tracy

I am bringing Martha on-board early in this election cycle because of her unique ability to recruit, mobilize, and organize our grassroots supporters, as she demonstrated so impressively when she helped elect me to Congress last year. Martha’s laser-beam focus on channeling volunteers to engage voters in Tracy and Mountain House yielded remarkable results in 2006. In Tracy, former Congressman Richard Pombo's home town, we garnered an amazing 57% of the vote.

The results in Mountain House were even more impressive. In a town with 44% registered Democrats, I received 64% of the vote. Martha recognized early on that large numbers of likely voters had recently moved into Mountain House, a relatively newly planned "€œexurban"€ community, but that very few people had actually re-registered to vote. Recognizing that this could be ground zero in our campaign for change, Martha made it our mission to increase voter registration in Mountain House and get out those crucial votes on Election Day.

As one supporter wrote about Martha after walking precincts in Tracy one day:

"€œI can't think of a more pure expression of renewed grassroots citizen involvement and revitalization of our democracy than what Martha Gamez is doing in her home town."€

Of course, you are at the heart of this “revitalization of our democracy,” providing the generous contributions and priceless volunteer time that will help Martha Gamez continue to organize, mobilize, and inspire our grassroots volunteers across the 11th Congressional District.

As I've said so many times before, without your ongoing support and commitment, none of this would be remotely possible.

Thank you, again, for everything you continue to do.

Lodi News-Sentinel: "Reformer McNerney accessible to public..."

For months, Karl Rove's cronies at the National Republican Congressional Committee in Washington have desperately tried to distort perceptions of how Congressman Jerry McNerney is serving his constituents.

Of course, there's just one major problem. Reality.

Today's Lodi News-Sentinel includes yet another example of how the Congressman is dedicated to connecting with constituents -- regardless of their party registration:

Local leaders have lauded McNerney's accessibility. Lodi Mayor Bob Johnson has met with the Congressman at least four times since he has taken office.

"Lodi is a Republican community and we may not be on the same page, but he has been accessible," he said. "He's been here a lot and he is available. I have to compliment him for that."

[...]

Back home in District 11, McNerney has been making frequent visits to local leaders and often drops in on coffee shops to listen to his constituents' concerns. McNerney calls it "Congress at your corner," and he said it is a vital part of doing his job back in Washington.

"I enjoy meeting people," he said. "I enjoy the give and take. I need their input to be a good representative in Washington."

Not only is Congressman McNerney making himself very accessible to constituents across the district. He's made a distinct impression on voters by delivering on his campaign promise to clean up corruption in Washington.

Just before the Easter recess, McNerney co-sponsored a bill to eliminate the House Ethics Committee and replace it with an outside commission made up of former Representatives who are not lobbyists. The bill would take some Congressional oversight out of the hands of Congress and give it to an independent board.

"We needed to do something and this seemed like a good first step," said McNerney, an alternative energy specialist. "We need to get people to know that leaders are doing their work. We need to get their trust."

Getting the trust of voters and constituents across the political spectrum starts with being able to listen to a wide spectrum of voices, not just people who agree with you. That's why Congressman McNerney has formed local advisory boards to address issues important to residents of the 11th District.

Part of his message is bringing jobs and federal funding to San Joaquin County, and he has created and met with advisory boards on an almost weekly basis. The boards, made up of local leaders, are tasked with informing the Congressman on districtwide issues such as transportation, business and health care.

McNerney said his advisors are a diverse group of people including some conservatives that do not necessarily support him, such as businessmen and farmers.

"I need to get realistic feedback not just an ivory tower," he said. "I need to hear the other side."

This kind of straight talk is why one observer quoted in the News-Sentinel called Congressman McNerney a "breath of fresh air" representing a "sea change on Capitol Hill."

Keep this in mind the next time Karl Rove and his Washington henchmen launch their next specious attack on the Congressman.

You can read the rest of the Lodi News-Sentinel article by clicking here.

From Grassroots All-Star to Congress: Help me "pay it forward" today

In 2004, I ran for Congress and lost. In 2006, I ran again and won -- defeating Richard Pombo, a seven-term Republican incumbent.

When the pundits and power-brokers were telling us we could not defeat Pombo, thousands of Democracy for America supporters pushed back, voting to give me DFA's 2006 "Grassroots All-Star" endorsement, a crucial turning point that provided our campaign with a major financial boost.

Today, seven excellent grassroots candidates are competing to win DFA's first congressional endorsement of 2007. You can help me grow the Democratic majority in Congress in 2008 by voting for your next DFA Grassroots All-Star right now:

http://www.democracyforamerica.com/allstars

DFA's early endorsement helped me win a seat in Congress, showing that bottom-up, people-powered grassroots organizing works. Your Grassroots All-Star vote changed the race, helping us attract significant early support from the netroots and crucial media attention.

Now, you can make a difference again. Democracy for America has put together a list of candidates that came extremely close last year, ran an excellent grassroots campaign, and have already thrown their hat back in the ring. These candidates need your help to finish what they started in 2006. It's up to you to decide who DFA will support next.

Please vote today for DFA's 2007 Grassroots All-Star:

http://www.democracyforamerica.com/allstars

Don't stop there. We won the Grassroots All-Star competition in 2006 because our supporters spread the word about this important competition to their friends, family and neighbors. So, after you vote today, forward this message to your friends and ask them to support your candidate.

Getting out the vote is how you took back Congress in 2006 and it's how we'll grow our Democratic majority in 2008. You can get the ball rolling now by voting for your DFA Grassroots All-Star candidate today and telling your friends to do the same.

Thank you for everything you do.

Jerry McNerney
Member of Congress
2006 DFA Grassroots All-Star

Stockton Record editorial: McNerney's life "on speed dial"

Congressman Jerry McNerney is a busy bee these days. The editorial board of the Stockton Record noticed, recounting what McNerney did last week during the congressional "recess":

After less than four months in the House of Representatives, (Jerry McNerney's) life is on speed dial as he pursues a personal agenda to learn about issues and residents in the 11th Congressional District.

During a four-day period last week, McNerney announced formation of two advisory committees to help him better understand constituent concerns.

On April 9, he met with his health-care advisory board in Brentwood. Five of its nine members are from San Joaquin County.

On Thursday, McNerney announced creation of an agricultural advisory board. Six of its nine members are involved in farming and agribusiness in the county.

As the editorial mentions, Congressman McNerney is committed to meeting with these various new groups several times per year in an effort to be more fully informed about the issues of most concern to his constituents.

You can read the rest of the Record's editorial here.

Sunday's New York Times: McNerney's strong answers on Iraq

At "Congress At Your Corner" events and other meet-and-greets this week, Congressman Jerry McNerney has taken time to talk directly with constituents about the issues that concern them the most. As the New York Times reports in Sunday's edition, the subject of Iraq is often a hot topic.

Times reporter Jesse McKinley writes about how various congressional leaders are addressing the war as they interact with constituents in their district, leading off the article with a vignette of Congressman McNerney's visit to a coffee shop in Brentwood a few days ago:

It took less than a week for Representative Jerry McNerney to discover that Congressional recess is not always a recess.

Like other representatives, Mr. McNerney went home to his district early this month during Congress’s spring break, a working vacation that often amounts to a two-week marathon of hand-shaking, baby-kissing and question-answering. That is particularly true for freshmen like Mr. McNerney, a Democrat from a district east of San Francisco, who found himself quizzed on his pre-break vote to set an August 2008 deadline for troop withdrawal from Iraq.

“It’s the president’s job to be commander in chief,” said Myra Harrison, 83, during a meet-and-greet in a coffee shop in Brentwood, a Bay Area suburb. “Congress isn’t supposed to micromanage wars.”

After several other jabs from Ms. Harrison, Mr. McNerney responded. “We gave him everything he wanted plus more,” he said, his voice rising. “And we want something back. And he’s going to have to be willing to work with us or he’s going to have a problem on his hands.” Most of the assembled kaffeeklatsch broke into applause.

McKinley ends the article by circling back to McNerney's response to a question about how constituents address his vote for the recent supplemental funding bill that set benchmarks and a timetable for withdrawing troops from Iraq:

Mr. McNerney, meanwhile, said he had heard both praise and scorn for his vote, not surprisingly. His district, which sprawls over four counties, includes liberal enclaves near San Francisco and more conservative areas to the east. Mr. McNerney in November defeated Richard W. Pombo, a powerful Republican incumbent.

“The ones that are vocal tend to be like, ‘What gives you the right to tell the president to end the war?’” Mr. McNerney said, shaking hands outside a wind-raked rail station on Wednesday. “But when I give them a strong answer, I usually get some cheers.”

You can see a photo of Congressman McNerney talking to voters outside the Pleasanton/Dublin BART station as well as read the rest of the New York Times article here.

Supporting one of our own in a time of need

As some of you in our community may know, Vicki Cosgrove -- one of the first grassroots organizers to get behind my campaign early on in 2004 -- is now experiencing a very difficult family crisis. Vicki's husband, John, is suffering from a potentially life-threatening disease.

John is a gentle man who is both hard-working and honest. I first met John, Vicki and their children in 2004, when Vicki joined my write-in campaign for Congress as a relentlessly dedicated volunteer. John's support for Vicki's activism made it possible for her to join our campaign full-time as a staff member in 2006, dedicating much of her life and family time to my eventual election to Congress.

As one friend has written, Vicki "could never have been as committed and effective without the complete and total support of her husband and children. Vicki's activism has truly been a family affair."

While John is scheduled to undergo exploratory surgery this week, the good news is that the McNerney community, the grassroots, and the netroots are rallying around Vicki and her family in this time of need.

Several supporters have contacted me, wondering how they can help. As you may know, this health crisis will have a great impact on the Cosgrove family financially. As a result, I would heartily recommend supporting Vicki, John and their children with a donation in whatever amount you can afford. I have made a personal contribution to the Cosgrove family and I would encourage you to do so as well.

If you would like to support Vicki, John and their children during this difficult time, please click the following PayPal link to donate. This account has been set up by the Cosgrove family and any contribution is welcome, no matter the amount:      

If you do not feel comfortable contributing online, you can also send a personal note or write a check to Vicki's family (payable to "Vicki Cosgrove") and mail it to our campaign headquarters mailing address. I will make sure it gets to her ASAP:

P.O. BOX 12022
Pleasanton, CA 94588

Or you can email your personal note for Vicki to jerry@jerrymcnerney.org and I will forward it to her.

Thank you for your consideration of this personal request.

As we await further news on John's condition, please join me in keeping Vicki, John and their children in our prayers.

Sincerely,

Jerry McNerney
Member of Congress

P.S. We have set up a special page on our web site for Vicki. If you would like to spread the word via email, please direct your friends to the following link:

http://www.jerrymcnerney.org/vicki.asp

McNerney's success story a hit in Morgan Hill

Congressman Jerry McNerney recently visited Live Oak High School in Morgan Hill. Marilyn Dubil was there to cover the event for the Morgan Hill Times.

As Dubil reported, McNerney's "write-in candidate to Congressman" success story appeared to make an impression on Live Oak students:

(Principal Nick) Boden said students seemed to be most affected by McNerney's story of first running for Congress against Pombo in the 2004 House elections. He entered the race two weeks before the primary election as a write-in candidate. He qualified by one vote and got on the ballot as the Democratic candidate in November. He lost the November general election, 61 to 39 percent.

"His story conveyed to them the power of a single vote," Boden said. "The impact of his story on our students was significant."

You can read the rest of the Morgan Hill Times article here.

KGO-TV: "Political Climate Changing With Global Warming"

Mark Matthews of ABC affiliate KGO-TV (Channel 7) in San Francisco filed a report on Friday about the changing politics around global warming. The piece featured a brief interview with Congressman Jerry McNerney:

Freshman Congressman Jerry McNerney sits on the House Global Warming Committee.

Congressman Jerry McNerney: "There's a lot of consensus on this mark. It's not just a short flash in the pan."

McNerney is pleased Republicans and Democrats both want to work on limiting greenhouse gases.

Congressman Jerry McNerney: "If I have to play politics I will, but the truth is, I want something to happen, and I'll work with everyone that is interested in working before we turn to that method."

You can watch the full KGO report here at ABC7news.com.

Congressman in Lodi's Corner: McNerney speaks to packed house at School Street Bistro

Congressman Jerry McNerney came to Lodi on Thursday as part of his "Congress at Your Corner" program, an ongoing effort to meet with local folks at stores, cafes, malls and restaurants. The program has been a big success across the district as word has spread about the Congressman's accessibility.

Lodi was no different, as Congressman McNerney was greeted by a packed house at the School Street Bistro yesterday:

Mayor Bob Johnson applauded the congressman for his accessibility.

"You could have spent more time with the congressman today than with your spouse or family," he said.

McNerney's meeting with residents at School Street Bistro was part of his "Congress on your Corner" outreach program. Residents appreciated the access to their representative, who was elected in November.

Kate Tscharner, a Lodi High School senior said she wanted to hear the congressman's stance on resource and wildlife conservation.

"You can tell he is serving his community," she said.

Mary Bagnell said she was impressed with McNerney's depth of knowledge on a number of diverse issues.

"I liked the way he responded to the variety of issues," she said. "I liked his goals. They were key to people in this area."

According to the Lodi News-Sentinel, Congressman McNerney discussed a variety of issues, including transportion, healthcare, the war in Iraq, jobs, and creating a greenbelt between Lodi and Stockton.

You can read the rest of the News-Sentinel article here.