Working to Win

The 2008 Idaho Senate race is in the national news this week. But it's been on my mind since April 11. That was the day I announced my candidacy for the seat now held by Larry Craig. Ever since then, I've been running for the Senate, but I've been working for it, too. Let me explain.

I first ran against Larry Craig (then a one-term incumbent) for the House of Representatives in 1982. I was 35 at the time. I'd started my public service career in 1969 as a military intelligence officer in the U.S. Army and then working with the great Senator Frank Church. He was my mentor, my role model and my inspiration to enter politics.

In the 1982 race for the U.S. House, I worked 22 jobs over an eight-month period, doing everything from milking cows to building logging roads. I had very little name recognition and no help from national party sources, but I still came very close to winning. In 1990 I was victorious when Craig moved on to the Senate.

Now I'm running again, this time for the U.S. Senate. I'm working again, too. One June morning, I showed up at 6 a.m. to work a shift hauling garbage in Orofino, Idaho. A week later, I shadowed a Certified Nursing Assistant in a nursing home and rehabilitation center in Pocatello. The week after that, I pulled a shift in a cheese factory in Twin Falls. And so on...I've packed cargo parachutes for smokejumpers fighting forest fires; I've worked on a farm; I've accompanied parole officers on their rounds; and I've hawked peanuts at a minor-league baseball game. (You can read about all of these at my website.)

It's definitely been an interesting summer, although with Labor Day here, I feel I've just begun. I am committed to keep working these next 14 months so that when I go to the U.S. Senate, I will have a real understanding of the tremendous pressures people face to raise their families, pay for housing, health care and education, plan for retirement and keep up with the rising cost of living. I am committed to addressing these issues. I want to give working families a voice that they haven't had for a long time. I also know that until Congress authorizes a responsible withdrawal from Iraq, we won't have the energy or the will to get much anything else done.

I have another job that will last from now until Election Day -- and that's to tell everyone that the conventional wisdom about Idaho is wrong. Yes, the ultra-conservatives have been dominant here for more than a decade. But it wasn't that long ago -- in the early 1990s, in fact -- that Idaho elected Democrats on a regular basis. I was one of them. And although Idaho narrowly missed sending another Democrat to Congress last year, the state's voters did elect six new Democratic state legislators (including one in Idaho Falls, which had not elected a Democrat for decades) and came very close in three state senate races. The pendulum is swinging here, too, like in Montana and Colorado.

I entered this race not knowing who my Republican opponent would be. I still don't know. But I don't care. I wake up every day believing in myself and working hard -- because I know now that's what families across Idaho and across our nation do, day after day. People want integrity and accountability. People want a new direction. Most of all, people want results. I will honor them by running a campaign that's light on partisan rancor and heavy on hard work. I invite your comments and your support.

Have a great Labor Day. Let's make political history together.

Larry

www.laroccoforsenate.com

Comments

[guajiro]

Well, Larry...you asked, so I'll put in my five cents. First, you need to cover your bases cause you'll be a Senator, so grab a few buddies and go visit Mexico and Canada and see what kind of business deals can be made. Visit the places where generic drugs are made and get some photo-ops with locals addressing high cost of pharma-drugs. Get some promises from foreign leaders on mutual benefit building of green factories or plants. For example, Germany and other European countries lead the world in green energy powered by wind. Get some promises from them to build co-owned plants in Idaho that will provide jobs for local Idaho citizens and in return get local leaders and some government entities to pledge contracts to those plants. You know what I mean, huh?

[MmeFlutterbye]

Best of luck, Mr. la Rocco. I hope the voters in Idaho will come to teir senses and vote for you.

[TankerRat]

Mme you have a great screen name. I too wish you luck Mr. la Rocco. However I don't hold out much optimism for you. People in general don't really want actual change. They just want to whine about it. They don't go into a voting booth and translate that into action. Rather they do what the R's or D's tell them to do. Far easier for them that way. By doing that they seem to think they bear no responsibility for the outcome. Better just to whine. Something the lefties are just superb at.

Oh, and Tommymac. Maybe Mr laRocco should stay out of I-O=Oughta W=Went A=Around. Idaho may be a better place to run his campaign. Anyway. Good luck Mr. laRocco.

No Offense Tommymac. Us MN's just like to tease you a bit you know.

[Tommymac]

Good Luck Larry!

I wish all politicians tried to stay in touch with their constituents like you do.

If you ever get tired of Iowa, we have a Senate Race here in 2010...and you would be just the kind of person we need to oust Sen. Specter.

[foolme1ns]

I heard a piece about you on NPR the other day and I was very impressed with what you are doing in Idaho. I only wish that more people running for office would do like you are. You're not only getting to experience what your constituents do every day, but you are talking to real people!!!! You haven't cordoned yourself off like the republican administration that only allows bootlickers near them.

I wish you good luck in your campaign. You remind me of what the democratic party used to be. The peoples party.

[pzdoff]

I'm guessing that during his life, Larry Craig has held many seats.

[SalmonRiverDarts]

He has held seats in cabinets, which are like closets.

[wagonjak]

pzdoff-Hardi-Har-Har-Har, to quote Gleason...cute!

[abiodunaodeleye]

Mr LaRocco,
I have followed your campaign for a while. Remember, the repubs want "small govt", but still run for office, police our bedrooms, want govt in women's reproductive decisions, allow our infrastructure to collapse, are hypocritical, etc. And get the grassroots in Idaho involved.

[SamanthaJaneSalem]

I wish you could run against Larry Craig, specifically. If he steps down, it will be a victory for bigots in his own party, more "disappointed" in gay bathroom sex than the dismantling and corrupting of government which led to the Iraq war and mishandling of Hurricane Katrina and other domestic crises.

Craig should be forced not to resign but to stay. That way the people can decide whether they want him to be their representative or not. And, quite honestly, I don't think a man, even as bad as Craig, should be ruined by an incident as small as this. If nothing else, it shows what trivial things really end bad people's careers, when so many larger issues are at stake.

I also don't believe Craig needs to "come out" and admit he's gay. It would be enough to admit he's bisexual. Maybe he really loves his wife and kids but just has this additional interest in men that won't go away. If his wife asks for a divorce, will it be because he's "gay" or is no longer the powerful, money-wielding senator he once was?

[HippyLadyLib]

How about just admitting he has very poor judgement and is another Republican hypocrite. I want our leaders to be smart, honest, have integrity and speak the truth. Larry Craig is just another greedy hypocrite who convinced the sheeples he was the best candidate. Also, it doesn't matter if he's gay, straight or bi - he's obviously not very smart. Voters, do your homework - party is NOT important - the aforementioned qualities ARE important.

[scooperss]

Speaking for myself. I don't care about his sexual exploits. Ugh
But his denials, if he is gay, could have led to some unpleasant happenings if some unscrupulous person/persons discovered them and use them for their own agenda.

[Hattie]

Well, I would not like to be the wife of a man who has sex with other men. No matter how much he loved me.

[yellowdogSC]

SJS,

Resign? HA!

Like so many before him,
1) he'll (eventually) admit his "sins" (one little one, that is),
2) cry before his congregation/constituency,
3) blubber over his love for his family,
4) go away for a awhile,
5) have some famous "christian leader" speak highly of him, maybe re-baptize him, and
6) become a better, "purer", “washed in the blood” person than ever before (or anybody else "untested by fire".)
7) Run again, and just b-a-r-e-l-y, he is......

Don't know. Consider this, his LEAKED next campaign flyer text:

A Republican becomes pure and holy as he climbs so very high on his search for even greater purity in his battle against purest evil.

As he climbs higher up the mountain, he loses his defenses against true evil. That is, in fact, EVIDENCE of his tremendous purity.

And naturally, in the course of his battles against the ungodly, he MUST come in contact with the greatest of Satan’s evils.

It's only natural that the smallest bit rubs off. Of COURSE evil seeks out a HOLY man. That’s the price one of God’s great warriors MUST be willing to pay. Again and again and again…..

Once again, that's the true sign of a truly, deeply, holy man.

VOTE (fill in the blank)!

CUT CAMERA

This could have the wrong effect. People might begin thinking: "Maybe we should consider only WOMEN for public office. The price they pay for being “unacceptable to God” is that they are also unacceptable to evil."

Time alone will tell what the future holds for this "good" man.

GAG!

Thank you for reading.

[Annoula]

Larry:
I think are doing the best you could do for your state. Show them who is the REAL Larry. And let everyone in Idaho know that hypocrits like Craig NEVER cared about their state.
They just run for office to get the PERKS and feed their ego.

[PKSSK]

You are on your way to success with your honest commentary. It provides us and, more importantly, the people of Iowa with a candid image of your honest integrity. Push hard to convey your true character values without pushing them on others who will only judge you on the differences (GOP hypocritical ideology).

Be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger and you will succeed.

[PKSSK]

Sorry, meant to state "people of Idaho"....

[RedWhiteandBlueState]

Do not be timid, do not be cowed. Speak the truth about the hypocrisy of the other party. Be transparent, be sincere, but be BOLD - you must convince the Republican senate voter they'd be safer, healthier, happier and wealthier with a democrat in office. USE this disgusting act of hypocrisy by Sen. Craig - do not run from it. EXPLOIT it at every turn, be relentless. With this current president priming for an attack on Iran, which he will do before he leaves, we need every sane, reason based Democrat we can get. Don't just go and shake hands and do various jobs. Grab the microphone, the media spotlight and let these guys have it. The only way you win, is being strong.

[PoorGrunt]

Agreed. You show that you already know how to do this- work, work, work!
But don't be ashamed to ask for help.
There are at least a few in the Netroots who can and will help anyway we can, we just need you to ask.

[snaggster]

Good luck with that. I hope Not Gay Craig hangs around long enough to be your general election opponent, but if I were a bettin' man, I'd bet that he will not be the opposing candidate. Pity.

[TitaniumAvatar]

Thanks for sharing your stance on hard work with us.

[alguien]

and fortunately, it wasn't a wide one!

[Tom95134]

It's interesting that Craig denuied being gay but never said anything about having sex with another man.

[yellowdogSC]

Tom,

A "pervert", yes.

"GAY", NO!

THAT would be WRONG!