This is a challenging time for our government, and many of our elected officials in Congress have failed to provide us with the leadership we deserve.
I am running for California’s 49th Congressional district to help return our government to the high aspirations and traditions that we as a nation have valued throughout our history. Integrity, competence, fiscal responsibility will be more than buzzwords when I’m elected – they will be integrated into every act throughout my term in Congress.
Americans want and deserve a government that works, that provides basic services competently. We want to feel safe, strong and respected in the world. We must begin practicing solid global citizenship for the good of the nation and the people – indeed, for the good of the world and generations to come.
My goals when elected include:
- Bringing the Iraq war to a rapid conclusion.
- Ensuring that veterans get the medical care and support they need and deserve.
- Developing alternative sources of energy to reduce global warming and achieve independence from Middle East oil.
- Providing affordable, quality healthcare for all.
- Reducing the deficit through fiscal responsibility and by eliminating reckless spending.
- Representing all the people of our district, not just special interests and selected supporters.
I believed the Iraq war was a mistake from the beginning. Today, the continuing occupation takes our eye off the growth of terrorism elsewhere and ignores the needs of our people at home. One of my most important goals will be working with Congress to develop alternative sources of energy. Building new, alternative energy sources will help reduce our need for oil (one of our main reasons for the Iraq war), and will also take an important first step toward reducing the threat of global warming. While so much focus is overseas, we cannot ignore the millions of Americans without healthcare. Providing quality, affordable healthcare for all is a goal we must achieve over the next four years.
I am running for Congress to unseat the incumbent, Darrell Issa, who has allowed the Bush administration’s failed policies to continue. His voting record has failed veterans, seniors, working families, and the environment. He has joined with Bush in an unprecedented run-up of the national debt and now has used his own considerable wealth in an attempt to subvert California’s system of electing our next President.
The 49th district deserves a Congressman who represents all the people in the district. Darrell Issa is positioned firmly at the far right end of the political spectrum. I am a moderate and have throughout my life shown an ability to work effectively with all people. I ask for your support — your vote, your advice, referrals, contributions or any other way you can help us win in November, 2008.
Heartfelt thanks for your consideration.
Robert J. Hamilton
Democratic candidate for California’s 49th Congressional District
You can count on me for support, fiscal and grass root.
I was impressed with John McCain’s recent pledge to veto any bill if he were president which had earmarks. I would like all Democrats to pledge “NO EARMARKS EVER” as a platform of their candidacy.
We are NOT voting for you to bring money into our district. We are voting for you for the sake of the entire union.
Jerry
Bob, I am proud to support you and fortunately your website does you justice. It is clear you have advanced to be in the position you are today to serve the Unted States. As you well know I feel very strongly that we need to get back the United States to the position of respect, influence and ethics it has always enjoyed.
Manuel
Robert, I was much impressed by your presentation at our meeting today. You might even have aroused a shy guy into action in supporting your campaign. Keep me on your mailing list.
Bob,
Sandy and I both support all the goals you have stated so clearly. We know that once elected you will bring the work ethic and “can do” attitude that we have been able to count on in the past.
All the Best,
Bruce & Sandy DuBois
Bob, Congratulations! It is a pity I cannot vote for you, from Brazil. But I will write some friends about it. Good Luck!!!!
I have known Bob Hamilton since 1970 during our time in the U.S. Navy. With his background, experience, compassion, and judgment, he will be an excellent Representative for all people in the 49th District.
Just read the North County Times story on congressional races, which concluded , “It’s extremely rare for a sitting congressman to be defeated” (2/18/08 A-6). Hmm.
Maybe it’s rare but Darrell Issa is a rare kind of congressman. He’s personally wealthy with no apparent gift for managing our money. He wants to be senator or govenor but seems to have no gift for public service. What does Darrell Issa do?
Well, he sat on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence during some of the greatest intelligence disasters our nation has ever experienced. As a member of the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Rep. Issa overlooked as much as he could of Duke Cunningham’s indescretions and firing the District Attorney who successfully prosecuted The Dukestir. Now he seems set on letting White House officials involved in retaliating against the D.A. ignore Congressional subpoenas.
Conventional wisdom says that the average voters don’t care much about Congressional committees. Maybe we don’t, but we know we’ve been misled when we see teachers being laid off, homes being foreclosed and military families being stop-lossed. Darrell Issa has tried to make his $200 million personal wealth a reason to vote for him. We’ve had eight years to find out what he knows, the worst eight years I can remember. I don’t care if Issa has $200 billion; it isn’t enough to make me forget the $10 trillion defecit he and his collegues have driven us into.
We need someone with practical financial experience. We need a steady hand to manage our debt. Bob Hamilton has the banking experience that can bring back our national strength. We need someone who wants to be our congressman, not our senator or govenor. We need someone who will spend more time on the interests of Southern California and less time protecting The White House from the consequences of its mistakes. The 49th is ready for a change.
Mr. Hamilton
How are you going to decrease the deficit and provide healthcare for all? The War is a wonderful place to begin to cut spending but maybe you can point out some other places where you plan on cutting back. Please be specific.
Corporate Wellfare would be one of my suggestions. Thank You.
Dear Mr. Larsen,
Thank you for your inquiry, and please accept my apologies for taking so long to respond. I have been so very busy the last couple of weeks.
I share your concern about funding a universal health insurance plan. Our country has so many big problems to deal with today, one of them being a shrinking treasury. I do think providing universal healthcare should be one of our highest priorities, however, and here are some of the ways I see to pay for it.
Eliminate the current tax credit for the oil industry, a credit which supposedly encourages more drilling. But the oil industry has consistently shown that they will drill or not drill based on market conditions, not tax incentives. And, heaven knows, they don’t need the money to be able to afford to drill. No industry has profited more during the last few years.
Allow to expire the Bush tax cut for those making over $250,000 a year. That small group of people was doing very well before the tax cut. They won’t suffer from going back to the other good old days, but the funds they will forfeit will be a significant contribution to the treasury.
Appoint competent people to run government entities. FEMA was well-funded, was run by an experienced and competent manager, and made effective use of government money during the Clinton administration. On the other hand, the Bush administration stripped FEMA of a good deal of funding and appointed “Brownie”, a political crony who was ill-equipped for the job, to run the agency. The result was not only disastrous for the people affected by Hurricane Katrina but also a catastrophic waste of taxpayer money.
Eliminating no bid contracts and providing better oversight of government spending could save billions. The Bush administration has funneled exorbitant amounts of money to Halliburton and other well-connected players, beginning with Dick Cheney inviting the oil industry to write the energy bill, peaking during the early years of the Iraq War, and continuing today. The amount of money saved by eliminating these kinds of practices would be enormous.
A universal system for health insurance would reduce the cost per patient for providing health care. The cost for using expensive equipment would be less per use. The large numbers of people in the system would make it worthwhile to set up computerized information databases so that patients could chose better and/or less expensive healthcare options. Patients would be more likely to seek help during the early stages of illness when treatment is less expensive rather than wait until their illness becomes chronic or catastrophic.
Another cost saving would come with rewriting the part of Medicare Part D, which prohibits the federal government from negotiating volume discounts.
American businesses are suffering from the growing cost of providing medical care to their workers. Many are already asking the government to assume responsibility for providing health insurance and would not mind paying their fair share for this service.
What I would like to see is a plan to make health insurance affordable and portable for all Americans, regardless of preexisting conditions. Those who are happy with their current insurance should be able to keep it. Others should be able to choose between private insurance and government administered insurance, perhaps an extension of Medicare. Because of the enormous cost of universal coverage, it’s important to make sure the plan is cost efficient and has the support of the American people.
I hope that I have answered your question to your satisfaction. And, please feel free to share your thoughts if you disagree or have anything to add.
I’d be interested in knowing how you heard about our campaign.
Thanks, and cheers!
Bob Hamilton
Bob I know you’ll do well because people are looking for something new in congress, something that works and I think that you can bring that special something. I support you and so does my whole family. I know you’ll beat Issa, because you got what it takes.
Shirley and I have known Bob for about 10 years through our USS Brinkley Bass reunion organization. We are both impressed with his thoughtfulness, integrity and knowledge of things that should be a matter of concern for all people in this country. We both wish we could vote for Bob and we both hope all who care for the good of this great nation will do so.
Regarding Bob Hamilton’s response to Joseph Larson on healthcare. I’m pleased to see that Bob is still paying attention to fiscal details. Must be all those years in the banking business.
So here’s a thought: Elect Bob Hamilton for 2 years and see how he does with his ideas, either working with a McCain administration or in partnership with one of the Democratic candidates. One thing’s for sure. The people of the 49th district will get someone with a mature, even-handed point of view, as well as someone with well-considered ideas and priorities for his district, rather than just for a few well-placed pals.
Another good place to start would be to get some juice on whatever house committee oversees the mortgage industry. Maybe he could start by re-establishing the regulations that would have halted this meltdown in the first place.
John Geoghegan
Bob Hamilton is my kind of politician…
The war in Iraq is costing us over $3,000.00 a second. $100,000,000.00 billion dollars a year in direct costs and thats not adding inflated gas prices caused by a distabilized oil market.
The estimated cost for providing universal health coverage is about 17 billion a year. For the cost of the war, we could have provided health coverage for every man women and child in the U.S. for 29 years. This doesn’t even bring into the equation, the loss of life and human suffering we have caused.
Ken Lindeneau
What makes for a good Congressional candidate? This is one of the questions that we are challenged to answer when endorsing one.
Quite simply, a good candidate must first have more to offer than the candidate that he or she is running against. A good candidate preferably will have a set of unique characteristics which will add to the experience base needed in Washington to return us to a day when we can look with pride to those whom we have elected to office. A good candidate should be able to demonstrate that he or she is trustworthy and will act to strengthen our country, the state and the district that has elected them rather than feathering their own nest.
I have known Bob Hamilton for more than fifty years. And I endorse his Democratic candidacy for California’s 49th Congressional seat because I know that Bob Hamilton meets all of the criteria described above.
Much can be said about Bob’s background and how it prepares him to serve with distinction in the United States House of Representatives. His strength is to be found in the combination of a strong military background, a strong business background, a unique international experience, and a balanced approach to the issues we face as a nation today. Others can speak to his strengths and experience in the military and business communities. And these are indeed very important strengths which he would bring to Congress. But to me it is his international experience and balanced approach that make him a very unique candidate.
Bob and I grew up together in Havana, Cuba. We were privileged to share an experience and indeed an opportunity to absorb two languages, two cultures, and an understanding of the strengths and challenges of two countries at one time. This experience will prove to be of incalculable value when Bob sits in the US Congress and takes on one of the biggest challenges that our nation faces – that of devising an effective immigration policy at a time when few have the skills required to listen to all sides and to craft a policy that reflects all concerns fairly.
Chris Baker
Ruston Academy
Class of 1959
Mr. Hamilton-I will support you with all my efforts. I do petition work at Albertsons and Major Market in Fallbrook. I am a friend of Jessie Frank Ford who had to withdraw from the race because of health reasons. I beleive we need a desperate change from our present Congressman. If you would like and have cards re; your race, I would very much like some and will pass out to people when they are signing petitions. You can check me out with Jessie Frank. I have been a regestered republican for 50 years and in the last month have change my party. I like what I see and hear about you and think you would be a excellent change in our Congress.
Gary Phillips
Bob:
It was such a pleasure to meet you last night @ the Veterans for Peace monthly meeting.
I thought Gil was playing an April Fool’s joke on me when he said that the guest speaker would be running for Congress in the 49th against the ‘lock step’ Republican.
I can not thank you enough and hope to do what ever I can to help you get elected. I started today with a couple of my Marines.
Please keep me informed on any events that you are going to have. Thank you again for being guest speaker and it was truly my pleasure to have met you.
Sincerely,
Dawn O’Brien
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2008/04/03/2008-04-03_gop_rep_darrell_issa_under_fire_from_eve.html
Thursday, April 3rd 2008, 4:00 AM
GOP Rep. Darrell Issa under fire from everywhere after 9/11 comments
BY RICHARD SISK AND MICHAEL MCCAULIFF
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS
Thursday, April 3rd 2008, 4:00 AM
Hamburg/News
San Diego GOP Rep. Darrell Issa was under siege for suggesting the federal government had already done enough to help New York cope with ‘a fire’ that ’simply was an aircraft’ hitting the WTC.
WASHINGTON – The California congressman who called the Sept. 11 attacks “simply” a plane crash ran for cover Wednesday under a barrage of ridicule from fellow Republicans, first responders and victims’ families.
San Diego GOP Rep. Darrell Issa was under siege for suggesting the federal government had already done enough to help New York cope with “a fire” that “simply was an aircraft” hitting the World Trade Center.
“That is a pretty distorted view of things,” said Frank Fraone, a Menlo Park, Calif., fire chief who led a 67-man crew at Ground Zero. “Whether they’re a couple of planes or a couple of missiles, they still did the same damage.”
“New York was attacked by Al Qaeda. It doesn’t have to be attacked by Congress,” added Long Island Rep. Pete King, a Republican.
“I’m really surprised by Darrell Issa,” King added. “It showed such a cavalier dismissal of what happened to New York. It’s wrong and inexcusable.”
Lorie Van Aucken, who lost her husband, Kenneth, in the attacks, slammed Issa’s “cruel and heartless” comments.
“It’s really discouraging. People stepped up and did the right thing. They sacrificed themselves and now a lot of people are getting really horrible illnesses,” she added.
Under pressure from all sides, the Golden State pol – who got rich selling car alarms after getting busted for car theft as a teen – pulled a partial U-turn. He issued a statement but cowered from the press.
“I continue to support federal assistance for the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks,” he said.
But he didn’t retract his wacked-out rhetoric claiming the feds “just threw” buckets of cash at New York for an attack “that had no dirty bomb in it, it had no chemical munitions in it.”
He went on: “I have to ask … why the firefighters who went there and everybody in the city of New York needs to come to the federal government for the dollars versus this being primarily a state consideration.”
In his statement yesterday, Issa insisted he only “asked tough questions about the expenditures” during a hearing Tuesday on an aid bill for sick New Yorkers.
“He realized he stepped in it,” said Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-Manhattan), who was leading the hearing when Issa popped off.
“The sound I’m hearing is him slamming the brakes and going in reverse,” crowed Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-Brooklyn-Queens). Issa also belatedly admitted 9/11 was “an attack on America” in his statement.
It shouldn’t have been that hard.
He took to the floor of Congress on Sept. 11, 2001, to argue passionately that America – not just New York – had been attacked, but conveniently forgot that during his Tuesday diatribe.
“It seems that with the passage of time, something happened along the way where the scope of the problem and the real extent of the problem has not drifted out to California,” fumed Staten Island GOP Rep. Vito Fossella.
Health officials estimate it could cost $1 billion to care properly for the ailments that may emerge in the people who lived through the horror of Sept. 11 or breathed that toxic dust.
New York lawmakers now want Democratic leaders to bring the 9/11 care bill to the floor soon – before more members of Congress start spouting off like Issa.
I just finished reading the New York Daily News report on Darrell Isnt’s comments re 9/11 – Then listened to the Channel 6 clip of his staffer stating that Congressman Isnt shouldn’t have to apologize.
Issa says no ‘chemical munitions’ were involved. What does he think is in 83,000 gallons of JP5 jet fuel? Apple Cider?
This is not the first time he has shown that he doesn’t know which end to talk out of. No voting constituency deserves to have this guy speaking for them in Congress. This man should not be representing the people of the United States, the people of California, or the 49th District.
I just watched a part of the House government oversight committee where Chairman Henry Waxman was questioning EPA obstructionist Administrator Stephen Johnson as to whether he discussed any ozone ruling with bush. Darrell Issa did his best to keep waxman from this line of questioning. If you don’t use this hearing in your campaign you will be missing what is at the heart of Issa. Issa is NOT looking out for the needs of Californians.
Dear Bob:
Congratulations on your run for Congress. Certainly Congress in general needs to return to their initial mandate to represent their constituents.
It seems you are running especially to be responsive to the wishes of those you will represent and to return this country to its original values.
I hope that in addition to ending the war machine and protecting the health of all Americans the next Congress reverses the restrictions to travel imposed on all Americans.
Thank you for informing me of your candidacy.
Sincerely,
Milton Sanchez-Parodi, MD
Ruston Academy Alumni
Poland, Ohio
I hope you will support an end to the trade embargo against Cuba. This punitive policy has not worked. It has served the needs of the Cuban leadership as a distracting foil. Opening doors to Cuba will benefit everyone.
There is much support here in Canada for the Democrats. You would have my vote if I could.
John Olson
Ontario
Canada
Ruston Academy
Class of ‘57
Robert -
As someone who has known you for many years I can tell you that my only reservation about your running for congress is that, since I live in Georgia, you can’t be my congressman. Knowing the kind of person you are though, I’m comforted in knowing that the entire country will be better off with you in Washington instead of Issa.
What I’d like the people in your district to know is that you’re the kind of person of honor and character that they want and need representing them. I want them to know that you will make your decisions on the policies you’ll support not on which party the person who introduces them is from, but on their merits and their importance to the people in the district and the country as a whole.
This is one of those rare times in the life of this country when real, significant, positive change is truly at hand. If anything good comes from having had Goober Pyle as our President for the past eight years, it may be that the people of this country have finally reached their limit. They’ve seen and heard enough of the crap coming out of Washington from both parties, and they’re ready to vote for people with the courage and moral fiber to do what’s right instead of what they think will get them re-elected, or in the good graces of the party elders.
I’m proud to count you as my friend Robert, and I’m thrilled that the people of your district had the good sense to choose you as their candidate. We should all be so fortunate as to have people like you represent us in Washington.
All my love to you and Jennifer.
Yours truly,
Paul
Paul Adler
Alpharetta, GA
Dear Bob,
I’m proud to see you running for Congress, especially as a thoughtful and compassionate Democrat, and even more pleased that you’re trying to unseat one of Bush’s thoughtless clones. I”m making a contribution, modest though it is, because I believe we need people like you in Congress. too bad you can’t be my Congressman–but as a New Yorker, I’m blessed with an excellent one as it happens–Jerrold Nadler. You’ll be keeping very good company, amigo.
Saludos
We met last Sunday in Bonsall: White hair, Kankakee, Cuba.
Maybe you remember. I’m in the midst of reading a book about the generational cohorts, especially the latest one, which the authors, Winograd and Hais, call Millennial, and their use of the new netroots technologies. I recommend it. I was aware that your guests in Bonsall were almost exclusively well to do, if not wealthy. To get access to a younger group of voters, ones who will make up the largest bloc of voters over the next 30 years, these new technologies are the way to do it. Please get access to this book, Millennial Makeover. I would like to see you beat Issa and this is a way to do it. Also your fluency in Spanish is important and another entre to the large Hispanic population in your District. Good Luck. [Not necessary to post this on your website] Todd
Bob,
Gas costs are a major concern, I can only reduce consumption so much, which I’ve already done. But I still need to get to work and I asked to change my work schedule to 4 days a week but my employer will not allow it. With the economy and house prices droping I cann’t afford to sell my house and move closer to a mass transit route. The Carter adminstration tried to create a wind fall tax on the oil companies in the Seventies, which created long lines at the pumps. What is your answer to the problem.
As a registered Republican, I enthusiastically endorse and support Bob and encourage others to do the same. I belive he has a practical, reasoned, principaled approach to goverment and it’s place in our lives. I admire his passion, motives, loyalty, and love of our country. I recommend to open minded people to give Bob a fair hearing and am sure they will come to the same conclusion. Bob will make a fine representative for the citizens of the 49th district.
Roberto! Lets go tell us what to do. We cant afford loosing. The more seats Democrats get the better will be for America. Issa is a right wing LUNATIC.