This is a great video to illustrate how a party out of power isn't always powerless. In it Rep. Tom Price is attempting to grind typical House of Representatives business to a halt using parliamentary procedure. This comical video is less than a minute but the tactic was repeated over and over to other members.

I recently was a guest speaker in Professor Jeff Gorell's public policy class at CLU. His students have many intriguing projects they are organizing to promote. Here are some of them I remember from our discussion:

Repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell ( DADT)
Repeal of The Defense of Marriage Act ( DOMA)
Marriage Equality for gay people
Repeal of Special Order 40 in Los Angeles ( Does anyone in local law know if Ventura County has a similar order?)
Expanded rights for breastfeeding
Protecting property rights in the greenbelt areas of Ventura County
Healthcare Insurance Reform
Protecting funding for Adult Education programs

Jeff, remind me of any of the projects I didn't include.

One of the students was interested lobbying local members of congress over the current healthcare insurance reform proposals and after the class she decided to write a letter to the editor calling for Rep. Capps to debate Rep. Gallegly. Here is her full letter:

Debate needed

You know what would really help me gain a clear and local perspective on the real impact of passing/not passing the proposed healthcare reform? Some honest, open dialogue between our local leaders, specifically Reps. Lois Capps, D-Santa Barbara, and Elton Gallegly, R-Simi Valley.

As a grad student, I'm partial to finding the facts on issues through doing my own research. However, after spending many, many hours on the Internet, including Capps' and Gallegly's Web sites, sifting through facts/myth sheets, summaries and bullet points, I get the sense each side is telling their own version of the story and maybe not the whole story.

Where is the real, complete story? How can we get the real truth?

Perhaps if Capps and Gallegly care to spend time together with us, speaking their minds on healthcare reform and taking our questions, we just might get there. I'm sure my school will gladly open its doors to host a debate.

-- Maria Arias, Sherman Oaks

(The writer is a student of public policy at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks. -- Editor)

( Photo courtesy of Ventura County Democratic activist Sharon Hillbrant. Marie Panec holds the microphone. In the background congressional candidate Tim Allison speaks to Rep. Brad Sherman.)

Moorpark Professor and Oak Park School Board Member Marie Panec has officially announced she is running for the Democratic Party nomination in the 24th congressional district. The seat is currently held by Rep. Gallegly.

I have an interview scheduled with her on this blog coming up on Thursday, October 8th. Leave some suggested questions in the comments section and I would include some of them.

Click here for her campaign website. It is under construction but you can sign up for campaign newsletters there.

The poll questions below are obviously not scientific as they reflect the intensity of readers of this blog, not the average voter. Many of these are all ongoing polls started from earlier entries.

I had an interesting idea. I would like to see Rep. Capps and Rep. Gallegly debate healthcare for local citizens. They can meet in an area where many people from both districts can attend. I am sure they can find a venue and a moderator to host it. To be clear I am not interested in hosting or taking credit for the event. I just want to watch the debate.

Would you like to see them debate? Leave a comment or vote in my poll showing your support for this proposal. You don't need to register to vote or to leave a comment but keep it classy.

( I am a big fan of paintings by Norman Rockwell. In this painting make sure to analyze the everyman who is to be given respect in our system of government. He is a blue collar worker showing up to a public meeting. I like the social messages in Norman Rockwell's paintings so much that the bland selection of prints in the Home Town Buffet in Simi Valley irritates me.)

Rep. Lois Capps held a town hall forum in Oxnard focuses on healthcare reform. I didn't go but here are some links to the coverage:

From The Ventura County Star

From Red County Blogger Eric Ingemunson
( No where in the post does it mention that Rep. Gallegly does not hold scheduled and public town hall forums. )

From Daily Kos ( Did I miss the background story of an Oxnard Church been burnt by an arsonist? Can someone fill me in or leave a link?)

The coverage and photos from the event show it was a peaceful event with strong arguments from many people. Sometimes we allow the obnoxious people to define our democracy with rude behavior, conspiracy theories, and demagoguing of issues until differing sides cannot even agree on what is being discussed.

That's a mistake.

The overwhelming majority of people attending town hall forums are decent, passionate, and patriotic citizens that want to be heard. The coverage should focus on them.

That's why I have next to nothing to add to a story to the story of brawls at rallies. It is an insult to everyone else there to minimize their concerns and issues and to focus on the drama. Sure the drama draws our attention and is newsworthy. But I just have the enthusiasm for it now.

I have more videos and pictures to post later this week. If you have videos of pictures from today you want posted send them to me.

Former State Assembly candidate Ferial Masry has news regarding her intentions:

Candidate for Sheriff Geoff Dean (R) worked the crowd. Here he is speaking to Ventura City Council Members Brian Brennan and Ed Summers. I expect Geoff Dean's list of endorsements will be updated with new bipartisan additions soon.

I ran into a friend of this blog Denis O'Leary of Oxnard. Denis has been a long time activist for a variety of progressive causes.

State Assembly candidate Susan Jordan gave a speech that outlined her life story and the causes she supports. Her opponent Das Williams was there too. I will post his picture later. Das, if you have pictures from today you want posted send them in.

Here are a bunch of polls related to the labor day picnic and candidates that were there.

Click here for the news story from The Star.

I have a feeling this rally will be big when you count people from all the different sides. Bring your cameras and send me any photos you want posted afterwards. If you have a video you need help posting send me an email and I will do it for you. Keep it classy.

A group opposed to the proposals in congress to reform health insurance is protesting against Rep. Lois Capps because she hasn't scheduled a town hall forum ( She has stated an event is being set up for this September.) They are gathering this afternoon outside of her office. As expected, local progressives are gathering to support her and to show they support the proposals to reform health insurance. Her office has already announced an event is going to be set up in September, whereas Rep. Gallegly is not planning to do an event.

Click on continue reading for details.

Click here for the news story from The Star from the Democratic Club Meeting.

Click here for the political report from RedCounty from outside of the event last night. I like Eric Ingemunson's posts because they focus on Ventura County politics.

How come people don't protest that Rep. Gallegly doesn't have town hall forums? If hundreds of people, including many Republicans, showed up to a Democratic Club meeting I am sure he could draw a crowd. Do people really not care to hear from him? I would think citizens of all political backgrounds would want him to do it. I disagree with him on many issues but I would like him to do it.

Do you agree with me that he should hold a town hall meeting? Leave a comment here or call his office at (805) 497-2224.

If anyone knows the last time he held a town hall forum was I will be very impressed. My standards are basic: it must be scheduled, open to the public free of charge, and announced before the event.

State Assembly candidate Das Williams is calling on people to show up to support reform. Click on continue reading to see his email.

State Assembly candidate Mike Stoker is calling on people to show up to show their opposition to the reform proposals and to protest against Rep. Lois Capps for not scheduling a town hall meeting on healthcare insurance reform although she has already announced they plan to do set an event up in September.

I emailed Mike Stoker to see if the wants Rep. Gallegly to hold a town hall meeting too, especially since he is encouraging people to protest against Rep. Lois Capps even though they are setting up a meeting.

Simi Valley Democrats are holding a panel discussion. Click here for details.

Even though there are always a few people that take away from an event I am glad that we live in such a vibrant democracy. Thanks for reading my blog and thanks to those of you that take the time to leave comments or go to events. Always bring a camera. If cheap digital cameras have a video feature. You might need it for evidence if someone does something stupid and people tend to behave better that way.

Here are some photos of the event submitted by State Assembly Candidate Susan Jordan:

Thanks to Susan Jordan for posting this photos on Facebook and allowing me to use them. If you have photos to the event let me know if you want them posted.

I heard that Mike Stoker was there but I haven't heard any reports if Das Williams was there.

While people were protesting against a member of congress that has scheduled a tow hall meeting on health insurance reform and ignoring the local member that has not this was happening in Los Angeles.

Rep. Lois Capps has an upcoming fundraiser scheduled and I am sure Rep. Gallegly will be around too. But will they have any public events that are scheduled and free to attend? Gallegly is now on Facebook and Twitter. Both are great for asking politicians questions. Become a fan and start asking him questions.

Let me know if you see any press releases, public events, or other meetings, send them in for me to post.

I am most interested in events that are scheduled and free to attend.

Click on continue reading for details of the fundraising event.

( Ventura City Council Member Christy Weir from a campaign video)

The Ventura County Reporter has announced their best of people awards.

Politicians

1ST PLACE (TIE)
Elton Gallegly
Hannah- Beth Jackson

2ND PLACE
Christy Weir

3RD PLACE
Lois Capps

Click here to see the award winners in other categories .

A tie between Rep. Elton Gallegly and State Senate candidate Hannah-Beth Jackson? Watching the partisans spin that tie will be entertaining!

In other Hannah-Beth Jackson news she will be debating Tony Strickland this Sunday morning. Click on continue reading for details.

( Another blog called Hannah-Beth Jackson out for having her picture taken with Firefighters in uniform and then using it on her campaign website . That other blog said that laws were broken. I wonder where the outrage will be over this photo from Elton Gallegly's campaign website? This photo or the other photo isn't a top concern for me. I understand it was just a political attack. The state budget seems much more important.)

Both Rep. Lois Capps and Rep. Elton Gallegly have not turned in their political courage test to Project Vote Smart. Call their offices and ask them to answer the questions.

Here are the phone numbers:

Elton Gallegly: (805) 497-2224
Lois Capps: (805)985-6807

Neither of them has a tough competitor thus far so it shouldn't take to much courage to return it. After you call post what their response is to your request.

Call me a cynic but if Rep. Gallegly doesn't address the Iraq war on his campaign website I doubt he is interested in answering other questions. Maybe somebody will stop by the Ventura County Fair booth and film him as they ask questions...

Is Rep. Gallegly really afraid of giving Marta Jorgenson an opening to attack him or is he just not interested in discussing Iraq?

To view the questions click here.

Click on continue reading for more details.