rv sized

(Part Two of the TRex Virtual USO Tour 2006!) 

Some candidates have buses.  Some even have their own airplanes.  The David Roth (CA-45) campaign has an RV.  An "RV for Change"!  Thing is, sometimes, it has issues.  Like yesterday, for example.  The campaign went to do a presser at a local TV news station.  There was much ooh-ing and aaaah-ing.  Photos were taken.  A short interview.  And then it was time to go.

The RV for Change, however, had other ideas.  It liked the TV station's parking lot.  A lot.  It had decided it wanted to stay there.  Unfortunately, the spot it had chosen was blocking in several news vans.  Repeated appeals failed to change its mind.  After a lengthy discussion, the RV stormed off in a huff.  Its current whereabouts are unknown.  (If you see the RV for Change in the Los Angeles area, please contact the campaign.)

See, David Roth (not the deposed Van Halen singer and not RevDeb's brother David Roth) is running against Mary Bono, widow of Sonny Bono, whose qualifications for office include, well, basically being the widow of Sonny Bono.

Here's Mrs. Bono's view of the situation in Iraq:

Mmmmmmm.  Full-flavored, but 100% fact free!  All the inanity and none of the content!  Thanks for straightening that out for us, Mary!  

Whew!

But, believe it or not, Mrs. B has been putting up quite a fight to defend her seat in Congress.  Who has David Roth assembled on his crack team of campaign staffers in this mighty struggle?  Let's find out, shall we?

Meet Juan Carlos Sanchez.

 juanito

Juan Carlos is the campaign's Field Organizer, although when asked specifically what he does for the campaign, he says, "I'm bringing 'sexy' back!" 

We can see that, silly man, but what else?  Well, recently while canvassing in Moreno Valley, Mr. Roth and Juan Carlos were set upon by a vicious, snarling dog.  Juan Carlos ran for his life while David stood there thinking (incorrectly) that dogs track their prey by motion (That's cats, Dave!).  The dog drew ever closer, baring its fangs and growling deep in its chest.  Roth stood his ground and bravely offered the beast some campaign literature.

"Nice doggie," he said, "I'm David Roth and I'm running for Congress."

"Oh," said the dog, "You're the guy that's running against Mary Bono aren't you?"

"Uh, yes."

"Well, good luck!" said the dog before he wandered away.

Juan Carlos returned to campaign headquarters a few days later, footsore and bedraggled, having run all the way to Santa Monica before he ran out of steam. 

Then there's Field Organizer Ben Brenneman, the Laughing Texan:

ben

Ben is a tobacco-chewing, truck-driving, two-coffees-away-from-an-ulcer-having transplanted Texas liberal.  Always laughing.  Does he have a great sense of humor or is it just an impending psychotic break?  You be the judge… 

Caitlin Williams is Communications Director.  She is the campaign's resident gypsy.  Ever nomadic, she has lived in six locations around the 45th and would currently be staying on board the RV for Change if only it would cooperate!  (Freakin' diva RV's…what are ya gonna do?)

 cait

Isn't she adorable?  I could just hug her and squeeze her and call her 'George'!

Other staffers include Amalia the Enforcer.  Don't mess with her.  She's smart, she's determined, she's tough, and she's HAD ENOUGH of the Republicans and their crap.  Do what she says.  Seriously.  Then there's Nikki, the staff's den mother.  She is possessed of the rare ability to assemble squadrons of volunteers, get them all pointed in the right direction, AND make sure they eat their vegetables and bring a jacket or sweater to put on if it gets chilly after sundown.  Tim O'Bayley is also in communications and is in charge of fending off the swarms of rabid right-wingers who call, write, and complain to the staff.  No piddly Palm Springs Bill O'Reilly wannabe is going to make Tim run for the hills, no sir.  Arnold Kaminsky handles scheduling and logistics, and Stuart Lynn is the resident tech geek.

The heroic Zach Blume has been my liason with the campaign.

 zach!

Zach is allergic to mornings, but can frequently be found working in the office at 3:00am, the campaign's night-owl.  He has been known to shout campaign slogans in his sleep.  He was the one who told me about ROTH-A-PALOOZA!!

 rothapalooza

Coachella, California, home of the world famous Coachella Festival is in the 45th, but this was a rock festival of an entirely different nature.  Four local rock bands played a marathon concert in front of hundreds of residents of the 45th and our own Candidate Roth sat in behind the drum kit:

 RAWK!!

ROTH ROCKS!!

Of course, the man keeping all of this cuh-razy rawk and roll energy in the road in campaign manager Joe Huser, a Californian by way of Indiana, hence his unseemly devotion to Notre Dame football.  He is shown here in the embrace of super-volunteer Tracy, who is dressed as a duck because of Mary Bono's repeated insistence on ducking out of debates with David Roth.  Chicken.  Oh, sorry.  Duck.

 joe and tracy

Clearly, these people need our help.  You can donate through ActBlue!   Or if you're in the area, volunteer!  The situation in this country is too dire for Congress to be left in the hands of know-nothing Hollywood spouses.  A vote for David Roth is a vote for competence, integrity, and good progressive values. 

Some members of the staff will be here in the comments thread tonight, so stick around, say hi, show these folks a warm FDL welcome!  We're pleased and proud to be able to offer them our support.   Hooray!

Related posts:

  1. Change Congress and PCCC Will Not Pull Ads Attacking Mary Landrieu
  2. Late Late Night FDL: Fleeting Change
  3. SEIU Will Not Back Away from Push for Public Option
  4. Early Morning Swim: Sen. Al Franken vs. Hudson Institute Propagandist on Medical Bankruptcies
  5. Late Night: Mixing Memory and Desire for Change