Archive of Messages to Supporters  

   March 11, 2008

Running for Congress—as the ultimate outsider!

Friends,

          On February 19, I went to Annapolis and filled out a Certificate of Candidacy, making me an official write-in candidate for Maryland’s 8th Congressional District seat in the 2008 General Election.  I want to take a little time today to explain on this website why I have made this decision to run as a write-in candidate for the 8th Congressional District in the November General Election.

          Most of the votes have now been counted in the Maryland Democratic Primary for the 8th Congressional District.  Putting aside for the sake of this discussion a very real concern with the accuracy and reliability of the electronic voting machines used in this election, I would like to tell you about the results so far, and make a few points.

          The totals are not final, but at this point, the votes in the Democratic Primary have been tallied as follows:  Van Hollen:  104,108 votes (87.8%), Vollmer: 11,052 votes (9.3 %), and Young: 3391 (2.9%).

          I want to thank the over 11,000 people who voted for me in this Democratic Primary Election.  And I congratulate Chris Van Hollen for his victory in the Democratic Primary.  But I want to also caution Mr. Van Hollen that we are not done with this particular campaign yet.  The issues are too important for me to walk away now, and stop talking about our differences on the issues—especially with regard to the war in Iraq. That is why I filed to run as a write-in candidate for the 8th Congressional District seat.  As a write-in candidate, I will continue actively urging Mr. Van Hollen to take the leadership among his colleagues in the House of Representatives to end all Congressional funding for this war, and bring the troops home without further delay!  

 As a write-in candidate for the 8th Congressional District seat, I hope that I will be invited to candidate forums and debates, and to fill out candidate questionnaires, and to speak to organizations, and I hope that the media will pay some attention to the candidacy of  a former challenger in the Democratic Primary who obtained over 11,000 votes in a campaign involving no fundraising, and no paid advertising, and which pushed the message that the voters in the 8th Congressional District of Maryland want a representative who will take an active role in taking the leadership in Congress to end Congressional funding for the Iraq War, and bring the troops home NOW! 

I am aware that write-in candidates rarely win elections, but that there is always that possibility.  As a write-in candidate, I am running as the ultimate outsider—not as a Democrat; Chris Van Hollen won the Democratic nomination, but as an individual person, with my own independent voice.  In the admittedly unlikely event that I might win the 8th Congressional District seat in the General Election, I would caucus with the Progressive Caucus in Congress.  To win any votes at all, I must do whatever I can to let people know that if they wish to vote for me, they must write my name onto the ballot.  This will be no easy task, so I am looking to people reading this to help me spread the word about this write-in campaign.  Help me let people know that they have a choice in this election, but that if they want to vote for me, they will need to write in my name!

Why do this at all, one might ask?  I am aware that as a write-in candidate, I have a real opportunity to keep pushing the debate on the issue of the Iraq war.  We have nearly eight months between now and the General Election—eight months, when the war in Iraq will continue to be a focus of the debate in Congress—eight months, for more Americans and Iraqi civilians to die—eight months for Chris Van Hollen to change course and take a position of leadership in opposing this war, as his constituents want him to do!  Frankly, if Mr. Van Hollen should choose to take a leadership position in Congress in ending Congressional funding for the war, and bringing the troops home, my write-in campaign for CD-8 will gain very little traction.  If my candidacy as a write-in candidate has the effect of motivating Van Hollen to exert his leadership among his colleagues in the House of Representatives to end this war, my efforts will have been worthwhile!

There is also in this race a Green Party candidate—Gordon Clark—who has a powerful message of opposing the war and working to stop global climate change.  Nearly eight months for a Green Party candidate to develop a campaign and present his message.  I don’t know how strong a candidate Gordon will be; I consider him to be a friend, and we agree on many of the issues.  I am not prepared to endorse him at this time, but we shall see. 

Meanwhile, I invite voters who are disappointed in Chris Van Hollen for his failure to take a leadership position in cutting Congressional funding for the Iraq war, to look at all of their options.  Another option, for those of you who are reluctant to abandon support for a popular Democratic incumbent, but are unhappy with Van Hollen’s positions, would be to contact Mr. Van Hollen, and let him know that you are disappointed, and that you are considering other options in this Election, if he does not reverse course and take leadership in ending this war!  A pledge from Van Hollen to vote for no more funding for the war and to join the Out of Iraq Caucus in Congress might be a good start!

For those of you looking at this website for the first time, here are some of the issues that were central to my campaign, in this just-finished Democratic Primary Election.  I will continue to campaign on these issues, in my write-in campaign.

ON IRAQ—Bring all U.S. troops home NOW.  No more funding for the U.S. war and occupation of Iraq.  As I have discussed in previous e-mail messages, and on my website, Van Hollen’s voting record on Iraq War funding is a mixed one, and Van Hollen has not even joined the Out of Iraq Caucus in Congress!  We need a leader in Congress on this issue.  Van Hollen has been a timid follower, when he could have exerted his leadership position to end this war!

ON IRAN—I oppose the drumbeats for war with Iran, and other nations.

ON ISRAEL/PALESTINE—While Chris Van Hollen does have a better record on this issue than some, I would like to see him come out more strongly in support of the rights of Palestinians living under conditions of occupation.  In the long run, I believe that Israel, too, will benefit if justice is brought to Palestinians, because it will be possible for the two nations and their peoples to achieve a genuine peace.

ON CIVIL LIBERTIES—I am for protecting our precious civil liberties.  I oppose the U.S.A. PATRIOT ACT. I oppose practices and policies of the Bush Administration, whether or not actually written into law, that infringe on civil liberties.  Recently, Van Hollen voted for H.R, 1955, the so-called “Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007”—a bill which had little publicity when it was being debated and voted upon, and which had little opposition, when it passed the House of Representatives.  Civil liberties organizations have sounded the alarm that this bill threatens to chill the rights of people engaged in peaceful protest.  Van Hollen voted for this bill.  I would have voted against it.

ON IMPEACHMENT—I support Dennis Kucinich’s resolution for impeachment.  Impeach Cheney first, and then Bush.  What message do we send to future generations and future Presidents if we do not impeach these two, for what they have done to our nation?  Van Hollen is on the record as opposing efforts to impeach Bush and Cheney.

ON HEALTH CARE—In fairness to Chris Van Hollen, he does agree with me that all Americans should have health care coverage.  But we disagree on the means.  Van Hollen would reform the current system, but keep the health insurance companies in the system.  I favor universal, single-payer health care, which eliminates the health insurance companies from the system and provides individuals with high quality health care, with a choice of health care providers, that is publicly financed:  Medicare for All.  I support legislation sponsored by John Conyers and Dennis Kucinich for universal, single-payer health care.  Van Hollen has refused to sign on to this legislation.

THE INTERCOUNTY CONNECTOR—I oppose this road project, which I view as detrimental to the environment, and communities.

          In a democracy, the voters have a choice.  You have the option of voting for the incumbent. But you do not have to vote for the incumbent, if you do not feel that he is representing you.  You do have a choice.  And I hope that you will consider writing in my name for the 8th Congressional District seat this November!

Peace,

Deborah Vollmer
Deborah A. Vollmer

   February 20, 2008

The Primary Election Results Are in (Well, Most of Them Anyway)—and I have made a decision!

Friends,

          Yesterday, I went to Annapolis and filled out a Certificate of Candidacy, making me an official write-in candidate for Maryland’s 8th Congressional District seat in the 2008 General Election.  I want to take a little time today to explain on this website why I have made this decision.

          Most of the votes have now been counted in the Maryland Democratic Primary for the 8th Congressional District.  Putting aside for the sake of this discussion a very real concern with the accuracy and reliability of the electronic voting machines used in this election, I would like to tell you about the results so far, and make a few points.

          The totals are not final, and do not include the provisional ballots.  But at this point, the votes in the Democratic Primary have been tallied as follows:  Van Hollen:  100,417 votes (88.0 %), Vollmer: 10,490 votes (9.2 %), and Young: 3200 (2.8%).

          I want to thank the over 10,000 people who voted for me in this Democratic Primary Election.  And I congratulate Chris Van Hollen for his victory in the Democratic Primary.  But I want to also caution Mr. Van Hollen that we are not done with this particular campaign yet.  The issues are too important for me to walk away now, and stop talking about our differences on the issues—especially with regard to the war in Iraq. That is why I filed yesterday to run as a write-in candidate for the 8th Congressional District seat.  As a write-in candidate, I will continue actively urging Mr. Van Hollen to take the leadership among his colleagues in the House of Representatives to end all Congressional funding for this war, and bring the troops home without further delay!  

 As a write-in candidate for the 8th Congressional District seat, I hope that I will be invited to candidate forums and debates, and that the media will pay some attention to the candidacy of  a former challenger in the Democratic Primary who obtained over 10,000 votes in a campaign involving no fundraising, and no paid advertising, and which pushed the message that the voters in the 8th Congressional District of Maryland want a representative who will take an active role in taking the leadership in Congress to end Congressional funding for the Iraq War, and bring the troops home NOW! 

I am aware that write-in candidates rarely win elections, but that there is always that possibility. I am also aware that as a write-in candidate, I may not win, but that I have a real opportunity to keep pushing the debate on the issue of the Iraq war.  We have over eight months between now and the General Election—eight months, when the war in Iraq will continue to be a focus of the debate in Congress—eight months, for more Americans and Iraqi civilians to die—eight months for Chris Van Hollen to change course and take a position of leadership in opposing this war, as his constituents want him to do!  There is also in this race a Green Party candidate—Gordon Clark—who has a powerful message of opposing the war and working to stop global climate change.  Eight months for a Green Party candidate to develop a campaign and present his message.  I don’t know how strong a candidate Gordon will be; I consider him to be a friend, and we agree on many of the issues.  I am not prepared to endorse him at this time, but we shall see. 

Meanwhile, I invite voters who are disappointed in Chris Van Hollen for his failure to take a leadership position in cutting Congressional funding for the Iraq war, to look at all of their options.  Another option, for those of you who are reluctant to abandon support for a popular Democratic incumbent, but are unhappy with Van Hollen’s positions, would be to contact Mr. Van Hollen, and let him know that you are disappointed, and that you are considering other options in this Election, if he does not reverse course and take leadership in ending this war!  A pledge from Van Hollen to vote for no more funding for the war and to join the Out of Iraq Caucus in Congress might be a good start!

For those of you looking at this website for the first time, here are some of the issues that were central to my campaign, in this just-finished Democratic Primary Election.

ON IRAQ—Bring all U.S. troops home NOW.  No more funding for the U.S. war and occupation of Iraq.  As I have discussed in previous e-mail messages, and on my website, Van Hollen’s voting record on Iraq War funding is a mixed one, and Van Hollen has not even joined the Out of Iraq Caucus in Congress!  We need a leader in Congress on this issue.  Van Hollen has been a timid follower, when he could have exerted his leadership position to end this war!

ON IRAN—I oppose the drumbeats for war with Iran, and other nations.

ON ISRAEL/PALESTINE—While Chris Van Hollen does have a better record on this issue than some, I would like to see him come out more strongly in support of the rights of Palestinians living under conditions of occupation.  In the long run, I believe that Israel, too, will benefit if justice is brought to Palestinians, because it will be possible for the two nations and their peoples to achieve a genuine peace.

ON CIVIL LIBERTIES—I am for protecting our precious civil liberties.  I oppose the U.S.A. PATRIOT ACT. I oppose practices and policies of the Bush Administration, whether or not actually written into law, that infringe on civil liberties.  Recently, Van Hollen voted for H.R, 1955, the so-called “Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007”—a bill which had little publicity when it was being debated and voted upon, and which had little opposition, when it passed the House of Representatives.  Civil liberties organizations have sounded the alarm that this bill threatens to chill the rights of people engaged in peaceful protest.  Van Hollen voted for this bill.  I would have voted against it.

ON IMPEACHMENT—I support Dennis Kucinich’s resolution for impeachment.  Impeach Cheney first, and then Bush.  What message do we send to future generations and future Presidents if we do not impeach these two, for what they have done to our nation?  Van Hollen is on the record as opposing efforts to impeach Bush and Cheney.

ON HEALTH CARE—In fairness to Chris Van Hollen, he does agree with me that all Americans should have health care coverage.  But we disagree on the means.  Van Hollen would reform the current system, but keep the health insurance companies in the system.  I favor universal, single-payer health care, which eliminates the health insurance companies from the system and provides individuals with high quality health care, with a choice of health care providers, that is publicly financed:  Medicare for All.  I support legislation sponsored by John Conyers and Dennis Kucinich for universal, single-payer health care.  Van Hollen has refused to sign on to this legislation.

THE INTERCOUNTY CONNECTOR—I oppose this road project, which I view as detrimental to the environment, and communities.

          In a democracy, the voters have a choice.  You have the option of voting for the incumbent. But you do not have to vote for the incumbent, if you do not feel that he is representing you.  You do have a choice.  And I hope that you will consider writing in my name for the 8th Congressional District seat this November!

Peace,

Deborah Vollmer
Deborah A. Vollmer

      February 15, 2008

The Primary Election Results Are in (Well, Most of Them Anyway)

Friends,

          Most of the votes have now been counted in the Maryland Democratic Primary for the 8th Congressional District.  Putting aside for the sake of this discussion a very real concern with the accuracy and reliability of the electronic voting machines used in this election, I would like to tell you about the results so far, and make a few points.

          The totals are not final, and do not include the absentee ballots and provisional ballots.  But at this point, the votes in the Democratic Primary have been tallied as follows:  Van Hollen:  93,932 votes (87.8 %), Vollmer: 9,991 votes (9.3 %), and Young: 3059 (2.9%).

          I want to thank what will surely amount to over 10,000 people who voted for me in this Democratic Primary Election.  And I congratulate Chris Van Hollen for his victory in the Democratic Primary.  But I want to also caution Mr. Van Hollen that we may not be done with this particular campaign yet.  The issues are too important for me to walk away now, and stop talking about our differences on the issues—especially with regard to the war in Iraq.  I will continue actively urging Mr. Van Hollen to take the leadership among his colleagues in the House of Representatives to end all Congressional funding for this war, and bring the troops home without further delay!

For those of you looking at this website for the first time, here are some of the issues that were central to my campaign, in this just-finished Democratic Primary Election.

ON IRAQ—Bring all U.S. troops home NOW.  No more funding for the U.S. war and occupation of Iraq.  As I have discussed in previous e-mail messages, and on my website, Van Hollen’s voting record on Iraq War funding is a mixed one, and Van Hollen has not even joined the Out of Iraq Caucus in Congress!  We need a leader in Congress on this issue.  Van Hollen has been a timid follower, when he could have exerted his leadership position to end this war!

ON IRAN—I oppose the drumbeats for war with Iran, and other nations.

ON ISRAEL/PALESTINE—While Chris Van Hollen does have a better record on this issue than some, I would like to see him come out more strongly in support of the rights of Palestinians living under conditions of occupation.  In the long run, I believe that Israel, too, will benefit if justice is brought to Palestinians, because it will be possible for the two nations and their peoples to achieve a genuine peace.

ON CIVIL LIBERTIES—I am for protecting our precious civil liberties.  I oppose the U.S.A. PATRIOT ACT. I oppose practices and policies of the Bush Administration, whether or not actually written into law, that infringe on civil liberties.  Recently, Van Hollen voted for H.R, 1955, the so-called “Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007”—a bill which had little publicity when it was being debated and voted upon, and which had little opposition, when it passed the House of Representatives.  Civil liberties organizations have sounded the alarm that this bill threatens to chill the rights of people engaged in peaceful protest.  Van Hollen voted for this bill.  I would have voted against it.

ON IMPEACHMENT—I support Dennis Kucinich’s resolution for impeachment.  Impeach Cheney first, and then Bush.  What message do we send to future generations and future Presidents if we do not impeach these two, for what they have done to our nation?  Van Hollen is on the record as opposing efforts to impeach Bush and Cheney.

ON HEALTH CARE—In fairness to Chris Van Hollen, he does agree with me that all Americans should have health care coverage.  But we disagree on the means.  Van Hollen would reform the current system, but keep the health insurance companies in the system.  I favor universal, single-payer health care, which eliminates the health insurance companies from the system and provides individuals with high quality health care, with a choice of health care providers, that is publicly financed:  Medicare for All.  I support legislation sponsored by John Conyers and Dennis Kucinich for universal, single-payer health care.  Van Hollen has refused to sign on to this legislation.

THE INTERCOUNTY CONNECTOR—I oppose this road project, which I view as detrimental to the environment, and communities.

I am doing some serious thinking about how we might consider keeping these and other issues, front and center in the debate in the General Election.  I will consider your input, as I weigh my options. Please refer to the page Status of Campaign: Next Steps.

Whatever decision I reach regarding next steps, I do want to take this opportunity to thank the over 10,000 voters in the Democratic Primary, who voted on February 12 for Vollmer for Congress!  THANK YOU!!!

Peace,

Deborah Vollmer
Deborah A. Vollmer

      January 31, 2008

Van Hollen votes for more funding for the War, as Vollmer for Congress Campaign Picks up New Energy!

Friends,

          It is not always easy to track the various votes in Congress on Iraq War funding. Sometimes these votes come as votes on a budget; sometimes as a “supplemental”, sometimes it is called a “bridge fund”, and sometimes a “continuing resolution.”  The Montgomery Extra section of the Washington Post (Thursday, January 24) reported on the latest significant vote—the 2008 Defense Budget, which the House sent to the Senate on January 16.  The Defense Budget bill, H.R. 4986, was passed by a vote of 369 to 46.  This budget bill authorized a $649 billion military budget, including nearly $190 for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Chris Van Hollen voted for this budget bill.  Had I been in Congress and in a position to vote on this, I would have joined the 46 courageous members of the House who voted NO. 

          Just a few days ago on Sunday afternoon (January 27), Montgomery County Peace Action and several co-sponsoring organizations held a candidates’ forum at the County Council building in Rockville for candidates running for the 8th and 4th Congressional Districts.  For those of you who helped with this event, and to those who attended, thank you!  It was a rare opportunity for me to get the message out, and the first thing I mentioned when it was my turn for opening remarks was to focus on Van Hollen’s voting record on the war, especially his latest vote on the 2008 Defense Budget. (Mr. Van Hollen did appear at this event, but he arrived late, and he left early.  As he has in the past, he spoke out in opposition to the Iraq war—but he failed to explain his mixed voting record on Iraq war funding.)

           Over the last couple of weeks, and especially over the last couple of days, this campaign for Congress has picked up new energy!

          My videotape on Montgomery Community Television is now airing, multiple times on cable Channel 21. In that spot, I speak about my positions on some of the issues, defining the differences that I have with Chris Van Hollen on Iraq War funding, civil liberties, impeachment, and health care.  See the schedule for airing of these spots, now posted on this website. You should note that MCT Television, which is run by volunteers, is not as tight in matching predetermined scheduling as is the case with commercial television.  Also, the broadcast contains the statements of a number of different candidates for different congressional districts.  My spot airs approximately half an hour into the broadcast, and only lasts for about four minutes.  A good rule of thumb:  look at the schedule that is posted, but don’t expect to see me for about half an hour after the broadcast starts; and even then, tune in a little early in case they start the sequence early.

          Also on the campaign publicity front, the Montgomery County Sentinel published a feature article about the Vollmer for Congress campaign, and also in the same newspaper, printed my letter to the editor on the subject of my campaign!  The article appears in the hardcopy edition of the Sentinel which came out of Thursday January 24.  (The Sentinel comes out once a week, on Thursday, and is available at some news stands and libraries.)  The article also appears on the Sentinel’s website, and we have linked to it here on this website.

          In other campaign news, I have received the endorsement of the Montgomery County Green Democrats.  Thank you Green Democrats!

            Here are some of my positions on some of the issues of concern to voters for peace, social justice, and the environment.  On some of these issues, the differences that I have with incumbent Chris Van Hollen are slight; on some of the issues, our differences are major.

ON IRAQ—Bring all U.S. troops home NOW.  No more funding for the U.S. war and occupation of Iraq.  As I have discussed in previous e-mail messages, and on my website, Van Hollen’s voting record on Iraq War funding is a mixed one, and Van Hollen has not even joined the Out of Iraq Caucus in Congress!  We need a leader in Congress on this issue.  Van Hollen has been a timid follower, when he could have exerted his leadership position to end this war!

ON IRAN—I oppose the drumbeats for war with Iran, and other nations.

ON ISRAEL/PALESTINE—While Chris Van Hollen does have a better record on this issue than some, I would like to see him come out more strongly in support of the rights of Palestinians living under conditions of occupation.  In the long run, I believe that Israel, too, will benefit if justice is brought to Palestinians, because it will be possible for the two nations and their peoples to achieve a genuine peace.

ON CIVIL LIBERTIES—I am for protecting our precious civil liberties.  I oppose the U.S.A. PATRIOT ACT. I oppose practices and policies of the Bush Administration, whether or not actually written into law, that infringe on civil liberties.  Recently, Van Hollen voted for H.R, 1955, the so-called “Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007”—a bill which had little publicity when it was being debated and voted upon, and which had little opposition, when it passed the House of Representatives.  Civil liberties organizations have sounded the alarm that this bill threatens to chill the rights of people engaged in peaceful protest.  Van Hollen voted for this bill.  I would have voted against it.

ON IMPEACHMENT—I support Dennis Kucinich’s resolution for impeachment.  Impeach Cheney first, and then Bush.  What message do we send to future generations and future Presidents if we do not impeach these two, for what they have done to our nation?  Van Hollen is on the record as opposing efforts to impeach Bush and Cheney.

ON HEALTH CARE—In fairness to Chris Van Hollen, he does agree with me that all Americans should have health care coverage.  But we disagree on the means.  Van Hollen would reform the current system, but keep the health insurance companies in the system.  I favor universal, single-payer health care, which eliminates the health insurance companies from the system and provides individuals with high quality health care, with a choice of health care providers, that is publicly financed:  Medicare for All.  I support legislation sponsored by John Conyers and Dennis Kucinich for universal, single-payer health care.  Van Hollen has refused to sign on to this legislation.

THE INTERCOUNTY CONNECTOR—I oppose this road project, which I view as detrimental to the environment, and communities.

            PLEASE CIRCULATE THIS MESSAGE BY E-MAIL TO PROGRESSIVE VOTERS IN MARYLAND’S 8TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT.  The voters deserve to know how the candidates stand on the issues.  AND DON’T FORGET TO LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT THE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY IS ON TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2008.     

            For further information, please see my website at http://www.deborahvollmer.com.  See especially these pages on my website: Status of the Campaign, and What You Can Do to Help, and Upcoming Forums and Events.


            Again, please circulate this message, far and wide.  We are not doing fundraising in this campaign, and e-mail is one of those means that we do have to reach the voters!  Thanks!

Peace,

Deborah Vollmer
Deborah A. Vollmer
      January 14, 2008


Vollmer for Congress Campaign Picks Up New Energy!

Friends,

           Over the last couple of weeks, and especially over the last couple of days, this campaign for Congress has picked up new energy!

          Last Thursday, I did my videotaped four-minute spot at the studio of Montgomery Community Television.  In that spot, I speak about my positions on some of the issues, defining the differences that I have with Chris Van Hollen on Iraq War funding, civil liberties, impeachment, and health care.  Montgomery Community Television will be posting the schedule for the airing of the spots within the next few days.  We will also post the schedule on this website.

          On Saturday, January 12, I joined John Nirenberg, in his march to Washington to meet with Pelosi, Conyers, and other leaders in Congress to urge impeachment of Dick Cheney and George W. Bush.  John has marched some five hundred miles, from Faneuil Hall in Boston!  I was proud to join him on the last few miles of his journey.  John is asking folks to get those phone calls in to Pelosi, Conyers, and other members of Congress to urge that action be taken on impeachment.  See http://www.marchinmyname.org, John’s website, and also http://www.impeachthem.wordpress.com and also http://www.takomaparkibc.wordpress.com for further information.

          On Sunday, I attended a memorial service in Garrett Park for a great lady—Ethel Lubarsky, a long-time activist with the Gray Panthers, and a friend.  Family members and friends shared memories of Ethel and her social activism, and we sang “There Once Was a Union Maid,” and other songs.  Ethel Lubarsky was a wonderful person, and a persistent activist for peace, universal health care, and social justice.  She will be missed.

          On Sunday, January 27, Montgomery County Peace Action and several co-sponsoring organizations will hold a candidates’ forum for Congressional candidates in Maryland CD-4 and CD-8. It will be held from two to four in the afternoon, and it will be at the County Council building on Maryland Avenue in Rockville. Watch for further details on this website!

            Here are some of my positions on some of the issues of concern to voters for peace, social justice, and the environment.  On some of these issues, the differences that I have with incumbent Chris Van Hollen are slight; on some of the issues, our differences are major.

ON IRAQ—Bring all U.S. troops home NOW.  No more funding for the U.S. war and occupation of Iraq.  As I have discussed in previous e-mail messages, and on my website, Van Hollen’s voting record on Iraq War funding is a mixed one, and Van Hollen has not even joined the Out of Iraq Caucus in Congress!  We need a leader in Congress on this issue.  Van Hollen has been a timid follower, when he could have exerted his leadership position to end this war!

ON IRAN—I oppose the drumbeats for war with Iran, and other nations.

ON ISRAEL/PALESTINE—While Chris Van Hollen does have a better record on this issue than some, I would like to see him come out more strongly in support of the rights of Palestinians living under conditions of occupation.  In the long run, I believe that Israel, too, will benefit if justice is brought to Palestinians, because it will be possible for the two nations and their peoples to achieve a genuine peace.

ON CIVIL LIBERTIES—I am for protecting our precious civil liberties.  I oppose the U.S.A. PATRIOT ACT. I oppose practices and policies of the Bush Administration, whether or not actually written into law, that infringe on civil liberties.  Recently, Van Hollen voted for H.R, 1955, the so-called “Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007”—a bill which had little publicity when it was being debated and voted upon, and which had little opposition, when it passed the House of Representatives.  Civil liberties organizations have sounded the alarm that this bill threatens to chill the rights of people engaged in peaceful protest.  Van Hollen voted for this bill.  I would have voted against it.

ON IMPEACHMENT—I support Dennis Kucinich’s resolution for impeachment.  Impeach Cheney first, and then Bush.  What message do we send to future generations and future Presidents if we do not impeach these two, for what they have done to our nation?  Van Hollen is on the record as opposing efforts to impeach Bush and Cheney.

ON HEALTH CARE—In fairness to Chris Van Hollen, he does agree with me that all Americans should have health care coverage.  But we disagree on the means.  Van Hollen would reform the current system, but keep the health insurance companies in the system.  I favor universal, single-payer health care, which eliminates the health insurance companies from the system and provides individuals with high quality health care, with a choice of health care providers, that is publicly financed:  Medicare for All.  I support legislation sponsored by John Conyers and Dennis Kucinich for universal, single-payer health care.  Van Hollen has refused to sign on to this legislation.

THE INTERCOUNTY CONNECTOR—I oppose this road project, which I view as detrimental to the environment, and communities.

            PLEASE CIRCULATE THIS MESSAGE BY E-MAIL TO PROGRESSIVE VOTERS IN MARYLAND’S 8TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT.  The voters deserve to know how the candidates stand on the issues.  AND DON’T FORGET TO LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT THE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY IS ON TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2008.     

            For further information, please see my website at http://www.deborahvollmer.com.  See especially these pages on my website: Status of the Campaign, and What You Can Do to Help, and Upcoming Forums and Events.


            Again, please circulate this message, far and wide.  We are not doing fundraising in this campaign, and e-mail is one of those means that we do have to reach the voters!  Thanks!

Peace,

Deborah Vollmer
Deborah A. Vollmer

      January 10, 2008

Positions on Issues of Concern

Friends,

            Here are some of my positions on some of the issues of concern to voters for peace, social justice, and the environment.  On some of these issues, the differences that I have with incumbent Chris Van Hollen are slight; on some of the issues, our differences are major.

            Here are my positions on some of the issues:

ON IRAQ—Bring all U.S. troops home NOW.  No more funding for the U.S. war and occupation of Iraq.  As I have discussed in previous e-mail messages, and on my website, Van Hollen’s voting record on Iraq War funding is a mixed one, and Van Hollen has not even joined the Out of Iraq Caucus in Congress!  We need a leader in Congress on this issue.  Van Hollen has been a timid follower, when he could have exerted his leadership position to end this war!

ON IRAN—I oppose the drumbeats for war with Iran, and other nations.

ON ISRAEL/PALESTINE—While Chris Van Hollen does have a better record on this issue than some, I would like to see him come out more strongly in support of the rights of Palestinians living under conditions of occupation.  In the long run, I believe that Israel, too, will benefit if justice is brought to Palestinians, because it will be possible for the two nations and their peoples to achieve a genuine peace.

ON CIVIL LIBERTIES—I am for protecting our precious civil liberties.  I oppose the U.S.A. PATRIOT ACT. I oppose practices and policies of the Bush Administration, whether or not actually written into law, that infringe on civil liberties.  Recently, Van Hollen voted for H.R, 1955, the so-called “Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007”—a bill which had little publicity when it was being debated and voted upon, and which had little opposition, when it passed the House of Representatives.  Civil liberties organizations have sounded the alarm that this bill threatens to chill the rights of people engaged in peaceful protest.  Van Hollen voted for this bill.  I would have voted against it.

ON IMPEACHMENT—I support Dennis Kucinich’s resolution for impeachment.  Impeach Cheney first, and then Bush.  What message do we send to future generations and future Presidents if we do not impeach these two, for what they have done to our nation?  Van Hollen is on the record as opposing efforts to impeach Bush and Cheney.

ON HEALTH CARE—In fairness to Chris Van Hollen, he does agree with me that all Americans should have health care coverage.  But we disagree on the means.  Van Hollen would reform the current system, but keep the health insurance companies in the system.  I favor universal, single-payer health care, which eliminates the health insurance companies from the system and provides individuals with high quality health care, with a choice of health care providers, that is publicly financed:  Medicare for All.  I support legislation sponsored by John Conyers and Dennis Kucinich for universal, single-payer health care.  Van Hollen has refused to sign on to this legislation.

THE INTERCOUNTY CONNECTOR—I oppose this road project, which I view as detrimental to the environment, and communities.

            PLEASE CIRCULATE THIS MESSAGE BY E-MAIL TO PROGRESSIVE VOTERS IN MARYLAND’S 8TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT.  The voters deserve to know how the candidates stand on the issues.  AND DON’T FORGET TO LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT THE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY IS ON TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2008.     

            For further information, please see my website at http://www.deborahvollmer.com.  See especially these pages on my website:
Status of the Campaign, and What You Can Do to Help, and Upcoming Forums and Events.

            Again, please circulate this message, far and wide.  We are not doing fundraising in this campaign, and e-mail is one of those means that we do have to reach the voters!  Thanks!


Peace,

Deborah Vollmer
Deborah A. Vollmer

   January 2, 2008 

A Message for the New Year!

Friends,

       I do hope that all of you getting this have been having an enjoyable holiday season! It can be hard with all the sad news: the assassination of Benazir Bhutto in Pakistan, drumbeats for war with Iran (maybe a little bit muffled now?) and more and more American and Iraqi lives lost in Iraq (despite the fact that much of the media are now trying to put a more positive spin on the U.S. war effort).

        The campaign season is upon us, like it or not, and I am preparing for a short but vigorous campaign for the 8th Congressional District seat in Maryland.  It is important that we use this campaign as a vehicle to let Congress know that we in the 8th Congressional District want an immediate end to the war in Iraq, and that Congress must start doing its part by refusing to vote more funds for the war!

          It is customary for folks early in the New Year to make New Year’s Resolutions!  I have a few of my own, the usual ones that relate to staying fit and cleaning up clutter, but let me suggest a resolution that I hope those of you getting this will join me in making.  Let’s send the Congress, the President, and the people of this Country a powerful message by turning out the Peace vote in the 2008 election cycle!  Of course one way to do this is to build a grassroots “surge” in the campaign for Vollmer for Congress!

         Please take a look at this website at http://www.deborahvollmer.com, and if you like what you see, please forward the link to this website to anyone and everyone who you know who might be voting in the Democratic Primary for the Maryland 8th Congressional District seat on February 12.  And I hope that whenever to go to a party, or an informal gathering of friends, you will use the opportunity to discuss the fact that folks do have a choice in this race, and refer them to my website.  Also, I continue to look for opportunities to speak, to small groups and large, in a debate forum, or just me by myself.

          For a more detailed discussion of my reasons for challenging Chris Van Hollen for the 8th Congressional District seat, please see Status of the Campaign, and What You Can Do to Help, on this website.

          For scheduled events see Upcoming Forums and Events.

          For those of you who want to do even a little more to help, here is something you can do, especially if you happen to have a functioning computer printer, and easy access to photocopying.  Take a look at the Out of Iraq flyer on this website.  You can download it in either regular format, or PDF.  Print it out, copy it, and get it out to the voters in your community, in whatever way makes sense to you!  This may be the public library, or a bulletin board at a coffee house or food co-op!  You know your own community, so take charge, and get the flyer out to folks, wherever people who care about peace and social justice gather!  Thanks, and

Best wishes for the New Year, 2008!

Deborah Vollmer
Deborah A. Vollmer

      December 29, 2007

[Revised December 30, 2007]

Holiday Message

Friends,

       I do hope that everyone getting this is having an enjoyable holidays! It can be hard with all the sad news: the assassination of Benazir Bhutto in Pakistan, drumbeats for war with Iran (maybe a little bit muffled now?) and more and more American and Iraqi lives lost in Iraq (despite the fact that much of the media are now trying to put a more positive spin on the U.S. war effort).

        The campaign season is upon us, like it or not, and I am preparing for a short but vigorous campaign for the 8th Congressional District seat in Maryland.  It is important that we use this campaign as a vehicle to let Congress know that we in the 8th Congressional District want an immediate end to the war in Iraq, and that Congress must start doing its part by refusing to vote more funds for the war!

         Please take a look at this website at http://www.deborahvollmer.com, and if you like what you see, please forward the link to this website to anyone and everyone who you know who might be voting in the Democratic Primary for the Maryland 8th Congressional District seat on February 12.  And I hope that those of you who will be attending holiday parties in the next few days will use the opportunity to discuss the fact that folks do have a choice in this race, and refer them to my website.  Also, I continue to look for opportunities to speak, to small groups and large, in a debate forum, or just me by myself.

          For a more detailed discussion of my reasons for challenging Chris Van Hollen for the 8th Congressional District seat, please see Status of the Campaign, and What You Can Do to Help, on this website.

          For scheduled events see Upcoming Forums and Events.

Peace and Happy Holidays!

Deborah Vollmer
Deborah A. Vollmer

      December 21, 2007

The Vollmer for Congress Campaign: What it is all about, the current status of the campaign, and what you can do to help

Friends,

          For those of you who have been following these messages from me on this website, let me first summarize the status of this campaign.  I am running against a powerful member of the House of Representatives, Chris Van Hollen, who is Chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.  Mr. Van Hollen represents the 8th Congressional District in the State of Maryland. I am running as a challenger in the Democratic Primary to be held on February 12, because I have serious differences of opinion with Mr. Van Hollen, with regard to his voting record, especially with regard to continued funding for the War and Occupation of Iraq.

          On November 1, 2007, I wrote an Open Letter to Chris Van Hollen, which I sent to his campaign office, challenging him to debate his voting record, in one or more public settings, with dates and times to be mutually arranged.  To date, I have received no response from Mr. Van Hollen.  I know that the letter was received by way of a signed return receipt, which I assume to have been signed by a Van Hollen campaign staffer.  Mr. Van Hollen will, no doubt, be busy during this short campaign cycle.  But he owes it to his constituents to set aside the time to debate the issues, and clarify his reasons for voting the way he has voted on Iraq War funding and other issues.

          In previous messages on this website, which you can see if you click on the link at the very bottom of this message, I have discussed in detail Mr. Van Hollen’s mixed voting record, with regard to the funding of the Iraq War.  Most recently, I discussed two votes, the first being  the Continuing Resolution to keep government funded at current levels, which had very little media attention when it was passed by the House on September 26, and which contained an estimated 14 billion for the war in Iraq.  There were no conditions in this bill requiring that the funds be used to withdraw troops.  Van Hollen voted for it.  Fourteen of his colleagues voted No, which is what I would have done, had I been in a position to cast a vote on this. 

The second piece of recent legislation regarding Iraq War funding was the “bridge fund” bill, with some fifty billion dollars for the war.  The House version, passed on November 14, 2007, contained some conditions that this money be used to withdraw troops, but the language was such that this condition would have been unenforceable.  The Progressives in the House were split on this one.  The bill died in the Senate, because most Senate Republicans were unwilling to agree to the conditions that the money be used to withdraw the troops.  Van Hollen had voted for this bill in the House; I would have joined Dennis Kucinich and Pete Stark and voted No.

A third vote merits some discussion on this page.  On December 19, the House of Representatives considered the spending bill sent back to it by the Senate, H.R. 2764.  When the House voted on this legislation initially, it contained no funding for the war in Iraq.  The Senate added some $70 billion dollars in war funding.  Chris Van Hollen, to his credit, voted against the bill.  The bill including the Iraq War funding passed the House by a vote of 272 to 142.

          The three votes that I have discussed above are only a part of the picture; Van Hollen’s voting record over the long haul on the issue of Iraq has been mixed.  I consider him to be well intentioned, but in effect an “enabler” of the Bush Administration’s flawed foreign policy regarding Iraq and other issues.  Van Hollen is somewhat sensitive to the wishes of his constituents on the issue of Iraq War funding, but not sufficiently so.  He will sometimes do the right thing, when he is in the company of a substantial number of his Democratic colleagues.  But on those really tough votes—those in which a vote of conscience would put him at odds with the majority of his colleagues, he tends to take the “easy” way, and vote with those colleagues.

          There are other issues where I differ from Mr. Van Hollen, although the issue of the funding for the Iraq War remains the crucial difference.  On some issues our differences are slight, on some of the issues there are significant differences.  For example, Mr. Van Hollen recently voted for H.R. 1955, the so-called “Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007.”  Concerned groups have pointed out that this bill threatens civil liberties. Van Hollen voted for it.  I would have voted No.

          I am disappointed that Chris Van Hollen has not been in support of efforts to impeach President Bush and Vice President Cheney.  What message does it send to future Presidents if we do not take steps to impeach these two, for what they have done to our nation?

          On the issue of Israel/Palestine, I recognize the power of the Israeli lobby, and I understand that Van Hollen does have a better record than some on this issue.  But I would like to see him come out more strongly in support of rights for Palestinians living under conditions of occupation.  In the long run, I believe Israel, too, will benefit if justice is brought to Palestinians, because it will be possible for the two nations and their peoples to achieve a genuine peace.

          On the domestic front, Mr. Van Hollen and I have some differences of opinion regarding Health Care.  We agree that Americans should all have coverage.  I favor a version of single payer health care which guarantees Americans quality health care with a choice of health care providers.  In particular, I favor legislation along these lines proposed by U.S. Representative John Conyers.  Chris Van Hollen has not signed on to support this legislation.

          People often ask me what they can do to help.  First let me say that (and some find this absolutely shocking!) we are not doing fundraising.  Political campaigns do fundraising in order to have the resources to get the message out.  The media then focuses on the fundraising itself.  This is wrong.  The media should be focusing instead on the positions that the candidates have on the issues, their qualifications to hold office, and their honesty and integrity.  I hope that folks will find this No Fundraising approach to be refreshing.  And there are definitely other things that folks can do to help.

          Here are some things people who want to help this campaign can do.  Help to get the message out by sending your own message to individuals and listservs, with a link to this website; remind people in your message that the date for the Democratic Primary is February 12.  Help me to meet potential supporters by inviting me to gatherings of folks, large or small.  I will be happy to listen to the concerns that people have, and to answer questions about my campaign, and my positions on the issues.  Contact Chris Van Hollen—and help generate the pressure on him to accept my challenge to debate.  If you belong to an organization that sponsors candidate debates, arrange for your organization to invite both myself and Mr. Van Hollen (and Lih Young, who I understand is also running in the Primary) to participate in one or more candidate debates.

Finally, I want to emphasize that although election calendars and ballot access rules do inject a certain level of competition into the process among activists with different party affiliations, ultimately we need to be thinking about working together—all of us voters for peace—be we Democrats, Republicans, Greens, Libertarians, or independents.  We need to develop some new strategies to use the electoral process to support peace candidates—regardless of party affiliation.

Peace and Happy Holidays!

Deborah Vollmer
Deborah A. Vollmer

      December 4, 2007
[revised Dec. 7, 2007]

The Vollmer for Congress Campaign: What it is all about, the current status of the campaign, and what you can do to help

Friends,

          For those of you who have been following these messages from me on this website, let me first summarize the status of this campaign.  I am running against a powerful member of the House of Representatives, Chris Van Hollen, who is Chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.  Mr. Van Hollen represents the 8th Congressional District in the State of Maryland. I am running as a challenger in the Democratic Primary to be held on February 12, because I have serious differences of opinion with Mr. Van Hollen, with regard to his voting record, especially with regard to continued funding for the War and Occupation of Iraq.

          On November 1, 2007, I wrote an Open Letter to Chris Van Hollen, which I sent to his campaign office, challenging him to debate his voting record, in one or more public settings, with dates and times to be mutually arranged.  To date, I have received no response from Mr. Van Hollen.  I know that the letter was received by way of a signed return receipt, which I assume to have been signed by a Van Hollen campaign staffer.  Mr. Van Hollen will, no doubt, be busy during this short campaign cycle.  But he owes it to his constituents to set aside the time to debate the issues, and clarify his reasons for voting the way he has voted on Iraq War funding and other issues.

          In previous messages on this website, which you can see if you click on the link at the very bottom of this message, I have discussed in detail Mr. Van Hollen’s mixed voting record, with regard to the funding of the Iraq War.  Most recently, I discussed two votes, the first being  the Continuing Resolution to keep government funded at current levels, which had very little media attention when it was passed by the House on September 26, and which contained an estimated 14 billion for the war in Iraq.  There were no conditions in this bill requiring that the funds be used to withdraw troops.  Van Hollen voted for it.  Fourteen of his colleagues voted No, which is what I would have done, had I been in a position to cast a vote on this. 

The second piece of recent legislation regarding Iraq War funding was the “bridge fund” bill, with some fifty billion dollars for the war.  The House version, passed on November 14, 2007, contained some conditions that this money be used to withdraw troops, but the language was such that this condition would have been unenforceable.  The Progressives in the House were split on this one.  The bill died in the Senate, because most Senate Republicans were unwilling to agree to the conditions that the money be used to withdraw the troops.  Van Hollen had voted for this bill in the House; I would have joined Dennis Kucinich and Pete Stark and voted No.

          The last two votes that I have discussed are only a part of the picture; Van Hollen’s voting record over the long haul on the issue of Iraq has been mixed.  I consider him to be well intentioned, but in effect an “enabler” of the Bush Administration’s flawed foreign policy regarding Iraq and other issues.

          There are other issues where I differ from Mr. Van Hollen, although the issue of the funding for the Iraq War remains the crucial difference.  On some issues our differences are slight, on some of the issues there are significant differences.  For example, Mr. Van Hollen recently voted for H.R. 1955, the so-called “Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007.”  Concerned groups have pointed out that this bill threatens civil liberties. Van Hollen voted for it.  I would have voted No.

          I am disappointed that Chris Van Hollen has not been in support of efforts to impeach President Bush and Vice President Cheney.  What message does it send to future Presidents if we do not take steps to impeach these two, for what they have done to our nation?

          On the issue of Israel/Palestine, I recognize the power of the Israeli lobby, and I understand that Van Hollen does have a better record than some on this issue.  But I would like to see him come out more strongly in support of rights for Palestinians living under conditions of occupation.  In the long run, I believe Israel, too, will benefit if justice is brought to Palestinians, because it will be possible for the two nations and their peoples to achieve a genuine peace.

          On the domestic front, Mr. Van Hollen and I have some differences of opinion regarding Health Care.  We agree that Americans should all have coverage.  I favor a version of single payer health care which guarantees Americans quality health care with a choice of health care providers.  In particular, I favor legislation along these lines proposed by U.S. Representative John Conyers.  Chris Van Hollen has not signed on to support this legislation.

          People often ask me what they can do to help.  First let me say that (and some find this absolutely shocking!) we are not doing fundraising.  Political campaigns do fundraising in order to have the resources to get the message out.  The media then focuses on the fundraising itself.  This is wrong.  The media should be focusing instead on the positions that the candidates have on the issues, their qualifications to hold office, and their honesty and integrity.  I hope that folks will find this No Fundraising approach to be refreshing.  And there are definitely other things that folks can do to help.

          Here are some things people who want to help this campaign can do.  Help to get the message out by sending your own message to individuals and listservs, with a link to this website; remind people in your message that the date for the Democratic Primary is February 12.  Help me to meet potential supporters by inviting me to gatherings of folks, large or small.  I will be happy to listen to the concerns that people have, and to answer questions about my campaign, and my positions on the issues.  Contact Chris Van Hollen—and help generate the pressure on him to accept my challenge to debate.  If you belong to an organization that sponsors candidate debates, arrange for your organization to invite both myself and Mr. Van Hollen (and Lih Young, who I understand is also running in the Primary) to participate in one or more candidate debates.

Finally, I want to emphasize that although election calendars and ballot access rules do inject a certain level of competition into the process among activists with different party affiliations, ultimately we need to be thinking about working together—all of us voters for peace—be we Democrats, Republicans, Greens, Libertarians, or independents.  We need to develop some new strategies to use the electoral process to support peace candidates—regardless of party affiliation.

Peace,

Deborah Vollmer
Deborah A. Vollmer