OR-Sen: Howard Dean, "Jeff Merkley (D) is a progressive champ who gets things done"

DailyKos:

Received this e-mail today from former Governor Howard Dean (D. VT) in support of Senator Jeff Merkley's (D. OR) re-election bid:

Fighting global climate change. Creating middle-class jobs. Closing massive tax loopholes for the 1%. Standing up for civil rights. Reining in Wall Street. Defending Social Security and Medicare.   Whatever your top issue is, you can count on Senator Jeff Merkley to be our champion for progressive values in the U.S. Senate. Even if it means taking on "honored traditions" like the filibuster -- used and abused by Senate Republicans to obstruct progress at every turn. That's why it's so important we re-elect Jeff Merkley in 2014. Please donate $19 today: https://secure.actblue.com/...

I first met Jeff back in 2006, when he was leading the Democrats back into the majority in the Oregon House after 14 tough years of Republican rule. I saw then what I see from him every day in Congress: He may look like a mild-mannered policy wonk, but he's tough as nails, and he's willing to champion the hardest fights, like fixing the filibuster. It won't be an easy ride to victory in 2014. Republicans are recruiting right now. Karl Rove would love to find an extremist candidate to become another cog in the Senate Republican obstruction machine. And the SuperPACs are itching to take him out. Join me -- please support a progressive champion and a great friend of Democracy for America by making a $19 contribution to Senator Merkley's campaign today: https://secure.actblue.com/... Thanks, Gov. Howard Dean, M.D. Founder, Democracy for America

You can click here to donate: https://secure.actblue.com/... Here's a run down of what Merkley's been up to.  Recently he introduced a new energy storage bill with Senators Ron Wyden (D. OR), Susan Collins (R. ME) and Angus King (I. ME):   http://www.pv-magazine.com/...

U.S. Senators have introduced a Storage Technology for Renewable and Green Energy Act for 2013. This Act, also known as the STORAGE Act, will promote the deployment of energy storage technologies in the U.S. All storage technologies are supported by the bill. The Act provides a 20% investment tax credit of up to US$40 million per project for storage systems that are connected to the grid and distribution system.The total amount available for these projects is capped at $1.5 billion. For on-site storage a 30% investment tax credit, of up to $1 million per project, is offered under the Act. The STORAGE 2013 Act is similar to the STORAGE 2011 Act in a sense that it offers investment tax credits for energy storage facilities.  However ammendments have been made to the 2013 Act as highlighted by the bipartisan group of senators who introduced the Act last week. The minimum size for a storage system to be eligible for credit is now 5 kWh. It was 20 kWh before. This thus makes sense for small businesses to participate and the hope is that it will incentivize storage companies to create leasing models for residential users considering how leasing models have been successful at increasing grid-connected residential solar in the U.S. - PV Magazine, 5/29/13

His call for repealing the Monsanto Protection Act has earned him a huge momentum with his constituents: http://www.oregonlive.com/...

Thousands are expected to hit the streets of several Oregon cities Saturday in an international day of action against genetically modified food. The marches – planned for Portland, Eugene, Medford, Grants Pass, Bend, Baker City, Prineville, Redmond and Coos Bay – follow passage by Congress of a resolution with a provision that essentially overrides court rulings against genetically modified crops. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., moved this week to get the resolution banned by the U.S. Senate but his amendment was blocked from a vote. Merkley vowed Friday not to give up. When the Senate returns from its Memorial Day break, he said he'll push for a debate. "Citizens should be able to choose what's in their food," he said. "I hope the marches generate attention to the issue." More than 4,600 people have signed up on Facebook to attend the march in Northeast Portland's Lloyd District. In Eugene, nearly 1,600 are expected, and almost 800 have pledged to march in Medford. - The Oregonian, 5/24/13

And Merkley keeps on fighting to legalize industrial hemp farming: http://www.theweedblog.com/...

Senator Ron Wyden has introduced an amendment to Senate Bill 3240, the Senate version of this year’s federal farm bill, that requires the federal government to respect state laws allowing the cultivation of industrial hemp. Hemp is a distinct variety of the plant species cannabis sativa that contains only trace (less than one percent) amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary psychoactive compound in cannabis. The amendment language mimics the “Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2013,” which remains pending as stand-alone legislation in both the House and Senate but has yet to receive a legislative hearing. Senator Wyden’s provision to the Senate’s Farm Bill amends the Controlled Substances Act to exclude industrial hemp from the definition of marijuana. The measure grants state legislatures the authority to license and regulate the commercial production of hemp as an industrial and agricultural commodity. “For me, what’s important is that people see, particularly in our state, there’s someone buying it at Costco in Oregon,” Senator Wyden previously stated in support of this Act, “I adopted what I think is a modest position, which is if you can buy it at a store in Oregon, our farmers ought to be able to make some money growing it.” Senator Wyden’s amendment is co-sponsored by Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY). Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) has also expressed his support for this proposal. - The Weed Blog, 5/29/13

If you'd like to get involved with Merkley's re-election campaign, you can do so here:

http://www.jeffmerkley.com/

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