Soldier's Dad, "Don't Let My Son Have Died In Vain."

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Tuesday September 19, 2006 · 5:10 AM PDT

2006/09/19 · 05:10

He knew I was running for the US Congress when he looked me in the eye and made his plea, right before we walked into the ceremony that marked his son's death five years ago. But he didn't know that our son is serving in Iraq right now. My husband and I understand his very real fear that his son's death will have been meaningless.

The town came together to dedicate a statue and plaque to his son - the first American soldier killed in Afghanistan after the September 11th attacks. He spoke of his son through his tears. The professional and patriotic soldier who had told his young wife he might not return from that fatal mission. Yet, while mortally wounded, he laid down suppressing fire that saved the lives of the soldiers in his charge. Read More

Daily Planet Extra: "Carter is from Mars"

Mary Beth Harrell TX CD31

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Wednesday June 28, 2006 · 6:25 AM PDT

2006/06/28 · 06:25

I thought that was the only way we'd ever get the local Austin paper to cover my Congressional race- if we could prove that my opponent, the incumbent Republican Congressman, John Carter was an alien. Nope, turns out he's only been marooned on Mars - and that was exposed by a Houston paper first.

So does that make him an illegal alien? ah, sweet irony... But I digress.
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Republican John Carter--the "Oily Bird"--Gets to Squirm

Mary Beth Harrell TX CD31

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Tuesday May 16, 2006 · 4:48 AM PDT

2006/05/16 · 04:48

My opponent, incumbent Congressman John Carter, slipped on a banana peel--or should I say oil slick -- when he invited the TV cameras over to a local gas station to shoot footage of him standing in front of a handful of constituents while he blamed soaring gas prices on protecting the environment. It just so happens Carter owns over a million dollars of stock in Exxon Mobil Corporation, a fact turned up just the day before by my volunteer researcher.

Did Carter think holding his "gripe-n-grin" at a Shell station would throw us off the scent? Not when the stench of corruption smells this rank! Imagine this oil spillionaire pretending to understand the average Joe's pain-at-the-pump when his financial disclosure shows him owning between one and five million dollars worth of stock in a company with quarterly profits of over eight billion -- that's over a thousand dollars a second! He feels your pain -- ka-ching! Read More

How John Carter Missed Miss Texas, Found Tom Delay, and Forgot the Veterans

Mary Beth Harrell TX CD31

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Monday February 27, 2006 · 7:03 AM PST

2006/02/27 · 07:03

As many of you know, I'm an Army wife and mom running as the Democratic candidate for Congress against Republican incumbent John Carter in central Texas.

Recently, I was privileged to be at our local VA hospital on Valentine's Day for their annual tribute to our veterans. Carter was also invited but didn't show.

Carter's office did send a rep who told us Carter must be real busy because he wouldn't normally miss the chance to spend the afternoon with Miss Texas who was touring the VA hospital.... It seems he missed the point. Read More

Army Mom: Why and When I Decided to Run

Mary Beth Harrell TX CD31

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Monday February 06, 2006 · 6:29 AM PST

2006/02/06 · 06:29

Cindy Sheehan's arrest outside the State of the Union Address was not he first time a dead soldier's mom had been arrested at a Bush speech.

During the 2004 election, I watched as another dead soldier's mom was not only physically ejected from President Bush's re-election rally, but then arrested, handcuffed and taken to jail. It was stunning. My outrage reduced me to tears, and still does.

That is when I decided to run for Congress! Read More

Army Mom Challenges Delay's Last Disciple

Mary Beth Harrell TX CD31

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Tuesday January 24, 2006 · 5:34 AM PST

2006/01/24 · 05:34

An Army wife and mom, I'm running as the Democratic candidate for Congress against Republican incumbent John Carter in central Texas.

About two weeks ago, Carter told a local audience that Delay's departure as House Majority leader was a terrible blow to Texas. A terrible blow? Texas ranks last in just about every category: education, growth, home-ownership, but we do rank high in teen pregnancy and high school dropouts. Delay and Carter have obviously done a lot for Texas. Read More

ARMY MOM/CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE SPEAKS OUT ON ISSUES

Mary Beth Harrell TX CD31

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Monday January 02, 2006 · 5:08 AM PST

2006/01/02 · 05:08

In my last post, I spoke about running as a Democrat and winning with the support of veterans, many of whom normally vote Republican. Several folks responded with their support and one, OrangeClouds115, asked me to state my position on specific issues. Let me do so now.

I support Jack Murtha's position on Iraq. There are no easy answers, but there is a right way to leave Iraq. We must set milestones and take concrete steps for the reduction and strategic redeployment of our troops in the mid-east. I hate to be thoughtful about this, but let me refer you to the Center for American Progress and their paper on "Strategic Redeployment - A Progressive Plan for Iraq." It's a plan I would back in Congress.

Mary Beth Harrell TX CD31

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Monday December 19, 2005 · 5:52 AM PST

2005/12/19 · 05:52

Today I filed my candidacy for US Congress in Texas against Republican incumbent John Carter. And despite DeLay's best efforts to gerrymander Texas into a one-party state, I will win this election because of veterans like retired Army Chaplain Dan DeBlock and retired Marine Gunnery Sergeant Dennis "Gunny" Andrews. Read More

Soldier's Mom & Congressional Candidate: "How Bush Divides Us."

Mary Beth Harrell TX CD31

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Monday December 12, 2005 · 5:28 AM PST

2005/12/12 · 05:28

In my last post I wrote that our son, Rob, had just been deployed to what my husband and I now know is a meaningless war in Iraq. Funny thing: my husband, Bob, bristled when he read the word "meaningless." He challenged me about it and we argued. I was genuinely confused because I thought we'd agreed about that. Then I realized this is how the Bush Administration divides us from one another in their public relations war. Let me explain.
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"My Son's in Iraq and I'm Running for Congress in Texas"

Mary Beth Harrell TX CD31

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Tuesday December 06, 2005 · 6:54 AM PST

2005/12/06 · 06:54

On the day the President delivered his speech to a captive audience of Naval Academy cadets, we said good-bye to our oldest boy, Rob, as he headed off for the war in Iraq. My husband, Bob, a Reagan Republican and retired Army warrant officer, was furious. He's fed up with the empty rhetoric that is sending our son to fight what we now know is a meaningless war.

My opponent, John Carter, recently called the war "a huge success." Over 2000 American soldiers killed. At least 15,000 wounded, many grievously. Over 200 billion of our tax dollars spent to invade and occupy Iraq, while the insurgency grows daily and the killing skyrockets. Read More

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