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Campaign Kick Off!

Thanks to everyone who came to the campaign kick off yesterday!

Rochester and Waterford

The Peters Campaign just got back from a night out campaigning in Rochester and Waterford, joining two fine Democratic clubs for their Holiday Parties.

Gary talked to plenty of folks who are excited for the campaign and ready to get to work. The 9th District is abuzz, with energy spilling over from Saturday's event sponsored by our state's entire Democratic Congressional delegation and news of the SEIU endorsement.

Gary was circulating nominating petitions and signing up volunteers. You can sign up to volunteer on our website, and there is even a special section on the front page of www.PetersForCongress.com for those who would like to host a house party!

If you would like to help circulate petitions, please send an email to GaryPeters@PetersForCongress.com

We are extremely close to having over 1,000 contributors! Having one thousand donors before the end of 2007 would be a huge milestone, something all of our supporters could be proud of.

Can you contribute at ActBlue today to bring us closer? Please spread the word to your family and friends! You can also mail a contribution.

Today the SEIU Michigan Council has endorsed Gary Peters, in his congressional campaign for Michigan's 9th district.

“Our members firmly believe that Gary Peters is the best candidate to represent the citizens of Michigan’s 9th District,” said Phil Thompson, SEIU Michigan State Council president and executive vice president of SEIU Local 517M. “He has a proven record of standing by working families, particularly when it comes to providing access to quality and affordable health care.”

Gary has also received the earliest Congressional endorsement from the AFL-CIO, been endorsed by the Michigan Building Trades, American Federation of Teachers, and the local Operating Engineers, Communication Workers, and Pipefitters.

Peters was proud to accept the endorsement, saying "I’m extremely pleased and honored to get the support of the SEIU Michigan State Council. The SEIU believes, as I believe, that working families deserve a voice in Washington and that it is time for a change."

Michigan's 9th District is currently represented by Joe Knollenberg. Last year Knollenberg received a dismal 0% rating on labor issues in the AFSCME House Scorecard.

Getting the endorsement was a very thorough and unique process. Gary Peters and other candidates in Michigan's 9th filled out a questionnaire, met with SEIU members who filled out assessment forms, and took part in a "Walk a Day in My Shoes" event where the candidates worked side by side with an SEIU member.

Marge Faville, the secretary-treasurer of SEIU Healthcare Michigan and the Michigan State Council treasurer, said Peters understands the struggles that SEIU members face.

“Gary Peters understands our values and our concerns,” Faville said. “He spent a day side-by-side with a home care worker as part of our endorsement process, and we were very impressed with Gary’s passion and his grasp of the issues SEIU workers face.”

Faville went on to highlight two of Gary Peters key beliefs that impressed SEIU members:
Ending the war in Iraq, and supporting children's health care.

“Gary Peters wants to end the war, bring our troops home and make sure their children get the health care they need through an expansion of the S-CHIP program. Those two issues are extremely important to SEIU members, as they are to Michiganders as a whole. Our members are excited to support a candidate who shares their vision for a better Michigan and a stronger America.” SEIU Secretary-Treasurer Marge Faville

Campaign Update

Greetings from Peters for Congress! We have been up to a whole lot, which I am excited to share with all of you.

Recently we surpassed $50,000 in donations via ActBlue! The contribution that put us over the top was only $50, and was made on November 8th. We are excited to see the support from the online community. ActBlue is a viral network?if you would like to support Gary's campaign, you can create your own personal fundraising page and direct your blog readers, friends, and family to contribute. We can track how much your own fundraising page is responsible for raising.

Even more exciting is the money being raised and friends being made within the district. We were graciously welcomed to the homes of two Peters Supporters for house parties this past weekend. At our campaign events page you can check to see if Gary will be coming to a location near you soon! If you'd like to host one, get in touch with the campaign- if you'll have us, Gary would love to meet you and your friends and talk about the race. I would especially like to thank our pals in Royal Oak's 25th precinct for the cupcakes!

Did you hear that the entire Michigan Democratic Delegation has united to throw a fund raiser for Gary Peters and Mark Schauer? You would've if you were on our email list- be sure to Stay Informed by signing up at PetersForCongress.com

No, the campaign isn't all just about money: last Wednesday Gary got a chance to speak to the Troy Democratic Club. He got to address the critical issues we are facing. He continued to call for withdrawing from Iraq immediately and safely. He called the lack of access to affordable healthcare unconscionable?a stark contrast from Joe Knollenberg, who has voted against insuring 10 million more children by expanding SCHIP. Gary spoke about protecting our environment the way only a former Sierra Club Environmentalist of the Year could, and he has the experience to hit the ground running on these issues. He talked about preserving the American dream and making sure that no generation will be worse off than their parents.

Veterans Day

This Veterans Day weekend, I noticed a post by "Gold Star Mom Speaks Out" on HR 3043.

Specifically, H.R. 3043 would provide:

* $231 million for Veterans' Employment and Training programs to assist returning veterans to find and train for good paying jobs.
* $23.6 million for the Homeless Veterans' Program. Currently 23% ofAmerica's homeless are military veterans.
* $10 million for those veterans suffering from traumatic brain injuries (TBI), for their rehabilitation, hospital care and long-term support. Thousands of returning National Guard soldiers rely on community-based systems of care that are not funded by the VA.
* $3.4 billion for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. With Army suicides recently reaching a 26 year high, our returning veterans suffering from PTSD and depression have an urgent need to rely on this funding. This bill is currently being debated on the House floor.
-Gold Star Mom Speaks Out

This bill passed both the House and the Senate, with broad bipartisan support. However the President is threatening a veto (...sound familiar?)

Joe Knollenberg voted against this bill, and against increased funding for our troops.

It's time to show our troops real support. As a former Lieutenant Commander and Seabee Combat Warfare Specialist in the U.S. Navy Reserve, Gary Peters understands that we must equip the men and women of the armed forces with the proper tools for the job and support them when they come home.

Democratic Delegation Supports Peters for Congress

Peters for Congress is proud to announce that the entire Michigan Democratic delegation will be supporting a December fundraiser for Gary Peters and Mark Schauer. The event comes weeks before the next crucial campaign finance reporting deadline.

The unity of the entire delegation, lead by Senators Levin and Stabenow, sends a strong message. DCCC polling shows that Knollenberg’s job approval is at 33%. When voters are given Gary and Joe's positions on SCHIP, Gary pulls ahead to a 7 point lead. Clearly MI-09 is a serious opportunity to expand our majority in the House.

I am thrilled to see the men and women of our Democratic Delegation stepping up to support two proven progressives.

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