Pete Ashdown

Driving back from Callao, Utah on a moonless night, I looked out my driver’s side window and saw lights on the mountain in the distance. I struggled to understand why the mountains were sparkled with tiny dots, then I realized I was looking at the stars.

I stopped the car at the side of the road, turned off the ignition, and stepped outside into the darkness. The sky hit my eyes like a power chord from Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. It had been many years since I was far away enough from a city or traffic to actually see the milky way.

Suddenly it all came back to me. This was the end of a journey that had started in the spring of 2005. Travelling town to town, learning more, understanding Utah.

Callao was spectacular. I had never visited a town so small, yet overwhelmingly beautiful. Unpaved streets, no municipality, no police force, a one-room schoolhouse, and the most serene desert landscape you can imagine. Fighting for their very existence against the state of Nevada who wishes to drain their home of what little water exists for lawns in Las Vegas. A drilling exercise that would be suitable for an episode of the Simpsons if it weren’t so tragic. These committed Utahns continue their battle in spite of an ignorant congressional delegation that claims it is “conservative”. If this small group’s way of life is not deserving of conservation, then I have a hard time understanding exactly what is being conserved.

They talked to me about water, but then they told me so much more. The teacher of 19 years told me her dozen or so students are held to “No Child Left Behind” standards, which they can not meet because one child is autistic. They spoke of the war, the economy, energy, agriculture, ranching, and the fact that they have been promised fast Internet, but still have to rely on dial-up. I was taken aback that although they were geographically remote, they were in no way distant.

Their plight reminded me of one of the first campaign trips I took, to Bicknell, Torrey, and Teasdale. I went to campaign, but I also wanted to see BIFF, a decade long film festival that is more party than cinematic expose. At the closing night bash, I was introduced to a supportive audience and had a fine time. As I was leaving the party, a man called out to me, “Hey! Ashdown!” I turned to meet him. He worked for the local municipal electric company and told amazing tales of reliable service and rates that hadn’t changed in nearly a decade. I thanked him for his interest in the campaign and said goodbye. As I turned to my car, he said one more thing that will stay with me forever.

“When you win, don’t forget about us. Don’t forget about the little guy.”

I haven’t and I won’t.

This came in today:

Her mother writes, “My girl is fascinated by this race.” “She even made me cut out Pete’s photos from today’s paper and put them on our refrigerator — after I read her the articles. My politically-informed 4-year old!”

A small discussion erupted in comments on my daughter’s YouTube commercial. Since YouTube limits responses to 500 characters, I decided to respond here.

I’m sorry the ad offended you.

At the beginning of October, I joined Sgt. Marshall Thompson through Davis County on his protest walk through the state. It has also been my honor to talk with many returning GI’s and stand for their voices. It is all too easy for many to discard what these men and women say, but I deeply value their perspective. I have spent time with them, attended funerals, and spoken publicly for taking care of them logistically now and after they return.

I hope you have taken the time to read my online journal, look at my press releases, read interviews with me, and watch the debates. Frankly, I started this 30 second commercial on a serious tone and realized that nobody would care and it would just be written off as another candidate yakking about what all candidates yak about. In fact, I recorded six of these style of commercials and got next to no response. The press releases I have written on serious topics like decrying acceptance of torture as an interrogation tactic have been ignored wholesale by the press. However if I paint my old motorhome, hold a benefit dinner for the hungry, do something different, something unique, everyone is all over it. “American Idol” vs. “Frontline”, what is more popular?

The radio version of this has already received extra press and is being passed around, and that is the goal. When you’re on a tight budget, it is creativity and guerrilla tactics that get you attention, not the same old recipe that Democrats have been losing on for years.

“You can please some of the people all of the time, all of the people some of the time, but you can never please all of the people all of the time.” This is never truer than for a candidate. I consistently receive praise and criticism from all sides. I take it all in, respond to as much of it as I can, then try to do what my heart tells me is right.

Last week I personally canvassed much of Beaver, Emery and Carbon counties. Many other volunteers have been working to do the same in Salt Lake, Cache, Davis, Utah, and Washington counties. It has been energizing to meet so many good people going door to door and hear their concerns that seem to usually be swept under the rug by government.

Chris Vanocur conducted an informal debate last Wednesday which was broadcast this Sunday on his show, “On the Record”. If you missed it, here is an online recording. When your entire life seems to be leading up to a single day in November, all the months seem to blend into November. Pardon the gaff.

On the other hand, when you don’t know the Senate Banking Committee are who reported shipments of anthrax and botulism to Iraq in the 80’s, and you can remember your words against immigration amnesty in 1984, but not why Iraq was taken off the list of terrorist nations in 1982, I suppose mixing up a month is much more forgivable.

KUTV will be conducting a live debate at their studios on Main Street between 2nd and 3rd South at 6:30 PM on Tuesday. It will be conducted outside weather permitting. Arrive by 6:00 PM and bring warm clothing and your “Ashdown for Senate” t-shirts!

On a lighter note, watch me cook enchiladas on KSL’s “Studio 5”. 10,000 calorie per serving recipe is here.

Finally, if you can bear tunes getting stuck in your head, here is the campaign jingle being run as a 30 second commercial spot. If you really like it, you can join my daughter Madeleine by making it your ringtone.

Greetings from Richfield, Utah. Today my wife, young daughter and I will travel to Koosharem, to Torrey, to Castle Dale in order to drum up more rural awareness and support. Then it is back to Salt Lake City to record debate #2 on KTVX Channel 4 which will be broadcast next Sunday, the 22nd at 9:30 AM. Be sure you also catch my live interview on KCPW at 9:00 AM on Wednesday and I’ll also be on KSL Studio 5 at 11:00 AM.

The campaign raised over $100,000 in the last quarter thanks to your help. The majority of this were small donations. I have squeezed every dime to distribute thousands of yard signs, travel over 20,000 miles, send tens of thousands of mailings, and distribute over 50,000 pieces of campaign literature, buttons, post cards, and stickers. In addition, a 30 second radio ad will be airing in Carbon County and Millard County starting today. This ad will be aired on KSL radio starting next week.

I still need your help. If you haven’t donated before, or its been a while, or if you’re just simply feeling generous, now would be a good time. In three weeks we’ll have the election and I would like to distribute another 5,000 yard signs, get more radio time, and air a television commercial. This will require another $100,000. If you can not donate, then please work to spread the word to at least 100 people who haven’t heard of my campaign in the next three weeks.

THANK YOU for your continued support. I will be honored to be your next U.S. Senator from Utah.

Donate Here

Literature to Print

The debate video from October 11th has been edited and placed online. You can see it here. Keep in mind that when it comes to shooting video, we are rank amateurs. If you’re interested only in the content, you may want to simply listen to the audio here. Many thanks to Adam for his editing work and Justin for his camera work.

A more professionally done video has just come out of the oven. I want to thank Cameron, Lydia, and Jordan for their hard work on this one. It is my nomination by Bill Orton and the speech I gave after at the Democratic Convention last May. You can watch it here.

ST. GEORGE, UTAH – The Spectrum and Cedar City Daily News are sponsoring a debate between Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and Democratic candidate Pete Ashdown from 10:50 to 11:40 a.m. Wednesday at Tuacahn’s indoor auditorium, 1100 N. Tuacahn Drive in Ivins.

Questions from the community are being solicited through Saturday to pose to the candidates. Please contact editorial page editor Jennifer Weaver at (435) 674-6202 or e-mail jeweaver@thespectrum.com with your questions.

A late night tonight with an infant daughter who woke up in a coughing fit. My wife Robin gives her some medicine while I down another “Airborne” in an effort to ward off potential bugs. My schedule has been extremely busy these days and it is hard to find enough time to eat, let alone sleep. Yet I pick up the laptop tonight because my mind has fallen out of neutral gear.

Sorting through my email, I find another example of immigration service bungling. Another law-abiding individual who tried to go through the legal immigration system is being harassed by INS and readied for deportation. In spite of the media frenzy over Mark Foley, the real scar on America these days is the detainee treatment bill that has gone ignored since ABC made the evening news X-rated. A congress that can’t agree on sensible immigration reform has plenty of time to savage American ideals at the behest of the executive branch, all while they bumble over their inability to monitor their own members’ Internet use inside the capitol complex.

When I was recruited to the Salt Lake Rotary Club, I was a bit taken aback by the reciting of the pledge before the meeting. It had literally been decades since I had said those words. College and business hadn’t given much call for it in the day-to-day. The words are not forgotten, having been imprinted on my mind in grade school, but they mean so much more to me now. As I watch individuals being yanked from the American dream for no good reason and foreign prisoners assumed to be guilty before proven innocent, I look for the simple foundation of the ideals I hold dear.

“With liberty and justice for all.” Did Francis Bellamy make a mistake in 1892? Did he mean to write, “With liberty and justice for only Americans?” I don’t believe so. I don’t believe the founding fathers were ruminating over keeping their ideals bound solely to our shores when they risked their lives to plant liberty in the soil of a new nation. As Americans we are set to a higher standard, not only in how we treat our fellow man, but especially in how we treat the accused and the immigrant.

I believe that those who wish to do harm to the innocent should be locked away for a very long time. I believe that if you commit a felony while waiting for citizenship then that opportunity should be revoked. But justice should be swift and it should be fair. Punishing the guilty does not require abusing the innocent. Throughout the wrangling in our nation’s capitol over how to treat the enemy combatants I never once heard the words, “Do to others what you would have them do to you.” Although many advocate American law being rooted in the Bible, the “Golden Rule” is consistently forgotten, or perhaps it has been replaced by another “Golden Rule”, “He who has the gold makes the rules.”

The final crunch of this campaign is here. The billboards for the incumbent proclaiming his ownership of all good adjectives have appeared. I ask of you two simple things, tell everyone you know and meet of this campaign and always reach out to those who are need. If you wish to help a law-abiding individual doing his best to live and build the American dream, then give some consideration to Guillermo Colmenero. Email his supporters Terry and Ruby.

The campaign is currently engaged in a registration push for new voters. Several stylish and artistic registration flyers for campus bulletin boards, clubs, schools, and elsewhere have been designed by my lovely and talented wife Robin. They are all available for download and printing here.

In addition, the same literature I use for canvassing and events is available for you to download and print. This is especially useful in educating friends, neighbors, and associates about my campaign for U.S. Senate. You can either get it in an 8.5″x11″ size suitable for most printers or use what I use, in 11″x17″. Most print shops can either take these files from you on CD or USB drive, or download them directly from the website if you want to really get busy. Alternatively, if you want to pick up literature for distribution or have us mail you some please contact the campaign staff.