Campaign Blog

Dear Friends,

In record numbers, Louisville went to the polls and sent a clear message that we are ready for real change in this country. Yesterday's success would not have been possible without your work or the efforts of thousands of volunteers in this community who are ready to take our country back.

I am grateful that you have again chosen to allow me to serve my hometown and thank you for making these last two years the best of my life. I promise to continue my fight to get government back on the side of working families and keep Louisville moving forward.

Sincerely,

Congressman Yarmuth celebrated his birthday a day early at the Democratic Headquarters on Monday. He personally filled out his special-made ballot cake, and shared it (and cheer) with Get Out the Vote volunteers.

On Sunday, Congressman Yarmuth joined State Senator Perry Clark and State Representative Larry Clark for a final South End canvass before Election Day. Support was strong as John, Larry, and Perry walked door-to-door and chatted with voters.

Congressman Yarmuth spent most of the day Saturday at events in the South End. He began at Joni Jenkins's "Breakfast of Champions" event, and then went on to visit the Democratic Party's Get Out the Vote staging location for the South End. John greeted volunteers and thanked them for their efforts to get everyone to the polls for this historic election.

John also attended a chili supper in Okolona and a rally at the Iroquois Park Ampitheater with Governor Beshear, Bruce Lunsford, Ashley Judd, and a huge assortment of Democratic candidates and officials up and down the ballot. He spoke about the importance of voting for change on Tuesday -- and earned one of the only standing ovations of the day!

State Senator Gerald Neal hosted a great event for Congressman Yarmuth on Friday at the Stephen Foster Senior Living Apartments, located at 40th and Garland Avenue. Victoria Hamilton, the campaign's West End Organizer, spoke about the importance of getting out the vote in this historic election, and Stephen Foster Apartments owner Clifford Turner wowed the crowd with his recitation of Congressman Yarmuth's first-term accomplishments.

Congressman Yarmuth then addressed the crowd and fielded last-minute questions lingering on the minds of the residents. To cap the night, he enjoyed a delicious meal of Bar-B-Que ribs with members of the audience and Senator Neal.

This past Wednesday, Attorney General Jack Conway, Bruce Lunsford, and your own Congressman John Yarmuth addressed an energized crowd at the American Legion Highlands Post for an annual tradition: a rally with the Metro Democratic Club. Kentucky Democratic Party Chair Jennifer Moore called for supporters of our campaign to fight like we are down ten points in the polls, and audience members used their cell phones in between speakers to recruit Get Out the Vote volunteers for these final, critical days.

This is proving to be one of the most exciting and historic elections of our lives -- not just for the nation but here in our own Bluegrass State, where we can once again turn the Bluegrass Blue!

On any given night it is not uncommon to see seventeen-year-old William Ginsberg staffing the Yarmuth phone bank to the very end of the shift. An Atherton High School Junior, William, who has aspirations to work in international relations or a business-related field, has spent about two nights a week in the campaign office since Labor Day--a total of over 50 volunteer hours! That may seem like a lot of time, but for someone who had been volunteering on presidential campaigns since he was nine, 50 hours is likely a drop in the bucket.

When asked why he chose to donate his time to the Yarmuth campaign this year, William recounted a trip he made with his synagogue to Washington last May. The group was slated to meet with "all" of their local elected officials in Washington, and while he met many aides, Congressman Yarmuth was the only representative who appeared in the flesh. The impression was a lasting one, and William has been dedicated to the Yarmuth effort ever since.

"The older I get, the issues become more important--this election more than any affects me and my generation," William shared. "The war in Iraq, and most importantly the economy are both on my mind, and Congressman Yarmuth 'gets' what the problems are, and he offers practical solutions to them. A lot of Democrats tend to be idealistic rather than practical--Congressman Yarmuth's definitely the latter."

Catch William on the phone banks now until Election Day by volunteering yourself! Call 502.581.0001, e-mail volunteer@yarmuthforcongress.com, or stop by any night this week.

This past weekend, the Yarmuth Campaign had a presence all over town. The campaign hosted events in Riverview Park in the South End and Berrytown Park in the East End; teams of canvassers swept through whole neighborhoods drumming up support for the campaign, and visibility crews blanketed UnityFest, the University of Louisville homecoming game, and other community events with "Keep Louisville Yarmuth" t-shirts and stickers.

Thanks to all your support, we are well-positioned to achieve Victory in '08 so John Yarmuth can keep Louisville moving forward. As you know though, victory is far from guaranteed. The bottom line is: if people vote, Congressman Yarmuth wins and continues to fight for our community in Congress. But if we don't Get Out The Vote (GOTV) on Election Day, we risk losing everything.

We need your help in the final days of the campaign by going door to door, making phone calls, and serving as a leader in our 2008 GOTV effort. To register yourself, your family, and your friends to volunteer for our GOTV effort, log onto www.YarmuthForCongress.com/GOTV today.

It's been an exciting week on the campaign, one that kicked off with an announcement from the League of Conservation Voters' (LCV) that our opponent, Anne Northup, would be named to its annual "Dirty Dozen" list. LCV sent their Deputy Legislative Director, Tim Greeff, to Louisville to compare Congressman Yarmuth's record on renewable energy with Anne's.

The week closed today with a unique event--the "Republicans for Yarmuth" Leadership Committee joined Congressman Yarmuth to phone bank Republican and Independent voters in Louisville. Committee Chair Jack Andrews, 1986 Republican Senate nominee for Kentucky, was also on hand to make calls.

We have less than three weeks now to KEEP LOUISVILLE YARMUTH--so please join our efforts in this final stretch!

The campaign took out its own gallery for the Downtown Trolly Hop last week and took the event by storm.  The FB-3 building was jumping with the tunes of DJ Alex Bell, live mural painting by local artists, and plenty of stickering by the Yarmuth for Congress team! Scores of trolley hoppers sported "Keep Louisville Yarmuth" stickers and chowed down on the great food that complimented the "Democratic Art" on display. Congressman Yarmuth was even able to make the tail end of the event after a long week working on the economic recovery plan in Washington. The artwork and live murals from the Hop may be seen at campaign headquarters until Election Day.

Last week Yarmuth for Congress officially announced its "Keep Louisville Yarmuth" campaign with a free concert and rally at ear X-tacy on Bardstown Road.

Flying to Washington at the last minute to vote on the economic recovery bill, Congressman Yarmuth was absent from the event, but several prominent supporters were on-hand to speak on his behalf.

Among them were former Republican U.S. Senate nominee Jackson Andrews, Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Horne, 4th District Councilman and emcee David Tandy, and others. You can watch a portion of the rally (and hear The Genius File and The Ladybirds) at www.yarmuthforcongress.com/KLY.