Yesterday (August 12), I received an email from Hollywood Web producer Brent Roske. He informed me that he wanted me to cover him for his race to represent the 33rd Congressional District, which stretches from Agoura Hills all the way down the Santa Monica Bay to Palos Verdes, but also includes West Torrance, where I live, a newly-drawn district (or gerrymander, depending on your feelings about being joined to constituencies by the thin strand of Dockweiler Beach) recently won by Westside fixture Congressman Henry Waxman.
I have been covering Waxman for a long time. When I learned that he was campaigning to represent me, I did everything that I could short of run against him myself to stop him. I knocked on doors for Bloomfield and made phone calls. I even spoke with constituents in Palos Verdes, Torrance, Redondo Beach, and Santa Monica to get the word out.
Roske officially declared his intent to run on August 9 in Malibu, another section of the new 33rd, but a long-time section of Waxman’s outreach. Then again, the Congressman had not visited the Malibu coast in four years until 2012, with the likelihood of an independent from Manhattan Beach taking his seat.
I also started a blog “Waxman Watch” (waxmanwatch.blogspot.com) to cover the campaign and record Waxman’s previous gaffes and policies, many of which remain inimical to the best interests of the state of California, his constituents, the country, and above all the Constitution. I was surprised when someone else mentioned my blog. South Bay Beach Cities publication The Beach Reporter highlighted my attendance at a January, 2013 town hall meeting in Hermosa Beach, one sponsored by the Beach Cities Democratic Club, which hosted Congressman Waxman after his election victory. A few members mentioned me to the club President, who tried to get me to sign in as a member of the Press, which I refused to do, since I am a private citizen reporting on a public figure.
(http://tbrnews.com/news/hermosa_beach/waxman-holds-town-hall-in-hermosa-beach/article_4facf85c-6bd7-11e2-94b8-0019bb2963f4.html)
Roske shot me an email, along with two articles about his intentions to run. Interesting. At least someone’s out there willing to put up a fight.
Or is he?
I asked him some questions about key issues relating to Santa Monica Bay residents. Does he support the Subway to the Sea? What are his thoughts about Obamacare? His views on marriage and abortion? How about all of those homeless veterans in the Los Angeles area, who still do not have a home at the Brentwood VA, where they belong?
No answer, yet.
I looked over a Variety.com piece which announced Roske’s intent to run.
(http://variety.com/2013/more/news/web-producer-to-challenge-henry-waxman-for-congressional-seat-1200561145/)
I was not pleased with what I read.
“He is running as an independent, placing emphasis on entertainment industry issues like runaway production.”
The entertainment industry is important, I get that. He wants to run as an independent. Bloomfield did exactly that, and still voters did not trust him. One resident in Manhattan Beach, a transplant from Beverly Hills, shared his reservations, even though he was still upset about Waxman’s blocking the Subway to the Sea. Another voter in Venice told me that every politician has someone backing him. “Independent” alone does not guarantee trust.
Then I read:
“Waxman isn’t a bad guy but he was elected the year I was born. He’s had enough time, and he should be running in Maryland which is where he lives,” Roske said.”
Are you kidding me? Roske is French-kissing the Congressman the same way that Romney practically French-kissed President Obama during their third debate in the 2012 election. If Roske thinks he’s a good guy, then why run? Why should I vote for him?
Waxman lives in Maryland. So does US Senator Ed Markey, yet he won the special election to replace John Kerry by ten points, notwithstanding. Maryland as a home address is not enough to unseat an incumbent. Give me a break!
He’s proposing that if he wins, he will “share” the position with Waxman for the first year, a type of mentorship. Waxman told Roll Call last month, “I appreciate his kind words about my work in Congress. I also appreciate Mr. Roske’s novel proposal and will think about it some more, but I suspect there would be workability issues.”
Congressman Henry Waxman’s “workability” issues include his uncouth behavior with colleagues. But then there’s Roske’s basic views:
My politics are pretty basic: keep your hands off my God, my body, my income and my personal life. (http://roskeforcongress.com/)
Waxman’s tenure has been inimical to all of these precepts, from mandating health insurance purchases to taxing carbon credits, to ignore homeless veterans, to voting for wars. Why does Roske claim that Waxman is a good guy?
Yet if the web producer likes Waxman so much, why not forget the campaign and pop the big question:
“Henry Waxman, will you marry me?
Prop 8 was just invalidated, and a polygamous hook-up will probably not ruffle Waxman too much, since Roske does not plan on running against Waxman’s record, but actually praises it!
While Roske plans for a wedding, I’m still waiting for a real challenger to Waxman in 2014.
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