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Our Silver Stars are dedicated students helping elect Rodney Glassman to United States Senate!
Silver Stars are enrolled into an intense 3-month campaign program: respectively in Field, Operations, Finance, Communications, Advance, and Scheduling. Interns undergo campaign training to learn about the Arizona campaign process and strengthen personal skill sets to achieve their goals.
Silver Stars are expected to undergo 30 hours/week and have an opportunity to meet distinguished leaders nationwide.
Silver Star I — Summer Program for students interested the mechanics of a campaign.
Silver Star II — Fall Program for students interested in strategic campaign initiatives.
Application Process
Download the PDF application
Applications for the Silver Star I Program are due by Friday, June 11th
Applications for the Silver Star II Program are due by Friday, August 6th.
Next Step
Confirmation emails are sent by Sunday, June 13th and on August 8th.
Interns must arrive and check into Headquarters, located at 1027 East Washington Street in Phoenix, AZ, on or before Tuesday, June 15th and Tuesday, August 10th to receive further details.
Official Training for Silver Star I Interns, begins immediately on Wednesday, June 16th.
Official Training for Silver Star II Interns, begins immediately on Wednesday, August 11th.
Further Inquiries
For more information please contact Dalena, Director of Silver Stars, at DalenaC@RodneyGlassman.com.
We welcome students from around the country to participate in this opportunity to help Arizona and be a part of the true Democratic process!!
John McCain is beatable, just as Bob Bennett was in Utah, as Arlen Specter was in Pennsylvania, as Blanche Lincoln was in Arkansas, you get the idea.This is the Year of Bye-Bye-Incumbent.
And who defines the corrupt DC establishment better than John Sidney McCain? That would be the very same J Sid who voted against Wall Street reform. [Note: Link to accompanying article is now broken] Yes, that corrupt DC establishment candidate:
In the Senate vote, four Republicans sided with the Democrats for approval: Susan Collins, Olympia Snowe, Charles Grassley and Scott Brown.
Now that we’ve established who the establishment is, we have to establish who isn’t. Think… think… who could beat Gramm-pa (as in Phil) aka “The Fundamentals of the Economy are Strong” McCain?
Why, Rodney Glassman could. And who is this Rodney Glassman I speak of?
This comes via an e-mailed press release internal polling memo (please note, edited to correct). Consider it an introduction:
He can win based on his appeal as a candidate as well as polling data that has been done to date in Arizona that shows he can beat both Republican candidates. [...]
McCain is vulnerable as a majority of voters in Arizona dislike him, disapprove of the job he is doing as U.S. Senator, and are not inclined to vote to re-elect him. This provides an opportunity for Rodney Glassman to defeat the 28-year incumbent. [...]
Even if McCain can pull out a victory, this bodes well for Glassman’s campaign prospects.
–Most incumbents who lose in the general election had previously faced a contentious primary election. The fact that McCain is going through a bruising primary that will likely remain close means he will come out of the primary with a fractured base, higher negatives, and a much smaller war chest than when he started. This is a formula for success for Rodney Glassman’s campaign as a challenger to a long-time incumbent.
–McCain is under 50 percent in the polls on multiple measurements:
–McCain is under 50 percent in the horserace vote against J.D. Hayworth among Republican primary voters in three (3) separate surveys. [...]
McCain is already under 50 percent against Rodney Glassman in a general election match-up. –McCain draws 48% to 35% for Glassman in the DailyKos/Research 2000 poll conducted in April.
–The margin is similar in the PPP poll – 49% for McCain to 33% for Glassman.
Oh, and just for good measure, let’s not forget the wealth of information that Cliff Schecter provided in his book The Real McCain. Let’s not ignore J Sid’s infamous temper. And don’t get me started about his tasteless sense of humor [sic]. All these things work against him, and besides, they’re just fun to reminisce about. Oh, but I digress…
As for J.D. Hayworth, here are a few noteworthy little tidbits:
Glassman will have an even better opportunity to pick up the seat for Democrats.
–Glassman already leads Hayworth in one poll and is tied with him in another.
–Glassman leads Hayworth 42% to 39% among likely voters in the PPP poll done in late April.
–Glassman is statistically tied with Hayworth – 42% for Glassman to 43% for Hayworth – in the DailyKos/Research 2000 poll.
–Hayworth is deeply unpopular.
–According to the PPP poll, half of general election voters currently have an unfavorable opinion of Hayworth and more than twice as many dislike him as like him (23% favorable, 50% unfavorable).
Let’s not forget – Hayworth was named one of the most corrupt members of Congress by an independent watchdog group and lost his Congressional seat in 2006 in large part due to his corrupt record and his dealings with convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
One additional point from the memo: Glassman is fairly popular with general election voters in Arizona.
And there you have it. If you hadn’t been aware of Rodney Glassman, you are now. McCain and Hayworth must be defeated. That’s a given.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 21, 2010
McCain Sides With Wall Street, Votes Against Financial Reform
PHOENIX, Ariz. — U.S. Sen. John McCain once again made good on a promise not to work across the aisle this year when he voted to protect Wall Street bankers from the very reforms which are necessary to prevent future bailouts.
In voting against Wall Street reform that was produced through bipartisan efforts, McCain only carried water for the biggest contributors of his failed 2008 presidential campaign. McCain took $11 million from Wall Street firms, and today he stood with his old friends from 2008 instead of the state he wants to serve for the next six years.
During his 2008 campaign, McCain told the American people, “the fundamentals of the economy are strong,” the very same day Lehman Brothers collapsed, putting the entire global financial system at risk. While campaigning, McCain also said “The issue of economics is not something I’ve understood as well as I should.” Senator, we believe you.
“Arizonans are still hurting from the economic collapse that McCain still doesn’t seem to understand,” said U.S. Senate Candidate Rodney Glassman. “The last thing the people from Page to Yuma need are more banks going under with high-risk bets on Wall Street and taking Main Street jobs with them. Wall Street banks don’t need another U.S. Senator, but Arizona sure could use two — something our state hasn’t had in years.”
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 20, 2010
Rodney Glassman Files 14,217 Signatures, Qualifies in All 15 Counties for Arizona U.S. Senate Race
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Thursday, Rodney Glassman filed nominating petitions with the Arizona Secretary of State for the Arizona U.S. Senate race.
Glassman filed 14,217 signatures on his nominating petitions and qualified in all 15 counties. Candidates for U.S. Senate in Arizona only need to qualify in three counties, and only 5,214 signatures are required.
“I am humbled by the number of people who have come forward to support our campaign. Washington is broken and Arizona needs new leadership that will make finding solutions to our problems a priority. This campaign is about all of us working together to make a brighter future for Arizona,” said Glassman. “Thank you to all of the volunteers who worked hard to gather signatures and spread our campaign’s message. Your success today is proof that Arizonans are ready for a new direction.”
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A young candidate running a campaign against John McCain built largely on enthusiastic supporters and grassroots energy.
Barack Obama. And, possibly, Arizona Democratic Senate candidate Rodney Glassman.
Glassman doesn’t encourage the comparison but doesn’t run from it: “Millions of people across the country contributed to a young energetic candidate running against John McCain,” recalled Glassman. By way of comparison he related the reaction he’s been getting across Arizona. “People are excited at the idea of having a senator working for Arizona, about having a senator who wants to raise a family in Arizona. They want someone who can represent Arizona’s future.”
It’s not only Glassman’s youth (he’s 32) which lends comparison to Barack Obama. As pundits questioned Obama’s experience during the presidential campaign, Glassman seems well aware that his resume, too, will be subject to question in his run for the Senate. When Glassman resigned as City Council member and Vice Mayor of Tucson (Arizona has a ‘resign to run’ law) he was in his first term and it was, and remains, the only elected office on his resume.
Glassman cast his City Council experience in a positive light, and in response to those who might question whether a one-term stint is enough of a qualification to be a United States Senator, Glassman offered a bit of a history lesson: “Joe Biden was half way through his first term as a councilmember when he decided to run for the senate. And Arizona’s own Barry Goldwater was halfway through his first term when he ran for the Senate, and he defeated a powerful incumbent and Senate Majority Leader.”
In an interview given shortly before officially submitting papers as a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, Glassman brimmed with optimism and energy as he discussed his reasons for taking on the challenge of defeating McCain, a nationally known four-term senator and former presidential candidate.
Whether intentionally or not, his reasons for running sometimes echoed those given by Barack Obama. Glassman cited his family’s commitment to community service, speaking of his father’s involvement on the board of the Boy Scouts and his mother’s service on the board of a local children’s hospital; Glassman himself is the founder of an Arizona children’s foundation.
Glassman speaks of himself as a consensus builder; among the emails he received after resigning from the City Council to run for Senate were two that Glassman says stuck with him.
“One was from a member of our local labor federation, who said they were saddened that I was leaving because they saw me as a voice of labor. The other was from the president of the Tucson Chamber of Commerce, who said they were saddened I was leaving because they saw me as a voice of the business community.”
That, he said was an example of what he sees as the responsibility of an elected official, whether on a city council or in the U.S. Senate, “to listen to people, and to work with everyone. And when you’re fortunate enough to be elected a U.S. Senator, you owe it to your constituents to try and work with all sides.”
Has John McCain been doing that?
“I know John McCain hasn’t done it because he said so in his own words, he said, ‘I will not work with the other side.” Glassman believes Arizonans are looking for someone with a different approach.
“I meet people across Arizona who want a senator who’s passionate about working with everyone instead of being passionate about running away from everyone.”
But Glassman’s also “proud to be a Democrat,” and spoke of his track record supporting labor, the environment and reproductive rights. One of his first backers was Arizona Congressman Raul Grijalva, co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (early in his career Glassman worked for Grijalva as a congressional aide). Yet Glassman again spoke of listening to both sides of a debate.
“Everywhere I go, everyone’s looking for elected officials willing to champion good ideas, no matter who presents them,” Glassman said. “And while on the City Council, I gained a reputation for not simply supporting or opposing ideas along partisan lines.”
Glassman feels consensus building is the only way to arrive at a comprehensive solution to illegal immigration, the issue that has thrust Arizona into the nation’s spotlight. Glassman spoke of the complexities of the immigration issue, saying he understood immigration law as a lawyer and as an active member of the military (Glassman currently serves as a Judge Advocate General, or JAG, officer in the United States Air Force), and the economics of immigration from working as a consultant in Arizona’s home building industry and serving on the board of the state’s Farm Bureau.
He spoke of the support he’s gathered in the Latino community, including endorsements from over 30 Latino elected officials and the backing of civil rights icon Dolores Huerta, who worked alongside Cesar Chavez fighting for farm workers rights (in an official statement Glassman called Huerta’s support “truly an honor”).
However, despite his campaign’s formation of two Hispanic support groups (Latinos con Glassman and Latino Leadership Council) the Democratic candidate sidestepped the controversy surrounding SB1070, Arizona’s new immigration law, choosing instead to focus on Washington D.C.’s refusal to deal with the issue.
“SB1070 is an offshoot of Arizona’s frustration. The state can’t go it alone.” Saying Arizona “is pleading for a solution from Washington,” Glassman says the blame lies with the state’s senior senator
“John McCain failed us. He’s taken all sides of the immigration debate while the problem gets worse. John McCain has not been doing his job.” When asked what he would do, Glassman again returned to the idea of building consensus.
“I have credibility with a large number of stake holders in this issue. As senator I’d want to bring everyone to the table together. And I’d listen.”
Glassman claims a senator who listened to Arizonans would be a welcome change from his likely opponent (when asked about J.D. Hayworth, Glassman said the GOP choice was “between a man who’s been in D.C. 28 years and a man who was in D.C. 12 years”).
“McCain has never focused on Arizona. He built his reputation on what he doesn’t do for Arizona, on the jobs he won’t create, on the people he won’t help.”
Glassman said it saddened him to have a senator “who’s proud that he’s not focused on helping his own state when we need a senator focused on Arizona’s future.”
And while he’s quick to draw a sharp contrast between McCain’s large-scale fundraising and his own local efforts, Glassman is getting a small amount of support from outside of Arizona, with contributions coming from New York to Alaska (“It didn’t come from Sarah Palin,” he confirmed with a laugh). Glassman said the majority of his contributions are coming from the people he wants to represent, and again contrasts that to his likely opponent:
“McCain has accepted millions and millions of dollars in contributions from the largest financial entities in the country and the largest insurance entities in the country. We’re raising money from people who are excited about the idea of someone representing them.”
When talking about meeting the people of Arizona the Democratic candidate was expressive and enthusiastic, calling it “a spectacular experience.” But Rodney Glassman was at his most animated when he talked about one very specific reason for his candidacy: his own future, and how that impacts the people he wants to serve. “I’m the Arizona candidate. I live here. I’m recently married. My wife Sasha and I want to raise a family here in Arizona.”
And striking a tone quite reminiscent of Obama on the campaign trail, Glassman mused what it would be like “if every U.S. Senator was in a position to raise a family in the state they represented.”
“If that was the case,” said the Democratic candidate, “just imagine how much progress we would have.”
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 13, 2010
Rodney Glassman Announces Latino Leadership Council And Latinos Con Glassman
PHOENIX, AZ – The Rodney Glassman for U.S. Senate campaign announced the Latinos con Glassman and the Leadership Council, which includes business owners as well as community and state leaders. In addition to providing advice and support for Glassman’s outreach to the Latino community, the Council will work over the next several months volunteering and organizing to help Glassman defeat the Republican nominee and move Arizona forward in the U.S. Senate.
“Arizona needs a U.S. Senator who is ready to work for Arizona’s future, which is why I support Rodney Glassman. He has the experience, commitment and energy to work for Arizona’s families, businesses and veterans.,” said State Senator Olivia Cajero Bedford of Tucson.
Council member Alex Bejarano of Wellton said, “Rodney’s enthusiasm and desire to serve the people of Arizona brings a whole new meaning to leadership. I strongly believe in his ability to represent us in Washington.”
“Rodney is an exceptionally talented and knowledgeable community leader who will make a real difference serving the needs of working families throughout Arizona. As a City Councilmember and Vice Mayor, he proved time and time again that he really listens to his constituents,” said Mayor Jennifer Eckstrom of South Tucson.
Sunnyside School Board member Magdalena Barajas said, “Especially in these very challenging times, Arizona needs leadership that is progressive, ambitious and tireless. Rodney Glassman demonstrates all three.”
Latino Leadership Council
U.S. Congressman Raúl Grijalva
State Senator Amanda Aguirre of Yuma
State Representative Manny Alvarez of Elfrida
State Senator Jorge Garcia of Tucson
State Representative Phil Lopes of Tucson
State Senator Rebecca Rios of Apache Junction
State Representative Olivia Cajero Bedford of Tucson
State Representative Anna Tovar of Tolleson
County Supervisor Richard Elias of Pima County
County Supervisor Michael Pastor of Gila County
County Supervisor Ramon Valdez of Pima County
County Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox of Maricopa County
Mayor Jennifer Eckstrom of South Tucson
Mayor Marie Lopez-Rogers of Avondale
Vice Mayor Michael Nowakowski of Phoenix
Council Member Alex Bejarano of Wellton
Council Member Richard Fimbres of Tucson
Council Member Regina Romero of Tucson
Sunnyside School Board Member Magdalena Barajas
Sunnyside School Board Member Eva Carrillo Dong
Tucson Unified School District Governing Board Member Miguel Cuevas
Tucson Unified School District Governing Board Member Adelita Grijalva
Retired County Supervisor Dan Eckstrom of Pima County
Community Leader Dolores Huerta
Community Leader Alejandro Chavez
Community Leader Ruben Gallego
Community Leader Sol Gomez
Community Leader Augie Romero
And the list continues to grow.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 10, 2010
Workers’ Rights Icon Huerta Endorses Rodney Glassman
PHOENIX, Ariz. — Former Tucson Vice Mayor Rodney Glassman’s campaign for the U.S. Senate got a big boost with the endorsement of civil rights leader Dolores Huerta.
Huerta has worked for social justice for 55 years. Alongside Cesar Chavez, she was a founder of the farmworkers’ rights movement in the Southwest, and she continues to help lead that movement today.
At the 2008 Democratic National Convention, Huerta was the delegate chosen to officially put Hillary Clinton’s name into nomination for the presidency. She is president of the Dolores Huerta Foundation, which works to create sustainable communities built on social justice, and serves on the board of directors of Equality California, advancing the cause of marriage equality.
Huerta characterizes Glassman as the new kind of leader that Arizona needs.
“Rodney Glassman is not just the candidate for working families or the business community. He is not simply a candidate for Latinos, the environment or women. Rodney is the next generation of Arizona leadership because he understands the best way to bring people together is to provide everyone with a seat the table,” Heurta said.
The news humbled Glassman, as he continues a conversation with Arizona voters.
“To have the support of someone like Ms. Huerta, who so many Arizonans look up to, is truly an honor,” Glassman said. “Arizona needs a senator to serve in Washington with the same spirit Huerta served to move America forward on a path of progress.”
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