Roy Carter's Live Blog

Written by: Roy C on Aug 12, 2008 6:04 PM EDT

Hi folks,

Roy Carter here. I'm thrilled to be back here at Blog for America.

http://www.democracyforamerica.com/campaigns/2484

First, I want to let everyone at Democracy for Tennessee and DFA Knoxville know that they've been in my thoughts and prayers since the tragic shooting at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church. They're not only my neighbors—living right over the mountain and across the border—I consider them a part of my extended Democracy for America family. This is a family that has warmly welcomed and accepted me, and one that has helped me as I have progressed through this campaign to represent North Carolina's Fifth Congressional District in the United States Congress.

I began my campaign on Labor Day last year because I have a passion to serve the hard working families of my area.  

This is a whole new experience for me, and this is the first August in forty years that I have not been out on a practice field in the sweltering heat preparing teenagers for football season, or preparing lesson plans for another year of teaching High School science.

But, it was my students who inspired me to run.

In the words of Dean, "To get an A+ you have to run for office yourself...If ordinary folks like you don't run people from the right wing will."

Well, I'm about as ordinary as they come, and I jumped into this race because it was the right thing to do, for my students, for my district, and for my country.

Year after year my students would step into the classroom with in worn shoes, and in the same tattered jeans and ragged shirts. Many were dropping out of school to work and support their families.

I am running for Congress because we have to fix this economy. We have to end No Child Left Behind. We have to make college more affordable, stop Global Warming, end the war, and by-God prevent any others.

I took Dean up on his challenge to ordinary Americans to run for office themselves if they wanted to change things. I competed in and won your support in DFA's Grassroots All-Star Competition, and won one of my most cherished endorsements.

It was a heck of a primary, one graced by the presence of Jim Dean for a rally.

And now we are in the full swing of things working day and night, knocking on doors and driving down dirt roads to defeat right wing extremist Virginia Foxx.

But this evening I wanted to come back here, basically where I first started, to build momentum and do live blog with my friends.

I hope that you will enjoy the conversation. If you like my answers, please consider making a contribution to my campaign. It will help put me over the top in a very close race.

'Coach Carter

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