Kurita 2006: Spinning and Nursing

A press release I just received from the Rosalind Kurita campaign (Kurita is a Democrat in the Tennessee State Senate who is running for the U.S. Senate in 2006) reads:

Our August 3 Democratic Primary opponent Harold Ford, Jr. released preliminary reports about how much he raised too, but lots of his support came from outside Tennessee.

Political Money Line reports that 42 percent of Ford contributions came from outside the state

OUR RESPONSE: While Ford's fund raising in Chicago, Sen. Kurita is meeting people in Chattanooga. And while he's having events in Dallas, she's having events in Dresden."

I agree with the Kurita campaign that candidates should seek contributions primarily from within the state they serve, but Senator Kurita hasn't always been so insistent on limiting fundraising outside the Volunteer State. When a group of Nashville bloggers (including myself) met with Senator Kurita in August, she boasted about the out-of-state contributions she'd received. Either the campaign has had a change of heart or the outside money stopped coming in.

Nationally, Democrats assume that Ford will be the nominee and that he has a realistic shot of winning what is currently Bill Frist's seat in the Senate. (This comment from Daily Kos does a good job of explaining the current political dynamics in Tennessee.)

Back to the press release: The Kurita Campaign's possible flip-flopping aside, as the husband of a nurse, I appreciate Kurita's pride in her profession. (Kurita is a registered nurse.)

In 1964, Senator Kurita worked as a Candy Striper at Midland Memorial Hospital. Her momma told her that helping others was the best way to become the person that she wanted to be. Momma was right! Senator Kurita loved helping sick people feel better so she went to nursing school and graduated in 1968. Her nursing background taught Senator Kurita the value of a hard days work. She will apply the same work ethic to Represent the people of Tennessee in the US Senate.

Senator Rosalind Kurita will be the only nurse serving in the US Senate if she wins the General Election on November 8.

The United States definitely needs more nurses; in my opinion, we need more nurses in public office. Kurita should emphasize her professional background; it sets her apart from the career politicians she is running against.