Kyrsten Sinema on Principles & Values

Among "10 poorest House members," as measured by assets

These seven members are: Democrats Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, Gwen Moore of Wisconsin, John Conyers Jr. of Michigan and Gregory W. Meeks of New York, and Republicans Rick Crawford of Arkansas, Duncan Hunter of California and Louie Gohmert of Texas. These members do not have enough liabilities to drop into the 10 poorest, but their net worths range from -$15,000 (Sinema) to -$610,000 (Gohmert).

Arizona Together: defeated same-sex marriage ban

As chair, my job was to guide the campaign every day toward victory, make strategic decisions about messaging, raise money, decide how to spend the money, direct community outreach efforts, and more. We won. And by "won," I mean that we actually got more votes than the other guys. Activists battled 30 of these initiatives around the country, and we won only once. Lucky for me, it happened in Arizona.

Past Congresses worked together on bipartisan legislation

Over the past 40 years, cooperation and collaboration are rare, especially when the issue is very important. Partisanship is valued as being true to the ideals of one political party. People do not reach across the aisle to work together, much less create friendships together. Back in the super old days Congress was different. Members worked together more frequently on bipartisan legislation. And party registration was not a prerequisite to friendships or invitations to after-work gatherings. [One 1960s Congressman] wrote that he watched Hubert Humphrey and Barry Goldwater duke it out on the floor of the Senate, then leave after work to have a drink together. Today, such relationships are rare. In fact, those elected officials who do manage to maintain close friendships with members from the opposite party are often viewed as sellouts or are not trusted within their caucus because of their cozy relationship with "the other side".

Let go of the bear and pick up the Buddha

I don't think it's an easy task to alter the way we behave in politics, but I do believe that it can be done if we mindfully choose to make that alteration & then practice at it. I call this "letting go of the bear and picking up the Buddha." The bear is the internal fight-or-flight reflex that we as humans are blessed to have. "Putting down the bear" in your political practice occurs when you consciously choose not to act, react, or interact with others from a place of fear and uncertainly. "Picking up the Buddha" is code for being calm, cool, and collected--another ability that we humans have, although we often don't polish this political skill. To be your most fabulous political self, you'll need to recognize the bear and learn to let go of it in your work.

Recipe for coalition: Think big;think sharp;think organized

These 3 vital ingredients are needed for building a successful, productive coalition.
1. Think big. Include people who aren't already at the table. Who are unlikely allies or potential partners in your project? Whom can you bring to the table that will surprise you and those around you?
2. Think sharp. Clearly articulate your purpose and your focus. What is your coalition's raison d'etre? If you don't know, then your coalition isn't likely to be effective.
3. Think organized. Choose a leader (stable or rotating) who will keep the coalition organized and productive. Don't leave anything to chance because chance is not your friend.

Find common ground & throw out politics of division

1. talk to people whom you want to make friends with
2. listen to them
3. find common ground
4. find humanity in others
5. loosen up a bit
6. don't take anything personally.

Talk about values instead of pushing outcomes

Barack Obama is the master at speaking the language of values rather than outcomes, which is why he was so successful not only as a state legislator and US Senator but as a presidential candidate. He can speak to people with widely divergent views and, by using values-laden language rather than outcome-laden language, have these divergent groups all nodding their heads and stepping to the table to work together.

Endorsed National Dems' "Front line incumbent retention" target.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has added nine candidates to its "Red to Blue" list, a designation singling out strong campaigns in open or Republican-held districts. The list now includes two categories: targeted districts and "emerging" districts which may be targeted later.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is funding two programs [mostly via PAC-funded TV advertising] in the 2014 cycle: "Red-to-Blue" in Republican-held districts, and "Frontline" to defend Democratic-held districts.

Press Release from DCCCDemocratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Steve Israel named 26 of his colleagues to the Frontline program, a committee program designed to protect their most vulnerable incumbents. "We call this program Frontline for a reason--these Members are on the vanguard of protecting and expanding the middle class," Israel said in a written statement. "While the 2014 campaign will be dominated by a strong offense taking on the Tea Party Republican Congress, our success begins with our Members," added Israel, a Democrat from New York. "These battle-tested men and women have proven time and again that they can win because no one better reflects the values of their districts."

Rep. Tim Walz, D-Minn. will spearhead the program as its chairman. He's a Frontline alumnus as recently as the 2012 cycle. Otherwise, the list includes several freshman members and Blue Dog Democrats: