candidate dialoges

Hi, my name is Donald Betts, Jr. and I am running for U.S. Congress in the 4th Congressional District against 7-term incumbent Todd Tiahrt. I grew up in Wichita and as a child my mother, brother and myself were homeless numerous times.

We lived from motel to motel, from shelter to shelter growing up until we went to live with my grandfather, a minister, in Las Vegas. I didn’t come from a privileged background but I worked hard to overcome adversity and even though we lived in poverty stricken neighborhoods, full of gang violence, and drugs, I worked through school and got a scholarship to Friends University in Wichita where I graduated.

I started my legislative career at age 24 by running for Kansas State House of Representatives. I not only won the seat but continued to serve in the House until a special election in 2004 when I was appointed to the KS Senate. I was reelected at age 25 to the Kansas Senate. I am the youngest state senator in the history of Kansas. I am young but I have lived a very full life. Our future generations will continue to shape our country. I never looked at my age as an obstacle but an opportunity to speak out for everyone, young and old.

Some of the policies I have supported include funding for special education. One special program that started in Kansas (and is now nation-wide), “Circle of Friends” is an opportunity for special education students to team up with regular students one-on-one and it fostures understanding and acceptance. I love seeing the happiness in a child’s face with celebral palsy to be able to do “regular” activities such as horseback riding or just hanging out with their new team friend.

The feeling I get when I support policies that offer a positive outcome for the masses, gives me joy. What I’ve gone through in my life has made me a man of the people, and I’ve chosen to be a public servant, because it is what I’m supposed to do. It is my goal to make sure that no child is “left behind”.

I wake up every morning with the mission to retire Tiahrt. Why? Must you ask? When it comes to our youth, it should be a “no brainer” to support initiatives like “SCHIP” (State Children’s Health insurance program). My opponent voted to sustain the president’s veto against this measure three times. This congressman has supported President Bush over 90% of the time, and while you are paying more at the pump, his contribution coffers are being filled to the rim in oil money? My voting record has, and will continue to reflect healthy choices for our environment, while my opponent has a consistent 0% voting record for the environment.

There are stark differences between me and my opposition. I am on a mission to provide true leadership by example. There should be no question, that my loyalty rest with making the future brighter, safer, and stronger for America’s youth.

For more details, about my position on issues, and for more about me, please visit my website, www.betts4congress.com.

MTV is about to announce that on Saturday, February 2nd, Hillary Clinton and Mike Huckabee will both participate in the ongoing MTV/MySpace Candidate Dialogues. Billed as a "Super-Dialogue," the event will offer any candidate polling with at least 10% support to address the MTV/MySpace audience, however only Clinton and Huckabe have accepted thus far.

Regular readers know that I think these dialogues are the most impressive use of the social web this cycle in creating real interaction between the public and the candidates. MTV's use of live-polling, unscripted questions, and on-line audience feedback represent the most dynamic public forum on the campaign trail. They are to the much-touted CNN/YouTube debates what CNN/YouTube is to traditional broadcast debates.

Originally, MTV and MySpace planned to air forums with all the candidates on the trail before the Iowa Caucus. That didn't work as planned, and only John McCain, John Edwards, and Barack Obama participated before the Hawkeye state cast their votes. Now, with February 5th - Super (Fat) Tuesday - approaching, Clinton and Huckabee will get their chance to address the nation's young voters.

Clinton is looking to eat away at Obama's base, as she did in New Hampshire. If she can capture enough of the youth vote, she could cripple Obama in the race for delegates. Huckabee, who won the youth vote in evangelical-heavy Iowa and South Carolina, is looking to do much the same: keep up his lead among young evangelicals, and prevent McCain or Romney from gaining ground among youth.

The program will air:

• Broadcast live on MTV, MTV2 and MTV Tr3ìs, with highlights on college network mtvU
• Streamed live online via MySpace (www.myspace.com/election2008) and MTV’s www.ChooseOrLose.com
• Distributed live to the Associated Press Online Video Network, encompassing more than 1,800 media sites with an aggregate reach of 61 million unique visitors – and nearly 600 local media outlets in Super Tuesday states
• Streamed live on mobile devices via MTV Mobile
• Broadcast live on radio via XM Satellite Radio, MTV and AP Radio
• Translated into Spanish and broadcast on ImpreMedia’s LaVibra (www.lavibra.com/candidatos)
• Live studio audience participating at MTV’s Times Square studio

The event will be here in NYC, so I'll be live-blogging from the studio audience.