FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Goodlatte Peer Endorses Rasoul

The Rasoul for Congress campaign today received the endorsement of Mr. Wayne Gilchrest, the Republican Congressman representing the 1st District of Maryland. Mr. Gilchrest sits on the Committees of Natural Resources and Transportation & Infrastructure. Congressman Gilchrest has served with Congressman Goodlatte on many issues common to both regions including this year's Farm Bill and Chesapeake Bay concerns.

Congressman Gilchrest stated, "For 18 years I have served as a Republican member of the House of Representatives. But I am crossing party lines to endorse Sam Rasoul because of his positions on the important policy issues of today. I'm supporting Sam Rasoul because I know that he shares our values and will put principle above party in Washington."

Mr. Gilchrest was elected to Congress in 1990 and has served with Congressman Goodlatte for the last 16 years. Knowing Mr. Goodlatte for so long, it comes as a surprise that Congressman Gilchrest would back his opponent but he continued, "Sam will work with both sides of the aisle to address the many problems that Virginians and the people of this great nation face. From the economy to health care to responsibly ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Sam has the skill and the knowledge to be a responsible voice for you in our nation's Capitol. As a veteran who served in Viet Nam and as a Marine rifleman, I would be proud to have Sam Rasoul at my side."

"Mr. Gilchrest has served his district and this nation proudly," responded Rasoul. "I am honored to receive his endorsement and look forward to continuing the tradition of bi-partisanship that Congressman Gilchrest has held in trust during his tenure in Washington."

This is Mr. Rasoul's fourth major endorsement in the last week and follows the endorsement of Chairman John Conyers of Michigan, The Roanoke Times and The Staunton News Leader.

Sam's First TV Ad

Check out Sam's first TV ad:




We're sorry that it's YouTube quality -- contact us at (877) 726-2008 or info@samrasoul.us if you want a higher quality version!

Sam at the Obama Rally with Bill Clinton

Check out the YouTube Video of Sam speaking at the Obama rally with former President Bill Clinton:

Sam Rasoul Speaks at a Community Gathering with Sen. Evan Bayh

Watch Sam Rasoul address the crowd at a Community Gathering with Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana. Here are some pictures from the event:

















Sam gets the crowd riled up at the community gathering!

















Sam, 6th district Democratic Congressional candidate, addresses the crowd about the effect of special interests in Washington.

















Sam speaks to the crowd at the community gathering.

















Mr. Mark Powell of Roanoke tells the crowd that he is among the 46 million uninsured, Middle Class, Americans.

















Senator Evan Bayh of Indiana is welcomed by a crowd of invigorated Virginians.

Sign the Petition -- Tell Congress to Take Action on Economic Crisis

It's time that Congress take action on the impending economic crisis. Sign this petition and tell Congress that we need strong leadership to solve a problem that's hurting so many American families.

Sign the petition at:
http://www.gopetition.com/online/22249.html or by clicking here.

First Annual Donkey Dance

The First Annual Donkey Dance was a huge success! Here are some photos from the event:

















Congressional candidate Sam Rasoul and former Governor & Senate candidate Mark Warner.
"Let me say, this young man has been doing a great job and he is going to make us proud on November 4th -- Sam Rasoul!" - former Governor Mark Warner.

















Governor Tim Kaine and Congressional candidate Sam Rasoul.
"We going to put Sam over the top in the Sixth? Sam has been working very hard ... and I see evidence of Sam everywhere I go in the Sixth." - Governor Tim Kaine

















Governor Tim Kaine, Congressional candidate Sam Rasoul, and former Governor & Senate candidate Mark Warner pose for a picture.
"We're so proud to have [Sam] and Mark" - Governor Tim Kaine

To view more photos from the event, visit http://www.samrasoul.us/browse/photos or click here.

Join us in a 6th District Online Chat and a Tele-Town Hall Conference Call!

The Sam Rasoul for Congress campaign, as it has in the past, will be hosting three chats in the near future. Everyone is invited to participate in these chats.

Community Online Chat #1
Thursday, October 2nd from 1:00PM to 2:30PM

Community Online Chat #2
Tuesday, October 7th from 1:00PM to 2:30PM

Community Online Chat #3
Monday, October 13th from 8:00 to 9:30PM

The online chat room is located at http://www.samrasoul.us/chat.

The Sam Rasoul for Congress campaign will also be hosting a tele-town hall conference call on Wednesday, October 15th from 7:30PM until 9:00PM. Everyone is welcome to call in.

Conference call number and access code to be posted when available.

Please call or email campaign headquarters at (877) 726-2008 or info@samrasoul.us with any questions.

PRESS RELEASE: Rasoul Pledges Five Terms When Elected

Contact: Sean Sarah
Communications Director
Sam Rasoul for Congress
Cell: 330 338-3740
E-Mail: sean@samrasoul.us

PRESS RELEASE 9/15/2008

Rasoul Pledges To Serve Only Five Terms When Elected To Congress

Roanoke, Va. America's youngest Congressional candidate, Sam Rasoul, has pledged to serve only ten years in Congress if he is elected. When asked why he took the pledge, Mr. Rasoul replied, "Over their long careers many incumbents have fostered ties with special interests that help fund their campaigns and give them an advantage no challenger could ever hope to have. Simple fairness in our Democratic system is called for if we are going to rid our legislature of influence peddlers."

In fact, Mr. Rasoul has gone one step further than simply pledging to reform Congress, he's running his campaign the way he would like to reform Washington. He takes no money from Political Action Committees, lobbyists, unions, or even political parties. All of his income comes from the every day citizens he is seeking to serve.

Over the course of the campaign, Mr. Rasoul has avoided attacks on his opponent and instead focused on a platform of reform. The campaign is spreading the word one door and one phone call at a time. The campaign is claiming that it has knocked on over 25,000 doors across the district. With a month and a half to go until the election, it seems Mr. Rasoul's message of reform and responsibility is catching on across the district.

For the full Rasoul statement on government accountability and responsibility, please read below.
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Sam Rasoul Makes Pledge to Serve 5 Terms

We are blessed to live in a republic where, every few years, we get to choose the batch of folks who will represent us in Richmond and in DC. The founders of our country were hoping for a citizen legislature where representatives would come to Washington, serve their people and then head back home to their real jobs and families. But, this idyllic theory of a country run by citizens for the benefit of its citizens has become a myth. Special interests, career politicians and influential political action committees have taken away the voice of everyday people like you and I.

When political action committees spend millions on smearing candidates from both sides of the isle, special interests spend all of their time making sure elected officials are doing anything but serving the people. Still, career politicians continue to play ball with them. How can we expect our representatives to stand up for us? Critical reform is needed if we are ever going to get the support we need from Washington. Not only is that why I'm running for Congress, it's also why I have pledged to serve only five terms as a Congressman. While in DC I will focus on reforming the government in order to make it more responsive to the people with two major pieces of legislation.

Harry Truman once said that limiting the terms of Representatives and Senators would help "cure senility and seniority - both terrible legislative diseases." With some representatives in their nineties and some who feel like they have been there for ninety years, I have to say I think President Truman was right on the mark. This is why one of the first bills I will introduce when I am elected to Congress will be one that sets strict term limits on members of both Houses. For more than a century and half, turn over in Congress had been well over fifty percent. In fact, it's only been in the last few decades that incumbency rates have sky rocketed into the 90's. The reason is simple, over their long careers many incumbents have fostered ties with special interests that help fund their campaigns and give them name recognition that no challenger could ever hope to attain. Simple fairness in our democratic system is called for if we are to return to a true system of citizen legislators free of influence peddlers who drown out the needs of everyday citizens.

But, to be fair, our representatives were the corrupted ones, victims of a system that has turned away from the needs and values of regular folks and instead focuses primarily on greed. It is the lobbyists and special interest groups that pervade national politics who serve as the real corrupter in the fall of American democracy. This election season, nearly 150 lobbyists work for the presidential campaigns and thousands more work on elections across the country. Influence peddling and back room deals for special considerations have become the norm. That is why I take no money from PAC's, special interests, or political parties and why, when I am elected to Congress I will join with my colleagues in pushing for public financing of federal elections. It is imperative that we get the Government working for us again and the only way to do that is to make it stop working lobbyists.

Our country is at a crossroads. If we continue down the path we are on, the voice of everyday Americans will continue to diminish as it faces an increasing onslaught of well funded special interests working only for their own good. But, we could choose another path; we could choose to "throw the bums out" as the saying goes, by implementing fair and ethical reforms to the way our government does business. I, for one, think that we can win in against the billions spent by special interests. My pledge to serve only five terms comes from my belief that it is time for a new voice in Congress, a voice that is accountable only to the people of this district. I hope you'll join me in making this a reality.

Paid for and Authorized by Sam Rasoul for Congress

PRESS RELEASE: Rasoul Applauds Feds on Lehman Bros. Move

Contact: Sean Sarah

Communications Director

Sam Rasoul for Congress

Cell: 330 338-3740

E-Mail: sean@samrasoul.us

PRESS RELEASE -- 09/15/08

___________________________________________________________________

Rasoul Applauds U.S. Government For Not Bailing Out Lehman Brothers; Fed For Helping Shore Up Liquidity

Sam Rasoul applauded the U.S. Government this morning for not bailing out Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. Lehman, another casualty of the 14 month long credit crisis, has filed for bankruptcy and is teetering on the brink of collapse. Rasoul stated; "I am pleased to see that the U.S. government is not using tax payer dollars to bail out another private institution. The Federal Government shouldn't act as the insurance agent for irresponsible lenders and brokerages."

With the credit crisis in full boom, Rasoul is also pleased with the Fed's move to ease liquidity markets. These moves by the Fed were important to shore up the short term credit market and avoid a crisis that would affect millions more Americans.

Republican Secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson has concluded that this credit crisis was caused by a startling lack of oversight of the industry. Rasoul affirmed this notion stating; "I agree with Secretary Paulson that we must take further measures to ensure that abuse of our financial markets does not continue."

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Paid for and Authorized by Sam Rasoul for Congress

PRESS RELEASE: RASOUL CHALLENGES GOODLATTE TO PUBLIC DEBATES

PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: RASOUL CHALLENGES GOODLATTE TO PUBLIC DEBATES

Contact - press@samrasoul.us
(877) 726-2008

Roanoke, VA - Sam Rasoul, the Democratic Nominee for the Sixth District seat in the House of Representatives, is challenging incumbent Congressman Bob Goodlatte to a series of public debates across the district.

"Several debates have already taken place in the neighboring Fifth Congressional District, and we feel that debates should occur in the Sixth District. Sam has been ready to debate for months, and Rep. Goodlatte has been giving excuses consistently," said Carey Markoe, Deputy Communications Director for the Rasoul campaign. "It's Rep. Goodlatte's civic duty to participate in a debate. In early August, Goodlatte's campaign said Bob was available in late August -- now they say he won't be available until late September. If Bob has time to attend a 'Convention Watch Party' as he did Thursday night, he should make time to discuss the issues."

Rasoul believes that the Sixth District should have a series of six debates -- two in each region of the district (Roanoke, Lynchburg, and the Shenandoah Valley). Several independent organizations have been trying to orchestrate a debate between the candidates.

"With the unemployment rate shooting up to 6.1% nationally and the economy in such poor condition, Rep. Goodlatte has an obligation to discuss the issues facing our nation," said Rasoul on Friday.

Comment on Democratic Unity

This week Democrats from around the nation attend and watch the events unfold in Denver with high expectations of success this November. I am proud to complete a ticket with both Senator Obama and Governor Warner and thrilled for Virginia as we will be the focus of so much excitement.

We have an opportunity this year to show the world that our party believes in principles; an opportunity to put partisanship and power below the needs of the people. With questions looming about energy, the economy, and the integrity of our republic, we must stand tall together as Americans against those interests who seek profit over progress.
We know that the END goal is helping our battered families survive and rebuild, and we know that fighting as Democrats is an MEANS to that END. Together, we pledge not lose sight of that END that unifies us.

Join me tonight as Virginia proudly sends one of our own to the national stage and again on Thursday as we celebrate the shattered ceilings that have fallen this cycle.

I'll be fighting for you.

PRESS RELEASE

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: DIVA'S HOUSE OF HAIR, RASOUL TO HOST 2ND ANNUAL "KUTS FOR KIDS"

Contact - press@samrasoul.us (877) 726-2008

Roanoke, VA - Diva's House of Hair and Sam Rasoul for Congress will sponsor the 2nd annual "Kuts for Kids."

Both organizations are sponsoring this event in order to give students $1.00 haircuts. With the rising costs of school supplies, Diva's House of Hair and Sam Rasoul for Congress understand the enormous expense of sending a student to school.

Kuts for Kids will take place on Sunday, August 24 from 1:00PM to 5:00PM at Diva's House of Hair, located at 5524 Williamson Road, Suite 7.

Those who are seeking more information should call Sam Rasoul for Congress at (877) 726-2008.

PRESS RELEASE:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: RASOUL TO TOUR NEW MARKET, MOUNT JACKSON WITH MAYORS

PRESS RELEASE

CONTACT - press@samrasoul.us
(877) 726-2008

New Market and Mount Jackson - Tuesday, August 12th, Sam Rasoul will be touring the towns of New Market and Mount Jackson with their respective mayors. Sam will meet Mayor Larry Smith at the restaurant Public House at noon, and from there will be shown around the Town of New Market. Afterward, Mayor Joseph Williams will guide Rasoul around the Town of Mount Jackson at 3:30PM.