Now that the Republican Party has actually voted to end Amtrak, Democrats got an extraordinary political gift. If only they know how to use it. It's time for key Democrats to
embark on a whistlestop tour across all of Amtrak's route-miles, especially in red states, bypassing the national corporate media and going right to America's local TV, radio, and newspapers....
Democrats need to tell the truth of what Republicans are doing to the country, in this case by focusing on small town red state brick-and-mortar Amtrak stations across America. These stations are real, easy to grasp, and they're closing. These towns will be cut off from the rest of America. And it's Republicans that made it happen. Weave that easy microstory into a larger macrostory, and Democrats enjoy gains in 2006.
Here are the Republican senators up for re-election in 2006 who voted against the Byrd Amendment to restore Amtrak funding. (There's the potential for a similar list in the House.)
Virginia
Senator George Allen
Amtrak Stations: Salisbury, Lorton, Richmond, Williamsburg, Newport News, Petersburg, Charlottesville, Clifton Forge, Lynchburg, Danville.
Sample Political Stop: Lynchburg, home to Rev. Jerry Falwell's Liberty University and ministry, will lose rail service. God's will? Hardly.
Montana
Senator Conrad Burns
Amtrak Stations: Wolf Point, Glasgow, Malta, Havre, Shelby, Cut Bank, Browning, Glacier Park, Essex, West Glacier, Whitefish, Libby.
Sample Political Stop: Malta. It's ~90 miles from Havre's airport and 70 miles from Glasgow's. (Airports with expensive and infrequent service.) No Greyhound. Conrad just screwed you, big time.
Ohio
Senator Mike DeWine
Amtrak Stations: Toledo, Cleveland, Cincinnati.
Sample Political Stop: Toledo.
Nevada
Senator John Ensign
Amtrak Stations: Elko, Winnemucca, Sparks, Reno.
Sample Political Stop: Winnemucca. No airline service. Very little Greyhound. Thanks for nothing, Senator Ensign.
Tennessee
Open Seat
Amtrak Stations: Newberg-Dyersburg, Memphis.
Sample Political Stop: Isn't it obvious?
Utah
Senator Orrin Hatch
Amtrak Stations: Green River, Helper, Provo, Salt Lake City.
Sample Political Stop: Hatch needs a Helper out of office.
Texas
Likely Open Seat
Amtrak Stations: Marshall, Longview, Mineola, Dallas, Gainesville, Ft. Worth, Cleburne, McGregor, Temple, Taylor, Austin, San Marcos, Beaumont, Houston, San Antonio, Del Rio, Sanderson, Alpine, El Paso.
Sample Political Stop: Alpine.
Arizona
Senator Jon Kyl
Amtrak Stations: Winslow, Flagstaff, Williams Junction, Kingman, Benson, Tucson, Maricopa, Yuma.
Sample Political Stop: Williams Junction. Doesn't it sound great? Hence Kyl's problem. It's closing.
Mississippi
Senator Trent Lott
Amtrak Stations: Greenwood, Yazoo City, Jackson, Hazlehurst, Brookhaven, McComb, Meridian, Laurel, Hattiesburg, Picayune, Pascagoula, Biloxi, Gulfport, Bay St. Louis.
Sample Political Stop(s): Greenwood. It's in north central Mississippi which doesn't exactly have lots of transportation options. Bonus points for Pascagoula, Lott's hometown. (Nice move, Trent.)
Indiana
Senator Richard Lugar
Amtrak Stations: Hammond-Whiting, Indianapolis.
Sample Political Stop: Not a lot of options here, but try Indianapolis just for fun.
Pennsylvania
Senator Rick Santorum
Amtrak Stations: Philadelphia, Lancaster, Harrisburg, Altoona, Pittsburgh.
Sample Political Stop: Lancaster. Santorum is a moron. Even his fellow Republican voted for Amtrak. How the hell are his Amish constituents going to travel?
Missouri
Senator James Talent
Amtrak Stations: La Plata, Kansas City, Independence, Lees Summit, Warrensburg, Sedalia, Jefferson City, Hermann, Washington, Kirkwood, St. Louis, Poplar Bluff.
Sample Political Stop: Why not Independence, home of Harry Truman, the original whistlestopper?
Wyoming
Senator Craig Thomas
Amtrak Stations: None. You're off the hook on this one, Thomas.