Ledger-Dispatch

By Jerry Budrick (jbudrick@ledger-dispatch.com= )=20

Diane and Bill Durston, running against = Dan=20 Lungren for the 3rd District congressional seat, dance during a = fundraiser=20 for the Democratic candidate at the Jackson Rancheria Hotel on=20 Sunday.

Photo by: Jerry=20 Budrick
At Sunday's Bill Durston for 3rd=20 Congressional District fundraiser, the Democratic candidate stated = unequivocally=20 that his opponent, incumbent Dan Lungren, is avoiding a = debate.

Lungren=20 spokesman Brian Kaveney has repeatedly called that claim inaccurate, = saying the=20 district's current representative would be happy to debate = Durston.

In=20 between sets by the local trio of vivacious vocalists known as Mimosa, = Durston=20 gave a rousing speech to a partisan audience contrasting his beliefs = with a=20 lengthy list of Lungren's alleged transgressions. Without actually using = the=20 word carpetbagger, Durston got the message across that Lungren doesn't = live in=20 the 3rd Congressional District that includes Amador = County.

Mimosa's=20 keyboardist, arranger and male harmonizer, Rick Lipp, performed his = amusing,=20 fractured revision of Ray Charles' classic, retitled, "Hit the Road, = Dan!" as=20 the closing number of the first set.

"I hope everyone enjoyed = Mimosa as=20 much as I did," Durston said, "especially that last song." He thanked = those=20 responsible for the event: Lynette Lipp, Pat McConahay, Ryan Gorman and = Jack=20 Stoddard.

As a member of Congress, Durston assured nearly 100=20 enthusiastic supporters that he would vote for "no funding for the war = in Iraq=20 unless it was part of a full and complete withdrawal."

A = practicing=20 emergency room physician for 25 years, Durston lamented this nation's = lack of a=20 universal health care system. "We are the only developed nation without = one," he=20 said, "but we're already paying for it."

While Mimosa members = Laurie=20 Amick, Marie Bedard and Kim Brandson sang, backed by Ron Jones on drums, = Shelley=20 Denny on bass and Lipp on backup vocals, Durston danced with wife, = Diane, to a=20 lively swing tune.

"When Bill came back from Vietnam and we were = going to=20 get married," Diane related, "he had to deal with the fact that, while = he was=20 interested in scuba diving and backpacking, my family was into golf, = movies and=20 dancing. Bill took dancing lessons and became really good and very = popular at=20 parties."

Local Democrat and musician Bobby D took the mike to = perform=20 his tone-poem, a soulful lament about harsh Bush policies and practices = that=20 lead to the poor man going to jail.

The upcoming election will = mark=20 Durston's second run at Lungren. The first time, in 2006, the rivals had = three=20 debates. So far, this time around, none have been = scheduled.

Sunday's=20 event was held in the Oak Ballroom of the Jackson Rancheria Hotel and = Conference=20 Center.

Jerry = Budrick