Primary Send Shivers Through Capitol Moderates
By Nicole Belle Thursday Feb 14, 2008 2:49pm
More and better Democrats....that's the plan. And don't think for a minute that the leadership isn't getting very nervous. Blue America and its other ActBlue counterparts are having an impact on Washington DC, and we can't do that without you.
WSJ:
On Tuesday night, two veteran Maryland congressmen became the first members of Congress to lose re-election bids this year, and the first significant notches on the belts of activists unhappy with party moderates.
The decisive losses of both moderates -- Democrat Rep. Albert Wynn and Republican Rep. Wayne Gilchrest -- highlight tension brewing in both parties, where activists representing more extreme factions are raising thousands of dollars online to fund primary challengers and run ads against incumbents.
For most incumbents, primary challengers generally aren't much of a threat because they often struggle to raise money and improve their name-recognition. This year, however, several high-profile lawmakers are facing something of a scare. Republican presidential challenger Ron Paul has pulled back from his national campaigning somewhat to work on getting re-elected to his congressional seat in Texas, where he faces a challenge from a Galveston city councilman. In Ohio, Democratic Rep. Dennis Kucinich is facing four primary challengers and some grumbling back home in Cleveland that he has spent more time running for president than taking care of business for his district.
Matt Stoller, a prominent Democratic blogger, has launched a campaign against 39 so-called Bush Dog Democrats -- House members who voted in favor of Iraq war funding and warrantless wiretapping -- whom he considers to be unworthy of being in office.[..]
Criticized for his vote to authorize the war in Iraq, Mr. Wynn drew the ire of liberal activists and bloggers, who spent months dissecting his votes and examining fund-raising reports. Much of Ms. Edwards money came via donations on the Democratic fund-raising site ActBlue.com, but MoveOn.org also became involved, sending out a fund-raising email and asking supporters to held defeat "right-wing Democrat Al Wynn."
"We'll be working this fall for 'more' Democrats, but today we struck a blow on behalf of better Democrats," wrote Markos Moulitsas Zuniga on the popular blog DailyKos.com Tuesday night. "Our caucus is once again on notice. If they continue to serve corporate interests rather than their constituents, if they insist on remaining aloof to the nation's popular sentiment, they'll get booted in a Democratic primary like Joe Lieberman in 2006 and Al Wynn in 2008."
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Double frist good!
Is Dennis Kucinich really threatened because of his run? From fellow Democrats? Are they being funded by the Right Wing. I am all for forcing the Democrats to be more progressive. I find the Kucinich part of this story very disturbing.
great remove all the repugs in democrat clothing.
stoller's blog rocks. it's tied with c&l for my fave now. it gives different info, and has a different format...but it's more technical and extremely informative. i don't hardly hit truthout or alternet anymore..it's that good!
RayC @ 2:
I find the Kucinich part unsetlling as well...buy let's be fair here. Even some Dems are ruthless backstabbers...just not anywhere near the multitudes of ruthless backstabbin rethugs.
I think the Koooch would have made a fine prez.
maybe next go' round...
Is it possible? Does the country really care? Are incumbents really an endangered species? What will the Beltway veterans do?
Grab the popcorn. This could be good.
I think its wonderful that we were able to replace a Bush-dog with a more liberal politician. What bothers me is that we have to choose between two moderates for our candidate for the presidency.
This is why I do n;'t understand anybody registering as anything but independent. Party politics sucks, drop out.
RHM's Blog
John @ 7:
It's all relative. Compared to Bush, Obama is Che frickin' Guevara.
VIDEO: Condoleezza Rice: Liar, Secretary of State, War Criminal Part 1
Wexler asks Rice, isn't it true that you had intelligence that cast doubt on your repeated claims that Iraq did have WMD. It is worse than even how Wexler characterizes it. SEE PROOF, that the Bush Administration was committing fraud in order to fool the public into thinking Iraq had WMD. Spread the word. Send this link to others:
http://representativepress.googlepages.com/RiceLies.html
Do you think the House is paying attention. They defied W today.
I sure hope this wave holds. This is a great message to send to those who serve the Corporations instead of their boss's, the people of America.
We need to put the fear in these idiots that the American public means business.
By the way, there is buzz over here in Ex-Pat communities that bush and his NeoCon friends might be facing some kind of trial after they are hoist from their offices in January. Any truth to this? Can someone enlighten me?
Is it me or are the semantics of articles like this highly biased? Who's to say that the "moderate" position according to the corporate press and the DC insiders aren't considered "extreme" by the rest of the country? Pick an issue, see where the "moderate" politician stands and compare that to the stance the general public takes on the issue. The two don't match. What is considered "extreme" by these out of touch people isn't "extreme" to the US public. In DC for instance the "moderate" position is to basically take out governments that US investors don't like. How in the hell is that not extreme? How is the "moderate" trade policies of both parties for the last few decades not extreme? Ugh.
Throw them all out.
We could do no worse if we had a lottery to fill their seats.
Yeah, we're extreme. Sheesh.
will they do what they promise?
This is encouraging. Let's just hope it continues! Remember, Hillary did not vote on FISA and then gave a speech about doing away with special interests! Can you say doubletalking hypocrite?
The Dems that wanted corporate amnesty on FISA need to go.
dadams @ 3:
This is nothing but good news. Let's keep this train on track and continue to knock these pretenders out.
I voted against our Bush Democrat in the primary (Melissa Bean) - though it didn't help. Her office called me on election day to remind me to vote and I was happy to tell them I'd voted for her opponent.
*
we should ALL be proud of our efforts
thankyou C&L for bringing us a medium which we can make a difference.
let's all keep up the good work and bring positive change that will last generations.
Liberal AND Proud @ 6:
They'll be grabbing their crotches with both hands and braying like the asses they are - that's what they'll be doing.
I want to send a copy of that article to Diane Feinstein with a note tacked on it:
"Keep voting against our Constitution, and you WILL be next!"
She should be the number one target when her next primary is up. I sure hope there is a challenger being groomed to go after that seat.
Turn up the heat. We only get ONE crack at this. The country has always talked about wanting REAL change...tired of career politicians..tired of the "old" politics.
Well, now we'll find out how serious the country is. The politicians are running scared...on both sides of the aisle...the Repub noise machine is having no effect...no matter how loud they yell..."THE TERRORISTS ARE COMING"...and the Democratic establishment can no longer ignore the demands made by middle americans on issues that DO impact them...grass roots issues, food, healthcare, taxes, the war, Social Security, fairness, education...the extremists in BOTH parties...from the xenophobes and evangelicals on the right...to the special interest groups on the left...no longer call the shots. WE DO. REGULAR AMERICANS...of ALL races, creeds and color. The people that do the working, spending and dying in this country...the people that do the manual labor and raise the children.
Enough is enough.
Just the tip of the iceberg. we need to keep it up until we have real representation.
RayC @ 2:
It would be to bad if kuccinch was booted out of office because there are other democrats that should go first. He is the one bringing up all those things that others would rather just gloss over we know who they are impeachment off the tablers
Trittydi @ 20:
Heehawww...heeehawww....am I turnin you on yet?
LOL! Just kidddding.
Liberal AND Proud @ 22:
Exactly.
RHM @ 8:
As I understand you, you dont want to be part of anything that can really make a difference you just want to stand on the sidelines and take pot shots at those of us that really want the Democratic party to be a viable alternative to the Fascists. You are hoping beyond hope that so many others stand on the sidelines with you that you can effect races by making candidates pander to you. I would rather try to move the country from the inside thankyou.
It is time to run primaries as well against Steny Hoyer--too late now, I guess but it is not too late to run primaries against other Democratic Party leaders in other states.
Nancy Pelosi should be ousted.
Caucus Chair Rahm Emanuel should be ousted.
Caucus Vice-Chair from Connecticut, John B. Larson also should be ousted.
All the Democratic Party leadership needs to be put on notice and have primaries waged against them as well, which includes Harry Reid.
It is time to oust Harry Reid, too!
No Democratic Party should be spared any more. All DINO's and apostates of the Democratic Party need to be defeated and now!
RHM @ 8:
Just because you are registered democrat or repug ( heaven forbid) doesn't mean a thing just look at how they vote anyway you can vote in the primary/caucus and maybe get a worthwhile candiate
Mr. XXXX @ 28:
Sounds nice but in reality, replacing many incumbent dems with newcomers would be handing majority control back to the repugs.
"The people are coming, and are they pi$$ed!" quoth someone, I forget who.
... and in such numbers that even Diebold won't be able to fudge them out of existence -- without risking total exposure, and the torches and pitchforks of the disenfranchised...
Mr. XXXX @ 29:
And the GOP stays..right?
unsurebtwilling @ 30:
Party registration has ONE big advantage...voting in primaries.
woops, doubleposted. Apologies (blush)
[No need for the apology. Your first comment was swept up by our very strong spam filter. It happens occasionally. Site Monitor]
Actually, I did send the article to Feinstein, with this cover letter:
Your vote in support of immunity to the Telecoms for their collaberation in Crimes against the American People was sickening, if also predictable.
I've written you repeatedly, urging you to take a stand in support of this Nation's core principles of freedom and democracy, and you have ignored all of them.
Apparently, you think you can ignore us "little people" so long as your slush funds are being fed.
Hopefully, the attached will give pause to that perception. The Wall Street Journal may consider the willful codification of mass violation of our civil rights to be "Moderate" but we don't.
You have a job to do, and an oath to uphold. Start doing them, or we WILL find someone who will.
Some of the Blue America supported Democrats from the 2006 cycle need to also get the message. For example, Senator Jim Webb, who was supported by Blue America. He just betrayed the Constitution and everyone who supported him with his FISA vote. If this is how Democrats are going to vote, they need to be targeted for unseating as soon as it becomes clear they no longer represent the wishes of the People who hired them and for whom they are supposed to be working.
And thus the great uprising of moderates begins. What's to stop ousted incumbents from running third-party? Nothing.
Freedom Rider: Democrats Target Kucinich for Defeat
by BAR editor and senior columnist Margaret Kimberley
Issue for Feb 13 - 19, 2008.
Published every Wednesday
The corporate rulers of the United States are determined to have their revenge against Dennis Kucinich, the heroic Ohio congressman who held high the progressive banner in the last two Democratic presidential primary seasons. Not content with having banned Kucinich from a succession of debates and erased his name and platform from the daily media discourse - finally forcing him to withdraw for lack of funds - corporate Democrats now conspire to oust him from his Cleveland congressional seat. Kucinich has been targeted by the same forces, and for the same fate as befell Georgia's Cynthia McKinney and Alabama's Earl Hilliard: exile from the Big Business-infested Democratic Party.
In his presidential campaigns in 2004 and 2008, Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich told Democrats a brutal truth. Party orthodoxy is a disaster, a series of lies that must no longer be accepted. While his opponents, Obama, Clinton and Edwards, made it clear they weren't serious about ending the occupation of Iraq, Kucinich presented a plan to do just that. When they made the case for leaving a failed for-profit health care system intact, Kucinich said that non-profit universal care was possible. He co-sponsored legislation calling for impeachment hearings against Vice President Cheney and President Bush while leadership declared the criminals should go free.
While Barack Obama garners 80% to 90% of black votes in the primaries, it is the Kucinich platform that actually expresses the political opinions of most black Americans. Disavowal of American military aggression and support for government enforcement of legal and civil rights of citizens are the hallmarks of Kucinich's history. Obama makes eloquent but empty speeches bereft of specifics. In contrast, Kucinich's national political life appeared to be over shortly after it began because he took a courageous stand against corporate power....Elected mayor of Cleveland in 1977, Dennis Kucinich refused to allow a privately owned electrical utility to purchase that city's publicly owned utility. In an effort to force the sale and thereby create a monopoly, banks refused to extend the city any credit and plunged it into default. Kucinich paid the price for his principles when he was defeated in his re-election effort. Years later Kucinich was vindicated, having stopped what would have been an enormous corporate theft of public money and services....
In December 2007, Cleveland City Councilman Joe Cimperman declared himself a challenger for Kucinich's congressional seat. Within fifteen days, Cimperman raised more than $39,000 from fifteen contributors, none of whom reside in the 10th District that is being contested. Cimperman is no different from these contributors. He doesn't live in the district either but that doesn't matter to the lawyers, bankers and real estate developers who are giving him money. They expect access and influence. Cimperman's address, like the interests of residents, is of no importance to them. Cimperman supporters are not alone in wanting Kucinich out of office. Cleveland's daily newspaper, the Plain Dealer, endorsed Cimperman, and didn't mince words about wanting Kucinich gone...."Congress runs on relationships and loyalties. Yet Kucinich repeatedly has defied House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her leadership team [emphasis mine] by not supporting their attempts to impose a deadline on U.S. involvement in Iraq - even when those attempts were part of realistic bipartisan proposals to recalibrate a policy he detests."
Support for Nancy Pelosi and the awful Democratic Congressional leadership should not be held up as the standard for political success. After declaring that Kucinich's principles aren't worth supporting, the Plain Dealer heaps further insult by comparing Kucinich to Democrats who win approval by failing the people. Barney Frank is used as an example. ". . . he knows when and how to cut a deal. He delivers [emphasis mine] for his party, his constituents and his beliefs."
Read more at Black Agenda Report @:
http://www.blackagendareport.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&...
pepper @ 13:
Yeah, "Moderates" should definitely be in quotation marks in the title of this blog entry. As I wrote in my letter to Feinstein (which bounced by the way) they are only "moderates" in the view of the Money worshipers at places like the WSJ.
"... spent months dissecting his votes..."
They say that likes it's a bad thing.
I get the feeling that the WSJ would prefer an uninformed voting public.
Deighved H Stern MD @ 22:
Right on!!! Send it!!
Deighved H Stern MD @ 36:
Congratulations! This is excellent and I'm hoping she listens up... otherwise she too can be replaced.
Matt Stoller opines, "Reagan was a psychotic man who nearly blew up the world and used paranoia and fear to change our culture and government in horrible ways."
If this is the level of discourse prominent Democratic bloggers are operating at, where does that leave the more obscure ones?
Maybe the WSJ is referring to a different Matt Stoller?
Exploding collars with detonators linked to approval ratings .........
So long DINO's. Hello Donna Edwards. It's about time.
Incumbents are our problem. Too many Democratic Congressional Members vote against the people as in Pelosi against Impeachment. Pelosi is only against Impeachment because too many Democrats are as guilty as Republicans in support of the Bush Regime's attacks on our Constitutional Rights.
We need to clean house and Pelosi needs to be swept out with the rest of the trash.
Deighved H Stern MD @ 22:
I couldn't agree more. After her vote to protect telecomms the other day she issues a statement about how she voted against the FISA bill - all smoke and mirrors. Feinstein is another Lieberman. She has voted with the repugs time and time again. Too bad we are stuck with her for another five years.
Term limits would help. At the national level. You want change? This would force shit to change, regularly. 8 years is enough time for anyone. This simple little change would make it very difficult for one group to dominate UNLESS it was realy helping the majority of the people living in a given district. Thats what I think anyhow...
these movements took 8 of nine from rahm emmanuel. now he's tried to cripple the DNC.
no money from me for DLC, DSCC, DCCC candidates.
Two words: Hoo Ray!
fwacbar @ 49:
Term limits don't work. In fact, they make things worse.
Here in Michigan we've got term limits. Ya know who loves term limits- the corporatocracy! The lobbyists are in charge in Lansing because our state Reps. and Sens. never get enough time in to become the experts they need to become. The lobbyists are better prepared, so the congresspeople are more easily influenced.
And, unless there's a Federal Constitutional Amendment that overrides the 1st Amendment by limiting the right of political speech(and that is how your campaign donation is viewed: as political speech), term limits are going to be corrupted.
Democrats or Republicans are Same Difference, both work for Corporate America. They just take turn screwing a nation in deep slumber.
I contend that the Dems sudden show of spine vis-a-vis domestic spying/immunity for telecom lawbreaking is solely due to Donna Edwards victory in Maryland. Thank you, Donna!
I doubt that'll have much effect.
Sen. Feinstein was re-elected (with by a huge margin) in 2006.
Her term of office is six years, so a primary battle would be fought late in 2011
and in 2012. At that time, Sen. Feinstein will be almost eighty years old.
Unlikely to run again, I deem.
So she's effectively beyond electoral intimidation.
The only remaining lever that her constitutents might have would be
her concern for her "legacy" (if she cares about that).
High-publicity discussion of her successes at supporting and voting for conservative
legislation and her key role in enabling Alito, Roberts, the Military Commisions
act, and other horrors of the last seven years might make a difference.
But I doubt it.
DiFi is old, rich, conservative, successful, and famously indifferent to what people think of her.
I've been calling and writing her offices for years, and all I ever get is "thanks for your input."
Maybe we could target the people who work for her, and convince them that working for a conservative is a career-limiting move in the New Progressive Era?
I'm at the point that if a candidate says INCUMBENT, I vote against them.
RayC @ 2:
He's in a more conservative state, and so is usually more low key about his foreign policy preferences. Only when he runs for president does he start bashing interventionist foreign policy and a good portion of Ohio are people who want to want to go pwn on rag heads.
That's also why Hillary is doing better than Obama. She's by far the hawk of the two of them. Having to over-compensate for the fact she has a vagina and too many men are still threatened by that.
Well, if we see this happen another fifty to a hundred times, maybe there is hope for this country after all.
Challenging 'Moderates?' I am so sick and tired of the portrayal of these fascist enablers as moderates. They've betrayed their constituents and their nation. Call them what they are; Quislings, Traitors.
"And don’t think for a minute that the leadership isn’t getting very nervous."
What leadership is that?
Howard Dean is the head of the party, and Progressive Nancy Pelosi is the Speaker of the largest body of elected Democrats.
Do you REALLY think that either of them is nervous about BETTER Democrats? Quite obviously not.
That's really an unsubstantiated charge, unless you specify whom you are talking about.
russ brabham @ 56:
That would be idiotic.
Let's take my Representative for example. Diane Watson supports immediate withdrawal from Iraq, and immediate impeachment of both Bush & Cheney. Shall I vote against her because she is incumbent?
ZombieNation @ 53:
Democrats did not do a walk out yesterday, Republicans did.
Do the math.
One way to think about it is this. Progressive Donna Edwards replaces corporate lacky Al Wynn while corporate lacky Joe Cimperman replaces progressive Dennis Kucinich. Even-Steven, and the firepups and kossacks, who wont raise a finger to help Kucinich, nevertheless can congratulate themselves on how they have done so much to change the democratic party. Pa-f’in-thetic!
CoIntelPro @ 50:
Emanuel no longer runs DCCC, and DSCC has never been run by him.
Both DCCC and DSCC support the entire list of candidates. You cannot rule out any candidate who takes funds from these party apparatuses without dunning a lot of good candidates at the same time.
liberalNmoderation @ 5:
these droids dont deserve the kooch , they want fashion!
Helena Montana @ 54:
You are entirely wrong. The House Democrats have been on record opposing any profer of 'immunity' since the start of the 110th Congress (actually before, but who's counting).
They haven't budged on that refusal all this time.
All the Progressives are very happy Edwards won.
Donaldd @ 47:
You're lying, or put forward your evidence.
The vote in the Senate is why there is no 'impeachment' -- because there would be no conviction, which would make Bushco STRONGER.
There are no scandals on the Dem side (beyond lightweight corruption, or the well-known Blue Dog/DINO concessions) -- otherwise the Republicans would be blasting those scandals out every pore. That they aren't shows you that it isn't correct, your claim.
Woah, for once I feel hopeful about the political future.
That's the first time in years.
Mr. XXXX @ 29:
At which point Steny Hoyer would become the Speaker.
If you are trying to elevate the DLC to MORE power, you are doing a good job.
May I ask a question? Why is Blue America and the like considered "extreme" and CPAC not? I read a lot about CPAC this year and frankly, those people are, by any definition but their own, UnAmerican -- which no doubt explains why all the Republicans fell over themselves bowing & scraping to them and the media gave them a free pass on the most deranged rhetoric imaginable.
From all I've read, Blue America & the so-called "leftist extremes" are far more in keeping with what, you know, ordinary Americans (theoretically represented by our elected officials, though that is increasingly less likely to be the case) actually want than the war-mongering would-be profiteers at CPAC.
Why doesn't anybody anywhere actually call these media folk out on their skewed view? Because as long as nobody does, it's just going to get worse & worse. The "B. Hussein Obama" meme already has far more traction than it should &, as much as I hate to say it, I really do not think that the Dem candidate is a lock to win the presidency, in part because of how the media paints its canvas with false colors.
After March 4th, when the primary is over in Pelosi's district and she feels secure enough, we will see the bad FISA bill coming back and passing with the blame put on the Blue Dogs..
Why is it that no one can put it all together ?
Look at the results from the primary's from this month and maybe before it too I believe it was the same in Iowa. Does it not stick out that the turnout has been a 2 to 1 showing! Like last Saturday there were primary's in three states and the combined results for the two Democratic candidates was almost 16 million Votes and all four Republicans only mustered 8 Million votes! That comes out to about Democratic vote 70% Republican vote 30%! And where has Shrub been in the polls for the past few years about 30%! In other words 70% of the voting public has had it with the Bush years while only 30% is looking to hang onto Republican domination!
Now can anyone tell me why the Democratic controlled Congress has not gotten that message?
We the people are ready to support a new Democratic admin with a Democratic controlled Congress, so why are they not doing are bidding?
We need to send them a stronger message and we can do it here by supporting Shirley Golub, she is running against the Bush enabler Nancy Pelosi in the Democratic primary. If you have not heard about it please go check her out and support her the people of Nancy's district have not been listened too and now it is time to sit on the table with her against Nancy! I can not think of a better way to tell Nancy she is wrong on Impeachment than to make her lose the primary to a pro impeachment candidate!
see I have chipped in and you can too at act blue here please see her video and spread the word
See her video at :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uk5vOC4P0CE
pepper @ 13:
That's the bit that caught my fancy as well.
Beware the extreme "decent human being" wing of the party. They might be zombies who want to eat your brains.
The "more extreme factions" they refer to are really just Democrats who defend the Constitution, believe the invasion was wrong, want universal healthcare and fiscal responsibility.
That's not extreme, it's reasonable.
Mr. XXXX @ 29:
I've been saying for a while that Pelosi should be voted out of office if only for taking impeachment off the table. If the first woman "Liberal from San Fransico" Speaker of the House was thrown out of office by the "liberal blogoshere" it SHOULD send a shutter through the rest of the party. Even if it takes replacing her with a repub. She became Speaker because of the 2006 election, and she did not listen to the meaning of that election.
With THAT message sent, and an Obama presidency, with Clinton as Senate Majority leader we could really get some change.
That will ONLY happen if A Green Party candate,gets in there.
alecia @ 71:
Since Sheehan is running as an independent, the primary doesn't matter. As for your claim that she is itching to put through the illegal program, that's an outright lie. She has opposed the offer all the way down the line, and continues to. So has Conyers. And so has Leahy. And so has Reyes.
So Rockefeller has very little going for him, now that the R failed to push the Senate bill through the House. Never say never, but the immunity package looks DOA.
wdh @ 75:
Yes, it would DELIGHT the DLC. If you love the corporate side of the party, it would be GREAT for them.
Obama talks about reaching out to the other side to much.We need to reach out and punch a Republican.
wdh @ 75:
She won't be able to serve as Senate Majority Leader if she is Obama's Vice President.
As an independent thinker and not one of the sheep. I did my homework on all the candidates who were and are running for nomination. What I found is that for the most part they are all the same, with the exception of Dennis Kucinich and Ron Paul, both who are willing to stand up and tell the truth about the state of our country. Now I see that once again they are being called something they are not, for the sake of keeping the status quo.
Both of these men stood for getting out of Iraq, returning to the law of the land, the constitution, and holding those who are criminally responsible for the state of our country, accountable. Now, because of their outspoken stand they are being challenged in their respective seats by insider party play along idiots, who I'm sure will toe the line and go along to get along, as our country falls into a third world status. Good work...no sad day.
Paul in LA @ 80:
It's hard to see her accepting VP. And Obama would be better off without her on the ticket. She would be able to do more and have more power as Majority Leader, and her policy wonk and skills are better suited to the Senate.
wdh @ 82:
No, it isn't.
Robbie @ 81:
The hell that's true. TREATIES are the law of the land. L Ron Paul does not support our treaties, including especially the UN treaty and the I.C.C. treaty we will see signed in the next few years.
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