TWO WITH ONE STONE-- DEFEAT RICHARD POMBO AND RAHM EMANUEL ON JUNE 6, TWO SIDES OF ONE FILTHY COIN

Today's Hill carries a story about the DCCC's Red to Blue project. DCCC head Rahm Emanuel, probably destined to be the Tom DeLay of a Democratically-controlled House, revealed the names of 22 Democrats, many of whom still have to face primaries from grassroots Democrats, who he is supporting. This completely contravenes Democratic Party rules about not interfering in primary contests. This is also a harbinger of what kind of sleaze Democrats can expect from the current Inside-the-Beltway leadership.

“This is an exclusive program that rewards the candidates and campaigns that are most skilled, not only at raising money on their own, but at getting their message across to the voters they hope to represent,” Emanuel wrote. Like most of what comes out of Emanuel's mouth, this is a total lie. These are just his pet candidates-- for one reason or another (and some, to be sure, are great-- like Francine Busby, Mary Jo Kilroy, and Lois Murphy)-- and they do not meet the criterion he always lays out about raising money and being the most skilled.

In northern California's hottest race (CA-11), the challenger favored by grassroots Democrats-- and probably the only Democrat who could beat the arguably worst unindicted Republican in Congress, Dick Pombo-- is not Emanuel's pathetic shill candidate (Steve Filson) but progressive Jerry McNerney. McNerney is too independent-minded and too unbossed for Emanuel's tastes but Democrats in the San Joaquin Valley value independence more than centralized party dictatorship and Emanuel's candidate has virtually no support inside the district whatsoever.

Emanuel, a corporately-oriented Democrat, once Bill Clinton's heavy-handed point-man on NAFTA, threatens challengers who try to campaign against Bush's occupation of Iraq. He represents the very worst of the Democratic Party, the kind of oozing pus sore that make independents shrink from political participation thinking that all politicians are corrupt, regardless of party. Emanuel is the #1 brand-killer for the Democratic Party and Nancy Pelosi is too weak (and ambitious) to stop him.

Another brand killer for Democrats, Adam Schiff of Glendale, CA, who has been practically begging for a primary challenge with his pro-war, pro-Bush voting record in a progressive L.A. district, has been picked by Emanuel, his ideological compadre, to "mentor" the candidates. The Emanuel-blessed candidates are Darcy Burner (WA), Phyllis Busansky (FL), Francine Busby (CA), Joe Courtney (CT), John Cranley (OH), Jill Derby (NV), Tammy Duckworth (IL), Brad Ellsworth (IN), Diane Farrell (CT), Steve Filson (CA), Kirsten Gillibrand (NY), Tessa Hafen (NV), Baron Hill (IN), Mary Jo Kilroy (OH), Ron Klein (FL), Ken Lucas (KY), Patsy Madrid (NM), Harry Mitchell (AZ), Chris Murphy (CT), Lois Murphy (PA), Heath Shuler (NC), and Peter Welch (VT).

Grassroots Democrats and progressives should avoid the DCCC and DSCC like the plague it is and only contribute to individual candidates. In fact, today would be a particularly good day to make a contribution to Jerry McNerney's campaign and let the Inside-the-Beltway power whores know that they do not own the Democratic Party; the people do!