WHAT DO PROGRESSIVES DO ABOUT DEMOCRATS LIKE LEONARD BOSWELL?

If someone asks you, as a progressive, to name the 5 best senators in America, I bet Russ Feingold and Barbara Boxer would be on that short list. It isn't just their admirable voting records (Russ and Barbara). Both have exhibited the kind of courageousness and independence that should be a daily staple in the U.S. Senate and instead is a rare treat. These are two Democrats who put their constituents, workers, consumers and the American people first, NOT campaign contributors. (Too many Democrats are too much like Republicans in this regard-- always putting the welfare of people after the demands of their big corporate campaign contributors.) So when Boxer or Feingold send me an e-mail, I read it, even if it's just spam.

Today both e-mailed me about Leonard Boswell, a venerable and vulnerable Democrat from Iowa. I've already remarked on Boxer's penchant for accepting bad political advise from the reactionary Inside the Beltway Democratic power Establishment. She's not as bad as Kerry, but she's getting there. Feingold, on the other hand, has been a gold standard for progressives. And if you don't follow politics too closely, you'd have no reason to think today's e-mail should put that standard into question-- and on the very day when Feingold stood up (alone, as usual) against the vile homophobic fascists in the Senate and against hot-air hypocrite Arlen Specter.

Russ' e-mail was entitled "Please join me in supporting Congressman Boswell" and it came from the Progressive Patriots Fund, a PAC I am helping to raise money for on the Down With Tyranny ACT BLUE Page.

I am writing you today to express my strong support of one of our greatest Democrats in the House of Representatives, Congressman Leonard Boswell.

Recently, I spent time in Iowa with the congressman. Over the course of the weekend, I learned how special a man Leonard Boswell is. He's a decorated veteran, an intelligence expert, a farmer, a family man and a strong Democratic leader.

I also learned about how hard Republicans in Washington, D.C., are trying to discredit his good name. Leonard remains the only Democrat from Iowa in the U.S. House of Representatives. And as you can imagine, Karl Rove and his Republican attack machine are committed to ending Leonard's career this November. The National Republicans have targeted Leonard as their #1 priority this year. They will be coming at him with everything they have.

We must stand up now and do all we can to help Leonard today!
Already, several national Republicans have campaigned against Leonard. Recently the Republicans boasted of having raised $744,000 to fund their vicious attacks on Leonard!

It almost made me want to send some money. Almost. But not quite. That's because I see Boswell's name on a lot of lists-- and it's always the lists of the 8-12 Democrats who join the Republican majority-- even when the few decent moderate Republicans won't-- to make sure the extremist Bush-DeLay agenda gets passed in the House. Boswell is one of only 25 Democrats with a Progressive Punch score of under 70. It's a fairly sickening list, mostly made up of men and women who consistently sell out workers and consumers for wealthy corporate interests-- people like Henry Cuellar, Ike Skelton, Dan Boren, Gene Taylor, Jim Marshall, Charlie Melancon, Jim Matheson... sound familiar? They should. Without Democrats like these much of the horrid Bush agenda would have failed, or would have been watered down by compromise.

I wrote Russ a letter. I didn't hear back. I didn't bother with Boxer because I've already given her my advice about this stuff and she's ignored it. I guess it's just that, in the end, these people are professional politicians playing by DC rules and if winning a majority means supporting a candidate who votes against women on choice issues and against gays on equality, well... the hell with 'em? A Democratic majority is important, even crucial but so is a poem written by anti-Nazi Lutheran minister Martin Niemoller:

First they came for the Communists,
and I didn't speak up,
because I wasn't a Communist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak up,
because I wasn't a Jew.
Then they came for the Catholics,
and I didn't speak up,
because I was a Protestant.
Then they came for me,
and by that time there was no one
left to speak up for me.

There are Democratic ideals and principles that come before political careers. I really do hope Nancy Pelosi becomes Speaker of the House and I can even reconcile myself with the power that will accrue to (and be abused by) Rahm Emanuel after a Democratic victory. But not at the expense of freedom of choice and not at the expense of gay equality and not at the expense of what the Democratic Party stands for that makes it different from the Republican Party.

If I lived in Iowa's third congressional district, I'm not sure I would vote for Leonard Boswell even though he is better than the alternative-- much better. In fact, he votes with Democrats quite a bit more than he votes with the Republicans. And if I were rich enough so that I could afford to give every single Democrat $2,100 this year, maybe I'd even give some money to Boswell, though I sincerely doubt it. In any case, money is scarce and there are truly progressive Democrats running-- incumbents like Julia Carson and Tammy Baldwin who have consistently stood up for very difficult Democratic values and who need help now and for challengers like Jan Schneider and Jerry McNerney and Rick Penberthy who will be strong independent and ethical voices in a very toxic environment. Good luck to Leonard Boswell. My donations go here.