ANOTHER NAIL IN POMBO'S COFFIN

It was a good day today for Jerry McNerney up in the San Joaquin Valley (CA-11). Former Republican Congressman Pete McCloskey endorsed Jerry in his race against Pombo. McCloskey took almost one third of Republican votes in the June primary, moderate Republicans and Republicans sickened by Pombo's bribe-taking, self-enrichment and extremism. "Jerry McNerney is an honorable man who has not and will not seek to enrich himself and his family through his office," said McCloskey, contrasting him with Pombo's corrupt behavior. McCloskey specifically pointed out Pombo's ties to Big Oil and spoke about what a serious danger he is to the environment.

One of the worst whores in the entire Congress, Pombo sells his votes to the highest bidder on a consistent basis and virtually never votes for the interests of his constituents but always for the interests of the corporations and Big Business lobbyists who have shoveled hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal bribes his way. Although this has become a standard practice inside the Republican Culture of Corruption, there are few congressmen who have taken it as far and done it as blatantly as Pombo. The only public poll of the race shows McNerney beating Pombo in November. The biggest danger now is a massive influx of corporate cash for Pombo's filthy campaign tactics. While Big Oil, Big Pharma, Big Finance, etc all get behind Pombo, Rahm Emanuel's insider-oriented DCCC is not helping McNerney financially. The only way for him to stay competitive-- and stay ahead-- is with help from grassroots Democrats and independents.


UPDATE: IS IT A TREND? ANOTHER LIFELONG REPUBLICAN POLITICIAN ENDORSES JERRY McNERNEY OVER POMBO

Dick Pombo may well have fellow corporate whore Rahm Emanuel in his corner-- albeit surreptitiously of course-- but in California's eleventh congressional district, even Republicans are joining Democrats and Independents to cleanse American politics once and for all of the grotesque Pombo contaminant. Yesterday, when Jerry was scheduled to receive the formal endorsement from Pete McCloskey, another Republican candidate, Tom Benigno, a farmer and small businessman, joined them.

No one who has followed the campaign in the San Joaquin Valley was surprised when McCloskey endorsed Pombo, with who he battled very vigorously. "You know, I never really thought I’d be doing this. I've been a Republican for 57 years. My family have been Republicans for four generations," said McCloskey. "But I've concluded two things: Jerry McNerney is an honest man; Richard Pombo is not. I'm confident that Jerry McNerney is an honorable man who will vote his conscience."

Benigno's endorsement was more of a shock. "I have been a Republican all of my life, but Richard Pombo and his leadership have lost touch with us, and it's time for the corruption to end,. I believe that this particular venue today-- Mr. McCloskey and I being here-- sends out a clear message to the people. I think the message is: we need change. We need change and I think the people are ready for it."

Although polls show McNerney ahead of Pombo, one of the half dozen most dangerous Republicans in Congress, DCCC head Rahm Emanuel refuses to get on board. Like Pombo, Emanuel's own politics are all about supporting the highest bidder and the hell with the interests of working and middle-class Americans; he apparently feels a great kinship with Pombo. Why else would he be trying to protect him and help him win re-election. Nancy Pelosi should have removed him long ago.

Even Emanuel's handpicked primary candidate, Steve Filson, has come out strongly in favor of McNerney. "I don't think there's a Democrat in the district who isn't all fired up about Jerry," Fred Brown of Tracy told us. "This is the end of the road for Pombo. People around here have wised up to him and his shenanigans. And Jerry seems like a fine man. I don't even know any Republicans around here who support Pombo any more."

McNerney asked people in the district yesterday to make a choice. "Do we want more of Richard Pombo protecting Big Oil or do you want to join me and start down a path that leads to energy independence and clean air? Do you want a congressman who continues to subsidize Big Oil or do you want someone who's going to stand up and demand that the oil companies actually pay their fair share? Here in the 11th district, do we want to continue to send Richard Pombo to Washington to cut shady deals that make him and his powerful friends richer, or do we want to restore honesty, integrity and accountability to Congress?"