THE POWER OF PRIMARIES-- SOMETIMES THE GRASSROOT'S ONLY EFFECTIVE WEAPON

Did you read Congresswoman Jane Harman's anti-escalation blog on HuffPo recently? In reference to policies she has enthusiastically endorsed for the past 4 years, she now writes that "The White House's Iraq strategy has failed, our brave military is stretched to the breaking point, and neither Congress nor the American people will support for much longer throwing good money after bad or sending good people after good people into a hopeless war zone. Rather than talk about additional troops, it's time to begin redeploying troops out of Iraq immediately and engaging other governments and allies in crafting a diplomatic and political solution to the nightmare. That this administration could still think an escalated military option is a credible path to stability and democracy in Iraq is alarming, and indicative of how far removed from reality this president and his inner circle are." Girl laid down the law! This sounds like a chastened woman. Three cheers for Marcy Winograd and for California progressive activists!

This weekend another reactionary corporate whore, Ellen Tauscher released an official anti-McCain Doctrine statement. "I do not support adding any more troops for the President’s failed policy, and I will tell him that. Rather than replace the generals and combatant commanders who disagree with him, the President must take the advice of the Joint Chiefs and other military leaders, the Iraq Study Group, and the American people to change his failed strategy. The only troop surge that makes sense when it comes to Iraq is a surge out." And Tauscher hasn't even had her primary brush with political death yet! (Stay tuned.)

This is the value of progressive activists challenging the Joe Liebermans, Jane Harmans, Al Wynns of the party. Harman seems to have gotten the message loud and clear and I'm betting she wants to be part of the solution going forward. Tauscher is painfully aware that she's on an awful lot of lists of congresspersons-most-in-need-of-a-primary-challenge. It cost Joe Lieberman $20,000,000 to hold on to his "safe seat" and that isn't something anyone in office relishes.

In 2008 Democrats should be able to expand their House majority significantly and add at least 3 seats in the Senate, making it Lieberman-proof. In 2007, grassroots activists need to watch their reps closely to make sure they are staying true to the mandates they were given by voters. Marcy Winograd told me on the phone that she would keep a close watch on Harman to make sure she doesn't forget that she was elected as a Democrat to represent Democratic values and ideals in a Democratic district. I suspect Donna Edwards will be all over Al Wynn if he doesn't mend his ways. He's been playing his cards close to the vest so far but my guess is that he'll merit another strong challenge. We'll see. Which other faithless Democrats in strong blue districts merit primary challenges next year?

Although he's far from being the most reactionary, Rahm Emanuel would be the golden ring for progressives because of his smarmy sell-out politics and because of the brass knuckle tactics he uses on fellow Democrats. Unfortunately, he represents a corrupt old line political machine-- Daley's-- rather than an actual district and it will be very tough, though certainly not impossible. Still, well worth the effort.


Looking at the list of the Democrats who most often vote with Republicans on substantive issues rather than with their own party, we mostly find a motley collection of neo-Confederates in pretty conservative districts like Gene Taylor (MS), Dan Boren (OK), Bud Cramer (AL), Mike McIntyre (NC), Charlie Melancon (LA), Jim Marshall and John Barrow (GA), Davis Lincoln and John Tanner (TN), Jim Matheson (UT). The argument is that if these people didn't vote like Republicans their conservative constituents would elect Republicans. Maybe. But there are some Democrats on the Worst List that don't have that problem (like Harman, who's in a solid blue Los Angeles district). Others who need to be watched are Solomon Ortiz, a corrupt and very right wing Democrat in a totally Democratic southeast Texas district (Corpus Christi, Brownsville, South Padre Island, San Benito). Anti-choice, homophobic, former Republican Mike Doyle (who was just re-elected with 90% of the vote) represents Pittsburgh and the district was gerrymandered by Republicans to dump as many Democrats into it (and away from surrounding districts) as possible. And yet Doyle has a pretty crappy voting record, tragic in a district that would support a real progressive leader. John Barrow and Jim Marshall are much worse congressmen than David Scott but all 3 Georgians are right-of-center. Barrow and Marshall nearly lost their seats in November in districts that are only marginally Democratic. They vote like Republicans. Blue Dog David Scott, on the other hand, took nearly 70% of the votes in GA-13, a district taking in largely African-American suburbs south and east of Atlanta. A disgraceful Big Business shill, Scott could vote a lot more like neighbor John Lewis and a lot less like Al Wynn... or Lynn Westmoreland.