ANDREW RICE-- A POPULIST HERO TO TAKE ON FAR RIGHT MANIAC JAMES INHOFE?

It's great when a really radical right wingnut loses a race in a deep red district. More often than not, though, the Democrats who represent solidly Republican areas are barely Democrats themselves. Some vote as often with Republicans as they do with Democrats on substantive issues. I'm sure Jim Marshall and Gene Taylor-- who at least voted for Nancy Pelosi as Speaker-- are far better than the Republicans they beat. Currently there is not a single Republican representing a safe Democratic seat. There are, however, 8 Democrats representing safe (not "leaning," but SAFE) Republican seats, including Chris Carney and Tim Holden in Pennsylvania, Jim Marshall in Georgia, Gene Taylor in Mississippi, Nick Lampson and Chet Edwards in Texas, Rick Boucher in Virginia, and Jim Matheson in Utah. Carney, Boucher and Lampson have moderate voting records. The others have reactionary voting records that damage the Democratic Party brand and often force progressives to compromise with corporate special interests in ways that hurt American workers and consumers.

So it was with some skepticism that I read today that Chuck Schumer has been urging Oklahoma State Senator Andrew Rice to run against Oklahoma extremist wingnut James Inhofe, one of the crazier kooks in the GOP Senate caucus. I mean rumors that Schumer-- who, you will remember, shoved now-Senator Bob Casey down progressive Pennsylvanians' throats and sabotaged Paul Hackett's primary campaign in Ohio-- has been urging Texas politicians to take on Cornyn indicate he is telling moderate, pro-choice candidates to move to the right and run as anti-choicers. [UPDATE: The DSCC adamantly denies the rumor that Schumer-- or anyone else connected to them-- has urged anyone to run for the senate seat as an anti-choice candidate. Whew.]

According to the Tulsa World Rice met with Schumer in Dallas and told the DSCC Chair he was open to the run. Rice is just 34 years old and in his first term as a state senator. I decided to see if he is another reactionary Democrat like Oklahoma's Dan Boren. Wow! Is he ever not! Rice is a real populist with plenty of progressive ideas about how government should serve people. Rice seems strong on the important issues and his approach to government starts with being on the side of the people, not the Big Money interests. He was a founder of the Progressive Alliance Foundation, a public advocacy group seeking to advance progressive, fair-minded and constitutional values in Oklahoma. One way he keeps in tune with real people is as a Daily Kos blogger. Oklahoma progressives are clamoring for him to take on Inhofe and Blue Oklahoma is in the forefront urging people to sign the petition to get Andrew to take on one of the most reactionary politicians in America. The Draft Rice Petition is worth signing at the RunAndrewRun site.

Oklahoma isn't all kooks like Inhofe and Coburn or even Boren. There's powerful populist sentiment just below the lunatic fringe and authoritarian corporate surface, a tradition long represented by the music of Woody Guthrie. Andrew's bio goes right to the heart and soul of that great tradition. I'm betting he'd make one of America's greatest senators, not just a better option than the malevolent Inhofe.


UPDATE: BUZZ IS BUILDING FOR RICE IN OKLAHOMA

Few think the Republicans' ability to obstruct the work of the Senate will survive next year's election. But if Jim Inhofe-- in Oklahoma-- is really in trouble, the GOP is in a lot more trouble than anyone thinks. And yet Professor Keith Gaddie, the most respected political consultant in the state, says there just may be something to the political demise of Inhofe and the rise of Andrew.