BLUE AMERICA WANTS YOU TO MEET ANDREW HORNE, THE PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRAT RUNNING FOR SENATE IN KENTUCKY

Andrew Horne with his wife Stephanie and their son Nicholas at the Louisville Aids Walk

Last time Andrew Horne ran for office, Blue America was neutral. It was a Democratic primary pitting two excellent progressives, Andrew and now-Congressman John Yarmuth against each other for the Louisville congressional seat Ann Northup had decided to relinquish by playing the role of complete Bush rubber stamp. This year Andrew finds himself in another primary race with a Democrat, one Blue America community members will probably remember from last year, corrupt, ultra-reactionary putative Democrat Bruce Lunsford, the multimillionaire Establishment hack Steve Beshear defeated last year on the way to become governor of Kentucky. Unfortunately, Beshear didn't have a silver stake and Lunsford in back. Thank goodness, so is Andrew.

The race couldn't be more important; it's for the U.S. Senate seat held by Bush's Lord High Chief Obstructionist, the incredibly unpopular Mitch McConnell. Lunsford, a former McConnell campaign contributor-- as he was for several other right-wing Republicans-- is about as much a Democrat as his pals Zell Miller and Joe Lieberman. But he has something Chuck Schumer couldn't get out of his mind: millions and millions of dollars. Schumer, head of the DSCC, cracked the whip and is trying to pass Lunsford off as the front-runner and the "preferred" candidate. For workingmen and women in Kentucky and for grassroots activists, Lunsford is anything but preferred. Andrew Horne, on the other hand, would make a great Democratic candidate and a great progressive U.S. Senator. His website will tell you a lot about him and we've invited Andrew to join us at Firedoglake today at 2pm EST-- a getting to know each other session.

When I spoke with him on the phone after he was enthusiastically endorsed by DFA, there were two issues he kept coming back to, that he emphasized over and over again-- and they're both a perfect Blue America fit: the Iraq War and universal health care. The two issues hit home for Andrew when he got called up for active duty in Iraq, just as his wife, Stephanie, was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Being attorneys, they had health insurance. Being Democrats, they are hardwired to feel empathy for those who don't. And being a small businessman he also sees how providing health insurance for employees impacts on firms' expenses and competitiveness. Feel free to ask Andrew anything you'd like to know about his campaign and why he's the right Democrat for this race and how he's be different from Mitch McConnell. Meanwhile, take a look at this clip that Andrew put together when he announced he is running for the Senate:




UPDATE: SCHUMER SUCCESSFULLY DROVE HORNE OUT OF THE RACE

OK, so what next? Some Kentucky bloggers, not sure how many, think McConnell is so bad that we should actually support Lunsford. I wasn't born yesterday. And today 19 Democrats joined the GOP to vote for warrantless wiretaps and retroactive immunity for Bush's criminal telecom cronies. There can be no question where Lunsford would have stood today. And there can be no question that Lunsford, while not as hideous as McConnell, will be every bit as bad as Lieberman, Ben Nelson, Mary Landrieu and all the traitors to Democratic values who have prevented the Senate from moving the agenda Americans elected them to push forward-- like health care and a sane foreign policy. Lunsford: NEVER!