Don't Hate On EMILY's List-- More On Harold Ford's Nikki Tinker

Everyone is entitled to make a mistake and it was damn Christian of EMILY's list to publicly puke on their worst endorsement of the year-- anti-Semitic Blue Dog Nikki Tinker-- just hours before the polls opened in Memphis this morning. I noticed that the papers in Memphis covered it and I sure hope women who admire and respect EMILY's List get the message before they vote for a reactionary bigot like Tinker over Steve Cohen, someone who's world view-- if not his plumbing-- is far more in sync with EMILY's List than Tinkers'.

Even Mr. Hope made a statement about the election this morning in Tennessee's 9th CD. Look how courageous Barack Obama is. He offers me more reasons to not bother to vote every single day:

"These incendiary and personal attacks have no place in our politics, and will do nothing to help the good people of Tennessee. It's time to turn the page on a politics driven by negativity and division so that we can come together to lift up our communities and our country."

Just one missing sentence. He could have used the one he employed to make sure the single most Republican Democrat in Congress, John Barrow, was re-elected over a progressive African-American state Senator in Georgia a few weeks ago.

That said, everyone at Blue America World Headquarters was thrilled today when EMILY's List announced their newest endorsements. Most of them are Blue America faves: Sam Bennett (D-PA), Judy Feder (D-VA), Annette Taddeo (D-FL), and Vic Wulsin (D-OH). "These Democratic women," said EMILY's List president Ellen Malcolm, "are running some of the most exciting, competitive challenger races in the country and gaining critical ground in historically Republican districts.  Ranging from doctors, businesswomen, and public servants, these women are leading the way on issues affecting American families every day. EMILY's list members are proud to support these Democratic women and help elect them to the United States House in November."


Let's hope the politics of reactionary divisiveness is defeated in Memphis today and we can all celebrate EMILY's List emergence on the Side of Light. I love their write-up on Annette:

A small business owner and a community leader, Annette Taddeo is running for Congress because she believes South Florida needs a new beginning. As founder and CEO of LanguageSpeak, Taddeo has a 15 year track record as a successful businesswoman and was named Businesswoman of the Year by the South Florida Business Journal and one of the top 50 Latina entrepreneurs in the country by Hispanic Magazine. Taddeo is also a strong advocate for women as the chair of the Women's Enterprise National Council's Leadership Forum and a National Founding Partner and member of the executive board of WIPP-- Women Impacting Public Policy.

Taddeo's priorities reflect the values of the 18th district. She has already raised more than every recent Democratic challenger in this seat combined and the district is seeing historic increases in Democratic voter registration. Annette Taddeo's leadership, experience, and dedication to her community will make her a valuable voice for the working families she will represent in Congress.

 


UPDATE: TINKER GOT THE CRUSHING SHE EARNED

When the absentee ballots were counted about 90 minutes after the polls closed, Cohen had 81% of the vote. It never went below 79% and his winning total was 79.34%. Once the most vile snake in Memphis, Harold Ford, saw the handwriting on the wall (or in the polls) he quickly threw his protegee under the bus. Tinker finished with 18.64% and a very sour taste in the mouths of everyone who supported her. Rahm Emanuel, Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer owe Steve Cohen a public apology.

It was interesting that before Tinker let loose with her barrage of vicious, racist, Republican-like negative ads Cohen was only leading with 65%. Negative ads work with Republican voters, not so much with Democratic voters. "It says Memphis has come a long, long way and that people who were counting on racial voting to prevail are thinking of a Memphis that doesn't exist anymore," Cohen said. "The people of Memphis are more sophisticated voters that deal with issues and someone's record and not simply race."

In November Cohen will once again face the lowliest of all the Ford family, Harold much-hated brother Jake. In 2006 Jake managed to garner 18% of the vote. He'll do worse this year.