Beyond Barack And Beyond Democratic Majorities-- How About A Progressive Agenda? You Can Help

If you're serious about seeing a progressive agenda in this country, it isn't enough to help elect Barack Obama to the White House or even give the generic Democrats-- from solid progressives like Richard Durbin, Barbara Boxer and Sheldon Whitehouse to the nominal Democrats from deep inside the Republican wing of the Democratic Party like Ben Nelson, Tim Johnson and Mary Landrieu-- a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate. It is at least as important to help elect progressive Democrats, rather than what many refer to as Vichy Democrats. Sure, it'll be great to see the end of Mitch McConnell's disgraceful career, but his Democratic opponent, arch reactionary Bruce Lunsford, will immediately descend to the rank of worst Democrat in the Senate if he wins. He will be far more of a problem for progressives than Lieberman or-- for those who saw Bill Maher's Religuous-- Mark Pryor. On the other hand, outstanding progressives like Jeff Merkley, Rick Noriega, Andrew Rice, Mark Begich and Tom Allen are either winning or within striking distance of defeating atrocious rubber stamp Republican opponents.

For the last 10 days People For the American Way, through their Voters Alliance, has been raising money for progressive House candidates-- not for generic nominal Democrats from the Republican wing of the Democratic Party, but for proven progressives, the kinds of men and women who will provide real leadership for the Democratic Party of the future, people like Darcy Burner (WA-08), Alan Grayson (FL-08), Larry Kissell (NC-08), Dennis Shulman (NJ-05), Russ Warner (CA-26), Mark Schauer (MI-07), and Victoria Wulsin (OH-02), to name just a few.

People For the American Way, the DCCC and Jared Polis For Congress have all chipped in $7,000 in prize money for the candidate who gets the highest number of dollars and for 2 candidates who get the highest number of contributors (even if they're just one dollar donations). Take a look at the list of candidates at the PFAW ActBlue Page. You'll notice that the most money is looking like a contest between two outstanding progressives, Judy Feder (VA-10) and Gary Peters (MI-09), each of whom is over the $20,000 mark. But numbers of donors... anything can happen. Martin Heinrich (NM-01), Dennis Shulman (NJ-05), Vic Wulsin (OH-02) are all in contention to win that one as well. The $100,000 mark is moments away.

It's fun to play and fun to watch and any of these candidates can win against Republicans who have kept the war in Iraq going, rubber stamped turning the U.S. Constitution into rubble, helped cause the financial meltdown and earned the enmity of their constituents and of the whole country. Voting closes at midnight tonight... Pacific Time.