Smiting Virginia's Philistines-- A Guest Post

by Joshua Grossman, ProgressiveKick

It's a rare thing that one gets to smite five right-wing philistines with a single small donation, but ProgressiveKick has exactly that opportunity to offer today.

In fact, not only will your hard-earned sheckels go to support progressive candidates and smite nasty right-wingers in Virginia's House of Delegates for whom the 2009 elections are the last chance to change the balance of power in advance of 2010 redistricting, but we'll at least double your donation.

We can do this because we've secured at least $25,000 (a number that is still growing!) in pledges from large donors specifically pledged to mount a national matching fund drive to swing the balance in Virginia's House of Delegates in a progressive direction. Any dollar you donate today will be doubled by the time it hits Virginia.

We at Progressive Kick believe that matching large donors with small donors offers an untapped potential to wield progressive power and move political outcomes in Virginia and the nation.

You can check out the page at this link to see the full line-up.

All five of our candidates, Robin Abbott, Peggy Frank, Stevens Miller, Margi Vanderhye and John Bell will do progressives proud in VA's state house. And one look at their opponents tells you everything you need to know about the worthiness of this project.

Robin Abbott's opponent, Phil Hamilton is so corrupt that even the Republican candidate for governor, Bob McDonnell, has called on him to resign for having “violated the public trust.” Hamilton is also staunchly anti-choice, having received a “zero” rating from NARAL since 2006. In contrast, Robin Abbott has been endorsed by NARAL, which calls her “a strong advocate for health care” who will “ensure access to comprehensive reproductive health care.”

Peggy Frank's opponent, Dave Nutter, has received multiple ratings of “zero” from NARAL and Equality Virginia while garnering an “A+” from the NRA. In short, it’s obvious where Dave Nutter’s priorities and values lie. In contrast, Peggy Frank – a prosecutor, former Girl Scout Leader and Kindergarten soccer coach who worked her way through college as a single mother - promises to focus on “job creation, making healthcare more affordable, and improving education and public safety.”

Stevens Miller's opponent, Tom Rust, portrays himself as a “moderate” but in reality is allied with far-right-wing Loudoun County board member Eugene Delgaudio, a “leader in the nation's anti-gay rights movement” who actually staged a “man-donkey wedding” in support of the Federal Marriage Amendment. Rust has also voted against education, choice, and mandating that health insurers in Virginia provide coverage for autism. In sharp contrast, Stevens Miller supports choice, environmental protection, and equality for all.

TPMMuckraker calls Vanderhye's opponent Barbara Comstock a "GOP knife-fighter" who "ran oppo research for the RNC and chaired Scooter Libby's defense fund.” Former colleague David Brock described her as "almost unhinged," while Sean Hannity considers her a "good friend." In sharp contrast, Margi Vanderhye is a strong progressive who has been endorsed by the Sierra Club, the AFL-CIO, Equality Virginia, and Planned Parenthood.

John Bell's Republican opponent, Bob Marshall, is an extreme homophobe whoalso likens contraception to “chemical Love Canals for…frat house playboys,“ believes that “sometimes incest is voluntary,” and (with regard to abortion in the case of rape) opines that "the right of a child predominates over the embarrassment of the woman." In contrast, John Bell believes in equality for all and has been endorsed by the LCV, NARAL, and NOW.

This is exactly the kind of program Progressive Kick intends to run across the United States in 2010. We believe in bringing large and small donors together in support of targeted progressive races where the opportunity to "smite the right" is in the air. The matching pledges to double your dollars are icing on the cake.

Please join us and consider making a donation today.