Connie Saltonstall Drops Out Of Race In Michigan
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We had high hopes for Connie Saltonstall's challenge to Bart Stupak. This morning, having driven Stupak himself out of the race, she also threw in the towel under pressure from the Michigan Democratic Party, no doubt under pressure from the DCCC. Connie's announcement:
I regretfully announce that I am withdrawing from the Democratic primary for the U.S. Representative in Michigan's First Congressional District.
I am forced to do this because it has become apparent to my campaign that the leadership of the Michigan Democratic Paarty has preemptively anointed Gary McDowell as their Democratic candidate. They are replacing Bart Stupak with another Upper Peninsula, Anti-Choice, Anti-Women's healthcare rights candidate. From past experience I realize that with the Michigan Democratic Party actively opposing me, I will not be able to raise the money necessary to conduct a winning campaign. I am not the only candidate that has been the target of this kind of manipulation. I hope that in the future the Party will reject this interference and insist on an open primary allowing voters to choose the candidate who represents their values.
I challenged Bart Stupak because he was threatening to take down the healthcare bill. His amendment threatened access for women to get health insurance even with private funds. There is an aggressive movement across the country to pass laws to restrict women from making responsible healthcare choices to protect their health, and furthermore, to criminalize their actions. The same people who think government should stay out of their lives, are legislating government into the doctor's office. Individuals, families, and physicians are the ones who should be making the complicated and difficult decisions we all face regarding reproductive healthcare and life issues.
While I think Gary McDowell is a very nice person, I cannot support his anti-choice politics, and I cannot support a party that endorses candidates who vote to restrict women's legal rights and access to healthcare. It is time for Democrats to stop compromising on this issue. I am proud that my campaign has raised the dialogue on healthcare and cgoice, and I will continue my leadership role concerning these issues.
I want to thank all my supporters in the First District and across the nation who contributed their time, money, endorsements, and good wishes for my campaign. We were first in the race, raised more money than any other Democratic candidate to date, collected over 1,500 petition signatures, put together a professional campaign team and a path to victory. Without the interference of the Democratic leadership, we might just have won the election!
I'm stunned and disappointed. I always believe Stalanism should be fought. The Michigan Democratic Party is waving around some poll they took-- paid for by the slimebags at the DCCC, of course-- which "proves" Connie couldn't win. Of course, the question about her describes her as a "socialist." Remind me again what makes the Democratic Party insiders any better than the Republican Party insiders. Please send a message to the Democratic Party by helping defeat some of Debbie Wasserman Schultz's favorite conservatives, like Lori Edwards, John Barrow, Jane Harman, Blanche Lincoln and Katrina Swett.
Labels: Bart Stupak, Connie Saltonstall, Gary McDowell, MI-01
posted by DownWithTyranny @ 7:30 AM
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10 Comments:
That sucks. She should have stayed in. Susan
I share your frustration, Susan.
I get the feeling that Connie would have been prepared to subject herself to an awful lot of punishment in waging such a campaign if she felt there was the slightest scintilla of hope at the other end. I don't think we can blame her, though, for not being willing to put herself through such an ordeal with no greater hope than being a sacrificial lamb.
That's an awful lot to ask of a person. There are people who will put themselves through a pre-doomed campaign, in the hope that they or someone else will be able to pick up the pieces and refight a stronger fight, and on and on until -- we hope! -- the fight is actually won. Those people qualify for sainthood. But as I say, that's an awful lot to ask of a person.
Ken
So the party machine has once again interferred in an OPEN primary to select an anti-women candidate. This isn't even about blind support for an incumbent; it's out right annointment by the PTB. To say I'm disappointed is an understatement. I met Connie recently at the NN10 fundraiser in DC; she knew she was in for a tough road but seemed up for the challenge. Hope these same PTB will understand when I show up to the polls in November without having offered any time or money to their apparatus.
Do party platforms mean anything? If not, they need to be removed from the process.
More proof that the Democratic Party platform is a bait and switch jive ass lie perpetrated by two-bit hucksters and scam artists like Schumer, Hoyer, Rahm, and Obama who see nothing but power, money and aiding and abetting criminal multi-nationals as their goal. I'm not clear on why the Repugs, and FOX and their like hate the Dems. They're doing their dirty work for them. Maybe that's the source of their hate; sadists that they are, they'd rather be screwing us by themselves without Democratic help. Politics in America is now nothing but a battle over which party gets to turn the big torture wheel.
"if she felt there was the slightest scintilla of hope at the other end"
Why do people always think in the short term? You can't gain and hold power with a strategy that covers just one election cycle.
If Saltonstall had the guts to stand and fight, we'd all be much better off two years from now.
But noo-oo-ooo, afraid to lose one election, and she packs it in and gives up. What kind of chickenshit campaign is that??
For an obvious example, look at Nixon. He lost a squeaker in 1960, then got his butt kicked two years later in California. Yet he licked his wounds, came back in 1968, and won! (From which we are still suffering from now, more than 40 years later.)
Do you think that could have happened if Nixon had simply given up? Do you think we'd be better off 50 years later if any of a number of Democrats over the past few decades had NOT given up after losing an election? No question about it. But give up they did, and ceded the field to the repubs.
The same think happened with Reagan. That asshole cum buffoon was ridiculed and laughed at for 20 years. But he didn't give up (admittedly easier when you have corporate money backing), and he came back and caused no end of trouble, just like he always wanted.
In contrast, Gary Hart gets caught with a bimbo, and disappears forever from politics. What kind of bullshit is that?? And there have been many, many like him. For crying out loud, even Diapers Vitter can tough it out. Why can't the Dems?
Instead of fighting multi-year campaigns, after every loss the Dems try to win the next one by becoming more republican (with the predictable disastrous consequences).
What I wouldn't give for a Democratic Party that had the intelligence and guts to stay the course.
If you have a moment, why not let the DCCC know what you think of the job they're doing? (I'm sure they want to know why you never contribute to their coffers anymore, but why not give them a concrete example?)
Questions/Feedback: Email the DCCC
The DCCC wants to hear from you. Please email us here. Our staff monitors this email in-box and passes on your feedback to our leadership. While we may not be able to answer each of your emails individually, we value your input.
http://www.dccc.org/page/s/contact
Mailing Address:
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Washington, DC 20003
Main Phone Number: (202) 863-1500
It's true though. She would have been clobbered in MI-1 (and it wasn't her challenge that prompted Stupak to retire). Still, we can now safely assume that she wouldn't have brought a tremendous amount of backbone to the progressive caucus had she miraculously pulled off a victory.
As a resident, i have the strong and horrible hunch that we'll end up with a near Tea Party, corporate-Randian representing us.
I understand your concern. I think dropping out of the race was the wrong thing to do- I'd rather see a primary contest to see who the better candidate is.
But I want you to know that there are many pro-life Democrats out here as well. I am one of them- and I wish Bart still had the fire to continue. I hope we elect good pro-life democrats in November.
Gosh, that's too bad. Of course, as progressive democrats we'll all support any democrat over any rethuglican because any democrat is better than any rethuglican and and nad ANYBODYBUTBUSH!!! ANYBODYBUTBUSH!!!
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