DCCC Doesn't Believe In David vs Goliath Contests-- Especially Not When David Is A Progressive

Caravaggio... way smarter than Steve Israel

Monday morning the DCCC was strutting around like a rooster bragging about the campaign to hold Republicans accountable, running an ad (below) called "The Millionaires," against 23 "Republican Members of Congress who are about to vote for another tax cut for millionaires at the expense of the middle class and seniors." Let's not even get into the cynicism of the DCCC backing Blue Dogs who vote with the GOP on this and leave that for the day after the vote itself (when we can replay a tape of Debbie Wasserman Schultz defending anti-family ConservaDems because she's so proud of her "Big Tent party"). From their press release:

With 100 days until Election Day, House Republicans will vote this week to give people making more than $1 million a year another $130,000 tax break, according to the Tax Policy Center, and once again double down on their failed priorities instead of protecting the middle class and seniors. This past weekend, the DCCC held “Middle Class First” grassroots events in 19 congressional districts to expose Republicans’ plans to put millionaires over the middle class.

...The ads will target the following districts:

     •     Congressman Rick Crawford (AR-01)
     •     Congressman Dan Lungren (CA-07)
     •     Congressman Jeff Denham (CA-10)
     •     Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack (CA-36)
     •     Congressman Brian Bilbray (CA-52)
     •     Congressman Steve King (IA-04)
     •     Congresswoman Judy Biggert (IL-11)
     •     Congressman Bobby Schilling (IL-17)
     •     Congressman Larry Bucshon (IN-08)
     •     Congressman Roscoe Bartlett (MD-06)
     •     Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler (MO-04)
     •     Congressman Jon Runyan (NJ-03)
     •     Congressman Joe Heck (NV-03)
     •     Congressman Michael Grimm (NY-11)
     •     Congresswoman Nan Hayworth (NY-18)
     •     Congressman Chris Gibson (NY-19)
     •     Congresswoman Ann Marie Buerkle (NY-24)
     •     Congressman Bill Johnson (OH-06)
     •     Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick (PA-08)
     •     Congressman Tim Murphy (PA-18)
     •     Congresswoman Kristi Noem (SD-AL)
     •     Congressman Scott DesJarlais (TN-04)
     •     Congressman Scott Rigell (VA-02)

Who are these Republicans? Not many people have heard of any of them. They're basically all a bunch of backbenchers without any power or influence, mostly pathetic freshmen. Fine... someone has to go after them. It's a shame though, that that's all the DCCC goes after! But let's look at the Democrats running in these districts for a second.

•     Scott Ellington (AR-01)- (Obama's score: 39%, Dem 2010- 43%)
     •     Ami Bera (CA-07)- New Dem- (Obama's score: 51%, Dem 2010-43%)
     •     Jose Hernandez (CA-10)- (Obama's score: 50%, Dem 2010- 35%)
     •     Raul Ruiz (CA-36)- (Obama's score: 50%, Dem 2010- 42%)
     •     Scott Peters (CA-52)- New Dem- (Obama's score: 55%, Dem 2010- 39%)
     •     Christie Vilsack (IA-04)- New Dem- (Obama's score: 48%, Dem 2010- 32%)
     •     Bill Foster (IL-11)- New Dems- (Obama's score: 61%, Dem 2010- 36%)
     •     Cheri Bustos (IL-17)- (Obama's score: 60%, Dem 2010- 43%)
     •     Dave Crooks (IN-08)- Blue Dog- (Obama's score: 48%, Dem 2010- 38%)
     •     John Delaney (MD-06)- New Dem- (Obama's score: 56%, Dem 2010-33%)
     •     Teresa Hensley (MO-04)- (Obama's score: 42%, Dem 2010- 45%)
     •     Shelley Adler (NJ-03)- New Dem- (Obama's score: 51%, Dem 2010- 47%)
     •     John Oceguera (NV-03)- (Obama's score: 54%, Dem 2010-47%)
     •     Mark Murphy (NY-11)- (Obama's score: 48%, Dem 2010-)
     •     Sean Maloney (NY-18)- (Obama's score: 52%, Dem 2010-47%)
     •     Julian Schriebman (NY-19)- New Dem- (Obama's score: 53%, Dem 2010-45%)
     •     Dan Maffei (NY-24)- New Dem- (Obama's score: 56%, Dem 2010- 50%)
     •     Charlie Wilson (OH-06)- Blue Dog/New Dem- (Obama's score: 45%, Dem 2010- 45%)
     •     Kathy Boockvar (PA-08)- New Dem- (Obama's score: 53%, Dem 2010- 46%)
     •     Larry Maggi (PA-18)- (Obama's score: 44%, Dem 2010- 33%)
     •     Matt Varilek (SD-AL)- (Obama's score: 45%, Dem 2010- 46%)
     •     Shannon Kelley (TN-04)- (Obama's score: 36%, Dem 2010- 39%)
     •     Paul Hischbiel (VA-02)- New Dem- (Obama's score: 50%, Dem 2010- 43%)

So what would a progressive campaign look like instead of this attempt by "ex"-Blue Dog Steve Israel to restock the House Democratic caucus with conservatives?

•     Rob Zerban vs Paul Ryan (WI-01)- (Obama's score: 51%, Dem 2010- 30%)
     •     Lee Rogers vs Buck McKeon (CA-25)-  (Obama's score: 49%, Dem 2010- 38%)
     •     Alan Grayson vs ? (FL-09)- (Obama's score: 60%, Dem 2010- new district)
     •     Wayne Powell vs Eric Cantor (VA-07)- (Obama's score: 44%, Dem 2010- 34%)
     •     Patsy Keever vs Patrick McHenry (NC-10)- (Obama's score: 42%, Dem 2010- 29%)
     •     David Gill vs Rodney Davis (IL-13)- (Obama's score: 55%, Dem 2010- 36%)
     •     Matt Heinz vs ConservaDem Ron Barber (AZ-02)- (Obama's score: 49%, Dem 2010- 49%)
     •     Beto O'Rourke vs Barbara Carrasco (TX-16)- (Obama's score: 64%, Dem 2010- 58%)
     •     Chris Donovan vs ConservaDem Elizabeth Esty (CT-05)- (Obama's score: 56%, Dem 2010- 54%)
     •     Jay Chen vs Ed Royce (CA-39)- (Obama's score: 47%, Dem 2010-33%)
• Darcy Burner vs ConservaDem Suzan DelBene (WA-01)- Obama's score: 56%, Dem 2010-)
     •     Missa Eaton vs Mike Kelly (PA-03)- (Obama's score: 46%, Dem 2010- 44%)
     •     Carol Shea-Porter vs Frank Guinta (NH-01)- (Obama's score: 53%, Dem 2010- 42%)
     •     Ann Kuster vs Charlie Bass (NH-02)- (Obama's score: 56%, Dem 2010- 47%)
     •     Nate Shinagawa vs Tom Reed (NY-23)- (Obama's score: 50%, Dem 2010- 43%)
     •     Aryanna Strader vs Joe Pitts (PA-16)- (Obama's score: 50%, Dem 2010- 35%)
     •     Joe Miklosi vs Mike Coffman (CO-06)- (Obama's score: 54%, Dem 2010- 31%)
     •     Nick Ruiz vs John Mica (FL-07)- (Obama's score: 49%, Dem 2010- 40%)
     •     Sue Thorn vs David McKinley (WV-01)- (Obama's score: 42%, Dem 2010- 50%)
     •     Trevor Thomas vs ConservaDem Steve Pestka (MI-03)- (Obama's score: 50%, Dem 2010- 37%)
     •     Syed Taj vs a Lyndon LaRouche freak (MI-11)- (Obama's score: 50%, Dem 2010- 39%)
     •     Pat Lang vs Steve Stivers (OH-15)- (Obama's score: 46%, Dem 2010- 41%)
     •     Lance Enderle vs Mike Rogers (MI-08)- (Obama's score: 52%, Dem 2010- 34%)

The progressive target list, unlike the DCCC target list, includes vulnerable senior Republicans (Goliaths) like Paul Ryan and Buck McKeon, whose district's Obama won, as well as vulnerable Republican incumbents with national reputations as especially hateful assholes, like Eric Cantor, Joe Pitts, Mike Coffman, Patrick McHenry, Ed Royce, and Mike Rogers. No one ever even heard of any of the DCCC targets beyond maybe the congresswoman in Palm Springs who used to be married to Sonny Bono after Cher and now lives with her braindead husband-- a candidate for the U.S. Senate-- in Florida. It's a pretty unheroic list of targets-- and not even one where there are many "sure things." In fact, some of these people have absolutely no chance of winning whatsoever, like the poor schlemiels running against Vicky Hartzler (MO-04), Larry Bucshon (IN-08), Tim Murphy (PA-18), Kristi Noem (SD-AL), and Scott DesJarlais (TN-04). The money the DCCC will waste in those 5 districts alone could probably make the difference in defeating Paul Ryan, Buck McKeon and Ed Royce, 3 seats ripe for the plucking that the DCCC refuses to contest.

Don't get me wrong... I'm not "against" all the DCCC candidates. The Blue Dogs are the Blue Dogs and no good progressive should even consider voting for one of them under any circumstances. As for the New Dems, it's a case by case decision. New Dems tend to be corrupt, pro-Big Business, anti-consumer and most of them are as worthless as Blue Dogs most of the time-- only without the white KKK robes you can count on from a Blue Dog. As for the others on their list, some of them seem like sincere moderates who are worth supporting if you live in their districts. My problem with the DCCC list is that it very pointedly leaves out all the progressives-- even the ones they claim to be backing, like Ann Kuster, Mark Takano, and Joe Miklosi-- let alone the next generation of progressive leaders like David Gill, Chris Donovan, Nate Shinagawa, Beto O'Rourke, Aryanna Strader, Jay Chen and Nick Ruiz.

The Progressive Caucus should be launching a political action committee in the next couple of days; I have a feeling (a strong one) that they won't be making the same kinds of mistakes Steve Israel and the DCCC are making. Look for some of the "Davids" getting some real backing!