Dan Lipinksi (D-IL)-- Worse Than A Blue Dog... Won't Endorse Obama

Not a leftover Halloween mask-- Rep. Dan Lipinski

About 5 years ago, Blue America started taking more than a passing interest in Illinois' most reactionary Democrat, Dan Lipinksi, a Tennessee shithead who inherited his seat from his father, also a corrupt right-wing asshole from the Daley school. We were happy to back Mark Pera in a primary race against Lipinski. Pera lost and Lipinksi veered even more sharply right. This cycle it looked like John Atkinson would challenge Lipinski but when the new boundaries were drawn, Atkinson was in another district. Yesterday he sent me this tweet:

Lipinksi has been an integral part of the Republican War Against Women. When Boehner and Cantor pass their ass-backwards bills that have no chance of being considered in the Senate, let along signed by the President, they know they can always count on Lipinski to help them call the insane junk legislation "bipartisan." That's Lipinski's roll in Congress. He's one of the most virulently anti-Choice and anti-gay Members of the House, worse than many Republicans. Next cycle we should make a real effort at Blue America to recruit and support a candidate to take him on and beat him in the 2014 primary. (If I lived in the 3rd district now, I'd be casting my ballot for Socialist Laura Anderson next Tuesday, as a protest vote.)

The 3rd is a solidly blue district. Obama beat McCain 64-35% and even under the more suburban new boundaries Obama would have prevailed 58-40%. But Lipinski won't say if he's voting for Romney or Obama next week and has publicly declined to endorse the president's reelection efforts. I think that may help us recruit a good candidate to run against him.

Lipinski voted against the health care bill, against a bill to ban employment discrimination against the LGBT community, against repealing Don't Ask Don't Tell, is virulently anti-immigrant. He's the co-chair of the so-called "Pro-Life" Caucus and was an eager backer of Stupak-Pitts. And he's a warmonger to boot.