Is Anyone Asking You For Money This Weekend?

Nick Ruiz, a professor, not a politician-- he won't sell you out; not ever

Today's the last day of the FEC quarter, and politicians are using a ridiculous fake deadline to wind everyone up for (often undeserved) donations. I get a lot of e-mails from politicians. But I think I got more this last week than the total since the November election. The DCCC and New Dems were especially aggressive in urging candidates to badger and barrage their lists with ominous and dire warnings. Elizabeth Warren sent out a plea for some of her colleagues with a message that started this way: "If your email inbox is anything like mine right now, you're receiving a bazillion emails asking for money before this weekend's big fundraising deadline. I know it's not easy to decide which candidates or organizations need your support the most." More typical, though, was this standard New Dem candidate letter.

I know it’s unbelievable, but the attacks have already started. Last week, Speaker Boehner’s Super PAC launched television ads hitting me for voting against the Ryan Budget.

The attacks are bad, but it could get worse. Sunday is the most important deadline so far this year. After that, our fundraising numbers go public and the GOP extremists will pounce at any sign of weakness.

We’re running out of time. We need to raise $10,000 in 62 hours. I need your help right away to respond to these outrageous attacks.

That particular missive, though barely discernible from two dozen others, was from Sean Patrick Maloney, a garden variety New Dem freshman who has been flooding my e-mail box with annoying spam-- half a dozen on Saturday alone. And it's true, Maloney did vote against the Ryan budget. He also voted against the Progressive Caucus Back to Work Budget and the Senate compromise budget. He's gay and votes well on LGBT issues. Other than that-- pretty useless so far.

The ProgressivePunch scoring is far from perfect-- it's riddled with horribly grievous errors and should never be looked at in a vacuum or taken at face value-- but when you see which freshmen have voted against Progressive initiatives most of the time since being elected, you might get the idea that ignoring their pleas for cash is the correct way to proceed. Only 3 freshmen have perfect 100% scores-- Matt Cartwright (D-PA), Tony Cardenas (D-CA) and Mark Pocan (D-WI). Plenty of others have scores that are also excellent and have earned a degree of support. But these are the freshmen who have been on the wrong side in crucial roll calls for progressive issues too often to be rewarded. The number next to each name is the percent they voted with progressives:

• Elizabeth Esty (New Dem-CT)- 64.71
• Tulsi Gabbard (HI)- 64.71
• John Delaney (New Dem-MD)- 61.11
• Suzan DelBene (New Dem-WA)- 55.56
• Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM)- 55.56
• Julia Brownley (CA)- 50.0
• Pete Gallego (Blue Dog-TX)- 50.0
• Joe Garcia (New Dem-FL)- 50.0
• Gloria Negrete McLeod (CA)- 47.06
• Ami Bera (New Dem-CA)- 44.44
• Bill Enyart (IL)- 44.44
• Patrick Murphy (New Dem-FL)- 44.44
• Brad Schneider (New Dem-IL)- 44.44
• Cheri Bustos (IL)- 38.89
• Bill Foster (New Dem-IL)- 38.89
• Ann Kuster (NH)- 38.89
• Dan Maffei (New Dem-NY)- 38.89
• Sean Maloney (New Dem-NY)- 38.89
• Scott Peters (New Dem-CA)- 38.89
• Raul Ruiz (CA)- 38.89
• Kyrsten Sinema (New Dem-AZ)- 38.89
• Ron Barber (New Dem-AZ)- 33.33
• Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ)- 23.53

She hasn't joined the New Dems or the Blue Dogs (or the Republicans) but Ann Kirkpatrick already has the worst voting record of any Democratic freshman and the only Democrat with a worse record is Utah Blue Dog and notorious corporate whore Jim Matheson (16.67), who votes with Boehner and Cantor on key issues more frequently than 30 Republicans.

One way to never blunder into financing someone who will vote against the progressive agenda without having to scour voting records is to just never contribute to any Blue Dogs or New Dems (or to any PACs or organizations that funnel money to Blue Dogs and New Dems, like the DCCC and DNC). Here's the most up-to-date list of the New Dems:

• Ron Kind, chairman (WI)
• Allyson Schwartz, vice-chair (PA)
• Jim Himes, vice chair (CT)
• Rick Larsen, vice chair (WA)
• Gerry Connolly, vice chair (VA)
• Ron Barber (AZ)
• John Barrow (GA)
• Ami Bera (CA)
• Lois Capps (CA)
• John Carney (DE)
• Andre Carson (IN)
• Joaquin Castro (TX)
• Jim Cooper (TN)
• Joe Courtney (CT)
• Susan Davis (CA)
• John Delaney (MD)
• Suzan DelBene (WA)
• Eliot Engel (NY)
• Elizabeth Esty (CT)
• Bill Foster (IL)
• Joe Garcia (FL)
• Colleen Hanabusa (HI)
• Denny Heck (WA)
• Rush Holt (NJ)
• Derek Kilmer (WA)
• Dan Maffei (NY)
• Sean Patrick Maloney (NY)
• Carolun McCarthy (NY)
• Mike McIntyre (NC)
• Greg Meeks (NY)
• Jim Moran (VA)
• Patrick Murphy (FL)
• Bill Owens (NY)
• Ed Perlmutter (CO)
• Gary Peters (MI)
• Scott Peters (CA)
• Jared Polis (CO)
• Mike Quigley (IL)
• Cedric Richmond (LA)
• Loretta Sanchez (CA)
• Adam Schiff (CA)
• Brad Schneider (IL)
• Kurt Schrader (OR)
• David Scott (GA)
• Terri Sewell (AL)
• Adam Smith (WA)
• Juan Vargas (CA)
• Filemon Vela (TX)
• Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL)

A millionaire spoiled brat and lifelong Republican, Patrick Murphy is the sleaziest and most destructive of the Democratic freshmen. He also sends out the most e-mails begging for money. I hope the GOP runs a moderate or a libertarian against him. Yesterday was his birthday and one of his letters begging for money tried exploiting it: "Today is the big day! Please help wish Patrick a happy birthday by giving a gift to his campaign before the FEC deadline tomorrow-- his first as a member of Congress. Please contribute what you can today because all gifts are being matched dollar for dollar today only."

By who? His wealthy Republican father? Or by his pals at the DNC or DCCC? Oh, and speaking of the DCCC, "Amber" sent this out to Steve Israel's mailing list:

I wanted to make sure you saw this important message from Nancy Pelosi about Steve Israel's critical deadline tomorrow.

Can you click here and rush a contribution in the next 24 hours?

We're so close-- thanks for your help!

Instead, invest in proven progressive leaders. Carl Sciortino is a state legislator in Massachusetts who has done an amazing job organizing a Progressive Caucus in his state and fighting for progressive values and principles. He's running for Congress to replace Ed Markey. Carl and the other candidates on this page are people you can count on to do the right thing-- while Patrick Murphy and Steve Israel are playing footsie with the Republicans and selling out to Big Business and Wall Street.