Contrast Real Democratic Candidates With Steve Israel's DCCC Mystery Meat Shills

Several months ago, when the DCCC endorsed Pete Aguilar for the D+5 Inland Empire congressional seat he lost last year to two Republicans because of his obvious inability to connect with Democratic voters, I tried calling him to ask him where he stands on issues. Like virtually all DCCC-manufactured candidates, his website is devoid of issue positions. I reached what I thought was a naive volunteer, a pleasant kid with a Chechen accent, named Boris. Boris was verity friendly and forthcoming but admitted-- shockingly to me, but very routinely to him-- that Aguilar didn't have any positions on issues yet but the DCCC would soon tell him what they are and that he'd call me back then. He hasn't called back yet.

You always know when one of the DCCC's consultant-driven candidates send you an e-mail because there's generally no content. The DCCC candidates just solicit money by warning how bad the Republican is and how they need money to save… whatever the talking point of the day is in Washington. The worst examples this cycle have been focus-group tested New Dem shills like Patrick Murphy (FL), Sean Patrick Maloney (NY), Raul Ruiz (CA), Ami Bera (CA), and Scott Peters (CA). Here's one I got from Peters recently, the transparent goal of which is to get the recipient to sign a meaningless "petition" so that his or her e-mail address can be sold to fundraisers:

Howard --

You’re making a HUGE difference:

Since we sent our first message last week, over 9,000 supporters from San Diego and across the country have stepped up to say they don’t want any part of this shutdown.

Will you click here to automatically sign your name and help us reach 10,000 strong?

Every day, I’m working as hard as I can to serve the people of San Diego. I’m working to put forward commonsense solutions and end the divisiveness; I’m working to spread equality for all of our citizens; and I’m working to bring more jobs to Southern California.

The truth is, San Diegans I talk to have had enough with the political game-playing. They’re looking for progress, not partisanship.

Let’s end this shutdown and finally get Washington working again.

Non-empty suits follow Alan Grayson's example of engaging their supporters in serious and substantive issues. Along these lines, Paul Clements sent out an e-mail over the weekend that immediately marks him as the kind of independent, non-consultant-driven candidate the DCCC eschews. He's running against Fred Upton, the multimillionaire Michigan Republican under the protection of Steve Israel. Under the protection of Steve Israel, despite Obama having won the district in 2008 and despite polling that shows Upton's approval rating is only 34% and that a Democrat would easily beat him.

Paul's letter committed the cardinal sin-- in DCCC-land-- of asking potential donors to think about something other than just writing a check:

Dear friends,

In 1978 I was 17 and a freshman at Harvard. At a student meeting I learned that the government in South Africa made black South Africans live in “bantustans”-- secluded wastelands-- and carry passes to come to the cities and suburbs to work as maids or gardeners. Hundreds of protesters had been shot down in the Sharpeville massacre, Steve Biko had been killed in police custody, and Nelson Mandela was in prison on Robben Island. But the Harvard endowment was growing from profits made in South Africa, benefiting from the racist state.

To do what I could I joined our campus’s Southern Africa Solidarity Committee, and helped to organize teach outs and demonstrations calling for divestiture. A great university should not profit from racist oppression.

On Mandela’s passing, I want to honor and appreciate his leadership not only in ending apartheid, but in accomplishing the near-impossible, a largely peaceful transition to a democratic, inclusive, multi-racial South Africa.

I’m grateful to have made my small contribution. Harvard’s divestiture movement was one of the first in the country, and divestiture is a cause I’m proud to have shared with Congressman Howard Wolpe and two-time 6th District congressional candidate Don Cooney.

On Mandela’s passing, let’s remember that racism remains a blight on American society. The preponderance of young black men in America’s prisons represent a failure of our society. In recent years we also see rising inequality, poverty, and hunger throughout our country, while 90% of the gains from America’s economic growth have been going to the top 1%.

Can you help me to carry the struggle for social justice to Congress? December 31st, the next Federal Election Commission campaign finance filing deadline, is crucial. The following deadline is the end of March, and by then the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and most of the national organizations will have chosen the races they will support in 2014.

To gain the national support my campaign needs in order to win, my fourth quarter finance report needs to show grassroots support continuing to build; I need to raise another $30,000 by the end of the year.

Can you contribute $10, $50, $100 or $500?

You can send a check to Paul's campaign at "Committee to Elect Paul Clements"  2517 Broadway Ave., Kalamazoo, MI 49008 or you can contribute at the Blue America ActBlue page.