Rah Rah, Sis Boom Bah-- We're Slightly Less Evil Than The Drooling Fascists

This morning, Quinnipiac released a poll that shows Americans continue to view Democrats in Congress as the lesser of two evils, with a negative 30 - 60% approval rating, compared to a negative 18 - 73% score for Republicans. 46% want Democrats to take over the House, while 45% want GOP control. One thing about the lesser of two evils-- it's still evil. But that's the best corrupt, compromised Democrats can muster to protect American democracy and working families from a nascent fascism that, Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi described as "not so much a vision as an ideological cover for a rapacious collusion of corporate, military and state interests seeking to advance a predatory agenda. ...also gains wide traction with a naïve, mainly white, rural population by exploiting their biases and anxieties. ...the watchword of the conservative budget is austerity-- but for others only." That "vision" or ideological cover is what visionless hacks in the Democratic Beltway leadership seek to compete with. And when it comes to Democratic Beltway hacks, no one is as clueless-- and disastrous, than DCCC Chairman Steve Israel, the GOP's secret weapon for maintaining their House majority.

And there is no better example of Israel's complete lack of competence to win back the House-- other than his failure to do so in 2012-- than his horrifyingly amateurish and self-serving recruiting this cycle. When Democrats are licking their wounds on November the morning of November 5, will them look back on Israel's wrong-headed recruitment of less of two evils candidates to represent the party of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt? Monday one of the supine Beltway trade papers changed the rating on Israel's most ridiculous recruit of the cycle, right-wing bigot Jennifer Garrison. Garrison, a darling of the NRA, the Blue Dogs and of predatory fracking companies, is vehemently opposed to women's Choice and is the single most anti-gay politician in Ohio. Israel chased a moderate state senator, Lou Gentile, out of the race to secure the Democratic nomination for his gal pal Jennifer-- and then deceived many of his colleagues in the House into contributing money to her campaign by conveniently distorting her hateful and very Republican record when she was in the state legislature.

The GOP incumbent, Bill Johnson, is a pathetic backbencher with nothing whatsoever to offer his hard-pressed constituents. Garrison is not a viable alternative, just a me-too Republican calling herself a Democrat. She's so far to the right that not even EMILY's List, which thrives on right-wing women candidates, would embrace her. Roll Call's gentile analysis of why Israel is going to lose waste a great deal of money on this absurd and unwinnable race dubs Garrison's staunch conservatism as "moderate," as they always do in these kinds of cases.

While Jennifer Garrison’s profile as a moderate Democrat might be a good fit for the district, some of her stances on social issues have put her at odds with liberal Democrats across the state, and that could make fundraising more difficult for her.

Garrison is caught in a very tough political position. She must demonstrate a level of independence from President Barack Obama and the national Democratic Party in order to win a majority in the district while needing to raise money from traditional Democratic groups to communicate her message effectively.

That, of course, would be the Beltway perspective. No thought whatsoever about finding a candidate who could offer Ohio's Appalachian region a better life and a reason to hope. That isn't something that ever crosses any Beltway minds-- least of all Steve Israel's Roll Call's silly "leans Republican" rating was downgraded to "Republican favored." The R+8 district, which gave Johnson two consecutive victories over the district's former congressman, conservative Blue Dog Charlie Wilson, saw Romney beat Obama 55-43% in 2012. Israel is wasting scarce resources trying to elect a debatably less-of-two-evils candidate here. The money could be better spent going after far more vulnerable Republicans who have real Democrats working to sell the Democratic message and vision. Just north of OH-06, for example, OH-14 is far more friendly turf for Democrats. But Israel doesn't want to get behind progressive Michael Wager in an R+4 district where Romney only squeezed out 51%. Or why not MI-06 just to the west where Energy and Commerce Committee chairman Fred Upton is barely holding on in an R+1 district that Obama won in 2008 and barely lost by 1% in 2012? Israel is steadfastly refusing to even recognize the outstanding progressive Democrat running against Fred Upton, Steve Clements.

So what will House Democrats do on November 5 when they look at the smoldering ruins their less-of-two-evils party has been turned into by corporate whores like Steve Israel, Steny Hoyer, Joe Crowley, the Blue Dogs and the New Dems? Prediction: nothing.