Domestic Spying Advocate And Fake Democrat Adam Schiff Has An Opponent-- Meet Steve Stokes

Voters in Hollywood, Glendale, Silverlake and Burbank have a choice-- Schiff is the CIA corporate candidate and Stokes is the grassroots progressive

Adam Schiff, a conservative Blue Dog and New Dem with a Military Industrial Complex complex, is a bad fit for his new district, which saw much of its more conservative-leaning areas in the eastern third of the district, including most of Pasadena, South Pasadena, San Marino, Alhambra and Altadena, shaved off and put into Judy Chu's district. Schiff's district moved west and south to include Los Feliz, Silverlake, Hollywood and West Hollywood, some of the most progressive parts of Los Angeles-- and one of the country's biggest concentrations of gay people. Schiff immediately went from an attitude of hostility or, at best, benign neglect, towards the LGBT community to a phony-baloney role as an advocate. But scratch the surface and he's still a reactionary, especially on economic issues and in terms lockstep support for all the worst trappings of American neocon imperialism.

When Schiff first ran, Democrats were frantic to beat Clinton impeachment manager James Rogan, the incumbent. It was the most expensive House race in history at the time and Schiff beat him 53-44%. I was active in raising money for Schiff among my fellow executives in the music industry. One day I wound up with Schiff and his family at the palatial estate of Israeli billionaire Haim Saban, the Democratic Party version of Sheldon Adelson and I got the uncomfortable feeling that I was fighting on the wrong team. Schiff soon proved that feeling correct-- joining the reactionary Blue Dogs and then amassing a horrifically pro-war voting record and backing George Bush's illegal war against Iraq-- and every other policy move dictated by the far right-wing of Israeli politics. He began worming his way up the ranks of the Foreign Affairs Committee and then the Intelligence Committee, where he could do the most to further the goals of the Likud Party. Today's he's frantically plotting to replace Barbara Boxer in the U.S. Senate.

He isn't worried about being reelected. The Republican Establishment knows he's the best they can expect in CA-28 and tacitly supports him. What there is of a Republican grassroots in the district hates him but doesn't have much choice but to seethe in their own frustration. The GOP doesn't even bother to oppose him. Last year a grassroots Republican, Phil Jennerjahn, managed to run against him-- and lost 188,703 (76%) to 58,008 (24%) after Schiff spent $1,082,977 to Jennerjahn's... zero. He didn't raise enough money to even generate an FEC report. Right now Schiff-- a Military Industrial Complex darling-- has $2,097,033 cash-on-hand and his opponent is a local progressive independent, Steve Stokes, who was inspired by Marianne Williamson's campaign in the district next door. Stokes raised $6,893-- not counting the money I gave him a couple of days ago.

Stokes came over to Los Feliz and my friend Cynthia and I walked him around the neighborhood and introduced him to our neighbors. He talked to them about GMO labeling and Schiff's support for the Monsanto Protection Act and about his record of backing unconstitutional wars and unconstitutional domestic spying on American citizens. In Steve's own words:

I support Net Neutrality, GMO Labeling, repeal of the NDAA and the Patriot Act, NSA surveillance reform, ending corruption and budget mismanagement, campaign finance reform and overturning Citizens United. I am a champion of free enterprise but will stand up to corporations who use the influence of money to bend the rules to give themselves unfair advantage at the expense of the American people.

I support the labeling of all foods containing GMO products and favor a requirement that seeds be made available for testing as a condition of their release to the market. Adam Schiff voted for the "Monsanto Protection Act" (H.R. 933)... Schiff masquerades as a Democrat. He has voted with pro-NSA hardliners for Patriot and FISA Act extensions and reauthorizations 6 out of 6 times against the majority of all Democrats. In reform efforts just this year, Schiff blocked meaningful reform by voting against the well-regarded Massie-Lofgren Amendment and instead voted for the weakened USA Freedom Act. Schiff’s major donor is the defense industry, and he voted to militarize our police departments (Grayson, H.Amdt. 918) just two months before the Ferguson incident. Adam Schiff also voted for NDAA (H.R. 1540) even though most California [congressional] Democrats did not. The NDAA passed in 2011 betrays our constitutional principles and authorizes the indefinite detention of American citizens without charges or trial, destroying habeas corpus. This vote is an alarming failure to uphold the oath of office.

I love our state and our country. I grew up knowing that anything is possible through determination and hard work. The American principles embodied in the Bill of Rights provide the perfect framework for a country of unbridled optimism with moral integrity and world leadership as the expected standard. I will create jobs and restart the economy by balancing the budget, restoring America’s AAA credit rating, restoring faith in our tech industry by reforming the NSA, deregulating small businesses, and rebuilding our infrastructure. We can help our citizens succeed by funding free online higher education and by acquiring student debt and reducing interest to the federal funds rate.

...Schiff is a career politician with an appalling record of voting for corporate interests and against civil liberties. There is no Republican in the race. I want to protect our Bill of Rights and our environment. We want a government we can trust, where laws are fairly and equally applied.

Schiff MUST go! We want Our Country back.

Steve is another example of a local citizen rising up against the corrupt Beltway political Establishment. A vote for him is an expression of legitimate protest of all that is wrong with a wicked and hobbled DC-centric American faux-democracy. I can't wait 'til Tuesday!