Gwen Graham-- Just Two Days In And Already As Bad As We Expected... Plus 2016 Congressional Recruitment

Florida's Grahams

I spoke to Gwen Graham on the day she announced she was running for Congress. I was stunned to find a candidate incapable of anything but the most superficial chit-chat, unaware or uninterested in issues and blatantly deceptive in personal approach. At the time, I wrote/warned that "she didn't want to go beyond generalities she had down by rote, like 'I want to be a different type of representative to find a common ground with Democrats and Republicans.' When I asked her about specifics like the Chained CPI and marriage equality she abruptly told me her campaign manager said it was time for her to take another call. Steve Israel is going to love her."

Steve Israel got behind her in a big way and she was immediately embraced and endorsed and financed by the Blue Dogs. The DCCC spent $2,726,976 on her race and their House Majority PAC kicked in another $902,895. She was one of only two Democrats to beat a Republican incumbent in November. He topped Steve Southerland 125,132 (50.4%) to 122,939 (49.6%). Her father's political machine immediately started talking her up as a potential statewide candidate; the Beltway media lapped it up, even before she had cast a single vote.

And then she started. Her first vote was for Speaker. She was one of the 4 Democrats--all reactionary Blue Dogs, of course-- to oppose Pelosi. ("Nothing personal, Nancy, but I have a career to think about-- and thanks for the $3.5 million you gave my campaign.") The next day, she was on the wrong side of history when it came to the GOP toxic package of 11 bills meant to roll back Wall Street reforms. 35 corrupt, conservative Democrats joined the Republicans to push it through-- but fell short of the 2/3 vote needed. Graham had chosen sides and it was the banksters' and the Republicans' side, not the Democrats who had voted for her in November. She has already marked herself as one of the bad guys among the Democrats, someone who will sell out Democratic values for her base careerist instincts. The Republicans knew exactly where to look for a co-sponsor for their bill to kick people off Obamacare by raising the minimum hours of work required: Graham was delighted to sign on as the Democratic co-sponsor of the heinous bill.

That said, the DCCC announced yesterday it's looking for more Gwen Graham's to wreck what's ever left of the Democratic Party. Well, they didn't use those words. They formed an especially wretched recruitment committee of transactional New Dems who will pick corporate-oriented candidates from around the country. The chairman, New Dem Denny Heck has led a career predicated on corruption and he wants more just like himself. Israel-- and his puppet, Luján-- are also on the committee, to make sure there are no grassroots candidates who manage to get the party nomination in any winnable districts.

House Democrats took a beating in 2014, leaving the DCCC with a formidable task this cycle: It must pick up a net of 30 seats to secure the majority. But the DCCC also has plenty of offensive opportunities, with 26 House Republicans occupying districts President Barack Obama won in 2012. It’s why recruitment-- finding and supporting the best candidates-- will be key for the DCCC.

The DCCC’s newly formed, 25-member recruitment committee includes Reps. Cheri Bustos of Illinois, Lois Frankel of Florida, Joseph P. Kennedy III of Massachusetts, Ann McLane Kuster of New Hampshire, Mark Pocan of Wisconsin, Cedric L. Richmond of Louisiana, Raul Ruiz of California and Terri A. Sewell of Alabama. Reps. Steve Israel of New York and Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, both former DCCC chairmen, will also serve on the committee.

The recruitment committee will hold its first meeting Thursday morning. This weekend, Heck will travel to Illinois to meet with potential candidates in the 12th and 13th districts, currently held by Republican Reps. Mike Bost and Rodney Davis, respectively.

Luján has already been recruiting one awful candidate after another behind closed doors. Our DCCC spies tell us he's determined to get ex-Republican Monica Vernon in Iowa and New Dem 2014 loser Emily Cain in Maine, two truly dreadful candidates who have no chance to win anything short of Hillary's coattails pulling them to victory. Let's hope Mark Pocan, the progressive on the committee, can have some impact and maybe balance out the natural instincts of the corruptionists and conservatives who dominate it. Although not reported by the Beltway media, Keith Ellison, Matt Cartwright and Jerry Nadler were also part of the DCCC recruitment meeting-- so the situation isn't hopeless.