Did Ex-Blue Dog Kirsten Gillibrand Just De-Rail Blue Dog Dan Lipinski's Worthless Political Career?

Incumbents always-- always-- circle the wagons around other incumbents of their own party who are challenged in primaries. Even when they know the incumbent being challenged is a corrupt bucket of slime bringing disrepute on the party and on Congress, incumbents will turn their backs on worthy challengers. Have any elected officials given Tim Canova a hand against Wasserman Schultz? Has anyone stepped up to the plate for Alexandria Ocasio to save the Democratic Party from prospective Wall Street Speaker Joe Crowley? No and no.

I can remember when Blue America jumped into the battle to replace Pennsylvania right-wing Blue Dog Tim Holden with brilliant progressive Matt Cartwright. Steny Hoyer blew a gasket and brought a trainload of DC's sleaziest lobbyists to the district to campaign for Holden (unintentionally sealing his fate). Even earlier, when Blue America backed Donna Edwards against corrupt conservative-- and future corporate lobbyist-- Al Wynn in Maryland, Hoyer and Pelosi went into overdrive to raise money for Wynn so he could viciously slander Edwards. It was a disgusting circus but Edwards kicked his ass out of Congress, giving Marylanders one of the House's best members in trade for one of its worst.

Democratic incumbents even tend to treat the worst garbage candidates who have been previously rejected by their voters (for being the worst garbage incumbents) as though they were current incumbents to be rallied around. Right now, that's what's happening with two especially repulsive losers-- Blue Dog Brad Ashcroft (NE) and New Dem/NRA fanatic Ann Kirkpatrick. When I complained to the DCCC for jumping into the very competitive AZ-02 primary on behalf of Kirkpatrick, one of their top staffers told me members consider Kirkpatrick a colleague. (So do Paul Ryan and Kevin McCarthy, since she voted for their agenda so consistently.)

I was actually shocked yesterday when Kirsten Gillibrand, ambitious moderate Senate Democrat-- herself once an aggressive Blue Dog-- came out with a beautifully powerful statement of support for progressive challenger Marie Newman in Chicagoland. Newman is running against slimy Blue Dog Dan Lipinski, one of the very worst Democrats in Congress. Gillibrand made it into a women standing with women thing-- although she certainly hasn't embraced Alexandria Ocasio is her own state. "We need Marie Newman in Congress so that we have another vote for health care, for women, and for our LGBTQ friends and family,” she said pointedly, implying-- correctly-- that Lipinski opposes healthcare, opposes women's rights, and is a virulent homophobic asshole. "Marie. she continued, "is willing to stand up for what the constituents of the Third want, which is why she’s gaining so much support in district. I am happy to offer our support to her, too."

That was awesome and courageous of Gillibrand, who hasn't always been either awesome or courageous since being first elected to Congress in 2006. At the time she was a lot like Dan Lipinski (though never quite as bad) and her willingness to back Newman's bid to replace him shows she's she's come a long, long way since then. Please consider contributing what you can to Marie Newman's uphill climb to beat one of the most sinister fake-Democrats in Congress, by clicking on the Blue America Act Blue "Primary A Blue Dog" thermometer on the right. Please remember-- and tell your friends and colleagues-- there is no more difficult, burdensome and thankless job in electoral politics than taking on an incumbent from your own party. Marie has gained tremendous traction this year and she can win this one-- with our help and support. Chicago deserves better than Dan Lipinski and his treacherous Blue Dog games.