How To Root The Republican Fakers Out Of Democratic Primaies-- Joesph Kopser Just Made It Very East In TX-21

The Texas primaries are coming up in just under 3 weeks-- followed by primary runoffs on May 22. And those primaries-- with so many vulnerable red seats and so many seats Republican incumbents are abandoning-- are crowded. TX-21 is a super-gerrymandered district that starts up in West Campus and the Drag in Austin, skirts the state Capitol, takes in Downtown before crossing the Colorado River to encompass Travis Heights, South Lamar and Sunset Valley before heading down through Buda, the western part of both San Marcos and New Braunfels before hitting Alamo Heights, Olmos Park, Terrell Hills, Fort Sam Houston and Government Hill in San Antonio. To the west of that skinny corridor from south Austin to north San Antonio is a big chunk of less populated Hill Country that includes Boerne, Frederickcburg, Bandera, Medina way out to Camp Wood on the Nueces River. May back last April we started warning our friends in San Antonio-- people in Austin already knew-- that one of the Democratic candidates, Joseph Kopser, was really a Republican trying to pass himself off as a Democrat.

Because Kopser has raised the most money-- $676,700 as of December 31, the last FEC reporting deadline-- the establishment media often refers to him as the "leading candidate." That sure doesn't include The Intercept, where investigative reporter Said Jilani just exposed Kopser for a wider audience. I hope it's wide enough to stop this guy. He's one I wouldn't ever even support against a Republican.

Businessman and Iraq veteran Joseph Kopser, a former Republican who is backed by national Democrats, was asked about his views on border security at the Ranchers and Landowners Association of Texas the second weekend of February. The comments have not been previously reported.

“Border security on our Southern border and our Northern border is something we have to focus on,” he replied. He went on to advocate for fences and greater use of technology in the air and on the ground to detect threats on the border. Curiously, he cited his time in Iraq as justification.

“I want to secure our borders because when I spent my time in Iraq, when we were fighting Al Qaeda, the border between Iraq and Iran was not secure, and those fighters came over with Iran and that didn’t do us any good in that fight,” he said. “Nor do I want to allow anyone across our border without us knowing who they are.”

A member of the audience called out, “Are you sure you’re on the right ticket?”

He replied, “I’m on the American ticket.”



Kopser’s progressive opponent, former Capitol Hill staffer Derrick Crowe-- who is backed by Our Revolution, National Nurses United, and other Bernie Sanders-aligned organizations-- reacted harshly to Kopser’s remarks in a statement to The Intercept.

“I am disgusted, but not surprised, to hear Joseph Kopser comparing the U.S.-Mexico border to a war zone, those who cross it to Al Qaeda, and endorsing border zones condemned by the ACLU,” he said in a statement to The Intercept. “It is unacceptable for Kopser to join Donald Trump in calling for the militarization of our border communities and turning them into war zones.”

Now, would you like to hear what a real progressive Texas Democrat sounds like? All Kopser's money won't buy him an ad like the one below. He just doesn't have the heart or the soul for it. No Republicans or so-called "ex"-Republicans do. The DCCC should try to understand the difference. It might help them win races, instead of lose and lose and lose.