Scott Walker Gives Away The Radical Right's Healthcare Game... Oops

Congressional Republicans don't know quite how to respond to reporters' and constituents' questions about the TrumpCare legislation they just voted for. Some are following Trump's hubristic, bombastic approach of just flat-out lying and claiming more people will be covered for less money and get better healthcare-- just unsubstantiated nonsense that has been widely debunked. Buffalo-area New York Trumpist Chris Collins just flat out admitted he didn't read the bill and wasn't even aware that his vote cuts a program called Essential Plan that provides low-cost health insurance to low- and middle-income people who don't qualify for Medicaid. Over 20,000 people in his own district are benefitting from it. It's one thing for Collins to oppose the program and vote against it and then tell his constituents why; it's entirely something else for him to not even bother reading the bill and understanding how it impacts the life and death struggles of his own constituents but voting for it anyway. John Shimkus told a TV reporter, on camera, that he wasn't able to read the bill before voting on it because he was busy at baseball practice. (He and his family get government health insurance that has been exempted from the life-threatening provisions of Trumpcare, so... no worries. And that district of his is soon read. Trump won it with 70.7% and the DCCC has never even thought about challenging Shimkus.)

At a townhall meeting in Lewiston, Idaho Friday morning, Republican Raul Labrador, who voted for TrumpCare just hours earlier, drew intense jeers when he claimed nobody dies due to lack of access to health care. That's an incident that every voter in the district will have in the back of her or his mind when they vote in 2018-- not that the DCCC has any intention of ever running anyone against Labrador. They had a rot-gut Blue Dog incumbent, Walt Minnick, who Labrador beat in 2010 and Minnick so destroyed the Democratic Party brand in the district that's it's been irrelevant since then.

Greg Gianforte, the Republican multimillionaire running for the open at-large Montana seat against Rob Quist, has carefully tried to hide his support for the highly toxic TrumpCare. But... oops! On Thursday he told reporters he'd need to read the full bill before voting on it. A few hours later during a private conference call with conservative K Street lobbyists, the dishonest Gianforte felt free to say what he really thinks of the horrendous bill. "The votes in the House are going to determine whether we get tax reform done, sounds like we just passed a health care thing, which I’m thankful for, sounds like we’re starting to repeal and replace." The Times pointed out that "Even in Montana-- a Republican-leaning state on the presidential level, but which still elects Democrats statewide-- it appears no longer politically safe in the heat of a campaign to offer full-throated support for repealing Obamacare." (The DCCC refuses to help in Montana but if you'd like to help Quist beat Gianforte, you can do it here.)

And then you've gotten very vulnerable crackpot Martha McSally in the Tucson area (AZ-02). Hillary beat Trump in her district last year 49.6-44.7%. Local Democrats are trying to recruit state Rep (and surgeon) Randy Friese to run against her. She didn't help herself by voting for the very unpopular TrumpCare and, as Jim Nintzel reported in the Tucson's weekly paper, The Range, "After declining to inform the public of where she stands on the Zombie Trumpcare bill, it appears that Congreswoman Martha McSally (R-AZ02) is fully behind it, according to AP reporter Erica Werner, who reports that McSally told her GOP colleagues it was time to get this 'fucking thing' done."

But most Republicans are just sticking to the focus-group tested talking points Paul Ryan's office sent out, the lies about how great the bill is. One of those lies, which was puked out last week 2 days in row on Chris Hayes' show by Republican leaders, first Tom Cole (OK) and then Mike Burgess (TX), is that "oh, no one's going to use those silly waivers that kill preexisting condition protections-- how'd that get in there anyway? Besides, the Senate will kill it. Doesn't mean a thing--zip... nothing, nada, zero... less than zero."

Hours later, Todd Richmond, reporting for the Associated Press: Scott Walker would consider seeking waiver to let health insurers raise premiums in Wisconsin. Embarrassing. But far more an expression of where Republican ideologues are on this than Paul Ryan, Kevin McCarthy, Tom Cole or Michael Burgess will ever let on.

Gov. Scott Walker said Friday that he would consider seeking a waiver to let insurers raise premiums for people with pre-existing medical conditions if the House Republicans’ health care plan becomes law... Walker, a Republican, told reporters that he would consider seeking such a waiver, saying Wisconsin has run high-risk pools well in the past.

...According to the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonprofit organization that tracks national health issues, about 852,000 non-elderly Wisconsin residents had pre-existing conditions in 2015. That’s a quarter of the state’s non-elderly population.

...Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca, D-Kenosha, said he was disappointed that Walker is ready to sacrifice health care coverage for thousands of Wisconsin residents.

“We need to make health insurance more affordable for everyone, not penalize people who get sick or are born with a serious health concern,” Barca said.

Senate Minority Leader Jennifer Shilling, D-La Crosse, said in an email that she was “shocked” that Walker would even entertain the idea of raising premiums on families with pre-existing conditions.

Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy, a doctor and a former Democrat, has made quite the splash lately by telling CNN that for TrumpCare to pass the Senate it must pass the Jimmy Kimmel Test.

Jimmy Kimmel's tearful monologue about his infant son's heart surgery struck a cord with at least one member of Congress.

Republican Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy said Friday that he's basing his support on a bill to repeal and replace Obamacare on "the Jimmy Kimmel test."

"I ask, Does it pass the Jimmy Kimmel test?" Cassidy told CNN. "Would the child born with a congenital heart disease be able to get everything she or he would need in that first year of life ... That they would receive all of the services even if they go over a certain amount?"

TrumpCare doesn't even come close.

The Natives Are Restless-- In Texas

Regina Montoya is a successful attorney, chairwoman of Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings' Taskforce on Poverty and senior vice president and general counsel of Dallas' Children's Medical Center. In 2000. In 2000 she ran against Pete Sessions, who beat her 100,510 (54.0%) to 82,685 (44.4%). She was able to nearly match his $1,986,465 fundraising haul (with $1,642,494). Things have changed in TX-32 (North Dallas from Uptown, Highland Park and University Park, up to Richardson and Garland to the eastern shore of Lake Ray Hubbard). Even though the Republican legislature recently gerrymandered the district to make it less Latino, Hillary actually beat Trumpanzee 48.5% to 46.6%-- in a district that Romney won 57.0% to 41.5%. And now Dallas area Democrats want Montoya to run against Sessions again. He appears very vulnerable and she's a pretty ideal candidate for a seat like that. The DCCC brain surgeons didn't run a candidate in 2016 at all and, in fact, the last time Sessions had a real challenge was in 2004 when he was in an incumbent vs incumbent battle with Martin Frost, each raising over $4.5 million. Since they, it's been a free pass from the DCCC. But not 2018 (they claim).

Over the weekend, Patrick Svitek, reporting for the Texas Tribune, wrote that Sessions' packed town hall on Saturday was raucous and angry-- and all about the highly unpopular TrumpCare, which can't pass without Sessions' connivance on the House Rules Committee. His constituents know it too. In the Republican primary Trump came in third behind Cruz and Rubio.

Addressing over 2,000 people, Sessions was frequently drowned out by boos and angry outbursts from the audience. Many of his answers were not entirely audible due to the crowd’s reaction as he began to speak.

“We are going to make the changes, we are going to pass the bill and we are going to repeal Obamacare,” Sessions said at one point, a declaration that gave way to sustained chants of “Vote him out!”

...“You know what? I know why you’re so frustrated: You don’t know how to listen,” Sessions said amid the negative feedback, inviting a new round of boos.

“I know how to listen,” Sessions added a short time later.

Sessions did appear to find some common ground with the otherwise largely hostile crowd. Asked repeatedly about Trump's proposed budget cuts to a number of federal agencies and programs, he expressed support for protecting the National Institutes of Health and Meals on Wheels, the service that provides food to the elderly and relies on grants that could be on the chopping block. Sessions also expressed doubt that Congress would go along with what he described as Trump's "drastic cuts" to the Environmental Protection Agency.

...In a congressional town hall in North Texas, U.S. Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Lewisville, withstood two hours of booing from hundreds of angry constituents at a local high school.

Lucky for Burgess, his district, TX-26, just a bit north and west of Sessions' (primarily Denton County), is way redder. The PVI is R+20, Romney beat Obama 60-38% and Trump beat Hillary 60.9-34.4%. Burgess was first elected in 2002 when he bear retiring GOP crackpot Dick Armey's son in the primary. Last year the Democrat "running" against him raised zero dollars, the same amount the Democrat who ran against him in 2014 spent. In the 8 times he's run, the DCCC has never even tested his popularity by backing a candidate. And, worthless as ever, they have no intention of doing so in 2018.

Bipartisanship Isn't Always A Dirty Word-- Take Carol Shea-Porter (D-NH) And Michael Burgess (R-TX) For Example

All too often "bipartisan" has come to mean Democrats being led down the path to slaughter by transpartisan conservatives. It's not just Republicans who are screwing working families… it's also the Republican wing of the Democratic Party-- the Blue Dogs, New Dems and their fellow travelers, like Steny Hoyer and Steve Israel. New Hampshire's two congresswomen offer a stunning contrast.

As we've explained before (like here and here), Ann Kuster is in a far bluer district (D+3) than Carol Shea-Porter (R+1), but it is Shea-Porter who sticks to progressive values and principles in defense of ordinary working families, while Kuster has sold out to the DCCC and Wall Street, joined the New Dems and voted against the interests of her own constituents and against everything she campaigned on in 2010 and 2012. She has tripped all over herself to befriend Wall Street and their anti-regulatory agenda, just like the good little New Dem she turned herself into. She votes like a Republican. Shea-Porter doesn't-- but Shea-Porter has gone out of her way to work with Republicans as well… except in a productive way:

Representatives Michael Burgess (R-TX) and Carol Shea-Porter (D-NH) have introduced bipartisan legislation to close a loophole that currently gives five medical schools in the Caribbean special access to hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars a year.

Under current law, a small number of medicals schools in the Caribbean are exempt from meeting the same requirements to qualify for U.S. Department of Education Title IV funding that all other medical schools outside of the U.S. and Canada must meet. In 2012, these for-profit medical schools took in over $614 million-- more than two-thirds of the Title IV funding that went to all foreign medical schools-- despite the fact that, on average, Caribbean medical schools have higher attrition rates, burden students with more debt, and have lower residency match rates than U.S. medical schools.

Burgess’s and Shea-Porter’s Foreign Medical School Accountability Fairness Act (H.R. 3903) would eliminate the special treatment by applying a simple fix. Under their legislation, in order to qualify for federal Title IV funding, Caribbean medical schools would have to meet the same enrollment and pass rate standards that all other medical schools outside of the U.S. and Canada must meet: at least 60% of the enrollment must be non-U.S. citizen and students must have at least a 75% pass rate on the U.S. Medical Licensing Exam. This will bring fairness to eligibility requirements and increase accountability of schools that receive federal dollars to better protect students and taxpayers.

“I’m proud to partner with Dr. Burgess and introduce bipartisan legislation to fix this egregious loophole,” Shea-Porter said. “For-profit offshore medical schools have been taking advantage of aspiring doctors and leaving American taxpayers on the hook for too long. Instead of funneling money to offshore schools, we should invest in student aid and increase residency slots here at home, in order to train tomorrow’s doctors in our own world-class institutions.”

“This bill is a needed fix to a loophole that not only wastes taxpayer money but takes advantages of students,” said Burgess. “Some of the schools in question charge a significantly higher rate than American schools, while providing what some allege is a sub-standard education.  This leaves students in debt and unable to find a medical residency. The legislation that Rep. Shea Porter and I introduced imposes fair standards to hold Caribbean medical schools to the same standard as schools here in the U.S. and Canada. It provides a fair solution to protect students, patients and taxpayers.”

According to an investigation by Bloomberg, DeVry, which has two for-profit medical schools in the Caribbean-- American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine (AUC) and Ross University School of Medicine-- accepts hundreds of students who were rejected by U.S. medical colleges. These students amass more debt than their U.S. counterparts-- a median of $253,072 in June 2012 at AUC versus $170,000 for 2012 graduates of U.S. medical schools.

Additionally, these foreign medical schools are worse at ensuring students earn a degree and get a job. The average attrition rate at U.S. medical schools is 3 percent.  DeVry says its rate ranges from 20 to 27 percent.

Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) authored the legislation and introduced it in the Senate as S. 1822.

“It seems every time we find a loophole for-profit colleges are exploiting to make a profit off of the federal taxpayers while saddling students with debt, an investigation turns up another,” said Durbin. “Every day these Caribbean medical schools continue to receive special treatment under the law, Congress is failing taxpayers and students by subsidizing them with billions in federal dollars without adequate accountability and oversight. I am happy to have bipartisan support for my legislation to end this special treatment from Representatives Burgess and Shea-Porter as well as support from medical colleges and universities around the country.”

Two other extreme right-wing Republicans, who rarely do anything right, also signed on to Shea-Porter's bill, Larry Bucshon (R-IN) and Pete Olson (R-TX).

When Did The GOP Become The Party of Unrelenting Misogyny?

Yesterday, crazed woman-hater--and very sick, deranged closet case-- Trent Franks (R-AZ) finally got a bill passed... kind of. Even Republicans found his rape comments so offensive and so dangerous to GOP election prospects that they took him off the case before the vote and put up an anti-Choice woman as the bill's "sponsor," Tennessee crackpot Marsha Blackburn. Franks'/Blackburn's offensive, ugly anti-woman bill would ban abortions after 20 weeks. The exemptions are premised on a Republican ideological psychosis that "women lie" and can't be trusted. It's pure authoritarian, Big Brother-knows-best legislation that targets women in a grotesque and completely un-American way. And it passed. It passed 228-196 in the House, although not before another sick Republican crackpot, Michael Burgess (R-TX), once an Ob/Gyn, went off on a crazy rant about how fetuses start masturbating at 15 weeks and therefore feel pain. (A similar crazy bill, in Arizona, has already been struck down as patently unconstitutional by a federal appeals court.) Women convicted under the Republican law could go to prison for as many as five years.

The DCCC is already rending their garments over the horrible Republicans who voted against women. I would be more likely to believe the depth of their feelings if they moved to cut off the six Democrats who cross the aisle to vote with the Republicans against women, particularly Matheson and McIntyre who will lose their seats without intensive care from the DCCC:

• Henry Cuellar (Blue Dog-TX)
• Dan Lipinksi (IL)
• Jim Matheson (Blue Dog-UT)
• Mike McIntyre (Blue Dog/New Dem-NC)
• Collin Peterson (Blue Dog-MN)
• Nick Rahall (WV)

Six Republicans cross the aisle in the other direction: Charlie Dent (R-PA), Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ), Richard Hanna (R-NY), and John Runyan (R-NJ) because the bill was too extreme and Paul Broun (R-GA) and Rob Woodall (R-GA) because the bill wasn't extreme enough. Closet case Aaron Schock (R-IL) was too frightened to vote and hid in the little boy's room.

The White House has already said that were the bill to ever pass the Senate-- there's zero chance of that happening thanks to the defeat last year of anti-woman crusaders Todd Akin (R-MO), Richard Mourdock (R-IN), Connie Mack IV (R-FL), Josh Mandel (R-OH), Denny Rehberg (R-MT), Tom Smith (R-PA), Tommy Thompson (R-WI), Rick Berg (R-ND), and George Allen (R-VA)-- Obama would veto it. “[It] would unacceptably restrict women’s health and reproductive rights and is an assault on a woman’s right to choose. Women should be able to make their own choices about their bodies and their health care, and Government should not inject itself into decisions best made between a woman and her doctor. This bill is a direct challenge to Roe v. Wade and shows contempt for women’s health and rights, the role doctors play in their patients’ health care decisions, and the Constitution."

Going into the vote yesterday, the National Right to Life Committee threatened to oppose any Members of Congress who opposed the bill. Extremist psychopath, John Bircher and Republican Senate candidate Paul Broun (R-GA) promptly announced he would vote NO... because the bill is too liberal.

U.S. Rep. Paul Broun, R-Athens, on Monday night pulled his support for a measure that would ban a woman’s right to abortion after the 20th week of pregnancy, highlighting a split between the foremost national anti-abortion group and its Georgia counterpart.

Language was recently added to the measure that would make exceptions for cases of rape and incest. National Right to Life recognizes those two exceptions.

But Georgia Right to Life does not. Things are about to get nasty.

"Any lawmaker who votes to allow unlimited abortion in the sixth month or later is voting to encourage a continuation of the horrors associated with the likes of Kermit Gosnell," said NRLC Legislative Director Douglas Johnson in a press release that arrive this morning.

Georgia Right to Life has yet to be heard from officially, but on WSB Radio last night, Erick Erickson of Redstate.com reported that GRTL was in the process of phoning members of Congress, urging them to vote against the bill.

The legislation has no chance of becoming law. (A Georgia version already exists and is under court challenge.) But the open split in a Washington scenario has major implications for Georgia’s race for U.S. Senate. Broun is a major contender. Another is former secretary of state Karen Handel, who has fought with GRTL in the past. The organization has refused to certify her as a “pro-life” candidate because of her endorsement of the rape and incest exceptions to abortion regulation.

Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) spoke for all Democrats and non-misogynists when he spoke after the vote yesterday:

“Republicans are once again trying to restrict the rights of American women to make medical decisions. It’s obvious they haven’t listened to the American people in pursuing this unconstitutional waste of time. It’s less obvious who they think they’re serving with this.

“Women who seek these services are often in extreme economic straits or have discovered serious health risks in their pregnancy. In defending the bill, the author said the incidence of pregnancies from sexual violence is ‘very low.’ I suggest he tell that to the 30,000 women across the country who give birth as a result of rape each year.

“After receiving heavy public condemnation, Republicans introduced an exception for victims of rape. This is too little, too late. We cannot allow the conversation we have about reproductive health to be driven by men who so easily dismiss victims of rape. The women and men of this country are watching this debate. Last-minute fig leaves aren’t going to cut it.

“Despite their endless promises to the contrary, Republicans won’t focus on job creation. The House has now voted 37 times to repeal Obamacare, which prevents insurance companies from charging women more for the same coverage they offer men. Now we’re voting on a bill to restrict women’s rights to make health care decisions. Where are the jobs?

“It’s time to stop hurting America’s women and put people back to work.”

How Can A Bill About Asthma Inhalers Become Controversial In Congress? Here's How

Michael Burgess (R-TX), a couple of other corporate whores from his state (Oily Joe Barton and John Carter), plus Joe Pitts and 2 of Congress' most corrupt Blue Dogs (Matheson and Ross) introduced and passed something called the Asthma Inhalers Relief Act of 2012 (H.R. 6190). Sounds like the kind of thing that would sail through Congress 398-1, with only some sociopath like Louie Gohmert voting no, right? Actually, the bill's name is deceptive-- and the roll call was disjointed. It needed a two-thirds majority to pass and it only got 229 votes (with 182 opposed), so it failed. Before we get into what this bill actually was all about, keep in mind that 31 Democrats voted with the GOP on this and nearly an equal number of Republicans, 29, crossed the aisle in the other direction. Most, though not all, of the Democrats voting with the GOP were the usual suspects, Blue Dog scum like McIntyre, Cuellar, Altmire, Barrow, Matheson, Kissell, Boren, Shuler, Costa, Peterson, Donnelly... all the worst trash in the Democratic caucus, with a sprinkling of New Dems sniffing out a new source of potential bribes-- Crowley, Peters, Engel, Richmond... But there were some decent, principled Democrats in the mix as well, Mike Capuano, Tim Ryan, Frank Pascrell, John Larson. On the GOP side, the ones who abandoned leadership were mostly the relatively mainstream types on the one hand and the rebels who detest Boehner and Cantor on the other. This is the official House summary of Burgess' bill:

Asthma Inhalers Relief Act of 2012-- Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to: (1) permit the distribution, sale, and consumption in the United States of remaining inventories of CFC epinephrine inhalers manufactured pursuant to the exception for medical devices under the Clean Air Act; (2) not take any enforcement action or otherwise seek to restrict the distribution, sale, or consumption of such inhalers on the basis of any federal law implementing the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer; and (3) issue, in response to a request of any distributor or seller of such inhalers, a No Action Assurance Letter stating that the EPA will not initiate an enforcement action relating to the distribution or sale of any such inhaler occurring prior to August 1, 2013.

Defines "CFC epinephrine inhaler" to mean any epinephrine inhaler containing chlorofluorocarbons that was manufactured and classified as over-the-counter before January 1, 2012.

Terminates this Act on August 1, 2013.

Burgess, a doctor, stood up on the floor whining that "I've been an asthmatic my entire life," but failed to persuade enough of his colleagues that his bill had merit. The problem with the bill is that it allows chlorofluorocarbons, which is deadly for the ozone layer and has been banned in this country and worldwide, to continue to be sold in one specific product, a product that also contains the controversial hormone, epinephrine. Burgess' bill allows for the sale of stockpiled Primatene Mist (made by Armstrong Pharmaceuticals), which is otherwise banned as of January 1.

Henry Waxman, ranking Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee: "This is a bill that is special for one company in order for it to sell off the batches of the Primatene Mist that it has on stock. This is a product that's not on the market now-- it was taken off the market-- and there are substitutes on the market that the public health and medical groups say are far better and are far safer."

More DCCC Mischief-- This Time In North Texas

In 2008 Ken Leach was the Democratic candidate against 3-term Congressman Michael Burgess, an ultra right-wing obstetrician in an overwhelmingly Republican district (PVI +12) in the suburban and exurban Dallas-Ft Worth area. Burgess has been an extreme winger even by Texas Republican standards-- which is just fine with the Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh listeners who dominate the area-- and he won with 60% of the vote while McCain garnered 58%. In their endorsement of Ken, Esquire pointed out that Burgess "goes beyond even the most doctrinaire conservatives in urging cuts to federal help for poor families and turning more federal programs over to the private sector." Ken spent less than a thousand dollars on his campaign. Burgess spent $1,021,104, and most of that came from PACs and lobbyists whose interests he serves always and without hesitation.

A true-blue grassroots Democrat, Ken doesn't have fond memories of his interactions with the DCCC, the organization charged with helping Democrats win House races. Not only did they refuse to assist him financially, they wouldn't even help with non-financial matters. The other day he told me that "As a result of the DCCC not helping me, my Republican opponent did not have to spend much money in his district, but was able to shift funds from his campaign to help Republicans in swing districts." I asked Ken to write up a post on what it was like for a grassroots Democrat running in this north Texas district. His report:

In Texas, candidates for public office can get on their party’s primary ballot by paying a $3,200 filing fee or gathering 500 qualified signatures on a Petition in Lieu of Fee. Candidates filing as an independent must pay the fee and gather 500 signatures after the primary elections. While 500 signatures may not seem like a lot, it is extremely hard to achieve. While I decided to run in the 2008 Democratic primary for the 26th Congressional District, I elected to accumulate the 500 signatures or not file. My reasoning was I would not be a viable candidate if I could not find 500 registered voters who wanted me to run. As it turned out I was that year’s only Texas Democratic candidate for Congress to file by petition. An announced independent candidate failed to garner the necessary signatures.

Everyone told me I would have to raise at least $500,000 before I stood a chance to unseat the four-term Republican. I knew that was not going to happen as no Democratic candidate for the district’s congressional seat had amassed more than $50,000. My plan was to organize precinct clubs and hold house parties. My past observation of the Democratic attitude toward election was that people organized for an election and let that work dissipate as soon as the election was over. The next election the organizing started from scratch.
 
Nine congressional districts are served by the Dallas-Fort Worth media and the chances of attracting meaningful news coverage is between nil and nada. I called the DCCC to ask not for money, but for help contacting celebrities who might participate in fund raising events. I was told if I needed help raising money the committee would not give me any support at all. When I tried to explain I was not asking for money, just some phone numbers. When I tried to explain I was not asking for money but just some information, I was told I did not understand the DCCC would not give money or information to help my campaign.

While I do not know how much money flowed from North Texas into the coffers of the DCCC, I do know millions of dollars from the area went to various Democratic presidential campaigns and was spent out of state. This money could have been more wisely used by regional county organizations to build effective local campaigns. Tip O’Neill got it right, when he proclaimed, “All politics is local.” To that end, I am convinced no red state will be turned blue until we can elect Democrats to county offices.
 
We fail to realize not everyone is as interested in politics as we are. Money is needed to bring local elections to the attention of voters and develop get out the vote programs. Before contributing money to a national candidate or committee, stop and think how much more effective that money could be used by the local Democratic effort. With money being spent by the national party, the top of the ballot will benefit. When we fund locally, the money helps elect the ballot from the bottom to top.

There is hope for this country and for the Democratic Party but looking towards the Beltway for it is a joke. Leadership, Hope and Change don't come from Washington; they come despite Washington. That much we have in common with the professed aims of the mostly duped and shanghaied teabaggers, who have been manipulated and led around by the nose by charlatans and hucksters from Dick Armey, Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck to Roger Ailes and some quick buck con men. Blue America is asking grassroots Democrats to eschew wasting money on Bad Faith players like the DCCC and DSCC and instead donate directly to candidates. Which candidates? Progressives who are fighting against reactionaries and Blue Dogs. We don't need Democrats like Joe Lieberman, Blanche Lincoln and Ben Nelson. Send The Democrats A Message They Can Understand is backing the good ones against the bad ones. Check it out at the link.

HAS ENOUGH HAPPENED TO MAKE AMERICANS TAKE BACK OUR COUNTRY FROM THE GOP SPECIAL INTERESTS... EVEN IN THE HEART OF TEXAS?

We haven't heard much from Republican back-bencher Michael Burgess, a far right hack from north Texas' 26th CD, since he unexpectedly beat Dick Armey's pathetic son in a GOP primary to replace the retiring Papa Armey in 2002. Since then, though, Burgess has amassed one of the ugliest and most reactionary voting records imaginable. He participated in 58 roll calls regarding Iraq and all 58 times he found no flaws in the Bush-Cheney agenda. He voted to rubber stamp Bush all 58 times. Burgess never tires of chanting, zombie-like, about how we have to support the troops. But his voting record on supporting the troops is the worst in the entire U.S. Congress! Of the 22 roll calls relating to the well-being of America's military personnel, Burgess voted against them all 22 times. Similarly he has voted against military veterans every single time a piece of legislation has come up to ease their burdens. Of the 22 roll calls Burgess has participated in since 2003, he has voted against veterans  all 22 times! But Burgess isn't against everything; he has voted 100% of the time to support the corporate lobbyists who have underwritten his political career. When it comes to fair play for the middle class, Burgess is AWOL; when it comes to government welfare for corporations, Burgess is leading the charge, especially for Big Pharma and Big Energy, his two top campaign funding sources (over $900,000 from Big Pharma, HMOs and corporate "health" care groups and over $200,000 from energy companies).

TX-26, northwest of Dallas, is one of the redder districts in America (PVI is R +12). John Kerry only managed to bring in 35% of the vote against Bush in 2004 and in 2006 Burgess took 60% against Tim Barnwell (who spent $15,412 to Burgess' $942,742). This year Burgess has an energetic, dedicated opponent in Ken Leach, whose resume and posture brings our northern California pal Charlie Brown immediately to mind. This morning Ken wrote a message to other Democratic candidates at NovemberVictory about how the corporate infotainment media has been distorting politics and doing an injustice to democracy. He gave me permission to republish his statement:

The wrong message is getting out

Children in this country die because their parents cannot afford health insurance... and we are hearing about whether the candidate wears a flag pin or not.

Some of our smartest students cannot go to college because Republicans cut student aid... and we are flooded with what the candidate's preacher said.

Our bravest and finest are being killed in Iraq... and they are talking about what the candidate's spouse said.

People in America work three jobs and are still below the poverty level... and the media is reporting gotcha politics.

Our money is becoming worthless... and there is upset because there may not be another debate.

More than 69,000 of our bravest and finest have been permanently injured in Iraq... and the reports are the convention may be deadlocked.

Our environment is being raped by Republican subsidized corporations and headlines report the race card has been played.

Bush is trashing the U. S. constitution... and the news channels loop sound bites.

McCain wants to stay in Iraq 100 more years... and pundits discuss election point spreads.

Middle class Americans are paying a higher rate of tax than the richest 1.5% in this country... and the news is how much money each candidates has raised.

American companies are sending American jobs overseas reaping the Republican tax breaks... and voters are told about voting patterns.

The few jobs being replaced after jobs being sent overseas pay lower wages... and conflicting polling results are blasted across the airwaves.

The American bridges and highways are in need of repair... and we learn when candidates get haircuts.

Reagan, Bush One, and Bush Two have racked up 70 percent of the total national debt accumulated during all administrations... and we discover the candidate's tour bus has been named.

The Supreme Court is one vote away from overturning Roe V. Wade... and we are shown what the candidates may look like after aging eight years in the White House.

Gasoline may reach $4.00 a gallon by this summer... and it is revealed young voters cannot be counted on in the general election.

Ken Leach
Democratic Nominee
Texas 26th Congressional District

If you'd like to help him get his message out, his ActBlue page is open and ready for business-- our business. Fat cat Republicans and corporate lobbyists will funnel hundreds of thousands of dollars into a dependable shill like Michael Burgess. Grassroots Democrats like Ken have proven again and again around the country that they don't need to match a Republican dollar for dollar to beat them. But they do need to be able to raise enough to make their case known to the voters. And, believe me, the National Association of Realtors, AT&T, Valero Energy, the National Beer Wholesalers Association, the AMA, and Koch Industries, all mega-donors to Burgess, are not going to be writing checks for tens of thousands of dollars to Ken. And if you're worried that sending money to a "red district" like this is somehow a waste, think again. On March 4, 42,000 Republicans turned out in the primary. Nice turnout, huh? 73,000 Democrats turned out the same day. In fact, Texans are so fired up to make up for sending Bush to Washington that statewide over 400,000 more Democrats voted in the primary this year than voted for Kerry in the 2004 general election! [NOTE: And this isn't just a Texas phenomena. Dispirited and disgusted Republicans look at McCain and decide to just give up-- while over a million new Democrats have registered to vote-- in just the last 7 primary states!]