A BLUE AMERICA POLICY CLARIFICATION-- BUSH DOG'S NEED NOT APPLY

In the last couple of days, in between Larry Craig's adventures in Republican Toiletland stories, we've had a few posts about the $50 billion supplemental to the supplemental. Basically Bush wants another $50 bil (on top of the outrageous $147 billion) for his war profiteering schemes in Iraq. Seventy of our kind of Democrats sent him a letter saying the only money they would vote to approve is money for a safe and speedy redeployment of our troops. Yesterday Ken did a piece on the GAO report that exposes the Bush Regime's blatant lies about how swimmingly everything is going in Iraq-- and how they are now trying to force the GAO to "edit" the report conform to Regime propaganda.

In lieu of impeachment, treason, and war crimes trials for Bush and his cronies, don't you think Congress should put their foot down now just and say no? Just "no." I know we're ready to say just no to anyone, regardless of political party, who votes yes on the Bush supplemental or on any compromise to funnel any more money into the Iraq war rathole. Of the incumbents Blue America has endorsed so far, 4 have already pledged to vote no on Bush's request for more money-- Steve Cohen (TN), who is under vicious attack from Harold Ford's rightist political machine, John Hall (NY), Jerrold Nadler (NY), and Hilda Solis (CA). I feel confident that our other incumbents, Carol Shea-Porter (NH), Patrick Murphy (PA), Tom Allen (ME), and Jerry McNerney (CA), will do likewise next week. If they don't, you still will be able to donate to their campaigns if you want to-- but not through Blue America. And the only incumbent currently scheduled for a Blue America endorsement and live session is our old friend Paul Hodes (NH) and he has already pledged to vote against any funding that isn't to bring the troops home. If I'm being too subtle here, Scarecrow has an explanation over at FDL.

Yesterday I was on the phone for a while with a campaign manager for a Democrat running for a House seat. He was speaking for himself and not his candidate. He told me that the problem in Iraq is very real and the dangers inherent to it are very grave and that the solution is not a soundbyte. All true, but not really relevant to what Congress can accomplish. The war was wrong when it was started and it is wrong now. The American presence there has always done one thing and one thing only: made a bad situation worse. There is no good answer to Iraq-- other than war crimes trials for Bush and Cheney, et al-- but there is one thing that must change and must change as fast as possible (tomorrow, next week, a month?) and that is the presence of American troops in Iraq.

Even a hack and tool like Ellen Tauscher (D-CA) recognizes the Bush Regime Greed Zone congressional dog and pony show for what it is. Not a word that comes out of Bush's mouth or the mouths of any of his cronies can be believed under any circumstances whatsoever-- which is why he should have been impeached and why an increasing number of people are seeing Nancy Pelosi as complicit in the Regime's crimes. Now Inside the Beltway war criminals are calling for the ouster of Bush's favored, hand-picked (not legitimately elected) Iraqi puppet, Nouri al-Maliki. Will he be the next Ngo Dinh Diem?

This morning's NY Times has three unrelated stories which should make every American furious enough to demand we get the hell out of Iraq-- a story about us re-doing the disaster known as the Iraqi police force; another in the endless tales of Bush crony corporate corruption in Iraq; and a thought piece on how the gulf between Sunnis and Shi'a has widened since Bush-- who had never heard of either before deciding to take over the joint-- came on the scene and destroyed civil society. These all point to what the cowardly Colin Powell told Bush before the invasion he supported (even if only reluctantly). Powell mixed up his duty to the citizens of the United States of America with his loyalty to the madman who had stolen the 2000 election and was determined to make a name for himself. By telling Bush that if he "broke" Iraq he would "own" it-- a concept that was certainly too abstract for a functional imbecile like Bush to understand-- Powell may have thought he had done his duty. He thought wrong.

There was one Iraq story in the Times that I absolutely loved. An airplane carrying right wing warmongers Mel Martinez (R-FL), Richard Shelby (R-AL), James Inhofe (R-OK) and Bud Cramer (D-AL) was shot at taking off from Baghdad and forced to take evasive maneuvers. These are 3 rubber stamp Republican senators and a Bush Dog, all 4 of whom very much deserving to be charged as enablers in Bush's war crimes. Of course, in something like this "almost" doesn't count.


UPDATE: KENDRICK MEEK COMES BACK FROM IRAQ READY TO JUST SAY NO

Congressman Kendrick Meek (D-FL) just came back from Iraq with a very different impression than Brian Baird. Baird, Jason Altmire and other Bush Dogs may happily go along with the regime's odious agenda, but Meek makes it clear that he has a more thoughtful-- and more sensible-- position.




UPDATE: VOTERS IN NORTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS CONSIDER DIFFERENT APPROACHES TO WAR FUNDING

The Blue America-endorsed candidate in next Tuesday's MA-05 primary, Jamie Eldridge opposes any more funding to escalate Bush's war agenda and only supports spending money to safely and redeploy our troops out of Iraq. Eileen Donoghue has essentially the same approach. James Miceli has the extreme Bush Dog point of view: let's see what General BetrayUs has to say. Front-runner Niki Tsongas, the one with the name recognition because of her former husband, the senator, also seems to be running with the Bush Dog crowd, as does Barry Finegold. If you'd like to express an interest in ending Bush's Iraq agenda, you can consider donating to Jamie's campaign.

JAMIE ELDRIDGE-- A REAL PROGRESSIVE: THE ELECTION IS SEPTEMBER 4

The newest member of Congress is Laura Richardson, who won a landlside victory yesterday in a special election to replace deceased progressive Juanita Millender-McDonald (D-CA). The Republican opponent won nearly 25% of the vote. The next special election (September 4) will be for the seat being vacated by Massachusetts congressman Marty Meehan. Blue America endorsed the most effective progressive in the race, Jamie Eldridge. Jamie will be spending much of tomorrow taking questions at Daily Kos (9am- 6pm, EDT).

From the start of this campaign, Jamie has proven himself to stand head and shoulders-- literally and figuratively-- above the other candidates looking to replace Meehan, most notably through the heavy lifting he has done in support of universal, single-payer healthcare. The solution to our national health care crisis lies not in moderation and compromise, but in bold leadership that will stand up for our Democratic values. That describes Jamie-- bold leadership. Jamie also will fight to end the war in Iraq now, reform how the federal government pays for public education and work to ensure fair trade over free trade which all too often leaves the American worker behind.

Jamie's grassroots campaign has gained the support of Democracy for America and the Progressive Democrats of America, along with 18 labor unions and 33 of his colleagues in the Massachusetts House and Senate. When Jamie ran for State Representative in 2002, he was the only Clean Elections candidate elected in Massachusetts history. For more details on Jamie's plans, check out his website or ask him about it tomorrow on Daily Kos!

And if you'd like to assist his efforts in a more direct way, the Jamie Eldridge Blue America page is open (24/7).

JAMIE ELDRIDGE (MA-05)-- BLUE AMERICA'S LATEST ENDORSEMENT

Jamie Eldridge: Beastie Boys, Neil Young and the toughest issues

Jamie Eldridge is a big guy-- 6'5" who still loves a pickup game of basketball and used to play center for Acton-Boxborough Regional High School. Right now he's in the middle of a tough primary fight in northeastern Massachusetts' 5th congressional district. The incumbent, Marty Meehan, is retiring and a whole gaggle of ambitious Democratic politicians would like to take his place. Virtually all the local bloggers have come to the same conclusion: Jamie Eldridge is the most progressive and will make the most effective representative for the district. Blue America agrees (as does Progressive Democrats of America). Jamie will be our guest for a blog session at Firedoglake on Saturday, August 18 at 2pm, EST.

Now remember, we're talking about Massachusetts here-- a Democratic primary in Massachusetts-- so it isn't like we're talking about a bunch of really bad candidates-- except for one, Jim Miceli, the confused Republican who thinks he's a Democrat. But Jamie is the one who we'll be able to count on to stand firm against Bush and Cheney on Iraq and Jamie is the one who will be a leader when it comes to the most important issues progressives care about, like universal health care.

The primary is September 4th, about 2 months away and we just opend a Blue America page for him a week or so ago. Jamie's in his early 30's and I asked him to put together a playlist of some of his favorite songs to help us put him in a kind of cultural context. He sounds like a pretty typical Crooks & Liars Late Nite Music Club fan to me:

5- Egg Man by Beastie Boys
4- Range Life by Pavement
3- Cortez The Killer by Neil Young
2- All Apologies by Nirvana
and... the # 1 choice for the next congressmember from Massachusetts:

JAMIE ELDRIDGE-- A GOOD REPLACEMENT FOR MARTY MEEHAN IN THE HOUSE

JAMIE WITH THE GUV

Wednesday Democratic congressman Marty Meehan formally submitted his resignation from the House in order to take over as chancellor of the University of Massachusetts at Lowell on July 1. The 5th CD, which he represented since 1992, is solidly Democratic and the whole ball game is the special primary September 4. (The actual election between the winner of the primary and whoever the Republicans offer up will be October 16). Solidly Democratic... but how progressive? Meehan has the 112th most progressive voting record among House Democrats. All his Massachusetts colleagues have done better with the exception of one: Stephen Lynch, a South Boston moderate. Statewide, Bush won 37% of the vote in 2004 and he did somewhat better in Meehan's district (41%).

The Repugs in the district will use Air Force Lt. Col. James Ogonowski as their standard bearer. There are all kinds of Democrats eager to succeed him. Some are better than others. So far the best known are Niki Tsongas, Middlesex Community College Dean and the widow of Senator Paul Tsongas, who also once held this seat; Lowell City Councilor Eileen Donoghue; State Rep. James Miceli; State Rep. Barry Finegold; and State Rep. Jamie Eldridge.

In terms of the records the 3 state legislators have accrued, there is no question who is the outstanding progressive: Jamie Eldridge. The best district blog, RichardHowe.com is all over the race and posted an excellent piece on Eldridge yesterday, right after he formally announced his candidacy.

While he knows from his time as a Legal Aid attorney in Lowell that LGH provides fantastic care to its patients, he also knows that the current health care system just doesn’t do enough.  That’s why Jamie contends that the only real solution to our health care crisis is universal single payer health care coverage.  The first thing Eldridge will do when he gets to Congress is sign on as a co-sponsor the National Health Insurance Act legislation now pending.  Jamie reached back into history to answer critics who contend that universal health care is unrealistic.  According to the candidate, those are the same objections heard by Franklin Roosevelt in the 1930s when he proposed the social security system (and look how that’s worked out).  In fact, it is an element of the social security system – medicare – that proves that a single payer system not only works but works well. 
 
Eldridge also touched on the war in Iraq, saying we’re long past the time for non-binding resolutions; it’s time to bring the troops home and end our involvement in this conflict.  (In a response to a later question about an immediate withdrawal signaling an acceptance of our defeat, Eldridge asserted that we’ve already been defeated and that the continued presence of US troops in the country just fuels the insurgency).