Will Former GOP Officials Be Able To Persuade Republican Voters That Biden Is The Lesser Evil?

Tuesday, The Circus ran a piece on Kellyanne Conway in which she predicted that "hidden Trump voters" would be out in force on November 3rd to save the day for the Orange Menace. "As the person who coined the term, 'hidden undercover Trump voter in 2016,' there are even more of them and they’re even more committed now, and they’re going to surprise you as to who they are this time."

But are there hidden undercover Biden voters too? Republicans who have never voted for Democrats in their lives but who cannot, eyes wide open, vote for Trump again? Yesterday a couple hundred Republicans and Independents announced that they're voting for Biden. Christine Todd Whitman, a former Republican governor of New Jersey, noted that while Bixden is a "decent man, a steady man, Trump is trying to paint the world of Joe Biden as horrific-- but that’s Trump’s America now." According to Reuters reporter Tim Reid "She accused Trump of betraying conservative values by undermining the rule of law and national security, lying, dividing Americans along racial lines, and failing the country in his response to the coronavirus pandemic."

Michigan Democrats don't remember Governor Rick Snyder with anything but contempt, but Michigan Republicans still respect and admire the man who they elected governor in 2011 and 2015. Yesterday he kicked off this new effort with an appeal directly to Republicans in an OpEd, I am a Republican vote for Biden, for USA Today, painting Trump as a bully without a moral compass.

Forty-four years ago, I celebrated my 18th birthday at the 1976 Republican National Convention as part of Gerald Ford’s national youth group. At that convention, I had the honor to watch two great leaders in action-- Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan. I have remained a lifelong Republican and proudly announced Michigan’s support for Mitt Romney in 2012 from the front row of the Republican convention in Tampa.

I will continue to support and stand up for Republican policies and values, and support Republican candidates, but I will not support Donald Trump for reelection.

Trump has not unified the nation

When elected to office, you do not represent only your supporters, you represent all of your constituents. That is your job. I was at the nation’s Capitol when Trump gave his inaugural address. I had hoped this first speech as president would be a message to unify a divided nation. Instead, I heard a speech directed at how he would help the people who supported him. And sadly, that is how President Trump continues to govern.

Furthermore, President Trump’s answer to people who oppose or disagree with them is to be verbally abusive. In other words, he is a bully.

A great leader treats people with respect even when they present different opinions. Without a variety of views and opinions, we would have no innovation or creativity in our nation. Being a bully and being strong are not the same thing. Being strong is standing up for your convictions. Being a bully is trying to intimidate those who are perceived to be weaker or a threat. As a proud nerd, I had to deal with bullies over many years; it is tragedy watching our world suffer from one.

In addition, President Trump lacks a moral compass. He ignores the truth.

Facts and science matter. Good decisions should be based on facts and supported by sound scientific theory whenever possible.

President Trump also has demonstrated that he does not fully appreciate public policy matters, including public health, the economy and foreign relations, nor does he seem to want to learn.

While we have had a strong economy during his term, it reminds me of the old expression that it is better to be lucky than smart. Some regulatory reforms have been helpful. But his tax reform was a failure. It didn’t have real long-term value, enriched large corporations and violated the basic principles of good tax reform to be simple, fair, and efficient. In the foreign policy area, there have been some good agreements, but overall, our nation is no longer respected as a leader on world affairs.

Not supporting Donald Trump for reelection is not the same thing as voting for Joe Biden.

Bringing back civility to the nation

I had the opportunity to interact with Mr. Biden when he served as vice president. My interactions were always constructive and respectful. He has shown the desire to heal a deeply divided nation; has demonstrated strong moral character and empathy; and he seems willing to listen to people who have different perspectives from his own.

For years, I mentioned in most of my speeches the need to bring back civility to our nation. We will not continue to be the greatest nation in the world if we can’t get along among ourselves. We have only become more divided over the past four years. We need a leader who believes in civility and bringing Americans closer together.

While I am endorsing Joe Biden for president, I am still a Republican who also will be publicly supporting Republican candidates at the local, state and federal level.

My weekly column signoff is-- “Remember, Relentless Positive Action (RPA) in your life will help you and others. So, I wish you RPA every day!” RPA is a philosophy of no credit, no blame, and solving problems in a relentless fashion. Never in our nation’s history have we needed RPA more. I hope you will join me and help others by using Relentless Positive Action to elect Joe Biden as America’s next president.

Retired Michigan Republicans congressmen Joe Schwarz and Dave Trott jumped right on board, each endorsing Biden.

Steve Israel Specializes In Recruiting Republicans Like Joe Schwarz To Run As Democrats

Outside The Village, a "moderate Republican" would be a right-wing sociopath

The DCCC is doing what it likes best-- recruiting a rich Republican to run as a Democrat. This time, though, we're not talking about Florida but Michigan... and about someone who was already a House Republican. Joe Schwarz, who was mayor of Battle Creek from 1985-1987 and then a state senator for a decade and a half was elected to Congress from Michigan's 7th CD in 2004 and served one term before being ousted by Club for Growth-backed extremist Tim Walberg. He's universally described as a "moderate," which in plain English means he was a mainstream conservative rather than a neo-Nazi. He has always been "pro-Choice," although he voted for restrictions to women's Choice when he had the opportunity, favoring, for example, Chris Smith's HR 6099 which was designed to ensure that women seeking an abortion are forced to confront the pain allegedly experienced by their unborn fetus (an approach that has come back today as the GOP's transvaginal ultra sound attack on women's privacy). He also voted for other right-wing legislation that only DC insiders would term "moderate," like Bush's horrific anti-consumer, anti-family bankruptcy bill and for anti-worker legislation like CAFTA and Boehner's pernicious pension "protection" act and all the anti-immigrant legislation any right-wing xenophobe wanted to toss into the House well. But to an "ex"-Blue Dog like DCCC Chair Steve Israel, who has given the green light towards recruiting him... Schwarz is a "moderate."

Schwarz was born in the 1930s. Election Day is two weeks before his 75th birthday. What the hell is wrong with the DCCC? "We talked and have had very pleasant conversations about it,” Schwarz said. “The DCCC is correctly looking for a candidate to run in the 7th district because there certainly would be a stark contrast between Congressman Walberg and a viable, credible Democratic candidate... “I do think I would be the strongest candidate to take him on... I consider myself an independent,” he said. “I haven’t gone anywhere philosophically… I’m a fiscal conservative, someone who’s for a very strong military presence and someone who’s a social moderate.” In 2008, Schwarz worked for the McCain for President campaign. In Steve Israel's world, that's moderate too-- and qualifies you to run as a Democrat of course.

Calhoun County is the electoral base (and home) of both ex-Congressman Mark Schauer, a Democrat who Walberg defeated in 2010, and of Joe Schwarz. It's no longer part of the district, which played into Schauer's decision not to run again. Schwarz says he'll make up his mind in the next week or two whether or not to accept Israel's offer. The actual Democratic candidate in the district is Kurt Haskell, a pro-union attorney from Pinconning. He describes himself as a "moderate Democrat... a little left of center." The DCCC has studiously ignored him, although he won't be bullied out of the race and will face Schwarz in the Democratic primary if need be. I spoke to him this morning and this is what he told me:

Joe Schwarz is a Republican who doesn't live in the district and lost to incumbent Tim Walberg in the 2010 election. Joe Schwarz's base is in the Battle Creek area of Calhoun County. Due to redistricting, Calhoun County is no longer in the 7th District. I am flabbergasted that the Democratic Party, knowing that I am running for the seat, is promoting Joe Schwarz over myself. The voters of the 7th District deserve to have a choice between a Republican and a Democrat and not two Republicans. Joe Schwarz is a career politician and represents more of the same for the 7th District. I represent a new, positive mindset and a belief that the United States can once again become a great nation. Although I am not known in the political arena, I am known in the legal community. After coming from modest beginnings, I have built myself a very successful legal career as a self employed attorney. Nothing has ever been given to me. Everything I have was earned through hard work, determination and a desire to succeed. I am not running for office to become a career politician, for fame or for fortune. I seek only to usher in a more open and honest government of the people, by the people and for the people. Due to my involvement in the underwear bomber case, I have developed quite a following of supporters nationwide. My supporters have indicated a willingness to help support my campaign to whatever extent necessary to ensure my election to office. God willing and with the help of my supporters, we can accomplish our goal.

And as far as Schwarz being a "moderate," how moderate was this for the people of Michigan? Ask the DCCC next time they ask you for a contribution.

Retiring Republican Congressmen Refusing To Endorse GOP Extremists In Close Races

Monday we heard that Staten Island's outgoing Republican Congressman Vito Fossella has decided to not endorse the Republican running for his seat, Manhattan hot dog vendor Bob Straniere. This was a terrible blow to Straniere's faltering campaign, particularly because he hasn't been able to round up any other GOP officials to endorse him either (except one widely discredited crony of his, state Senator, Andrew Lanza).

Of course, it could have been worse for the hot dog vendor. Fossella could have decided to endorse his Democratic rival, Michael McMahon. No way? That's exactly what outgoing Republican Congressman Wayne Gilchrest did in Maryland-- urging voters in Maryland's first district to vote for conservative Democrat Frank Kratovil over far right extremist Andy Harris. And then yesterday former Congressman Joe Schwarz (R-MI) endorsed progressive mainstream Democratic challenger Mark Schauer over radical right GOP/Club For Growth incumbent Tim Walberg.

Schwarz, who supports McCain in the presidential election, told the Associated Press in an interview that he decided to endorse Schauer over Walberg in the south-central Michigan congressional district because the anti-tax Club for Growth began running ads critical of Schauer's positions on taxes. He said he had hoped to stay neutral in the race but "once they made the decision, the die was cast. That to me is the straw that broke the camel's back. I object to political dabblers who stand for nothing other than to create havoc and dabble in a congressional race where they truly have no interest."

This comes at a particularly bad time for Walberg. The latest polling in the district shows Schauer beating him substantially, 42-36% among voters who have made up their minds. Schwarz' endorsement is expected to help others, especially in battle Creek, where he had been a popular mayor, to make up their minds as well-- and vote for Schauer. Furthermore, perceptions of Walberg’s job as Congressman are very negative, with only 34% saying he is doing an excellent-to-good job while 46% rate him fair-to-poor, numbers that presage an electoral defeat in November. Schauer has been able to out-raise the unpopular Walberg, an extremist who doesn't fit the moderate district, and as of July 16 Schauer had $928,686 on hand and Walberg, who has been running a vicious, costly negative campaign, only has $855,137.


UPDATE: CONGRESSMAN GILCREST (R-MD) HAS HAD IT WITH THE GOP-- AND THAT INCLUDES GRANDPA

Sounds like he's supporting Obama!

He's had it with his own party, which he says "has become more narrow, more self-serving, more centered around 'I want, I want, I want.' " He's finished with his party's presidential candidate, John McCain, who Gilchrest says "recites memorized pieces of information in a narrow way, whereas Barack Obama is constantly evaluating information, using his judgment. One guy just recites what's in front of him, and the other has initiative and reason and prudence and wisdom."

...After much struggle and study, Gilchrest voted for the bailout; what appalls him about his many colleagues who went the other way was that they appeared to do so based neither on a close examination of the issues nor on principle, but rather with a finger to the wind and an eye on the e-mail inbox.

The congressman, whose strongly Republican district stretches from the Pennsylvania line to the border with Virginia, tells me that he's had it with colleagues who "don't understand the issues, who not only don't read the Financial Times, they have never heard of the Financial Times... We're in this bad place as a country because of the evangelicals, the neocons, the nasty, bitter and mean... very clever ideological groups that use money, technology, fear and bigotry to lead people around," he says. "Voting according to your knowledge and experience-- that's out the window. Competence and prudence? Forget it."

RIGHT WING EXTREMIST OUSTS MAINSTREAM CONSERVATIVE CONGRESSMAN JOE SCHWARZ IN MICHIGAN. WHAT WILL FOX NEWS SAY?

The big story tonight, as it should be, is the stupendous victory of the grassroots Democrats in Connecticut and their modest, earnest, honest candidate, Ned Lamont. Tomorrow Fox, Limbaugh, Mehlman and the rest of the corrupt and corrosive Republican hate machine (plus the nonpartisan Beltway corporate whore class) will go on the attack to say that Ned's victory over the Bush agenda is some kind of take-over by communists or something equally inane. I doubt however they will be talking about Michigan. In fact, I'm sure they won't be.

Michigan? What does that have to do with Connecticut? Not much but it has a lot to do-- albeit indirectly-- with the national brainwashing session Fox "News" has in store for its hapless viewers. last week I talked about the vicious campaign a fringe right wing fanatic, Tim Walberg, against mainstream conservative Republican Congressman Joe Schwarz in Michigan's 7th congressional district. Do not expect to hear Ann Coulter or Rush Limbaugh or Matthews, Hannity or O'Liely or any of them talking about a far right extremist purge of a party moderate. They'll save all their crocodile tears for the Democratic Party you know they love so well.

Schwarz was a strong McCain ally and his 6 point defeat tonight does not augur well for McCain's presidential ambitions in a state he was counting on for early support and momentum. While the neo-Nazi wing of the GOP celebrates Walberg's victory, Schwarz pointed out in his concession speech that "pandering [to right wing extremists] would have been easy," he was unwilling to throw away his principles (the way most mainstream conservatives have). He grieved for his party falling further down the slippery slope of bizarre extremism.

Republicans spent over $2 million dollars throwing mud at each other. Walberg, heavily backed by religionist nuts and the fascist-oriented Club For Growth, threw more mud and he won. One of the lunatic fringe far right, anti-American blogs, Redstate, rallied it's brain-dead stepford readers today to defeat Schwarz (who is a Bush rubber stamp). The kook who writes it listed 10 reasons it was important for Michigan fascists to turn out in droves... all kinds of nuttiness. And his #1 reason to defeat this mainstream conservative incumbent?

"For the past two years, Republicans have governed in the Joe Schwarz mould (sic). They have expanded government, expanded spending, and otherwise ignored the GOP's conservative base. In fact, conservatives, who are the largest part of the GOP base, have been dumped on, ignored, and shoved aside in favor of politicians like Joe Schwarz.

Republicans in Congress will not get the message if they lose the majority -- they'll blame conservatives. Republicans in Congress will get the message if we take a stand in Republican primaries and start tossing liberals. Let's send this wake up call today."

Let's see how many times Fox propagandists mention Joe Schwarz and Tim Walberg tomorrow-- or is it only the Democratic Party they care about?

GOP PRIMARY IN MICHIGAN MAKES LAMONT/LIEBERMAN MATCH UP LOOK LIKE A GAME OF PATTY-CAKE

Although as Lieberman keeps sinking in the polls and his campaign gets more and more desperate and he calls for more assistance from GOP storm troopers instead of just the Republican-lite DLC clowns, in reality this primary has been pretty mild. I mean the media has tried to sex it up a little but a truck driving around the state with paper mache figures of Lieberman and Bush smooching is as close to "wild" as it's come. (We'll see if this changes now that Lieberman has hired thousands of Young Republican fart boys frat boys from all over the East Coast to invade Connecticut between now and Tuesday. But I'm guessing they'll be too drunk to do any serious damage to anyone but themselves.)

The media is falling all over itself bemoaning how the "Democratic crazies" are "purging" the party just because the fine incumbent is pro-a-little-tiny-inconsequential-thing-like-the-Iraq-war. They never seemed to get too upset when the far right of the Republican Party (financed by the Club For Growth) went after Pennsylvania's Arlen Specter last year or how right wing nutcase Steve Laffey (again, financed by the Club For Growth) is "purging" Lincoln Chafee. And they certainly don't mention the primary in Michigan's 7th congressional district. "Huh?" you ask?

Last May I looked at this district because some progressive groups were thinking about supporting the fake moderate there, Joe Schwarz, because he's being challenged by a far more right wing Club For Growth loon, Tim Walberg (by now you should have figured out what the Club is trying to grow: a cadre of dedicated fascists inside our government).

This week the Jackson Citizen Patriot reported a far more violent Republican primary-- albeit one ignored by the mainstream media-- than anything going on between Connecticut Democrats and Lieberman. "A combative congressional race took a criminal turn Monday, when U.S. Rep. Joe Schwarz's Jackson campaign office was vandalized with an anti-gay slur. Someone scratched a slur into Schwarz's head in one poster and scratched out his eyes in another..."

Although Walberg's decidedly far right, hate-based campaign is hysterically denying having participated in the vandalism, the campaign can't deny that they have done all they could to arouse passions and anti-gay hysteria in the district. Walberg's whole campaign, in fact, sometimes seems to be based on gay-bashing. Schwarz, a conservative (though non-fascist) Republican-- i.e., more a Reagan Republican than a Coulter Republican, which is exactly what Walberg is)-- is against gay marriage but has not backed the lunatic right's demand for a Constitutional Amendment.

With every big name Republican celebrity in the country campaigning for their boy Duplicitous Joe, no one is paying much attention to MI-07. The Republican primary there is this coming Tuesday, the same day Connecticut Democrats determine the fate of Lieberman and his Republican sponsors.

DO PROGRESSIVES EVER SUPPORT REPUBLICANS? A LOOK AT MI-07

I have a friend in DC-- let's call him Bill-- who is one of the few people in town who doesn't care about politics. But he loves to debate. Sensing (somehow) my obsession, he kept asking me all through lunch if I would ever endorse a Republican. In the end I said that although it is theoretically possible for a progressive to support a Republican, the reality is that even the best Republican-- given what the party has turned into-- is worse than a totally dreadful Democrat. This wasn't always the case of course. Although too young to vote at the time, I supported liberal Republican Congressman John Lindsay over reactionary Democrat Abe Beame when they ran for mayor of NYC. New York Republicans like Jacob Javits, Ken Keating and even Nelson Rockefeller has streaks of independence from right-wing ideologues and would stand up and fight the right wing tide that was starting to destroy mainstream Republicanism. (New York Democrats still seemed better than these liberal Republicans but one never got the sense that when these guys won, basic American values were being threatened the way they are today when Republicans win elections and get their hands on the levers of governance.)

After our lively debate I found myself in the office of a friend of mine who works at a progressive public interest PAC. The PAC seems to support progressive Democrats. He floated an idea by me in regard to Michigan's 7th CD, the south-central part of the state east of Battle Creek. The district had a moment of fame when the Republican incumbent, Nick Smith, got into a really vicious little intra-party contretemps with Tom DeLay. DeLay, as was his standard operating procedure as GOP Majority Leader and capo di tutti capi of the Republican Culture of Corruption, offered Smith a bribe if he would support the anti-consumer prescription drug bill. DeLay promised to raise $100,000 from corporate sleaze-merchants for Smith's son if Smith, who was retiring, voted for the bill and there was an implication that Smith's son would have his political legs cut off if Smith voted against the GOP mob. Smith voted against the bill and his son, Brad, was defeated in the Republican primary, as DeLay had promised. Six months after the vote, on the last day of September the House Ethics Committee admonished DeLay for his tactics, the last action of the Ethics Committee before DeLay fired the Republicans who had voted against him and replaced the Chairman with a corrupt, extremely compromised shill, "Doc" Hastings. The winner of that primary-- and the subsequent general election in the very red district-- was Joe Schwarz, a relatively moderate Republican. He had beaten Smith's son and several other Republicans including a far right wingnut named Tim Walberg.

OK, now everyone's up-to-date and Walberg is back to challenge Schwarz. This time Walberg is the only far right candidate and he's being pumped up by all the extremist hate groups that normally fund fringe and neo-fascist Republicans, from the Club For Growth to the Eagle Forum. So my friend at the progressive PAC asks me my opinion about them endorsing Schwarz in the Republican primary. He points out that he has already been endorsed by the AFL-CIO, HRC and Republicans For Choice.

It's a pretty red district. In 2004 Schwarz beat Sharon Renier, an organic farmer and musician who the Democrats ran (but didn't support financially), in every single county and overall 58%- 36% (with 5% of the vote going to independents). She ran considerably behind Kerry, who took nearly 45%. (Gore had taken 46%.) The right-wing loon who runs the Republican Michigander blog has a thorough and keen analysis of the district's politics from the Wingnutia perspective.

The organic farmer is up for another go-round, although her website has no positions or issues pages yet. There is also a Fighting Dem in the race and his website makes him look pretty progressive-- Fred Strack. If November turns into a tsunami despite Rahm Emanuel's tepid and lame, over-cautious, "Don't-be-afraid-of-us-We're-just-like-the-Republicans-in-most-ways" strategy, this is a district Strack can win. But, by all conventional measurements, Schwarz will be the congressman from MI-07 after the midterms.

So... should the progressive PAC help him? I was open to the idea-- until I started digging down into his congressional voting record. Apparently he was better as a state legislator a few years ago. But as a congressman, he's been absolutely, indefensibly horrible on every important issue. Progressive Punch gave him a zero on gay issues and his voting record on choice is nauseating-- as it is on Labor and anything else progressives care about. No doubt Walberg would be worse-- albeit easier for Strack to beat in November-- and... Schwarz is an F+ or, at best, a D-. So if Walberg is an F, what difference does it really make? Not enough difference to sully the good name of the progressive PAC, let alone to waste money that could be better spent on helping real progressives who are desperate for it.

Part 2 of this is going to be an exchange of letters between myself and Russ Feingold regarding a reactionary Democrat who he asked me to donate money to. I'll try to get to it today. (UPDATE: I did it but I did it a little differently than what I was planning. Check it out.)