Mike Rogers Can Devote All His Time To Undermining Democracy Since He Has No Reelection Worries

Congenital liar, Mike Rogers (R-MI)

Until recently, Michigan congressman Mike Rogers has operated mostly in the shadows. Some might find that fitting for the Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee; we don't. Rogers is charged with over site of the sprawling, out-of-control surveillance state. Instead he has run his committee as a cheering squad for it. Mike Rogers, along with Ranking Member Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD), Mac Thornberry (R-TX), Jeff Miller (R-FL), Mike Conaway (R-TX), Peter King (R-NY), Michele Bachmann (R-MN), Adam Schiff (New Dem-CA), Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA), Mike Pompeo (R-Koch), Jim Himes (New Dem-CT), Joe Heck (R-NV), Mike Thompson (D-CA), and Terri Sewell (New Dem-AL) have made themselves complicit in the criminal culture that defines the Spy Establishment.

The DCCC has long granted Rogers a free pass to reelection and, especially since like-minded "ex"-Blue Dog Steve Israel took over as DCCC chairman, has undermined progressive grassroots opponents Michigan Democrats have put up to take on Rogers. This might look especially strange, since Rogers is in a swing district, if you weren't aware of the Center Aisle pact and the nasty little deal Israel has with the NRCC to save his own worthless hide.

Let's take a quick look at Rogers' district, MI-08. The PVI is R+2 and Obama beat McCain there by a healthy 52-46%. In 2012, Steve Israel sabotaged Democratic eftorts in the district to help derail a run by grassroots candidate Lance Enderle. Not only did that help Rogers win reelection, it helped Romney win the district 51-48%. Despite Israel's efforts to protect Rogers, Enderle won the heart of the district-- Ingham County (Lansing), which cast the most votes in the district-- 51-46%. Would Enderle have beaten Rogers if the DCCC had assisted him instead if wasting time and resources on ridiculous Blue Dogs who were defeated anyway? Absolutely. Obama beat Romney that day in Oakland County 54-46%. Had Enderle had party help there, it would have overcome the heavy odds Democrats always face in deep red Livingston County, Rogers' reactionary base.

Enderle fought Rogers on domestic spying and corporate intrusion into people's lives right from the start. But that certainly didn't help persuade Steve Israel to allow the DCCC to help his campaign. In fact, given Israel's own positions, it probably set in cement his decision to protect Rogers' seat-- which he's doing again this year. Right now, there is no Democrat running for this seat. I spoke to two high-ranking Democratic officials in Lansing and to a Democratic operative in Rochester Hills and they all told me the same thing: no one will run for this seat until Israel is out of the DCCC. "It isn't worth the time or effort," one told me, "when your own party is hitting for the other team. This is an open secret around here. Steve Israel is the most digesting person who could be running the DCCC. The party will never take back Congress as long as he's in power and he is dooming Democrats in Michigan. He's chasing after that clown Benishek with another clown and ignoring races he should be engaging in." The other guy in Lansing was much more colorful but we don't use that kind of language here at DWT. Meanwhile, Rogers can continue slandering people like Glenn Greenwald with absolute impunity-- and immunity! Now he's accusing him of selling stolen material leaked by whistleblower Ed Snowden. "A thief selling stolen material is a thief,” is how the corrupt Rogers put it.

“I’m never selling documents,” Greenwald said in an interview. “I don’t get money and give them documents, like, ‘Hey, nice doing business with you.’”

Greenwald said he has worked with news outlets around the globe to publicize newsworthy aspects of the documents Edward Snowden copied while working for the NSA in Hawaii. However, Greenwald said he and others working with him supply the foreign outlets with proposed articles and are not “fencing stolen material,” as House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) argued at a hearing Tuesday.

“We do the reporting first… I vet the stories,” Greenwald said. “We come with the story already formed. We work on drafts of the story. We always edit the story. We have approval rights.”

Greenwald, who is an attorney, acknowledged insisting on freelance contracts in order to supply the stories. However, he said that is itself a legal precaution aimed at ensuring that authorities treat him as a journalist and not as a source. Traditionally, sources have sometimes been subject to prosecution for disclosing secret documents, while the government has shied away from prosecuting those who act as journalists or publishers.

“If I went around and reported on this without a freelance contract or a freelance fee paid, the government would say I’m acting as a source and not a distributor of the documents,” Greenwald said. “I never work with any foreign media outlet without any kind of agreement…. I have to do it that way. If I don’t, they would make other accusations.”

...“Any journalist who reports on top-secret documents is necessarily getting paid. If you’re going to characterize that as selling documents, you’re necessarily selling documents,” he said.

Greenwald noted that journalist Bart Gellman has written a series of stories for the Washington Post on a freelance basis drawing on documents Snowden obtained while working at the NSA. Yet, there has been no similar call for charges against Gellman.

“How is that any different than what Bart Gellman does?” Greenwald asked. “He’s freelanced for the Washington Post and he gets paid per story.”

Greenwald said he believes U.S. officials want to take action against him and are therefore trying to make distinctions between his actions and those of others who have reported on the Snowden revelations about U.S. surveillance.

“What they’re trying to do is to remove it from the realm of journalism, so that they can then criminalize it,” he said. “The fact that I’ve been more defiant about the U.S. government…. makes them want to do something to me more. That fact that I’ve gone around the world doing this reporting in different countries and publishing reporting around the world-- that is something they want to stop.”

Keep contributing to the DCCC and keep expecting these kinds of results.


UPDATE: MoveOn To The Rescue?

I got a note from MoveOn a few minutes after this post was published today to let me know that they and some other groups are trying to find a candidate to tale on the odious Rogers.

More than 450 residents of Michigan 8th Congressional District are urging Susan Grettenberger, a social worker, educator, and mother of four, to challenge incumbent Republican Rep. Mike Rogers in the 2014 midterm election. The petition from local educator Mike Vasas cites Rep. Rogers’ record of joining with right-wing extremists to block jobs legislation and Rogers’ support of the government shutdown as reasons he should be voted out of office.

“In these tough economic times, we need a member of Congress who will work tirelessly for the people of Michigan's 8th district, not just for the wealthiest corporations,” explained Mike Vasas, the local public educator who created the petition. “Rep. Mike Rogers and the Tea Party shut down our government and helped create the most do-nothing Congress in history. Susan Grettenberger has a proven track record of creating real opportunity for all families. If she chooses to run for Congress, I'm standing ready to support her!”

“I've known Susan for many years and her determination to help others and strong family ties will make her a good candidate for the people of Michigan's 8th District in Washington,” explained Gail from Houghton Lake as she signed the petition.  “She will be a tireless worker and a fair supporter of all issues concerning the people of Michigan! Go Susan!”

“Mike Rogers shut down the government and supports unconstitutional spying on all his constituents-- TIME TO GO, MIKE!” added Brian V. from Okemos.

According to a Public Policy Polling survey released this October, Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI) faces tough challenges with voters after voting to shut down the government, including an approval rating of only 42 percent following the shutdown.

How can Pelosi be sure Steve Israel is fighting for her team?

Lance Enderle Shocks GOP Hack Mike Rogers In Raucous Cleary University Debate

Michigan's 8th congressional district gave Obama a hefty victory over McCain in 2008, 53-46%. It was slightly altered in the new redistricting, but just slightly and Obama would have won it under the new boundaries 52-46%, a healthy 6 point lead. It's likely he'll beat Romney by an even greater margin in November. The heart of the district is the same: Lansing and East Lansing (Ingham County) and Livingston County east of that, a white flight county that accounts for Rogers' long tenure despite his pathetic record of achievement. (For example, in 2008, his Democratic opponent won 53% of the Ingham County vote but Rogers took 67% of Livingston, 63% of the part of Oakland County in the district and all the smaller counties.) MI-08 would be a natural target for the DCCC. Democrats can win there. But Rogers is a senior Republican and head of the Intelligence Committee, so Steve Israel issued the "free pass" he has given to all GOP leaders. The same way Israel refuses to take on Budget chairman Paul Ryan and Armed Services Committee chairman Buck McKeon, he has made it clear that Lance Enderle can expect no help-- ZERO-- from the DCCC. These are the guys who are making the policies that are so detrimental to the country but the reptilian Mr. Israel would rather spend millions of dollars on clowns like Allen West and unknown backbenchers no one has ever heard of.

Tuesday evening progressive Democrat Lance Enderle-- the kind of reform-minded scrapper Democrats need in Congress-- took the battle directly to Rogers and having forced him into a debate, pulverized him in front of voters and the media. The biggest newspaper in Livingston County, the district's GOP heartland couldn't make Rogers look good. The video above comes from their website. Rogers tried a deceitful approach that made him sound reasonable instead of like the far right hack he is. He seemed shocked when Lance wouldn't like him get away with it and accused him being a corporate whore:

In a tense, often harsh, 60-minute exchange, Democratic underdog Lance Enderle accused 12-year Republican Congressman Mike Rogers of selling out to large contributors, including an accusation that Rogers had taken "blood money" from a contributor whose safety violations led to the death of 29 coal miners in West Virginia.

"You were sent to Washington to represent us," Enderle said to Rogers. "You haven't been doing a very good job."

An obviously irritated Rogers said he found it disgusting that Enderle would suggest he could be bought for any price.

"Maybe you can be bought," Rogers said. "You can't buy me. Apparently, you go cheap."

Rogers and Enderle found no common ground in the third and most contentious of three candidate forums Tuesday night at Cleary University's Johnson Center in Genoa Township.

...For most of the forum, Enderle-- a former schoolteacher-- lashed out at Rogers for using "scare tactics" on subjects ranging from the debt cliff to the demise of Medicare due to the Affordable Care Act.

Rogers referred to Enderle's verbal attacks as "arm-flailing and finger-pointing that does not fix one problem in Washington, D.C."

...Responding to questions from Daily Press & Argus Metro Editor Mike Malott, the two staked out mostly disparate positions on all major topics:

Social Security/Medicare: Rogers supports the Ryan plan for Medicare reform, saying a failure to act will bankrupt Medicare in 2024 and Social Security by 2050. He stressed that the Ryan plan will not cost current senior citizens a dime and will give future generations a choice in health-care coverage.

Enderle defended the president's plan, citing projected savings for senior citizens.

In a shot at Rogers' campaign funders, he asked, "Are we working for the pharmaceutical companies or are we working for our constituents?"

Affordable Care Act: Rogers said that Obamacare could be repealed while still providing popular features such as coverage for young adults, coverage for those with pre-existing conditions and eliminating coverage caps.

Obama's plan, he said, has already escalated into a cost of $2.6 trillion. "We have no idea how to pay for that," he said.

He said "you don't want your federal government running your health care."

Enderle said the Affordable Care Act would bring down costs by producing healthier citizens.

He also stressed that access to health care should be a basic right.

"I want to see Medicare for every citizen of the United States."

Tax increases and the national debt: Rogers said he is a flat-tax advocate and that he would favor tax reform that might eliminate loopholes.

Enderle said the tax system should be "equitable" and is in favor of a progressive tax structure that will tax the so-called 1 percent at a higher rate.

...At the close of the debate, Enderle asked Rogers to schedule two more debates, one in Oakland and one in Ingham. Afterward, Rogers said his schedule would determine if he would comply.

Mike Rogers freely admits to being an advocate for Paul Ryan's highly toxic Austerity Agenda that has failed so miserably across Europe. Lance Enderle is a proponent of Prosperity Economics and you can help him on the Americans For Real Prosperity page.

Conservatives Don't Understand-- Or Don't Care-- That Protecting Online Privacy Is Crucial

Thursday Nancy Pelosi led almost all the Democrats against voting for Mike Rogers' invasive, pro-corporate Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act, H.R. 3523. In the end it passed the House 248-168. There were 42, mostly conservative, mostly extremely corrupt, Democrats-- led by money-grubbing DCCC chair Steve Israel-- who crossed the aisle to vote with the Republicans. They passed 28 Republicans crossing in the other direction.

Most of the for-sale Blue Dog scum-- remember, Israel is an "ex"-Blue Dog although "relapsed" is probably a better description-- voted with Boehner and Cantor as they usually do. Blue Dogs who buy into the GOP practice of taking corporate campaign cash for votes all backed CISPA: Altmire (PA), Barrow (GA), Bishop (GA), Boren (OK), Boswell (IA), Cardoza (CA), Chandler (KY), Cooper (TN), Costa (CA), Cuellar (TX), Donnelly (IN), Kissell (NC-- yes, he finally made it official 2 weeks ago and joined), Matheson (UT), McIntyre (NC), Peterson (MN), Ross (AR), Schrader (OR), Scott (GA), Shuler (NC), and Thompson (CA) as did ultra-conservatives not formally associated with the Blue Dogs, like Critz (PA), Hochul (NY), Lipinski (IL), Owens (NY), Ruppersberger (MD), and Towns (NY).

Open Secrets shedsd some valuable light on which corporations have been paying off which Members of Congress to vote for this bill.

A list of companies and organizations that have sent letters of support for the bill to the House Intelligence Committee, where the legislation was created, meshes closely with the list of top lobbying groups so far this year-- not to mention groups that lobbied on SOPA and PIPA.

For example, AT&T, which sent this letter, spent more money lobbying in the first three months of 2012 than any other single corporation ($7 million, second only to the mega-trade organization Chamber of Commerce, which also lobbied on CISPA though to a lesser extent). The telephone utilities industry as a whole, which includes AT&T and Verizon (which sent this letter) spent $15.3 million in the first quarter of this year, increasing its lobbying expenditures by 35 percent over the previous three months. The total laid out for lobbying by the computer/Internet industry, which includes some of the biggest backers of CISPA, SOPA and PIPA, fell 6 percent in the first quarter-- but at $32.1 million, the industry was still the sixth-largest spender on lobbying amont all industries so far in 2012.

It's hard to assess how much each of these companies spent lobbying Congress specifically on CISPA-- or other hot-button Internet bills-- because many of these companies have a variety of issues they're pursuing on Capitol Hill, but are required to report just one dollar amount covering everything. AT&T, for instance, spent its $7 million talking to lawmakers about 121 separate pieces of legislation... [Mike] Rogers has received at least $175,000 from organizations that have lobbied on the bill. That's about 15 percent of the total $1.1 million he has reported raising this election cycle. The top two groups: defense contractor SAIC (whose PAC has given Rogers $20,000 this election cycle) and Koch Industries (whose PAC has given Rogers over $14,500.)

The progressive Democrat running against Rogers in southern Michigan, Lance Enderle (you can help his campaign here) isn't the kind of Democrat who supports bills being pushed by the Koch brothers. He's an actual Democrat. This is what he told me this morning about Rogers' bill: “CISPA is not about protecting our national security, it is about invading personal privacy. When will the attacks on our Civil Liberties stop and the focus of economic and environmental stabilization begin? This is another fine example of Republican fear mongering introduced by Mike Rogers. This doesn’t surprise me coming from Mike, considering he voted for SOPA, PIPA, The Patriot ACT, NDAA, and from his position on the Select Intelligence committee he has called for the execution of Pfc. Bradley Manning. Mike loves to restrict our personal freedoms, hell I am more conservative than he is when you refer to the Constitution and our Civil Liberties... I have a question for Mike and his Republican cronies: When did corporations become our police force?”

Because of all the right-wing (and heavily bribed) Democrats voting with the GOP, the message that's seeped into the zeitgeist is "The House’s solid bipartisan vote for a cybersecurity bill sends a message to the Senate: Now it’s your turn to act." Obama's veto threat is flicked aside like a dandruff particle.

The White House, along with a coalition of liberal and conservative groups and some lawmakers, strongly opposed the measure, complaining that Americans’ privacy could be violated. They argued that companies could share an employee’s personal information with the government, data that could end up in the hands of officials from the National Security Agency or the Defense Department. They also challenged the bill’s liability waiver for private companies that disclose information, complaining that it was too broad.

Echoing those concerns were several Republicans and Democrats who warned of potential government spying on its citizens with the help of employers.

“In an effort to foster information sharing, this bill would erode the privacy protections of every single American using the Internet. It would create a ‘Wild West’ of information sharing,” said Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, the top Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee.

Said Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas: “Until we protect the privacy rights of our citizens, the solution is worse than the problem.”

A more thorough analysis by Conor Friedersdorf at The Atlantic asserts that Americans are justified for feeling paranoid about Rogers' bill. "[I]f we're going to allow private companies and government to snoop into our private information for the narrow purpose of protecting national security," he suggests, "there needs to be a way to monitor what goes on so that there's at least the possibility that abuses could be caught." His main point is that "Critics of CISPA are right to be wary... because of the abysmal record that government and industry have amassed."

The Bush Administration engaged in illegal warrantless wiretapping for years. All the while, the National Security Agency collaborated with America's major telecommunications companies. AT&T gave government officials unsupervised access to all data flowing through major hubs, including email messages, phone calls, web-browsing data, and private network traffic.

When the NSA program was finally revealed, Bush Administration officials weren't prosecuted and jailed. In fact, Thomas Drake, an NSA whistleblower who complained about a separate warrantless surveillance project, was prosecuted by both the Bush and the Obama Administrations.
 
...In a statement objecting to CISPA as currently written, the Obama Administration stated that "citizens have a right to know that corporations will be held legally accountable for failing to safeguard personal information adequately." Damn right they do! But Obama has done nothing to hold anyone accountable for spying on Americans during the Bush years. And Bush-era abuses -- coupled with the failure to hold anyone accountable for them, the prosecution of whistleblowers, and ongoing warrantless surveillance -- are indirectly but powerfully relevant to CISPA.

Ed Perlmutter (D-CO) tried ameliorating the legislation with a Motion to Recommit that would instruct Rogers to amend the bill so that employers and government entities could no longer demand passwords to workers' social media accounts as a condition of employment. Republicans blocked it again, every Democrat voting yes-- even the worst Blue Dogs-- and every Republican voting no. Aside from protecting Facebook and Twitter accounts, Perlmutter's amendment would also protect freedom of expression on the Internet by prohibiting the Federal Government from establishing a national firewall similar to the "Great Internet Firewall of China.”

R.E.M. Supports OccupyWallStreet-- So Does Every Single Blue America Candidate... But Conservatives Of Both Parties HATE It, Of Course

Yes, R.E.M. may have broken up as a band but they just lent their support to the OccupyWallStreet Movement with their 1987 classic, "Welcome to the Occupation" (from Document). But on Ed Schultz's show Monday night, they weren't asking for rock bands' support; they were asking for Democrats' support. Love Ed! He helped Blue America more than anyone else in the media-- much more-- when it came to our anti-Boehner campaign for Justin Coussoule last year. He nailed it... night after night after night. This Monday night, though, he didn't seem to realize-- nor does anyone in the media-- how integrated so many candidates for office are with their local OccupyWallStreet movements.

I mean if someone is asking Inside-the-Beltway corporate whores like Steny Hoyer, Ben Nelson, Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Max Baucus to come down and join the drum circle... get a clue. These are the BAD GUYS. These people are the problem, not the solution to the problem. We're in a mess today because of conservatives-- not just Republican conservatives, but Democratic conservatives as well-- and conservative in the real sense of the word, not just whether or not someone opposes Choice or gay marriage or how they stand on the divisive social issues. I read these lines from Corey Robin's book, The Reactionary Mind on Nicole Sandler's show Tuesday morning (when normal people were still asleep):

Conservatism, then, is not a commitment to limited government and liberty-- or a wariness of change, a belief in evolutionary reform, or a politics of virtue. These may be byproducts of conservatism, one or more of its historically specific and ever-changing modes of expression. But they are not its animating purpose. Neither is conservatism a makeshift fusion of capitalists, Christians, and warriors, for that fusion is impelled by a more elemental force-- the opposition to the liberation of men and women from the fetters of their superiors, particularly in the private sphere. [Emphasis added by DWT editorial staff.]

Tuesday morning brought a much-discussed OpEd by one of the most corporate-oriented, money-grubbing whores who ever polluted the Democratic Party, Doug Schoen. There are plenty like him-- from a now unmasked Joe Lieberman to a Thomas Friedman-celebrated Rahm Emanuel to a helicopter-flying Harold Ford and the entire Blue Dog and New Dem caucuses in the House and corporately funded outfits from the DLC to Third Way-- who Wall Street and Big Business pay very, very well to pretend to be "Democrats" while hammering home the 1% message. These are the enemies of the 99% as clearly and surely as the Republicans are. There is NO difference, except around the edges. Schoen, posing as a pollster, warned Democrats to distance themselves from OccupyWallStreet. The kinds of Democrats who take the ravings of Citibank's paid shill seriously should stay away from OccupyWallStreet... as far away as possible. Schoen, last heard from demanding that President Obama resign, begins his trash-talk with a dire warning that "President Obama and the Democratic leadership are making a critical error in embracing the Occupy Wall Street movement-- and it may cost them the 2012 election... [T]he Occupy Wall Street movement reflects values that are dangerously out of touch with the broad mass of the American people-- and particularly with swing voters who are largely independent and have been trending away from the president since the debate over health-care reform."

I don't think Wall Street pays him by the word-- although they may-- but, he's dead wrong about his narrative, as he always is-- and misrepresenting his own "poll" numbers to get his political/business point across. Legitimate pollsters-- the ones who don't pull the numbers out of their asses and tailor them to whichever client is writing the check-- have found that 77% of Americans want higher taxes on the wealthy. CNN is reporting a poll showing 76% of Americans want a surtax on millionaires. Yesterday another New York poll, this one from Siena shows overwhelming support from ordinary Americans for the grassroots OccupyWallStreet over the Astroturf Tea Party. Greg Sargent also pointed up some of the specifics of bedrock American working families' solidarity with the OccupyWallStreet movement and how its reinvigorating and enthusing the 99% after a three years of disappointment from Obama and the Democratic Party Establishment. "Working America," he wrote, "the affiliate of the AFL-CIO that organizes workers from non-union workplaces, has signed up approximately 25,000 new recruits in the last week alone, thanks largely to the high visibility of the protests."

The candidates Blue America supports were not asked if they support OccupyWallStreet as a precondition for our endorsement. Their candidacies predate the movement. Their candidacies, however, are animated-- to use Corey Robin's phraseology-- by exactly what motivates the movement. And many of these men and women were among the organizers of the local OccupyWallStreet movements in their home areas. Yesterday, for example, we introduced you to Ken Aden, a young blue collar working guy and veteran from a deeply red district in northwest Arkansas. He's fired up and taking on clueless corporate shill and 1%-er Steve Womack. I asked Ken what he thinks of the Occupy movement. I bet Ed Schultz would love his response:

"I am a staunch and proud supporter of the Occupy Wall Street Movement. In fact, I helped folks here in Arkansas start an Occupy chapter in the Northern part of our state. This is a true grassroots movement made up of young people, veterans, students, and folks from across the middle class just like me who are sick and tired of irresponsible corporations buying politicians of both parties while many in the government stand idly by and give corporate America the keys to the proverbial candy store. It's truly nauseating to know that so many politicians can be so easily bought, and not even loose an ounce of sleep over the fact that they are destroying everything which we hold dear. I  firmly believe that more people need to become involved, and stand up for what is right! Corporate greed is the new pandemic in this country. The ratio of CEO pay to that of the average worker is a prime example of the kind of reckless behavior that corporations in this country are exercising on a daily basis. Just look at how many politicians Koch Industries has bought over the last ten years alone. As the next congressman from Arkansas I would support an amendment to destroy the destructive influence of Citizens United. The last time I checked, corporations are NOT and will never be real people.

Nor is he the only one of our candidates to have been in on organizing. These people aren't like money-grubbing whores like Steny Hoyer and Debbie Wasserman-Fanjul-Schultz and Doug Schoen. These people are in politics because they are activists and because they're fighting for the lives of their families and their friends and their neighbors. "I've participated in three 'Occupy' gatherings in this congressional district during the last week-- Eureka (Humboldt County), Ukiah (Mendocino County) and San Rafael (Marin County)," Norman Solomon told me last night. "I'm in full support of this progressive populist upsurge. From the outset, since launch of our campaign last winter, fighting Wall Street and insisting on economic equity have been central to our campaign. On Sunday, I marched with a few hundred people through the streets of Ukiah as we visited Chase and Bank of America. 'We are the 99 percent!' Our campaign draws strength from progressive social movements because we're part of them!" Ed should have Norman on his show... or Ken Aden. Or blue collar New Deal Democrat John Waltz from Kalamazoo, who had this to say about the Occupy movement where he lives:

"What started out with a handful of folks on a windy day in Kalamazoo ended up growing into a protest with over 200 people as part of the Occupy Wall Street movement. Talking to several folks I could tell that they were frustrated that the top one percent of this nation is being coddled while the rest of us are getting trampled on. I heard concerns that ranged from economics to education and they were focused on making a difference.

"It was an honor to take part in this day of action in Kalamazoo. While we marched the streets with the sound of chants and drums there were several folks who were honking in support. It appears that the sleeping masses have awoken and there is a sea change coming. Question is whether this can be sustained and the answer I heard was a resounding yes."

"We," not "they." These people don't need permission to get involved with the movement; they are the movement. Nick Ruiz, the Green-turned-Democrat running against teabagging imbecile Sandy Adams in central Florida is, as usual, one step ahead of the game:

"Everyone's trying to figure out how to capitalize on the OCCUPY consciousness. But there's little mystery in it, and nothing honorable in trying to 'profit' politically from it. Reasonably, citizens are ever distrustful of politicians of every stripe because they have seen the political establishment legislate against Main Street's needs too many times to count.

"They 99% want to believe that it is possible to thrive again, in a country whose political establishment continues to fool them with bait and switch politicians who make legislative decisions that instead ensure the 99% will suffer. The 99% want to be represented by people that they can believe in, but they know in their heart of hearts there are few people they can trust.

"The people I spoke with at Occupy Daytona Beach knew I didn't arrive there with my pockets stuffed with $250 and $500 checks from the colossal donor network. The 99% is not interested in fundraising totals for Beltway machinery candidates. They believe in me, because I believe in them, in us-- in the concept of shared governance and socioeconomic fairness. They know I won't sell them out. They know I want the same things they want for America. And they know such a representative is truly hard to find. They won't put their faith and trust, and support in a party or political establishment, that does not include the truly liberal representatives they want to see in Congress and the White House.

"The OCCUPY phenomenon is a national cry for a more liberal, New Deal government. 2012 is going to be a referendum on liberal credibility in the eyes of the 99%. And very few candidates have it."

His neighbor up the road, Alan Grayson, has been pushing the message and inspiring the 99%-- loudly-- for several years. "Having been to the one in Orlando, I can tell you that it's like a street carnival for progressives. Democrats should go, and they should bring their friends. They'll be glad-- and proud-- that they did." Lance Enderle, also running against an Establishment suck-up in hard-pressed Michigan (Mike Rogers) wrote that everyone who knows him "knows I am not a politician that is worried about 'polls', I am concerned with people, and that is what OWS is. OWS is people, it is not a political party or group; OWS is people, citizens of the United States being hit by a force greater than freedom; corporate greed and deception!  I fully support this movement that is based on social and economic justice.

"On October 8th, OWS hit Lansing, Michigan. The citizens set up their camp at Reutter Park, beginning with 2 brave souls. 'Solidarity Park' has now grown to over 100 people nightly, with hundreds filtering through daily showing support for the '99%.'

"I have been amazed with what I have seen in just one week. I have seen and listened to many different views and opinions come together and form a coalition of one. I have watched the citizens feed and clothe the homeless daily from the park. I have watched the old look after the young and share experience and education. I have also watched the young give back the gift of youth and vitality to the old, creating an energy that I have never felt from a group of people before. 

"But, the greatest thing I have experienced from OWS is DEMOCRACY! This is a living and breathing example of what democracy is.

"It is time for Americans to stand up, be strong, and say we are not going to take the greed and deception anymore; stand up for America and our way of life, stand up for the 99%!"

Democratic candidates should spend time at OccupyWallStreet, huh? I bet Ed Schultz would LOVE Lance Enderle. He'd probably love New Mexico state Senator Eric Griego as well: "I was there on Saturday with my wife and son Lucas. We saw seniors, small business owners, teachers, veterans, students, union members and kids. They were diverse in background but united in their belief that we are a community and all in this together. They called for Wall Street reform, investment in our infrastructure to create jobs, and ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Rather than some fringe group it was a slice of America and of our community."

The first candidate who ever told me she was going to an OccupyWallStreet event was Mary Jo Kilroy, a former Ohio congresswoman from Columbus who Blue America was live blogging with early on in the movement. She's recognized instantly that protesters were motivated by many of the same things that have motivated her political life. Yesterday she reminded me that she "spent part of an afternoon with Occupy Wall St. Columbus in front of the Ohio Statehouse. They are expressing an anger many of us feel about conditions in this country. People want good paying jobs, not more bad cuts. I talked to one young African American protester who had obtained a college degree and the only job he could get was delivering cars for a car rental company. He is underpaid and wants to move forward, use his talents and earn enough to have a home and a family someday. Yet he sees little opportunity for him at this time. All these talented young people see in Washington is a willingness to block crucial programs that would help working people, while the banks get bailed out, and corporations are coddled. The unique thing about the movement is that it can express the different frustrations in each community. Right now in Ohio, for example, much of this anger is focused on stopping a huge assault on workers by making sure that collective bargaining isn't taken away and replaced by collective begging. The whole point is that we need to reset our priorities in this country, and I am proud to stand with the 99% in that effort."

Plenty of people for Ed Schultz to have on his program.


UPDATE: What Does Pressure Do?


Rep. Steve Womack (R-AR) is about as far from the 99% as you're going to see. His claim to fame is that he was one of the South's most bigoted mayors (in Rogers, Arkansas, where his motto was "If you're coming to America illegally, you don't want to come to Rogers"). But protesters Occupying Fayetteville and Fort Smith were shocked yesterday when Womack, who inherited his family's radio business, claimed, through a spokesman, that he "supports" the movement. He's been under immense pressure from his Democratic opponent, Ken Aden-- one of the organizers of OccupyNorthArkansas-- but, despite a record that is pure 1%, he seems frightened of a growing populism that could unseat him. Aden's response was "Womack's record speaks for itself... plain and simple. He is a tool and a corporate owned tool at that."

UPDATE ON THE UPDATE: Womack Reiterates That He Hates Drum Circles

No one really believed this creep would support the OccupyWallStreet movement and, of course, he doesn't.

A spokesman for Womack said that Woodard had misunderstood the conversation that he had with Womack’s aide.

“I think there was a big misunderstanding,” said J.R. Davis, a spokesman for Womack.

The congressman, Davis said, does believe that measures should be put in place to make sure another financial crisis doesn’t occur. He supports efforts to combat corruption. But he believes there are better ways to address the issue than to protest on Wall Street.

“He definitely stands by freedom of speech; that is a right. But he doesn’t stand with the philosophy behind Occupy Wall Street,” Davis said.

Ken Aden reiterated his support for the movement and the people in Arkansas who are behind it. "Congressman Womach is clueless and he's spineless. He doesn't understand what regular working folks here are going through and doesn't understand that a real Representative for this part of the state would be standing with the OccupyArkansas movements, not against them."

Aden has been endosed by DWT and you can contribute to his grassroots campaign here at our ActBlue page.

Who Wants To Put Up A Red Velvet Rope Around OccupyWallStreet?

You may have noticed over the past week that a number of Blue America candidates have been speaking out in support of the OccupyWallStreet movement, each of whom finds it inspiring and a necessary part of an effective inside/outside strategy. This morning New Deal Democrat Lance Enderle, who's running against right-wing ideologue Mike Rogers in a swath of south-central Michigan from Grand Rapids thru Lansing all the way to northern Oakland County, told us that he sees that the "citizens occupying Wall Street are patriots! In 1802 Thomas Jefferson said, 'I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.' This is more true now than ever. We, the American people, need to stand up and take back America from these thieves and despots." I've been hearing this message from Lance for almost four years. He didn't come up with it because of the new movement; but he recognizes kindred spirits when he sees them.

Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) and Keith Ellison (D-MN), co-chairs of the Congressional progressive Caucus, have been fighting from the inside along many of the same lines. Yesterday they issued this statement of support for the OccupyWallStreet demonstrators:

We have been inspired by the growing grassroots movements on Wall Street and across the country. We share the anger and frustration of so many Americans who have seen the enormous toll that an unchecked Wall Street has taken on the overwhelming majority of Americans while benefiting the super wealthy. We join the calls for corporate accountability and expanded middle-class opportunity. 
 
“Throughout the summer, CPC Members listened to Americans nationwide describe how it feels to be on the wrong side of the wall between the rich and the rest of us. During the Speakout for Good Jobs Now! tour in New York City, Detroit, Milwaukee, Oakland, Minneapolis, Miami and Seattle, we heard compelling stories of Americans struggling to live the American dream while CEO’s and the super rich were given more taxpayer handouts. 
 
“We stand with the American people as they demand corporate accountability and we support their use of peaceful means to improve America.”

OccupyWallStreet is an outside strategy... not an inside strategy. It's great that the inside players are supporting it and recognizing that it isn't an inside move and that it needs to develop and express itself independently of institutions like Congress. I've been seeing some disturbing trends by some-- some genuinely concerned, some self-serving money-grubbers-- who worry that the nascent movement will be ruined by support from progressives-- even singling out for abuse stellar and committed leaders and fighters like Donna Edwards (D-MD) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT). Yesterday I noticed an online crook, who lives by sucking cash from idealistic, vulnerable donors, refer to Bernie Sanders-- probably one of the most committed progressives to ever set foot in the Congress as "a technofascist disguised as a liberal, backs Obama wars in Afgh Iraq Libya Pakistan" and later denounce MoveOn (a financial rival) and Van Jones. And I saw the nonsense about Sanders was pulled from an article in CounterPunch by Thomas Naylor called The Myth of Bernie Sanders. It's a deluded diatribe against Sanders from a naive fringe that is so far "left" that it melds smoothly into the fringe on the far right.

Sanders, not unlike President Obama, thinks drones are cool... Senator Sanders rarely misses a photo opportunity with Vermont National Guard troops when they are being deployed to Afghanistan or Iraq. He’s always at the Burlington International Airport when they return. If Sanders truly supported the Vermont troops, he would vote to end all of the wars posthaste... Sanders is the darling of the American-Israeli Public Affairs Committee and the right-wing Likud government of Israel. He has done everything within his power to keep the myth of Islamic terrorism alive... Bernie Sanders loves to rail against Corporate America, Wall Street, and the super-rich, but has nothing to show for it. He’s done little to constrain their power and influence. But everybody on the Left loves Bernie.

What about a nice fat denunciation of all the allies who admire what #OccupyWallStreet is doing? Is Russ Feingold next? Is this cooption? "“I’m really encouraged by what I’m seeing. People around the country are finally organizing to stand up to the huge influence of corporations on government and our lives. This kind of citizen reaction to corporate power and corporate greed is long overdue... The guys who are protesting are not filing legal briefs. They are expressing the populist, genuine view that people have been ripped off. It’s a fundamental identification of the fact that people are getting taken for a ride by powerful interests who are getting away with murder

“The worm is finally turning on the nonsense of blaming the wrong people for what happened in 2008. The American people are saying, wait, we have the boot of corporations on our necks, and we’re sick of it. This is a significantly coherent message at the beginning of something like this... The White House should realize that this would be beneficial to the president and his reelection chances if he recognizes how correct the protesters are to be upset. It would be a mistake to try to coopt this. I’m hoping a mass movement will encourage the White House to listen to and respond to these concerns. It would be politically smart and the right thing to do. This is like the Tea Party-- only it’s real. By the time this is over, it will make the Tea Party look like ... a tea party.” But, still, probably not what a bunch of over-priviledged fringy nihilists want to hear.

Warnings about support from Democrats ironically comes from professional hustlers who are trying to meld the movement for their own purposes.

Meanwhile... please help us keep Bernie Sanders in the Senate doing great work.



A good friend of mine, a senior progressive strategist in DC has been watching-- approvingly and with amazement-- as #OccupyWallStreet has taken a life of its own in last 8-10 days. He says he thinks "there is a way to sustain the energy and activism we are seeing out of New York. However, I think we have to resist the temptation of hoping it will become our version of the 'teaparty'.”

First, going back to the “ascendance” (using the term charitably here) of the teabaggers in our national political scene, here is the rough timeline.

1. Around February-March, scattered teaparty protests (very sparsely attended) started springing up around the country (IIRC some of it was getting ginned up in the seedy places of the right wing online hellholes). It was also getting a lot play from Beck (who was “rising” at the time) on Fox News.

2. On April 15-– Fox went “all in” sponsoring those “nationwide” anti-tax tea party rallies

3. Then the corporations jumped all in using these teabaggers to gin up unrest in the Townhalls that summer-– intimating Congress members with regard to healthcare legislation

4. Teabaggers then started organizing (with help from their corporate funders) in Republican primaries, pushing out number of established Republicans-– officially striking “fear” in the heart of Republican establishment in DC

If you look at the rough timeline above, I don’t think it’s feasible to expect or to hope that the energy from #OccupyWallStreet will chart through the same trajectory of the corporate fueled, Fox backed teabaggers. I don’t have that kind of expectations.
That said, I do see a tremendous opportunity here for the re-rise of a genuine progressive movement-- IF we can navigate through the storylines, and all pitch in together a smart way.

One general impression I have based on reading and following these guys for three weeks is that I see this movement as a “bridge” between the original “netrooters” (sorry couldn’t think of a better term here) who came before Democratic/Obama boom of 06 and 08 campaign cycles (the “online activists” who never experienced getting crushed in electoral politics or getting played by the establishment) and a new generation of online activists who are getting engaged in post 2008 boomlet.

The latter group is not tied to Democratic electoral politics but I do believe they have a lot of common ground with the original “netrooters” who felt disenfranchised and left on the curb by the Democratic establishment after the 2000 election.
So what can folks do to be helpful? Here are some general thoughts:

* Take cues from the Occupiers-– instead of thundering down on these guys with “polished” PR ideas, strategic messaging (blah, blah, blah), I think we should let these protesters be … who they are. We should feed their energy, listen to their incredible stories, and explore roles on how we can supplement their effort. In this regard, what David Donnelly and his PC crew did was pitch perfect (I hope other Go Go groups such as Common Cause will jump in).

* Follow the labor model-– to their credit the unions have also played it well. They let the local unions in NYC engage in these rallies, let them build the momentum, and then come in with institutional support this week. I have also appreciated the fact that instead of attempting to dominate the rally to with a labor centric message, they have been listening to the protesters, reading their stories, and then sync up the worker marginalization angle into the broader storylines centered around corporate accountability.

* Participating in the protest with a spirit of community building-– I really liked the examples of how Professors Cornell West and Joseph Stiglitz went down to the protests and engaged with the occupiers in a spirit of community building. It’s good stuff. If the leadership types in DC want to engage in this movement, I think that is the model to follow where the participation becomes all about the people in the protest, rather than about the “celebrity” who is coming in to give it some publicity.

* Exploring opportunities of continued engagement in local communities-– sooner or later these protesters will have to go home. I think now is the time progressive(s) and/or progressive organizations around the country should start thinking about keeping these protesters (who are our next generation of leaders) engaged in their local communities not through the Democratic party infrastructure, but through progressive organizations or causes.

I think we missed a huge opportunity when we cracked the gates (don’t think we were able to “crash” it now that I look back it) back in '03-'04. After that election cycle, the energy (specifically targeting Bush) became centered around Democratic Party efforts (which have now become a general “Republicans are evil” narrative).

That is fine. I don’t have any issues with continue to hammer home the point that “Republicans are evil.” It’s useful. But I get the sense these guys out in NYC and all around the country, are thirsting for much more. They are thirsting for a vision that could potentially sync up with a true progressive one-– which we haven’t experienced since the days of FDR, JFK and LBJ.

Why I Want A Rematch With Mike Rogers In 2012

Lance with US Senator Debbie Stabenow

- by Lance Enderle

I have been asked and the answer is Yes, I am running for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2012. Some people have asked me why I would want to challenge a 6 term incumbent again. The answer is simple; Mike does not represent me or the people of Michigan and Democracy must prevail!

When I look at Mike Rogers, I see everything that is wrong with our political system. I see a career politician who has sold his votes to the highest bidder. Just look at his list of campaign contributors over the years (opensecrets.org/) matched up with his voting record (votesmart.org/). If you look at this information you will find, especially recently, that Mike’s votes are not in the best interest of the American people unless these American people are corporations. Recently, Mike voted YES on these issues:

• Prohibit funds for Planned Parenthood

• Prohibit funding for National Public Radio

• Energy Tax Prevention Act, which allows for greater pollution and deregulation

• Federal Aviation Administration Act

• Termination of Neighborhood Stabilization Act

• Terminating Emergency Mortgage Relief Program

• Terminating the Federal Housing Administration Refinance Program

• Abolish Federal Financing of Presidential Elections

• Extending the Patriot Act

These Yes votes by Mike show that he is out of touch with the people and the economic conditions within this great country of ours.

Mike has also cast a few no votes since the 2010 election, such as:

• FDA Food Safety Modernization Act

• Continuing appropriations

• Mine Safety Act

• Extension of certain unemployment benefits

• Small Business lending fund and tax law amendments

• Tax Law Amendments (No vote cast)

• Campaign finance disclosure requirements

• Repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell

• DREAM ACT

• Health care reconciliation Act

• Offshore Drilling Regulations and Other Energy Law Amendments (NV cast, did not vote)

• Whistleblower Protection" for Offshore Oil Workers (NV cast, did not vote)

• Ending Moratorium on Deepwater Drilling Rigs that Meet Certain Safety Standards (NV cast, did not vote)

When you look Rep. Rogers voting record since the 2010 election; one has to ask, who does Mike Rogers represent? I know as a Progressive I find it appalling to see the blatant disregard for the citizens of Michigan and the United States.

When I listen to Mike Rogers, I hear a person who will wrap themselves in the American Flag to suit his agenda, but when it comes down to it, he will cut and run from those who he is supposed to protect. Just look at his vote against providing funding for those brave men and woman who are known as the 911 First Responders. Not to mention all of the cuts he has supported to the Veterans Administration and to our military as a whole.

Mike Rogers has also made reducing our volunteer military troop levels and replacing them with private military contractors a top priority. Why is this? Could it be because Eric Prince is a close personal friend of his? Eric Prince is the CEO of Blackwater. Recently, Prince changed the name of Blackwater to Xi as a result of the negative attention and numerous accusations of alleged war crimes against his corporation. This has allowed Blackwater/Xi to maintain old and acquire new military contracts. Most people are not aware that Eric Prince hails from Michigan, and is a member of one of the richest families in this state, who have given millions to the elitist conservative agenda. Mike has taken many trips to the Middle East on the Blackwater dime; did these trips ensure that Blackwater received military contracts? We do not know for certain, but the duck sure quacks.

Did I mention that Eric’s brother in-law is Dick DeVos, the heir to the Amway fortune? If you do not know what Amway is, it is America’s longest lasting pyramid scheme. Why do I bring these relationships up? It is because Eric Prince and Dick DeVos are the type of people who fund and support Mike Rogers, and benefit from his policies.

On the other hand, Mike has voted against funding for police, firefighters and teachers. Who is Mike Rogers concerned with protecting?

Another issue I find unsettling about Mike Rogers, especially considering his position as chairman of the Select Intelligence Committee, is his lack of knowledge and understanding of American History. How is it possible that Rep. Rogers has never heard of Daniel Ellsberg or the Pentagon papers? Just look at this video. It was during this interview that Mike shockingly called for the execution of Pfc. Bradley Manning, who at that point had not been charged in the Wiki-leaks case. Not only do his statements about Manning and Ellsberg show his lack of historical knowledge and ignorance of the law, they also clearly illustrate his blatant hypocrisy. First as a “Right to Life” endorsed politician, and as a Christian which he claims to be. Mike, what about the sanctity of life? More importantly, where is the forgiveness which the New Testament demands?

As I reflect on my decision to again run against Mike Rogers, the only word that comes to mind is Democracy! I am tired of being sold out to corporate special interests and not having a voice within my Government. I am motivated by what is right and fair, and what is in the best interest of ALL citizens. I am running because I desire a leader, not a follower; I want a leader who comes from the people, not above the people. I want to be able to insure that the silent majority has a voice, a voice which has been stifled for way too long by Corporate America and an extreme Rightwing agenda. In 2010 I began my campaign as an unknown write-in candidate and became the Democratic nominee for the U.S. House of Representatives. I did not receive the nomination because of money; it was because of the hard work and commitment that I put forth for the people when it was needed. At that time, I made a commitment to the people of Michigan’s 8th Congressional District. The commitment I made was to never quit on them, to always be there for them, and too stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves. This is why I want a rematch with Mike Rogers. I am committing to this race now, even though the district will be redrawn due to the Census figures. The boundaries of the 8th Congressional District may change a little, but the people who live within these counties and the problems they currently face will remain the same.

So here I am, making this commitment to you the citizens of Michigan, and the United States of America. I promise to stand up for those who cannot, to speak for those who are being silenced, to fight injustice and intolerance, to fight for a Single Payer Health Care System, to insure our public education system and public infrastructure are there for future generations, to fight for civil and human rights, and more importantly protect and guarantee that opportunity to achieve the American Dream for ALL citizens.

If you would like to get involved in defeating Mike Rogers and giving Congress a real voice of the People, please contact us at www.lanceenderleforcongress.com or www.Lance2012.com/

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You can help get Lance's campaign going at the DownWithTyranny endorsement page.

What About 2012-- Guest Post From Michigan Democratic Candidate Lance Enderle... With An Open Letter To The President, DCCC & DNC

Lance Enderle's race in Michigan's 8th CD (a chunk of south-central Michigan from Grand Rapids to Lansing to the Detroit suburbs) against entrenched Republican incumbent Mike Rogers was especially strange because Rogers' original Democratic opponent was likely a Rogers plant who punked out on the race immediately after securing the Democratic ballot spot, a tactic that has been perfected over the years by Republicans, particularly Rogers' sleazy California crony Jerry Lewis. In 2006 Rogers had a slight scare from former FBI & CIA agent Jim Marcinkowski who wound up with 121,576 votes (43%) and won Ingham County (basically Lansing-- and the biggest in the district). In 2008, with Obama beating McCain 53-46%, Democrat Bob Alexander managed to win 145,491 votes (40%) and also win Ingham. This year, MI-08 followed the same pattern we saw everywhere in the country: Republicans and right-leaning independents came out en masse; Democrats and left-leaning independents just didn't come out to vote in healthy numbers. Lance wound up with 84,392 votes (34%) and was narrowly defeated, 44,204- 42,181 in Ingham. As of October 13 Rogers had raised $1,666,103; Lance had raised $10,959. After the campaign was over I asked Lance to give us an overview from the 8th about what had happened and what needs to happen going forward. His report:

For those of you who do not know who I am, I am Lance Enderle and I was the Democratic candidate for Michigan’s 8th Congressional district. I first have to say thank you to all of you who supported my Congressional campaign in MI-08, it was a privilege and an honor to do this for the people of Michigan, and the United States. Some of you are asking; “ So what? You were one of 243 Dems who lost.” This is true, but really I didn’t lose considering I am not a career politician and I got off the couch to serve my district this election cycle--yeah I GOT OFF THE COUCH! Most of you in America were not even aware of my candidacy. That is alright, neither was the DCCC, the DNC, nor the President. I wonder how many of the other 242 candidates were not even recognized by these three.

I need to explain my candidacy to you. In mid June, a week after Michigan’s filling deadline for the primary election, the Democratic candidate dropped out of the race. I know this sounds a little fishy, anyhow, the only way to replace this guy on the ballot was to have something tragic happen to him or someone had to run as a write-in candidate and beat him to remove his name from the ballot. Not one person stepped forward in MI-08 to take the challenge except me. I stepped forward after leaving politics 12 years prior because of the lack of integrity I saw in our system.

So I began the adventure. I was initially a write-in candidate and officially got on the ballot 3 and half weeks after the primary election. I received 35% percent of the vote in the general election. Did I say I only campaigned for 3 and half months and spent less than $15000? I didn’t do this for the fame or the glory, I ran for the people because they needed a voice that was theirs not special interests. I did this because I care about my fellow human beings. I stepped forward because I saw the chance to help my fellow citizens and our President. I took what the President said to the streets; “pick up a broom.” I was going to be “part of the solution.” I was telling people to call him President Obama, not Obama. Where was the President for me and the other 242 candidates across the country? Where were the DNC and DCCC? They were nowhere! It was as if someone or something had taken away their ability to speak (and possibly even their backbones) and their ability to stand up and fight for the people who elected them to serve.

This is an open letter to President Obama, the DCCC, and DNC.

Dear Mr. President, DCCC, and DNC,

I hope by the 2012 election that you are ready to fight and take this country back and help move us forward, instead of letting it shift farther backwards and into a fascist run state where corporations have more say than the people of this country. I am asking this as a foot soldier in the cause-- I was a Congressional candidate. I am telling you this because you didn’t know I was on the ballot. Maybe that is a reason why we lost. Do you not even know who all of your candidates are? If you are asking how to do I know this, the answer is simple--the DNC and DCCC had the other guy’s name who I replaced on the ballot on their website as did a few major media outlets (Washington Post and New York Times) days before the election. So if they couldn’t even care about helping a Democrat get proper listing in informational outlets, why would they care if they could win the seat or not? Do you have any answers? I do, especially if you want to win in 2012!

First, you need to address ALL of your candidates, not just a select few! Second, quit worrying about the money and get out on the streets with the people, the money will come! Next, learn how to communicate like you once did, speak to the people not at them. GET BACK TO BASICS!

Lastly, quit compromising with those who chose to not negotiate and spew lies and hate. As the Vice President’s late mother told him, you may just have to punch a bully in the nose to get them to back off and wake up. What I am saying is to stand up to these people and say it the way it really is-- be fair and right!

Also, quit worrying about poll numbers. I sure would have loved to have had you here in Michigan Mr. President. I am sorry your poll numbers told you differently because here in Michigan we take it to the bully’s backyard which is why I did doors in the county where my challenger lived, because I was not scared and I was on a mission for the people. Do you hear me Sir? You are a fighter, so quit giving in to these thug’s demands. If you do this I guarantee I have your back, as will the American People.

Remember we have just over 700 days left! We need to do everything in our abilities to move forward and retake our State Houses, and Washington, from the regressive and oppressive ways of the Republican Party. We need to quit compromising with those who wish not to negotiate with us and maybe we just need to go toe to toe with them for once. We need to stand up for what is right and fair, we need to stand up for the people of the United States of America!

Respectfully,

Lance Enderle

Democratic Candidate for United States Congress, MI-08

www.LanceEnderle.com

P.S.

Before this Congress concludes, please shove some legislation down their proverbial throats in the next month. You have the bills passed in House, and you both still have control for the next month. Remember a “lame duck” Republican Congress impeached a President, what are you going to do? Hopefully what is fair and right in the name of your constituents and the American people.

Meet Lance Enderle (D-MI)-- He Can Tell You EVERYTHING You Need To Know About Politics, 2010

For the past few weeks an old radio colleague and friend, Nicole Sandler, has been railing about a bizarre story unfolding in south central Michigan, in the 8th CD-- Lansing all the way to northern Oakland County. It smelled like another one of those cases where an entrenched Republican incumbent was able to insert a "challenger" of his own choosing. Keep in mind the 8th was one of three Michigan congressional districts represented by Republicans, and where Bush won in 2000 and 2004 but in which Obama managed to rack up substantial wins in 2008. It looked ripe for the plucking-- until the Debbie Wasserman Schultz strategy prevailed at the DCCC and it was decided to abandon the offensive in these blue-trending districts and instead try to hold onto the seats of anti-Choice, antigay, anti-healthcare Blue Dogs in deeply red districts where McCain won. At Wasserman Schultz's direction virtually all DCCC resources is going into the pointless task of contesting seats of Boehner supporting Democrats like Bobby Bright (Blue Dog-AL), Travis Childers (Blue Dog-MS), Frank Kratovil (Blue Dog-MD), Chris Carney (Blue Dog-PA), Harry Mitchell (Blue Dog-AZ) and other Democrats whose default positions on key legislation is to just follow Boehner. Democratic challengers, even in districts that have been proven winnable for Democrats, are being completely starved, not just in Michigan but everywhere in America. (Ironically, if the Democrats lose control of the House, Wasserman Schultz expects to be rewarded with the DCCC chairmanship; it's how things work Inside-the-Beltway.)

Anyway, from the first I heard Nicole talking about the race in MI-08, it reminded me of another race we covered in 2006, but here in California. At the time one of the most egregiously corrupt Republicans in the House, Jerry Lewis, looked to be on the verge of indictment on bribery charges. He moved aggressively to make sure his "opponent" would be someone with no chance of winning-- not unlike Jim DeMint managed to do in South Carolina this year. In 2006 Jerry Lewis managed to manipulate the system so that non-campaigner Louie Contreras would be the Democratic nominee. It's an interesting story and I suggest you read it (at the link). This year, Lewis' close friend Mike Rogers seems to have tried the same stunt and managed to guarantee that a shadow candidate from Pennsylvania, Kande Ngalamulume, would be his "opponent." Eventually Ngalamulume withdrew, but not until his name was officially on the ballot. It was with great effort that local Democrats-- with help from Nicole, but none whatsoever from the DCCC-- were able to replace him with a real Democrat, Lance Enderle. The other day I called Lance to talk about this but wound up getting into more fertile, but not unrelated, areas of discussion. I asked him to put together a guest post for DWT which you will find below the photo of him in the Alan Grayson tie:

Even Americans who don’t understand basic civics class details get it; something in Washington is badly broken.

Democrats sent Barack Obama to the White House with sixty Senate votes and a nice margin in the House. The President has made dramatic strides as an executive, particularly in pushing rule making across the board in Federal agencies that will thwart Republican mischief if they do take back the House in November. The House itself has been a legislative engine, pushing through effort after effort-- some 330 of which await the attention of the Senate where those bills either perish, or get the interests of the people squeezed out of them by lobbyists.

We say; “health care reform,” and we get a bill that cures some of the worst abuses. But its health insurance reform, not the health care access we need to be globally competitive. The United States is number one in costs, and 37th of the 38 industrialized nations in terms of quality of care. The health insurance industry is a social parasite that has bled this nation dry. The President should cut Congressional health benefits by executive order and dare them to offer anything less to all Americans.

If the war in Iraq is over bring the troops home! If the war in Afghanistan is unwinnable, which many military analysts have long thought was the case, hang the responsibility around George W. Bush’s neck and get our troops home alive, instead of bringing them home in flag draped caskets flown into Dover. The reality is we will likely have some long term, low intensity commitment to keeping some semblance of order in Afghanistan. And if that’s the case, let our troops keep order-- not murderous foreign contractors who create more problems than they solve.

Why haven’t we repealed “Don’t Ask/Don’t Tell?” Every other western military has gay and lesbian troops. The problems aren’t operational; they’re attitude issues from the top. Last I knew the military in this country was under civilian control; the will of the people in this matter is clear.

Why haven’t we passed the Employment Non-Discrimination Act passed, and the Uniting American Families Act? These rational and just acts have been allowed to linger instead of being passing because Democrats play the LGBT community just as the Republicans use those who are passionate abortion opponents-- lots of chatter but no results. I need LGBT support, but I can understand if the community simply decides to stay home after the hard work they did in 2006 and 2008 campaigns which put Democrats in office.

Why haven’t we passed the Employee Free Choice Act? Income inequality today is as bad as it was in 1929, unions were the obvious cure back then, but now, 60% of our GDP is in the hands of the wealthiest 1% in our country. The rich buy politicians and laws like purchasing snacks from a vending machine. We need jobs, and Congress can make that happen, but not until we put lobbyists in the unemployment lines.

I’m a teacher. I cannot write about “No Child Left Behind” without using words I could never say in a classroom. This law isn’t about improving schools; it’s about punishing teachers unions. The voters need to punish Congress by instilling political chopping blocks starting in November, and continuing until the school systems serve the needs of children-- not the whims of ideologues.

Dangerous coal mines have collapsed, killing dozens. British Petroleum, who receives 97% of all serious safety citations, has made a mess in the Gulf of Mexico to an extent that it will take generations to clean it up, and longer to recover economically. Hydraulic fracture to produce shale gas makes profits for a year and ruins groundwater for a geological age.

If we had any sense at all we’d be focusing on renewable energy production. Instead, fossil fuel industries, subsidized by taxpayers, are using a sliver of their profits to purchase all the politicians they need to keep their noses in the public trough. Portugal gets 45% of their electricity from renewable sources while we get nonsensical excuses as to why we can’t do the same here.

Starting with Pilgrims in 1620, America is a nation of immigrants. Every time a new ethnic group arrives they’re mistreated by those who came before them. The Irish were reviled when they came during the potato famine. The Italians got the same treatment when they came. Now anyone with brown skin and a Muslim sounding name is branded a terrorist, and anyone with a Hispanic name is called ‘an illegal.’ Nonsense! Americans are judged by their character and their deeds-- we cannot smear entire ethnic groups because a few foreign funded fanatics perpetrated terrible violence to us.

Privatization of Social Security is not the answer. I'm not willing to let Wall Street gamble with our retirement funds. With a watchful eye, and proper planning, Social Security will be just fine. But, if you get a check from this program it’s going to happen because someone with a “Z” or a vowel at the end of their name is paying into it. If we don’t do the right thing on immigration we’ll end up with the same problem that Japan has now-- a shrinking, aging population, and young people increasingly burdened by supporting older generations.

Send me to Congress and I guarantee I’ll be too busy pushing good policies to notice if you speak with an accent. If my office gets a Christmas card with a photo of Adam and Steve in the living room of their new home, I’ll personally tack it on my office door with all the rest, at eye level in the center.

Mike Rogers has $1.4 million in the bank. Lance's campaign has $137.52. If you’re unemployed and live in Michigan’s 8th District, you can phone bank or canvas. If you’re out of the district you can follow Lance's campaign at Facebook and Twitter and if you’ve managed to keep your job in the middle of this economic crisis and you’ve got some coin to spare, please consider donating to his campaign at the DownWithTyranny ActBlue page.