The Daily Blue America Report-- #8

They should all retire together

Finally some good news for Ted Stevens! On returning home from his trial in Washington Stevens was told that Alaska law permits felons to run for federal office. In fact, as long as he isn't sentenced before Tuesday, he can even vote for himself! And he'll need every vote he can muster. "Like most people, I'm not perfect," Stevens told a throng of adoring recipients of wealth from the Lower 48 spread around through Stevens' earmarks.

Stevens has been kicked to the curb by both friend and for. McCain, who has always hated his guts, called on him to resign before the last juror had a chance to nod. He then forced Palin do the same, breaking with the Alaska Republican Party, which is still urging the faithful to vote for Uncle Ted. Many of the crooked Republicans who have been taking bribes from Big Oil funneled through Stevens' PAC-- particularly Republican senators in jeopardy of losing their seats Tuesday, like Mitch McConnell R-KY), Norm Coleman (R-MN), who is having his own spiraling out-of-control ethics scandal, Gordon Smith (R-OR) and John Sununu (R-NH)-- have hypocritically demanded their old partner in crime resign... immediately. Who's name is missing from this list? Well, check out which members of the Senate got the really big pay-outs from Stevens' money-laundering operation, The Northern Lights PAC and you will find Maine's most corrupt political hack, Susan Collins ($10,000 this year and $10,000 last time she ran). Maine's other senator, the honest, moderate one, Olympia Snowe, has joined her colleagues urging Stevens to resign. But not Collins, whose own PAC funneled $10,000 to Stevens, a kind of semi-legalistic way for politicians to avoid campaign finance laws.

And while Susan Collins is pledging her undying fealty to convicted felon Ted Stevens, her opponent, Tom Allen, one of the finest-- and most tested and proven-- public servants running for the Senate from anywhere, is being supported by Bill Clinton. President Clinton and Congressman Allen are old friends from the days they were both Rhodes Scholars at Oxford. Tens of thousands of Mainers were surprised when they picked up their phones tonight-- praying it wouldn't be another hysterical robocall from another of the far right GOP front groups flooding the state with negativity on behalf of Collins-- to find President Clinton's comforting voice urging them to vote for Tom.

"Hello this is President Clinton and I'm calling to urge you to support Tom Allen for United States Senate.  Barack Obama needs Democrats like Tom Allen in Washington in order implement his agenda of change to turn this economy around.

"Congressman Tom Allen opposes Bush's failed economy policy and is fighting for change: a new economic policy that focuses on the middle class, creates jobs in Maine, and supports small businesses. For Real Change support Tom Allen for US Senate on November 4."

That was especially refreshing after a day of dire warnings from the Republican wing of the Democratic Party that they intend to control Obama's agenda and the Democratic Party after Tuesday.

Conservative Democrats who've been a thorn in the side of liberal party leaders could grow into a major obstacle to Barack Obama's agenda if he is elected president.

Majority Democrats are positioned for big gains in next week's congressional election. But many of the new faces would join a growing chorus of "Blue Dogs" who often part from the party base on big issues like taxes and increasing federal spending.

That could set up a roadblock for Obama, who has promised to broaden health insurance coverage, start a new round of public works projects and improve early childhood education, among other things-- all initiatives that would require substantial government spending at a time of soaring deficits.

Ironically, it was Obama's radio ad for one of the worst of the Blue Dogs, John Barrow, a nominal Democrat from Georgia, that saved him from being defeated in a primary by state Senator Regina Thomas, who is an exemplary progressive. On substantive matters, Barrow has voted with the GOP 65% of the time and with the Democrats 35% of the time. And Barrow is only one of 16 nominal Democrats who have voted with the Repugs more frequently than with their own party. The others, from bad to worse, are: Zach Space (OH), Baron Hill (IN), Gene Taylor (MS), Harry Mitchell (AZ), Jim Matheson (UT), Chris Carney (PA), Heath Shuler (NC), Jason Altmire (PA), Dan Boren (OK), Brad Ellsworth (IN), Travis Childers (MS), Don Cazayoux (LA), Joe Donnelly (IN), Jim Marshall (GA) and Nick Lampson (TX).

Lately we've been mentioning how the DCCC is spending far more money on Independent Expenditures for conservative and corporate candidates than for grassroots and progressive candidates. Today I saw quite a few weighty endorsements come over the transom-- mostly for conservatives. Many of the best candidates across the country-- the hope of the progressive movement, have been snubbed by the Establishment Democrats over and over, as though they actually hope they lose. Today conservative business shill Mark Warner warmly endorsed fellow conservative Glenn Nye, while ignoring progressive candidates Judy Feder and Tom Perriello. Simultaneously Jim Webb sent out a last minute plea for 4 Democratic candidates for the Senate-- pointedly leaving out progressives-- and pleading for cash from a right-wing corporate shill like Bruce Lunsford (KY) and for right-of-center bad-news-Dems Kay Hagan (NC) and Ronnie Musgrove (MS) plus moderate Jim Martin (GA). Not a word about struggling progressives like Jeff Merkley (OR), Rick Noriega (TX), Andrew Rice (OK), or Tom Allen (ME).

Connecticut-04- On the other hand, Jim Himes did get a little help that should go a long way in the form of a radio ad by Barack Obama.

New York-25- Yesterday's NY Times reported that the Republican Party has given up on all but two of the congressional races in New York State, the others being hopelessly out of their reach. Dan Maffei is sure to win a seat he just missed out on in 2006. The only Blue America candidate in New York now facing a challenge is Eric Massa, who is leading in a tight rematch with Bush rubber stamp Randy Kuhl.

National Republican officials have decided to withhold financial support from all but two closely contested Congressional races in New York, as the party braces for the possibility that it could lose several more House seats in the state.

The decision to abandon much of the state came after internal party polls showed Republican candidates in at least three once-promising races falling behind their Democratic opponents, a party official briefed on the internal deliberations said.

As a result, Republican leaders are diverting money to candidates in other races in which party officials believe they have a greater chance of success, the official said.

The decision by national Republicans to focus on a smaller group of races underscores the degree to which the party is on the defensive not only in New York but also in New Jersey, Connecticut and many other states. The national party is short on cash and is being forced into the difficult position of deciding where to continue to fight-- and where to effectively surrender-- as the election enters the final days of campaigning.

“Tough decisions have to be made,” said Representative Peter T. King, a Republican from Long Island, who conceded that the party was seeking to minimize its losses. “You have to decide who comes off life support and who gets a massive infusion.”

Two of the races effectively being written off in New York are in districts currently held by Republican incumbents who are retiring at the end of the year-- the 25th Congressional District in the Syracuse region, now held by James T. Walsh; and the 13th District on Staten Island, where Vito J. Fossella is stepping down. Representative Fossella was found guilty in a Virginia court this month on a charge of driving under the influence of alcohol.

VIRGINIA-05- In a stunning and precedent-shattering move, the Danville Register & Bee has ended its career-long support for corrupt Bush rubber stamp Virgil Goode and urged voters to trade him in for Tom Perriello.

This newspaper hasn’t endorsed a Democrat for Congress since Virgil Goode was a Democrat. Since Goode’s first campaign for Congress in 1996, we have backed him in every election, defended him from what we thought was unfair criticism by challengers and wished for him a long career in Washington.

But today, the Danville Register & Bee endorses Tom Perriello for the 5th District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

We haven’t left Virgil Goode. Virgil Goode has left us.

...We expect to receive great criticism for endorsing Perriello over Goode.

But our decision was born out of frustration with a career politician who has already told us he expects to be ineffective as Democrats gain more power in Congress. Just this year, Goode has voted against the tax rebate checks that people throughout the 5th District received this year and he voted against a financial rescue plan that even his own Republicans believed was necessary to stave off more serious economic problems.

If we send Goode back to Washington, how many more times will he vote against our interests? We can’t take that chance.

On Tuesday, it’s time to elect a young man of integrity, energy, faith and hard work. It’s time to send Tom Perriello to Congress.

Texas-10- Cook upgraded Larry Joe Doherty's chance of unseating Bush rubber stamp Michael McCaul... for the second time. McCaul, one of the least knowledgeable hacks in the whole Congress has refused to debate Doherty and over the past couple of months the district went from "safe Republican" to "likely Republican" to "leans Republican." McCaul has no get ground game and Doherty has been building one all year. The latest polling shows a virtual tie. A victory Tuesday for Larry Joe will be reason to celebrate-- for Texans and for all Americans. Watch him on local TV news yesterday explaining his ideas about bailing out big corporations.

California-04- Last night we talked about the soft-core porn robocalls Republican congressional candidate Zane Starkewolf has been using (illegally) in CA-01. Mike Thompson, the incumbent from that district was campaigning with Charlie Brown yesterday in CA-04. And Little Zane's buddy, Tom McClintock was also employing more illegal robocalls, which most people in Northern California refer to as nuisance calls. (McClintock, who lives in the L.A. suburbs doesn't know anything about northern California, so he isn't aware people don't like them-- or that they're illegal.) A couple weeks ago Charlie Brown called on McClintock to join him in swearing them off. "Robo-Dial phone calls are a nuisance and a deceptive campaign tactic typical of negative campaigns that would rather attack a person’s character than offer detailed solutions. I am calling on Tom McClintock to join me in a bi-partisan effort to conduct an above board campaign based on direct contact with voters-- not deceptive and annoying robo-calls." McClintock refused and instead launched another barrage of the calls, illegal because they violated laws requiring that they include a disclaimer identifying who paid for and authorized the campaign communication.

Another great SEIU TV spot-- this one on behalf of progressives in Ohio. Let's hope it rubs off on Vic Wulsin, the best candidate in the entire state and the one who is being pummeled the hardest by the GOP smear machine.



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The Daily Blue America Report-- #5

If you want a government crippled by the obstructionism of ideological extremists, you'll be happy to know that with their dying breath the collapsing Republican Party has just borrowed $5 million-- not quite enough for a new plane for the McCains but more than the cost of a couple pair of Cindy's earrings-- to try to save some of the incumbent senators on the verge of being turned out by their constituents. The GOP has given up entirely on the open red seats in Virginia, New Mexico and Colorado but they're still hoping to salvage their ability to block Obama's program by re-electing reactionaries in some combination of North Carolina, Oregon, Minnesota, Kentucky, Alaska, Georgia, Texas, Oklahoma, Maine, etc. Thwart them here. Our friends and allies at People For the American Way are running a series of ads to try to counter the GOP effort. Here's one they did that puts the lie to Susan Collins' deceptive image of her as an "independent" and "moderate."



I've been complaining how the DCCC is spending the vast bulk of the contributions they get on reactionary candidates from the Republican wing of the Democratic Party-- even anti-choice fanatics-- but I was heartened to hear that they're distributing some small amount of help to more progressives this week. Mind you, not the huge million dollar TV campaigns for the Rahm Emanuel Caucus slimebags, but we saw they had gone up with a couple of TV spots against Mean Jean Schmidt in OH-02 and that they're going to finally donate some much-needed cash to Annette Taddeo in Miami-Dade and they're running this negative ad against Ric Keller in Orlando.

Last night we saw how the Austin Statesman was encouraged that Mike "Low-Hanging Fruit" McCaul could lose his seat next week. Today the drumbeat in Texas got louder as a panic-stricken McCaul sent an SOS out to all his wealthy supporters asking them to do some door-knocking. That would be a funny sight to see!

Republican rubber stamps like Susan Collins, Gordon Smith, Chris Shays can put one over on constituents who don't pay close enough attention and make the case-- much the way McCain does-- that they haven't followed Bush entirely. But if it's untrue for Collins, Smith and Shays, it's the lie-of-the-year for Michael McCaul, one of the half dozen members of Congress with the greatest percentage of ironclad Bush votes. An apt illustration in the dictionary for the term "rubber stamp," would be a photo of Michael McCaul. And today's Houston Chronicle reports that he sat before a roomful of Chronicle editors with a straight face claiming to be "an independent congressman." It was a startling assertion.

"I've been an independent voice up there, and that's important to me," said McCaul, explaining that he voted against President Bush by opposing the finance industry rescue plan and an attempt to cut Medicare payment rates to doctors and hospitals.

Doherty retorted: "Michael may cast himself as an independent voice, but the record shows he has voted 94 percent of the time with the Republican agenda. That is not representation, it is misrepresentation."

Further, McCaul did not respond to Doherty's charge that the congressman voted to cut Medicare reimbursements, then switched his vote when he saw it would make no difference to the outcome of the legislation.

It was the only face-to-face encounter McCaul has agreed to, knowing full well that he's no match for Larry Joe Dohert in any kind of public debate. He claims "scheduling conflicts" when called on his unwillingness to participate in one of the most fundamental aspects of democracy, a free an open public debate on the issues. Of course, when you look at McCaul's appalling and indefensible voting record of those issues, it is easy to see why he doesn't want to defend it and just spends his father-in-law's fortune on negative ads.

McCaul told the editorial writers he opposed the Democratic version of a bill to expand the Children's Health Insurance Program because, he said, it would have expanded such benefits to adults and illegal immigrants.

Doherty said citizens of the district already pay indirectly for emergency care for illegal immigrants-- services funded largely through local property taxes. Health costs, he said, are high partly because profit drives decisions made by medical insurance companies. He said the solution is a "single payer," government-sponsored healthcare system.

McCaul said nations that use such a system must ration health care and make patients wait for services. Doherty said many of those countries rank significantly higher than the United States in life expectancy rates and do better in preventing infant deaths.

The candidates' disagreements also applied to the rate of the federal tax on investment income.

McCaul said lowering the capital gains tax would free up money that can be invested in ways that would help restore the U.S. economy.

"What we should do is what worked very well under Presidents Kennedy and Reagan," he said. "What better way to unleash that capital than to reduce the capital gains tax rate?"

Doherty countered that cutting taxes on investment income "is a cynical suggestion for the wealthy to get wealthier."

After their only scheduled meeting of the campaign, Doherty told McCaul he hoped they'd cross paths again before the Nov. 4 election. McCaul said he hoped they could get together when the election's over.

Apparently McCain has made Palin change her "mind" and she too is now demanding that convicted Republican felon Ted Stevens resign from the office he disgraced. If he resigns, she gets to appoint his replacement-- at least until January, when Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich is likely to become senator. Stevens claims he's innocent and that he will win re-election and win his appeal. There are dark rumors swirling that he has the goods on Palin and if she opens her yap again about him resigning, he knows how to get them to the press. Let's hope!

McClatchy reported today that in the aftermath of Robin Hayes hate-filled attack on liberals, his polling numbers have tanked and that he now trails Blue America-endorsed Larry Kissel, 51-46%. Gee, I guess we can just call the nearly three thousand Blue America ads running on Charlotte and Raleigh cable and then all the broadcast spots on ABC-TV's NASCAR show will just be some extra insurance. An internal Republican memo terms Hayes as "likely gone."

This morning we started the day with the cheery news that NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg had given Dennis Shulman a hearty, rousing endorsement for the congressional seat in northern New Jersey currently in the hands of right-wing extremist Scott Garrett. So let's end the day with more good news from New Jersey: Democracy For America just endorsed Dennis as well and their executive director announced a huge door-to-door get out the vote effort on Dennis' behalf.

The Daily Blue America Report-- #4

McCaul- to the right of Cheney, about to get some Texas Justice

Lots of great news today. Since we've covered the fortunate news from Alaska, let's go right to some awesome tidings from Oregon. KATU, via SUSA, is reporting that Jeff Merkley, a Democrat from the Wellstone wing of the party, "is pulling away from Gordon Smith in the race for Senate."

Jeff Berkley 49%
Bush rubber stamp Gordon Smith 42%
Dave Brownlow (Constitution Party) 5%
Undecided 4%

Looks like Brownlow is killing Smith's re-election chances. It's fitting Smith leave government at the same time as Bush. But Brownlow isn't the only independent running who has been helpful to a Blue America candidate. David Krikorian, the right-wing xenophobe running in southwest Ohio against Mean Jean Schmidt and Vic Wulsin has been eating into Schmidt's base. That's about to get worse. Another far right zealot, Tom Brinkman (anti-choice, anti-taxes, anti-sanity) just endorsed Krikoran. Polls that include Krikorian are showing a neck and neck race between Vic and Mean. (By the way, if you're thinking about donating to Vic's campaign, today is an especially good day to do it: her birthday. She was born in 1953 and the campaign suggested people send in $19.53.)

Let's skip down to... oops, I'm sworn to secrecy on where this bit came from. But it's a good one. In 2006 the Republican rubber stamp incumbent, a slug of a human being (there's a hint), beat his opponent, a conservative Democrat by 9% in early polling. This year early polling has been far more substantial and the slug is not up by 9%. He's down by 20%-- against a progressive Democrat and a real kick ass fighter. With all those hints, how could any regular DWT reader not figure out who we're talkin' about here?

Let's head north now to the district of one of our favorite incumbents, Carol Shea-Porter (NH-01), who has been targeted by GOP front groups and hate organizations like Freedoms Watch. They are flooding her district with the slimiest ad campaign anywhere in the country. But with her polling numbers holding up nicely, that isn't enough. They do not want a fighter for working families in that seat; they want it back in the hands of a corporate shill, Jeb Bradley. And they given Jeb Bradley the cash he needs to hire the criminals who stole the 2002 New Hampshire Senate race that illicitly put John Sununu in office. Bradley has funneled over $90,000 into convicted felon-- now released from prison-- Chuck McGee's election stealing operation.

The huge Texas congressional delegation is a hotbed of the most reactionary vision of America anywhere on Capitol Hill. This year Blue America found only one Texas House race we wanted to get involved with-- Michale McCaul's bid for re-election in a gerrymandered masterpiece that sprawls from a piece of Austin to the suburbs of Houston, designed especially to disenfranchise Austin voters (by splitting the blue city into pieces where their votes could be diluted by red surroundings). But McCaul, whose father-in-law, the chairman of Clear Channel, bought him the seat, has been such a disaster as a congressman that even a red district like TX-10 seems to have had enough of him. His progressive opponent, Larry Joe Doherty has virtually caught up with him in the polling, with 4 points, less than the margin of error, separating them.

Today's Austin Statesman agrees that a defeat for McCaul, a rotten piece of "low hanging fruit," is Texas' best shot at turning a red district blue.

[W]ith the national mood turned fiercely against Republicans, some Democratic operatives believe they can win a seat that they haven't seriously contested since it was drawn in 2003.

The outcome of the 10th Congressional District race will also offer a glimpse of just how Republican Texas still is. Though Democrats have been making gains in the Legislature, Republicans have dominated races for statewide office for 12 years. A Doherty win would show that his party's resurgence, while far from complete, is further along than many would have guessed a few elections ago.

Whether Doherty can win will depend on how well he personally connects with voters, whether McCaul can distinguish himself from President Bush and whether Democrats in the Travis County part of the district can outmuscle Republicans closer to Houston.

..."Republicans are losing on the generic ballot, and polling for right track/wrong direction has never been worse," Karen Hanretty, a spokeswoman for the National Republican Congressional Committee, said in a memo Thursday.

Democratic enthusiasm is up, and that enthusiasm was fueled by unexpectedly high turnout in the party's March presidential primary.

About 109,000 10th District residents voted in the Democratic primary. Of those, almost 63,000 appear not to have voted in either party's primary in the past 16 years, said Democratic consultant Harold Cook, who offers occasional advice to Doherty's team.

"Never before have we been able to identify such a rich target full of low-hanging fruit," Cook said. "We know that they've already voted for Democrats, so they'll consider it again, and probably lean toward it again."

And we'll leave you with this to ponder: tomorrow morning at 6AM we'll be announcing a major endorsement for one of our East Coast candidates. Wanna take a guess? Hint: think someone with extremely clear vision for American working families.

Let me leave you with an ad from our pals at VoteVets. It's a TV spot that targets one of the worst members of the Senate, Georgia rubber stamp wingnut Saxby Chambliss, who looks like he may lose his seat to Jim Martin next week. It's not a Blue America race but we've got our fingers crossed that a decent Democrat will replace an absolutely odious Republican.

The Daily Blue America Report

Superb Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter

Texas-10- Early voting, increased Democratic voter registration, a lack of enthusiasm for McCain and for Republicans in general looks like it is turning one of Tom Delay's gerrymandered districts-- a big swatch of eastern and central Texas from Austin to the Houston suburbs-- blue. Larry Joe Doherty is doing an incredible job and Bush rubber stamp Michael McCaul' is suddenly waking up to realize he may soon be working for his father-in-law directly. Today's Austin Statesman seems to have detected a bit of the old gloom and doom setting in at McCaul campaign headquarters.

After looking at the early voting turnout-- two to one, Democrat over Repug-- McCaul campaign manager Jack Ladd sent out an e-mail alert to right-wing activists: “This is very bad news. If you think your friends are volunteering, they are not. I know I’m not going to sit down and die, and I know you will not either. There are only 12 days left, and this is not a lifelong commitment, we are asking you just give part of a day or days and help keep CD10 Republican.”

Between the Rick Noriega, Barack Obama and SEIU ground campaigns-- not to mention Larry Joe's own-- McCaul would probably be better off spending the next 12 days in one of the snake-handling churches that support him begging for some of that sky-god intervention Palin is counting on.

New Hampshire-01- None of the freshmen elected in 2006 has been more forthright in battling the special interests and always keeping the interests of working families front and center than Carol Shea-Porter. Unfortunately, Jeb Bradley, the rubber stamp reactionary the voters in eastern New Hampshire decided to replace in 2006, is trying to get his old job back. And there's nothing he won't stoop to to get back to Washington. Right now he's using a poor distraught Gold Star mother to distort Carol's support for the troops and principled opposition to the war. Carol has received the endorsement of the VFW's PAC, and an A+ rating from the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. What Bradley is trying to do to her is despicable. 

Carol is a military spouse and has been one of the best friends our fighting men and women have in Congress but Bradley is callously manipulating this woman-- apparently driven insane and filled with partisan rage and hatred-- as an attack dog against Carol.

Bradley's corporately funded campaign includes the most vicious and deceitful ads being run by anyone from either party in New England. His ads are entirely based on distortion and outright lies-- like this ugliness. Fortunately New Hampshire is not Alabama and most of the voters there seem to see right through Bradley's slimefest. The two most recent polls-- both in October-- show Carol ahead of him by an average of 7 points. The problem is that Bradley was a 100% corporate shill before Carol banished him from Congress and K Street wants him back-- and right-wing front groups and hate organizations like Freedom's Watch are flooding the district with ads. Carol can really use our help-- and she's earned it.

Pennsylvania-03- The only independent who Blue America has endorsed this year, Dr. Steven Porter, is running against an anti-choice fanatic/pathetic Democratic hack from the Republican wing of the Democratic Party, Kathy Dahlkemper and against one of the most useless and personally corrupt GOP shills in Congress, Phil English. Predictably, the two superficial and unqualified major party candidates have conspired to keep Steven out of the debates. When Edinboro University announced recently that they are including him in a debate next Tuesday, the petrified and tongue-tied Dahlkemper immediately backed out. English isn't saying whether or not he will participate.

"Dahlkemper’s refusal," Steve told us, "is evidence of a fatal flaw in the character of a legislator:  the lack of courage. When the choice before the electorate is limited to one between clever thieves and shallow puppets, the only results possible are disastrous. We are experiencing those kinds of results now in our land and across our planet. And still, things can get worse. Recessions can collapse into depressions. Terrorist conflagrations can escalate into nuclear war. The greed of international business can result in ecological holocaust. To stave off such calamities, legislative leaders around the world will need the courage to speak the truth and act accordingly. The cowardice of Mrs. Dahlkemper (and a very corrupt political system which supports her) in both driving independent voices off the ballot and refusing to face them in open debate signals her complete unpreparedness for the office which she seeks. It is a warning sign of unmistakable dimensions."

And English, as usual, has problems of his own. One of the misguided labor unions that has backed him preciously, AFSCME, has finally woken up and seen the light, launching a half million dollar campaign against him for his consistent support of Bush's anti-working family economic agenda. The AFSCME campaign may not be enough to defeat English. Steve has virtually no money to mount a campaign and Dahlkemper is such an abysmal candidate that no self-respecting progressive could possibly vote for her. On top of the corporate pals who English has sold his soul to are coming through for him with last minute mega-donations, especially mutual fund firms, mortgage bankers and other authors of the economic collapse he has helped preside over. Needless to say Big Oil and every big corporation that opposes labor unions, especially Wal-Mart, is donating to English.

Tonight's last item: in a move that surprised most people, Oklahoma's fourth largest newspaper, the Muskogee Phoenix endorsed one of the best candidates running for Senate anywhere, Andrew Rice.

There is no doubt that Inhofe maintains a conservative attitude that reflects the position of his constituent base, but the extremist statements he has made throughout his career on many subjects hurts his credibility and the state's image despite whatever positive contributions he has made while in Congress. And extremism, whether to the right or left, does not promote good government policies or government that benefits everyone.

That is why Andrew Rice is a better candidate in the U.S. Senate race.

Rice has a more even-handed and rational approach to the issues and problems we are experiencing. He has gained a experiential world view as a missionary, working with rural development projects in Asia, that would serve him well in the Senate.

And another great Blue America candidate for Senate, Jeff Merkley, had a pretty special endorsement today too:



Meanwhile, I want to remind everyone to be sure to wander over and check out Digby's Blue America fundraiser.

Polls In Red States

This morning when asked why Obama is gaining momentum everywhere in the country while his own polling numbers are tumbling, McCain sputtered and groused to his buddies at Fox that "life is unfair." With support from voters solidifying around Obama's calm, measured approach-- and rejecting the McCain campaign's erratic and hysterical reactions to everything-- the battlegrounds for November have been shifting into "safe" Republican states like North Carolina, Indiana, Virginia and Florida. In fact, Florida Republicans are panicking. So are congressional candidates tied to McCain.

Recall that McCain has an unbroken record this year when it comes to coattails: three contested special elections (all in heavily Republican districts, "safe" seats in Illinois, Louisiana and Mississippi) were won by Democrats when McCain's efforts on behalf of Republicans backfired badly. Polling news from around the country is looking gloomier and gloomier for the Republicans, even in areas they thought were safe for them. The NRSC has given up on races in New Mexico and Virginia where they once thought they could hold onto seats of retiring Republicans. This morning's Washington Post declared that the GOP's gradual decline in Virginia has turned into a free fall (And, by the way, this isn't just happening in the DC suburbs, as this Kos diarist-- click on the link-- makes clear when he explains the importance of bluegrass legend Ralph Stanley's endorsement of Obama.)

Long-serving members of Congress and the state legislatures are not only leaving office but also blasting their party on the way out. Just a few years after running his party's national congressional campaign effort, Rep. Tom Davis of Fairfax County is leaving Congress embittered by the Republicans' hard-right positions and frustrated that there appears to be no home for moderates who might appeal to suburban voters.

Virginia's GOP "gave me the middle finger," Davis said after party leaders maneuvered to hand its nomination for the retiring John Warner's U.S. Senate seat to former governor Jim Gilmore, rather than allow a primary between the hard-right Gilmore and the moderate Davis. "Anybody who compromises, you go back to your party base and you're an apostate. You're squishy. You're weak."

Two of Virginia's longest-serving GOP leaders, Sen. John Chichester of Stafford County and Del. Vince Callahan of Fairfax, left the legislature this year with harsh words for their party-- and both have endorsed Democrat Mark Warner in this fall's Senate race.

"I'm extremely distressed by the path it's taking," Callahan told me of the GOP in Virginia. "It could end up being a minority debating society. We can't be a party about immigrant-bashing or gay-bashing or any other bashing. We should be a party of fiscal responsibility, which is how I got into it."

Even worse was some of the startling congressional polling news that came in from around the country. Maybe they're hoping Mooselini will turn this around for them tonight, but it looks like the Republican brand is as toxic as astute prognosticators have been saying it was. Let's start in Texas, where Blue America-endorsee Larry Joe Doherty has been in an under the radar struggle with another lockstep, rubber stamp Bush millionaire, Michael McCaul, whose father-in-law, the Clear Channel CEO, bought him the seat after DeLay had the district gerrymandered to be safe for a garden variety Republican. That same district is no longer viewed as safe. New polling data shows him rapidly closing the gap with McCaul. Yes, Texas.

And look at North Carolina. In fact, more specifically, look at NC-08 in the south-central part of the state that became near and dear to many activists from all over America in 2006 when a stalwart working families supporter, Larry Kissell, came within 324 votes of dislodging weak and useless Bush rubber stamp Robin Hayes. New polling suggests that this year will not be close. A new Greenberg, Quinlan, Rosner poll conducted September 28-29 shows Larry Kissell leading Representative Robin Hayes by 11 points, 54- 43%. Obama is also ahead of McCain by roughly the same margin in NC-08 and Democratic Senate Candidate Kay Hagan is leading Elizabeth Dole by 14 points (55%-41%). 8th District voters believe that Larry will do a better job on the economy than Hayes, who supported the job-destroying CAFTA bill, and that Kissell is more likely to stand up for North Carolina's workers.

Even in red, red Idaho, the Democratic house candidate Walt Minnick has pulled ahead of Republican far right extremist Bill Sali, 44-38%! And one of the sweetest polls of all came out of southern Ohio this morning where Vic Wulsin's momentum has caught up with rubber stamp incumbent Mean Jean Schmidt in OH-02. Momentum Analysis calls the race a dead heat with 16% of the voters still undecided. Vic's spokesperson, Kevin Franck, points out that the poll found that 85% of voters are worried that the economic crisis on Wall Street puts their families at risk.

"The economy is by far the most important issue on the minds of families in Southern Ohio and Jean Schmidt supports the same failed economic policies that have gotten us into this mess. Jean Schmidt has been a part of the problem in Washington; Vic Wulsin will be a part of the solution.
 
“Congresswoman Schmidt opposed tighter restrictions and oversight for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, both of whom failed and have already gotten billion dollar taxpayer bailouts, she voted against limiting high-cost mortgages for those who could not afford them and when she was in Columbus, she raised taxes on Ohio families just about every chance she got. Vic Wulsin thinks it’s time to make government in Washington accountable to the people again.”

Earlier today Congressional Quarterly changed its rating on two Michigan races from "leans Republican" to toss-up. Blue America candidates Gary Peters and Mark Schauer are now seen as winners against Republican right-wingers Joe Knollenberg and Tim Walberg. The fact that McCain has read the writing on the wall and decided to pull his faltering campaign out of Michigan entirely probably dooms the both of them.

The AFL-CIO's Richard Trumka explains why Obama isn't winning by double digits and why he should be and could and will be. Please watch this passionate, powerful beautiful speech:

More Mike McCaul Twitterings

At one time I might have called this series of posts the Mike McCaul Watch but it isn't really McCaul himself we're following here; it's his inane and childish notes on Twitter, especially the #dontgo circus routine he's part of. After we first started following him, he changed his logo, although I'm hoping he didn't go to the trouble on our behalf:


McCaul can be summed up in one not so short sentence: married the daughter of Clear Channel's CEO, got one of the DeLay gerrymandered districts, rubber stamped every single failed policy Bush ever proposed (no exceptions) and takes huge bribes-- called "contributions" inside the Beltway-- from special interests and then votes for whatever they want no matter how badly it impacts his constituents, Big Oil's $107,934 "donation," juxtaposed with the price of gasoline being Exhibit A.

Blue America has endorsed his opponent, populist Democrat Larry Joe Doherty and we encourage everyone to donate $5 every time McCaul twitters. Here's his latest (since the last time we brought you up to date):

MikeMcCaul Texas Observer found out the best TV moment of my Stump at the Pump in was a setup! That's OK. Real voters don’t read liberal web pages. 05:54 PM August 07, 2008


MikeMcCaul The house chamber is totally scary with nobody here and the lights off. I hope those tourists #dontgo. I dont want to be hear all by myself! 06:30 AM August 08, 2008


MikeMcCaul @downwithtyranny - you silly liberal. PS - can you and your friends fax your gas reciepts to me? 08:39 AM August 08, 2008 from Twittelator in reply to downwithtyranny


MikeMcCaul Just noticed on the official house schedule they list this as the "Summer District Work Period," not "Summer Vacation." Huh. 10:54 AM August 08, 2008


MikeMcCaul Playing with an intern's iphone. These things are GREAT - Dell ought to promote 'em more; I haven't seen one single ad! 11:23 AM August 08, 2008


MikeMcCaul Thinking about asking the leadership if I can #dontgo back to Austin for the weekend. Already slid my reciepts under Pelpsi's door. 09:37 PM August 08, 2008

Don't forget to keep donating to Doherty. On Tuesday his FEC report came out and it shows that his grassroots support have netted him more campaign cash than all of McCaul's corporate bribes in the past quarter.

Mike McCaul (R-TX): My New Twitter Friend

The rich wife Linda Mays (right) & the crooked mentor, Tom DeLay (left)

To me Mike McCaul was just another faceless Republican rubber stamp who bought his way into politics-- or, to be more precise, like McCain, had his father-in-law buy him his way into politics. McCaul is the 46 year old son-in-law of Lowry Mays, Chairman of Clear Channel. He represents Texas's 10th CD, one of the new Tom DeLay gerrymandered districts, stretching from a northern piece of carefully divided up Austin all the way to the western outskirts of Houston. It's a heavily Republican district (PVI- R+13) but McCaul has done such an abysmal job that he is considered the most vulnerable Republican congressman in the state.

His voting record is tragic... never deviating once from the Bush-Cheney line on Iraq, voting against military vets on every single roll call taken since he was elected (ditto for active duty service members... armor? buy your own!), and, of course, against health care for needy children... and for anyone else who isn't wealthy.

But the other day I noticed that McCaul, who in just a couple of terms has already scarfed up $107,934 in bribes from Big Oil, was one of the clowns at the silly Texas Tea Party. He wasn't just waving a toy tire gauge over his head though. Like his ideological twin John Culberson (R-TX- $301,961), he has started twittering. Oh what fun. I decided to "follow" McCaul to get a better idea how he sees himself. It's only been like 3 days and... it is scary.

His first twitter was at 11:14 PM on August 4: "Heading to bed. Who knew hanging out at a gass station with voters in the hot sun for a couple of hourse could so totally wear a guy out?" Poor thing. I can imagine what angry gasoline buyers would have said to him if they realized that he has rubber stamped every single initiative Big Oil has taken that would drive up the price of gas and bring them a gusher of oil profits-- which they shared with crooks like McCaul, Culberson and... McCain, of course.

The next day he was back at the gas station twittering about the weather:

MikeMcCaul MAN is it HOT and HUMID here in Houston. Good golly. I'm here at a gas station talking to folks. Only cost 30 bucks to drive up from Austin. 01:24 PM August 05, 2008

MikeMcCaul This hurricane reminds me of the good old days of Katrina. 01:39 PM August 05, 2008

MikeMcCaul Thank goodness that pesky storm passed. I can get back to admiring my millionz.

He means his wife's millionz. McCaul is a complete loser and never earned an honest million in his life. Embarrassed that he attended Trinity College in San Antonio and St. Mary's Bible Law "School," he's doctored his bio to make it look like he went to Harvard. I once spent a semester scoring pot at Harvard; that didn't mean I "went to" Harvard. Harvard's Kennedy School of Government offers a quickie orientation program for freshmen congressmen and it's as much like "going to" Harvard as my pot semester was. I guess the BuyBull school didn't teach him much about no technology 'cause his next twits show us that it might not be McCain's age that makes him so computer illiterate, but his closed-minded outlook on the world-- one he and McCaul share:

MikeMcCaul I wish I could figure out how to find the pound sign on my keyboard to use the conservative tag #dontgo. Where's a page when I need him? 03:35 PM August 05, 2008

MikeMcCaul Still looking for teh pound sign. Why are these things so hard to yse? Tehcnology hurts! 04:53 PM August 05, 2008

MikeMcCaul Looking for another congressional caucus to join that will look good to Austin voters. They don't seem to like the immigration caucus much. 08:00 PM August 05, 2008

MikeMcCaul Whew! Just finished up speaking at the UT Club. Much better than getting out in pubic and maybe having to talk to a democrat. Those people! 08:33 AM August 06, 2008

MikeMcCaul Heading to DC - and not a moment too soon. MoveOn is going to be at the district office tomorrow at noon. about 16 hours ago

May I recommend that you consider a donation to the campaign of the progressive Democrat who is challenging McCaul in TX-10, Larry Joe Doherty. Please take a look at Larry Joe's live blog session at Firedoglake from April and if you think he'd make a vast improvement over the clownish McCaul, contribute what you can at the Blue America ActBlue page.

Rep Mike McCaul Is A Dangerous And Bigoted Maniac Who Should Not Be In Congress

Larry Joe Doherty, the guy in the white hat

Last night I came back from a great dinner with my friend Rob, who I haven't seen since I the mid-70s when I lived in Amsterdam. Rob owns an art gallery there and he is in L.A. discovering new talent. It was great seeing him and reliving a time when we were still just boys coming to grips with our beings. (I was an astrologer at the time.) Rob's ancestors came from Indonesia. He may be a Muslim. I never asked. I never thought to ask. He was raving about the incredible hash cakes I used to make and reminiscing about records by Steve Miller, Lou Reed and the Rolling Stones.

I got home to find a video a friend in Austin had sent me. He knew that Blue America has endorsed Larry Joe Doherty, a progressive Democrat running against a worthless rubber stamp boob, Michael McCain, who represents Clear Channel in Congress. Take a look at the pitiful way a bigoted, narrow-minded little turd wastes taxpayer dollars chasing his nightmares:



You want people like that in Congress? If you don't, let me suggest you consider a donation to Larry Joe's campaign at our Blue America ActBlue page. McCaul gets an awful lot of bribes-- called "donations"-- from the Big Business interests he serves so assiduously. You want to follow the money back to why it costs so much to fill your car with gas; at least part of that can be traced to these "donations" to ethicless congressmen like McCaul ($107,934). You wonder why he voted to allow warrantless wiretaps and retroactive immunity? The telecom industry "donated" $44,000. You feeling a little worried about the financial shakiness of a deregulated market? McCaul has been more than cozy with various financial institutions-- to the tune of around $300,000. And, of course, his biggest single contributor is his father-in-law's company, Clear Channel ($126,650). Before you decide if you want to donate to Larry Joe or not, take a look at the comparison between what the two candidates have gotten from PACs. We know who and we know why Big Business wants in office and we know what they're willing to spend. Who will help people who represent our interests and our values get into office?

Bush and GOP Rubber Stamps Defeat Plan To Lower The Price Of Gas

Florida Rep. Adam Putnam willing to fight to keep gas prices high

Unless you're brand new to DWT-- in which case, welcome!-- you already know about the powerful and pernicious relationship between Big Oil bribery and the Republican Party (and the Republican wing of the Democratic Party). Short catch-up: Since 1990 Big Oil has spent over $220,000,000 on so-called political "contributions" (75% to Republicans and the rest to Democrats like Dan Boren and Nick Lampson who vote like Republicans) in order to get politicians to ignore the needs of the nation and of their own constituents and just focus on the oil industry's bottom line. They have-- and if you've filled up your gas tank lately-- or even gone to the grocery store-- you are feeling the brunt of the sweet little deal the politicians have with Big Oil.

Today when a bipartisan majority of congressmen (268 of them) tried easing prices at the pump by releasing some of the strategic petroleum reserve, Bush threatened to veto and 157 Republicans (and not a single Democrats, not even Boren or Lampson) voted no, in effect blocking the bill. The bill mandates that 70 million barrels of the reserve's oil be put into retail circulation within six months. Backers say this will help lower oil and gas prices. Speaker Pelosi pointed out that a reduction in gasoline prices that occurred the three previous times oil from the reserve was sold, including once by President Bush in 2005. Boehner called it "a joke," although 37 Republicans crossed the aisle and voted with the Democrats.

Among the radical right extremists who have worked so hard-- and been paid so well-- to drive gasoline prices up and who voted no were (the figures represent the Big Oil donations/bribes offered and taken this year only):

Michele Bachmann (R-MN-$13,500)
Joe Barton (R-TX-$127,541)
Roy Blunt (R-MO-$98,900)
Mary Bono Mack (R-CA-$15,750)
John Culberson (R-TX-$67,750)
Charlie Dent (R-PA-$10,600)
Dave Dreier (R-CA-$20,000)
Scott Garrett (R-NJ-$12,000)
Steve Kirk (R-IL-$4,000)
John Kline (R-MN-$15,300)
Randy Kuhl (R-NY-$9,500)
Michael McCaul (R-TX-$37,284)
Patrick McHenry (R-NC-$5,750)
Steve Pearce (R-NM-$204,234)
Mike Pence (R-IN-$12,000)
Adam Putnam (R-FL-$20,000)
Dave Reichert (R-WA-$3,000)
Mean "Cheap Date" Jean Schmidt (R-OH-$1,000)
John Shadegg (R-AZ-$22,000)
Tim Walberg (R-MI-$13,050)
Frank Wolf (R-VA-$9,899)
Don Young (R-AK-$19,000)

Doug Tudor is putting up an incredible uphill battle against the #3 goon in the Republican House hierarchy, Adam Putnam (R-FL). I called him today to see if he could make any sense of Putnam's vote against lowering gas prices. I mean FL-12 is mostly exurban Polk County and there is very little mass transit; everybody drives-- and everybody is hurting (although Putnam's wealthy supporters are hurting a lot less than the rest of us). Doug, a 20 year Navy vet, has been dismayed over the systematic dismantlement of the middle class by the Republican Party's ideologically-driven agenda. He reminded me that there is nothing surprising about Putnam's vote and that the surprise would be if he voted otherwise. "Once again he's chosen Big Oil cronies over working-class constituents. The Police Departments of our district are patrolling less due to gas prices over $4.00 a gallon, yet he’s taken over $70,000.00 from Big Oil. It’s obvious to all of us whose side he’s on. His vote on this bill is absolutely despicable. You wouldn’t think a multimillionaire could be bought off for some campaign contributions.”

Yes, imagine that! According to a new poll out today, "the American public is not buying the arguments of President Bush and the oil industry that new drilling will lower gas prices... [and] a significant majority of Americans (63%) said that the President's proposal to open up public lands to oil and gas drilling is more likely to enrich oil companies than to lower gas prices for American consumers."

America will never be free from the grip of Big Oil until we replace their bought-off shills and puppets, like Adam Putnam, with legislators willing to put the welfare of American families first. That's why helping a stand-up guy like Doug beat a miserable lowlife like Putnam is in all of our best interests.


UPDATE: AND IN TEXAS...

Yes, even in Texas, people are hurtin' from the gargantuan transfer of wealth from American working families to the well-protected Republican campaign contributors. As I mentioned above, Mike McCaul has been a recipient of a great deal of money from Big Oil-- and he has never voted against them on anything they ever wanted. His opponent this year, Larry Joe Doherty, is adamant that "The people living in Texas' 10th Congressional District deserve independent leadership that listens, not a Washington politician who is out of touch with our daily lives."

"This is just one more example of McCaul's failure of leadership. My opponent says one thing, but then turns around and votes against his constituents. Twenty-four hours ago he claimed the was going to fix our nation's energy crisis, yet today he votes against immediate relief at the pump for hard hit families while refusing to stand up to the speculators."

This kind of attitude from McCaul that Texas voters are finally seeing-- and the inspiring alternative that Larry Joe is offering, have caused CQPolitics to change its rating of the district, which it no longer considers "Safe Republican." This is a race that can be won.

BUSH AND 144 HOUSE REPUBLICANS OPPOSE UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE EXTENSION-- BATTLE MOVES TO THE SENATE WHERE McCAIN WILL SHOW HIS LEADERSHIP ABILITIES

The answer was "no"-- for Bush and whole GOP

Yesterday I got a chance to visit with Jon Powers, the Blue America-endorsed progressive running in an open seat in western New York. He was in town visiting friends and I stopped by to see him. So did a roomful of Iraq war vets-- each and every one a strong Democrat, strong patriot, and among the best of what comes out of our country. I felt humbled to hang out with these guys.

While I was meeting with Jon and his friends, the House voted overwhelmingly (279-144) to pass the Emergency Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 2008 (H R 5749). Someone had asked Jon what the top issue is in his district  (NY-26, which stretched from North Tonawanda and the Buffalo suburbs east to Greece and the Rochester suburbs and south to Wyoming and Livingston counties). His answer was direct: "Jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs." I asked him about the high price of gas and he said that's part of "jobs." Republican incumbent Tom Reynolds, who Jon frightened into announcing he wouldn't seek re-election, voted with the 144 anti-working families Republicans against the bill. Only 49 Republicans abandoned their extremist party leaders to vote with working Americans. Even the worst of the Democrats-- creeps like Shuler, Barrow, Boren, Marshall, Bean-- voted for the bill. Most of the Republicans who crossed the aisle aren't exactly friends of working folks; they are just scared witless about an electoral tsunami headed their way.

Larry Joe Doherty is running against a congressman too out of touch even to be scared witless-- Michael McCaul in Texas. McCaul married into one of Texas' super-rich families and, like Bush, is clueless when it comes to the problems American families are going through today. We asked Larry Joe, who has been endorsed by Blue America, if McCaul's vote yesterday would be an issue in the campaign.

"With rising gas and food prices, even a brief period without work can devastate a family's finances. So what does Mike McCaul do? He kicks families while they're down. But what's worse is that he helped put the economy in this state by voting to spend billions on a misguided war while ignoring economic needs here at home and supporting policies that ship American jobs overseas.  Fool us once, shame on you. Fool us twice, and we're sending you home."

Northern Virginia is a world a way from the Austin and the Houston suburbs but Judy Feder, the Democratic nominee for the seat now held by out of touch Frank Wolf, had much the same reaction. "The decision by Congressman Wolf to continue to support the failed economic policies of the Bush administration is particularly damaging at a time when many of Virginia's families are faced with concerns about financial and economic stability," Judy told us this morning. "Defending the status quo over the needs of Virgnia's hardworking families is just not acceptable-- they deserve better."

Among the hard core right-wingers who gave the finger to working men and women and signaled that they won't, under any circumstances, be available to help the victims of The Bush Economic Miracle were:

Steve Pearce (NM)
Michele Bachmnan (MN)
Scott Garrett (NJ)
Thelma Drake (VA)
Michael McCaul (TX)
Ken Calvert (CA)
Frank Wolf (VA)
Peter King (NY)
David Dreier (CA)
Dana Rohrabacher (CA)
Two Families Values Fossella (NY)
Mark Kirk (IL)
John Shadegg (AZ)
John Kline (MN)
Mike Pence (IN)
Jerry Lewis (CA)
Marilyn Musgrave (CO)
Virginia Foxx (NC)

Seeing Foxx's name made me double check where little Miss Patty McHenry was. I had a good laugh thinking about how the loud mouthed closet queen once bragged how he would teach his GOP colleagues by example how a true right-winger should vote and how he would never waiver from the dark path. All it took was a strong opponent jumping into the November race and McHenry scurried across the aisle with his tail between his legs to squeak out a "yes," with the Democrats, who I'm sure were as amused as I was.

Despite an out of control unemployment rate (officially 5.5% but, when you include discouraged workers who have given up looking or can't afford the gas to go look, closer to 15%) Bush has vowed to veto the bill if it gets by obstructionist tactics by McConnell and McCain in the Senate. And the House was 3 votes short of a veto-proof majority.

One place the Democrats will not be able to look for one of the 3 votes needed to override Bush's promised veto is New Jersey 's most radical right ideologue, Scott Garrett. New Jersey voters have an opportunity to take him out with the trash in November and replace him with one of the most extraordinary people running for Congress this year, Dennis Shulman. We called Dennis and asked him what he makes of such a crazy and uncaring vote from a congressman representing such a mainstream and moderate suburban New Jersey district. "Scott Garrett's vote is yet another indication that he is out of touch with the economic crisis facing North Jersey and this nation.  Perhaps Garrett's twenty years as a career politician supported by the special interests gives him a false sense of job security, but his constituents know that we are in an economic crisis and that we shouldn't blame families just because the Bush-Garrett economy is failing."

I spoke with quite a few candidates about the vote last night. My favorite off the cuff remark was from Alan Grayson in Orlando. The Republican incumbent in his district, Ric Keller, a notorious rubber stamp, voted against unemployment benfits and Alan said, "Keller will wish that he'd voted for it when he's unemployed, on Nov. 5th." Please consider $5 donations for Alan, as well as for Dennis Shulman, Judy Feder, Jon Powers and Larry Joe Doherty, all easily accessible on the Blue America ActBlue page. It's our government. Let's not let special interests buy it up; we've seen the results of that.

MODERN DAY GI BILL PASSES BY WIDE MARGIN IN THE HOUSE-- McCAIN & McCONNELL VOW TO KILL IT IN THE SENATE

Although the fight that matters will be in the Senate, the House passed the bill to modernize the GI Bill today, HR 2642, 256-166. Those numbers are pretty overwhelming and the reflect the fact that 32 Republicans crossed the aisle to vote against Bush and their own reactionary leadership and for our military vets. At the same time, the Blue Dog caucus was unable to muster it's own members to bolster their Republican allies. Only 7 of the sleaziest and most Bush-oriented Democrats voted against vets today:

Melissa Bean (IL)
Dan Boren (OK)
Joe Donnelly (IN)
Brad Ellsworth (IN)
Nick Lampson (TX)
Tim Mahoney (FL)
Jim Matheson (UT)

Our newest conservative Democrats, Don Cazayoux (LA) and Bill Foster (IL) both voted with the Democrats on this crucial bill, Foster even stepping away from Bean's apron strings. This bill will allow vets who fought in Afghanistan and Iraq to go to college-- just what it was intended to do. McCain and McConnell have vowed to kill the bill in the Senate.

I took a look at the Blue America House races to see how the Republican opponents of our candidates-- all of whom support the bill-- voted Most of them voted against vets, as they usually do. Joining the dead-end minority today were Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL), Tim Walberg (R-MI), Scott Garrett (R-NJ), David Dreier (R-CA), Ric Keller (R-FL), Randy Kuhl (R-NY), Michael McCaul (R-TX), Gary Miller (R-CA), Mike Pence (R-IN), Dave Reichert (R-WA), Dana Rohrabacher (R-OH), and Mean Jean Schmidt (R-OH). Heather Wilson (R-NM) is running for Senate and she stuck with Bush, as she usually does. John Doolittle (R-CA) is retiring under a cloud of corruption charges and he also stuck with Bush.

Interestingly, some of the tightest and most competitive races we're following saw die-hard reactionaries abandoning Bush, not because they wanted to or because they suddenly want to help vets, but because they are scared to death that they're about to lose their cushy jobs. John Barrow, a Georgia Blue Dog who almost always supports Bush on these matters is so frightened of the surging state Senator from Savannah, Regina Thomas, that he actually abandoned his usual stance and voted, reluctantly, with the Democrats. Same story in Iowa, where Leonard Boswell's fear of Ed Fallon voters caused him to vote like a Democrat for a change. Republicans Robin Hayes, Chris Shays and Charlie Dent are so worried about the likelihood that they will be defeated by, respectively, Larry Kissell, Jim Himes and Sam Bennett that each switched positions and voted with the Democrats today.

Up top you see a picture of Blue America candidate Russ Warner and his son, Greg, currently back from active duty in Iraq and studying at West Point. Click on that and see what Russ and Greg have to say about this war and how Bush has botched every aspect of it. Here's what Russ had to say about the vote today, after Dreier (whose net worth has increased by over $10,000,000 since he's come to Congress) again demonstrated that he is incapable of any kind of action accept rubber stamping all that Bush sends down the pike:

"I would have voted differently on this bill. It's important to make the veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan part of an American economic recovery, just like the veterans of World War II were. They put their lives on the line for us, and deserve to be able to come home and go to school if they so choose. We need new leaders with new priorities in Washington, and that's why I'm running for Congress. I believe that fully equipping our soldiers, providing them with good medical care and paying them a fair wage should be considered costs of war. But David Dreier seems to believe that we don't owe our veterans anything."

Nor was Russ the only Blue America candidate furious about how their opponent refused to stray away from Bush long enough allow our military vets this one hard earned benefit. We also spoke with Larry Joe Doherty in less-red-by-the-day Texas. Like many Texans, Larry was steamed. "Michael McCaul has voted against health care for veterans. He's voted against disability coverage for veterans. Now he's voted against education for veterans. He'll vote any sum of money necessary to put them in harm's way, but he won't help them get ahead in America when they come home. They come home wearing a badge of honor, and are denied the opportunity to get ahead. This is a disgrace." It is a disgrace. At election time McCaul is always trying to smear Democrats by screaming that only he supports the troops. Well, since Tom DeLay created a district for him, McCaul has voted 18 times on vet-related matters. And guess what-- he voted all 18 times against them. He has the worst voting record in Congress. He's also voted 15 times on issues directly impacting the well being of our active duty military personnel-- you know, the troops he claims to support. Well, he's voted against our troops' well being all 15 times. And don't be shocked to read that David Dreier has the exact same rubber stamp record as McCaul-- zero votes for vets and zero votes for our troops well-being! David Dreier and Michael McCaul have a clear message for our troops and our vets-- a middle finger-- and it's a very different message than the one they send to corrupt military contractor and war profiteers. If you'd like to send a message to David Dreier and Michael McCaul, you can contribute whatever you can spare to Russ Warner and Larry Joe Doherty.


UPDATE: REMEMBER MEAN JEAN SCHMIDT?

She first came onto the national scene by embarrassing herself, her party, her colleagues and her constituents by smearing decorated war hero and ex-Marine colonel Jack Murtha. Today she proved once again that she hasn't learned a thing in the interim and still has no regard for our fighting men and women or our vets. I asked Victoria Wulsin if she had heard about Mean Jean's anti-vet vote-- her 7th anti-vet vote since being elected. "Rep. Schmidt's vote is nothing short of an embarrassment to the people of Southern Ohio. To deny the brave men and women who serve this country financial security and opportunity is unconscionable."

HOW ABOUT IF MEMBERS OF CONGRESS DECLINE FREE HEALTH CARE UNTIL THE REST OF US ARE COVERED TOO?

Our congressmen have better health care than this-- shouldn't we?

The Blue America candidate from Saturday was Larry Joe Doherty, a populist Democrat running for Congress in one of the gerrymandered districts Tom DeLay created to thwart the will of Austin residents by cutting the city up into three pieces and giving each piece to a bizarre entity designed solely to elect Republicans. But even among Republicans, even among Texas Republicans, the misdeeds and incompetence of the Bush Regime-- and of the rubber stamp enablers like incumbent Michael McCaul-- have so turned off voters that Democrats are finding opportunities where none "should" exist. By all means go back and read over the archive of the chat session we had with Larry at Firedoglake Saturday.

Larry covered a whole range of positions with us but there is something he said that has stuck with me.

When I sued lawyers, I sued them for breaching their fiduciary duty, failing to put the interest of their clients above their own. I've known how to do that for more than 37 years in my law practice and I intend to see to it that Congress gets an explanation of how to put their constituents' interests above their own. We don't have a national health care plan for the public but Congress has one for itself. I've called on Michael McCaul to give up his national health care plan until he can legislate one that's at least as good for the public as he gets for himself. He hasn't responded to that.

I've already pledged that I'm not taking the national health care plan afforded congressmen until we pass a plan that's available for the public. It'll be the same for me as it'll be for them or I'm not going to have it... If you don't appreciate how suffering takes place until you've suffered a little then Congress needs to go without its medical plan until they can give one as good to the public.

Yesterday I ran this by a dozen or so other candidates to get a reading on it. Some of the responses were disappointing-- like one from a campaign manager who told me that he thought his candidate would like it but that if he told him about it, the candidate's wife would be angry. Along similar lines, although put in a way that was a lot easier to digest, another candidate said he loves the idea and it's "certainly consistent with my politics and my ethics. But I have to talk to my wife about this pledge before I can make it public." He promised to get back to me and I know he will. Russ Warner, who is running against a rubber stamp Republican who violently opposes universal health care (Republican closet queen David Dreier), told me he and his wife and decided that they will forego the congressional health care package if he ousts Dreier-- forego it until every American is covered. "I'm fortunate that I can afford to pay for my family’s health insurance," he said. "Hard working American families are struggling every day just to get by. With $4 a gallon gas and food cost rising, the average family has a decision to make. To fill their tanks to get to work or to cut back on needed food for their families. President Bush and David Dreier keep telling us that things are just fine. Tell that to America's hard working families."

Even before Russ got back with me, the very first response was from our brilliant Blue America candidate in Orlando, Alan Grayson, who gave me permission to re-print it.

It's a very interesting question. I think that the problem goes a lot deeper than that.  The problem is not only that Congressmen have a good health care plan, but that they are paid over $170,000 a year, with plenty of other perks beyond that. And the problem is not only that Congressmen are treated that way, but also TV news anchors, newspaper editors, judges, generals, and bosses of all kinds. All of these people act in concert to protect their privileges.
 
In my experience, no group of people ever acts to reduce their own privileges. It's far more likely that you will see corporations adopt "green" environmental policies than you will see corporate executives give up their private jets. It's far more likely that you'll see baseball players submit to weekly drug testing than a salary cap. And it's far more likely that you'll see national health care than you'll see any cut back in health care for members of Congress.
 
Congressmen also get free haircuts. If we all take a pledge against that, you'll still see plenty of mullets in Tennessee.
 
Here's an analogy. Jeff Flake of Arizona constantly attacks "earmarks." The result is that his district never gets any earmarks, he never passes any bills of any kind, and his committee assignments are lousy. He gets some good media out of it, but he never accomplishes anything. People think he's a flake. Not just a Flake, but a flake.
 
I'm not saying that cutting health care for members of Congress is a bad idea. Actually, as you can see, I'd not only be in favor of that, but a lot beyond that.

Vic Wulsin, the courageous physician and public health expert who's taking on Mean Jean Schmidt in southern Ohio, reminded me that she already made this pledge to the residents of OH-02. "I pledged to not take Congressional health insurance during my '06 race. During my '08 primary, I repeated the pledge even in my first TV commercial. I will proudly stand with every candidate who does the same." That's why we love her so much; and why we need her and others like her in Congress.

And, in fact, another Blue America-endorsed candidate has also already made a similar pledge. Lehigh Valley's Sam Bennett, who is running a strong campaign to oust Bush rubber stamp Charlie Dent, sent me this note yesterday: "I’ve already committed in my announcement speech that I will not accept any governmental health care plan until all Americans can have a comparable one." If anyone can think of a better answer, please let me know.

I guarantee you without a doubt that when the DCCC talks to candidates they don't ask them a question like this. And they're not looking for the kinds of attitudes we are. Yesterday Phil Munger, at Alaska's most respected blog, Progressive Alaska, did an astute analysis of who donates to Rahm Emanuel's notorious leadership PAC, Our Common Values. The common values are those shared with Emanuel by "supporters of war with Iran, defenders of the worst aspects of our health care industry, opponents of net neutrality, and enablers of the financial deregulation that allows hedge fund managers to be taxed very little, and who helped engineer the sub-prime mortgage industry meltdown. The list includes the producer of Bill O'Reilly's radio show, several Fox executives, war criminal Henry Kissinger's main business partner, and a whole host of other people who make Alaska's Corrupt Bastard Club look like a kindergarten roster."

Taking a pledge to eschew government paid health care until all Americans get the same package, is as likely to be endorsed by Rahm Emanuel and his supporters as it is to be endorsed by Dick Cheney, Mitch McConnell and John Boehner. But what about you? Would you take that pledge? Larry Joe Doherty, Sam Bennett, Russ Warner, Alan Grayson and Vic Wulsin already have. If you're not running for Congress, how about giving each of these candidates $5.01-- or whatever you can afford-- today to tell them that you approve?


UPDATE: AND ONE DEDICATED INCUMBENT

There already is a member of Congress who declined the Cadillac health care coverage members of that august body are entitled to. When Steve Kagen (D-WI) was elected in 2006 he pledged not to accept it until all Americans have access to health care. Steve also sponsored a bill to end discrimination in health care for things like pre-existing conditions, and is working on a similar bill for discount prescription drugs.

LARRY JOE DOHERTY-- DEFINING GOOD OLD FASHIONED TEXAS POPULISM

I had never met anyone named Larry Joe before-- and he asked me what part of West Texas my accident is from. But it didn't take more than a small portion of a phone call to realize that his country boy southern drawl masked a breathtaking mental fluidity that made me very happy that that power is on our side. Larry Joe Doherty won a tightly fought primary in the Texas district most likely to switch from red to blue, Texas-10, a Tom DeLay creation that stretches from northern Austin all the way to the west Houston suburbs. It was tailor made for a Republican  (PVI: R +13) and Michael McCaul didn't even have a Democratic opponent when he first ran (2004). But last year, with only token opposition he only managed 55% of the vote. (Democrat Ted Ankrum raised $72,000 to McCaul's $1,155,000.)

This year McCaul, the son-in-law of Clear Channel CEO Lowry Mays, isn't going to get off so easily. Larry Joe Doherty is definitely going to give him a run for his money-- and then some. "I've been representing people who've had claims against lawyers for more than 30 years," he told me earlier this week. He thinks that helped him win the primary and will help him beat McCaul in November. People saw "somebody who had an appreciation for holding lawyers accountable, making them responsible for their misconduct and their mistakes [and] was willing to take that ethical bearing and responsibility to Washington, DC."

That certainly got me thinking about some much needed accountability. And I'll go out on a limb and say Larry was thinking along the same lines. "I don't know what committees I may have an opportunity to serve on but congressional investigations that may be conducted in the future will determine the Bush legacy, however they may come out. The opportunity to get on a committee that may be involved with those kinds of investigations would not be something I would be afraid to serve on or seek."

Fundamentally our Congress has abdicated its responsibility to serve as a check and a balance on the Executive Branch of government. It's supposed to be co-equal but Michael McCaul has been a knee-jerk rubber stamp with a pledge of allegiance to the Republican Party that punishes him if he steps out of line. That's the problem with the way that Republicans have tried to run this government. The Congress is supposed to be separate, equal, independent and protective of our rights when the Executive violates its responsibility. But we don't have that kind of a Congress. We don't have congressmen who put constituent rights above their own interests-- and that's the essence of a fiduciary duty. When I sued lawyers, I sued them for breaching their fiduciary duty, failing to put the interest of their clients above their own. I've known how to do that for more than 37 years in my law practice and I intend to see to it that Congress gets an explanation of how to put their constituents' interests above their own. We don't have a national health care plan for the public but Congress has one for itself. I've called on Michael McCaul to give up his national health care plan until he can legislate one that's at least as good for the public as he gets for himself. He hasn't responded to that. I've already pledged that I'm not taking the national health care plan afforded congressmen until we pass a plan that's available for the public. It'll be the same for me as it'll be for them or I'm not going to have it... If you don't appreciate how suffering takes place until you've suffered a little then Congress needs to go without its medical plan until they can give one as good to the public.

I don't recall ever hearing a clearer statement of the kind of representative Blue America is looking for. I'm really proud to introduce Larry Joe Doherty to the Blue America community today. He's going to be with us between 11AM and 1PM (PT; 1PM- 3PM in Texas), answering questions. Please join us over at firedoglake. If you like what you hear and you'd like to help Democrats in Texas exchange one tainted rubber stamp wingnut for a genuine champion of all-American values, please visit our Blue America ActBlue page.

And when you get a chance, please watch the TV ad he made-- simple, to the point and just what Blue America is all about: