Do You Always, Blindly, Vote For Anyone With A "D" Next To Their Name? Here's One You Won't Get Behind

If you're a regular reader here, you probably know the editorial position of this blog is that Trump is uniquely unfit to be president and that there are overwhelming and existential dangers this country would face were he to ever get into the White House. At the same time we're not sold on Hillary as anything more than a way to stop Trump and as an inspiring victory that finally cracks the ultimate glass ceiling for women. We've suggested that voters in this year's swing states-- Ohio, Iowa, Arizona, Georgia, Utah (and up in Maine's Alagash)-- take one of these to the polls and vote for her.

We've never felt that just because someone calls himself or herself a Democrat, they automatically have earned a vote or any kind of support. The Democratic Party Establishment, Inc. has its own set of reasons for what it does and how it calculates what moves to make politically. The leaders and decision-makers on the top of the food chain-- the Chuck Schumers, Debbie Wasserman Schultzes, Steny Hoyers, Nancy Pelosis, Joe Crowleys, Rahm Emanuels-- are utterly unfit for leadership or even for public office. The direction of the Democratic Party is largely in their hands and largely determined by how something will impact their own careers. Their puppet candidates-- chosen for a willingness, even an eagerness, to follow blindly and to play ball inside a culture of corruption-- are insupportable, even in the context of a lesser-of-two evils world. Trump may be an exception, but garbage candidates from the Republican wing of the Democratic Party-- like Patrick Murphy (FL), Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ), Patty Judge (IA), Tom O'Halleran (AZ), Lon Johnson (MI), Randall Perkins (FL), Brad Schneider (IL), Josh Gottheimer (NJ), Pete Gallego (TX), Joe Garcia (FL), and Monica Vernon (IA)-- should never be supported or even voted for unless your aim is to undermine the Democratic Party as a vehicle for the legitimate aspirations of working class Americans.

The story of the congressional race in Pennsylvania's 9th district is even more bizarre than the normal "DCCC lures ex-Republican shit-head into congressional race" narrative. Bill Shuster is one of Congress' more contemptibly corrupt congressmen and he represents Pennsylvania's most backward and forgotten congressional district, a gigantic sprawling mass of southern and central Pennsylvania: Altoona, the exurbs south of Pittsburgh to Chambersburg halfway across the state. 93% white, it's the most Republican district in the state (R+14) and Romney crushed Obam there 63-36%. In the primary, Trump won every single one of the district's 12 counties-- by a landslide. On the same day crackpot teabagger Art Halvorson challenged the entrenched Shuster and nearly beat him. The final vote count-- the closest race in the state-- was 48,686 (50.5%) for the powerful incumbent who spent $1,655,437 to 47,677 (49.5%) for Halvorson, who only spent $264,357.Since there is virtually no Democratic Party in the area, it was easy for Halvorsan to then lay claim to the Democratic nomination and the extreme right candidate is now on the ballot as a Democrat. I spoke with him on the phone and he went out of his way to tell me he thinks Hillary should be in prison and that isn't joining the Democratic Party. But over a thousand Democrats wrote him in on the Democratic line and he used that successfully as the excuse for claiming the Democratic line in the general. So, no, this isn't going to be another case like Charlie Crist, Monica Vernon, Tom O'Halleran, Patrick Murphy, Mike Parrish or any of the dozens of Republicans the DCCC has recruited to run as Democrats. Steve Israel's Blue Dogs and New Dems always agree to caucus with the Democrats as long as they're free to vote with the Republicans. Halvorson has pledged to caucus with the Republicans if he wins. So now take a look at this ad that Halvoson started running last week that has the whole district buzzing:



Shuster got the State Police to cite Halvorson for harassing one of his campaign workers, 22 year old Meghan Boocks, at the Fayette County Fair. In response, Halvorson is suing Boocks for defamation. ("This," said a Halverson spokesperson, "is a political hit job that the Shuster campaign pulled directly from the Hillary Clinton playbook on character assassination, just before the election.")The bad feeling between them has been further stoked because the ad, reminding voters that Shuster's incredibly corrupt father, the previous congressman, was just like the odious son and that the father was also having sex with lobbyists, just the way Shuster, Jr. does. Shasta never stops whining that Halvorson started running the outrageous-- albeit true-- ad hours after his mother died. Halvorson says he didn't run the ad sooner out of respect for Halvorson's mother and that he should man up and face all the allegations in the ad which have been thoroughly fact-checked and found 100% true.

I wonder how many low-info Democrats in PA-09 are going to vote for Halvorson because, after all, "any Democrat is better than any Republican." Whatever there is of a Democratic Party in the district is supporting write-in candidate Adam Sedlock. Meanwhile, though Halvorson-- formerly a Ted Cruz supporter-- is backing Trump, the Trump campaign has officially endorsed the status quo, crooked Ryan-Republican, Shuster. This is a crazy mixed up race on every level. 

Can Trump Really Defeat Paul Ryan? And Turn American Politics Topsy Turvey?

Will Trump's refusal to back Ryan hurt the Speaker in his primary next Tuesday? Trump didn't do especially well in Ryan's district during the presidential election, losing to Ted Cruz everywhere with the exception of close calls in Kenosha and Rock counties. If the Trumpist running against Ryan, Paul Nehlen, were running a strong contest, Trump's refusal could be meaningful, but Nehlen isn't making much headway, not even with fellow Trumpists Sarah Palin and Ann Coulter backing him. Nehlen's only chance of actually beating Ryan would be if the DCCC alerted Democrats that it's an open primary and Democratic voters can ask for a Republican ballot and vote against Ryan. But, of course, the DCCC refuses to do that. It would throw the House Republicans into complete turmoil and, more important, kill the TPP... dead as a doornail.

But that weirdness in southeast Wisconsin wasn't the only Age-of-Trump crack-up yesterday. Ronald Siegel and Christopher Castillo were the two Republicans running for the open CA-44 congressional seat, the seat Janice Hahn is giving up. There were 10 candidates in all competing in the open primary and the two top vote getters-- environmental champion Nanette Barragan and corruption champion Isadore Hall-- will proceed to the November 8 general election, a Dem vs Dem race. (This year there are 7 Dem v Dem congressional races in California plus a Dem v Dem U.S. Senate race.) Yesterday Siegel, an environmental-friendly Republican unhappy with Hall's close and crooked ties to Big Oil endorsed Nanette and so did Castillo-- both Republicans joining Berniecrats Armando Sotomayor and Marcus Musante as well as Morris Griffin in asking their supporters to vote for her. In a press statement Castillo said that "During these past few months I spoke with people from this district who have serious concerns they would like to see addressed in Washington, like immigration reform and job creation. Nanette is the only candidate in this race who is going to make these changes a reality. I look forward to seeing all that she accomplishes in Congress."

When I spoke with Castillo on the phone he emphasized that he's a small government/low taxes Republican who is pro-amnesty and very anti-Trump. And anti-corruption. He's well aware of Hall's reputation for taking money from "everyone and anyone" and voting for what they want. He said he feels he has more in common with Bernie than with Trump but wasn't high on Hillary either. But he is high on Nanette and expects to help persuade Republicans in CA-44 for vote for her in November. Fascinating, huh?

Even stranger is an update on a story we've been covering about feuding Republicans-- establishment crook Bill Shuster and right-wing teabagger Art Halvorson in Pennsylvania. The ninth district-- kind of a sprawling wasteland time left behind, between Pittsburgh's southern exurbs east to Chambersburg and Waynesboro and north to Altoona and Indiana-- has no rhyme or reason and nothing holding it together. But ever one of the 12 counties in the district went for Trump in the primary. And his voters came close to defeating Shuster. The final vote was 48,686 (50.5%) for the powerful incumbent who spent $1,655,437 to 47,677 (49.5%) for Halvorson, who only spent $264,357 and it was the closest race in the state. I called Halvorson when he announced he would continue his race against Shuster on the empty Democratic Party line. Halvorson, who went out of his way to tell me he thinks Hillary should be in prison-- weeks and weeks before the Trumpist convention made that a popular thing for Republican crackpots to say-- isn't joining the Democratic Party by any stretch of anyone's imagination. But over a thousand Democrats wrote him in on the Democratic line and he's using that as the excuse for claiming the line in the general. So, no, this isn't going to be another case like Charlie Crist, Patrick Murphy, Monica Vernon, Filemon Vela, Mike Parrish or any of the dozens of Republicans the DCCC has recruited to run as Democrats. This is just an extreme right-wing Republican poaching away a Democratic ballot line the DCCC was too lame to protect.

So when I talked with him on the phone he wasn't sure if he'd do it or not but yesterday he finally announced he's decided to run on the Democratic Party line but, obviously, not as a Democrat.

Despite the fact he’ll be on the Democratic side of the ballot, Halvorson maintains he is still a Republican.

“But make no mistake about it, our current struggle isn’t Democrat vs. Republican, it’s Insiders vs. We the People,” he asserted.

Unsurprisingly, Congressman Shuster did not welcome this news.

“By running for Congress as a Democrat, Art Halvorson has proved that he cares about one thing and one thing only-- himself,” Rep. Shuster’s campaign stated. “Not only is he betraying Democrats by calling their party Godless while forcing them to accept him as their nominee, but he is also betraying the will of the Republican primary voters that have twice rejected his attempt to get a job in Congress.”

“Whether its selfish Art Halvorson saying offensive things about Democrats or calling the Republican nominee Donald Trump childish and reprehensible two things are clear-- Art Halvorson’s Arlen Specter impression is out of touch with our region and he is a soon be a three-time loser to Congressman Bill Shuster, who unlike Art, will always be fighting for the people of the 9th Congressional District.”

There's also a write-in Democrat, who is being supported by the Pennsylvania Democratic Party. As of the June 30 FEC filing deadline Shuster had $892,427 cash on hand and Halvorson had just $61,026. There are no Tea Party groups spending any money for Halvorson so far this year, although last cycle the crackpot Madison Project spent money against Shuster on his behalf.

Will The DCCC Welcome Teabaggers Angry At Establishment Republicans?-- PA-09

In the off-chance that the all-white Republican voters in deep red PA-09-- basically the leftover bits and bobs of the southern and central Pennsylvania: Altoona, the exurbs south of Pittsburgh to Chambersburg halfway across the state-- roused themselves on primary day a couple weeks ago to puke on their crooked, philandering congressman, Bill Shuster, we took a little look at the second primary challenge Shuster was getting from wealthy extreme right soiopath and teabagger, Art Halvorson. In 2014 Halvorson had scored 35% in a 3-way primary, to Shuster's 53%. Two weeks ago Halvorson didn't have the same degree of Tea Party energy at his back but no one knew how the mob of Trump supporters would relate to the primary battle between an establishment whore like Shuster and a principled extremist like Halvorson.

Trump won every single one of the dozen counties that make up PA-09. Cruz's best showing was 25.6% in Franklin County. PA-09 is Trump Country. It was almost Halvorson country too. The final vote count was 48,686 (50.5%) for the powerful incumbent who spent $1,655,437 to 47,677 (49.5%) Halvorson, who only spent $264,357, the closest race in the state. And Halvorson isn't ready too give up.

I spoke to Halvorson on the phone yesterday after reading about his decision to continue the jihad against Shuster on the otherwise empty Democratic Party line. Halvorson, who went out of his way to tell me he thinks Hillary should be in prison, isn't joining the Democratic Party. But over a thousand Democrats wrote him in on the Democratic line and he's using that as the excuse for claiming the Democratic line in the general. So, no, this isn't going to be another case like Charlie Crist, Patrick Murphy, Mike Parrish or any of the dozens of Republicans the DCCC has recruited to run as Democrats. This will certainly lead to a court case, possibly two-- one from Shuster, who's already freaking out and one from the Pennsylvania Democratic Party.

A Shuster spokesperson said "It’s not really surprising to see Art Halvorson reject and ignore the will of the voters. He’s proven that he will do and say anything to get elected. While Art Halvorson challenges the courts to allow him to join the Hillary Clinton ticket, Congressman Shuster will be working hard to elect Donald Trump, whom Art Halvorson has called reprehensible, childish, and embarrassing, to the White House."

What Halvorson told me is that he hasn't made up his mind about Trump yet and wants to see if the GOP nominee turns out to be a conservative, pointing out that Shuster is just a career politician who doesn't care one way or the other what Trump stands for as long as there's something to grasp onto that will help him towards reelection. Many in the district, regardless of party, are angry that a trade group with business before Shuster's committee hired a high-priced hooker/lobbyist to have sex with him on a regular basis in return for him promoting their agenda. Shuster has been notorious for having sex with female lobbyists for years and was threatened by Boehner to stop or risk losing his chairmanship. He didn't stop and didn't lose his chairmanship, but Halvorson thinks that message, along with Shuster's general sleaziness, will resonate with general election voters regardless which ballot line he's on.

I wonder how the corrupt pack of swine at the DCCC will view this. If we hear more, we'll let you know.