The Senate Candidate The DSCC Is Ignoring

Patty Murray (D-WA) made running the DSCC look like apiece of cake. She and her team practically swept the field last year, winning nearly every impossible race the pundits had already awarded to the GOP-- replacing Wall Street fave Scott Brown with Elizabeth Warren, beating back popular Wisconsin ex-Governor Tommy Thompson with an openly progressive lesbian from Madison, Tammy Baldwin, and winning in red states like Indiana, Missouri, North Dakota, Montana, West Virginia and purple Ohio, Florida and Virginia. The only close contest the DSCC lost was in Nevada where the Democrats were saddled with a fatally flawed candidate, a corrupt New Dem that grassroots Democratic voters just did not want to come and to vote for. (Obama took 528,801 votes in Nevada and won handily; almost 85,000 of them refused to pull the lever for Shelley Berkley. Who could blame them?

Anyway, running the DSCC looked so easy that this year they gave the job to ConservaDem Michael Bennet (CO). He's failing already and Democrats are wishing Murray would have taken the task on for a second cycle. Bennet had his tiny conservative heart set on recruiting former-- like in defeated by voters who couldn't stand her-- Blue Dog Stephanie Herseth Sandlin to run for the South Dakota Senate seat Tim Johnson is giving up. She agreed to run, but only if Bennet could guarantee her no primary. Bennet was responsible for then driving Johnson's son out of the race. All that work came to naught when independent-minded Democrat Rick Weiland jumped in in his place. Herseth Sandlin, fully realizing how disliked she is by grassroots Democrats, announced she wouldn't run. So what does Bennet do? Angrily ignores Weiland, playing as though he's willing to discount the seat. The Democrats can't afford to discount any viable seats; not one. Reid should have replaced Bennet immediately. But he didn't... and the DSCC still hasn't gotten behind Weiland. Benent could cost them control of the Senate. This is the lame message about the South Dakota Senate race on the DSCC website:

Senator Tim Johnson recently announced his decision to retire from the Senate at the end of his term in 2014. Senator Johnson has been a strong advocate for South Dakotans and America’s farm families. Democrats and the DSCC are committed to holding Senator Johnson’s seat next year and will devote all of the resources necessary to elect a new Democratic senator in South Dakota. Recent polls have shown that Democrats are in a strong position to hold the seat. This is another state where a likely divisive Republican primary could force the eventual nominee to the far right. A Tea Party group, the Senate Conservatives Fund, has already pledged to support a Tea Party candidate to take on the GOP establishment candidate, former Governor Mike Rounds.

This week Sen. Johnson, politely reminded South Dakota voters to ignore a corporate-oriented Beltway jackass and get behind Weiland.

It was almost 28 years ago that I announced my candidacy for South Dakota's only seat in the U.S House of Representatives. One year away from completing my third term in the US Senate, there remains one piece of unfinished business-- who will replace me.

I am proud to support Rick Weiland for Senate.

Most pundits believe that former Republican Governor Mike Rounds is a virtual cinch. Just like my first opponent Dale Bell was in 1986, just as Senator Larry Pressler was in 1996, just as Congressman John Thune was in 2002. But the pundits were wrong in all three of those races, and I believe they will be wrong in 2014 once again.

I've known Rick Weiland and his family for decades, starting when he was a student at USD, and got to know him better during the fifteen years that he spent working as a top aide to Tom Daschle. He is smart, hard-working, and perhaps most important, unafraid to take on the powerful special interests that have far too much influence in Washington, D.C.

I believe that folks are ready for a new direction in this country, one that places a much higher priority on addressing the needs of everyday people, rather than the greed of special interests.

Trust me, we can win this race. We MUST win this race. And with your help, we will.

Sounds like he was aiming that right at the tone-deaf Bennet. Meanwhile, Weiland hasn't been losing any sleep over Beltway machinations. He's been taking it to the people of South Dakota directly, working to visit every one of South Dakota's 311 communities over this year. Earlier this summer I found an article by Emily Niebrugge in the Yankton News about his visit there.

Weiland visited Yankton Thursday afternoon at Yesterday’s Cafe as part of a day-long listening tour.

“If there’s one thing we could do to take our country back, it would be to drive big money into the black hole that it crawled out of when it took our country away from us,” he told those in attendance.

Weiland said his message is not a Democratic or Republican message, but an honest message that he has seen people respond to during his campaign.

“I’m still talking about big money, and I’m going to keep talking about big money throughout this entire campaign,” he said. “Big money writes our energy policy in this country, it writes our farm policy in this country, it writes our healthcare policy in this country and it’s got a grip on our government and it’s ruining our country.”

The message is fueling Weiland’s “Take it Back” outreach program, which is taking him to the South Dakota communities.

“I’ve decided to spend 80 percent of my time on the road talking to people,” Weiland said.

During the next few months, Weiland is hoping to travel to more than 100 communities and hold more 57 meetings like the one held in Yankton. Earlier on Thursday, Weiland visited Irene, Centerville, Beresford, Canton and Alcester.

“A lot of this work is walking up and down the main streets and talking to shoppers and storefront owners, and then we’re having our meetings,” Weiland said. “When people run for government, run for Congress, run for the United States Senate, because of these extensive campaigns, they have to raise millions of dollars. ... Where’s the money coming from? Why does General Electric pay very little in taxes and have 600 tax attorneys on its payroll working the halls of Capitol Hill?”

During Thursday’s meeting, Weiland also addressed the issues of healthcare, maintaining a highway program in South Dakota, alternative energy and a national energy policy, ethanol and Big Oil, student loans and reforming the tax code.

Weiland said he is receiving push-back on the Affordable Care Act and knows it’s not perfect. But he said he does like the fact that young adults can stay on their family’s health insurance policy until they are age 26.

He also likes the fact that pre-existing conditions can no longer be used to deny health insurance coverage, along with the fact that lifetime caps have been lifted on medical expenses.

His main concern, he said, lies in the number of people who do not have insurance.

“At times, we’ve had anywhere between 40 and 50 million people in this country without healthcare,” Weiland said. “They still get sick, and when they get sick they end up going to the emergency room.

“When you go to the emergency room, that’s the most expensive healthcare you can use and not pay for. When you are going into the emergency room because you don’t have any insurance, and you’re getting healthcare and you’re not paying for it, what’s the hospital going to do? They’re going to pass it on.

“That’s really unfair to all of us who have private insurance. That happens all the time. We have to figure out how to take care of those folks in the middle.” Weiland also suggested allowing more people to buy into the Medicare program to aid with the nation’s healthcare problems.

“You’re going to pay with Obamacare, you’re going to have to pay an insurance company a premium, or you could have it taken out of your check and have the same healthcare that 65-70 of the people in this room have. What would be so bad about that?” he asked the Yankton audience.

“Big insurance didn’t want that to happen. There’s no money in that. They want to insure young people, because they don’t get sick, and that’s how the Affordable Care Act works. You have to get everybody into the system."

...Ultimately, Weiland said his devotion will be to the people of South Dakota and not to big business or special interests.

“I need to be accountable to the people of South Dakota,” he said. “If the people who come to me fall into the category of big business or special interest, there’s the door. If we can get big money out of politics, they aren’t going to have that access.

“That’s why this grass roots campaign is so important at this time in our political system. We need to get back to the grass roots. We need to have more meetings like this. This will make a difference.”

Meanwhile, the NRSC recruit, former Governor Mike Rounds, has been rejected by the Tea Party and will have at least two primary opponents, including far right extremist Stace Nelson, a state Rep who famously described himself as "probably the most conservative elected official in the state of South Dakota." Rounds is conservative. Nelson is a hard core reactionary or, less politely, a neo-fascist. Even the South Dakota GOP tossed him out of the party for a spell! That's going to be a fun primary to watch!

Will Michael Bennet Be As Bad At The DSCC As Steve Israel Has Been At The DCCC? Take South Dakota...

US Attorney Brendan Johnson-- Michael Bennet forced him out of the race

Anna Madsen is a progressive theologian from Sioux Falls, South Dakota. She's also a trusted Daily Kos blogger who understands the difference between a real Democrat and a side of bacon. In March we talked about why reactionary Blue Dog Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, would be a disaster for the Democrats if she runs for the South Dakota Senate Seat Tim Johnson is giving up next year-- a disaster whether she wins or, more likely, loses. This week, Anna explained it from the perspective of a Democrat living in South Dakota-- and I highly recommend that you read her entire post, since these excerpts strip out the poetry.

I know that South Dakota is predominantly Republican.

I know that often, Stephanie Herseth Sandlin voted Democratic.

But I also know that on the big issues, on issues central to the Democratic party, on the no-thank-you-we-don’t-eat-that issues, she voted with the Republicans.

  South Dakota Democrats, please do not forget:

Stephanie Herseth Sandlin voted for a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage in 2004, a position which was discriminatory then and, by looking at national trends, is considered regressive now.

Stephanie Herseth Sandlin voted against the Affordable Care Act of 2009, a bill overwhelmingly supported by the Democrats, rallied for by President Obama, and which protects the most vulnerable of our society (and, keep in mind, any one of us can become vulnerable in this way at any sudden moment). All the while, she had health insurance paid for by the very ones who could not afford it for themselves, and against whom she was voting.

Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (was the sole Democrat who) voted nay in 2009 to a bill that protected consumers from credit card companies’ abusive and regressive policies against which customers had no recourse.

Stephanie Herseth Sandlin voted against extending unemployment benefits for those deeply hurting in the economy of 2010.

Stephanie Herseth Sandlin voted against the Energy bill of 2010, which would have allowed for higher safety standards for off-shore drilling, removed a liability cap for oil companies, and boosted solar and wind power on federal land (to name a few benefits of the bill).

Stephanie Herseth Sandlin signed a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in 2010 insisting that Bush’s tax breaks for the wealthy be extended.

But reports from Inside the Beltway are that conservative corporate whore Michael Bennet, who has taken over the DSCC chair from the startlingly successful Patty Murray and is likely to fail as gigantically as she succeeded, is adamant that the DSCC get behind Herseth Sandlin, a kindred spirit, while many DSCC staffers are expressing a preference for Johnson's son, Brendan, South Dakota's U.S. Attorney. Brendan Johnson is a regular, normal Democrat, not a Republican calling himself one like Herseth Sandlin. Did I mention she' was one of the most lock-step NRA shills in Congress?

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) is already working behind the scenes to brush aside Brendan Johnson, son of Senator Tim Johnson, in favor of former U.S. Representative Stephanie Herseth Sandlin... Herseth Sandlin is probably more conservative than half the Republicans currently in the U.S. Senate... The Republican Party of South Dakota might actually have a hard time finding a more philosophically solid conservative candidate.

Because of his job as U.S. Attorney, the younger Johnson can't discuss politics. Ryan Casey, chairman of the Lincoln County Democratic Party, is spearheading a Draft Brendan Johnson drive. Six other county Democratic party chairmen have signed onto the effort, remembering all too well what a disaster Herseth Sandlin was for South Dakota working families. Early today Rick Weiland, a former Tom Daschle aide, semi-officially threw his hat into the ring, amid reports that Brendan Johnson isn't going to do it.

“Brendan and I have had some pretty serious conversations about this,” Weiland said. “He’s focused on his job. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t feel that Brendan (wasn’t) going to get into this race.”

Meanwhile Ryan Casey, who led the “Draft Brendan Johnson” movement, related a similar conversation he had with Johnson on Tuesday.

“He informed me that he was going to continue to focus on his responsibilities as U.S. Attorney,” Casey said. “I’m pretty certain at this point that Brendan won’t enter the race for U.S. Senate.”

Casey said he’s now supporting Weiland, and sent an email to “Draft Brendan” backers urging them to do the same.

Far Right Democrat Stephanie Herseth Sandlin Is Lusting For A DC Comeback

The shady lobbyist husband wants the shady wife politician back in Congress

Blue Dogs like to say they're "just" fiscal conservatives. They are fiscal conservatives and almost always vote against economic justice, against the interests of working families and in the interests of the Wall Street banksters and corporations that subsidize their cushy careers. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin was a 3 term Rep from South Dakota and Blue Dog chairman until she was defeated, 48.1% to 45.9%, in the Great Blue Dog Apocalypse of 2010. She managed to amass one of the most right-wing voting records of any Democrat in Congress-- and not just on fiscal conservatism. She could almost always be counted on to back the Republicans on nearly their entire reactionary agenda. Let's take LGBT equality, since it's so much in the news lately. She's wasn't just against equality. There is no other way to describe Stephanie Herseth Sandlin than as a vicious homophobic bigot and hatemonger and dedicated, gratuitous enemy of LGBT families.

In September, 2004, soon after Herseth was elected to Congress, the Republicans proposed a Constitutional Amendment to prevent gays and lesbians from ever marrying anywhere inside the United States, regardless of what any states decided. It failed to get a 2/3s majority in the House but did "well," 227-186. 191 Republicans voted for it and 27 Republicans voted against it. 158 Democrats (+ Independent Bernie Sanders) voted against it and 36 Democrats voted with the GOP majority. Herseth was one of them, of course. Almost all of the Democratic bigots and hatemongers who voted for the amendment that day have since been defeated or otherwise driven out of politics, some in primaries, some in general elections and at least one so he could serve time in prison on bribery charges, conservatism and corruption being historically inseparable.

The only Democrats still serving in Congress today who voted for the Anti-Gay Constitutional Amendment are Sanford Bishop (Blue Dog-GA), Jim Cooper (Blue Dog/New Dem-TN), Jim Matheson (Blue Dog-UT), Mike McIntyre (Blue Dog-NC), Collin Peterson (Blue Dog-MN), Nick Rahall (WV), David Scott (Blue Dog/New Dem-GA), and Bennie Thompson (MS). The rest no longer have political careers (unless you consider lobbying a political career). At the time Herseth was quoted by the Associated Press as saying that "I agree with the President [George W. Bush] on this issue. Marriage should be between a man and a woman."

And the Republicans and their allies didn't give up in 2004. Two years later, hatemonger Marilyn Musgrave (R-CO) was back with another constitutional amendment to ban marriage equality. Herseth was still waving her "I Hate Homos" flag from the backbenches and was one of 27 Democrats-- again almost all Blue Dogs who, like herself, went on to defeat at the hands of grassroots Democrats unwilling to bother voting for reactionaries in 2010.

Of course, it's not just on equality that Herseth Sandlin is unqualified to run for office as a Democrat. She worked with the GOP to try to sabotage both health care reform and environmental legislation, voting against both the Affordable Care Act and Cap-and-Trade, and she was a shill for the NRA the entire time she served in the House. They gave her $5,000 during her 2004 campaign and supported her with hefty contributions against Republicans every time she ran. Besides giving her money flat out, the NRA Political Victory Fund endorsed her and spent $16,889 in 2010 on independent expenditures for her. Yesterday Greg Sargent did a column about wealthy Democratic donors who have had it with NRA shills like Herseth Sandlin and would no longer contribute to their campaigns. Kenneth Lerer of NY and David Bohnett of L.A. are done being suckered by right-wing, pro-NRA Democrats and the money faucet is shut. Hopefully, they're both savvy enough to figure out when they donate to the DSCC and the DNC that money goes right into the campaigns of faithless Democrats like Herseth Sandlin. Last year alone, Bohnett contributed $219,500 to Democratic candidates and PACs. In the same period Lerer gave over $80,000, including $30,800 to the DNC.

Normal Democrats in South Dakota, including several county chairmen, are circulating a petition to draft U.S. Attorney Brendan Johnson, the son of Senator Tim Johnson, who's stepping down, well aware that Herseth Sandlin is a proven loser who, as a candidate, will simply hand the Senate seat over to the GOP.

We believe that South Dakota needs someone in the U.S. Senate who will continue and expand upon Sen. Tim Johnson’s record of fighting for everyday people in Congress – even when that means standing up to big health insurance companies, Wall Street executives, Ag corporations, and oil tycoons.

We need a senator who will stand up for core Democratic values-- someone we can rely on to do the right thing without fear, especially when it comes to fighting for people who work for a living.

We need someone who believes that the role of government is to help people, and who is not afraid to ask the rich to pay their fair share. Someone who will make smart investments in our future and grow the middle class.

We believe Brendan Johnson should run for Senate.

As South Dakota’s U.S. Attorney, Brendan is our state's chief federal law enforcement officer. He has used that power to fight for the little guy.

Under Brendan Johnson’s leadership, South Dakota is the national leader in cracking down on deadbeat dads-- with over 50 percent of the nation's total federal prosecutions happening in South Dakota. Brendan Johnson was named 2013 Prosecutor of the Year by groups combating violence against women. And Johnson has played a national role in fighting on behalf of Native Americans.

Is Tim Johnson's Retirement A Disaster For The Democrats' Chance To Hold The Majority In The Senate?

Last cycle at this time, no one really thought the retirement of Kent Conrad from the Democratic Senate seat in North Dakota-- a state McCain won with 53% and Romney won with 58%-- would lead to a new Democratic freshman, Heidi Heitkamp. But while Obama's 124,966 votes yielded him 38%, Heitkamp squeaked past Rick Berg 160,752 to 157,758. It was one of the cycle's most stunning results.

In 2008 South Dakota had the same results as North Dakota-- McCain 53%, Obama 45%. In 2012, Obama did marginally better in South Dakota than North Dakota-- 40% as opposed to 38%. But Tim Johnson's announcement this week that he would not seek a 4th Senate term-- which was not totally unexpected-- still comes as a blow to a DSCC that has to defend an awful lot of seats in states Romney won last year, and is now looking at a 5th incumbent retiring.

The two obvious choices South Dakota-- and DC-- Democrats having been talking about to replace Johnson are Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, the former Blue Dog chairwoman who was ignominiously defeated in the 2010 Great Blue Dog Apocalypse, or Johnson's son, U.S. Attorney Brendan Johnson, purportedly a progressive. I first heard that Johnson's son might challenge Herseth Sandlin-- who is dying to get back into politics-- from astute Rapid City Journal political columnist Kevin Woster earlier this month:

Maybe the whole nepotism thing is a big deal. But I tend to think most voters, outside the hard Republican core, would look at Brendan Johnson, if he decided to run, for what he is: a bright, charismatic lawyer with astute political instincts.

He's also a guy who is meticulous about returning his phone calls, even if he can't say much. Funny, you could say much the same about Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, too. Not the returning-phone-calls thing. She's never been very good at that. Or the charismatic thing, either.

SHS isn't nearly as comfortable in conversation, particularly when it involves news reporters' questions,  as Brendan Johnson. He has a compelling mix of his mother's charm and his dad's steely determination.

Herseth Sandlin often comes off as guarded and self protective, in part because you get that way trying to survive as a statewide-elected Democratic in a Republican-leaning state. She's been there, done that, and knows how dicey it is.

She is, however, very bright, and she also has an astute sense of politics, even though she lost touch with a liberal wing that had grown unreasonable in its expectations.

SHS also has a history of winning. And her general political philosophy-- close on most issues to most South Dakotans-- makes her a candidate with a strong reach across independents and into moderate Republicans.

If she can hold on to those pesky liberals in her own party.

Republicans would have us believe that these two Democrats can't stand each other, and that there's a war between the SHS camp and the Johnson camp. They're not drinking buddies, for sure. But a war?

I haven't seen it yet. Maybe I'm too dense, or two focused on the Summit League tourney this weekend or the late-winter hatch on Rapid Creek. (Can you blame me?)

There certainly is some level of competition going on. Maybe even some bristly feelings. But given the state of the Democratic Party in South Dakota, I'd think they'd be celebrating the notion of two competitive candidates lining up for a run.

I also understand why they fear a potentially divisive primary, and why Republicans revel in that thought. It seems like SHS, with her experience and personal connections, would make the most sense from a party perspective to run for the Senate seat in 2014 if Tim Johnson declines.

I have no idea what she's thinking. She's not calling me back, you know. I don't have any more idea what Brendan Johnson is thinking, even though he is calling me back.

Johnson's son, of course, has no voting record to defend. Herseth Sandlin amassed one of the most Republican voting records of any Democrat in Congress during her 6 years in Washington. Although she's probably best known for her vote against healthcare reform, her record is generally abysmal for a Democrat-- anti-gay, anti-environment, and a warmonger... with an A from NRA (and a 92% lifetime score from their PAC) and a rating of ZERO from the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. And, of course, she was a corporate shill and anti-working family fanatic the whole time she was in Congress. She was 100% in the pocket of the banksters while she served. Her husband, Max Sandlin, a former Texas congressman and another piece of Blue Dog garbage, was defeated by Louie Gohmert and immediately went to work as a lobbyist.

The Hill reported a prediction that Herseth Sandlin and Johnson's son won't run against each other in a primary.

An official with the South Dakota Democratic Party predicted that Sandlin and Johnson’s son would not compete against each other in the primary.

The official, who did not speak for attribution because the senator has not publicly announced a decision, said one of the candidates would likely forgo a Senate race and run for either the House or the governor’s office in 2014.

“I don’t think we’ll have a primary,” the official said, while declining to speculate on which candidate would enter the Senate race.

Blue America Welcomes Dr. David Gill (D-IL)

Blue America was the first national group to endorse Ilya Sheyman and we were sad that the DCCC and other DC conservatives were able beat him in the primary last month. But we were as happy as can be that just to the southeast of his district, another outstanding movement progressive, Dr. David Gill, turned back those same forces and triumphed the same night that Ilya faltered. Hopefully Ilya will run again and win-- and be greeted on the steps of Congress by David Gill, who has run several times already. Sometimes, as we saw with Donna Edwards and Alan Grayson, it takes more than one try.

Illinois' newly redrawn 13th congressional district is very different from the one Dr. Gill has run in previously. It's a D+1 district that voted for Obama by 11 points. But his opponent, conservative Republican Tim Johnson, David told us, "is still voting like he’s in his old 60-40 Republican district. He’s now voted for the extreme Ryan plan to end Medicare twice. He refused last summer to vote to raise the debt ceiling, an action that was necessary because of his votes for Bush’s wars and tax cuts for the rich. He’s been in Congress for six terms and he’s a 40-year politician. He’s out of touch with the district."

David is a 20 year member of Physicians For a Single Health Payer Plan. "I became interested in running because of what I see on a daily basis in the health care industry as an ER doctor. We have a two-tiered system of access to healthcare in America and, frankly, the American health care system is failing a lot of people." But if health care was got him interested in running originally, he's as far from a one-issue candidate as you'll find.

"Health care is one symptom of many. There are many areas impacted by our corporate governance. Retirement security, jobs, healthcare, education and restoring the health of our planet are all areas where private interests are trumping the public good in Congress. People get to Washington, spend too much time around corporate lobbyists and suddenly forget that Social Security is in better financial health than the Federal budget that’s been decimated by Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest. They forget that Climate Change is the biggest crisis we are facing today, not the deficit. They forget that we have a jobs crisis to fix. They’ve forgotten that government should be working to solve problems for regular people."

David will be joining us for a live chat at Crooks and Liars today at 1pm (CT), 11am on the West Coast. He's a fighter for all the values and all the principles Blue America stands for. Congress will be a far better place if he's elected. Please consider helping him replace Tim Johnson with a contribution to his campaign.

And David was an outspoken opponent of the war in Iraq. He's also opposed to the continued occupation of Afghanistan. "I’ve come to the realization the past few years that our presence in Afghanistan has outlived its usefulness. It’s time to end our mission there and get our troops out of harm’s way as soon as possible."

He can win this race and bring a healthy dose of Prairie State populism to Washington. Although the corrupt Illinois Machine is still unreconciled to his victory over their candidate, last week a former area congressman and member of the Progressive Caucus, Phil Hare, gave him a ringing endorsement.

"I support David Gill because I know he will have the courage to stand up to Wall Street and fight for middle-class Illinoisans everyday. David will make sure millionaires pay their fair share and he'll be a strong voice for working men and women in the progressive tradition of my friend (and former boss) Lane Evans.

David Gill knows what it's like to roll up your sleeves and work hard. He comes from a working-class family. When his father died, David started working as a dishwasher at 13 to help support his family. David worked stocking shelves to pay his way through college at U of I. He mopped floors at a laundromat in the middle of the night to put himself through medical school.

I trust David to be a passionate voice for middle-class people. I know David will protect the rights of workers. And who better than an ER doctor like David Gill to block the Republicans’ attempts to end Medicare as we know it? The bottom line is this: Illinois families need David Gill in Congress."

David just defeated a DCCC and New Democrat-backed congressional challenger who outspent him 5-1. He ran a strictly grassroots, people-powered campaign and he won without compromising his progressive values. as you can see in the video above. "I was willing to stand up and fight back against the Republican War on Women and special interest-domination of Congress and the residents of IL-13 responded and were willing to put their trust in me."

Let's make sure the primary victory turns into a big win in November. Please consider giving what you can.

How's David Gill And The Ladies?

The Blue America live guest at Crooks and Liars tomorrow is Dr. David Gill, the super-progressive prairie populist who just won a tough primary battle in central Illinois against a Machine-backed corporate conservative. Now he has to face another conservative, this time a crusty old Republican, Tim Johnson. This isn't the first time David has run against Johnson. But it's the first time they're running in an evenly matched district. In the previous races it was a 60-40 GOP district. After the recent redistricting it leans blue by one point. And Dr. Gill isn't just some garden variety Democrat. Wait 'til you meet him at C&L on Tuesday!

Actually... don't wait. Someone asked him why he keeps running. I liked his explanation. I think you will too.

"I do this for Charlotte. And I do it for her daughter, her granddaughters and her great-granddaughters.

Charlotte sent me a letter with her story and a modest contribution on March 13. She told me she had been a rape victim as a teenager. She didn't have access to emergency contraception. Abortion services weren't safe and legal. She was fortunate to find a courageous doctor.

Now, Charlotte is 80 and she never wants any American woman to face the lack of health care options she faced.

The Republican War on Women is an attempt to roll back our nation to the 1940s. As an emergency physician, I've seen first-hand what happens when women and girls don't have safe reproductive health options.

My position is clear and simple. I am 100% pro-choice. I support access to emergency contraception for all women who need it. I believe that insurance plans should be required to cover birth control, just as they cover diabetes medications or blood pressure pills.

Some have suggested that it's time to move on and stop talking about these issues, now that I have won the Primary.

I disagree. As you can see from this video clip from the MoveOn rally in Springfield a few days ago, I'm still speaking out.

My opponent six-term incumbent Congressman Tim Johnson and his colleagues in Washington are endangering the lives of American women with their extreme views.

Tim Johnson isn't consistent on much, but he has remained steadfast in opposing critical health services for women. He wants to cut access to reproductive services. He is against women making their own choices about their own bodies. He wants to limit access to birth control for millions of American women. I refuse to let Tim Johnson and his conservative friends win this war that they started. 

...I'm focused on the fight to defeat Tim Johnson and the dangerous conservative movement that is seeking to roll back women's rights 50 years.

Dr. Gill is asking progressives to contribute to his campaign for a simple reason-- for 80-year old Charlotte and for the millions of other women who remember what it was like before they had access to safe and legal reproductive health services. You can do it here at the Blue America ActBlue page, where David is the newest addition.

ONCE A BIG GOP TARGET, THE REPUBLICANS HAVE GIVEN UP EVEN TRYING TO FIND A CREDIBLE OPPONENT FOR TIM JOHNSON

Last week, we saw that reactionary Arkansas Democrat, who votes more frequently with the GOP than almost any other Democrat, is a safe bet for re-election. Not only is no real Democrat challenging him in a primary; no actual Republican is either. Of the 4 Democrats who most consistently rubber stamp the Bush agenda even more than Pryor (Evan Bayh, Mary Landrieu, Ben Nelson and Tim Johnson), one, Tim Johnson of South Dakota, was also handed some good news this week: no real opponent.

At one time Johnson was at the top of the Republican hit list-- along with Mary Landrieu (ironic how they go after the ones who are most like themselves and vote against progressive values and principles most often)--  but the GOP has pretty much given up on the South Dakota seat, even though it is a basically red state.

Republican hopes of recruiting a top-tier challenger to South Dakota Democratic Sen. Tim Johnson appear to have hit a dead end with former Lt. Gov. Steve Kirby’s recently announced decision to forgo the campaign. With Johnson already enjoying widespread public sympathy for his comeback from the near-fatal brain hemorrhage he suffered in December 2006, CQ Politics has changed its rating on his race for a third term to Safe Democrat from Democrat Favored.

...[N]one of the four candidates who have stated intentions to run for this year’s Republican Senate nomination appears at this point to have the political and fundraising clout to provide a serious threat to unseat Johnson.

The GOP contenders are state Rep. Joel Dykstra; businessman Sam Kephart; Bert Tollefson, a retired real estate broker whose past bids for public office include finishing last with 1 percent of the vote in the state’s five-candidate 2002 Republican U.S. House primary; and Charles Lyonel Gonyo, a political newcomer who is the only Republican who has filed for the race with South Dakota’s Secretary of State.

And here I was, hoping that South Dakota Republican superstar former-state Rep. Ted Klaudt would get out their and defend the whole Bush agenda and the whole GOP Family Values hypocrisy, campaigning from his prison cell. Ted couldn't be reached for comment but his latest tussle with the Justice system will keep him too busy to run against Johnson in November. That damned foster daughter he raped is suing him-- even though he apologized!

As for Johnson, it's not easy to judge his voting record because his hospitalization has caused him to miss almost as many votes as John McCain. However, on the roll calls he was there for, it's a pretty bleak picture. Take Iraq, for example. Starting with his decision to rubber stamp Bush's attack on Iraq in the 6 fateful October 10-11, 2002 votes for the authorization to use force-- Johnson voted with the GOP on all 6 role calls-- there have been 49 votes regarding Iraq. His hospitalization caused him to miss 14. That leaves 35. Johnson voted with the GOP 10 times. Still, despite his abysmal ratings-- impacted by his illness-- he doesn't to be as reactionary as Pryor, Landrieu, Bayh and Nelson; probably just a cautious red state moderate. Progressives in South Dakota might as well vote for him.