Thursday, October 16, 2008

Extra, extra, read all about it: Jim Himes takes the lead over Chris Shays's sad carcass in CT-04. PLUS: A wingnut outrage you won't believe in NC-05

>

by Ken

You know Howie well enough to know that even when he's traveling on business, as long as he has any access to information, he keeps an eye on political news. And he's just passed on a big breaking news story:

In a new SurveyUSA poll in this morning's edition of Roll Call, a poll taken Oct. 13-14 among likely voters shows outstanding Democratic challenger Jim Himes taking the lead over the entrenched once-moderate Republican incumbent Christopher Shays:

Jim Himes (D): 48 percent
Chris Shays (R): 45 percent


To me, Shays is one of the sadder spectacles in present-day politics. He's a guy who could once lay claim to being a moderate, a pol of genuine character. But he stood on the sidelines as his party moved farther and farther to the right, to the edge of its flat earth, and when the Bush regime issued its demand for unwavering party-line obedience, he knuckled under without an audible whimper. In fact, faced with the need to justify his appalling voting record, he increasingly sounded pretty nutty himself.

By the last election New England had of course become hostile territory for Bush-rubber-stamping Republicans, but Shays managed to survive. Apparently the home folks are sometimes the last to get the message, as seems to be happening in Maine, where Sen. Susan Collins has spent the Bush years cringing in cowardly acquiescence but seems still able to persuade her constituents that she is some sort of maverick, even in the face of as outstanding (and trustworthy) a candidate as Rep. Tom Allen.

A couple of days ago we had news that one of our favorite candidates, Darcy Burner, whom we expect to see become a progressive force in the House, has finally taken a lead over her rubber-stamp opponent Dave Reichert in Washington's 8th District. If Reichert's and Shays's constituents are finally getting the message, can Senator Susie's be far behind?

It goes without saying -- but we're going to say it anyway -- that you can contribute to the campaigns of Jim Himes and Tom Allen and Darcy Burner and the rest of our "better Democrats" on the Blue America page. It's looking like now you can make those contributions pay off more than ever.


WHILE WE'RE ON THE SUBJECT, CHECK OUT THIS AD
FOR DEM CHALLENGER ROY CARTER IN NC-05


Here's another pass-along from Howie. In NC-05, Roy Carter is challenging Virginia Foxx, whom Howie describes as "a horrible witch and one of the half dozen most extreme members of Congress." The campaign is now circulating this ad:



Summer Lipford is a Gold Star mom from NC.

Her son was killed in Iraq. When he died, Summer contacted Rep. Foxx's office for help with transportation to the memorial ceremony at Ft. Benning.

Foxx never called her back and Summer was never able to afford to attend her son's own ceremony.

Summer ran into two of Foxx's staffers at a couple months later in her hometown. She asked them, "Why has Foxx never called me back, or answered my letters?"

They replied, "Why are you so special that our Congresswoman should talk to you?"

Summer then said, "Because my son was killed in a war she voted for."

One Foxx staffer snapped back, "Well he volunteered for the war didn't he?" And the other one piled on, "Yeah and he was getting paid over there, so what's the problem?"

Yeah, what's the problem?

Besides, don't you know you have to be really "special" to be worthy of your congressmember's attention?


UPDATE: FOR MORE INFO ON THE ROY CARTER NC-05 AD --

Check out Bruce's comment in the comments section. And for more information on the NC-05 race, check out the Roy Carter for Congress website.
#

Labels: , , , , , , ,

7 Comments:

At 11:39 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Re: Foxx: Holy crap. I always knew that repubs tend to be heartless assholes, but even I didn't expect them to be so blatant about it.

 
At 11:50 AM, Blogger DownWithTyranny said...

Not one Republican should be left standing after November-- not one... not anywhere; not even in Utah.

 
At 11:53 AM, Blogger Bruce said...

Last night, I went to see the debate at Krankies Coffee House in Winston-Salem, NC where a large chunk of NC-05 is located. There, I met the very talented Frank Eaton who created the ad you have included in this piece. He ran the ad before the debate and mentioned that Rep. Foxx has $150,000 still in her coffers for negative ad buys against Roy Carter. Needless to say, she will use it in retaliation when/if this ad runs. Carter is underfunded compared to her and she will make every attempt to bury him. They are both about even in today's polling, but money talks. A visit to RoyCarterforCongress.com will provide you with more info on a man who would be an improvement to say the least. Howie's description of her as a "horrible witch" is tame compared to the full truth. There's an opportunity to clean up a real stench in NC-05.

 
At 1:15 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Here's the plan: Obama in the White House, Pelosi and Reid in the House and Senate. Reinstate the Fairness Doctrine, so we shut up the Rushes and Hannitys once and for all. Then we overturn 22nd Amendment so Obama can get re-elected, again and again. He's young, he'll be in there a looong time. Before you know it, the last remaining conservatives on the Supreme Court will retire, and then we can pack the court with liberals. One-party state, now and forever! Come on, if you can dream it, we can have it!

 
At 2:24 PM, Blogger 333 said...

I would like to point out that I lived in NC for 10 years. My friend, Charles Merrill lived in NC, in the same town as I for many years until approximately 2005. There are parts of NC that are just too dangerous for gays or non-Protestants, including blacks and hispanics.

I would like to proudly say, that after visiting my old hometown of Greensboro, N.C., and after having followed the Governor's motorcade 1 car behind the NC Trooper, from Charlotte to Greensboro a few days before the Obama Rally, Obama has it close to wrapped up there.

People have turned from RED to CAROLINA BLUE, the yard signs make that clear. Keep it up Carolinans... With your vote, we don't need Florida!

C3

 
At 5:44 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Living with Virginia Foxx as my so-called representative has been an embarassment. Her adoration of all things Bush and her failure to serve the people who elected her make her the worst representative I have ever had in all five states where I have lived. Her abuse of franking privileges (taxpayer paid mailings) to forward her own agenda at the expense of taxpayers is outrageous. Her failure to support SCHIP, Katrina victims, body armor for Iraq soldiers...what more can I say? Roy Carter will put people before politics. His fresh, non-political attitude will support the middle class he springs from. Hopefully his strength of character will overcome Virginia Foxx's cronyism and big business supporters. Please, please send her home, North Carolina!

 
At 2:17 PM, Blogger brushfire said...

Virginia Foxx is genuinely hated by nearly everyone who has ever had to work with her. She is insensitive and mean. The only people represents are the ones who donate big bucks to her campaign.

 

Post a Comment

<< Home