2008 Senate

Mark Begich Beats Ted Stevens

Bob Fertik — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 22:02:01 -0500

MSNBC has called it:

WASHINGTON - Convicted Sen. Ted Stevens lost his re-election bid to Democrat Mark Begich after the last large batch of votes was counted Tuesday.

The longest-serving Republican in the history of the Senate trailed Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich by 3,724 votes after Tuesday's count.

That's an insurmountable lead with only about 2,500 overseas ballots left to be counted.

Jon Stewart did a great segment explaining why it took so long to count Alaska's votes, even though its population is tiny.

Congratulations Senator Mark Begich!!

Auto Industry Bailout

music8200 — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 00:54:07 -0500

Congress will take up the Auto Industry Bailout when they re-convene this week. There is no better time than this moment to PUSH for concessions from the Auto Industry. Time is short. Democrat.com, can you help us act NOW? Here's a copy of a letter I just mailed to Speaker Pelosi: Dear Madam Speaker,

Please make the FLEXFUEL component a MANDATORY requirement for any Auto Industry bailout.
IT ONLY COSTS $100 to install this component on a vehicle during the manufacturing process. The only EPA approved retrofit costs $1300. All cars sold in Brazil are flexfuel ready. All cars that GM sells in Brazil are flexfuel compatible. There is no excuse and there should be no delay in making all cars sold in America flexfuel capable.
THIS IS THE QUICKEST CHEAPEST EASIEST WAY to make rapid reductions in our foreign oil imports.
If ALL cars sold in the US were Flexfuel compatible, alternative fuel manufacturers would gear up without the need for incentives because they would know they have a market for their fuel products.
THEN please help remove the $0.54 a gallon tariff on imported ethanol. That would allow foreign ethanol products to compete in the American market. The American consumer would benefit. We could even lift the economies of Third World Countries by contracting them to grow switchgrass or sugarcane for ethanol fuel.
Ultimately, let's provide incentives for the production of flexfuel plug-in hybrids. These cars would get 500 MILES ON A GALLON OF GASOLINE! We would never need OPEC oil ever again! Perhaps no imported oil at all.
PLEASE PLEASE make the flexfuel component a MANDATORY part of any Automobile Industry Bailout.
If you want good references on this topic, read the testimony of Anne Korin (of the Institute for the Analysis of Global Security) before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs of May 22, 2008:http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/110/kor052208.htm(see in particular the section entitled "17x17")
read R. James Woolsey (former director of the CIA) and Anne Korin's article in the National Review:http://energy.nationalreview.com/post/?q=OTlmMjFjYWRjOWI3ZGI0MzUxZDJjYTBlMmUzOTc2Mzc=
or watch Anne Korin's lecture on CSPAN:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MVwL2PcCG8(highly recommended)
watch Robert Zubrin's FEW Keynote Address:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0O2YZwSkgM
Thank you and your staff for your time and attention,Scott Lawrence

Fun Thoughts: Messin' With Republicans

dlindorff — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 14:55:55 -0400

By Dave Lindorff

A week out from Election Day, with the polls looking pretty good for Barack Obama's election, especially in the Electoral College, focus is shifting to the Senate, where Democrats would need to pick up 10 seats in order to be able to both prevent Republican obstruction via filibuster, and send Connecticut's turncoat Sen. Joe Lieberman into well-deserved oblivion.

Getting to a 10-seat gain may look like long odds, but it occurs to me that this really doesn't matter. In fact, a President Obama could have fun picking off a couple of Republican senators from states that have Democratic governors, by naming them to posts in his administration, thereby simultaneously demonstrating a bi-partisan approach to governance while ensuring solid Democratic control of both houses of Congress. And he could do this without having to name out-of-synch conservatives to any position.

For example, Obama could invite either Sen. Susan Collins or Olympia Snowe, both Republican senators in Maine, to serve in some capacity in the cabinet--perhaps in the role of EPA Administrator or Secretary of the Interior, or as Secretary of Health and Welfare or of Education. Either one would be hard put to turn down that offer, and if accepted, Maine's Democratic governor, John Baldacci, would get to name a replacement, who would be a Democrat.

Oregon Republican Senator Gordon Smith is in a tight race for re-election in that liberal state. If he succeeds in returning to office, Obama could offer him a cabinet post, too--perhaps Secretary of Commerce. Smith has been campaigning almost as an ally of Obama in his effort to defeat Democratic challenger Jeff Merkley, so he'd be an easy fit, and that would give Oregon's Democratic governor, Ted Kulongoski, the chance to name a Democratic replacement--probably Merkley. So everybody (except Senate Republicans) wins!

If still another Democratic Senate seat were needed to hit the magic number of 60 in the next Senate, Obama could find a job for Tennessee's Lamar Alexander, or even Pennsylvania's senior senator Arlen Specter.

Republicans, of course, would be livid if their numbers were pared in this way, but that would be fun to watch. All the named Republican senators above are relatively liberal and have suffered at the hands of their party's conservative majority. Most would probably jump at the chance of a cabinet post.

So if Obama wins next Tuesday, but Democrats fall short in the Senate, look for some entertainment in the coming few months.

________________

DAVE LINDORFF is a Philadelphia-based journalist and columnist. His latest book is "The Case for Impeachment" (St. Martin's Press, 2006 and now available in paperback edition). His work is available at www.thiscantbehappening.net

DEMS UNITE!

redhed67 — Wed, 28 May 2008 07:18:17 -0400

Well, as we all know, election season is once again upon us. Our choices are, as always, a great source of controversy and strife among the American people. This is understandable as not every candidate fits our ideals of the perfect President.

However, I've noticed some very disturbing trends among voters and, most glaringly, the Democrats. Frankly, it's appalling. I can't get through a blog or a chat room without seeing Democrats at each other's throats, each bashing the views and private lives of one another's pick as the Dem candidate.

You know what, people?? Knock it off. I'm not particularly wild about Hillary nor Obama either, to be honest... but all have a common goal here. That goal is to do everything we can to keep the GOP out of the White House.

Haven't the GOP done enough damage already? For the past 7 years, we've been subjected to two recessions, the invasion of a sovereign country with no violent designs on us, over 935 lies from this administration ABOUT IRAQ ALONE, and the blatant trampling of our civil rights such as our privacy with the warrantless surveillance and with free speech with arrests of peacful protestors and even people whose only "crime" was merely wearing an anti-war or anti-Bush T-shirt.

John McCain has stated that he plans on continuing our occupation of Iraq. He has also stated that he not only wants us to stay in Iraq for 100 years, but is already planning on attacking Iran, as he so playfully reiterated in his rousing rendition of the Beach Boys song "Barbara Ann" titled "Bomb Bomb Iran."

Obama and Hillary's ideas are really not so different from one another. They have similiar ideas on health care, Iraq, national security in general, etc. There are subtle nuances that make their plans slightly different but when it comes down to it, one is really just as good as the other.

It's bothersome that people are saying things like "Hillary is a warmonger"... or "Obama is a Muslim sympathizer." These same lines that Rightwingers were using against the two of them just a few short months ago and the Dems were scolding them for, the Dems are now using. I, personally, never chose a particular party with which to label myself. I consider myself an Independent even though I never formally even declared myself as such... and this is why. Both sides seem to go off the deep end when elections come up and I am so disappointed that Dems have allowed themselved to stoop to the level of "The Righties."

I don't like any party spreading lies and innuendo about any candidate, whether he or she be Republican or Democrat. It's juvenile and ignorant. I don't approve of McCain's policies but I'm not going to perpetuate the rumor that he committed treason while in the service. I have no proof that he did. On the same token, I won't perpetuate the rumor that Barack Obama is a Muslim terrorist sympathizer. We have more than ample evidence that he is not.

Let's think about that particular rumor for a moment. George W. Bush has been more in the pocket of Muslim terrorist sympathizers than anyone else. Despite the fact that the Saudis not only have an appalling track record on human rights but they're also funding terrorists and helping to fund the insurgency which is killing our soldiers... Bush calls them "friend." Not only that but he's also given them weapons which are in turn being used against our troops in Iraq.

Same with Pakistan who has openly harbored Al Qaeda and Osama Bin Laden for a couple of decades. Then there's Uzbekistan, a nation with a record of committing unspeakable atrocities against its citizens...again, Bush calls them "friend."

So to say anything about Obama is not only stupid but incredibly hypocritical if you're Bush supporter. If you're a Dem, it's insincere and ridiculous. We need to pull together in these elections this year and vote for whomever the Dem nominee turns out to be, even if we have to hold out collective noses to do it. I know I will. If a GOP president gets in again, I would hate to look back and know that my missing vote helped to get him in.

So come on... remember that common goal we have to do something good for this country and keep the GOP out.

VOTE FOR THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE!!!
_________________
Don't blame this mess on me... I'm an Independent!

Speak Live Tonight With Brad Friedman

davidswanson — Wed, 07 May 2008 10:20:41 -0400

By David Swanson

Tonight, Wednesday, May 7, from 8-9 p.m. ET, I'll have the pleasure of interviewing, with your help, the single most serious, dedicated, and inspiring journalist focused on the integrity of our elections in the United States today, Brad Friedman, the creator of http://www.BradBlog.com

Go to: http://thepeoplespeakradio.net to learn more. Go to http://www.thepeoplespeakradio.net/listen-live to listen live. You'll find instructions there to enter a paltalk chat room where you can post questions. You can also phone in and ask Brad your questions on the air. Call in tollfree from anywhere in the United States or Canada at 888-228-4494 or anywhere else in the world at 877-489-6350. Following the show, the audio file will be posted at http://www.thepeoplespeakradio.net/audio/2008 and you can find there now the recordings of numerous shows with amazing guests.

OR-Sen: Steve Novick releases funny new campaign ad

amgS93 — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 17:37:09 -0500

Steve has launched his first campaign ad, produced by Eichenbaum & Associates (think Russ Feingold's campaign):

Note: Edited by Moderator to remove request for donations.

Maine Senate Candidate Gets More and More Interesting

davidswanson — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 16:53:24 -0500

Of all the November 2008 House and Senate candidates who support impeaching Cheney and Bush in 2008, one of the most interesting is a Senate candidate from the impeachment hotbed of Maine who is also showing leadership on protecting families against predatory lenders. Her name is Laurie Dobson. Check out this statement:

US Senate Candidate Urges Five-Year Moratorium on Home Foreclosures

Kennebunkport’s Laurie Dobson blasts Wall Street greed, proposed Bush solution

(Kennebunkport) US Senate candidate Laurie Dobson of Kennebunkport has proposed an immediate five-year moratorium on all home foreclosures, which she blames on the “reckless and irresponsible financial practices” of predatory mortgage lenders and greedy Wall Street financial firms.

Dobson’s proposed federal law would prohibit any and all foreclosures for the duration of the current world economic crisis. “No foreclosures for any reason, period,” she demanded.

A former Democrat turned Independent, Dobson believes the current subprime mortgage crisis could spawn a repeat of the “Dust Bowl” crisis of the 1930s, depicted in the John Steinbeck novel, The Grapes of Wrath. “In 2008 alone, three to five million American families will face the threat of foreclosure,” she said, with even more at risk in the future. Foreclosures and evictions, already at their highest rates in decades, are about to mushroom, she said. “It’s a potential disaster on the scale of a hundred Katrinas.”

Foreclosure threatens all Mainers, not just cash-strapped homeowners, she insisted. A single foreclosed home, abandoned and neglected, can undermine home prices in an entire neighborhood.

“Americans deserve a government big enough and tough enough to stand up to Wall Street and the hedge fund pirates who caused this mess,” said Dobson, who is challenging Republican Susan Collins and Democrat Tom Allen in next year’s US Senate race. “Collins, Allen and the other current members of Congress haven’t had the guts to do it. That’s why Mainers need a change. We need stronger, more determined leadership.”

A five-year moratorium on foreclosures isn’t a comprehensive solution, Dobson admits, but would give the country time to formulate one. “Congress needs to focus its efforts on helping the average American family, instead of serving only the interests of the rich and powerful, as the Bush Administration has consistently done.”

The White House’s proposed plan would at best help only prime borrowers who have never missed a payment, Dobson insisted, a totally unrealistic pre-condition that would shut out vast numbers of those that need help most.

“Today’s mortgage crisis is the fruit of decades of economic decline in this country. Clever salesmen conned many families by offering adjustable rate mortgages with deceptively low teaser rates to lure them in,” Dobson argued. She calls these ARMs “cynical exercises in consumer fraud,” since many homebuyers could barely afford the initial payments. “After a short honeymoon, the low teaser rate is re-set, sometimes resulting in a 30-50% increase in their monthly payments.”

Protecting homeowners from foreclosure is just one ingredient in Dobson’s plan. She also wants to prevent the financial crisis from shutting down necessary infrastructure, like airlines, railroads, utilities, even factories. “Many industries have collapsed over the last few years, destroying the economic life of their communities. This must stop.”

No family in America should be forced to choose between making their mortgage payment or paying for food, gas, heating, or health care, Dobson concluded. “More than one piece of legislation will be needed to get us out of the coming worldwide hyper-inflationary depression. But a law making all foreclosures a federal crime would be a good place to start. I call on all of Maine’s elected officials in Washington to join with me immediately in making this a reality. Let us take this first step now.”

The Independent candidate’s platform, which can be seen at her website, www.DobsonforSenate.com, has three main planks:

•An immediate end not only to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but what she calls the “policy of perpetual warfare.”
2.

•Impeachment of President Bush and Vice President Cheney and restoration of the rule of law, which Dobson said they have undermined. She also supports repealing the Patriot Act, ending warrantless surveillance, restoring habeas corpus. “It's time to re-establish the Bill of Rights as more important than the whims of any President,” Dobson explained. “It's time to remind Americans that no government official — not even the president or vice president — is above the law.”
3.

•Free medical coverage for all those serving their country and their families. “When we stop spending a trillion dollars a year for war, we will have the money to pay for universal health care.”

For more information, make a donation or become a volunteer, visit www.DobsonforSenate.com.

-END-

Contact: Laurie Dobson, 207-967-0432

Email: Contact@DobsonforSenate.com

2008 Democratic Challengers

Bob Fertik — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 15:32:02 -0400

There are some of the "aggressive progressive" Democratic challengers we're watching. More at AfterDowningStreet.org. Special props to those who attended Netroots Nation in July 2008.

Progressive Democratic PACs (Other Progressive and Democratic PACs)
- BA: BlueAmerica
- BD: BushDemocrats (Democrats.com)
- DFA: Democracy For America
- DWT: Down With Tyranny
- ESC: Eschaton/Atrios
- JSt: JStreet
- MyD: MyDD
- NOW: NOW
- Olbd: OpenLeft Better Democrats
- OtB: Orange to Blue (DailyKos.com - criteria)
- PDA: Progressive Democrats of America
- PEN: People's Email Network
- SNA: SNAPPac/Students for a New American Politics

Progressive Endorsements
- ADS: AfterDowningStreet
- DWT: DownWithTyranny

		Challenger	Incumb	Gen eral	Prim ary	Pac	Out of Iraq	Wiretap	Other
S	AK	Mark Begich	Stevens (R)			BA DWT	"gradual withdrawal"	No
S	ID	Larry LaRocco	open (R)				within 12-14 months	No
S	KY	Greg Fischer	McConnell (R)		5/20 lost	BA	Responsible Plan
S	KY	Bruce Lunsford						No
S	ME	Tom Allen	Collins (R)			BA DWT ESC SNA		No
S	MN	Al Franken	Coleman (R)			OtB SNA
S	NC	Jim Neal	Dole (R)		5/6 lost	BA	ASAP		vs. Primary opponent Kay Hagan: opposed Mukasey opposes telecom immunity supports S-CHIP opposes tax cuts for the rich
S	NE	Scott Kleeb	Johans (R)			ESC
S	NH	Jeanne Shaheen	Sununu (R)			NOW SNA
S	NM	Tom Udall				DWT ESC		No
S	OK	Andrew Rice	Inhofe (R)			BA DWT OtB	ASAP but orderly	No	pro-choice, pro-gun, civil unions, mandatory health insurance
S	OR	Jeff Merkley	Smith (R)		5/20 won!	BA DWT Olbd	now	No	universal health care, stop global warming, restore the Constitution, voter verifiable paper trail
S	OR	Steve Novick	Smith (R)		5/20 lost
S	TX	Rick Noriega	Cornyn (R)			BA DFA DWT OtB		No
H	AL02	Bobby Bright	Everett (R)	won
H	AL03	Josh Segall	Rogers (R)	lost					ePluribus Radio
H	AL05	Parker Griffith	(open-D)	won
H	AK00	Diane Benson	Young (R)		lost	DWT NOW
H	AK00	Ethan Berkowitz	Young (R)
H	AZ01	Howard Shanker	(open)		lost	BA DWT		No	primary v. Ann Kirkpatrick, endorsed by DCCC
H	AZ01	Ann Kirkpatrick	(open)	won
H	AZ03	Bob Lord	Shadegg (R)	lost		DWT OtB
H	CA03	Bill Durston	Lungren (R)			PDA
H	CA04	Charlie Brown	(open)			BA DFA DWT OtB		No
H	CA08	Shirley Golub	Nancy Pelosi (D)		6/3 lost	PEN			Impeach
H	CA16	Cynthia Papermaster	Zoe Lofgren (D)		6/3 lost				Impeach
H	CA24	Mary Pallant	Gallegly (R)		6/3 lost	ADS MyD PDA
H	CA26	Russ Warner	Dreier (R)	lost		BA DWT		No
H	CA42	Ron Shepston	Miller (R)		6/3 lost	BA
H	CA45	Julie Bornstein		lost		BA
H	CA46	Debbie Cook	Rohrabacher (R)	lost		BA DWT	Responsible Plan	No
H	CA48	Steve Young	Campbell (R)			PDA	phased withdrawal
H	CA50	Cheryl Ede	Bilbray (R)		6/3 lost	PDA
H	CA50	Nick Leibham	Bilbray (R)	lost				No
H	CA52	Vickie Butcher	(open)		6/3 lost	PDA	phased withdrawal
H	CA53	Mike Copass	Susan Davis (D)		6/3 lost	PDA	Out-of-Iraq Pledge!		Defend the U.S. Constitution Separation of Corporation and State Repeal NAFTA
H	CO02	Joan Fitz-Gerald	(open)		8/12	PDA NOW
H	CO02	Jared Polis	(open)		8/12		Responsible Plan
H	CO04	Betsy Markey	Musgrave (R)	won		NOW		No
H	CO05	Hal Bidlack	Lamborn (R)				Responsible Plan		25 years as an officer in the United States Air Force, retiring in September, 2006, as a Lt. Colonel.
H	CT04	Jim Himes	Shays (R)	WON		BA DWT ESC SNA		No
H	FL08	Corbett Kroehler	Keller (R)			PDA
H	FL08	Alan Grayson	Keller (R)	WON		BA DWT		No
H	FL10	Samm Simpson	Young (R)			PDA
H	FL12	Doug Tudor	Putnam (R)	lost		DFA DWT	Responsible Plan	No	just retired from the Navy as a chief petty officer and his wife is still on active duty (and deployable)
H	FL15	Bob Bowman	Weldon (R)
H	FL21	Raul Martinez	Diaz-	lost
H	FL18	Annette Taddeo	Ros-Lehtinen (R)	lost		BA DFA DWT	Responsible Plan		FL-18 is the most Democratic leaning (R +4) of the three Miami cuban districts and Annette's campaign is both well-organized and well-funded. Blog 7/23/08
H	FL24	Clint Curtis	Feeney (R)		lost	PDA		No
H	FL24	Suzanne Kosmas	Feeney (R)	won
H	FL25	Joe Garcia	Diaz-Balart (R)	lost		BA DFA DWT OtB		No
H	GA08	Bob Nowak	Jim Marshall (D)					No
H	GA10	Bobby Saxon	Broun (R)						veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan
H	GA12	Regina Thomas	John Barrow (D)		7/15	BA Olbd	"adamantly opposed to the occupation"	No	Barrow voted with Bush on HR 976 SCHIP; S 1927 FISA; HR 2956 Redeploy troops in 120 days; HR 2206 Iraq funding without withdrawal deadlines; HR 1591 Iraq benchmarks and withdrawal deadlines; HR 6 Repeal tax cuts for oil companies. District is 45% African-American and African-Americans are 70% of the voters in Democratic primaries.
H	GA13	Donzella James	David Scott (D)		7/15	ADS	"would vote No on funding occupation"		"supports impeachment" 2006 primary lost 67%-31%
H	IA03	Ed Fallon	Leonard Boswell (D)		6/3 lost	DFA PDA			As in his seven previous campaigns in the Iowa Legislature, all of which he won, Fallon is running a grassroots campaign that focuses on contacting voters through door-to-door canvassing and phone banking, as well as creative use of YouTube. Recent productions include a mockumentary “Campaigns of the Rich and Powerful” and a rap video on fiscal responsibility and tax reform.
H	ID01	Walt Minnick	Bill Sali (R)	won
H	IL03	Mark Pera	Dan Lipinski (D)		2/5 lost	BA BD
H	IL08	Randi Scheuer	Melissa Bean (D)		2/5 lost	BD PDA
H	IL10	Dan Seals	Kirk (R)	lost		OtB SNA NOW		No
H	IL11	Debbie Halvorson	(open)	won		JSt
H	IL14	John Laesch	open (R)		2/5 lost	BA PDA
H	IN06	Barry Welsh	Pence (R)	lost		BA		No
H	IN09	Gretchen Clearwater	Baron Hill (D)		5/6 lost	BA	Out-of-Iraq Pledge!		Civil liberties, equal rights and justice for all; Single payer universal healthcare; jobs @ living wage
H	KY01	Heather Ryan	Whitfield (R)					No
H	LA06	Michael Jackson	Don Cazayoux (D)		9/6		asap	No	Cazayoux was elected in a special election in 2008 and immediately became one of the strongest Bush Democrats.
H	MD01	Frank Kratovil	open (R)	won
H	MD04	Donna Edwards	Al Wynn (D)		2/12 won!	BA BD JSt Olbd PDA
H	ME01	Mark Lawrence	open (D)		6/10 lost				pro-impeachment
H	ME01	Chellie Pingree	open (D)			NOW		No
H	MI07	Mark Schauer	Walberg (R)	WON		BA DWT		No
H	MI09	Gary Peters	Knollenberger (R)	WON		BA DWT NOW		No	"I believe in civil rights and equality for all people and to me gay marriage is a basic human rights issue, one I feel very strongly about. When I take a position based on core principles, I'm not going to waiver from it"
H	MN03	Ashwin Madia	open (R)	lost		DWT		No
H	MO02	Byron DeLear	Akin (R)						pro-impeachment
H	NC08	Larry Kissell	Hayes (R)	WON		BA DWT		No
H	NC09	Harry Taylor	Myrick (R)			PDA NOW			known for his courageous—and courteous—confrontation of President Bush in Charlotte in April 2006.
H	NJ01	Mahdi Ibn-Ziyad	Rob Andrews (D)		6/3 lost	PDA
H	NJ05	Camille Abate	Garrett (R)		6/3 lost		now		local Moveon leader, pro-impeachment
H	NJ05	Dennis Shulman	Garrett (R)	lost	6/3 won!	BA DWT JSt	Responsible Plan	No	blind rabbi
H	NJ07	Linda Stender	open (R)	lost		NOW		No
H	NM01	Martin Heinrich	(open)	WON	6/3 won!	BA DWT		No
H	NM02	Bill McCamley	(open)		6/3 lost
H	NM02	Harry Teague	(open)	won					multimillionaire oilman
H	NY08	Adam Sullivan	Jerrold Nadler (D)		~~9/9~~	BD			Impeach
H	NY10	Kevin Powell	Ed Towns (D)		9/9
H	NY13	Steve Harrison	Fossella (R)		lost	DWT NOW PDA	now
H	NY13	Michael McMahon	open (R)	won
H	NY21	Darius Shahinfar	open (D)		9/9			No
H	NY21	Tracey Brooks	open (D)		9/9	NOW
H	NY25	Dan Maffei	(open)	WON		BA DWT OtB		No
H	NY26	Jon Powers	Jack Davis (D)		lost	BA DWT OtB		No
H	NY29	Eric Massa	Kuhl (R)	WON		DFA DWT PDA Olbd OtB		No
H	OH02	Victoria Wulsin	Schmidt (R)			BA DWT NOW SNA		No
H	OH03	Jane Mitakides	Turner (R)	lost		NOW
H	OH15	Mary Jo Kilroy	(open)	lost		JSt NOW SNA
H	OR01	Mark Welyczko	David Wu (D)		5/20 lost	PEN			Impeach
H	OR03	Joe Walsh	Blumenauer (D)		5/20 lost	PEN			Impeach
H	OR05	Nancy Moran	(open)		5/20 lost	PEN			Impeach
H	PA15	Sam Bennett	Dent (R)	lost		BA DWT NOW Olbd		No
H	TN09	Steve Cohen			won	BA DWT JSt			primary by Harold Ford Jr. supporter
H	TX10	Larry Joe Doherty	McCaul (R)	lost		BA DWT		No
H	VA02	Glenn Nye	Drake (R)	won
H	VA04	Andrea Miller	Forbes (R)			DWT		No	progressive social activist pro-impeachment former MoveOn.org Regional Coordinator and Dennis Kucinich Regional Coordinator
H	VA05	Tom Perriello	Goode (R)			ADS BA DWT Olbd SNA		No
H	VA06	Sam Rasoul	Goodlatte (R)
H	VA10	Judy Feder	Wolf (R)			BA DWT NOW		No	Dean of Georgetown University's Public Policy Institute (1999-2007) nationally recognized expert in health care policy
H	VA11	Leslie Byrne	(open)		6/10 lost	BA NOW			She opposed the war in Iraq from the start, will fight to make health care more affordable and more accessible, and has always supported a woman's right to choose.
H	VA11	Gerry Connolly	open (R)	won					developer/contractor
H	WA03	Cheryl Crist	Brian Baird (D)		8/19 lost				Impeach
H	WA04	George Fearing	Hastings (R)
H	WA06	Paul Richmond	Norm Dicks (D)		8/19 lost				Impeach
H	WA08	Darcy Burner	Reichert (R)			BA DFA DWT ESC Jst NOW Olbd OtB SNA		No
H	WI01	Marge Krupp	Ryan (R)			NOW
H	WY00	Gary Trauner	(open)	lost		OtB		No

I urge all Democrats to take the unequivocal Out-of-Iraq Pledge:

I solemnly pledge to vote against any additional funds for the occupation of Iraq, except what is absolutely required to bring all our troops home. I recognize that I will be under tremendous pressure from Democratic leaders and the Corporate Media to fund various missions like "fighting terrorism" or "training Iraqi forces" or "protecting Iraqi democracy," but I will not waver. We have already spent far too much of our blood and treasure for a war and occupation based on never-ending lies, and I will not sacrifice one more American soldier's life or one more taxpayer's dollar for those lies.

The AFL-CIO's Unhealthy Health Care Advocacy

davidswanson — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 13:17:14 -0400

The Boston Globe gets it. The AFL-CIO, even after its members' responses at its presidential candidates debate in Soldier Field, even after this event at the Machinists Union does not. The AFL has launched a campaign in favor of "universal health care" that spells out goals only one presidential candidate supports. But the AFL says it won't back a particular "plan" or a particular candidate. OF COURSE it won't. It will back whoever the corporate media tells it to back. But "plans" that keep the private insurance companies in place do not provide what the AFL is asking for. Only single-payer does that. Only Dennis Kucinich supports it.