If the Dems lose big in November even if they don’t lose control of the House can we still force a House vote?
I know if we lose control of the House a House vote is almost certain. But I’m thinking the Blue Dogs in close districts can’t afford to lose to many percentage points of our votes.
Less Blue Dogs means that our Candidates will be in a stronger position we might be voting now for the next House Speaker.

Guess it’s time to vote for Grijalva. Weiner is so pro-Likud it makes progressives look bad.

i love GRAYSON,but he is a ZILLIONAIRE…doesnt need our money

dlad you are OK Jane,and didnt get snowed in

Are all Dem reps listed here? Melissa Bean my old rep doesn’t seem to be on the list maybe my eyes are getting old. Still maybe she got no votes? Just how can Reps like Melissa expect to win if no Lefties vote for her The McHenery County Defenders and the anti war group that gave talks at the local community college I take it won’t be voting for her then.
In a district as red as hers we sent Rummy to Congress I’m guessing she needs every Dem vote. I’m guessing Rahm will waste tons of Dem cash defending her pro business vote in Obama’s and Rahm’s home state.
Money that could go to electing Dems not so likely to lose.
I don’t know if she is up for election this year but given her district she needs every one of our votes. She got in the year the GOP exploded Ryan sold an illegal immigrant a drivers license who killed a minister’s wife and his kids in an accident.
Ryan the GOP Governor candidate made his wife cry by dragging her to a sex club. Alan Keyes stepped in just in time for his daughter to out herself as a Lesbian. Obama’s opposition another Ryan prosecuted Rolando Cruz who was just set free from Death Row resulting in Gov Ryan another ( Ryan) stopping the Death Penalty for everyone in Illinois Death Row.
In all 3 Ryans all GOPers none related had scandals constantly in the news Republican Ryan this, Republican Ryan that it was an advertisers nightmare.
The GOP could not defend any one Ryan from charges without another Ryan’s name making news for something else. Obama, Blago and Melissa Bean got elected in a perfect storm. Melissa and Obama need us they don’t have support.
Obama got elected President because George Bush created another perfect storm.

http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/clout_st/2009/11/republican-governor-candidate-jim-ryan-apologizes-for-his-handling-of-rolando-cruz-prosecution.html

Cast of Characters
GOP Governor Ryan sold Drivers License to immigrant killed Minister’s wife and kids in car accident.

GOP Candidate For Senate Ryan made wife cry by taking her to Paris sex club she was actress Jerri Ryan 7 of 9 on Star Trek Voyager there went the all important Treki vote.

GOP replacement Candidate Alan Keyes adopted Daughter went public as Lesbian right after he announced his candidacy then he disowned her.

GOP governor candidate Jim Ryan tied to Rolando Cruz death Penalty case convicted killer Dugan copted to it but still he pushed for the death penalty. After Rolando was set free the GOP lost the hispanic vote and being angry we voted in numbers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolando_Cruz_case

Eric Massa needs our support more than Weiner. Consider his district.. R+5

We Progressive must wake up.

Obama tells us everyday he is not a progressive.
Obama thinks now is time to do a Bi-partisian Health Care Scam.
(was the senate HCR scam bill progressive? No)

We must send Real Progressives to Congress!

I think if Bean is not on the list, it means no one from her (your) district nominated her when the nominations were first announced.

That was the primary criteria if I remember correctly – the nomination had to come from someone within the district itself.

Jane this contest has become a de-facto progressive rating system

Voted for him.

Love the doggie pics Jane.

Grayson can always give it to someone else. Money is a form of speech. Nothing would speak louder on behalf of his ideas than supporting him.

sadly, I had no ability to vote for my favorite to be on the list, since my rep is the worst in the world, ralph Hall. But today is an encouraging one, a woman has been elected president in Costa Rica;

a welcome to Presidente Laura Chinchilla at;
http://seminal.firedoglake.com/diary/28724

who Tom Tancredo thinks was elected because Costa Rican voters don’t speak English, so they think she’s a small furry pet

Leen (I think it’s Leen) sez Grayson’s an Israel whore.

Bean has been a consistent opponent of banking reform. She’s a classic “lesser of two evils” Democrat. I think it’s up to the DLC that elected her to reelect her. It’s no place to waste progressive dollars.

That is hilarious. Thanks for the good laugh.

LOL Shit ! My rep didn’t even make the list.
People think of Massachusetts as a blue state , it is , on the ends , the middle where I live is closer to red than blue. And my Rep Richie Neal is far from a progressive , just another out of the mold politician

She’s a woman, but she’s the Costa Rican Sarah Palin. She is a social conservative. Opposes gay marriage and abortion, and adamantly opposed an amendment to separate church and state in Costa Rica. That is not encouraging. Please stop misleading others into thinking this is some sort of “progressive” victory.

Jane’s on with Dylan Ratigan right now…! ;-)

Grayson being in the number one spot is not a reflection of progressive values. Grayson being in the number one postion demonstrates many serious contradictions that have existed in many so called “liberal” or “progressive” values that have serious and gaping hypocrisies. Progressive on education, health care but so far to the wrong on the Israeli Palestinian conflict that it is hard to fathom that progressives could bring themselves to vote for Grayson, Massa. Have not checked to see how Weiner voted on the Goldstone Report and Iran sanctions Act.

But both Grayson and Massa voted to block the Internationally recognized Goldstone Report and the warmongering Iran Sanctions Act which is based on a great deal of unsubstantiated claims about Iran.

Quite frankly I am surprised that how Grayson, Massa and other so called progressive Reps have voted on these critical issues are not important enough for Jane Hamsher and the other heavy hitters here at FDL to write about.

How they have voted on these serious issues are something to really look at before you vote.

Thanks for the clarification I certainly wasn’t going to nominate her even if I was still in district.

Blog whoring :)

http://seminal.firedoglake.com/diary/28797

Dear Friends,

Popular progressive blog, Firedoglake (FDL), has launched a new poll to identify three ‘Fire Dogs’ in Congress. Firedoglake will provide the winner with get out the vote tools, voter lists, in district voter registration and fundraising support. This support will help us in our re-election campaign.

We are currently 2nd in the poll out of all the Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives. I need your help in getting us into 1st place. Please log onto http://action.firedoglake.com/page/content/fdlpacvote and click the link on the right-hand side of the page to vote for FDL Fire Dogs. Then please enter your contact information and select me as your first choice. After selecting all three choices, then click ‘Submit Form’

Looks Like Dennis is interested in our contest!!

Weiner’s district is D+5.

Massa’s district is R+5.

Massa needs FDL support more than Weiner.

I wrote FDL Fire Dogs: Vote for John Hall (NY-19) because Hall (NY19 R+3) is being targeted by Republicans. He deserves our support. And he could use it.

Frankly, if the end result of this is Grayson, Kucinich, Weiner, then hasn’t this just boiled down to a name-recognition contest? Grayson and Weiner have been all over the teevee in 2010. Kucinich was a candidate for the presidential nom in 2008.

My rep wasn’t on the list ,and Grayson, well I don’t know much about his Israel policies or views,and I’m guessing a lot of other folks here at the lake don’t either

Still she got not one vote from us that says something that says she has no support and given the way the Dems are trending in the polls can she afford for even 1% of the Dem voters to stay home when the GOP voters are energized? I’m adding your comment and my response to my diary you brought up a good point.

I never called Grayson a “whore” for the Israeli lobby. But when you put it like that I can’t say that I disagree. What I did say is that Grayson voted to condemn the Goldstone Report and voted for the Iran Sanctions Act. Basically blocking this important report being dealt with honestly and fairly Both of these votes are deeply contradictory to real progressive values. Continue to be surprised that the heavy hitting so called progressives here at FDL have not written about the way Grayson, Massa have voted on these critical issues.

When will how our Reps vote on the I/P issues become a serious topic and issue to look at by Act Blue and FDL action?

Checking on how Weiner voted on these critical issues.

Kucinich voted no on the condemnation of the Goldstone Report. Kucinich voted No on the Iran Sanctions Act. Grijalva also voted NO on the condenation of the Goldstone Report. Grijalva voted NO on the Iran Sanctions Act.

Grayson’s great. Not everyone here hates Israel.

OT I knew it !! When I saw the snow that hit DC I said to me self that it won’t be long before the right uses this big storm to refute global warming.
It only took one day freaken amazing!

Put those voting records on the last thread about where the candidates stand. You can look up the vote on the G Report and the Iran Sanctions Act. (got in trouble for linking that information several times) But you can look it up for yourself.

Considering how these so called progressive Reps voted far to the right (wrong) on these issues is important to examine carefully.

Kucinich has been consistently progressive on all issues. Even when he takes heat for his votes. Grijalva is also incredibly consistent

Is this about American politics or Israeli /Pal politics?

Got Massa’s back:)

That is such bull. Grayson stands on the wrong side of an Internationally recognized and respected report by a Zionist Jew the honorable Judge Goldstone. Grayson is part of the warmongering team pushing for a confrontation with Iran based on unsubstantiated claims. These issues and votes need to be looked at honestly and openly.

These votes do not reflect progressive values.

Sorry if I mischaracterized your comments. Just trying to be brief.

If I had voted Kucinich or Grijalava would have been near the top of the list.

We don’t hate Israel we want peace a just peace and when Israel does bad we will say so. However anybody Dem or GOP who votes against Healthcare while Israel has healthcare paid for by our aid we give them #$%^%!!!.
Well I think any politician who does that hates America!

When will how our Reps vote on the I/P issues become a serious topic and issue to look at by Act Blue and FDL action?

I’m sorry to reduce my argument to crude politics, but don’t candidates who have won elections in Republican-leaning districts despite being progressives to the left of the Democratic Party establishment have to be careful about what they say or do on certain topics?

John Hall was criticized for giving a measured response to a question about Israel (see comment @ 6 in the thread here). But if he had given his constituent anything less than a measured response, he’d lose in the next election.

Kucinich’s district is D+8. Of course he’ll have an easier time saying what he thinks than would John Hall, whose district is R+3. I’d say Hall has shown remarkable courage as a progressive considering his district!

Don’t know how you could possibly separate the two, as the U.S. seems to be a client state of Israel.

You and Knoxville@22 are exactly right. Grayson does not need the money and others who are not in the top 5 or 10 do need that money badly. Moreover, with the probable exception of Massa and the possible exception of Grijalva, the other good guys who are already on the short list also do not need the money.

We need to de-link this popularity contest from the real goal: Getting the most money into the hands of the good folks who actually need the money to win their re-election campaigns. In medicine, it’s called triage, and that’s what we need to be doing. That’s the first step.

For the second step, I also strongly suggest that, whoever become(s) the favorite(s)should not actually get any money until they actually deliver as they have promised. We have already been burned on this last year with progressive House members, not to mention, of course, Obama 08 and various Senate candidates who gave much promise but have pretty much failed to deliver (Tester and Webb come immediately to mind).

Ah, nostalgia for the days when we thought Tester & Webb were good guys.

Rep Weiner voted to condemn the Goldstone Report and voted for the Iran Sanctions Act. My question is when oh when will so called progressives be called out on these clearly lopsided and warmongering votes.

Why would any of our so called progressive Reps vote to block and Internationally and respected report by a highly respected Zionist Jew and incredibly honorable Judge? Unless that is they are extremely to the right (wrong) on these issues?

Go Massa!

I think that Massa (NY29 R+5), Hall (NY19 R+3) and Shea-Porter (NH01 EVEN) should be FDL Fire Dogs and get all the support we can give them regardless of the outcome of this contest.

They deserve the help. They could use the support.

And we’re more likely to lose their seats in 2010 if they don’t get out support!

client state

Yes we pay for their healthcare but we can’t get any healthcare I wonder if Mosses left because he wanted the Israeli slaves to have healthcare along with freedom?

Many Jews in Kucinich’s district. Jews who are willing to be honest and balanced on these issues. Many who respect that Kucinich is willing to take a stand on these critical issues while supporting Israel based on the internationally 67 border

Massa could post a diary here if he wants more votes just an idea:)

John Murtha died today? I’m sorry to hear it. He was a decent man, one of the few in politics.

Gah…Anthony Weiner? All he does is TALK a good game. When time for the vote, he rolls over like the rest of the corporate dems. This is just a reflection of the great PR he gets from his college buddy jon stewart and how MSNBC constantly gives him head on air.

interesting. although on health care I really respect this man seems to be really pushing for uninsured people. But on international policy in the middle east he is on the extreme right (wrong). Votes on the I/P conflict need to move to the top of our priority list and who progressives support. We need to stop rolling over on these issues. Time to take a stand. Long over due

So right. Grayson is an opportunist. I never bought into him. He yakked on and on about the public option, then supported a bill without. Same with Weiner. They are exactly what’s wrong with Democrats.

Frankly, I’m stunned so many were seduced by Grayson’s empty words.
For the life of me, I don’t understand why Kucinich isn’t on top

R.I.P.

Kucinich has been consistently progressive for so very long.

So called progressives have tolerated this huge and very serious contradiction to exist unnoticed and not acknowledged. Progressives on health care, educaiton and then right wing hawks on the I/P conflict and warmongering policies in the middle east.

This tolerance for these extreme and inconsistent positions have been accepted far far too long

Glad you said it. ;^)

Great diary.

http://seminal.firedoglake.com/diary/28436

On balance, I think having Grayson on our side is a plus. I’ve had similar thoughts to those you express here, though.

The message to Grayson and any other so called progressive is that many on the left will accept and even expect you to be progressive on health, education etc but a warmonger on Iran and the I/P conflict.

Why do we tolerate this huge hypocrisy?

Send a message. Vote for Kucinich and Grijalva and any other Rep who has been consistent across the board reflecting progressive values based on facts. Not the I lobbbies agenda based on unsubstantiated claims and unwillingness to have an important report condemned and blocked.

Thanks. I wish it had convinced more people to vote for him! I also wish I had been able to write a diary for Shea-Porter. I meant to write one for Defazio, too. But the one for Hall (who I ended up liking more and more as I continued learning about this progressive who unseated a seven-term Republican!) was all I could manage while being sick. Sorry.

Exactly. I believe we should acknowledge Kucinich for his consistent Progressive voting record. He needs to know that we strongly support him and want more true Progressives like him!
Sending a message of support to faux Progressives like Grayson and Weiner is unacceptable. We’re rewarding a couple of fast talking weasels.

Leen, you really have made your case on this issue. I’d like to suggest that you state it in one comment on threads like this one rather than repeat it so much that all other important issues end up seeming drowned out by this one important issue.

I don’t know of anyone here who hates Israel. Many of us here, however, have issues with the Israeli government in general and the Likud Party in particular. There’s a difference.

“Is this about American politics or Israeli /Pal politics?”

Is there such thing as Israeli/Palestinian politics anymore?

It’s kinda like rancher/cattle politics at this point.

Fair point. On the other hand it’s people like Grayson who destroy the chance of Progressive legislation getting any traction. Every time he votes against it and tows the “right of center” party line, he’s saying it’s OK, it doesn’t matter. Talking big then voting the opposite doesn’t work, and shouldn’t be tolerated anymore.
One of the reasons the Right gets attention is because they take no prisoners.

Knoxville,
I wasn’t trying to overshadow the decent qualities of John Hall. He seems like a decent candidate in many other ways (which you covered nicely).

There’s just such a huge political upside for both Dems and Repubs, alike, to bow down to AIPAC, on I/P and on Iran, so it would be nice if the Left did a better job at publishing their neo-con positions, rather than defaulting to the assumption that all politicians HAVE to tow the AIPAC line in order to get elected. They have to tow the AIPAC line, precisely because the Left DOESN’T make it an issue when deciding who to fund/support/etc.

It’s very easy for a politician to turn a blind eye to human rights abuses if the electorate feels wary of even shining a light on it.

I assure you that if the U.S. were to bomb Iran tomorrow, everyone at FDL would suddenly be outraged, while all along many seemed all too happy to turn a blind eye as they funded neo-con Congressmen who would ultimately enable such a war to take place.

Jane,
I appreciate all you do. If this has been mentioned before, I would like to further push the idea that the FISA, retroactive telecom immunity vote was, and is, very important. For those of us who believe in due process, nobody above the law, accountability, et cetera… there is little that can be described as more anathema than retroactive immunity for breaking the law. I know you covered it in detail.

Anyway, hyperbole aside, the FISA vote along with war funding votes and health care pledges are all important in deciding who to support. Next time you run the chart perhaps you could include those who think the law is optional when National Security is on the line.

Thank you.

CC

PS I voted.

Don’t understand the Wiener challenge to Massa.
First they’re on completely opposite ends of the vulnerability list -Wiener being the #2 least vulnerable House member. Kucinich too is not nearly as vulnerable as dozens of other good Progressives.

Come on people – help those who need the help!

http://www.cookpolitical.com/sites/default/files/vulnerable2010.pdf

http://www.swingstateproject.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=4189

I did not bring this important issue up. But responded to a commenter. Legislation passed that is way wrong of center on International policies are extremely critical issue
Many of our alleged progressive Reps have gotten away with voting for warmongering legislation way too long.

Did not bring this up.

What other issues that our so called progressive Reps would you like to bring up so that we can discuss

and when progressives vote for Grayson they are saying this is acceptable

Grayson is going to need all the support he can get, I want him to beat the republican, but he caved on public option and expanded medicare, making me just as glad I had resisted (with difficulty; had my mouse pointer right on that button TWICE) sending money to a multi-millionaire during his exciting debut as our hero on health care reform.

Dennis Kucinich is number two because he’s not going to need the support, probably.

I don’t know why, but I don’t believe in Anthony Weiner. He’s on TV a lot. Kucinich is almost never on. Maybe that’s what it is. But he seems to double-talk a bit. You see what’s happened to progressives by our letting that attribute get by us because we want so badly to believe.

The MSM likes to beat up on Kucinich. Poke fun at him.

Jane, hows about letting us change our votes ONE TIME until polls close? I didn’t know who to put for 2nd and 3rd positions, I only knew Kucinich was Number One. I knew who I DID NOT want to vote for (Grayson, Weiner, others), but not which of the 3-check-marks people were the best and truest or most in need. Most of these “congermen” (as my youngest used to irritably call C-Span), I’ve never heard of, so I gave it to McGovern and Waters. (I loved George McG.)

Reading these opinions helps, but too late for me. And the apparent “winners” here might be halting donations.

Grijalva stood firm on the public option. Committed.

The hafta make sure he’s a figure of fun because he’s the truest man we’ve got, a danger to them all. Dennis Kucinich sees flying saucers, buahaha! They invented the Dean Scream. It’s a good sign that Howard Dean is the real thing.

RIP, Mister Meet the Press host, whatever your name was. No disrespect.

Why did you get in trouble for linking to Congress’s roll calls? I don’t understand why that would be a problem, and would like to know. Is it something to do with a conflict of interest between reporting vs. supporting a particular candidate?

I can’t say I understand why this contest was structured the way it was. Why wasn’t it made easier for the contest voter to understand 1) where a rep stood on issues, 2) what kind of pressure his/her race was under from other Dem primary candidates and/or Republican candidates, and 3) who actually needed the money. Also, what do the green and yellow colors denote on the rep. chart above? Does yellow indicate reps with less votes? If so, why do a few candidates with 25 votes each appear on the green side, while others with 25 votes appear on the yellow?

This poll is about which Progressive needs our help the most – our financial and moral support in a strongly contested race.

Don’t get into Israeli politics – any of you.
Grayson and Wiener are Jewish and have been silent on Israels brutality – as have most of the Christians and Blue Dogs. The rest are just plain cowardly for not speaking out. There, I’ve just wiped out ALL of the House Democrats. Happy with that??

Grayson and Massa are vulnerable to being elminated as are a boatload of others. But these two are bold Dems deserving of our support.

Please don’t make this a ‘who’d you’d like to have a beer’ with farce.

“Please don’t make this a ‘who’d you’d like to have a beer’ with farce.”

I’m bristling at your analogy.

We have a foreign lobby that owns just about every member of Congress, and you don’t think we should even bring it up?

“But these two are bold Dems deserving of our support.”*

* Caution: May support war crimes, endless occupations of terror, and the instigation of WW4, which would cripple the global economy and bankrupt America.

But this isn’t about who you want to have a beer with, is it.

Weiner is a frothing neocon on foreign policy, well to the right of your standard Progressive Except for Palestine (PEP, h/t Leen, I think) Democrat. (Also, he’s not in the Progressive Caucus, FWIW.)

In 2006, he introduced an amendment to expel the Palestinian delegation to the UN, saying that they should “pack their little Palestinian terrorist bags.” I’d say that places him well within the territory of bigotry. He’s not merely “silent” on I/P as hazmaq says above. He’s an active belligerent on the Global War on Terrorist-Resembling Scary Brownish People (GWOTRSBP) front.

The fact that he seemed to eat his Wheaties on health care reform for a while in no way should permit his coming anywhere near the top in this little contest.

It’s like most all of our members of Congress were with these marchers in spirit, but we’re supposed to pick the most bold of them and give them our money:

It’s really terrible. But I guess there are issues that matter more in the next 2 years: financial reform, health care, etc. Though I’m definitely going to read more about the Goldstone Report.

Rep. (Congressman) Weiner WITHDREW his SINGLE PAYER health care reform bill… at the INSTIGATION and instruction of the Emanuel/obama/GoldmanSachs White House. Like Emanuel & Obama, he knows where his money is coming from… and it ain’t from small, $20, “mom & pop” donors.

If our Reps and our President do not deal with the I/P conflict more honestly and fairly they are not doing their best to protect the American people and they are not even attempting to be fair brokers in that conflict.

How many times do we need to hear that the people who have been willing to blow themselves to smitherins to take out Americans. Our leaders need to read the honorable Judge Goldstone’s report and face up to what took place in the Gaza last year. Those who condemned the G report do not want the truth to be told or discussed

We are addressing the top five on the ACT BLUE list. How our Reps voted on all issues should be thrown into the equation before a person votes. National and International issues. How our Reps vote to shut down a very important report on a conflict that people are willing to kill themselves while taking out Americans over should definitely be discussed.

How our Reps are promoting inflammatory legislation based on unsubstantiated claims by sponsoring and voting for that warmongering legislation should absolutely be discussed.

We are talking about how Grayson, Kucinich, Weiner, Massa and Grijalva have voted on important issues.

Kucinich and Grijalva reflect progressive values the most consistently

Yes, I totally agree that it is the No. 1 most important foreign policy issue we face today. And maybe we shouldn’t compromise on this one. It’s really hard not to, though, since almost no candidate comes out in support of Palestine.

I think there needs to be more effort made in educating the US population (and giving the FDL crowd a brush-up session) on why we should have fair and equal I/P policy, and why being fair isn’t about “hating Israel”.