…that comment about the public option.. did Jane say she thought a public option in the White House bill had a limited chance, or did she say the White House bill had a limited chance?

Thanks for this, Jane. With Big Ag dependent on fertilizers made from foreign oil, it’s more important than ever for us to wean ourselves from oil-based soil inputs. Cuba’s actually had a good deal of success at this, as shown here and here.

Wowee-zowee! Who’s next?

I wonder what the odds are of Lincoln “going Lieberman” and running as an indy if she loses the primary.

Wow… someone who actually backs up their threats. I saw you on Rachels’ show daring Lincoln to not support health care for the people, saying you would get her a primary challenge. I believed you and now you have done it. Great job… keep up the good work. You can’t even imagine the hope you have given to people. No longer can the democrats say, “What are you going to do about it, vote for a republican?”

On Tweety’s show last night, Chris stated that Blanche Lincoln has performed just as the President asked. He implied, hell, actually said, she’s done everything the President asked her to do. Should she face a primary for this. Moral to the story, we need a better President, or we need to put the fear of, well, us in the one we have.

Can we start the “Accountability Now” Party now? Pleeeeeze??

So, wait.

Blanch Lincoln had 6 years ans the power of incumbancy to raise money and all she has on hand $5.5million, and abunch of blue collar types and DFH’s matched that in 2 days?

2 DAYS!

This is a the power of a passionate and organized left wing of the party. Harry Reid should take note

So should Obama. It’s the lefties and Indies that elected him.

I think Arkansas is one of those states with a “sore loser” law, isn’t it?

On the post about BHO’s crapulous support for the firing of teachers in RI, I suggested that we primary BHO. Another person posting asked me how we’re going to do that.

Jane: we’re behind you all the way. You go!!

This is great. My humble suggestion (ha!) is, ultimately, let’s go all out for primarying BHO. That wolf in sheep’s clothing has gotta go.

Good luck Halter. Hope he goes all the way. Getting rid of Republican Lambert Lincoln – typically caring solely & only about herself with her socialized health care for HER & her corporate welfare for HER agribusiness – is a great, great, great thing. I hope to see the last of her soon. No one deserves this more with the possible exception of LIEberman.

What I find equally as disappointing as Lincoln is the WH, DSCC and other big shots in the Party interfering with the primary process. They should step back until the primaries are over and then put their full support behind the winner. That is democracy and that is what they always tout, but don’t practice. It should be up to the Democrats in Arkansas to choose who they want to run for Senate, not the Party leadership in DC.

This is such great news. I was happy to donate to Halter and am amazed at the amount of money that has be given. People are apparently deeply engaged in this race.

Jane,

Who is Accountability Now? At the “about” on the site there, it doesn’t say. It looks like you had a big role in starting it. So why does Blue America have a link at the top of Firedoglake, but Accountability Now does not?

Re Halter, I’m still trying to figure out whether he’d be better than Blanche Lincoln. If not, why not let her lose to a Republican in Nov? I’m not saying I want a Republican in that seat, but why work hard for and donate to Halter if he’s not going to be all that much better than she has been?

Besides that bit of dimentia from Chris last night, did you actually hear him defending Bunning for his objection on the grounds of “pay as you go,” something Bunning voted AGAINST. Does Matthews even hear the words that come out his mouth?

Plus, Blanche is such a tool.

It’s also unlimited spending as the Supremes allow. If Unions gave $4mil, how much will Wally Mart spend. Just hope the adverage voter can cut through all the hype and propaganda to the best candidate. We’ve seen how well that’s worked.

Nope. Matthews has tourettes.

Who is Accountability Now?

Here ya go Knox

Knox, I don’t think we know all about what Halter stands for right now but if he defeats a sitting Senator the message to the do-nothings, the Blue Dogs and the establishment Dems is HUGE!

I’m encouraged to see the unions finally stepping up and challenging Obama’s choice of Lincoln. If the unions finally decide to buck this White House, things will change for the better.
After reading about Obama’s support for the mass firing of teachers in the previous post, I am now not quite so discouraged.
A great big thanks to you, Jane!

I can’t get the link to work. Anyone else having the same problem?

let’s try it ‘raw’. see if that works

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/02/26/accountability-now-blogge_n_170163.html

Just hope this tool does not turn out to be as bad as the last tool. Otherwise like changing from R to D – there will be no difference.

We only need to gather a few more cycles of data and we will know how stacked the game is. From what I hear by way of older generations it a bit worse – but essentially the same. The one difference may be that more data can now be assembled, and I hope we have made some gains in how to use the data as well. Of course the power has had all this data and more for some time, and its a bit of a lopsided arms race.

Thanks for helping.

I suppose my concern is that if one establishment type is replaced by another establishment type, then wouldn’t we have just rearranged the deck chairs rather than sent the message we want to send? I’m not saying that we should try to get a Kucinich protege elected in Arkansas, but we do have to ask whether Halter will be better than Lincoln, or demand that he be better than her in exchange for support.

It is time to kick all the pieces of crap like Blanche Lincoln, Ben Nelson, Conrad, etc. out of the party of FDR.

I loved the line ” Blanche Lincoln is not in the middle of anything but K street.”

I guess what I don’t understand is why it is that the Obama team would care so much about keeping Lincoln in office. Are they this inimically opposed to progressive representation in the Senate?

That’s when I turned the channel to reruns of Law and Order. Couldn’t tolerate any more of his platitudinal crap. Sometimes that man has no sense at all.

I know this is not a suggestion thread – but any chance at some major blogs organizing a massive march (or parallel marches in serveral key areas)?

I am not usually one to march, but my feet are getting itchy.

there is always a risk of them turning (see McNerney, Jerry) and I remind everyone Halter is taking on his original patrons; the Clintons and the entire AR Dem Machine in doing this – not the act of a Harold Ford type, just sayin’

There’s a good chance that Halter might actually listen to us. Blanche doesn’t listen to anyone except lobbyists. What a nice difference that would be. At least we will have tried.

Nice fluff piece on NPR this morning that was indicating the same thing. SOS – fiscal this, looney righty..and lefty, etc.

As usual thanks. It’s clobberin’ time! Blanche Lambert is as bad as they get.

The classic argument against the sagacity of primary challenges is illustrated in Glenn Thrush’s column today at Politico. He insists that “lib love” (I can’t make this stuff up) may turn off voters in what he terms a “rapidly reddening Arkansas.”..

As one conservative writer at RightPundits.com put it, money is just about all Lincoln has in her favor:

If it were not for Blanche Lincoln’s fund-raising war-chest we would already declare her a footnote in the history of a very interesting 2010 election year. She has over $5 million cash on hand which far outpaces any of the potential GOP opponents…

As if there were any question, as to her true loyalties, Lincoln is one of the few but growing numbers of lawmakers who went through the revolving door in Washington backwards, running for the U.S. House of Representative after a significant stint as a lobbyist.

Unless they just laugh knowing they have the same thing – and that the rubes are even happy about it so will shut up for a while.

Proud to see my union, Communications Workers of America, kicked in 1 million. Will be sending Mr. Halter my personal donation today.

There is power in a union!

Yes.

This has been another edition of “simple answers to simple questions.”

Citizen IllinoisLibertarian:

The only support she’d get is from right wingers…she’d jest split the fascist vote and consolidate the Democrats in the state. Her unpopularity is enegizin’ the Democrats in Arkansas…I think yer gunna see this phenomenon played out in other places, districts as well as states. But it all depends on the healthcare solution Obama offers today. If he wants the fascists to win in November we’ll know it by suppertime.

Thanks! That cleared up a lot about Accountability Now.

Too bad no one has emerged as a potential primary challenger to Jim Cooper (TN-5). Safe Democratic district being represented by a DINO… His constituents would elect a progressive if one were to step up and call him out.

It’s more like they’re for retaining ANY Dem incumbent regardless of who they are or what they represent at all cost.

You have to look at the underlying ideology of the Democratic establishment since Clinton was in office. This isn’t your father’s Democratic Party, it’s a party won over by the economics of the Chicago School. The DLC was formed during Clinton’s presidency. It was a dramatic shift to the right.

Citizen DanR:

Public option had a “limited chance”…now I’m not sure that’s even a chance…we’ll know by dinnertime

Exactly. This, combined with the massive drop-off in response from OFA members, should tell Obama a few things. (One of them being that he shouldn’t have expected the unions to tolerate putting up with the constant shivving from the guy whose NAFTA advocacy helped cause the 1994 debacle.)

Thanks PW.

Thanks Jane.

Defeat Blanche Lincoln!

It is me, or does Bill Clinton’s presidency look worse and worse as time passes?

Blanche Lincoln – Dixiecrat!

This also give Blanche an opportunity to say “look at all the outside money he’s getting”.

$5 million in two days.

If nothing else, I hope these five million reasons make it clear to the White House and to other members of Congress we are asking for something other than centrism and bipartisanship.

Nay, we’re demanding something better, immediately.

Jane’s remark on the public option was disturbing. I have no idea why she soft pedaled it.

It’s a good clip, and I sure like Ed, but I wish he’d been a little more patient with Jane while she laid out why Halter is a better choice for us than Lincoln. She’s great at doing that, and Schultz should have given her more time.

If this have been Michele Bachman, for example, on Faux, O’Reilly would have gone off for 10 minutes to check his investment portfolio while SHE talked.

Jane you were great. Rep Kucinich was on Washington Journal this morning. As is always the case he made one great point after the next.

He was really bashing the Insurance companies. He asked how could this health care legislation be “socialism” since 21 million uninsured Americans would be forced to buy health care coverage from private insurers. He made so many great points that I lost count.

He also said that there has been a “redistribution” of money in our country and it has all gone upwards to the wealthy.

Kucinich also said that he thinks Obama should have and still could spend more time explaining to the American people the “depth of the mess” that the Bush administration had left this country in.

I am sure you could pick up some more relevant and well thought out pointers from Dennis

REality

My liege, let’s go kick some centrist’s ass. If we really work hard and become successful in 201, might I dare to dream about 2012?

Knoxville @ 43: I think that most progressive democrats are so pissed at how little leadership Obama and the dems have shown, that we’re not into calling ANY democratic preznint since FDR; “good”. :o)

fyi – there are to be “Occupy Everything” like this one everywhere tomorrow – see if you can find a local action – google: “March 4th Strike” or “Advance the Struggle, March 4th”

yeah, they’re college students, but it might help with that itch to get out there :D

Jane, I hope you would look into supporting Merrick Alpert over the establishment candidate, Richard Blumenthal in the Democratic primary in CT as well.

Alpert has much better ideas than Attorney General Blumenthal and after watching the debate Monday night, I’d say the challenger, Alpert won, hands down.

After the debate was over, Alpert met with reporters and others to answer questions while Blumenthal headed to Fairfield County for a fundraiser.

Alpert opposed Obama’s build-up in Afghanistan and Blumenthal supports it. CT and the Senate only gains another establishment Democrat with Blumenthal. I hope the netroots gives Alpert a look, if nothing else.

That was the only discordant note that I noticed in Jane’s comments and a bit gratuitous. I certainly don’t think that this is the time to be diminishing the prospects for the inclusion of a public plan as a part of HCR.

As has been mentioned many times Democratic negotiators from the House and Senate can include or exclude whatever provision they damn well want re the HCR effort. They have the pluraity of votes so whatever lame excuse they come up with for not including a public plan is self-imposed. If a PO is excluded it is because the Democratic Congress and Obama did not want it in there.

Let’s be clear about who is to blame for the outcome.

The enemy of Blue Dogs and most Deceptive politicians is Information.

Once people learn about Blanche Lincoln voting record, she will be force to become a Republican.

The key to controlling congress is Information, for years the corporate MSM protected the clowns in congress.

Ben Nelson,
Kent Conrad,
Max Baucus,
Blanche Lincoln,
Do not campaign around their states telling people how they love Corporations and hate issues that help people. They lie, lie, lie, and the MSM let them get away with it, with the MSM dying this will not be easy.

It does not mater who Lincoln is replaced with.
We need to teach them that they are putting themselves at risk by ignoring their base.

Bill Nelson
Ben Nelson,
Kent Conrad,
Max Baucus,
Blanche Lincoln

These types of people should be called their correct names which is not:
1. conservative
2. moderate

BUT——————-These people are

DIXIECRATS——DIXIECRATS is their Proper Name…….That is what these people need to be called…..Because they are appealing to that old Dixiecrat feeling when they VOTE!!!!

Calling them moderates and conservative is much too kind for what they do, they know they are doing, for exactly the same reasons they do so.

I don’t believe that Blanche has a political ideology. Unless it’s the MONEY party. She obviously isn’t a Democrat.

Jane, thanks for letting me stretch my legs outside that veal fattening pen….

Citizen wizardleft1962:

“Fascist” is the best term…corporate fascist most specific. Dixiecrat is an historical artifact. All Dixiecrats are fascists but not all fascists are Dixiecrats.

Citizen Twain:

She is a corporatist and as such is a fascist…just like the Clintons and it’s lookin like our President is too.

Thanks for not calling me one of those “good folks.” lol

DIXIECRATS——DIXIECRATS is their Proper Name, including U.S. Senator Blanche Lincoln.

Of course, you disagree, but, I hold this belief. Who said Dixiecrats were not corporatists? Of course they are. They firmly believe in the free market and have been the most anti-union people in the country for years and years.

Citizen SouthernDragon:

Again you don’t waste any ammunition…you always hit the center of the target. I think we will find out today, with Obama’s healthcare proposal, just how far the cancer of Milton Friedmann has spred. After hearin’ Obama’s support of the firing of public school teachers I’m afraid he’s pullin a full blown Clinton circa 1994 and he’s anglin’ ta get the fascists back in control of congress.

And replying to others who wonder whether Halter will actually be better than Lincoln: Sometimes you just have to vote against someone, and consider that person’s defeat the overriding goal.

The message will, one hopes, be clearly understood by the Powers On High: the serfs are angry and they are lashing out in the only way they can.

This was the actual message from the Massachusetts voters in the Scott Brown victory over Marthy Coakley, the lady who promised to support the POS Senate health care bill and was feted to a big lobbyist-sponsored dinner in DC, where she got her marching orders.

Indeed, when you really think about it, many, many people voted for Obama as their only way to deliver a hugely negative message against George Bush. Too late of course, but people were so delighted to send a powerful message to Bush that it really didn’t matter to them all that much that the person they were defeating was McCain, and not Bush. Remember all of those spontaneous street parties and demonstrations on election night in 2008? The emotion was in getting rid of Bush far more than it was actually in support of Obama.

“Obama’s support of the firing of public school teachers”

Thanks for this post. I did not realize this…..

It’s hard for anyone with any type of sanity to justify what happened there in Rhode Island. Yet, I am not surprised Obama agrees with this decision.

I told someone yesterday to be careful not to wish others lose their jobs and agree with the “bottom line” arguments all the time because it will be your job next to go with this kind of mindset and belief.

More good work, Jane, and thank you so much!

This is great strategic planning, and I am sure we will see more of it.

This is the stuff we can do together, thanks to your leadership. Speaking truth to power is working.

Here is the direct link

http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=6105692

Blanche’s base is Clinton Wall Street politics. There is absolutely no point in wasting progressive funds in Arkansas at this point in time. Contra, California. We need to preserve a “democratic” majority in the Senate and Blanche or any of her republican successors are not part of that, now or in the future.

Jane, can you answer some actual intelligent questions? Progressives have been told since the selection of Bush, that voting third party, or voting Rethuglican is throwing away your vote. Follow so far? Now progressives are asking other progressives to give money to a candidate, that has not a snowball’s hell of a chance of winning against a Republican, in a conservative area. Is that not throwing away your vote and your money? I don’t understand this, so maybe somebody can point out to me, how exactly does this do anything? If it is just to send a warning shot off the bow of the SS Obama, wouldn’t just plain out voting in a Republican do the exact same thing? Why bother at all if the outcome is so obvious in this district? And if the problem in Washington is “politics as usual” how is supporting an already established politician with a questionable background going to make any difference in Washington at all? I’ve followed all the progressive blogs and see nobody even attempting to answer any of these questions. It’s nothing more than electing the lesser of two evils, except not only are you to help elect them, but to also give money that is in short supply. Can someone answer these questions with something other than leftwing spin?? Where are the progressive candidates, because Halter is NOT a progressive.

This is a real question, I’m not trying to spin…

In what ways is this guy more progressive than Lincoln?

I saw Halter on Ed Schulz last night and I kind of got the impression that he was running against her based on her having voted with Obama on other stuff…?

American Politics is nothing but the legal Mafia in action….

Why do you think Halter can’t win in Arkansas?

Maybe she will go all Specter on us and just join the Republican party

The ABC affiliate here has Judge Judy, not Top Line. Any suggestions?

[It's a webcast... never mind.]

Good question……

It might be the dialogue……Discourse is always important…..Dialogue and Discourse are lacking today and to inject such things into any campaign or the public sphere are not small items.

Good question you ask though.

Don’t know why you think a Republican will win. Blanche is a Dem (if in name only) and Halter is Lt. Gov and a Dem and apparently very popular.

By the way Jane and FDL team thanks so much for all that you have done and continue to do. Many of our Reps are beginning to say what you have been saying for almost a year now. Keep pushing we are right behind you

I will not criticize Jane….I will not make attacks that Jane join the “R’s” because of one point I may disagree with her on.

I admire Jane a lot, and thank her for allowing me to come here and post when I choose to do so.

Those who criticize Jane and make ad hominem attacks against her, well, look at yourselves as well. If you have a mirror, that is, which will not scare your eyes too much!!!!

Well you have to consider that indeed all politics are local. Sometimes a much more liberal pol can get elected in a Red state if they have the sort of personality to match the state. Halter seems to be channelling the populist fevor in his favor but you should realize that many of these issues have resonance on left and right, making this a strange political year.

But let’s take Ben Nelson, in ruby red nebraska. Your point would be that old Ben is the best we can get and any more liberal person who primaried him would lose in the Fall. That might be true, but I would argue that losing his seat might not be a total loss 1) with Dems having such huge majorities this session of Congress it makes them look terrible that they have not accomplished anything, and Ben is a chief reason why nothing gets done. With him gone, the Democrats can more credibly blame a lack of movement on Republicans, but the larger the majority the less cred that has 2) 50 state strategy. In many cases, issue by issue, progressive issues poll much better than conservative ones, so fighting the good fight can help to move that state, whereas Nelson is really not the good fight at all. 3) Losing the seat can save money in that DSCC and other national level organizations do not have to give the say 500k they gave him to run a bllshit ad, thats 500k that could have been spent to help Halter once he destroys Lincoln in the primary. 4) Everytime Nelson or Lincoln or any other Conservadem looks like an ass, it indeed makes the whole party look bad, especialy when there is no retribution for their positions.

You have to be conservative in Arkansas. No progressive will be electd there. Why do you think Blanche won there? It’s conservative and the only way to win is to be one, just like Bill Clinton was a conservative. If Halter were anything close to a progressive, he’d get wiped.

You are confusing Dem with progressive. I thought the idea of the blogosphere was to support progressives, not just Dems.

People are unemployed and angry. It is the year of the anti-incumbent for sure. But. There are already enough DLC hacks in Washington. Halter already worked for Clinton. Obama already employs many Clintonites. Is it necessary to have more? Is there nobody else that could have been convinced to run that wasn’t already one of the “good ol’ boys”?

I especially like this message because of what Blanche has done. As our Hardball friend said, she’s pretty much done everything the corporatists in the WH asked her to do. She killed the public option but she voted for the Senate bill, she killed card check while pretending she was more centrist than just plain old anti-union, etc. If she goes down to someone funded by the progressives who is campaigning on the public option, it sends a huge message. Not that they won’t still try to sell the “after we pass the current crap everyone will sing our praises” crap, but it will be a lot harder to sell. They could spin Scott Brown as a bipartisanship thing, but this one isn’t about a Republican, it’s about a progressive and it’s about how all the money in the world can’t buy you votes, but keeping the base happy can get you money with the votes.

Citizen Twain:

I think folks who are from different political and electoral systems have difficulty understandin how our party system works when there is an internal battle in one or the other party. In Canada or Great Britain, the split inside a political district or state would lead automatically to it’s defeat by the opposition in that political jurisiction. I have been sayin for some time that there are some serious political changes goin on in some a the states of the old Confederacy like Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky and Arkansas. Most of these places have a history of some kinda populism in the last 100 years and most took the mantle of “Republican” only reluctantly…many of the poor, workin class in these states go back to Huey Long populism and they default back to Democrat when they are really hurtin’ economically. That’s why I think that the solid fascist South is breakin’ up today and that’s why the battle against fascism must begin at least inside the national Democratic Party.

That really depends though doesn’t it. Lincoln is what would be termed as a “conservative” and her poll numbers are the worst this cycle of any incumbent. No one would argue that she has trended far right, to where she might be more of a Republican than say Snowe or Collins. Her loss in the polls stems from two things 1) hippie-punching, or attacking the Dem base and 2) Republicans in total lock step against any Dem. With that said many “red” states still have huge numbers of dems and indies and not all republicans will not budge. The PO is a progressive stance, but is popular in Arkansas, Lincoln voted against it. Im guessing banking reforms poll well, Lincoln is against them. The point is she is so conservative that she would cut off her own nose to spite her face.

Bmaz has a fresh cross-post already in progress: More Obama Administration Civil Liberties Neglect

If you win, Mr. Harper, please do not take a vacation and allow Ms. Lincoln to consolidate her base and run as an independent. Take to the TV immediately and demand that she concede.

Jane ” Blanche Lincoln likes to call herself a centrist. But the center of what? K Street?”

Jane and team. Looking down the road. One thing I have noticed having worked for the Dems (GOTV etc) in poor districts in Ohio. Many of the jobs that the Dems do have for GOTV campaigns go to those in the area who often do not need the jobs as much as some of the local population.

I have endlessly recommended to the Dems that they hire (for door knockers etc) the local population, especially those out of work.

Wondering when it comes to Halter if ACT BLUE, MOVE ON and whatever influence you might have on encouraging both these organizations to raise the money to hire those out of work in Arkansas to GOTV for Halter in Arkansas. Hire the locals. This would fuel support for Halter and deal with the unemployment issue (a bit) in Arkansas

I am not confusing Dem with Progressive. It appears that Halter is more Progressive than Blanche – which isn’t hard to do. Southerners vote more for candidates than for party and people in Arkansas apparently like Halter. Works for me.

Citizen cadadianbeaver:

See my post at #86.

Lincoln has a 25% approval rating among Arkansans — that’s in Dick Cheney territory.

Got a better reason why Arkansans still need her if they don’t even like her or her work to date?

Good point, but from the looks of things he has sort of recanted his former Clintonian stance. The best you can do with a candidate, especially one without a voting record, is their word. Additionally if they run on a stance and win then they will feel confident in making the types of votes that they campaigned on. In a perfect world we would have nothing but credible grassroots, non DLC tainted candidates, but sometimes you make do. Though just by launching this type of primary it lays the gauntlet down at the feet of the DC Dems, hippie punch at your peril.

That bit of conventional wisdom should stay with the delusional beltway types. There is no such thing as conservative or liberal as a blanket statement. There are those who are socially conservative or fiscally conservative but not both and there are those who have identified Republican or Democrat because of history who don’t really hold that way on issues. Because of the way the parties have gone, there are a lot of people who don’t feel they fit completely in either party, which is why we have a surge of registered independents. They are conservative in some ways and not in others. So saying that a red state needs a conservative sounds good but means nothing. What they need and want is someone who knows their issues and is behind them on that, whether they have a D or an R behind their name. That is why you have the public option polling well in Arkansas and Halter was able to win lt gov even though he backed some ideas the established party did not and went against the party’s annointed candidate. Americans all over are now looking for people they can trust with ideas that make sense to them with party affiliation far down the list of importance.

I know the DSCC has been furiously peddling the meme that Halter is not a progressive to every reporter in town because he’s insufficiently “pure” on the public option and EFCA. Not that Blanche Lincoln is supportive of either one, or because they give a shit, but just to discredit him.

So if people want to launder the DSCC’s smear campaign that’s fine, I just ask that they do it with links to things Halter has actually done, as opposed to just repeating the DSCC’s slightly warmed-over propaganda.

Jane, why do you think the WH came out so quickly to support Blanche? It seems to me that they should have at least paused for a moment to see which way the wind was blowing – now they’re stuck with her.

Why don’t you run, Knox?

With one whole year of legislatin’ to do, it would make sense not to piss off incumbents unless you absolutely have to. But also consider how much value the WH is in Arkansas, hell he might be doing Halter a favor. That last bit might be a little demensional chess playing, but I would follow the money coming from DC more than the “support.” Words mean pretty much nothing here and if they arent backing them up with money, then they know Lincoln is toast and they are just being gentlemanly about the primary.

Among other things, I live in TN-2.

I don’t necessarily disagree but Blanche has dug that hole so deep that she can’t start voting against the money interests. Halter now has enough money to go a long way in Arkansas – much face time on tv. I think Blanche is trapped and she built her own trap.

Considering what a little hug from Obama did for Crist in FL, I don’t think your idea about the WH showing love to Lincoln being a help to Halter in AR is all that far off. You might be right.

Anyway, I think Twain’s argument earlier that people in Arkansas don’t like Lincoln and do like Halter – i.e. that they vote for the candidate more than anything else – is right. He’ll land the nomination and very possibly the win in Nov, too.

I think the administration knows which way the wind’s blowing and they don’t like it. They don’t want to have to have to move left on anything. It may be a case a case of multi-delusional chess playing.

They were able to spin the Scott Brown win into a “we need to veer right” message. If Lincoln loses in the primary to a progressive, they can’t spin that as a conservative leaning message. If that happens in a conservative state, it’s an even bigger message.

The answer is that the WH still hopes that Lincoln will vote for the HC bill soon, so they’re being nice to her. If she doesn’t vote right they’ll switch.

Move and knock him out and I’ll move long enough to vote for you. :)

Rahm is bloggin at The New Republic today. He has a lot to say today and I have only read page one.

Meanwhile, to activists on the left, who have viewed Emanuel as a crypto-conservative since his Clinton-administration efforts to pass NAFTA, there is a persistent belief that he has maneuvered into the role of shadow president. In each passing disappointment–a too-small stimulus, a too-generous bank bailout, a variety of health care compromises–the left finds more evidence of his ascendant worldview. One prominent liberal radio personality refers to Emanuel as “Barack Obama’s Dick Cheney,” while Jane Hamsher, proprietor of the highly trafficked blog Firedoglake, has agitated for his ouster.

I think Kucinich frames the HCR debate exactly right and has the merit of being both factualy true, clear and definite.

He maintains that the for profit private health insurers are the root problem befalling the the health system and any reform that leaves them exclusively in place is doomed to fail and should not be supported. Plain and simple.

This framing of the debate of course is in direct opposition the Democrats and Obama’s proposals for HCR which explicitly maintain that HCR should proceed based on continuing to allow for profit private health insurance companies the sole right to provide health insurance. And moreover to force everyone into their domain.

Kucinich, as we all should, finds such a HCR proposal w/o a PO which challenges private insurers ruinous and should be voted down. I think that is the message all candidates for office in the fall should adhere to.

I keep wondering why C-Span put the Obama Summit last Thursday on Cspan 3 and now Obama’s health care bit is going to be on C-Span 3. Fewer people have access to this at their homes. Why not on the most watched cspan outlet. Odd

He was so clear.

You know. The Clinton presidency wasn’t all that great. But the times and the electorate were genuinely more conservative. He was in a situation where compromising with that trend seemed pretty necessary just to get by. As I recall, Perot split the conservative side and Clinton only squeeked in on that basis. Long time Democratic congressional majorities were seen as sclerotic and had been winding down.

Obama has had the opposite situation, people were pissed off about the Rs and Bush presidency and the painfully evident failure of their corporatist governing philosophy. What does Obama, and the “centrist” democratic leadership, do? Rather than attack the right and drive the discussion further left (where it was already going), he preemptively compromises and validates the opposition.

Fail!

A U.S. Rep doesn’t have to live in the district. David Scott (D-GA) is one example.

[Chris Mathews] implied, hell, actually said, [Blanche Lincoln has] done everything the President asked her to do. Should she face a primary for this.

Are you saying, here, that a duly-elected representative of the American people, holding public office in our Legislative Branch of government, is there simply or primarily to do the bidding of the President and the Executive Branch of government??

Or are you saying that is the case only if and when that President is an avowed member of the same political Party as that representative? [Implying that the reverse is also true: That any representative who doesn't share the same political Party as the President is there simply to oppose requests by the President (as many love to now castigate Republican Members of Congress for doing).]

If so, do you see anything wrong with those scenarios, given the Constitutional design of our system of self-government (never mind the threats to liberty posed by such concentrated power)?

In short: Damn straight a federal Senator or Representative who sells out her branch of government, her oath of office, the people of her state, and her legislative and Constitutional responsibilities – no matter the excuse, but particularly if her excuse is that a President told her (either publicly or privately) to ignore her responsibilities, and the fundamental principle of separated powers, to do his bidding, which she obediently did and then sought to be excused for so doing – is deserving of a primary challenge by her constituents.

If a candidate for or a Member of Congress prefers to serve as a Member of Parliament, then he or she should move to a nation that’s governed by a parliament, or offer a Constitutional amendment to change our system of government accordingly. But until that amendment is the law of the land, our form of government – where Congress determines law and policy and the Executive Branch executes that law and policy – is the form of government that every federal legislator has sworn an oath to uphold, no matter who controls the easy flow of campaign funding cash.

I’m in, against Lincoln.

You really today is the end game spelled out?

You DO realize that Halter is running AGAINST Clintonion Politics, against Obama, against DLCC money and against the DNC? You DO realize that his OPPONENTS, along with Blanched, are THOSE people, don’t you?

Well crafted hoss, very well crafted.

Yer as good with your safety on as you are in full battle mode.

I really, really liked your summation.

*G*

SOME folks concern for issues leaves me wanting to clutch pearls, and I don’t cross dress.

Thought I’d jump in . . . because Blanched is safely bought and paid for and plays villain and hero well and the WH is all about enabling the corporate facist agenda they’ve been bought to do so.

The WH and the DSCC and Dem Party Machine are backing Blanched fully, early and whole heartedly.

Threre’s NO disputing this, it’s plain as day and money numbers have already been quoted, yadda yadda.

So your premise is flawed upon this fact. The WH is fully behind Blanche because she’s a corp dem, as they are, as are both Chambers of Congress. Regardless of party affiliation, they are ALL corp enablers, and they protect their own from outside intrusions because first and foremost they represent the corporate interests.

Couple that with support for a proven corporatist lackey like Blanche and it’s a wrap. *G*

You ignore the simple fact that our democratic republic is no longer either.

ALL of our elected offals, top to bottom are bought and paid for by corporate interests, and as Mussolini said, that’s the definition of facism.

Once you accept that POV, it’s easy to understand every single move and action by any politician.

They exist to support the corporate structure, plain and simple. Anything else is kabuki, hero/villain rotation, etc.

I’m surprised at your premise given your MOST EXCELLENT prowess on progressive issues you’ve shown for all the time I’ve seen you post and comment.

No. The point of getting people to vote against the interest of their constituents is the corporations promise there will be no repercussion for the action – that their corporate dollars can help them avoid paying a political price for playing ball.

So even if all we are doing is rearranging some chairs – one of those chairs will no longer be occupied by Blanche Lincoln. That sends a message which would never be sent by just sitting around and letting Lincoln coast under the idea that her replacement “won’t be significantly different.”. It undermines the lobbyist’s sales pitch across the board. And don’t you think, if Halter ends up there, he’d weigh progressive/union support a bit differently than Lincoln who literally hates both progressives and unions?

On a different note, the HCR stance Halter has staked out makes speculation he may be “as bad” seem a bit absurd. Will he be a liberal warrior? That may be asking a bit much of Arkansas.

It may be easy to “understand,” Larue, but there’s no way in hell I’m going to just sit back and “accept” that corrupt and deplorable state of affairs.

Dear Jane,

Two Points and one question:

Question 1. Have you thought about the Democratic Party’s Senate Race in CT in which Merrick Alpert is running against the establishment candidate, Attorney General Richard Blumenthal?

Point 1:
Jane, on Monday night, Alpert not only won hands down, but offered much better ideas than Mr. Blumenthal. After the debate was over, Alpert met with reporters and others to answer questions while Blumenthal headed to Fairfield County for a fundraiser. Alpert is opposed to Obama’s build-up in Afghanistan, while, Blumenthal supports it. Thus, the Democratic Party not only gains another establishment Senator with Blumenthal, but someone who will be very hawkish on defense issues as well.

Question 2. Jane, I was wondering if you ever you read or listen to the commentaries and writings at Black Agenda Report? http://www.blackagendareport.com

Glen Ford at Black Agenda Report has a great radio commentary on Harold Ford and the Democratic Party and how the Congresional Black Caucus has been co-opted by the corporate wing for the last five years with Harold Ford’s help. Glen Ford points out how Harold Ford was one of President’s Bush’s favorite Democrats when in office and making tax cuts and the Iraq War.

Good Riddance Harold Ford…Again
A Black Agenda Radio commentary by Glen Ford

EXCERPT:

“…..Harold Ford, Jr. rises periodically like muck from a sewer to pollute the national political conversation with corporate obscenities posing as public policy. After a brief but nauseating bid for the Democratic senatorial nomination in New York, the former five-term Tennessee congressman has thankfully flushed himself back to his Wall Street cesspool. Ford backed out of the race this week, claiming he wants to save the Democratic Party from a bruising battle between himself and incumbent Kirsten Gillibrand, who was the most right-wing Democrat on the New York delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives before being appointed to the Senate last year. Harold Ford made Gillibrand look like Angela Davis….Before Wall Street and Barack Obama discovered each other, Harold Ford was the Great Black Hope of the super-rich – the up-and-coming young politician who would make corporate predation palatable to African Americans at-large. Ford was an instant darling of the DLC, the Democratic Leadership Council, the mechanism for distributing corporate money within the Democratic Party. In return for Harold Ford’s worthless soul, the DLC anointed him keynote speaker at the 2000 Democratic National Convention – the same prize they would bestow on Barack Obama, four years later….Thirty-year-old Harold was catapulted to national prominence, his reward for having created a small right-wing faction within what had previously been an almost uniformly progressive-leaning Congressional Black Caucus. Ford became one of only two Black Blue Dog Democrats, and one of only four Black members to support the invasion of Iraq. But Ford’s faction in the Caucus grew, nurtured by corporate contributions. By 2005, the Congressional Black Caucus had been rendered all but useless to progressive politics – Harold Ford’s great service to the right wing. Ford became George Bush’s favorite Black politician, an ally in the Republican assault on Social Security. In his unsuccessful U.S. Senate bid in 2006, Ford flirted openly with the racist Tennessee redneck vote……”

http://www.blackagendareport.com/?q=content/good-riddance-harold-ford%E2%80%A6again

Chris Matthews needs to take some psychiatric medication…..The man suffers from either Schizophrenia or a serious personality disorder. In the latter case, meds would not help but a help in the former.

Matthews is not to be taken seriously, whatsoever. He is a freak, if nothing else.

Correction:
Two Questions and one Point

The Hartford Courant Poll
Poll: Who Won The Debate? Merrick Alpert vs. Richard Blumenthal
Who won Monday Night’s Democratic candidate debate?

Merrick Alpert (592 responses) – 71%

Richard Blumenthal (247 responses) – 29%

839 total responses

(Results not scientific)

http://www.courant.com/news/politics/hc-democratic-debate-poll,0,3155446,post.poll

Excellent points. Thank you!

Jane, you are wonderful.

But, the question that really matters.

Are you going to get Bambi a primary in 2012?

This (Arkansas race) is what Democracy is supposed to be like. Real competition of ideas and sufficient money for the candidates to really duke it out.

Way to go Jane & friends!!!!

Aw, Jane, you look so nice.

: )

Jane is one of the best indeed….Don’t know Jane personally, but, she seems to have a big, big heart for all the people!!!

Jane’s political analysis is very astute as well.

Oh, Jane ~ you go, girl! Very nice work. No one will catch me doubtin’ you, that is for sure! Smoochies!