Maryland Gives Country Big Wet Progressive Kiss

Last night's presidential results were clear: one progressive bested another. But perhaps even more important for the future of the Democratic Party were the results in Maryland's Fourth Congressional District where progressive champion Donna Edwards went up against entrenched (Democratic) defender of the Republican culture of corruption Al Wynn.

The progressive won.

It's really an extraordinary result. Wynn has been office since 1992 and has cozied up to just about every special interest out there, taking hundreds of thousands from polluters, banks, and drug companies and repaying them with his votes for Bush's ultra-polluting 2005 energy bill, Bush's 2005 bankruptcy bill (that made it harder for working people to get out of debt), Bush's Iraq War, and Bush's efforts to keep big money in politics.

He was the Wynn in the Wynn-Ney Bill meant designed to gut soft money limits (the Ney was Bob Ney, who has since been convicted of corruption charges related to the Jack Abramoff scandal). Then, he went on to become the lead sponsor of the phony "527 Fairness Act" that would actually allow individuals to contribute millions to the political parties and candidates.

As if this wasn't skuzzy enough, Wynn actually attacked Donna Edwards during the campaign for being poor -- not paying her taxes on time when she was a single mom without health care. I think few people would blame a mom for putting children's well-being before the bills.

I hoped that voters would see through these clumsy, mean-spirited attacks to the Donna Edwards I've seen personally. I first met her because she sat on the board of Green Corps, which trains young environmentalists (including me) to be future environmental leaders -- and I could tell she was a real progressive fighter and a sincere person. In addition to her environmental work, she headed the Arca Foundation, which supports a living wage, a fair judiciary, Social Security, and labor rights, planting seeds of good around the country and the world.

For that reason, Edwards could count on the support of progressive organizations like MoveOn.org, SEIU, Sierra Club, and the PAC I direct, Democratic Courage. Ironically, given his role in defending big money in politics, Wynn attacked Edwards for these "outside groups'" support for her. It was a cynical ploy -- he was hoping his constituents couldn't tell the difference between the labor unions and environmental groups funding Edwards and the pharmaceutical companies funding Wynn.

But he was wrong.

That means we'll have another progressive hero in Congress, which is great news. But I think this race will send a more powerful message to the cautious corporate Democrats standing in the way of a progressive agenda: cozy up to big money and sleazy politics -- and run away from progressive champions like MoveOn.org -- at your peril.

The smart ones will change their tunes before they get into a tough primary. And the stupid, stubborn, or just plain ornery? Well, I'm sure Al Wynn will have a cozy job waiting for them during what I imagine will be his next job as a corporate lobbyist.

Comments

[yourstruly]

Way to go Donna Edwards! You'll make your constituents much happier than Al Wynn, but I'd bet he already has a job on K Street today.

[Tulka2]

Mr. Hurowitz, Congratulations to you and all the progressive voters in Maryland! Tickled me to read how excited you are. See what happens when young people get out the vote? It's your country. Let's take it back in November. Sustained effort! Slow and steady takes the prize.

[mmerose]

Yay! One down on the way to disbanding the whole DLC.
Meanwhile, economic times are going to be very, very bad, Obama will inherit a US dollar that will soon be cheap wallpaper and a business oligarchy already on the edge of panic, maybe not being too righteously radical can give him some room to finesse something short of a crash. Will progressives give him some room? A heavenly host couldn't drag me into the Oval Office now.

[HillbillyBob]

Congratulations Ms Edwards.
Being on disablitiy and my mom was a divorced mother of three I can understand how hard it is to keep it all up.
I have watched the rise of the authoritarians for 25 - 30 years and have been dismayed(i ll opt out of the rest of what I felt) at the cruel self rightouness and selfishness and the "I m rich and sobetter than everyone else" It is time for progressives to get this mess cleaned up not swept under the rug and am happy that you are here for the people of Md. Again Congratulations and Best of Luck, may you be blessed with the strenght and wisdom you will need in your new career.

[cherylmo]

I think this is an indication that voters are tired of politicians and want people who will do what they promised. Do not be surprised if many incumbents, Republican and Democrat, are thrown out this year. 2006 was an election of change and the Democrats thought it was about Iraq. Well, it was the American people saying we are tired of gotcha politics and we want to elect statesmen/women, not your typical politician who seems to always campaigning for the next election.

[magen]

Pelosi, Reid, and LIEberwoman. You're next!!!!!!!

[hazmaq]

Wait, don't leave Maryland yet -we still have Steny Hoyer, Chris Van Hollen, and Mikulski. Hoyer especially pushed every pro-war position, demanded the Iran provision be pulled out of last years bill and then pulled out the troop withdrawal provisions in a follow up vote. He's nothing but a Lieberman clone and the most ineffective leader the party ever had.

And Van Hollen?? He actually apologized to a huge lobbying group for saying something negative about their tactics.
A perfect example of a promising new comer with the hope boiled and stewed out of him by party insiders.

[hazmaq]

And Mikulski voted against every fuel efficiency standard the Dems tried to push through.

[riozen]

You forgot to mention the work of PDA & DFA - leading Progressive activist groups with National on the ground reach.

[RogerHWerner]

I also believe Al Franken's Midwest Values Pact also supported Edwards against Wyn.

[GulfAaron]

Great work Glenn and others down in the trenches. I wish I could feel the wave breaking down here - but the Gulf doesn't really have many waves, but a helluvalot of oil companies, chemical manufacturers and right-to-work (no-rights-to-organize) laws, so I fear it will be a while before we're able to surf to a progressive future in our blue-dog heavy states.

[dawlishgal]

I was very encouraged to hear Obama use the word "progressive" in his speech in Madison last night. HC and her corporate advisors are part of the party leadership who decided to jetison the progressives...the very people who worked so hard to get Democrats elected in '06...in favor of kissing up to Independents (as though Independents don't also want to get the bleep out of Iraq). I was told by a chief aid to a congressman that their mantra was "who else are they going to vote for anyhow?"

I think they are just now finding out.

[RogerHWerner]

Obama is part of the same leadership with Clinton. Obama is a creation of the DLC.

[clevelandtocali]

And your alternative with a shot in hell of winning is?

[gtt]

Yes ! vote progressive !
Cheers to Donna Edwards. Thank you Ms. Edwards for your hard work. I will be sending a small contribution to your campaign.

[darcy]

Great, great news!!

[oldpotsmuggler]

One down and how many more to go? Maybe the timing on this one will be a little special also. The House is set to consider the traitorous Bill passed, in large part, by Democrats in the Senate yesterday. Giving immunity to Telecoms, hopefully, was the last gasp of a dying breed.

Folks, vote like Republicans and it will only be justice if we voters treat you like a Republican the next time you're up.

[FlowerGirl]

Donna Edwards's win is wonderful, but it won't be the last such. I feel the tide turning. Entrenched corruption isn't impossible to purge from our political system. We have been toldf that is was by those with an interest in it. But we have been told many lies. Perhaps George W. did us some good after all. He told so many obvious lies that the people finally woke up and decided to do something about it. Goodbye, Wynn. Welcome win!

[Purple Girl]

YEAH!!
All incumbant will at the very least be finding new jobs- unless we put them in prison first
Mi'ers will be saying the same when it comes to Levin, Stabenow and probably Granholm- not to mention our area "repreentatives'
Mi'ers have been left like a dead Whore in a 8 mile & Woodward Ave Motel. apparently the goal is to leave the rest of our country the same way. Corportionists ...Revenge is a dish best served COLD!

[zjr909]

I hope Barbara Mikulski takes notice of this outcome. I don't know if she plans to ever run again (her recent votes tend to say no, she's not planning to); but if she does, she may not be able to fall back on her consistent record of bringing the bacon home to us Marylanders to keep her seat. I'm sure Wynn also carried numerous perks back home; but, in the end, the voters decided the perks weren't enough to offset the corruption. So, Babs, take notice. As heavily dependent on the federal government as Maryland's economy is, there are other concerns out there as well - and they just might override that one issue.