Accountability Now is proud today to announce the first candidate we've recruited for the 2010 election: Arkansas Lt. Governor Bill Halter, who will challenge Blanche Lincoln for her Arkansas Senate seat.
Glenn Greenwald and I started Accountability Now in 2008 for the express purpose of recruiting primary challengers who would hold entrenched members of the DC establishment accountable for their actions. Too often incumbents have a stranglehold on their local party machines, and without hope of significant backing the candidates with the political experience to potentially defeat them do not want to risk their careers with a challenge.
We want to change that.
Blanche Lincoln stands for everything that's wrong with both parties: her primary loyalty is to her DC cohorts and her corporate donors, and she thinks it's her job to pick the taxpayer pocket on their behalf. As the head of the Agriculture Committee and a member of the Finance Committee, Lincoln has stood at the front of the line when it comes to repaying her corporate donors with political favors. She has personally been the recipient of big ag subsidies, and her continued tenure as Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee would mean the death of sustainable agriculture for a generation. She's the prime target for an accountability campaign.
Some in the media will try to paint this as a "purge" of "moderates" from the Democratic party. It's not. Blanche Lincoln is a radical corporatist. That's not the "center" of anything. Conservatives and liberals alike are tired of watching Senators like Lincoln raise millions in campaign cash and vote for one bailout after another, as if there's no connection.
Accountability Now's blueprint was inspired by the successful effort to unseat Al Wynn in 2007, when a coalition of progressive groups came together to support Donna Edwards. We first brought together representatives from organizations including SEIU, DFA, Daily Kos, MoveOn, the United Steelworkers, Color of Change and Blog PAC in early 2009 to talk about recruiting primary challengers for the 2010 race.
We are delighted that those efforts to draft Bill Halter and organize institutional support for his campaign led to his decision to enter the race. We look forward to working with the groups in Accountability Now and the people of Arkansas to support him in this race and to see him sworn in as the next Senator from Arkansas.
Donate to Halter's campaign here.
Follow Jane Hamsher on Twitter: www.twitter.com/janehamsher
And there are benifits to having a majority with Dem by there name even if they don't always vote with you.
Example: Leadership positions with control of agendas, committee chairs with control of agendas ect.
Both parties get pulled to the center, always have, always will.
There are 20-30% on the far left and far right, with a big chunk in the middle.
When the Dems have a big majority, there are some DINOs (DEM in name only)
Example: Some pro-life Dems
When the GOP have a big majority, there are some RINOs (Rep in name only)
Example: Some pro-choice GOP
If you want a "big tent" it may not be filled with your closest friends, that's life
If a Progressive would have run in those districts, the GOP would have won and gained control of Congress, is that better?
Sorry to rant on, but I am disgusted with the Democratic party and all of you progressives who talk a good game, but do nothing to help Obama get anything done.
You say there's no party unity, and that's true. Some Democrats are wholly owned by the corporations and special interests, and some are not. I think its actually healthier to have different opinions within a party rather than be monolithic like the Republicans. Total party unity is what they had in the USSR, after all. I just wish that the differing opinions were on how best to help the citizens, not who to help, the special interests or the citizens.
You say we know where the Republicans stand? Not really, considering they have consistently voted against measures they co-sponsored. The stand for nothing but obstruction, because they'd rather score political points than govern. Don't give them any credit for that. Obama and the Democrats could introduce a bill saying puppies are nice and the Republicans would threaten a filibuster.
I don't believe this country is "centrist" at all. Polling has shown consistent support for such progressive ideas as universal health care, regulation of big business, alternative energy, public campaign financing, etc. Its only the chattering class inside the Beltway that thinks this is a centrist country, because its easier for them to split the difference between right and left rather than actually doing some journalistic work and finding the facts. Despite what conservatives may tell you, there are not Republican facts and Democratic facts, there are just facts.
Though I think I share your goals, I think that you and Glenn are starting at the wrong end.
If your concern is truly 'radical corporatists', then at least as I understand that term, you need to push campaign finance reform, and you need to do it now, immediately, before the 2010 elections, which will be enormously distorted by corporate funding.
No. As always, the incentive structure that hugely rewards bad behavior, in this case 'corporatism', needs to be the primary target.
So the ultimate goal is to get candidates who are progressive. How about accountability for the politicians who are beholden to organizations including SEIU, DFA, Daily Kos, MoveOn, the United Steelworkers, Color of Change and Blog PAC? Those groups don't supply money and influence votes?
Your statement that this is not a purge of moderates rings hollow. Why make it if it isn't at least partially true? You're looking for any excuse to punish those who don't fully believe the committee mantra that the progressive ideal has to move forward at all cost. "Just put the policy in place! The people will see we're right once all the environmental rules and regulations are making things better for them." The problem is, that isn't the way democracy is supposed to work, but that's a minor issue, right?
Congratulations Jane Hamsher. You play the political game of chess well. This will help immensely to revamp the political landscape for the Rahm Emanuels and others seeking to prevent the change the American people so desperately want.
"Uncontrolled free market capitalism gives to the wealthy at the detriment of the middle class and poor."
I just have to propose an alternative view.
It is a controlled and falsely called "free market" that has systematically transferred wealth from the masses to the rich. It has been the control of government and the media by corporations that is at the root of our troubles. Where examples of a valid free market exists you cannot deny the beauty of its efficiencies. Case in point, computers and computer software. IBM dominated but was replaced by Microsoft. Microsoft dominated but has been seriously challenged by Apple and others. All the while the technology has gotten better and the prices lower.
We can argue about whether a true free market is always possible but if/when it is there is no better system than free market captalism for promoting ingenuity and the proper setting of prices!.
It will be a constant struggle but there'so choice. You can't legislate morality or good behavior.
It's the same place where that "valid free market exists (where) you cannot deny the beauty of its efficiencies". And they all eat candy all the time.
Those that can do; those that can but don't like the pressure, teach; those that can't go into politics!
Rather than whine about how bad people are and how its hopeless to try how about putting up a little fight?
For too long too many people have fought the energy-wasting war of dems vs. repubs or liberals vs. conservatves. The battle has always been a corporate-controlled government against a "of the people, by the people and for the people" government - and we the people have been getting our butts kicked!
Every elected official at any level of government who caters to a special interest and not to the constitution, the rule of law and wat is best for the masses MUST be dealt with. Even if it takes us one at a time.
The beauty of politics is that all we need to do is pull off a few key wins and the momentum will build, the sheople will jump on and any politician or aspiring politician will see the light.
Keep up the pressure folks.
I agree about there being a battle. But I think another battle has been the ever-growing power of the federal government versus the state and local governments - where the founders rightly wanted most of the power to be held. Though state and local governments are not immune to corruption and influence peddling, they pale in comparison to the crap that goes on in our nation's capital. Both the Democrats and Republicans are in it up to their eyeballs, especially those in leadership positions.
It is up to us as voters to call a halt to this nonsense and do our own purge.
Thanks for making that point. When I read of her as being "centrist", I nearly wolfed my cookies. Your term "radical corporatist" is better suited to describe her.
Is being against the PO an automatic qualifier?