Right Wing Pulls Its Limp-Wristed Punch from California Ballot; Progressives Win
Tom Hiltachk, a California Republican political legal hack, apparently can't even throw a spit ball with a straight arm. He wanted to put a measure on the California ballot that would have taken twenty or more Electoral College votes away from the Democrats by changing the way we allocate those electors from winner take all to proportional by Congressional district.
So much for the sucker punch from the right hook of the Republican Party. After tens of thousands of people joined together in the netroots and grassroots to just say no, the initiative seems to have fallen apart. Courage Campaign worked with civilian leaders such as Brad Whitford (see his video here) and joined with the leading bloggers in California and across the country to make sure that if this got on the ballot, it would fail and that the conspirators would know that the more they cheated, the more they helped us to organize.
As Howie Klein says," It ('s defeat) has more to do with the grassroots action against it, the organizing efforts of the Courage Campaign and the fact that the shady Republicans behind it, Californians For Equal Representation are a bunch of cronies of David Dreier's from Missouri." Paul Kumar , Vice President of SEIU'S United Healthcare Workers West, one of the online community's best friends in labor, said, "Your work made it too hot for Schwarzenegger and other leading Republicans to handle and dried up our opponents' access to money. The netroots was way out in front of the party regulars and big institutional players on this one and you deserve the credit for it."
Courage Campaign and our online colleagues had support from a huge cross section of prominent leaders ranging from members of congress such as California Congressional delegation chair Zoe Lofgren, Hilda Solis and Jane Harman, members of the state legislature such as Karen Bass and Mark Leno, labor leaders such as Sal Roselli at SEIU and bloggers ranging from Arianna Huffington to John Amato and Jane Hamsher. We had folks from Hollywood such as Brad Whitford, Sherry Lansing and Judith Light as well as literally over ten thousand others.
It's not polite to toot one's own horn, but there's a lesson here. As Jane Hamsher noted here on HuffPost, the House and Senate took the time over the past week to attack MoveOn.org, the largest progressive on line organization in the country, for pushing them to end the war in Iraq. It's obvious that this attack, too eagerly joined by many supposed progressives, was meant to diminish the online communities. My guess is that those presidential candidates who joined in the condemnation on television or in votes or both were only too happy to feel that MoveOn was knocked down a peg or two in advance of what they hope will be their ascension to power. That way, when those who claim to be progressives act otherwise, they'll be able to say, "See? Those guys out there in the "blogosphere" are just not to be taken seriously. Both houses of Congress said so."
Not so fast. Had this initiative gotten on the ballot and passed, a Democratic White House victory would have been almost impossible. That explains why so many of Hillary Clinton's expectant operatives were hard at work on this (and they were very effective). And it explains why so many in the online community got on board so quickly. So let's note now that the online community is an ally to most Democrats in times of need. That's all good. Keep in mind what we do when you need us and keep in mind that we'll not be taken for granted.
We beat the right wingnuts on this one. As the Los Angeles Times reports this morning, we demonstrated that with discipline, organization and speed we can defeat the bad stuff. As we build power, we'll be there to support other progressives and remind those who claim to be what it really means to make progress.
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Yes, Rick, this is one match the wingnuts lost. Big time.
But these are not the kind of folks who give up easily.
They just slime around further underground. Their next trick won't be nearly so obvious - or easy to bury.
It's going to take a lot of work to beat them all the way through 2008.
Fortunately, all the really sane people in the blogosphere understand that.
Even if the feckless Dems still haven't figured out about that proverbial hole in the ground.
I agree that just because they lost this one, doesn't mean they won't try, try again.
This group that stopped the right wing from stealing yet another election should be a model for all Americans. See what the "people" can do if organized and publicized.
Take heed folks and organize and publicize your contempt for the War in Iraq.
Again, thank you all in California!!!
enoughalready,
Hooray for the people. This was a sneak attack we stopped through concerted political action. Thank God. But we must still be vigilant about Cal. and other states where GOP will desperately try to steal votes and/or districts and prevent voting.
Thank God!!!! and thank you!
Congratulations, Rick. Thanks.
I'm proud of you. Really.
Now Stop The War funding.
Then...
Impeach the President & VP.
Then...
Convene The 8/29 Commission to investigate and restructure way the US Army corps of Engineers does business.
Then...
Then get together and get rid of Pelosi and the rest of the DLC gang in favor of progressives and labor
All good ideas
Then have America elect a president.
ONE PERSON = ONE VOTE
You got that right about Pelosi whose hubby got a $66,000,000 no bid contract in Iraq as payolla for taking impeachment of Bush & Cheney off the table.
"The netroots was way out in front of the party regulars and big institutional players on this one and you deserve the credit for it."
Good luck getting any thanks from the Democratic frontrunner. Hillary considers the blogosphere her enemy, and with good reason.
Great job, and God bless California! Nice try Republicans--looks like the people aren't going to take your shenanigans any more.
Actually, this type of legislation was first brought up by the democrats, but you're presenting it as a blow to the republicans. But then again, you're saying it on Huffington Post, so why would I expect anything different.
jimpryor99,
It's wrong and evil no matter who tries to steal votes. It is inexcusable, but of late jim it seems 2 elections have been clearly manipulated and stolen by GOP.
Bravo regards your closing remark! Let's just hope that the American electorate is driven by the FEAR of what another 4 years of Republican administration in the White House might produce. Any restructuring of the electoral college must be a national undertaking and probably very much resisted by both parties because moving toward more local representations of political support implies actually increasing the possibility of additional parties as real players. Also, Texas & DeLay demonstrates that some method ought to be developed to make congressional districts less gerrymandered as they are in many states, perhaps sometime weighed toward proximity & randomness. BTW, in 2008 if there continues to be this seemingly insolvable challenge of providing a verifiable paper trail for votes cast, in almost all circumstances one can legally request and subsequently use an absentee ballot. The moral of this suggestion is if they'll not provide a reasonable request then use your own devices and do so yourself.
What do mean, the Democrats? Did you sleep through the "Hammer" years? DeLay helped the Bushies steal the Texas electoral contingent by much worse tactics than trying to put a misleading initiative on the ballot.
You yourself are disguising an attempt to sow confusion here as an attempt to restore balance in the discussion. How is making the Republicans withdraw their attempt to cook the books, not a "blow to the republicans?"
Hasn't anyone told you that liberals are intellectuals? Intellectuals use something called "logic." When you play with the big boys, you have to play at their level.
Speaking of which, does anyone know what's taking Ronnie Earle so long to arrange DeLay's junket to the Grey Bar Hotel?
Another victory for maintaining the status quo.
Believe me, with these pirates in office, any chock under their wheels IS a victory!
GOOD JOB
THANK YOU!
I find our netroots as heroic as our soldiers on the battlefield and I mean it! While the soldiers are protecting our freedom, it is organizations like ACLU and MoveOn that are protecting and preserving our very existence as a democracy and the sanctity of our Constitution!
And I'd like to add that every member of the Armed Services takes an oath in which they swear to defend the "Constitution of the United States from all enemies, foreign and domestic". By fighting to defend the principles of our Constitution, organizations like the ACLU and MoveOn do much more the support the mission of our troops than do the majority of "sunshine patriots" who populate the U.S. Congress these days.
sensible,
thanks.
We needed you in Texas when Tom Delay sliced us up in many peices to defeat any democrat running for almost any thing. Even the courts backed up Delay.
People are not buying into their cheating and lying any longer. I applaud the citizens of California. I no longer live ther, but my heart is still with you.
It's true that we did need to - and failed - to stop the Texas madness. However, much because of that we stopped THIS move.
We are paying attention. Better late than never, I guess.
"Keep in mind what we do when you need us and keep in mind that we'll not be taken for granted.
We beat the right wing nuts on this one. We have demonstrated that with discipline, organization and speed we can defeat the bad stuff. As we build power, we'll be there to support other progressives and remind those who claim to be what it really means to make progress."
Yep. The BETTER start paying attention.
There's no going back now.
Us "normals" have found out how
you get their ADD-style attention.
No more "Mr. Nice Guy".
No more "PC"
No more "Let's do lunch dear"
No more "We do as we please"
Accountability is what's expected.
Action will be the tool
No more "Mr Nice Guy"
Bloggers are NO BODY'S FOOL.
"We have demonstrated that with discipline, organization and speed we can defeat the bad stuff."
...and let's not forget: with facts and careful consideration of the issues.
That's the critical difference between us and the Reich-wingnuts.
dear klevenstein,
However lets not bask. They will try anything. Remember the communist manifesto is close to the wingnuts' heart. "The ends justify the means".
There will be more dirty work to come from these outright criminals. It will take netroots to watch, wait, and ACT.
You go, girl! I'm in love...
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