When then-DCCC head Steve Israel was asked by a reporter for the Omaha World-Herald how he felt about his conservative recruit, Brad Ashford, a Nebraska Republican state senator, getting into Congress as a Democrat and voting far more with the GOP than with the Democrats, Israel responded:
Duke Cunningham moved to a gated religious community in Arkansas after he was released from prisonEarlier this evening I mentioned how so many of the villains among California Republicans who inspired me to start this blog were no longer in Congress. Duke Cunningham went to prison but many of the other crooks, like John Doolittle and Jerry Lewis were forced nudged into retirement.
How an incompetent DCCC has reshaped the political landscape of PennsylvaniaPennsylvania, one of the most egregiously gerrymandered states in the country, has 18 congressional seats. Even though it's a blue state-- Obama beat McCain 3,192,316 (54.7%) to 2,586,496 (44.3%) and beat Romney 2,907,448 (52.0%) to 2,619,58 (46.8%); Bob Casey beat Tom Smith for the U.S.
Bernie's the best there is so, let's be clear from sentence one-- this is not meant to shake anyone's faith him him. Unless you were around when FDR was president, I have no doubt a Bernie presidency would be the most positive and consequential presidency in your lifetime. And mine. But he made a mistake when he was campaigning in New Hampshire. He allowed a highly flawed congressional candidate, Shawn O'Connor, to speak at some of his events.
Yesterday the DCCC brought back their Red-to-Blue program, almost a decade after Debbie Wasserman Schultz had so damaged its brand by backing 3 Republican pals of hers while he was head of the committee that it was consigned to the deep freeze.
I love all our Blue America candidates. Some, however, are a little further along in their evolution towards being... the next Elizabeth Warren or the next Alan Grayson or the next Donna Edwards. After all, that is what we're looking for in candidates. Not John, not Digby, not Jacquie and not yours truly is looking for a candidate we can-- or have to-- tell what to do. I've had hot-under-the-collar disagreements with Donna, with Ted Lieu, with Joe Sestak...
California state Senator Isadore Hall, widely considered the most corrupt politician in Sacramento, must have been feeling his oats when he snagged a cushy deal at the Alameda Court apartments development he helped push through... with a nice subsidy from the City of Compton. Shortly after the initial approval, the developers contributed $10,000 to Hall. Can you spell quid pro quo? Or you thought only Republicans engage in this kind of bribery?
