Ohio

By Laurel Krause, Co-founder and Director of the Kent State Truth Tribunal  | ACLU | March 7, 2014

DCCC downgrades 2 of its worst recruits, Aguilar and GarrisonToday the DCCC announced its Red-to-Blue program. Not every one of Steve Israel's ridiculous Jump Start candidates made it to the Red to Blue List and two, empty suit Pete Aguilar (CA-31) and ex-CIA agent Kevin Strouse were downgraded completely.

Inauthentic in every waySteve Israel made a lot of really bad choices this cycle. His Jump Start program is a compendium of most of the worst, most reactionary corporate shills running as Democrats this year. Not all of them, but almost all of them are not worth voting for even against Republicans. Remember, the lesser of two evils is still evil.

While Steve Israel is wasting money by diverting it into trying to elect anti-Choice/anti-LGBT/anti-environment fanatic Jennifer Garrison, the DCCC has ignored the most sensible red to blue district in Ohio, the 14th, currently held by freshman backbencher David Joyce.

If Democrats want to support antigay, anti-Choice bigots, they can just vote for RepublicansWednesday is the filing deadline for candidates running in Ohio's May 6 primary.

Malcolm and JenniferMy grandfather was a Socialist. He told me to always be wary of anyone from the Democratic Party. Funny because Malcolm X and he had similar views of the Democrats back them. Mal: "We won't organize any black man to be a Democrat or a Republican because both of them have sold us out. Both of them have sold us out; both parties have sold us out.

It's not fair to just blame DCCC Chairman Steve Israel for Jennifer Garrison. The "Sarah Palin of Ohio" is also being heavily backed by Israel's patron, Steny Hoyer. Hoyer was in Columbus yesterday, headlining a fundraiser for the anti-Choice, anti-gay, anti-labor conserva-Dem.

Sunday we looked at North Carolina Republican congressional candidate Jason Thigpen's switch from the GOP to the Democratic Party. Monday evening Jason went on air with Lawrence O'Donnell to talk about his oddessey (above).When I spoke with him over the weekend, Jason seemed to me to be a very independent-minded, thoughtful, progressive-oriented citizen with a keen understanding of a Constitution he takes very seriously.

The DCCC's Steve Israel doesn't give base voters a reason to turn out; he gives them reason to stay home on election dayWednesday, Markos wrote an exceptionally well-thought-out post on Kos, Democrats' Biggest Challenge Is Getting Their Base Voters To Vote.

Last week we looked at the persistent Beltway rumors that Boehner has had enough and wants to retire and spend the rest of his life drinking and golfing. If right wing groups have their way, he won't get the chance. They want to defeat him at the polls in 2014.