Stanley Chang

Hawaii's primary is August 9, a week from Saturday. Saturday? Sure, that's how to encourage voter participation in a democracy-- have the elections when people aren't working. Conservatives are generally terrified at the prospect of more people voting-- especially working class people-- so they tend to block legislation like Hawaii's. Hawaii is a pretty progressive state, first to mass a $10.10 minimum wage, first to start the process of marriage equality. The Republican Party is pretty moribund there and the Democratic Party has been in charge since 1962.

If you read DWT much, you know how much we distrust identity politics around here. Voting for someone because they are the same religion or ethnicity of gender, etc seems kind of primitive and politically immature. I always thought it should be about character and policy.

Yesterday the House passed the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act 228-295, generally along party lines. All but 4 (completely random) Republicans voted for it and all but 6 Democrats-- Blue Dogs and New Dems from the Republican wing of the Democratic Party-- voted against it. No biggie. More interesting, though, was an amendment Alan Grayson brought up.Grayson has been more successful at putting together ad hoc coalitions to pass legislation than anyone else in Congress.

Three of the four Hawaii state senators who voted against marriage equality last year: Mike Gabbard, Donna Kim, Sam SlomLast Thursday night, backward and reactionary congressional candidate Donna Kim told PBS Hawaii viewers she opposes marriage equality based on her Catholic faith.

Yes, anti-equality Democrats in Congress are a dying breed.

Zach Goldfarb celebrated the 4th of July with a column for the Washington Post informing us that the moneymen behind the New Dems, Blue Dogs and Third Way-- i.e., the Republican wing of the Democratic Party-- have had enough of all this income gap and economic inequality palaver.

Above is a video of New York Attorney General, Eric Schneiderman talking about the real issues real Democrats should be talking with voters about. I don't want to offend him-- nor do I think he would be offended-- but he is an Elizabeth Warren Democrat. Blue America endorsed him for reelection today and you can contribute to his reelection here.

Not everybody studies the records of politicians asking for their votes. I do. But for many people, at least some of the time, it's pretty much essential to consider what a trusted organization recommends. When I see the DCCC has jumped in strong for a candidate, it always makes me reticent and makes me wonder what's wrong with the candidate. Are they weak on core progressive values? Are they prone to taking orders from the top? Are they prone towards corruption?

Last year, Honolulu City Councilman Stanley Chang wrote a guest post for us explaining why he wants to join the Congressional Progressive Caucus. This week, in their first round of 2014 endorsements, the CPC endorsed Chang, who's in a crowded 9-way August 9th primary for the seat New Dem Colleen Hanabusa is giving up. Stanley's opponents are, first and foremost transactional careerists rather than principled, values-driven leaders.

Bad news for progressives/bad news for Hawai'iThe Hawai`i legislature has passed two major laws within the last year: approving marriage equality and increasing the minimum wage to $10.10. Both of the achievements were produced by progressives in the Democratic-dominated legislature-- and over the objections of State Senate President Donna Kim. One might think Kim would be cowering in light of these defeats.