Long before he sold out and became a Big Pharma lobbyist, Howard Dean started DFA-- then Dean for America, now Democracy for America, and run by Howard's brother Jim Dean. After Howard Dean embarrassed himself and everyone else by endorsing very right-wing Blue Dog Gwen Graham for Governor of Florida, DFA felt compelled to refute Howard Dean's outrageous bullshit about Graham being a progressive.Like Blue America, DFA has endorsed Andrew Gillum, the actual progressive-- the only progressive-- in the race. Yesterday, Graham's campaign sent out an endorsement e-mail ostensibly from a hero-turned-lobbyist: "I got to know Gwen more than 10 years ago when she joined our fight for progressive values. We worked together for universal healthcare, to end the Iraq War, and to empower the American people. I am proud to give Gwen Graham my full support today because she has spent her life fighting for those same shared values. Will you chip in to help Gwen win the primary and take back control of the Governor’s Office? ... As governor, she will fight for a public option to expand healthcare, ban assault weapons, and defend Florida families from Donald Trump's attacks.A congressman who served with Graham during her single term in Congress was nearly doubled over with laughter when he got the Howard Dean e-mail. "This is shocking to me," he said. "I have nothing against her personally, but Gwen even refused to vote for Nancy Pelosi for Speaker. I guess that 'progressive' now means 'Blue Dog who wants progressive votes and contributions.' Dean says 'she will fight for a public option to expand healthcare.' She never did when she was in Congress. This is disingenuous."It's also embarrassing. I mean I can see a centrist sell-out like Dean backing a conservative Democrat like Gwen Graham in November against a Republican, when-- if she wins the primary-- she's the lesser of two evils. But calling her "progressive" is just pure bullshit and demeans the word "progressive," the way people like Howard Dean watered down the word "liberal" and made it useless. But in primary season, there's no reason to back someone like Gwen Graham, and certainly not when there's a candidate like Andrew Gillum in the race, who, unlike Graham has a long record as a progressive, not someone who just calls himself one. I'd like to see her or the other crappy conservative dare to run on the kind of progressive platform Andrew is running on. By all means read it-- and if you agree with it, please consider tapping on the Blue America gubernatorial thermometer on the right and contributing what you can to Andrew's very grassroots campaign.
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