Although it's completely what the DCCC encourages, the best Democratic congressional candidates aren't just hoping to get swept into office by the anti-red wave. The best candidates arguing beyond what the Republicans have done to us into what the Democrats will do for us.
Trump rubber stamp Bruce Poliquin wants to take away Mainers' healthcare... and pretend it's the DemocratsThis morning I was on the phone with Mike Siegel, the Blue America-endorsed candidate in a gerrymandered Texas district (TX-10) that goes from north Austin all the way through Weimar, Brenham, Columbus and Prairie View into Cypress and Tomball in the exurbs northwest of Houston. He had just gotten back his new polling and it was the best yet.
Yesterday, Priorities USA released a new poll by Garin-Hart-Yang Research Group that bodes very badly for Trump and the Party of Trump.
Blue America has endorsed Mike Siegel for the congressional seat that stretches from Tomball and Cypress in the exurbs northwest of Houston, through Prairie View, Brenham and Weimar into northern Austin and its suburbs. Mike beat his primary opponent with over 70% of the vote. Now he'll face entrenched incumbent Michael McCaul, one of the richest members of Congress.
Yesterday, Barbara Lee (D-CA) announced she's running for House Democratic caucus chair, the job Joe Crowley thought was the job that would catapult him into the Speakership. A few weeks ago when the buzz started revving up, a congressional friend of mine asked me if I thought she would be good for the job. "Of course," I texted back, "but there may be a problem. Give me a call. "OK, I will." He didn't.
My congressman, New Dem Adam Schiff, didn't join the new Medicare-For-All Caucus. I bet his constituents would freak out if they know. In fact, though I'm not a betting man, I'd bet a lot on that assertion. Some of the most progressive Democrats in the country live in Schiff's district-- West Hollywood, the Hollywood Hills, Los Feliz, Hollywood, East Hollywood, Silverlake, Glendale, and Burbank.
In 2010 Democrats had been in control of Congress for two terms and they were loaded with campaign cash. Democratic incumbents outspent Republican challengers-- sometimes by immense margins, double, triple, three times, four times... Let me show what I mean. In 2010 Jim Oberstar-- first elected in 1974-- was the longest-serving member ever of House from Minnesota.
How about better congressional leadership?In the new issue of the Rolling Stone, Matt Taibbi takes issue with Frank Bruni's NY Times column-- another sour centrist reaction to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's dsiplacement of centrist standard bearer (and avatar of personal and systemic corruption), Joe Crowley.
That tweet from the wee hours of Friday morning will be the GOP midterm campaign platform. I don't think Democrats are shaking in their boots. It's a single-minded Trump-base strategy-- something to appeal to the low-IQ people who go to his rallies for a night of entertainment and meaning. He must have been all worked up after his exhilarating rally in Great Falls, Montana.
Digby's tweet was so strong and to the point yesterday; every word completely precise-- like a Joni Mitchell song. "God he's dumb. Malevolent too. And psychologically unfit. But really, really dumb. I can't think of anyone in history with this particular combination. We just don't have a roadmap to deal with a very stupid, dishonest, narcissistic demagogue.
