Features > November 28, 2007
Hounding the Bush Dogs (cont’d)
In addition to Illinois’ Lipinski, party activists have pledged to take on Washington’s Rep. Brian Baird unless he changes his position on Iraq. Georgia’s Rep. Jim Marshall is facing two challengers, including Robert Nowak, an anti-war, pro-labor music teacher who entered the race after Marshall voted down the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). Stoller estimates that by the 2008 primaries, five to seven Bush Dog Democrats will be forced to put up their dukes.
OpenLeft isn’t alone. Some labor leaders, who have been instrumental in building Democratic majorities for decades, are equally frustrated with so-called “Democrats in name only.” “We would see too many representatives who sought the help of unions and progressive organizations during the campaign,” says former AFL-CIO Political Director Steve Rosenthal, “but once they were elected, they would abandon their principles on the tough fights and vote with corporate interests.”
In response, Rosenthal and leaders from MoveOn.org, SEIU, and other unions created two sister organizations last year to target Democrats who are out of line with their constituents. They Work For Us is an issue-based group that relays to voters where their representatives stand on topics important to workers, such as trade and the bankruptcy bill. Working For Us is the group’s PAC. Rosenthal says the PAC should be active in three campaigns next election cycle, and activists are showing great interest in labor’s strategy.
“When you talk to grassroots leaders and activists, it’s something people get extremely excited about because they are the ones on the frontline, living day-to-day with elected officials who are so out of step with them,” he says.
MoveOn may jump into the fray, as well. In early September, the organization asked members whether they supported primary challenges against Democrats who “side with the president on Iraq.” While the results had not been released as In These Times went to press, MoveOn members have not been shy in supporting challengers before. For instance, Connecticut members backed Ned Lamont by a whopping 85 percent during his 2006 primary defeat of Sen. Joe Lieberman.
However, as Bowers writes on OpenLeft, “This is going to be uncomfortable for many of us. Criticizing the people we just elected, people who may even be nice to us personally, is never easy.” But Democratic activists appear ready to fight for candidates who will support their values.
Is it worth it?
Many in the Democratic grassroots have been dissatisfied with the Democratic-controlled Congress, whose leadership has failed to pass significant progressive legislation. What’s more, the shift in the netroots from a highly partisan constituency to one more interested in ideology signals a tactical re-evaluation.
“Ideas matter … and your political strategy should be organized around enacting those ideas into social change,” says Stoller. “And that means you shouldn’t look at everything as simply a partisan, red vs. blue operation.”
Predictably, some Democrats in the center are apprehensive. “There are districts in states where an unusually good candidate, in an unusually good year, just isn’t going to win if they vote the way you want them to all the time,” says Ed Kilgore, managing editor of the Democratic Strategist, an online publication focusing on long-term Democratic strategy.
Other Democrats think running challengers in primaries may be a mistake, especially in an election year when Democrats could win the presidency and open up a sizable majority in the House. At least 14 Bush Dogs will likely face competitive re-election campaigns next cycle, according to analyses from The Cook Report and Congressional Quarterly. That means intra-party fights could tap Democratic resources, thereby allowing Republicans to swoop in and steal otherwise safe seats.
But back in Illinois’ 3rd district, Pera says voters “are looking for a representative that more accurately reflects their values.” He has argued for alternative energy innovation and strong conservation, topics he thinks incumbent Lipinski balked on by voting for Bush’s energy bill. Pera is pro-choice and a strong advocate for stem cell research. He also wants a firm timeline for withdrawal from Iraq.
Voters are buying into the platform. In the last 13 days of the third quarter, Pera netted $30,000 in small-donor contributions, outraising Lipinski by $25,000, according to the campaign.
Priming for primaries
Despite the concerns about Republican takeovers, primary-race challenges could improve party discipline. Incumbents would benefit from local races that force them to regularly reconnect with constituents. In the long run, ousting incumbents who are out-of-touch could save cash and time for activists who now spend limited resources lobbying conservative Democrats. More energy could be devoted to open races. Most importantly, internal challenges can give voice to voters and activists who are shunted aside when no mechanism for accountability exists.
Already in this election cycle, progressive Democrats claimed two open seats, Darcy Burner in Washington’s 8th district and Eric Massa in New York’s 29th. The netroots are looking to support more such candidates next year. Mike Lux, another OpenLeft contributor, says that expanding Democrats’ congressional control can be mutually enforcing. Take, for instance, a standard conservative Democrat. If her district is evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans, she has more power to swing tight votes. But with wider majorities, that leverage dissipates, and suddenly she’s forced to explain her vote for, say, keeping the minimum wage low. This type of accountability could minimize her right-wing tendencies.
If Pera’s campaign is representative of the atmosphere across the country, Democrats’ support for their party’s conservative wing may be on the wane. “The response has been phenomenal,” Pera says. “Democrats inside this district, within the metropolitan area of Chicago and across the country, expect Democrats to act and vote like Democrats.”
More information about Adam Doster
-
subscribe to print magazine
-
email this article to a friend
-
Reader Comments
-
register a new account »Posting Security
Member Login
Also by Adam Doster
- They Can’t Go Home Again
With their country ravaged by Bush's war, Iraqi refugees find the United States indifferent to their plight - Showdown
The Udall Boys lead the Democratic charge for the Senate - AMA’s Conflicted President
- Killer Credit
Attack of the $915 billion consumer debt monster - Bike-Sharing Is Caring
Bike-sharing programs that provide cheap access to inner-city bicycles are popular all over Europe, and Beijing, and even American cities are catching on - Hounding the Bush Dogs
Meet the candidates who are taking on conservative Democrats
Popular Discussions
- Is Wright Right About Racism?
66 posts since Mar 28 08 - Bill Moyers Interviews Rev. Jeremiah Wright
25 posts since Apr 24 08 - Caricaturing Danish Muslims
23 posts since Mar 28 08 - The War That Never Ends
Iraq Veterans Against the War's 'Winter Soldier' hearings revealed the awful truths of the occupation and the ongoing struggle for those who have returned home.
22 posts since Mar 17 08 - The American Left: A Tale of Two Conferences
19 posts since Apr 20 08
© 2007 In These Times | Reprint Policy | Privacy Policy | Powered by Expression Engine | RSS Feeds
