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California's Capitulation Caucus

by: Bob Brigham

Mon Jun 23, 2008 at 14:31:54 PM PDT


The following California Democrats caved on retroactive immunity and disregarded their oath to, "support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign or domestic":

Joe Baca, Howard Berman, Dennis Cardoza, Jim Costa, Jane Harman, Jerry McNerney, Nancy Pelosi, Brad Sherman, Adam Schiff, Ellen Tauscher

Pete Stark did not vote. This is the list of those who are potential targets of the Blue America PAC vs Retroactive Immunity which as of now has raised $310,673 to, "fund accountability for congressmembers supporting retroactive immunity and warrantless wiretaps." This money isn't going to send thank you cards to the members who did defend the constitution, this is primary money and cold cash to dump Steny Hoyer from leadership (Rahm Emanuel also capitulated).

As the battle moves to the Senate, all eyes are on Barack Obama nationally and Dianne Feinstein locally [(202) 224-3841].

As for 2010 primaries, it will be interesting to see what comes out of this. Carole Migden's 3rd place finish showed that entrenched politics matters less in a modern media environment. Ellen Tauscher is again practically begging to be primaried and in that district she's walking on thin ice. Joe Baca deserves particular scorn as the only Californian to sign the Blue Dog letter to Pelosi pushing capitulation (and a primary of Baca could probably receive significant institutional support from former members of the Hispanic Caucus). McNerney has outdone himself in contracting a full-blown case of Potomic Fever during his first term, every time he makes a move I think about asking for a refund. And Harman and Berman voting to cover-up warrantless wiretapping isn't going to do much to quell the rumors that they are pushing this because they are worried about their own culpability on the issue.

If you live in one of this districts, please call your member and ask them why. Comments and diaries with responses are highly encouraged.

Bob Brigham :: California's Capitulation Caucus
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , (All Tags)
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You forgot Laura Richardson (8.00 / 1)
who's easily the most threatened right now, since she's already being pilloried for being a deadbeat.

asdf (0.00 / 0)
It's not like we didn't try primarying Baca this year. Having the party decide that everyone had to endorse incumbents didn't help.

FTR, the numbers from the county registrar of voters site are:
JOE BACA - 13177 - 66.29%
JOANNE T. GILBERT - 6701 - 33.71%

How much support Joanne got from the Hispanic Caucus, I don't know.

--All of my comments are mine, and not those of any organization I belong to unless clearly stated otherwise.


Small Problem WIth Your State Senate Narrative (5.00 / 1)
Bob, I realize that it is sometimes difficult to break from your narrative, but the truth matters.

Carole came in second.

http://vote.sos.ca.gov/Returns...


thanks Supervisor (0.00 / 0)
Since it was such a wide margin I hadn't bothered to check since election night. But with over 70% voting for change, I think the narrative that incumbents can be successfully challenged holds.

Twitter: @BobBrigham

[ Parent ]
Great insight (0.00 / 0)
Because until Carole Migden lost her reelection bid, no incumbent had ever been successfully challenged.

[ Parent ]
not in a generation in CA (0.00 / 0)
Each successful primary makes further primaries easier. The toughest obstacle in getting the Lieberman Primary off the ground was convincing people it was important even if he couldn't be beat. When he got kicked out of the Democratic Party, it made the Donna Edwards campaign far easier this year than it was in 2006. The Leno race was also fairly unique in that it center around the "better" choice, not a recall offense like most primaries -- an important transition in expanding the use of the tool.

As the Club for Growth has shown on the other side, as more primaries are successful it creates a larger pool of activists who are willing and ready to take on incumbents. This, and the declining advantages or incumbency in an internet era, mean primary challenges are easier and the dynamics mean they should increase in both frequency and success.  

Twitter: @BobBrigham


[ Parent ]
Incumbents MUST be challenged... (0.00 / 0)
...and particularly those that CONSTANTLY vote with the Republicans. Howard Berman, our Joe Lieberman-of-the-West, constantly votes for war funding, as in this last vote, adamantly opposes impeachment, and now has voted to destroy the constitution ONCE AGAIN.

We need a running tally for EACH ONE of these California Blue Dogs. How each has voted on each key issue ALL IN ONE PLACE.

Then we need to saturate their Congressional districts with the information. SO many people simply do NOT KNOW what these reps are doing. Those who do are completely frustrated by attempts to have their voices heard.
###


[ Parent ]
Jerry (0.00 / 0)
I called his office to ask WHY??? They said they'll send me a written response.

CENSURE FOR ALL BUSH COLLABORATORS!!!! (0.00 / 0)
PDLA has targeted Senator Dianne Feinstein to try to convince her to vote against this retroactive approval of criminality. Yesterday we delivered the letter with 13 pages of citizens' signatures gathered in only a few hours through the internet. Her aide said that she had not yet decided how to vote. THAT SPEAKS VOLUMES!!! SO PLEASE SIGN ON NOW. Send your name and at least a zip code (only Californians) or whatever you'd like listed with your signature to:
robingibson at sbcglobal dot net.
Here's the letter (you may also wish to print it out yourself, add your name at the bottom, and fax it to her offices: 202-228-3954, 415-393-0710 (busiest), 310-914-7318, 619-231-1108, 559-485-9689.

June 23, 2008

Senator Dianne Feinstein
c/o District Director Trevor Daley
11111 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 915
Los Angeles, CA

Dear Senator Feinstein,

We are writing with great concern regarding reports the Democratic leadership has struck a deal which will further erode civil liberties by circumventing the original FISA laws, and we ask that you not only oppose this new FISA bill but that you filibuster its advancement in the Senate.
We are deeply disappointed in our Party and its leadership for capitulating to the Bush administration with this utterly unnecessary legislation--but you are our Senator, from the great and progressive state of California, and as your constituents we have a right to expect better leadership from you.
We wish to note that in an official statement regarding a previous FISA bill, you defended the telecom industry, stating they had no choice but to break the law--but in this you were incorrect: They did have a choice, proven by the fact Qwest chose to obey the Constitution rather than wiretap without proper FISA warrants. We would also remind you the telecoms' illegal activity began well before the attacks of 9/11.
We need better answers and better representation from our senior Senator. It was with great pain that, last year, we moved several California Democratic Party caucuses to censure you for your approval of an Attorney General who condoned torture, and for your previous support for telecom immunity. We would prefer not to censure you again, but to instead applaud you for doing what is right and protecting our Constitution rather than protecting corporations and the Bush administration. We ask you to stand with the vast bulk of your constituents who side with the rule of law.
Thank you,
Yours,
Michael Jay, Delegate, California Democratic Party, 42nd Assembly District
Ricco Ross, California Democratic Party, 42nd Assembly District
Co-Chairs, Progressive Democrats of Los Angeles
Linda Sutton, CDP Delegate, 41st AD, Vice Chair of Progressive Democrats of Los Angeles


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