The Real Fighting Dems

this was posted by Jerry McNerney, a progressive demcocrat running against Richard Pombo for congress, at dailykos:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/1/6/19230/04038

The Real Fighting Dems
by McNerneyforCongress
Fri Jan 06, 2006 at 05:23:00 PM PDT
Cross-posted at MyDD

We have heard a lot about Fighting Dems from the DCCC this year. I think their use of the term "Fighting Dem" is misguided. They are trying to portray their 2006 slate as Fighting Dems because of their status as veterans.

Don't get me wrong, I respect the service of these veterans. My son, Mike, currently serves as an officer in the armed forces and I am damn proud of his service to this country. Furthermore, I am committed to supporting the men and women currently serving and our veterans at home. I know personally how dedicated these folks are to their country.

But Rahm Emanuel's main selection criterion seems to be military experience in general. In my opinion, that simply isn't enough grounds to back a candidate.

In fact, I have another interpretation of what it means to be a Fighting Dem. The real fighters are those who stand and fight for Democratic principles. Who are not afraid to fight for what's right. Who don't take on Republican talking points and use them against other Democrats.

And we have candidates like this already running that the DCCC could have supported, or at least not actively worked against. 2004 Democratic congressional candidates like me and Christine Cegelis--who stood up and fought in districts the shortsighted folks at the DCCC thought were unwinnable--are the true Fighting Dems.

In my 2004 race as a primary write-in candidate, I got on the November ballot to fight for what's right. To fight against Congressman Richard Pombo, a politician whose actions represent everything that is wrong in Washington. Even with no official national Democratic support and a campaign driven by committed local Democratic activists, I achieved the highest vote total ever against Pombo.

In 2006, I am still proud to have the support of both the local Democratic activist community and organized labor, as they share my commitment to restoring American's future.

This time, though, I have a primary race against a DCCC/DLC-backed candidate who is a veteran and who is under the misguided impression that in order to beat Pombo, one simply needs to raise more money than him. Make no mistake, I will raise the money to be competitive with Pombo. But to beat a long-term incumbent, I also know I need to reach out personally to the voters.

So I'm reaching out to you today to ask you to support the real Fighting Dems--to stand with me and fight for true Democratic ideals. I encourage you to go to my website and read my blog. I will be updating it weekly and also plan to live blog periodically.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/1/6/19230/04038

He is fighting Democrat. He mentions Christine, who is another Fighting Democrat. There are two Democrats in FL 16 who are fighters as well, but the state Dem chair and Rahm recruited a Republican to run there...a millionaire.

There is one in CA, one in NC being pushed out of the race. He is right, and he truly sounds like a fighting Democrat.

:dem: Fighting for you AND The Red, White & Blue! :dem:

and great post McNerney!

But this is the totally wrong tactic for him to take and I don't like it one bit. It says something that so many Iraq veterans are choosing to run as Democrats and it is something we should be shouting from the rooftops. I will never understand how it is an outrage for the "DINO's" to say a word against the "Democratic wing" candidates, but the "Democratic wing" candidates and "base" trash the rest of the party every single day.

Big black mark on McEnerny. I hope he focuses on his attributes for the rest of the primary because he's a great candidate.

or just drop out.

I stand up for their rights...for the rights of Democrats in FL 06 to run without our own party recruiting Republicans.

I stand up for Cegelis in IL 06 who has been urged to drop out for a wounded veteran.

I think it is being overdone, and that is not a word against veterans. I think they should run if they want to, but the party should not favor them if there is a better candidate in the race....or a Democrat.

People were bitching because the DCCC wasn't doing anything to promote the fact that Iraq vets are running. Now they're attacked because they are. Everybody can't win a primary. If Dems want to run, run. Nobody should say anything to the contrary. Not even the "good Democrats" or the "grassroots" or "base" or whatever monopoly you think you've got on the Democratic Party.

I have no objection to the party working to get people running. I do think the military connection is being overdone, but I understand some think we can't win without military and generals. I don't agree with that.

However, I take a lot of exception to the ones they have asked to drop out to stick their own candidate in. It is happening everywhere, and many of them are anti-choice and very religious.

So we have the strong emphasis on religion and military. I don't think we will fool anyone. I think we should just be ourselves and say what we think. I think we are letting the fear of the right wing and their emphasis on religion and military spook us.

I am seeing a lot more anger now that people are being asked to drop out. In that Florida race two good Democrats have twice been asked to leave so a Republican millionaire can run. Our state chair and Rahm recruited him. No excuse for that.

Now don't agree with me or hell might freeze over.

You have a right to support Jan Schneider, Rahm has a right to support Christine Jennings. She ran last time in the primaries too and has been a registered Democrat for almost 10 years. Since that situation is being misrepresented, I'm not going to waste my time looking into the other "interferences". After all, Schneider had an opportunity to win in 2004 and she didn't. Maybe Christine Jennings would have done better, who knows. Let the voters decide. Why is that always okay when the "grassroots" wants to challenge, but not okay in the reverse.

Jan did very well against Harris, in fact she beat Jennings, remember?

I was not talking about that race, I was talking about Mark Foley's district. Recruiting millionaire Republicans to run when two good Dems are running is out of line.

What am I misrepresenting? Jan beat Jennings last year.

You act as if Democrats like Jennings were just plucked out of the Republican Party last week. It's generally not true. If the Democrats want to run Schneider again, they'll vote for her. If they want to run Lutrin against Foley, put together the campaign and beat Mahoney. I can see why Rahm is making the choices he's making. It's ludicrous to pour money in Foley's district, I'd be pissed beyond all belief if he did it. If Mahoney wants to go in there and spend his own money, then good for him. He stands up for social security and health care, against oil drilling and CAFTA, sounds okay to me. If Clark is good enough to be plucked out of the Republicans, so is Mahoney. Even if he doesn't win, we're getting our message out to a new group of people who might not listen to an elementary school teacher. I really don't know what you're fussing about. If pretend Democrats who are really Greens can run against Hillary and Feinstein, then these folks in Florida can run too.

Gotcha.

You will never convince me that is right. There is a huge difference between some CHOOSING to run as a Democrat (even if they were once Greens) and someone who is actually wooed and courted by the Democratic Party leaders, both state and national.

I find it hard to believe that you would actually think that is ok. That goes against the grain of what our party stands for.

Karen Thurman, our state chair, and Rahm E. made trips to South Florida to recruit a Republican millionaire (read Stu Rothenberg's description of Mahoney)instead of supporting Democrats. They have repeated asked McLean and Lutrin to drop out. I doubt McLean ever really got her website up.

If you have your own party supporting a Republican, you can not win. Bottom line.

I know a very wealthy couple in eastern Oregon. They're the wealthiest family over there. The elder is a staunch Republican and very influential. If I could convince his son or daughter-in-law to run as Dems, because I personally know their values, I'd do it in a second. They might have a real chance to turn that district. These districts are not cakewalks. What you keep missing is that Democrats should be able to get to 45% in just about any district in the country, with a good competent candidate. Getting to the win is a whole other matter. It's why Schweitzer, an eastern Montana native, and rancher, has an edge over any other Democrat in the state. It isn't about running Republican, it's about removing as many objections as possible in the mind of the voter so you can get to the selling points you want to focus on. That's just smart sales and that's all the DCCC is trying to do.

He ran on his own because some Democrat elsewhere decided his race was unwinnable and would not allow/offer national support. Now when he showed this race was not unwinnable and with some support Pombo could be taken down they decided to go with a complete unknown only because they were war veterans. Are we so depraved now that the only candidates we can offer are people who volunteered to kill other human beings. The military is all about killing. That is what it does. It is completely voluntary. So anyone joining the military in this day and age wants to be part of an enterprise that is devoted to killing. As a Combat Veteran myself I know that no one hates war more than those that have actually been there and we will do well to have these War Veterans speaking out for our side but the image is still one I dislike.

Is a stupid way to try to win. I already said I like McEnerny so obviously I think he should be supported. But I'm not going to have a temper tantrum and call people in the party names because they think a different type of candidate would have a better chance. That's what the primary is for, see what the people want.

We have ALWAYS been "fighting dems"! We fight amongst ourselves. We fight the opposition. We fight amongst ourselves again. We fight the opposition again, but with sharper details, from the previous in-fighting. And over and over!

We don't "rubberstamp" anything within our party, and we don't "walk lockstep" with anybody. If they are wrong...they are wrong. If they are being railroaded, as Clinton was, we defend them. If we disagree, we disagree.......

....and the Democratic Party has ALWAYS BEEN THE STRONGER FOR IT!!

That's the reason that when Republican's start having problems, like they are having now.....and need to fight.....they aren't any GOOD at it!!

For me, at this moment in history I think that pointing out that this disastrous war was started by a lot of Yellow Elephants is excellent strategy. If this means recruiting all willing Dem Vets, let's do it.

After two more years of unchecked Bushiness, the republic may be unsalvagable. Let's get a Dem majority first, then worry about if our reps are Dem enough.

The win at all costs mentality that got us all those wins the last several years...OH...I forgot. We LOST the whole thing. House, Senate, White House.

Our party leaders in the DSCC, DCCC, and the states, like CA and KY and FL and IL...are proving the definition of insane.

Doing the same thing over and over, still losing, and doing it over again.

There are folks in this thread saying let us win at all costs, then worry about who we got in office. Draft those Republicans, some say. They will help win over Republicans. Hey, I have a whole family of Republicans, but I don't want my party drafting them to run for office.