Goals of what Democratic activists are actually doing. Good article from Bloomberg.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000103&sid=aJnVgZWxVGls&refer=usA loose network of organizations, ranging from women's groups to Internet bloggers, is pressuring incumbents such as Senator Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut and Representatives Jane Harman of California and Melissa Bean of Illinois, in some cases by backing insurgent candidates in primary elections.
The activist groups say their strategy is broader than merely challenging Democrats in primaries. They say they also want to pressure party-backed candidates to take definitive positions.
`Stand Up'
``The other part of this is getting candidates to stand up for what they believe in and not being mealy-mouthed about it,'' said Jim Dean, president of Democracy for America, a group inspired by former Vermont Governor Howard Dean's presidential run in 2004. Jim Dean, Howard's brother, cited Massachusetts Senator John Kerry's call in October for a phased withdrawal from Iraq and expression of regret over his vote for the war.
Even though progressives will find it difficult to win in the primaries, that's unlikely to deter them, said Mark Rozell, a public policy professor at George Mason University in Arlington, Virginia. ``To pull off some victories here and there will be enough to energize much of the left base,'' he said."
I think this article puts it well. Expect a few wins now and then, and keep putting the pressure on those who don't stand up for the values we cherish. Al From is very upset with the Lamont campaign, and he had a few choice words today about the CT race with Lamont.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/19/nyregion/19lieberman.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1 "A very simple thing happened that changed Democratic politics dramatically, and that was that the war turned bad," Mr. From said, adding of the senator's critics: "There's a group in our party that makes a lot of noise and I don't think they've ever won an election. They're trying to take out one of the great statesmen our party has and that's wrong."
He totally fails to understand that it is about far more than the fact that Iraq is a failure. Maybe someday.
If you missed the Ned Lamont ads, you need to see them...both are very funny. I love the Underdog.
http://nedlamont.com/blog/168/on-the-air
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