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Just got an e-mail from Mark Fernald announcing he has decided to withdraw from the Democratic primary field for US Rep from CD-02.
I am writing to let you know that I am withdrawing from the race for Congress in the 2nd NH District. I did not arrive at this decision easily. I felt that the time was right for my message of change based on our shared values: community, equality, fairness, and democracy. But as I worked to build my campaign, I came to realize this is not the right time for a major campaign for me or my family. My son is entering college in the fall, and my daughter will be a junior in high school. The demands of the race have overcome my attempts to balance family, work, and politics.
He goes on to thank supporters and to say he will give his full support to the eventual nominee and to Democrats up and down the ticket.
I am sorry to see him leave the race. I am hoping we have a healthy, positive primary to really discuss issues and solutions for 2010 and beyond.
As many of you know, over the last five days, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, in partnership with a number of progressive organizations and blogs including Senate Guru, asked those in the netroots, "Should a Draft Sestak movement be created to take on Sen. Arlen Specter in the Pennsylvania Democratic primary?"
The results are in and they are overwhelming. 85% of Pennsylvanian respondents and 86% of respondents nationally want Democratic Congressman Joe Sestak to challenge Arlen Specter in the 2010 Democratic Senate primary. The poll has even gotten the attention of Congressman Sestak, as the PCCC points out:
"I am honored that so many of you took the time to vote in the recent grassroots Straw Poll. Let me tell you, I and many others were paying attention. If I decide to run it will be in large measure because of the grassroots energy of so many people like you. Until I and my family make that decision, please accept my thanks and my best wishes as you continue be active participants in our people-powered democracy. Thank you so very much!"
Due to such an overwhelming response, a Draft Sestak Fund has been created on ActBlue. To contribute and further encourage Congressman Sestak to enter the race, click on the image below:
If you need any additional motivation to contribute to this effort to draft a real Democrat to oppose Specter in the primary, consider Specter's actions since announcing his Party switch:
1) Specter opposed the Obama budget.
2) Specter opposed the "cramdown" mortgage/bankruptcy reform, siding with banks over families.
3) Specter reiterated his opposition to the Employee Free Choice Act.
4) Specter reiterated his opposition to President Obama's nomination of Dawn Johnsen to the Office of Legal Counsel.
5) Specter announced his support for Republican Norm Coleman over Democratic Senator-elect Al Franken in Minnesota's Senate race.
6) Specter promoted a website that appeared to raise money for cancer research but, in actuality, simply raised money for his campaign.
7) Specter denied reports that he told President Obama that he would be a "loyal Democrat" despite multiple reporters sticking to their story.
The netroots have displayed overwhelming support for Congressman Sestak to take on recently-Republican Arlen Specter. Help the effort by contributing to the Draft Sestak Fund.
The Progressive Change Campaign Committee, working with a number of progressive organizations and blogs including Senate Guru, has put out a poll to gauge netroots interest - in New Hampshire and all across the country - in supporting an effort to draft Congressman Joe Sestak to challenge recently-Republican Arlen Specter in the PA-Sen Democratic primary next year. The poll will be open for the next four days, and provided are both pro and con arguments regarding a draft effort. To read the arguments and vote in the poll, click the below link:
[cross-posted to johnedwards.com and Blue Mass Group]
After a productive afternoon of canvassing in Keene, I got to hear JRE's speech at Keene State College. The reason I couldn't see it is that he filled not only the room where he spoke but an overflow room with video (700 total people according to a KSC staffer) so the last 50 or so of us had to rely on audio in the lobby.
John was scheduled at 3:15 and started at 4:05, par for the course with these things. His warmup acts were actors Madeleine Stowe and James Denton and NH progressive icon (and 2004 Senate candidate) Granny D. He spoke for about 30 minutes, also introducing the mothers of a teenage girl who died from the lack of an operation denied by her insurance company and of the victim in one of his famous court cases.
I was surprised by the focus of the speech on his legal career, but it made sense in the context of his argument: (1) the status quo, of corporate domination of our democracy, is broken, (2) HRC represents this status quo and has already been rejected by the voters in Iowa, and (3) what qualifies him to change the status quo is his experience fighting it and his personal passion for the cause -- "I will fight every day as President for you and your children". The implicit argument against Obama is that he lacks this passion -- JRE said that the issues of poverty and inequality are not "abstract, technical, or academic" but "personal", suggesting that Obama lacks this commitment.
Well, after so many grossly unfair debate formats that virtually tell each audience which candidates they are supposed to be interested in, Dennis Kucinich finally figured out a way to highlight this fundamental absurdity to his own advantage: Socratic Irony!
Now that Mr. Reid will be making a critical decision on the FISA legislation and we need so desperately our Representaitives to be vocal about their opposition to immunity, let's be clear about where Kucinich stands:
"I object to any immunity for telecommunications companies and demand a full accounting of these companies' involvement to Congress and to the American public. When corporations cooperate with the government to strip people of their Constitutional rights, that is a text book description of fascism. There must not be any place in America for this type of conduct."
-Dennis Kucinich
Something's happened to Dennis Kucinich. There's a newfound confidence; a deeply resigned, yet boldly assertive tone gathering in his voice. I don't know what it is. Maybe it's his recent progress in major polls and grassroots support. Maybe it's the fighter coming out, now that impeachment has gained some life. Maybe it's the realization that a majority of Americans side with him on the issues and that he is the one pushing this party back to the people. Or maybe it's that he's been the candidate who has best exercised the leadership and judgement on huge issues, such as Iraq, the Patriot Act, Iran, Trade, and Impeachment.
The DFA Presidential Pulse Poll ends tonight at Midnight Eastern/9:00 PM Pacific Standard Time, which only gives us a few hours to cast our votes. So far, over 130,000 votes have been cast, making it the largest presidential poll of progressive activists this year. I am genuinely proud to write that Dennis Kucinich currently leads with over 30% of the vote.
The latest Rasmussen poll in New Hampshire shows Dennis Kucinich in fourth place, tied with Bill Richardson at 7%. This shouldn't come as such a surprise, however.
John Nichols, writing for "The Nation", has just written a kind of intellectual "call to arms" regarding, what is quite possibly, the most important issue facing the United States right now: Iran.
Dennis Kucinich has the been the only candidate willing to consistently speak out against the unjust efforts to privatize the national oil wealth of the Iraqi people to multinational oil companies. He was the first to speak out against the hydrocarbon law, a key Iraqi benchmark of the Bush Administartion, which, in effect, would privatize over 90% of Iraqi Oil reserves to multinational companies, particularly U.S. oil companies. Further, it not only gives the rights to these oil companies to do business in Iraq, but enables them to have power in making the decisions over the contracts themselves. That is, a Federal Council is established to make decisions upon oil contract negotiations, which allows these private oil companies to be represented on the "Federal" board and thus influencing the approval and terms of contracts.
Dennis Kucinich received rousing applause this Sunday, at a conference sponsored by the New Hampshire Association of Independent Voters. Kucinich addressed the conference, along with Mike Gravel and Jacqueline Salit; executive editor of The Neo-Independent magazine and president of the Committee for a Unified Independent Party, which:
(This is a brilliant diary -- don't let the initial lines fool you -- read it through to the end. - promoted by Mike Caulfield)
We are four hundred and fifteen daystwenty-two days from September 29, 2008 - an entire year and fifty-seven days from the state primary elections.
A little perspective: 365 days ago, Senators Biden, Boxer and Salazar, and Bill Clinton were campaigning for Joe Lieberman. 415 days ago, Sen. Clinton was publicly criticizing the majority of Democrats who wanted to withdraw from Iraq. 410 days ago, I was filing for candidacy.
I think it goes without saying that a lot has happened since then...
