DCCC Open Thread
Thanks to an Anonymous tip earlier today, here's the info from today’s FEC filing:
From Matt’s third post on SNTP way back in October:
Dear Jim, Thank you for your comments regarding the 11th Congressional district in California. We fully support your desire to see Jerry McNerney win both the nomination and the seat, and hope you understand that our decision to highlight Steve Filson's candidacy on our Campaign for Change website was not meant in any way to be an exclusive endorsement. Our goal with the Candidates for Change section was to show to our supporters that we are working incredibly hard to recruit candidates to run this year, and to provide a sampling of the quality candidates who have already filed to run. This list was by no means meant to be either comprehensive or exclusive; the Democratic voters in the district will have the ultimate say in who the nominee will be to face the odorous Richard Pombo, and we will fully endorse whichever candidate wins the primary. In addition, we have not given any money to the Filson campaign, as that would obviously consitute [sic] an implicit endorsement. In the end though, I'm sure we all agree that the number one priority is unseating Pombo from his seat before he can destroy more pristine areas of natural beauty in our country and auction off our national parks to the highest corporate bidder. A spirited primary will certainly help us find the best candidate to do just that. Sincerely, DCCC Action Team
-E-mail from the DCCC to McNerney supporters
Feel free to express yourselves.
Tags:
posted by babaloo @ 4:25 PM
23 Comments:
It's very clear when you look at the lists of endorsements for each candidate, exactly what is going on.
Shall Washington DC choose the candidate that runs against Pombo or shall the people in the District and in California choose?
Well said, Vicki. The DCCC could not be more arrogant here. Neither could Miller, Tauscher, Pelosi, et al, in thinking they could annoint a candidate from their offices in DC. No wonder we haven't been able to take back the House (yet...let's hope). Power to the people!
suprise, suprise. anybody want real change? or are we looking to continue the status quo in DC?
It'll be a miracle if the grassroots in the district can prevail over the Inside-the-Beltway powermongers. Emanuel has done this little trick all over the country-- rarely with as much of a fuss as in Illinois where he managed to derail Cegelis-- but he is usually successful at sabotaging grassroots progressives and replacing them with uninspired and uninspiring candidates who-- at best-- are... well, better than a Republican.
You know, it is this type of intercine warfare within the Democratic Party that will re-elect a lot of Republicans this year. Will Rogers was right. He didn't belong to any organized political party. He was a Democrat.
Implied in the above comments is the notion that McNerney was somehow entitled to receiving the Democratic nomination uncontested. I've never understood what this griping accomplishes, namely because it's 1) sour grapes; and 2) suggests that McNerney is somehow reluctant and unwilling to contest Steve Filson in an election.
History has shown that uncontested primaries often produce complacent candidates who aren't prepared for the rigors of a heated general election. It's always struck me that whoever emerges from the Democratic primary will be tested and better able to challenge Pombo in the general election. Contested primaries have a way of producing better, more appealing nominees.
Finally, as the DCCC representative noted in his email, the voters of CA-11 will decide who the Democratic nominee is. All politics is local, and quite frankly, the vast majority of voters in the primary won't know or care who the DCCC-backed candidate is. This primary will ultimately be decided by the way the campaigns present their message and how effectively they disseminate it.
People would take more kindly to dictation from leadership committees if they had a history of winning.
Filson and Tauscher sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G
Ha, ha, couldn't resist that! But seriously folks, the good people (or at least the good Dems) will have an opportunity to choose their candidate on June 6th. $5600 is not going to make much of a difference, though the DCCC really should at least pretend to be unbiased. As Jan points out, it is not like they are hitting any home runs as far as candidates go, in fact, more like the Bad News Bears.
If nothing else, at least we can say that DeLay, Pombo, Abramoff, and the whole K Street project is way worse than any shenanignans the DCCC is pulling.
I just hope the DCCC coughs up some serious cash (add a couple of zeros to the amount they spent on Filson) AFTER the primary for the Dem candidate, even if it is McNerney, not their favorite son, Filson.
Implied in the above comments is the notion that McNerney was somehow entitled to receiving the Democratic nomination uncontested. I've never understood what this griping accomplishes, namely because it's 1) sour grapes; and 2) suggests that McNerney is somehow reluctant and unwilling to contest Steve Filson in an election.
Rick,
Your comment demonstrates a blindness to the basic demands of fairness as well as an unwillingness to concede that the DCCC would not have spent $5,000+ on Filson's behalf unless they thought it would help him. Thus you choose to take neither the moral high road nor the route of astute political analysis.
I think everyone recognizes the worthlessness of your comments. But I am beginning to find them contemptible.
This guy has been propped up more times than a mannequin with a bad leg.
Honestly he has had others do his dirty work more often than the boss of the Gambino crime family. The Democratic circular firing squad continues. Thanks Rahm!!!
Removing the DCCC's financial (and other) support hardly makes the race uncontested. It make the race fair. This wouldn't really be much of an issue except that the DCCC had professed to being impartial. They brought any bitterness on themselves.
Hi From Washington State, Agree. I got a beg letter from the DCCC and I called them up and told them I wasn't giving one more dime to them unless Feingold endorsed their committee (he does not) I am donating to Feingold's PAC. Screw DCCC and their top down bullshit.
i was sorry to see al gore send a message out today shilling for the DCCC. :(
wish he would send a message out announcing he's running for president :)
This is outragious! I'm calling Nancy Pelosi and Rahm Immanuel. Interesting observation: the media company that got the check is from Illinois, as is Immanuel, chairman of DCCC. I suggest you do the same.
DCCC Contact info:
Phone: 202-863-1500
Email: dccc@dccc.org
Pelosi Contact Info:
District office: (415) 556-4862
DC Office: (202) 225-4965
Email: http://www.house.gov/pelosi/contact/contact.html
Please CALL if you at all can.
Its Emanuel.
And they dont spend money unless they have a good reason (polling) to indicate that one candidate in a primary will fare better in the general.
Just remember, Daddy knows best. That's why we have such a strong Democratic majority in Congress at this point.
Of course they could be pumping money into a campaign that they are pushing so they won't look so bad come election day. These people are destroying any chance of winning this seat. No wonder we are where we are in Congress.
Mr. 2% of a buck again (and I know Rick, er, Robert Kellar is going to take me to the woodshed for this, but here goes)
1) I read this ab fab interview conducted over the phone (perhaps without advance warning?) between Congressional Quarterly and my boy "Steverino" back on March 27, just before the results of the Q1 fund raising bonanza were announced
2) Excerpt "A" -- CQ: Why did you decide to run for office?
Filson: I was just kind of embarrassed to have him [Rep. Pombo] as my representative. I
didn’t think do he was doing his job. So I felt I could do a better job — that sums all of it
up.
He felt he could do a better job -- I'm sooooooooooo inspired by that, I want to vote RIGHT NOW!
3) Excerpt "B" -- CQ: The district has a strong Republican advantage in voter registration. How do you
plan to overcome that?
Filson: Well I wouldn’t describe it as strong.
Earth to Stevie! 9% registration advantage is why Charlie Cook (who I respect a LOT more than some CQ hack) has it still rated as 'not competitive' as recently as April 14th
Excerpt "C" -- CQ: What’s your take on your Democratic competition?
Filson: I have much more work experience and career experience in dealing with issues
that you’re going to deal with in Congress. That’s a leadership environment at the federal
level. I had to make life and death decisions both as an airline pilot...and as a manager with United Airlines.
The prosecution rests, your honor.
$.02 out.
You forgot my favorite one:
CQ: Do you think that’s why you’ve gotten national support as compared to the other
Democrats in the race?
Filson: Honestly, I’m not sure why we’ve gotten national support. I think Mr. Pombo has helped a little with that. But I’m just doing my job out here. I decided to throw my hat in the ring and if people like what they see with my background, terrific.
Mr 2% of a buck again (with a very short rejoinder to our pal Matt)
Well, I didn't want to spoil all the fun of folks independently exploring that thoroughly enjoyable interview (and thanks, Rick, er Robert, for placing it on Steverino's website to find it easily) -- that's how we learn best, when we learn for ourselves.
$.02 out...;)
Your comment demonstrates a blindness to the basic fairness as well as an unwillingness to concede that the DCCC would not have spent $5,000+ on Filson's behalf unless they thought it would help him.
Matt:
Whoever said the DCCC can't support candidates? Not to be a smartass, but you do realize that not everyone shares your opinion that McNerney is a superior candidate. Moreover, you don't seem to object to the California Democratic Party choosing sides, particularly when it appears that they favor McNerney.
Geeze, Louise...You act as if there shouldn't be any politics in politics.
Call me Irony.
From Vicki:
"Shall Washington DC choose the candidate that runs against Pombo or shall the people in the District and in California choose?"
From Anon:
"The DCCC could not be more arrogant here. Neither could Miller, Tauscher, Pelosi, et al, in thinking they could annoint a candidate from their offices in DC...Power to the people!"
And from downwithtyranny:
"It'll be a miracle if the grassroots in the district can prevail over the Inside-the-Beltway powermongers."
______
I begin by asking a simple question of these (and most other) SNTP posters: How many of you actually live in the district? Matt, the CBO (chief blogging officer) has stated explicitly that he does not. Vicki? Anon? JanInSanFran? Downwithtyranny? Any of you?
The truth is that SNTP is a sounding board for progressive activists who live outside of the 11th district. Ordinarily, this would not be a problem, but it definitely is here. The primary mission of SNTP—and the people who drive it—is to chastise “outsiders” for trying to influence the outcome of the primary election between Filson, McNerney, and Thomas. SNTP has come to define itself as the place for Pro-McNerney liberal activists who don’t live in CD11 to rattle and rage against respected Members of Congress who support Steve Filson because they don’t live in CD11 either. The hypocrisy here is mind blowing. Jerry McNerney, meet Bill O’Reilly. Seriously, “The McNerney Factor” would be a more appropriate title for this blog than Say No To Pombo.
In her heart, even loyal SNTP regular Vicki recognizes her own hypocrisy at work. It’s impossible to hide. “Shall Washington DC choose the candidate that runs against Pombo or shall the people in the District and in California choose? Sorry Vicki. Only the people in the district get to choose. Everybody else gets to choose who to support. That goes for you, for DFA-Marin, for the East Bay Progressives and every other outsider entity who supports Jerry McNerney. And the same goes for Zoe Lofgren, Mike Honda, Anna Eshoo, Wes Clark, and all the Steve Filson supporters you’re trying to smear.
Re-reading Anon:
"The DCCC could not be more arrogant here. Neither could Miller, Tauscher, Pelosi, et al, in thinking they could annoint a candidate from their offices in DC."
Not so fast Anon. Who is really being arrogant here? Is it the “outsider” Members of Congress who support Steve Filson--or is it the “outsider” Matts and Vickis of SNTP who support Jerry McNerney and then hypocritically chastise all the “powermongering” outsiders who disagree with them?
The fact is, I never try to smear anyone. I just want there to be a fair fight for the chance to run against Pombo.
I live right next door to the 11th District. It takes me exactly 11 minutes to get to Jerry's office. That puts me a hell of a lot closer than Miller, Lofgren or any of the others that have had their arms twisted into endorsing Filson.
For the DCCC to get in this fight and force Democrats to spend money and time fighting each other is DEPLORABLE. This doesn't make Filson a bad guy, a bad candidate or a bad anything. It just makes him a victim of the horrible politics that has been losing the Democrats seats for the last 15 years.
If they know so much, how come we're in the minority and have been for so long?
It's time the DCCC get their noses and their money out of this race and let Filson show what he can do ON HIS OWN. If he's so good, he'll win the primary ON HIS OWN. If he can't win the primary without the DCCC supporting him, he certainly is not going to be able to take out Pombo.....which is why we're all here....right???
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