Chuck Schumer, who as DSCC chairman sabotaged the Senate campaigns of Paul Hackett in Ohio and Rosalind Kurita in Tennessee, now has gone over the top and ENDORSED former Navy Secretary James Webb over Democratic activist Harris Miller in Virginia in the race to face George Allen, Jr. in the fall.
This is insane for two reasons. ONE - they are NOT supposed to make primary endorsements; hell why not just go back to slating candidates like they did in Cook County. TWO - well, just read this tidbit from the WaPo article:
At the last reporting period, Miller had about twice as much money on hand as Webb, who has not been able to afford television or radio spots.
West said that with a recent contribution, Miller has now put about $725,000 of his money into the campaign, more than the total the Webb campaign has raised.
And Webb is the guy he supports? WTF????? Schumer is up again in 2010, and we need to find someone to TAKE HIM OUT in the primary.
23 comments:
Too bad Spitzer is running for Governor. He'd clean the floor with Schumer's ass.
If you want to experience the feeling of being both enthusiastic and pissed off at once, go to the and chick on the picture that says "Decide for yourself who won the debate."
Ford Bell is the netroots choice, and Kobluchar is the DLC candidate. When it's over, ask yourself what kind of support a straight-talker like Bell would get for himself in Tennessee.
Blogger.com is really screwed up today.
I thought I'd mention that Ford Bell learned about the "annointing" from a blogger who, in turn, learned it from reading it on the River City Mud Bugle.
I know it's dead, but I can still flog it a little, can't I?
Dangit. I've been trying to post all day. I hate blogger! How did you post?
I can only guess you haven't been paying attention to the OTHER endorsements Webb has gotten...from Harry Reid, Max Cleland, Bob Kerrey, Tom Daschle, John Kerry, and about eight other guys who know what it takes to WIN a Senate race. But no: it's all Chuck's fault...
No offence, Chesty but Daschle LOST his last run.
So, did John Kerry if you will remember.
And though he didn't deserve it, so did Max Cleland.
My opinion of Reid is not that high these days. And Bob Kerrey got all fiery with the 9.11 commission but he didn't follow up.
So, no, its not all Chuck's fault, its a mentality held by inside the beltway folk who seem to think that they know what is best for people in flyover country but are clearly out of touch.
brassmask: No offense taken, but consider: Each of those people has WON a Senate race AT LEAST once in their lives. (I bet Daschle's sorry he worked so hard to stop Thune two years earlier.) Congressman Murtha has not won a SENATE race, but he has won a few ELECTIONS in his time. Kerry is still employed, last time I checked, but he will be putting back beers with Webb the night before the election!
Please, don't think I'm defending Chuckie...I really wish Rudy had had the sense to take him on instead of this Quitoxic presidential nonsense. But even a broken clock is right twice a day, and this is Chuck's time.
Webb, in case you're not familiar with his past, is a living legend in the veteran's community for his valor, (twice wounded in Vietnam with four decorations for bravery, including the Navy Cross) his dedication to Vietnam vets, (he was a major force behind the memorial in DC) and his outspoken opposition to the Iraq war (see his article asking "Do we really want to occupy Iraq for the next 30 years?" published in 2002). If Webb, who represents the best of America's Warrior Class, is unwelcome as a candidate in the Democratic Party, then Democratic Presidential candidates better get used to the 41% of the veteran's vote that Kerry got. After the fiasco with Hackett in Ohio earlier this year, a lot of us were more than a little offended.
Chesty,
My issue is not at all with Webb, he appears to be everything that you say he is and I absolutely believe he has the right to run, and if he won the nomination, he is very supportable.
My issue is with Schumer sticking his nose where it does not belong; remember, HE'S the reason Hackett was forced out in Ohio for Sherrod Brown.
When the DSCC "anoints" a candidate, as they have also done in Tennessee and in Ohio, it usurps the right of the local Democratic electorate to choose its OWN nominee.
Oh, what he hell. I'll play the heavy and defend Chuck.
1. Miller is self financing. If he had any true support in the state, do you think that would be necessary? Think about the section you quoted... He's sunk more of his own money into the campaign than Webb has been able to raise. Webb has raised almost $300g since April 1st. Miller's not doing horrible, but at $220g actually raised, he's clearly not a frontrunner in any way. His $725g donation to himself isn't really all that impressive--- Very Steve Forbes. 75% self financed... Can anyone think of a race besides Bloomberg in NYC where that worked?
2. The DSCC didn't make an endorsement. Chuck Schumer made his own endorsement, something he's fully capable of doing.
3. I keep hearing about how he did something awful in TN... Since when is it the DSCC's job to prop up a campaign that's limping along at 10%? Kurita campaigned for a year and a half. When she started, no one outside of political circles knew her name. When she finished... No one outside of political circles knew her name. Once in a while, you would get an "Oh yeah" if you mentioned the Flyer's cover story on her, but that was about it. I've got non-politico family in Nashville, and when I asked if she had any real suppor there, I got the "Homer Simpson being asked about astrophysics" stare.
It's the DSCC's job to put asses in the seats--- Not to support every longshot that has an axe to grind.
Is Ford perfect? Hell no. Was Kurita any more progressive than him? Hell no again. She suddenly got progressive when she was running against Ford after a career of voting with Republicans more often than Lincoln Chafee.
4. Was Paul Hackett supposed to get some kind of a bye since he served? He started off wishy washy about whether or not he would even run. He wasn't exactly playing big leaugue ball against DeWine (And you do have to play big league ball against DeWine. He's no pushover). A newer, stronger, more progressive candidate emerged, one with a track record proven over several terms in the House. Hackett was asked to "settle" for the House of Representatives, to which his response was to hold his breath until he was blue in the face, then hit the talk shows to bash Democrats.
This story has a happy ending--- We now have a candidate against DeWine that's looking healthy, and is well positioned to leave DeWine unemployed. Hackett never looked that healthy.
In TN and OH, the DSCC did exactly what it should do--- It increased the odds of picking up two brand spanking new seats for us by asking people not to feed the also rans. Campaign cash is not limitless, so it's always smart to put it where it can do some good. You could pump the national debt into Kurita's account, and it's not going to get her up to 20%. Hackett was particularly threatening--- The more contentious the primary is, the more things ran in favor of DeWine.
Personally, I like Paul Hackett. I think he's a bright guy, and I wish his response to being offered the House of Representatives had not been to take his marbles and go home. Does anyone have trouble imagining him beating Jean Schmidt these days?
But this isn't about who I like. It's about getting some damn seats so we can finally get a bill onto the floor for a change. And what does the ticket with our best odds on it look like? It has Ford, Sherrod Brown, and yes, Webb on it.
"The DSCC didn't make an endorsement. Chuck Schumer made his own endorsement, something he's fully capable of doing."
That I didn't realize, I should have read more closely, and that makes a difference.
"I keep hearing about how he did something awful in TN... Since when is it the DSCC's job to prop up a campaign that's limping along at 10%? Kurita campaigned for a year and a half." Prop up? Hell, they refused to acknowledge that she existed! Not only that, I am convinced that they worked behind the scenes to keep donors from giving to her campaign, denying her the right to a fair fight. If Ford had crushed her after that, OK, fair's fair. But they did her WRONG.
As for Ohio, well, I still don't see how a primary hurts our candidates. It can only make them stronger and more well-prepared for the Republican battle.
I want to win seats, too. We'll be just fine with Sherrod Brown as he votes the correct way. As for Ford, well........
Prop up? Hell, they refused to acknowledge that she existed!
Kurita campaigned for a very long time... And simply found no traction at all. She didn't run to win. She made herself very easy to ignore. In terms of sheer name recognition, I'm not sure she could beat Del Gill. I don't blame them for not acknowledging her. The very few people that even bother to log onto their website are looking for candidates that stand a chance at getting onto the Senate floor. She could have run unopposed and still had a tough primary.
It's not too late--- Personally, I hope we see her again in 2008. Of course, in that time, I hope she builds a career as a legit progressive as opposed to the "Not Ford" candidate and raises her profile enough that she can't be ignored. I like and respect a lot of the people I met that were working on her campaign. Maybe in 2008, she's got the goods. In 2006, she did not. After what, eighteen months of campaigning, she was no closer to the Senate nomination than when she started. And at some point, you have to look at the candidate and wonder why.
As for Ohio, well, I still don't see how a primary hurts our candidates. It can only make them stronger and more well-prepared for the Republican battle.
First, it makes them squander resources. Campaign cash isn't limitless, and eventually, it dries up. You can only tap the same people so many times.
A Brown/ Hackett would have meant that you had a strong frontrunner and someone just strong enough to make him work.
Here's another factor. What happened when Hackett left the campaign? He ran to the Sunday morning shows to bash Schumer and Reid, then made some accusations against Sherrod Brown that he couldn't back up. That tells me that this primary had the potential to get hideous if Hackett thought he was being crossed.
Brown was going to win. And how bloody did we want him to gt before facing DeWine in the general? He would have been like a boxer starting the match with a fresh cut over his eye--- DeWine would have been given a wound to reopen at his leisure.
Had he taken the offer and run for the House, we would have a win in the Senate and a shoo-in for the House seat. Instead, we'll have a win in the Senate and uncertainty in the House.
On a side note, I will add this--- I've worked on a few campaigns in my day. And the fact that Hackett walked away without telling his staff (They found out the same way you and I did--- By reading the New York Times) tells me something nasty about his character. I'm not sure I want him running for anything again after that. I've worked some lousy campaigns, and I've worked some campaigns that folded. But I've never had to find out by reading the paper.
Harris Miller was a former Diebold lobbyist and worked for one of their astroturf organizations. Chesty is on the money here, Webb is the guy we should get behind.
Check this.
I was behind Webb anyway, but after reading that, I can only ask... Did we stop vetting candidates at some point?
Great. I will now light myself on fire.....
Wait a minute here..According to WaPo it WAS a DSCC endorsement, and it is backfiring on Schumer and the DSCC..
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/12/AR2006061201492.html?referrer=emailarticle
And again, although I am not thrilled that Miller was a Diebold whore, and I might be more inclined to vote for Webb, THE DSCC HAS NO RIGHT TO PLAY KINGMAKER. PERIOD.
Simply, it is anti-democratic, as it usurps the right of the DEMOCRATIC electorate to choose their own candidate.
The way Chuckie does it is the Beltway, DLC way, and that's what I want to stop.
Leftwingcracker: An excellent point you raise...Chuckie WAS the one who ran Hackett out of the race. Now it would seem he has pulled his head out of his ass on the issue, and is trying to avoid a similar mistake by supporting Webb.
As I said: a broken clock...
BTW: As to your original comments...Hands off Spitzer! he is going to be the governor, and even most Republicans here like the idea, so BACK OFF!!!
Spitzer could be the real deal.
Not that I want to contemplate another Gooper victory in 08, but if Bush=Coolidge and McCain=Hoover, then why not Spitzer=FDR?
http://www.mydd.com/story/2006/6/13/174619/402
I sent this to Freedonian and Autoegocrat, Chesty, go check this out.....
Webb won. The Virginia primary just became interesting. That seat is now in play--- I don't think I could honestly have said that had Miller won.
If I was Schumer, I wouldn't be sweating too much. The DSCC pulled in $60 million for this cycle, and we're not even into the general yet. Even assuming that all of Harris Miller's supporters were planning on making matching contributions to the DSCC, the idea that they're all going to pull out means that the DSCC has just lost out on a cool .3% of their revenue. And the idea that Virginia donors were going to pony up for Schumer was even less likely.
Yeah, I have also suggested that Spitz might have "other office" in mind, but most of the people I've mentioned that to around here kind of write that possibility off. Senate when Schumer quits, maybe, but POTUS? That seems to be farfetched to a lot of NY Dems. I'm not entirely sure why: as I said, a lot of Republicans respect his law-and-order creds, the way he's gone after crooks on Wall St., the mob, etc.
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