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A Progressive Challenge to Jane Harman
Some will speak of Harman's pro-war record. Some will recall her support for warrantless wiretapping, followed by her irony-free indignation when it turned out that NSA snoops had taped her own phone conversations. Some will recount Harman's long public silence after being briefed on torture by the U.S. government.
And then there's the extensive evidence that Rep. Harman has gone over the top to do the bidding of the Israeli government and some of its most extreme supporters in the United States.
But what may be most significant about Winograd's race to unseat Harman in 2010 is that it reflects -- and is likely to help nurture -- a growing maturity among progressives around the country who are tired of merely complaining about centrist Democrats in Congress.
Many progressives are getting a clear take-home message: Let's stop griping about lousy members of Congress and start defeating them.
Winograd, a high school teacher in South Los Angeles, is a longtime activist who founded the LA chapter of Progressive Democrats of America. Back in 2006 -- after less than three months of campaigning -- she won 38 percent of the primary vote against Harman.
The launch of Winograd's new campaign (www.Winograd4congress.com) has come more than 12 months before Election Day. And the candidate's kickoff speech Monday afternoon laid out a tapestry of compelling reasons behind her second run for Congress.
At the Venice Pier in the northern end of California's 36th congressional district, Winograd sounded the unabashedly progressive notes that have animated her activism over the years.
Speaking of widespread economic woes in such areas as Torrance, where foreclosures have skyrocketed, Winograd declared: "It doesn't have to be this way. It is time to say NO to government waste, to trillion-dollar war budgets for endless occupations that breed more terrorists, to countless no-bid contracts in Iraq and Afghanistan that drain our treasury of hard-earned taxpayer dollars. Halliburton gets rich, while the working family in Torrance watches their home slip away."
Congresswoman Harman provides a particularly spectacular example of an officeholder who has boosted militarism while helping to undermine civil liberties and human rights. But, in essence, on the Hill she's run-of-the-mill.
As a matter of routine, most members of Congress avidly serve corporate interests and the warfare state. They benefit when progressives leave electoral battlefields to others while complaining bitterly about corporatists and warmongers atop Capitol Hill.
Strong progressives like Marcy Winograd belong in the United States Congress. Movements that learn how to propel more candidates like her into office -- while defeating the likes of Jane Harman -- will gain strength for the long haul.
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34 Comments so far
Show AllA house is built one brick at a time -------- I am sending $20 to Winograd, please do likewise.
This is the type of move that will return our country to us - all of us. I congratulate Ms. Winograd on her courage and her willingness to share a bit of her life to improve the lot of others. And yes, Glenn, I will also be sending money to this campaign.
Progressive is as progressive does.
I'll be watching for signs of support for any or all of the following: instant runoff voting and proportional representation, an end to corporate personhood and the "Federal" Reserve, single-payer health care, closure of overseas military bases, and revaluation of all mortgaged properties facing foreclosure.
That'll do for a start. Any Democrat who would stray so far from the fold as to advocate for these positions is truly deserving of the adjective "democratic."
Add to your list reinstating the Constitution as the law of the land, not an unchecked unitary executive.
Then returning the top marginal tax rate to a minimum of 70%. Close all corporate tax loopholes. Abolish Hedge funds. Run NAFTA (and similar trade agreements) through Cheney's shredder.
Outlaw Monsanto's magic seeds until solid scientific research proves they won't harm the environment.
Tax the livin' heck out of oil and coal and use the funds to build renewable clean energy.
And finally, break up all monopolies: banking, insurance, pharma and especially media. Then return the airwaves to their rightful owners, the public.
Winograd is indeed brave, taking on such a rabid supporter of the zionists. It will be interesting to see if she can withstand the onslaught of personal attacks and smears (if not worse) from AIPAC and the like.
q
Here's the problem in a nutshell, q:
When Marcy was running in '06 I heard her give a speech that got my heart pumping. Here was a person who believed and articulated everything I espouse. Although I don't live in her district, I told everyone I knew who did, to vote for her during the Democratic primaries in order to unseat the incumbent, Harmon.
As the campaign wore on, Barbara Boxer (arguably one of our more 'progressive' members of Congress - although she IS in the Senate) came out and ENDORSED Jane Harmon. Now Diane Frankenfeinstein, I get, but BOXER?... I was so angry, I sent Ms. Boxer a missive: 'How can you betray one of your own?' 'We need people like Ms. Winograd in Congress' etc. In response I received a 'form letter' from Boxer that didn't even bother to ATTEMPT to answer my questions and concerns...
Yes, Norman, I agree, we need to 'up' the progressive quotient in congress. But until we get real campaign finance reform, even so-called 'progressives' like Ms. Boxer, will continue to endorse the status quo.
How do you expect to get finance reform, if you don't support candidates, that support finance reform?
And just who are these candidates that support (election campaign) finance reform? It's not as though it's high up on a candidate's list/platform - although it should be.
I nearly fell off my chair when I heard Dick Durbin tell Bill Moyers that that's what's needed most up on the Hill.
-And just who are these candidates that support (election campaign) finance reform
Have you heard of the Green Party? They do. I'm sure there are others. Or are you waiting for the legislators that depend on hundred thousand dollar donations from corporations to give election reforms to you on a silver platter?
I vote 'Green' my brother. Hasn't seemed to help yet.
Marcy Winograd is a Democrat, that means business as usual. If she wins expect on day one that she gets a visit from the scum of the earth AIPAC, who will lay down the law. Progressive Democrats? no such animal, just ask Mr.change you can believe in.
odoco
thanks for the blanket denunciation, generalized, stereotypical lingo that gets nobody anywhere.
odoco, you can use the same argument, "blanket denunciation", to defend various members of the Nazi party. The question is, why? Complete abandonment of the Demok party, including its moderate members, seems like the right thing to do after the hideous enabling role that party has played over the past eight years. We on the far left want to stomp out triangulation. Call it blanket denunciation. We call it crucial clarification.
Writing as a former constituent of Jane Harman, I am glad to see Marcy Winograd, a challenger with real gravitas, try again. What remains to be seen is if progressives in her district avoid the circular firing squad invective in some of the prior comments on this thread (though I suspect not one is a resident of the 36th California Congressional district) & instead concentrate on the very real and tough task of unseating Harman in the primary. Needless to write, that will be a very tough task, as Harman has a formidable political operation and access to lots of money (her husband is the Harman of Harman Karden sound systems in cars). This is not to write that this is a hopeless task though. Harman's main areas of support, the formerly defense industry heavy South Bay cities (such as Torrance) are reeling & can be there for the taking if Winograd can successfully speak to the voter's pain while not appearing to be a Venice Beach boardwalk loony tune. There is the factor of the heavily Republican leanings of the district's southern end, the Palos Verdes peninsula, whom in the past have made the district a swing one. If Winograd manages to unseat Harman in the primary, she should not make the same mistake Ned Lamont did when he defeated Joe Lieberman in 2006 and assume the race is over...it will have just begun.
Am I right in believing that the economic downturn is more on the minds of voters, than other issues?
Duh! Especially in the inland portions of the South Bay, where various defense industry plants were the major employers. Those plants are now gone and those lucky enough to find employment have "transitioned" to low paying service industry jobs with no benefits.
Dittoheads in sleek new SUVs on traffic-jammed South Bay freeways, can you hear me through your top-end Harman Kardon speakers? They're nice aren't they? Are you going to let this pinko commie Winograd unseat your Queen Bee Harman and strip you of your manhood? I sure hope not. She'll make you take the bus to work.
Liberal jews like like Winograd will be suspect by the actions of jews that are liberal until it comes to Israel.
Good for her. Now if we can just get someone with some validity to run against and DEFEAT Pelosi and Ried, then we might be going somewhere.
BTW, TOTALLY agreed on the point of campaign finance reform. Until the system of private graft and corruption that we currently have changes, nothing else CAN change. We need to get rid of private money in elections before anything else has a chance.
Pelosi did have an opponent with "some validity", Cindy Sheehan. Sheehan's loss illustrates the challenge that progressives face. I worked on her campaign after determining that, unlike Pelosi, Sheehan's a real progressive -- not just an anti-war crusader, but also a supporter of single payer, unions, a real defender of human rights -- a people's candidate.
It was instructive to stand on a street corner in a "happening" area of Pelosi's (and my) district gathering signatures to get Sheehan on the ballot. Some didn't know who Sheehan was. Many more didn't realize she was running against Pelosi. Polling Sheehan did suggested that name recognition was her biggest problem.
Of course Pelosi, in her arrogance, did her best to keep it that way, refusing to debate.
I definitely support public financing (which they have for state offices in Arizona and Maine, by the way). This is part of the solution.
But it's more than just ignorance. There's a lot of apathy out there, an at least partly justified feeling that it voting doesn't really make a difference and it doesn't matter who gets elected.
Winograd has an uphill battle. She could start by getting a decent website and by telling the Progressive Democrats to fix the links relating to her at: http://pdamerica.org/articles/campaigns/winograd3.php. My quick internet search failed to determine where she stands on any issue. I'm through voting for pigs in a poke.
The Roman Empire went down when the Senate became so incorrigibly corrupt they only taxed people unable to avoid their collectors, which the Senators could.
We haven't had many members of our Congress represent us for a long time;it is the most powerful branch, and it has abdicated.
I am encouraged some of the people are willing to replace some of those 535.
Progressive ? Liberal ? Conservative ? Libertarian ? Green ? ???
Even when I stand truly progressive and liberal on most positions, I still get looked at as a "closet Republican" by the social-only "liberals" and "progressives". I guess I'd rather stay an independent. It seems that being a "progressive" these days means supporting fake imitations anyway.
Anyway, let's see Marcy's positions and see how she takes on Jane Harmon. I got to help find solid progressive minded independents to help oust a few blue doggies in my state anyway.
National wide initiative and referendum legislation is needed to unlock the hold the duopoly now has on the electoral process. People who want to see the system changed have to begin doing some serious foot and brain work at the state level, bringing people together, demanding electoral reform. That is the only way any 'progressive,' 'independent,' or 'Green' will have a fair shot at electoral recognition.
Well said. I'm for getting them on the issues and not on party affiliation.
I was idealistically hoping all the old incumbents and their parasitic lobbyists would be thrown out with the '08 election, start with new blood not tainted by the K street mentality and greedy thinking...will be hoping for more changes in 2010. Term limits...hmmm...
My rep, Henry Waxman, the so-called 'mustache of justice', has voted with the Blue Dogs time and time again. Fed up, I went to vote last fall with every intention to vote in opposition and SURPRISE! he ran UNOPPOSED.
Now of course this begs the question of ideology. If one is running unopposed for a seat in the House of Reps, one would think that that elected official should at least vote unencumbered by corporate will. But no!
Term limits indeed. (Although instant-runoff-voting would seem to preclude the need for them.)
Tough choice:
Marcy Winograd - high school teacher in South Los Angeles, longtime activist
vs.
Jane Harman - est. worth $250 million, voted with Republicans to restrict rules on personal bankruptcy, for lawsuit reform, and to abolish the estate tax, as well as on protecting those defense contractors with business interests in her congressional district.
She's the female Zell Miller with more bucks!
Sioux Rose
Frank: Exactly! These policies that she's espoused in any other time period would merit her the Republican logo. I think all who run for office should sign a form stating their positions on the top 25 policy-concerns of Americans. Perhaps if they deviate off their published course more than 3 times, they are suspended. And if their policy decisions fall right of center they are placed into the Republican camp and if left of center, the democratic. The alleged party names currently falsify what these persons (or should I say chameleons) represent.
A generally enlightened population will require the parties to stick to their labels. The people will recognize any deviation from that for what it actually is: An attempt to sabotage the people's streamlined participation in policymaking. And the people will act appropriately. All facets of the societal systems and mechanisms will function better when the "people are enlightened, generally", as Jefferson said. It's kind of like feeding a body more nutritious food, and expecting it to work better. When are we going to put the nutrition in the K-12 curriculum?
siouxrose sez,
"I think all who run for office should sign a form stating their positions on the top 25 policy-concerns of Americans. Perhaps if they deviate off their published course more than 3 times, they are suspended."
better yet, require each candidate to produce a budget, detailing what the assumptions are, where the money is to come from and where it will go.
then let them defend their budgets in front of a live audience that gets to ask questions.
if the one elected deviates from the budget proposed, that would trigger an automatic recall election.
Other lessons
1. Dont just send money to Winograd. Get to know and influence her now, before big money jumps into the game.
2. Start campaigning Boxer and the mainstream democrats now to minimize last minute surprises
3. Watch for other dirty tricks. I followed Maad Abu Ghazaleh's attempts to unseat the neocon Democrat Tom Lantos in the last two elections. Watch out for the pro-war Democrats to field a last minute slick, well funded anti-war candidate who mimics Winograd's positions, simply to split the progressive anti-war vote.
Yes those who are still invested in the Demok party, but really want to untriangulate, can use their positions to help others in the party untriangulate. Meanwhile, we far lefters who always kept our distance from the triangulation will still be here defending the far left fort, preparing for expanded membership. The far left's relationship to the Demok camp will remain the same: Our door is still wide open but so are our eyes.
Tonight we here in Biritish Columbia had our own elections. Again I voted green even though they aunlikely to win a seat. I voted gGreen because they are most in line with my own views.
We also had on the ballot an initiative for the STV or "Single transferable vote" This is a form of Proportional Representation drawn up by a citizens committee to replace the first past the vote system
In order for it to carry it will require 60 percent of the vote.
Now this is very unlikely to happen but I still voted for it because I belive it a fairer system.
Now did I WASTE my vote on the STV and or on Voting Green because NEITHER can possibly win?
I think not but many seem to suggest a vote for a third party is "wasted". This implies the only vote NOT wasted is one that ultimately votes for the "winner".