October | 2009 | Democrashield

BREAKING: NY-23: GOP Admits Defeat, Scozzafava Drops Out

Posted on October 31, 2009 by Democrashield

From upstate NY’s Watertown Daily Times:

Dede Scozzafava, the Republican and Independence parties candidate, announced Saturday that she is suspending her campaign for the 23rd Congressional District and releasing all her supporters.

The state Assemblywoman has not thrown her support to either Doug Hoffman, the Conservative Party candidate, or Bill Owens, the Democratic candidate.

Ms. Scozzafava told the Watertown Daily Times that Siena Research Institute poll numbers show her too far behind to catch up – and she lacks enough money to spend on advertising in the last three days to make a difference. Mr. Owens has support from 36 percent of likely voters in the poll, with Mr. Hoffman garnering 35 percent support. Ms. Scozzafava has support from 20 percent of those polled.

To have a Republican candidate–who is running to replace a Republican incumbent–drop out due to lack of support and money is a massive, epic failure on the part of the Republican Party.

Really, it’s hard to overstate how much of a defeat this is for the GOP. Scozzafava started this race with a significant lead; for her to wind up trailing both the Democrat and a third-party challenger so much that she has to quit the race entirely makes hers one of the most disastrous campaigns in recent history.

It’s hard to say how Scozzafava’s resignation will affect the election. It’s probable that some of her supporters were conservatives who will switch to Hoffman, but it’s also likely that some of her supporters won’t back someone as right-wing as Hoffman and will instead vote for Owens. With only three days left until the election, though, I don’t think anyone can say for sure how things will go from here.

No matter who wins, though, the Republican Party has already lost. This is a humiliating defeat for Michael Steele and company, though I don’t doubt that RNC staffers will be working through the weekend trying to find some way to spin this failure.

NY-23: Doug Who? (UPDATED)

Posted on October 30, 2009 by Democrashield

The special election in NY’s 23rd Congressional District has become defined by the right-wing infighting between supporters of Republican candidate Dede Scozzafava and backers of Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman.

Despite the fact that Scozzafava is more conservative than your average New York Republican, the right has deemed her insufficiently conservative and are instead flocking to Hoffman.

My question is, who is the real Doug Hoffman? Do any of the people flocking to his candidacy really know all that much about him? Or are they simply backing him in order to stick it to a Republican Party they have also deemed to be insufficiently conservative? Is the right trying to make this race step 1 in an ideological purge of the GOP?

Supporting The Troops

Posted on October 29, 2009 by Democrashield

This morning, President Barack Obama traveled to Dover Air Force Base to personally welcome home and honor some of our fallen soldiers:

Remember that image. Keep it in mind whenever anyone on the right accuses Obama of being anti-American or hating the troops or putting soldiers’ lives in danger by ‘dithering.’

And then remember that George W. Bush—the President we’re not supposed to talk about—never did this. Despite sending several thousand young men and women to their deaths, Bush never bothered to welcome them home in person or attend a single military funeral.

President Obama is on the verge of making a decision on Afghanistan that could result in more of those flag-draped coffins coming home. He should be thinking long and hard about whether or not that’s a price America should pay.

Take a look at that picture again. That‘s being tough. That‘s being Presidential: personally facing the potential consequences of your actions.

Just something to keep in mind…

Finally, Here’s Evidence Of A Republican Comeback…Right?

Posted on October 28, 2009 by Democrashield

Here‘s a recent Gallup poll that some on the right have been circulating as proof that the GOP will make a comeback in 2010:

Conservatives continue to outnumber moderates and liberals in the American populace in 2009, confirming a finding that Gallup first noted in June. Forty percent of Americans describe their political views as conservative, 36% as moderate, and 20% as liberal.

So conservatives outnumber liberals by 2:1–that has to be proof of an impending Republican victory, right?

Well…

The Public Option And The Opt Out (UPDATED x2)

Posted on October 27, 2009 by Democrashield

Yesterday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid revealed that the Democratic health care reform plan will contain the public option, but will also let states opt out of it if they so choose.

There’s a catch, though–states won’t be able to opt out of the public option until 2014, meaning that every state will at least have to try it before they can eliminate it.

Gingrich 2012?

Posted on October 26, 2009 by Democrashield

Apparently, Newt Gingrich is considering running for President:

On C-SPAN this morning, Newt Gingrich was asked if was going to run for president in 2012.

Said Gingrich: “Callista and I are going to think about this in February 2011. And we are going to reach out to all of our friends around the country. And we’ll decide, if there’s a requirement as citizens that we run, I suspect we probably will. And if there’s not a requirement, if other people have filled the vaccum, I suspect we won’t.”

Newt Gingrich for President? Really?

Newt Gingrich, who hasn’t held elected office in 11 years?

Newt Gingrich, the first Speaker of the House to be disciplined for ethics violations?

Newt Gingrich, whose ethics problems led to him being forced out of office by his own party?

Newt Gingrich, who admitted to having multiple extramarital affairs?

Newt Gingrich, who admitted to having multiple extramarital affairs while going after Bill Clinton for his extramarital affairs?

Philip Spooner Speaks For Me

Posted on October 24, 2009 by Democrashield

Philip Spooner is an 87-year-old World War II veteran and lifelong Republican. He has four children–including a gay son–and earlier this year he spoke in favor of gay marriage at a hearing in Maine:

Maine is one of only 6 states where gay marriage is legal, but there is a ballot initiative–coming up to a vote on November 3rd–that could once again eliminate gay marriage in that state.

Watch the video, because Philip Spooner encapsulates exactly what the fight over gay marriage is about: our rights as Americans. It’s about upholding the values our nation was founded upon, the values many good young men and women died to protect.

It is written in the ink of our forefathers that “We hold these truths to be self–evident, that all men are created equal.” Philip Spooner understands those words–perhaps better than most of us–and I think it’s time we all followed his lead and stepped up to defend our basic American rights.

Abraham Lincoln was not a slave, but he stood up for the rights of slaves; Woodrow Wilson was not a woman, but he stood up for the rights of women; Lyndon Johnson was not a victim of segregation, but he stood up for those who were.

And I am not gay, but I will stand up for the rights of those who are.

Want to take action yourself? Visit the Vote No on 1 website at ProtectMaineEquality.org.

NY-23 And The Slow Death Of The Republican Party

Posted on October 23, 2009 by Democrashield

We have some more updates from the special election in NY’s 23rd Congressional district.

First, there’s another poll out showing Democrat Bill Owens beating both Republican candidate Dede Scozzafava and Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman:

If the election for Congress were held today, would you vote for Bill Owens, the Democrat, Dede Scozzafava, the Republican, or Doug Hoffman, the Conservative Party candidate?

Owens: 35%
Scozzafava: 30%
Hoffman: 23%
Undecided: 12%

Second…

Conservatives Self-Immolating In Upstate NY (UPDATED)

Posted on October 22, 2009 by Democrashield

There goes the big tent...

Conservatives are tearing themselves apart in the special election in NY-23. They’re being pulled between two right-wing candidates, thus giving the Democrat an unexpected boost in this traditionally Republican-leaning district.

Here’s the background: Republican Congressman John McHugh was tapped by President Obama to become Secretary of the Army, so this election will determine who will take his seat in Congress and finish out the remainder of his term.

The Democratic candidate is attorney Bill Owens, while the Republican candidate is State Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava. There is also a third-party candidate, the Conservative Party’s Doug Hoffman.

Right-wingers have soured on Scozzafava, portraying her as too moderate for their tastes. Because of that, many of them are now flocking to Hoffman; in fact, some conservatives are going as far as urging the GOP to drop Scozzafava and back Hoffman.

Conservatives Deny Reality Once Again

Posted on October 21, 2009 by Democrashield

As it turns out, some conservatives have a problem with the Washington Post-ABC poll showing that only 20% of the country identify themselves as Republican.

Conservatives are saying that there have to be more GOPers out there, and therefor the pollsters must have simply undersampled Republicans and therefore their poll can’t be accurate.

Well, in a word, no:

Republicans Are Not Like The Rest Of Us (UPDATED)

Posted on October 21, 2009 by Democrashield

Democracy Corps and Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research conducted a study [PDF] analyzing Republican base voters and comparing them to independent swing voters. Guess what they found:

One, Republicans are paranoid near-conspiracy-theorists:

First and foremost, these conservative Republican voters believe Obama is deliberately and ruthlessly advancing a ‘secret agenda’ to bankrupt our country and dramatically expand government control over all aspects of our daily lives. They view this effort in sweeping terms, and cast a successful Obama presidency as the destruction of the United States as it was conceived by our founders and developed over the past 200 years.

[…]

They readily identify themselves as a minority in this country – a minority whose values are mocked and attacked by a liberal media and class of elites. They also believe they possess a level of knowledge and understanding when it comes to politics and current events, one gained from a rejection of the mainstream media and an embrace of conservative media and pundits such as Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh, which sets them apart even more. Further, they believe this position leaves them with a responsibility to spread the word, to educate those who do not share their insights, and to take back the country that they love. Their faith in this country and its ideals leave them confident that their numbers will grow, and that they will ultimately defeat Barack Obama and the shadowy forces driving his hidden agenda.

GOP Poised For 2010 Comeback? (UPDATED With Fundraising Numbers)

Posted on October 20, 2009 by Democrashield

Survey says…nope:

Poll respondents are evenly divided when asked whether they have confidence in Obama to make the right decisions for the country’s future, but just 19 percent express confidence in the Republicans in Congress to do so. Even among Republicans, only 40 percent express confidence in the GOP congressional leadership to make good choices.

Only 20 percent of adults identify themselves as Republicans, little changed in recent months, but still the lowest single number in Post-ABC polls since 1983. Political independents continue to make up the largest group, at 42 percent of respondents; 33 percent call themselves Democrats.

[…]

More Nobel Nonsense (UPDATED X2)

Posted on October 16, 2009 by Democrashield

Following up on what I wrote yesterday, today brings us even more nonsense on President Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize. This time it’s from The Washington Post, which argues not that Obama doesn’t deserve his Nobel, but that it would be downright unconstitutional for him to accept it.

No, I’m not joking:

Obama’s Popularity Improves After Nobel Win

Posted on October 15, 2009 by Democrashield

Gallup crunched the numbers and found that President Obama’s historic Nobel Peace Prize win has, unsurprisingly, improved his standing among the American people:

Barack Obama appears to have gotten a slight bounce in support after he was announced as the Nobel Peace Prize winner on Friday. His 56% job approval rating for the last two Gallup Daily tracking updates is up from a term-low 50% as recently as last week, and 53% in the three days before the Nobel winner was announced.

The positive momentum in Obama’s approval rating is a departure from recent months, as his support has generally declined or been stagnant during this time.

So much for that backlash conservatives warned us about, huh?

You Say ACORN, I Say Blackwater

Posted on October 7, 2009 by Democrashield

“In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.” — Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1961

As I’m sure you all know, the right has been bending over backwards trying to use the recent ACORN scandal to attack the Obama administration, Congressional Democrats and nearly every progressive organization under the sun.

If you’ll ask them, conservatives will say they want to root out government corruption and protect taxpayer dollars. But the GOP has deep connections to taxpayer-funded companies who are far worse–and guilty of far more serious crimes–then ACORN ever was.

Want to see which party has far more troubling connections? Let’s compare ACORN with GOP-connected military contractor Blackwater Worldwide:

Conservatives Celebrate America’s Defeat (UPDATED x2)

Posted on October 2, 2009 by Democrashield

This is how unhinged the right has become–they’re celebrating the fact that the United States was rejected as a host of the 2016 Olympics.

Why are they celebrating? Because President Obama supported Chicago’s 2016 Olympic bid. Those are conservatives for you–if Obama supports something then they oppose it, even if it’s good for America.

Rep. Grayson Was Right (UPDATED)

Posted on October 1, 2009 by Democrashield

The right-wing outrage machine is up! in! arms! again, this time because Democratic Rep. Alan Grayson (FL) had the temerity to point out that the GOP’s plan for health care reform is, basically, ‘drop dead.’

For Republicans in Congress, who benefit from taxpayer-funded health care (or, as they would call it, “socialized medicine”), the fight over health care reform might seem like a game. But remember, 45,000 Americans die each year because they lack adequate health care; lives are literally on the line here.