Michigan's Stupak challenged for Democratic nomination

[Kber]

Source: Detroit Free Press

WASHINGTON – Michigan’s Bart Stupak, a Democratic congressman who could help bring down health care reform over an abortion provision, is getting a primary challenge this year.

Connie Saltonstall of Charlevoix said today she plans to run against Stupak for the Democratic nomination of Michigan’s First Congressional District, citing Stupak’s efforts to stop health care reform if it doesn’t ban use of government money for abortions. Stupak, a former state trooper from Menominee, has held the seat since 1993.


This year and last, Stupak has made a name for himself as a thorn in the side of some congressional Democrats pushing legislation for health care reform. While largely supportive of those efforts, he successfully attached an amendment last fall to ban use of federal funds to help pay for abortions.


“I believe that he has a right to his personal, religious views, but to deprive his constituents of needed health care reform because of those views is reprehensible,” said Saltonstall in a statement.

Read more: http://www.freep.com/article/20100309/NEWS15/100309040/...

[blue neen]

1. Great news!

Michigan needs to ditch Stupak.

[olegramps]

81. I pray the she will kick the Catholic Bishops' ass kisser to the gutter.

Just how damn long will we tolerate a pack of pedophiles enablers along with the loony evangelicals snake handlers that believe the End Days are near to influence politics?

[Demeter]

2. Go Connie!

The moneybags better help her out.

[bjobotts]

51. He's not banning fund for abortions-that's already been done. Stupak is saying...

[bjobotts]

52. That if you participate in any plan using gov funds you cannot then buy private abortion coverage wi

with your own money. He's trying to reverse R v Wade thru the back door. That if you are involved in any ins program that uses gov funds for others that even if you're paying for it with your own money not even using gov funds...if others have that ins and "they" use gov funds to help with ins costs then because you are using that same program you cannot have abortion coverage even though you are pauying the entire cost yourself for all you ins...Sneaky bastard got this plan from the "Family" which owns him. He deserves to lose his position for his underhandedness.

[saigon68]

73. He is bought and paid for by these guys

[laughingliberal]

3. No one deserves a primary challenger more than him!

:bounce:

Wonder how long it will take for Obama to declare his support for Stupak?

[Chipper Chat]

12. Probably tomorrow.

I think 'Rahm has left the building' for today.
:rofl:

[No Elephants]

18. LOL. It's DNC policy, though. RNC, too. To them, incumbents rule, no matter what.

[still_one]

4. DNC will not get one penny from me, but individuals like Saltonstall will /nt

[TheDebbieDee]

64. I'm with you. The DNC is so weak-willed and simpering that I am

sometimes embarrassed to call myself a Democratic.

I refuse to give money to any organization that might give one thin dime of support to Landrieu (spelling), Nelson, Bayh, Baucus or Lincoln or any other blue dog Dem.

I will give to individual Democratic candidates themselves, though............once I find a job, that is.

[lark]

86. I'm with you!!!

Since my husband and I are fortunate enough to still have our jobs - I will contribute to individual progressive candidates for both you and me. Not one dime will go to DLC, DSCC or any of the individuals you mentioned.

[bc3000]

5. Let's get that ActBlue page going!

[Kber]

6. Great idea!

[defendandprotect]

25. Yes . . . let's target the Stupak's and other Blue Dogs - and betrayers . . . .

of democratic values --

[LaPera]

54. I will donate to Connie as much as I can, via Act Blue

http://www.actblue.com/

[rpannier]

70. As I pointed out to someone else... Stupak has one at Act Blue

http://www.actblue.com/directory/MI

I find that really bizarre

[ooglymoogly]

83. Yes it is bizarre. My first thought was to donate

after reading your post I decided not to. I will donate to the candidates directly.

[Mithreal]

7. This is damn good news. Early money.

[onehandle]

8. What's the demographics of this district? nt

[Kber]

14. Fairly socially conservative, lots of union employment

On the one hand, McCain carried the district even though Obama carried the state.

On the other hand, it's where Michael Moore was born and raised.

[NWHarkness]

32. Uh......no.

Michael Moore was born in Flint and raised in Davison, neither of which have ever been in any iteration of the First District.

[Kber]

45. You are right and I stand corrected

[etherealtruth]

44. Michigan's UP is fairly unique and fairly conservative ....

... poor .... often feircly independent (in a generally conservative way .... but, they don't tow the party line). The portion of the lower peninsula in his district is a combination of poorer rural folk and affluent folk living in cities like Petoskey, Harbor Spring ... I rarely am a nay sayer ....but, I truly fear Stupak is as liberal as one can hope for from that district. I hope I am wrong.

[sufrommich]

72. I agree. Stupak is as liberal as you're ever going to see for

that district.

[mathewsleep]

82. I live there.

I hope you're wrong...

[etherealtruth]

88. I hope I am too :(

Edit to add: My dad and stepmother live in his district, too .... but it seems a long, long way from you (Petoskey/Harbor Springs-ish)

[liberal N proud]

9. Great

All DINO's must go

[NecklyTyler]

10. Stupak has enough years in Congress to get full retirement - He should take it

It is time for Bart to stand down and let a true Democrat a chance at representing the people

[The Wizard]

22. It's not the retirement money

His secret off shore account where lobbyists send "donations" will start to shrink if he leaves Congress.

[on point]

11. No money for DNC, but I will contribute to progressives!

As soon as she files and the act blue page is up I will contribute, as I have for others. I would love to see huge money flow into challengers on day one to serve notice to the other Dino sores.

[Mithreal]

13. +1 Well said

[Kber]

15. Act Blue should be up tomorrow morning.

I'll post as soon as it's up.

[Arugula Latte]

17. I will contribute.

"Dino sores" -- Love it.

[defendandprotect]

26. I've long been doing that --- where do we send money for Connie?

[Kber]

28. Their fundraising aparatus should be up soon

I think they are starting with ActBlue tomorrow.

As soon as I have more details, I'll post them.

[mod mom]

16. Great, hope she makes C-Street an issue.

[Bozita]

19. You can bet on Rachel covering this story tonight!

[Kber]

29. I think she's got a pre-recorded special tonight.

:(

[mod mom]

20. Hey Bart, here is what labor is saying to those who block HC: We'll 'Take Them Out'

and I don't believe they mean for ice cream sodas.

Labor On Dems Who Block Health Reform: We'll 'Take Them Out'
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/09/labor-on-dems-who-block-h_n_492076.html

[pundaint]

66. It is sad that Labor has decided to be pro corporate monopoly in the health care matter.

Maybe they'll switch their support to Grayson's bill.

[polichick]

21. Great! Love the statement about stupid Stupak's religious views. nt

[defendandprotect]

23. Whatever his personal beliefs, he has no right to deny women access to abortion --

[wordpix]

50. yeah, especially since Roe v. WAde was decided in '73. Some people live in the past

Do you prefer coat hangars for your womenfolk, Bart?

[defendandprotect]

84. Right wing lives to turn the clock backwards . . .!!!

[saracat]

24. Wonderful. Now get rid of the others as well.All anti-choice Dems should be toast

[nankerphelge]

27. Where do we donate to her campaign?

n/t

[perdita9]

30. I'm opening my wallet!

I can't wait to get rid of that bitch, Blanche Lincoln too! It's time our Democratic leaders learned to stop taking their base for granted.

[butterfly77]

31. K&R!

[Kber]

33. More information from Talking Points Memo

A former teacher and county commissioner will challenge Rep. Bart Stupak in the Aug. 3 Democratic primary in Michigan, the Detroit Free Press reported this afternoon.

Connie Saltonstall, a former commissioner in Charlevoix County, told me this evening she's challenging Stupak over his refusal to allow health care reform to move forward without abortion language attached.

Saltonstall told me her "two passions" are health care reform and choice. And after spending the last 20 years voting for Stupak, Saltonstall said he managed to run afoul of both of them.

"I've had to vote for him because he's a Democrat and not a Republican -- he was not as bad as the other side," she said. But Saltonstall said Stupak's stance on abortion in the health care debate "crossed the line" for her.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/03/report-stupa...

[BlueIdaho]

34. Ok - I've got money I'll gladly donate for that! nt.

[jimlup]

35. Were can I donate?

[JNelson6563]

36. DU needs to pony up for this candidate.

She's got over 30 counties to work. Think about that, remember what an asshole Stupak is and get ye to a site where you can donate to her!

Julie

[stlsaxman]

37. get that motherfucker OUTA HERE!!!!

[femrap]

38. If Bart doesn't want to

have an abortion, he shouldn't be forced to have one. I'm surprised his knuckles aren't bleeding.

[madmax]

39. Good - Let's clean house! n/t

[Ken Burch]

40. This is great news.

n/t.

[bertman]

41. GREAT NEWS!!!! One correction to the article: the bill that Stupak is railing against DOES NOT

allow for federal funds to be used for abortion. Neither the House version nor the Senate version does. It's a red herring to get that asshole more attention and give him bargaining power with anyone stupid enough to go along with his lie.

Rep Diana DeGette, the chairwoman of the Pro-Choice caucus (190 members) was on Rachel Maddow tonight and refuted unequivocally Stupak's claim about the bill allowing for anything other than the current rule, which is no federal funding for abortions.

[CLANG]

42. If these fuckers are going to take us all down

then they're going down with us! :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

[customerserviceguy]

43. All I can say is, don't anyone get their hopes up

This guy won his seat with about two-thirds of the vote in 2008, in the general election. He was down a few points from where he was in the 2006 election.

He's pretty entrenched in his district, which from my estimation, does not include any big cities that tend to vote extremely progressive.

[tavalon]

46. I will be sending a donation to her

I wonder who the fucktards at the DNC/DLC will be supporting.

[tsuki]

47. Has President Obama endorsed Stupak yet? nt

[tmyers09]

49. If they were smart, Rahm would get in there and say

"You will get our support if you and the other Blue Dogs who follow you around vote for this bill in its current form. Otherwise, we will be firmly behind your primary challenger. The choice is yours."

[LaPera]

56. Are you kidding, Rahm & his DLC helped get these same blue dogs elected

Rahm even fought with DNC chairman, the great Howard Dean, Rahm screamed at Dean to get even more DNC funds only for his DLC corporate moderate Blue Dogs to get them elected...

Rahm Emanuel still supports and trashes progressive Dems whenever they speak out against the corporate whore blue dogs.

Rahm certainly does not support primary campaigns against his moderate fucking corporate blue dogs.....Rahm too is a fucking corporate "moderate".

Emanuel's influence on Obama is a huge reason why there is no Public Option to have at least some competition with the greedy for profit collusive insurance industry that we are stuck with and why the bill Obama is pushing is a big give-away to the insurance corporations.

[wordpix]

48. here's the next person to get campaign donations from grateful Dems

:woohoo:

[Jack Rabbit]

53. That would be a nice seat to pick up

!!

[brewens]

55. Stuphack , you're going down! n/t

[KamaAina]

57. How is this possible?

When did Stupidak become a Dem?? :P

Go Saltonstall!! :thumbsup:

[orbitalman]

58. Stupak is committing suicide...

Is he too stupid to know it, regardless of principle.

[eagertolearn]

59. I'm very happy and ready to donate to act blue!

[David Zephyr]

60. Hallelujah! Go Connie! This really makes me happy tonight. K&R.

:bounce:

GO CONNIE!

[graywarrior]

61. Good good good, he's as idiotic and his blood brothers the republicans

[Barbara2423]

62. Great News

[craigmatic]

63. that ought to push him to the left on HCR

[eridani]

65. Does she have a webpage and an Act Blue account?

If so. pleas share them in the Research section.


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_oet&address=358x5391

[rpannier]

69. You wanna know something weird

Stupak has one at Act Blue

http://www.actblue.com/directory/MI

[eridani]

91. Oh yuck. Well, I guess anyone with a D after the name can have one

Wouldn't change that though.

[Divine Discontent]

67. a nice guy like that deserves to have 100 recs in his losing reelection bid! :)

[tomm2thumbs]

68. This is the way it is done! Go Connie Go! Women are over half the votes!!

thanks for posting

[DisgustedInMN]

71. Hopefully very one of the Conservadems WILL be ..

.. taken out and dumped on the trash heap where they belong. No mercy for traitors.

[democrat_patriot]

74. SEND. HER. MONEY.

(If you can).

[freddie mertz]

75. Great news. Let's all help the effort to remove this fanatic woman-hater.

Got an contribution link?

[Odin2005]

76. YAY!

[dballance]

77. We Should All Donate to her Campaign

Let's give her the funding to get elected!

[beac]

78. I hope the voters kick Stupak to the C Street curb! n/t

[southern_belle]

79. k & r n/t

[Luciferous]

80. I don't have much to donate, but I will definitely donate something

to her campaign. Stupak is a jackass and he needs to go.

[Winterblues]

85. Rahm is not going to like that...

He had to look for quite some time to find enough "centrist" Democrats to allow the shit he is trying to pull.

[RedCloud]

87. Another ray of hope. Die bluedog, die!

[Vidar]

89. Spectacular news. Charlevoix & Petoskey are relatively liberal and Sault

Ste. Marie & Marquette are college towns, so Connie stands a fighting chance

[True_Blue]

90. Good!

One less Dino