Democrats.com Recruits Primary Challengers Against Pro-War "Bush Democrats"!

[babylonsister]

http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/22893

Democrats.com Recruits Primary Challengers Against Pro-War "Bush Democrats"
Submitted by davidswanson on Thu, 2007-05-24 20:13. Activism | Congress | Elections

http://democrats.com/primary-2008

Following the Democratic surrender on the Iraq supplemental, Democrats.com launched a nation-wide campaign to recruit anti-war Democrats to challenge pro-war Democrats in the 2008 primaries.

"In 2006, we elected Democratic majorities to Congress to end Bush's disastrous Iraq War," said Bob Fertik, president of Democrats.com. "While the majority of Democrats in Congress voted recently to end the war, a minority of Democrats voted to continue the U.S. occupation of Iraq forever. Those pro-war 'Bush Democrats' do not represent the voters in their districts, and we will hold them accountable through Democratic primaries next year," Fertik said.

To recruit primary challengers, Democrats.com created a map showing all "Bush Democrats" with a page where local activists can nominate Democratic candidates to run against each Democratic incumbent. "Our web site is designed to help activists think globally and act locally," Fertik said. The page is:
http://democrats.com/primary-2008

Using the Democrats.com web site, local activists can nominate themselves or others, evaluate their chances, and organize grassroots support for primary campaigns. Democrats.com also created a Candidate Guide for primary challengers that emphasizes internet campaign tools like ActBlue.

According to Fertik, Democratic primaries can accomplish two goals. "If we win, we get a better Member of Congress. But even if we lose, a competitive race often persuades the incumbent to change positions on the issue that fueled the primary. In 2006, two key anti-war challengers brought dramatic changes: both Jane Harman (CA-36) and Al Wynn (MD-4) voted for the war in 2002, but voted against the war in 2007 as a direct result of anti-war primary challenges by Marcy Winograd and Donna Edwards."

Democrats.com is one of the largest online communities of Democratic Party activists, with 300,000 supporters. It was founded during the Presidential campaign of 2000 and began nation-wide grassroots organizing to "count every vote" during the Florida recount. This effort culminated in a challenge to Florida's 25 electoral votes in January 2001 that was made famous in Michael Moore's film "Fahrenheit 9/11". On September 12, 2002, Democrats.com organized the first protest against the impending Iraq War when George Bush spoke at the United Nations. When Bush's pre-war lies about Iraq were exposed in the "Downing Street Memos" in May 2005, Democrats.com launched the first grassroots impeachment campaign at AfterDowningStreet.org, which organized dozens of town hall meetings and helped local activists pass resolutions in numerous Democratic Party chapters and city councils. In 2006 it created ImpeachPAC.org, which raised $90,000 for 20 pro-impeachment candidates. This February, Democrats.com formed the Impeach07 coalition and organized hundreds of events around the country, including a march on Washington and spelling I-M-P-E-A-C-H with bodies on beaches and in parks around the country. Democrats.com actively supports Rep. Dennis Kucinich's Articles of Impeachment for Vice President Cheney, H.Res. 333, but has not endorsed a candidate in the presidential primary.

[bonito]

1. Thanks for posting this

I was unaware of the effort, it means much, from an army dad. Peace
:yourock:

[bvar22]

2. I'm in!

My donations go directly to candidates that represent my voice.
NO donations to Rham Emmanuel's DCCC!

"Bush Democrats"....indeed!



The Democratic Party is a BIG TENT, but there is NO ROOM for those
who advance the agenda of THE RICH (Corporate Owners) at the EXPENSE of LABOR and the POOR.

[bonito]

3. Kicking for wider viewing n/t