Home > The Number One Threat to Progressive Politics in America: Bob Casey jr.
The Number One Threat to Progressive Politics in America: Bob Casey jr.
by Open-Publishing - Thursday 12 May 20056 comments
By Rob Kall
Centrists in the Democratic party don’t want the party to become more progressive. They want to move it to the right, to make the average Democratic candidate look more and more like a Republican. They will use the Bob Casey jr. campaign for US senate as an example to set a precedent which will be devastating to progressives nationwide.
Recent polls have shown that Rick Santorum is very vulnerable in PA-a state where Kerry won and the last governor elected was a democrat.
The problem is, the centrist, insider, democratic power brokers have already coronated their centrist senate pick and want to do an end run around the democratic process-the primary election. Their pick is Bob Casey, the anti-abortion, and hence anti-women’s rights son of a former governor. They argue that his antiabortion position makes him more electable.
If Casey wins this primary and then goes on to beat Santorum, the centrist Democrats will claim it as a precedent that will make it much, MUCH harder for progressives to get on the ballot. They will claim that Casey’s win is proof that Democrat’s must give up on women’s rights and must hew more to the center, (even though the center keeps moving further and further right as the Republicans become more and more extreme..)
This fact alone makes this state election in Pennsylvania a national concern and issue. If Casey wins the primary and then beats Santorum, the DLC and the rest of the centrist, republican-lites in disguise as democrats will use the victory as an argument to further remove the spine from the democratic party as they push it further towards the center, so it looks even more like the republican party. They will insist that Casey’s victory shows the way that Democrats can win.
The problem is, this is not true and not logical. Pennsylvania is ripe for a democratic win of a senate seat. Whoever wins the state democratic primary will be in a great position to beat Rick Santorum. If I were Rick Santorum, I’d be happy to be running against Casey. Karl Rove and the RNC know how to tear apart candidates who try to be Republican look-alikes. Casey won’t have a chance once the people who funded the Swift Boat Veteran ads come to Pennsylvania, and be assured, they will. This race will be the most closely followed of all the 2006 races.
The truth is that a progressive who supports women’s rights will probably do BETTER than Casey. ........ He will garner the support of women from both parties. An enormous number of women are already saying they can’t support Casey. These women are the ones who worked their butts off helping win Pennsylvania for Kerry.
If you are a progressive in any other state than Pennsylvania, be assured, this PA race will affect you, your local candidates and politics. But there is a lot that you can do.
There is a progressive candidate who will be facing Casey in the PA democratic primary. Dr. Chuck Pennacchio www.chuck2006.com is a solid progressive, with a great policy profile who really walks the talk. He’s an experienced activist who has helped several US senators win their campaigns. He’s a history professor who understands international and national issues at a level that makes Rick Santorum and Bob Casey look like kindergartners. Even better, Pennacchio is an extraordinary speaker who makes Casey look like a road kill.
This race is not about picking a US senator for Pennsylvania. It’s going to decide the future of the Democratic party. The Pennsylvania party insiders have failed to elect a senator to congress in the last 42 years of regular elections. Next year, with Santorum vulnerable, the Democrats have a shot at electing whoever wins the primary. The progressives have a chance to win the primary. The progressives have a chance to stage a victory that proves the viability of the progressive vision and progressive politics. Progressives have an opportunity to, by beating Casey, then beating Santorum, stave off a devastating loss which will have national repercussions.
If you are a progressive, this election will touch you. Will you make the choice to make a difference? You have a chance to bring to the US Senate a progressive leader you will be proud to have played a part in supporting.
You can do everything you can, as soon as possible to support Pennacchio-send him money, volunteer to help. If you are a nearby state, consider offering, when the time is right, to come to PA and volunteer to canvas and phone bank for Pennacchio.
Do it!
Rob Kall rob@opednews.com is editor of www.OpEdNews.com You can read more of his articles at Rob Kall Archive He is also president of Futurehealth, Inc
Forum posts
12 May 2005, 00:22
I think I will vote Santorum, thank you.
12 May 2005, 09:44
We all have our problems, don’t we?
12 May 2005, 14:45
Your remarks are exactly why the Democratic party has lost election after election, and will continue to do so. As the mainstream of America lies in the center, and even slightly right of the center, the Democratic Party has drifted harder and harder to the left - where most Americans do not care to go.
Abortion is the murder of an unborn child. You may disguise it as "women’s rights" all you want.
Americans abhor the image of a partially born child, being murdered because it’s mother is "exercising her rights." Recent CNN/Gallup poll show that only 23% of the public agrees with "abortion on demand" i.e., anytime, by anyone, for any reason. MOST Americans feel that some restrictions on abortion are logical and correct. We have gun controls dont’ we? Why shouldn’t we have some controls on abortion.
The President won the election fair and square, by a margin of more than 3.5 million votes. When Al Gore "won" the popular vote by only 500,000 in 2000, you liberal Democrats were screaming about how he "won" the election. To the victor, goes the spoils, folks. That’s the way the game is played. President Bush is totally correct to start appointing Judges that will not overturn Roe v. Wade, but will say, Hey, late term abortion is murder, it is not becoming of a so-called civilized nation, and we’re going to outlaw it, except in the case of dire medical emergencies. We are also going to have Judges that say Parents, you have responsibilty for your children, and if your daughter wants an abortion, you MUST know about it!
If Senator Frist doesn’t deploy the nuclear option, he will be voted right out of office, and back to practicing surgery. That’s why we voted for President Bush. He better deliver. We don’t want discrmination against anyone. But we are not going to have radical posturing from left-wing Judges, trying to ram social re-engineering down the gullet of this country (i.e., homosexual marriage).
How would the left like it if some Supreme Court Judge in, say, Alabama told the legislature to institute Mandatory school prayer? Would you liberals be OK with that? Of course not, and you know what, as a supporter of the President, I would not be in favor of that either. Although I think a little faith might do kids some good. That’s not the way we do things. You want homosexual marriage? You tell your Cogressman, Senator, whatever, and they VOTE on it. If enough people agree, it passes. If not, you lose. Simple as that.
16 May 2005, 14:17
He didn’t win the election in 2000, and he won the 2004 by fear. I wouldn’t trust a poll that CNN would post, even if they danced on it. CNN gotta try be like Fox like the Centrist Dems gotta be like the GOP’s. As for the whole Centre/Right-of-Centre Malarchy, I would be too if I had such a shit source of media and I was so self-absorbed in some social climbing, materialistic, shallow ecuse for an existence to the point of solipsism. Oh yeah, how many ppl voted last time? how many ppl in your country, Wow look at that discrepancy...
15 May 2005, 12:12
US Congress Makeup.
1978 - 292 Democrats 125 Pro-Life
2004 - 204 Democrats 28 Pro-Life.
Now the question is, which congress was more progressive, the 1978 congress with 125 Pro-Life Democrats or the 2004 Congress with 28 Pro-Life Democrats?
19 May 2005, 00:10
1. Bush is an idiot.. born with a silver spoon in his mouth - and still can’t pronounce Nuclear.
2. Clinton was set up... how many 21 year olds screw up a BJ and *save* the dress?
3. Look at what shrub (little inept bush) did to the surplus Clinton turned over to him.
4. How can a Connecticut-Born Yankee, who claims to be a Texan defect to Alabama to avoid the Draft and serve hiscountry?
5. And then send 2000+ real Americans to their death and 8000+ more wounded for life for no WMD’s??
give Me a break... he embarasses Me everytime he opens his pathetic uneducated mouth.
I love Laura... she’s a wonderful woman... with one fault... PissPoor taste in lil inept men.
Bring it on...
Rocco!