Horrid House Blue Dog Tim Holden defeated by Progressive Matt Cartwright

In fracking-filled Pennsylvania (check this map), blood-red Blue Dog Tim Holden lost last night in his primary battle against real progressive Matt Cartwright.

First from AP (my emphasis everywhere and some reparagraphing, 'cause, you know):

U.S. Rep. Tim Holden, Pennsylvania's longest-serving congressman, lost his re-election bid in the Democratic primary[.] ... Holden, who was elected to Congress in 1992 and was one of its conservative, so-called Blue Dog Democrats, lost Tuesday to personal injury attorney Matt Cartwright, who spent nearly $400,000 in the race.

A lot of that money came from BlueAmerica. Here's Howie Klein, BlueAmerica treasurer, on the victory:

Something very rare happened tonight, something that will send a chill down the spines of members of the Democratic establishment: a true blue progressive unseated a tired Blue Dog congressman. We were told it was impossible. Pennsylvania's Matt Cartwright just proved them all wrong. ...

They had a choice and they chose the progressive candidate who would stand up for working families instead of corporations and who believes that individual liberty applies to women as well as men.

Here's something a little more direct (from the same Facebook page):

Tonight Democrats in Pennsylvania told Hoyer and Israel and Wasserman Schultz to go take a flying leap as they defeated their hackish corrupt Blue Dog, Tim Holden, and replaced him with progressive Matt Cartwright for U.S. Congress.

With 447 of 449 precincts reporting, Cartwright beat Hoyer's corrupt Blue Dog 33,102 (57%) to 24,871 (43%). Holden lost all the big population centers. Cartwright ran up solid majorities in Lackawanna (78%). Luzerne (71%), Northampton (55%) and Monroe (64%). Grassroots Democrats in other states should take up the banner.

Don't trust anyone endorsed by the DCCC. Check them out carefully first. Most will be worthless shills like the majority of the people on the Red-to-Blue List of Shame.

Hmm, DCCC ... DCCC ... Where have we heard that name before?

Ah yes, DCCC are the so-called Democrats taking "oppose the War on Women" money and then supposedly standing aside in the MI-03 primary — a battle between proven Planned Parenthood defunder Steve Pestka (yes, he actually cast that vote) and real progressive Trevor Thomas.

Two choices, folks — we can fight (as Matt Cartwright did) or bail (as many of us would like to do; I get that). Me, I'm in a fighting frame of mind. If you're the same, join the battle in Michigan and support Trevor Thomas. His primary is August 7.

Want to learn more on the DCCC and the Michigan-03 race? Go here; it'll curdle your morning milk. Yes, that DCCC.

(Update: Fixed donate link.)

GP

(To follow on Twitter or to send links: @Gaius_Publius)
 

Does DCCC back anti-woman Democrat Steve Pestka instead of pro-woman Trevor Thomas?

UPDATE: Live chat with Trevor Thomas at Crooks & Liars, coming up at 2pm EST (11am PST). Click over if you can. Thomas will be posting in the comments section.
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That's a serious question: Who does the DCCC back in the Michigan 3rd CD race?

• Steve Pestka, who voted to defund Planned Parenthood when he was in the Michigan House, or


• Trevor Thomas, an actual pro-woman Democrat

Context — Obama's White House is in the process of trying (and failing) to damp down the firestorm from the gay community about Obama's pointed refusal to grant the same protection against same-sex–preference bias as it routinely grants to other biases.

Simultaneously, national Democrats are taking the "Republican War against Women" meme and, at least until Rosen-gate, wrapping themselves tight in it — making it their unique selling point (product identifier) in the 2012 election.

Something doesn't add up.

• Is the national Democratic "we support women" message sincere? If so, they should disavow anti-woman Steve Pestka now and actively work to make Trevor Thomas the nominee.


• Or is "we support women" just a convenient ... untruth, told to sell an appearance only?

If Pestka is the nominee, the DCCC will be using "War on Women" money to finance Planned Parenthood–defunder Steve Pestka's House race.

That's a problem, if you gave to the DCCC to fund its defense of women. Only the DCCC can clear this air.

The facts in the case

Let's start with Steve Pestka. Here's Marcy Wheeler, who lives in the district, writing last week (as always, my emphases and reparagraphing):

I went to a Debbie Stabenow event hosted by a local women’s group. As we were waiting for the Senator to speak, a top county Democrat was sitting several rows behind me trying to convince some of the women not to support Trevor Thomas.

“There is absolutely no way he can win,” the guy said (the polling says he’s wrong, and I suspect he knows that).

In addition to saying a gay man can’t win, he also said a pro-choice person can’t win in the district (his listeners pointed out that Stabenow herself had won the district; so have at least two other pro-choice candidates).

Then he described Steven Pestka, using the line Michigan Democrats used to defend Bart Stupak as he was rolling back access to choice for women across the country ... "He’s with us on everything else."

Except he isn't. Wheeler again:

Steve Pestka’s with us on everything else, this guy said at a women’s event. But he’s not just anti-choice. When he was in the State House (the experience locals point to to claim he’s a better candidate than Trevor) he a scored whopping 0% [pdf] on votes to support choice.

That included a vote for HB 4655, which singled out Planned Parenthood to be defunded, precisely the outrage–at the national level–that Democrats use as the cornerstone of their metaphorical attack on the GOP for its “War on Women.”

Again — "precisely the outrage–at the national level–that Democrats use as the cornerstone of their metaphorical attack on the GOP".

By the way, I suspect some Pestka-allied commenter will chime in with the statement:

Steve Pestka in the State House had a 100% voting record with the ACLU, Clean Water Action and the League of Conservation Voters. To uncritically call him "conservative" is foolish and not based on facts.

To head that off, here are the actual facts. In 2002, when Pestka ran for state Senate, he got no rating from the MI ACLU, because he didn't fill out the questionnaire (pdf; search on "Pestka").

Apparently, like the word "literal," which has a non-literal meaning, the phrase "the facts" has a contra-factual meaning. Who knew?

Now, the national Democrats and this "we love women" flag they're wrapped in.

  ▪ Here's the DCCC "war on women" page.

  ▪ Here's former Speaker Pelosi hating on Romney's anti-Planned Parenthood position.

  ▪ And here's yet another "Republican War on Women" mailing, dated last Friday (my emphasis and link-strippage):

[Dear name deleted] —
There’s no question about this. The Republican War on Women is real, and it’s extremely dangerous. If you agree, add your name to our petition: 1,000,000 strong against the Republican War on Women >>

House Republicans are pursuing the most comprehensive and radical assault on women’s health and reproductive freedom in our lifetime. Over just the last year, Republicans in Congress have voted repeatedly to limit women’s access to health care and reproductive services.

  ▪ Yet here's is the DCCC page on the Michigan CD-3 race:

Latest Press Releases: No press releases.

It's a clear choice on Choice, DCCC

The choice on Choice is clear. The choice on "War on Women" is clear. In 2002, Steve Pestka was part of the war on women.

He's running a covert Blue Dog-like campaign that says, in essence, "I'm conservative enough to win" — look for phrases like "crosses the aisle to solve problems" and "diverse bipartisan coalition" in videos like this (start at 8:00).

Why do I say "covert"? Because his campaign webpage is entirely devoid of content. (No link; I'm sure you can find it if you doubt me.)

Howie Klein calls Pestka an "anti-Choice, multimillionaire conservative" and says this:

Our sources tell us that local Democrats, no doubt backed by the DCCC, are looking at a pro-life, multi-millionaire conservative who will run on the Democratic ticket. They think he’s a safe alternative, but most folks admit they don’t believe he has the fire to mount a decent campaign. This election is going to be about fighting for the middle class. And, we need candidates who are from the middle class to make the case to voters. That's Trevor Thomas.

There is even talk that Republicans are directly involved in helping to set the Democratic ticket. They don't like Amash, but won't set up a primary challenge.

Is this true — are Howie's sources wrong? Only the DCCC can say for sure — by openly supporting pro-woman Trevor Thomas against anti-choice Steve Pestka.

If they don't, they're open to the charge of not supporting women themselves, but merely (and cynically) pretending to. And taking money "War-on-Women" money while doing so.

The cynical have a word for this; so do the betrayed, if they ever find out.

What you can do — Support Trevor Thomas. His ActBlue page is here. And if you're in his district, volunteer.

Blue America will be formally endorsing Trevor today, Tuesday, at 11am PST (2pm EST) when he's doing a live session at CrooksandLiars. Tune in then.

The polling is good, according to Wheeler (see above). Thomas can win against the Republican. Progressives need to give him that chance.

Not only that, progressives need to be taking these shots, whatever the odds. We can't keep deferring to the NeoLibs; we may as well start standing up now.

And frankly, this won't be the first fight we have in the next four years. Gear up now, with the Trevor Thomas campaign.

GP

(To follow on Twitter or to send links: @Gaius_Publius)