A Real Democrat

Alan Grayson (D-Fl) gives a short, pointed speech on the House floor about healthcarereform:



Now that's how you do it. And Baucus, Conrad, Lincoln, Nelson, Carper, alleged Democrats who voted against the public option yesterday? I look forward to contributing to your liberal primary opponents. People who are willing to represent the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party, not spineless corporate whores. You're on notice.

Whip The Senate Into Supporting the Public Option

Time to get the pusillanimous Democrats off the fence and lined up to support a robust public option available on day one of the healthcare reform legislation. Please take the time to send a fax to each of these fine recipients of buckets of cash from the healthcare industry. The fax will be sent by Howard Dean's organization "Stand With Dr. Dean".

* Send a fax to Mark Begich, asking him if he supports the public option!
* Send a fax to Tom Carper, asking him if he supports the public option!
* Send a fax to Jon Tester, asking him if he supports the public option!
* Send a fax to Mark Warner, asking him if he supports the public option!
* Send a fax to Ron Wyden, asking him if he supports the public option!

I took great pleasure in faxing all of them. I'm tired of trying to get more Democrats into office. From now on it's only better Democrats. If you're not with us you're against us.

Grow Up

Why must politicians treat their work like jr. high school?

There were plenty of smiles as she [Kirsten Gillibrand] was introduced in Albany last week, but Gillibrand is widely disliked within New York’s congressional delegation for her bullying personality and unwillingness to wait her turn in the Washington seniority queue. Already Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy, of Long Island, has vowed to challenge Gillibrand in a 2010 Democratic primary because of the new senator’s pro-gun stance. Paterson seems to believe that he has cauterized the intramural Democratic fighting. Instead, the elevation of Gillibrand has widened the wound. Last Thursday, one of the governor’s aides called Andrew Cuomo, asking the attorney general to attend Gillibrand’s unveiling. Cuomo, according to a friend, said he’d be busy reorganizing his sock drawer.

This is also completely sexist, for in a man, "bullying personality" would be described as "hard-charging go-getter". Every time I read something like this about Gillibrand, I like her more.

Donna Edwards: A Better Democrat

Last night the voters of Maryland's 4th District had a choice, between their incumbent Blue Dog Democratic congressman Al Wynn and challenger, liberal Donna Edwards. Wynn, during his time in the House

[d]espite representing an overwhelmingly Democratic district, [] voted for the Iraq War, for pro-bank bankruptcy legislation, for massive fossil fuels subsidies, for repealing the estate tax, and for letting the likes of Verizon and Comcast have untrammeled control over the Internet.

The netroots supported Edwards. The establishment, and entrenched interests including many unions, the Democratic party establishment, even NARAL supported Wynn. He had seniority and the money. But Donna Edwards is a better Democrat and a liberal, and her message triumphed last night.

The motto of the netroots is "More Democrats, Better Democrats." That's Donna Edwards. (While this was just the Democratic primary, it is a reliably Democratic district; she'll win in November.)