Newsflash:
A Budget That Tightens Belts by Emptying Stomachs A time-honored tactic of conservative lawmakers is to “starve the beast”by defunding government programs. In the case of food stamps—the quintessential whipping boy for budget hawks—they’re going a step further by trying to starve actual people. Read the Full Story
Top Democrats React to Low-Wage Federal Workers’ Strike “I work at Quick Pita in the food court of the Ronald Reagan Building. I work nearly 12 hours every day serving lunch to the thousands of people who work in the building. But I am not here to tell you how hard I work. I am here to tell you that my employer does not follow the law,” testified Antonio Vanegas before a hearing of the Congressional Progressive Caucus yesterday. Read the Full Story
The Axe Falls on 50 Chicago Public Schools At times, the meeting of the Board of Education of Chicago Public Schools (CPS) on Wednesday took on the air of a mass mock trial; at others, it seemed like a public execution. On the dock were 53 elementary schools and one high school charged with underutilization of space and underperformance. Read the Full Story
The End of the Perpetual War President Obama’s speech on Thursday was the most important statement on counterterrorism policy since the 2001 attacks, a momentous turning point in post-9/11 America.For the first time, a president stated clearly and unequivocally that the state of perpetual warfare that began nearly 12 years ago is unsustainable for a democracy and must come to an end in the not-too-distant future.       Read the Full Story
Banks’ Lobbyists Help in Drafting Financial Bills WASHINGTON — Bank lobbyists are not leaving it to lawmakers to draft legislation that softens financial regulations. Instead, the lobbyists are helping to write it themselves. Read the Full Story
Elizabeth Warren: Trade talks could weaken bank oversight Sen. Elizabeth Warren raised concerns Tuesday that negotiations over new trade agreements could be used as a backdoor way to water down financial regulations. Read the Full Story
Exclusive: Why I Spoke Out at Obama's Foreign Policy Speech On why Obama's policies themselves, not those who speak out against them, are rude Having worked for years on the issues of drones and Guantanamo, I was delighted to get a pass (the source will remain anonymous) to attend President Obama’s speech at the National Defense University. Read the Full Story
Pivoting From a War Footing, Obama Acts to Curtail Drones WASHINGTON — Nearly a dozen years after the hijackings that transformed America, President Obama said Thursday that it was time to narrow the scope of the grinding battle against terrorists and begin the transition to a day when the country will no longer be on a war footing.       Read the Full Story
New Terror Strategy Shifts C.I.A. Focus Back to Spying WASHINGTON — For more than seven years, Mike — a lean, chain-smoking officer at the Central Intelligence Agency’s headquarters in Virginia — has managed the agency’s deadly campaign of armed drone strikes. As the head of the C.I.A.’s Counterterrorism Center, Mike wielded tremendous power in hundreds of decisions over who lived and died in far-off lands.       Read the Full Story
Boy Scouts End Longtime Ban on Openly Gay Youths GRAPEVINE, Tex. — The Boy Scouts of America on Thursday ended its longstanding policy of forbidding openly gay youths to participate in its activities, a step its chief executive called “compassionate, caring and kind.”       Read the Full Story
PDA, Allies March Against Fracking in Maryland More than 100 "Fracktivists" rallied for clean air and water outside the Democratic Governors Association meeting in Maryland yesterday. Concerned about the controversial practice of extracting methane gas from shale rock formations known as hydraulic fracturing or "Fracking", Progressive Democrats of America, Food and Water Watch, MoveOn, Progressive Neighbors, and Progressive Cheverly members and others gathered to hear speakers and then matched chanting outside the high-level meeting. Read the Full Story
Congresswoman Barbara Lee Responds to President Obama’s Call for AUMF Repeal, Introduces Legislation Creating Greater Oversight of Drones Washington, D.C.— Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) released the following statement in response to President Obama’s speech focusing on drone warfare and national security. In advance of the speech, Congresswoman Lee introduced related legislation, The Drones Accountability Act. Read the Full Story
image A Budget That Tightens Belts by Emptying Stomachs
image Top Democrats React to Low-Wage Federal Workers’ Strike
image The Axe Falls on 50 Chicago Public Schools
image The End of the Perpetual War
image Banks’ Lobbyists Help in Drafting Financial Bills
image Elizabeth Warren: Trade talks could weaken bank oversight
image Exclusive: Why I Spoke Out at Obama's Foreign Policy Speech
image Pivoting From a War Footing, Obama Acts to Curtail Drones
image New Terror Strategy Shifts C.I.A. Focus Back to Spying
image Boy Scouts End Longtime Ban on Openly Gay Youths
image PDA, Allies March Against Fracking in Maryland
image Congresswoman Barbara Lee Responds to President Obama’s Call for AUMF Repeal, Introduces Legislation Creating Greater Oversight of Drones
Tuesday, 24 January 2012 12:55

Solomon Campaign Scores Major Victory, Blocking CDP Endorsement of Huffman

Written by  Norman Solomon for Congress
Solomon Campaign Scores Major Victory, Blocking CDP Endorsement of Huffman

Norman Solomon’s campaign for Congress scored a major victory last weekend when opponent Jared Huffman failed to win the endorsement from California Democratic Party delegates, who cast votes from all over the new congressional district that stretches from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Oregon border.

Despite the fact that some of the delegates were appointed by officials who conditioned their appointment on voting in his favor, Huffman received endorsement votes from just under 48 percent of the delegates. In sharp contrast to the balloting on the same day for Michael Allen and Wes Chesbro (two of his fellow Assembly members seeking re-election who received overwhelming support from party delegates), more than half of the Democratic Party delegates rejected Huffman’s candidacy.

Solomon was the choice on most of the remaining ballots, receiving 37 votes. Susan Adams received 12 votes and Stacey Lawson received 2 votes. Nineteen votes were cast for “no endorsement.”

“Since I launched our campaign, I’ve been running as the grassroots candidate. This vote is further proof that our issues-driven campaign continues to take hold throughout the district,” Solomon said.

The pivotal January 21 decision means the Democratic Party will not endorse or devote any resources to supporting Huffman before the June 5 primary election. As a career politician with a history of receiving large corporate campaign donations, Huffman faces an increasingly tough challenge from Solomon, an independent progressive Democrat who is refusing to accept any corporate PAC money.

The setback for Huffman comes after the latest released poll in the race found Solomon was just 5 points behind him in the contest for an open seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. That poll was conducted last fall by Lake Research Partners, a firm that has done polling for such legislators as House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi.

“Huffman’s failure to gain the support of the Democratic Party amounts to a no-confidence vote,” said Solomon’s campaign manager Dan Mullen. “And now he has to explain to those in Sacramento who appointed delegates on his behalf why he couldn’t win the endorsement despite their horse-trading.”

Solomon’s Democratic Party victory comes on the heels of his barnstorming tour that featured him and legendary TV public-affairs pioneer Phil Donahue. Spanning much of the new North Coast district, the tour brought out more than 2,000 residents in Humboldt, Mendocino, Sonoma and Marin counties.

Read 2528 times Last modified on Tuesday, 24 January 2012 13:02
Published in Norman Solomon
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