Progressive Democrat Issue 227

On September last there was a special election in Iowa that I highlighted in my lst newsletter. I am happy to say that Democrat Curt Hanson won that election. The Republicans tried to make the election about marriage equality to try and get out their base. In the end, though, the Democratic candidate was more appealing to the voters.

September 15th is a big primary election in NYC which many of you know I am very involved with. In many of the races I have been covering, there are many candidates who roughly break down into three categories: 1. corrupt machine candidates (whether linked to corrupt Democratic Party machines or the currently scandal-ridden Working Families Party), 2. social conservatives running as Democrats, and 3. genuine progressive reform-minded candidates. Needless to say, I pretty much am pushing the third category. But, as always, progressive reformers have the toughest time winning because they don't have big money backing them. So every vote counts in these races and anything my NYC readers can do to elect genuinely good candiates like Josh Skaller, Jo Anne Simon and Norman Siegel the better. I will be highlighting some of the candidates I know personally in this issue and the next issue. This issue I highlight Norman Siegel, Letitia James and Rock Hackshaw. I also cover a very odd dynamic I am noticing this year where the machine candidates and the conservative candidates are competing over Hasidic voters. One particularly bizarre version of this dynamic has emerged in the fight between WFP machine candidate Brad Lander and social conservative John Heyer in the 39th City Council district that has led to some pretty awful, homophobic articles being written in a Yiddish newspaper on behalf of each candidate. An open question remains whether either campaign knew of the anti-gay rhetoric being used in the two articles. I suspect neither candidate approved such rhetoric, but it is a natural result of their attempts to woo voters who consider homophobia a virtue. Happily, my endorsed candidate in that race, Josh Skaller, has no interest in wooing homophobic voters.

With all this NYC focus I am afraid I may be giving less attention to the rest of the nation for the next couple of weeks. But bear with me!

Of course, the battle for healthcare reform nationally continues. And the fight against Glenn Beck's racism and hate-mongering continues successfully.

Here is this week's newsletter:

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Reminder: My Message to the Democratic Party: Get off your Asses on Healthcare Reform

Reminder: Your Water Footprint

Reminder: Saving the Earth's Fisheries

NYC Public Advocate Race: One Clear Choice

Brooklyn, NY Focus: Conservatives vs. Machines in Central Brooklyn

Brooklyn Focus: NYC 35th City Council Race: Re-electing one of the few honest councilmembers

Brooklyn Focus: NYC 40th City Council Race: Trust in the Rock


Brooklyn, NY Focus

Queens, NY Focus

Bronx, NY Focus

Rochester, NY Focus

NEW YORK STATE FOCUS

Silicon Valley Area, CA Focus

Orange County, CA Focus

San Diego, CA Focus

CALIFORNIA FOCUS

Dallas County, TX Focus

Austin/Travis County, TX Focus

Houston/Harris County, TX Focus

TEXAS FOCUS

Georgia Action for Health Care

Coweta County, GA Focus

GEORGIA FOCUS

Sussex County, NJ Focus

Warren County, NJ Focus

Passaic County, NJ Focus

NEW JERSEY FOCUS

VIRGINIA FOCUS

WASHINGTON FOCUS

ARIZONA FOCUS

Colorado Senator Bennet On Healthcare Reform

COLORADO FOCUS

Wisconsin Focus: Get the Facts on Health Care Reform

WISCONSIN FOCUS

Florida Focus: Columbian Drug Cartel for Charlie Crist?

FLORIDA FOCUS

PENNSYLVANIA FOCUS

MICHIGAN FOCUS

Illinois Focus: Melissa Bean and Bill Foster, Give Us Our Healthcare

ILLINOIS FOCUS

North Carolina Justice Center: Myths About Health Reform

NORTH CAROLINA FOCUS

IOWA FOCUS

NEVADA FOCUS

MINNESOTA FOCUS