Progressive Democrat Newsletter 276: Election 2010 edition

This week the newsletter format is different. It is all about publicizing endorsements from good folks (like NARAL, Planned Parenthood, AFL-CIO, Sierra Club, Progressive Majority, VoteVets.org, Indigenous Democratic Network, DFA...myself...) for the election in just about every state. I will return to my earlier format after the election.

I also want to repeat my suggested action alerts for the election because we need to go beyond simply voting if we want to keep this country from backtracking to failed Bush policies.

1. Work with MoveOn.org to turn your home into a phone bank for Progressive Democrats. This strategy was pioneered by John Hall in upstate New York when he first ran for office and was devastating effective, winning John Hall an upset victory. MoveOn.org has been taking the strategy national and it could make the difference in November. Help them out.

2. Find a Democracy for America Endorsed Candidate near you and donate or volunteer to help them win. These are the true Grassroots Progressives that will both fight the Republican agenda and change the Democratic Party from within.

3. Want to get even more grassroots than MoveOn.org and DFA? Find a Progressive Majority candidate near you and donate or volunteer to help them win. These are often neglected races that are so important for reforming the local Democratic Parties.

I also want to repeat this from last issue--an unbiased list of Congressional corruption: The 26 most corrupt members of Congress 15 Republicans, 9 Democrats

* Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)
* Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO)
* Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL)
* Sen. Roland Burris (D-IL)
* Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA)
* Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)
* Rep. Doc Hastings (R-WA)
* Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL)
* Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA)
* Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-CA)
* Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-IL)
* Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
* Rep. Gary Miller (R-CA)
* Rep. Alan B. Mollohan (D-WV)
* Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
* Rep. Tim Murphy (R-PA)
* Rep. Charles B. Rangel (D-NY)
* Rep. Laura Richardson (D-CA)
* Rep. Harold Rogers (R-KY)
* Rep. David Scott (D-GA)
* Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX)
* Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH)
* Rep. Pete Visclosky (D-IN)
* Sen. David Vitter (R-LA)
* Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA)
* Rep. Don Young (R-AK)

More details here. I consider it very important to keep this kind of thing in the public eye.

Sadly, most of these corrupt politicians are entrenched and not likely to be voted out. I should even note that I have personally liked and largely agreed with both Charlie Rangel and Maxine Waters, and hope that they are innocent. But the bottom line is we have to stand up to corruption wherever we see it, even if we agree ideologically with a candidate or personally LIKE a candidate.

But I should also note we have a shot at defeating at least one of these corrupt politicians and I hope you help to do so:

Roy Blunt of Missouri is running for Senate (where he has even more chances of corruption). I have been targeting Roy Blunt as being one of the most corrupt members of Congress for some 4 years now. He is opposed by the MUCH more honest Robin Carnahan in a reasonably close race.


Here is this week's newsletter:

TABLE OF CONTENTS

The Bottom Line: Democrats are Better for the Economy

Here is a nearly 50-state round up of endorsements, both my own and other groups. The organizations I draw from, in addition to local groups, are VoteVets.org, AFL-CIO, SEIU, Planned Parenthood, Indigenous Democratic Network, NARAL, Progressive Majority, Democracy for America, and Sierra Club.


SPECIAL FOCUS: VoteVets.org endorsements (American Veterans running for office)


Click below to check out the best candidates running in the following states: (for more endorsement lists, including some local endorsements, visit The Ballot.org)


VIRGINIA: (my endorsements)

Planned Parenthood Virginia

Virginia 5th Congressional District Progressive Voters Guide

2nd Congressional Dist. Video Voter Guide


WASHINGTON, DC

Washington DC SEIU 32BJ


PENNSYLVANIA: (my endorsements)

PA Progressive Voters Guide

VoteVets.org Pennsylvania Endorsements

Delaware County, PA

Pennsylvania 6th Congressional District: Includes parts of Lehigh, Berks, Montgomery and Chester counties.

Pennsylvania State House District 154


MINNESOTA (my endorsements)

Minneapolis Voter Guide for the Reality-based Community


TEXAS: (my endorsements)

Planned Parenthood Houston and Southeast Texas

Texas 21st Congressional District: Includes Travis, Kerr, Real, Bandera, Kendall, Comal and Blanco Counties

Texas 15th Congressional District: Includes Hidalgo, Brooks, Duval, Live Oak, Bee, Jim Wells, Karnes, DeWitt, Goliad, San Patricio, and Refugio Counties.

Texas 10th Congressional District: Includes Bastrop, Lee, Burleson, Washington, Austin, Harris, and Waller Counties.

Houston/Harris County, TX

Austin/Travis County, Texas Endorsements


WISCONSIN (my endorsements)

NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin PAC


COLORADO (my endorsements)

Sierra Club Rocky Mountain Chapter Endorsements

Colorado Wins Endorsements

El Paso County, CO

Denver County, CO

Larimer County, CO

Douglas County, CO

Arapahoe County, CO

Boulder County, CO

Another Boulder County, CO list


ILLINOIS (my endorsements)

Planned Parenthood Illinois

SEIU Illinois

Illinois 14th Congressional District

Cook County, IL

Coffee Party-Naperville IL


ARIZONA (my endorsements)

Planned Parenthood Arizona Endorsements

Arizona Voter guide – Propositions 100s-300s


MICHIGAN (my endorsements)

Michigan Public Employees SEIU Local 517M

Planned Parenthood Michigan

Oakland County, MI Progressive Voter Guide


FLORIDA (my endorsements)

Planned Parenthood Florida Guides

Orange County, FL

Pinellas County, FL

Tampa/Hillsborough County, FL

Tallahassee, FL Progressive Guide


NEVADA (my endorsements)

SEIU Nevada Endorsements

TOIYABE, NV CHAPTER, SIERRA CLUB

Nevada State AFL-CIO 2010 Endorsed Candidates


CALIFORNIA (my endorsements)

California Propositions

California's 11th Congressional District: Includes San Joaquin, Alameda and Santa Clara Counties.

Sierra Club Ventana Chapter Propositions Slate

Courage Campaign Progressive Voter Guide

Northern Solano Democratic Club

Riverside Local Elections


SOUTH DAKOTA: (my endorsements)


MONTANA:

NARAL Pro-Choice Montana


OKLAHOMA (my endorsements)


ALASKA (my endorsements)


WASHINGTON STATE (my endorsements)

NARAL Pro-Choice Washington 2010 Endorsements

UFCW Local 1439

Pierce County, WA

Snohomish County, WA

Seattle/King County

Olympia/Thurston County, WA


KENTUCKY:

Kentucky AFL-CIO


GEORGIA (no endorsement)

Georgia Sierra Club Endorsements

Georgia AFL-CIO 2010 Endorsements


IOWA (my endorsements)

2010 Endorsements (Sierra Club Iowa Chapter)

Planned Parenthood Iowa


KANSAS

Planned Parenthood Advocates of Kansas and Mid-Missouri


MISSOURI

Planned Parenthood Advocates of Kansas and Mid-Missouri

Sierra Club Missouri Chapter Endorsements

NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri 2010 Endorsements


ARKANSAS:

Arkansas Blog: AFL-CIO 2010 Endorsements


INDIANA:

Indiana AFL-CIO


OHIO:

SEIU 1199 Ohio Endorsements


WEST VIRGINIA

SEIU 1199 West Virginia Endorsements

Planned Parenthood West Virginia


SOUTH CAROLINA:

Planned Parenthood South Carolina


NORTH CAROLINA:

Planned Parenthood North Carolina

Progressives/Democrats for Forsyth, NC

Wake County, NC Democrats


MARYLAND:

Planned Parenthood Maryland

SEIU 32BJ - Maryland


NEW YORK:

Planned Parenthood New York

Rockland Women's Political Caucus


MASSACHUSETTS:

NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts

Massachusetts Sierra Club

Planned Parenthood Massachusetts


VERMONT:

Planned Parenthood Vermont

VT-Chittenden County Guide


NEW HAMPSHIRE:

New Hampshire SEIU Local 1984

Planned Parenthood New Hampshire


MAINE:

Equality Maine

The Maine League of Young Voters - STATEWIDE Edition

The Maine League of Young Voters 2010 - PORTLAND Edition


DELAWARE:

Planned Parenthood Delaware Endorsements


HAWAII:

Planned Parenthood Hawaii

Sierra Club of Hawaii


ALABAMA:

Planned Parenthood Alabama

Alabama AFL-CIO Endorsements