“Why are the voters hungry for progressive change? It’s because of the economic war that the Cheney-Bush regime is waging against ordinary working families–too often with the help of docile Democrats. Just look at the shift in wealth that is going on in this country today. The richest hedge-fund managers, who rake in billions of dollars, pay a lower rate of tax than Americans making less than $20,000.00 a year. We need fair taxes, and that’s what I’m fighting for, alongside PDA.
“The voters are hungry for progressive change because our children and grandchildren are going to have to pick up the tab for Bush’s billion-dollar-a-week war in Iraq. That’s money we should be spending on our schools, on public safety, and on combating global warming. And, sadly, it’s money that Democrats in Congress are diverting towards Bush and Cheney’s corporate cronies. Instead of pouring public money into the pockets of Halliburton and Blackwater, we should be investing in locally-owned renewable energy. A safe, sustainable energy supply is something else I’m fighting for shoulder to shoulder with PDA.
“Like you, I am looking forward to progressive change. If I win the Democratic primary and the subsequent general election, you can count on me to file a Senate counterpart to the National Health Insurance Act (HR 676) that Representative John Conyers has sponsored in the House. By the time of my swearing-in, there will be a new president–a Democrat, I hope. So my only regret is that I will not be able to vote for the removal of Cheney and Bush from office subsequent to their impeachment. In my opinion, they should face an investigation for war crimes and lying to the American people on hundreds of occasions.
“From the North and South Shores to the Berkshires I have met with active, vibrant PDA chapters. These encounters with grassroots leaders confirm my belief that when Democrats are forthright and fearless–when we stand up and fight for what we believe in–we can win! When we demand healthcare for all, an end to the war in Iraq, fair taxes, and the impeachment of Cheney and Bush, our message resonates.
“By endorsing the Ed O’Reilly campaign PDA is, once again, setting the pace of change. I am honored by this endorsement and proud to be a part of the progressive Democratic movement.”
This is, no doubt, timed to coincide with tomorrow’s Democratic caucuses where delegates will be chosen to the Democratic State Convention.
As a longtime supporter of Jim Mcgovern, I thought it was misleading to include a reference to him in the PDA endorsement when he himself has not endorsed, has he?
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p>Press Release Issued Today: PDA ENDORSEMENT
DATE: 1 February 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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p>Progressive Democrats of America Endorses Ed O’Reilly
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p>Massachusetts Democrat Ed O’Reilly has won the backing of Progressive Democrats of America. The nationwide organization has a board that boasts several members of Congress, including Jim McGovern of Massachusetts. PDA credits the grassroots nature of O’Reilly’s campaign with earning the endorsement of its Massachusetts chapters.
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p>
has NOT endorsed Mr. O’Reilly.
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p>Geez, you know, a lot people aren’t particularly happy with Kerry’s personality, but his voting record, aside from the initial Iraq war vote, is just fine.
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p>I want more in a senator than a man whose only relevant experience is his stint as a selectman in the city of Gloucester.
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p>Sorry, not impressed. I’m sticking with Kerry.
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p>
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p>It seems like an accurate assessment of John Kerry’s penchant for changing his mind when he sees he’s being left behind.
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p>Check out the Points of Difference chart on Ed O’Reilly’s website: It shows how Ed and the MA Dem Party are on the same side and Kerry on the opposite side of the major issues. John Kerry is not a MA Democrat.
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p>BTW, the issues chart is backed up by direct quotations and linked original sources.
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p>The “experience” thing is being played like a mantra in the presidential primaries; but it seems there are different definitions of “relevant.” I’m working with Ed O’Reilly because he is a strong progressive and not afraid to stand up for Democratic principles. He’s not preening for the national polls.
I’m a town committee chair, I have had Ed’s personal messages on my home phone.
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p>In fact, Jim McGovern happened to be at my town committee meeting the day Mr. O’Reilly came to make his pitch.
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p>It wasn’t pretty. I DO want more. I demand more. Mr. O’Reilly should be running for state senator not U.S. senator. He seems like a decent enough guy, but how about a little experience at the state (let alone municipal) level first?
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p>I don’t cotton to folks who want to start at the top. Ralph Nader is a good case in point.
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p>Not buying.
I wrote a bit about it in this post. The claims about fair taxes and local renewable energy aren’t truthful in any broad picture sense.
… and the reference to that fact is part of PDA’s press release and endorsement statement. My post is a verbatim excerpt from that statement.
Ed O’Reilly has zeroed in on key issues that can help turn the U.S. from our current plutocracy back to a vibrant democracy with a solid middle class, and a future on this Earth.
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p>Ed is committed to:
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p> * Halting the U.S. occupation of Iraq. This will end the billion-dollar-per-week drain on the U.S. economy; halt the breaking of the U.S. military; save countless lives; and help to restore U.S. standing in the world.
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p> * Single-payer, non-profit health care for all. This will allow us to choose our own doctors; save billions in insurance company overhead & profits; end bankruptcy due to medical bills; and make U.S. business more competitive internationally.
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p> * Locally-owned, non-polluting, renewable energy. This will revitalize our local economies; wean us from oil (including costly foreign invasions to secure it); and help to reverse global warming.
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p>This is the comprehensive thinking of someone I want in the U.S. Senate.
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p>There’s the additional, and independent, consideration that Senator John Kerry is vulnerable. Ed O’Reilly’s candidacy may also be our best chance of ensuring that the junior Mass. Senator is still a Democrat.
It’s not at all clear that the differences between O’Reilly and Kerry on any of this is significant.
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p>What is clear to me though is that O’Reilly makes no sense. We’ve heard his campaign tell us
This is simply incoherent. One turns the tide in our Congress by putting pressure on Republicans and wishy-washy Democrats. One doesn’t turn the tide in Congress by touring Massachusetts. One does not pressure Senator Coleman by visiting Dracut or get Senator Feinstein to change her vote from a suburb of Pittsfield.
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p>The second way O’Reilly is inconsistent is that we’re always hearing about how he’s going to exert leadership. But apparently it is an extremely modest and silent kind of leadership because, each time Kerry appears on the T.V., the O’Reilly folks tell us Kerry is busy trying to attract attention to himself. I don’t get it. How does one change the course of debate without media appearances and speeches?
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p>The third way O’Reilly has been inconsistent is that we hear all sorts of accusations about how Kerry is not a team player. O’Reilly, though, wants him to do stuff contrary to the caucus leadership in the Senate. So Kerry is supposed to be a team player and buck the caucus. Which is it? Does it matter to them as long it sounds negative about Kerry?
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p>I pass in disgusted silence over O’Reilly’s swiftboat comments.
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p>Finally, O’Reilly has been just plain dishonest about Kerry’s absence for the previous FISA vote. It was a lopsided vote and Kerry missed it honoring a prior engagement. We heard from O’Reillyites that if Kerry had stayed, he could have led a filibuster.
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p>That argument assumes that every vote against the FISA bill would have also been a vote against cloture, i.e., to sustain a filibuster. However, anyone who understands the Senate — particularly Senate Democrats not from Massachusetts — knows that that simply isn’t the case. Plenty of Democrats vote “no” but are not willing to filibuster to enforce their “no”. Counting votes, by the way, is an important skill in a legislator.
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p>So it was a misleading argument and one O’Reilly has hammered over and over despite correction.
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p>Another name for that is lying.
Is Kerry the best we can do?
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p>No, I didn’t think so.
Do you care to answer, other than by downrating and clever one liners, anything I’ve asserted? You’re usually more well-reasoned, Leonidas.
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p>If one takes a broader view, the problem is to improve the Senate. Bottling Kerry — with his campaigning and fundraising ability — up in Massachusetts when he could be helping to defeat Collins, Coleman, and McConnell makes zero sense for progressive causes. Further, if you want to worry about primary challenges, consider supporting Mark Pera or Donna Edwards. Those challenges could make a big difference.
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p>Perhaps it simply feels good to vote for a Purity Troll.
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p>Talking about the consequences of doing so just spoils all that darned feel-good fun.
“wishy-washy” was a key adjective used to describe Kerry during the 04 election
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p>Anyway, your statement that there are no clear differences between Kerry and O’Reilly on major issues is laughable.
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p>You can do your own homework- start here:
http://www.edoreilly.com/where…
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p>More on Ed’s positions:
http://pdamerica.org/misc/OR.pdf
I’ve already “done my homework”.
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p>The differences are immaterial. O’Reilly is not running for President. He’s not running for Senate. He’s running for Senator. The differences he and his campaign make such a big fuss about simply don’t matter and they pale in comparison to the differences between Allen and Collins or between Franken and Coleman.
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p>Have you done your homework yet?
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p>Apparently not.
John Kerry’s office staff is terrible. They are rude and arrogant – and I’ve never been able to figure out why – and this goes back well before his run for presidency. I’ve been in his DC office nearly every year for the last 12 years on disability issues, Medicaid, etc. and have been repulsed by the lack of responsiveness and enthusiasm for anything that isn’t a veteran’s issue. They really do defer (and refer) to Senator Kennedy on just about very other issue.
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p>So – I think I can take my chances on a new guy. Right now, we have one senator for the price of two.
John Kerry’s aloof style of governing is irritating. He’s never internalized Tip O’Neill’s maxim about politics being local and has depended on Ted Kennedy’s stellar operation way too much. Every time I see that Kerry is appearing in any place near my town I think, oh, he must be up for election again.
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p>I doubt O’Reilly will win in the primary, but if Kerry expects to win in November, he needs to be shaken up a bit. If the Republicans nominate Ogonowski, Kerry is going to be facing a tough race. So, the clue phone, in the form of a large number of votes for O’Reilly, needs to ring next Tuesday. Make that ring very loudly. Mr. Kerry has a tin ear when it comes to hearing the clue phone.
His greatest qualification is that his name is not John Kerry and he actually cares about the people of Massachusetts. Kerry was a mediocre Senator and a lukewarm candidate and I for one am sick of him and his lackluster leadership.
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p>Ed O’Reilly seems like a reasonable man and while he and Kerry are close on the issues Kerry ran away from those positions while running for President to appear more moderate. He ran as a war hawk, he did not advocate for single payer, and he ran away from his support for gays and abortion rights. Ed O’Reilly seems like a guy who will not run away when the going gets tough and to stick to his progressive stances. Kerry looks like a progressive again simply because he lost and can afford to be a liberal again. Also he has not delivered on any of his promises, he voted against Kyoto in spite of his concern for global warming, voted for the war, continues to vote for funding, votes against universal healthcare, etc.
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p>Ed O’Reilly also comes here personally to defend himself while Kerry sends surrogates, and I am sure as Senator he would be much easier to reach. Kennedy is just as busy, if not more busy than Kerry, but his office actually sends back letters to me after I write them, actually emails me, and is just in general a lot better at delivering constituent services than Kerrys office which is incredibly understaffed in Boston and unresponsive in both DC and Boston. I think O’Reilly would be more than willing to be accessible both to the blogosphere and to his constituents.
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p>Also questioning his experience is kind of silly since ADAs and Lt. Govs dont do much either and thats the only experience Kerry had before running. Not to mention its unlikely Reilly will actually become our nominee so might as well voice a protest vote no harm done.