The PDM Half Dozen are the 6 candidates endorsed by PDM in important legislative races where your financial and volunteer support can make a real difference-and 5 of those races may be decided on Primary Day! Our work and donations will matter in these campaigns and we urge you to get involved.
Carl Sciortino (34th Middlesex – Somerville, Medford) – Carl was one of the original PDM Half Dozen in 2004. Although he’s the incumbent and responsible for much progressive legislation, he is running a sticker campaign. His challenger is a longtime Somerville alderman. Carl needs our help, especially on Primary Day. http://www.electcarl.org/ 617-628-2008
Astrid af Klinteberg (5th Essex – Gloucester, Rockport, Essex) Astrid was a founder of PDM, and she is in a three-way contest against a DINO incumbent and an extremely well-funded challenger who was a Republican until just before this race. http://www.voteastrid.com/ 978-884-6851
Ken Donnelly (4th Middlesex-Arlington, Lexington, Woburn, Burlington, Billerica) is seeking to fill Jim Marzilli’s former Senate seat and facing a tough primary contest. Donnelly is more consistently and outspokenly progressive than his opponent and has a strong proven track record working complex issues on Beacon Hill for firefighters union. http://donnellyforsenate.com/ 781-648-2008
Jim O’Donnell (22d Middlesex – Billerica) is running against a conservative Democrat incumbent. This is a chance to support a candidate who leans progressive and would represent real change for Billerica. http://voteforodonnell.com/ 978-663-9965
Doug Belanger (2d Worcester – half of Worcester and suburbs) Primary race against a more conservative candidate and general election contest to fill the Senate seat vacated by a strong progressive, Ed Augustus. http://www.belangerforsenate.com/ 508-797-Doug (3684)
Crossposted from the new (but still being renovated) FrederickClarkson.com
On a related note, the Progressive Democrats of America, Massachusetts Chapter has also endorsed Ed O’Reilly in the Senate race.
Related, but not as related as the name may seem: PDA is a national group that was founded by the remains of the Kucinich campaign after he ended his presidential run just before the 2004 Democratic National Convention. PDM was founded two years earlier, in Massachusetts, by people from the Reich for Governor campaign, with a state goal of electing a progressive governor. There’s overlap between the two, but despite the similarity in name, these two organizations come from different backgrounds.
trying to elect progressive Dems. It’s definitely related subject matter.
why don’t you explain your “worthless” ratings to me? That seems to be a biased rating.
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p>I said that they are both groups in Mass trying to elect progressive Dems and that it’s related subject matter. Is there anything false about that? No there isn’t.
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p>As Cos stated, these groups were created a couple years apart and there is definitely overlap between the two in that they’re trying to elect progressives in Massachusetts. They were founded in the first place for their own reasons, but they seem to have similar end goals.
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p>Don’t down rate my comment simply because you don’t like the subject of PDA’s endorsement. The Progressive Dems of America, Massachusetts Chapter endorsed Ed O’Reilly because he’s much more progressive and in line with the Democratic Party Platform than Kerry is.
The similarity of the names within the same post makes it appear that PDM, of which I am a member, is somehow aligned with PDA and the O’Reilly endorsement. Sort of a product placement issue for me.
as even Cos states right up above. These are 2 organizations within Massachusetts trying to get progressive Dems elected. I’m not sure how much more related it could get!? I really think you simply had a problem with their endorsement of Ed O’Reilly and took that out on me.
As to the PDA, the O’Reilly endorsement simply makes me a liberal Democrat who first went door to door canvasing for McGovern, completely unwilling to ever donate to the organization. They will need to be very good for a very long time to change that impression.
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p>Others will disagree, but that is where I am – and what I will say to anyone asking my opinion. In my opinion, given the alternative of a 4 term Senator who can (and has before) move the Senate towards progressive goals and a person who thought the school board chairmanship was too much work and who has never been known as a progressive advocate on any cause, they made the choice based on the latter saying what they wanted to hear.
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p>I am not saying they do not have the right to do so, but I won’t be there with them ever – and I have swayed other progressive friends in their opinion.
…anyone who ever comes out against Kerry is on your eternal sh*t list? Way to build the party…
I can give to the DNC, the DSCC, or the DCCC – all official party organizations doing this. I can contribute to Kerry’s or Feingold’s leadship PACs, both have done excellent jobs supporting great candidates – many in districts where the DCCC doesn’t because they are less promising. I can give to the state pasrty. I can give to 21th Century Demcrats …….
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p>What I am saying is the IN MY OPINION, the decision process was lacking here. You have your opinion, I have mind – and in my opinion this showed so little judgment, that as I said I would have to see considerable good over a long time period before I ever trusted them enough to contribute.
I disagree with them on that endorsement, but on balance I think they tend to endorse some of the best candidates for Massachusetts legislature over and over again, and I will always consider their endorsement.
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p>I’ve been on the opposite side from MassEquality several times too, but those disagreements don’t keep me from being a strong supporter of both their goals and most of their candidates.
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p>Sometimes there are differences of opinion within the progressive movement that aren’t worth splintering permanently over.