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DCCC Abandoning Tom Perriello?

Sunday, September 5, 2010


If true, this truly sucks.
"We are going to have to win these races one by one," said Representative Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, conceding that the party would ultimately cut loose members who had not gained ground.With the midterm campaign entering its final two months, Democrats acknowledged that several races could quickly move out of their reach, including re-election bids by Representatives Betsy Markey of Colorado, Tom Perriello of Virginia, Mary Jo Kilroy of Ohio and Frank Kratovil Jr. of Maryland, whose districts were among the 55 Democrats won from Republicans in the last two election cycles.
What's so frustrating here is that all of these Democrats - Markey, Perriello, Kilroy, Kratovil - voted "yes" on theAmerican Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES), and two - Perriello and Kilroy - voted "yes" on the Affordable Health Care for America Act. Yet these are the candidates the DCCC is talking about ditching? Lame.So, a few questions for the DCCC: 1) Are the polls on these representatives' races really worse than those for Glenn Nye and other supposed "Democrats" who voted "nay" on both ACES and health care reform?; 2) More broadly, shouldn't you be rewarding Democrats who took tough/courageous votes for Democratic Party priorities and not rewarding those who decided, as Monty Python might say, to "run away!?!"; 3) Should you really be spending the money that we give you on candidates who go around bashing their own party, its ideals, and its leadership?
Yes, I understand that this is politics, and that it can be ruthlessly Machiavellian. But seriously, DCCC, do you really expect activists to give you money and support when you do @#$@ like this? Just sayin'.
UPDATE: The DCCC has issued a statement (see after the "flip"), essentially denying the New York Times story. I guess time will tell...
UPDATE #2Paul Goldman weighs in with some interesting thoughts on all this.