It was announced today that former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle has endorsed Gabrielle Giffords in her run to represent Arizona Congressional District 8 in Congress.In a press release announcing his endorsement Daschle said:
"As someone who was elected as a progressive from a fairly conservative state, I know what it takes to win over moderate and conservative voters," said Sen. Daschle. "Voters want someone who will help to reform our health care system, fix our broken political system, and find solutions to such long-term problems as social security and our dependence on foreign oil. Gabrielle Giffords has the right priorities to represent the people in Arizona's 8th Congressional District."
31 comments:
I hope she endorses single-payer--that's the only "real" possibility for healthcare reform.
Karen...
I hope so,too. Of course if she she does, the Insurance industry will be down on her like a duck on a junebug.
This is great news for Gabby. At least I think it is but I guess it could backfire depending on the perceptions of Daschle. I like him personally.
I wish Giffords and the other politicians would realize that we aren't a 'moderate' or 'conservative' state. No one seems to actually talk to the voters or check the voting rolls.
10 counties in Arizona are Blue (3 of them very blue)
2 counties are neutral (not enough variance to declare blue or red)
3 are red
The problem is the two counties that are red are so red that it impacts the entire state and Maricopa costs us 200,000 right there. Without Maricopa we would be 100,000 in the lead.
Kolbe didn't win because he was a centrist. He wasn't on most issues. He won because the Democrats never put up enough of a battle and once Kolbe had name recognition voters just did the knee jerk voting. Past polling of the 20,000 Democrats that kept voting for Kolbe each election showed they didn't vote for him because he was a centrist on the issues, they voted for him because they were the most uninformed electorate and recognized his name so he got the vote.
Hopefully Giffords will pick up on that and strategize appropriately and not keep moving to the center on her issues and lose her own party supporters. Of course, Latas and Weiss will pick up the democrats if she does. She has to win the primary before she can get the general.
Reich isn't someone who I would call a progressive or even a good Democrat but he did some good things in his time. It's past. Daschle I think got a raw deal and tried to do things without support from his own party. Giffords will get a lot more endorsements from established Democrats. Whether that will mean anything besides more money for her waits to be seen. It sure didn't help Howard Dean. He had a grocery list of major endorsements and got clobbered because a much worse candidate out strategized him. You know the rest. Impeach Bush.
Too bad for the rest of us citizens in CD8. I'd like to have the out-of-towners stay home and let us decide this race. They must think that the competition is pretty tough and need to clear the field early. It is disappointing to me, just an ordinary voter, that our voice has been squashed.
Gabby isn't going to be any different than any other representative. She wasn't willing to take a tough stand on the AZ version of the Patriot Act, why will she take a tough stand on health care or anything else?
I'm underwhelmed and disappointed. Sure I'll vote for her, it's any ABG vote (anybody but Graf) but she's not going to help change things.
Roger, I would fall into that category that you think moving to the middle attracts. I am telling you that is the mistake all Democrats make. No offense, but you don't get us.
What I think the other poster is saying about Giffords is based on things that came out of her mouth saying she wanted to run a "Kolbe platform", praising him, and her responses in the forums. She seems to not get the political landscape but is running the campaign like they did 3 years ago. A lot has changed. Progressives have more power and republicans and independents are realizing they are more progressive than right wing.
I have mostly Republican and centrist Democrat friends who agree with me on most of my major progressive issues, it is that they just didn't REALIZE they agreed because we let the right-wing republicans frame the message.
Giffords is making the age-old Democrat mistake of letting the Republicans determine the field when she should be determining it. I think her campaign hasn't done a good analysis either of the motivations of the independent and moderate republican voters. Moving to the middle on republican-lite issues isn't what gets their votes. If the Dems haven't learned that after 30 years of losses they never will. Howard Dean was/is right and he had a tremendous amount of Republican support in my circles. He has balls. Republicans respect that, even when he says, "I hate Republicans". :)
Gabby's own admission is she wants to play it safe and run a centrist campaign. Her responses to the military questions aren't winning her any points right now with a lot of the military families I talk with. Latas and even Weiss are getting more support because Giffords is seen as pandering instead of providing solutions.
For the record, I am in a military family and I am an independent who has voted Democratic and Republican but basically feel both parties are filled with either fascist dictators or sellout, wishy-washy losers who lack conviction. I will vote Democratic regardless of who it is for the CD8 race (unless a better independent comes along).
I like Giffords quite a bit, good voting record that she should promote more as others here have said. My complaint is in her lack of risk taking and strategy. I see her as playing too much of the career game where candidates like Latas seem to be connecting better on a human level and not afraid to say what they think. Latas comes across with conviction and he is very personable too. If I voted today, I would vote Latas but I am not committing quite yet. Giffords has a very good voting record, but if you look at the bills she sponsored, she never particularly did anything risky like say a Ted Downing. She should talk about her past record then add how in the future she would propose XYZ to show an even more aggressive stance. It could be argued her prior lack of risk taking was to appease the Republican legislators, but aren't we all just sick of appeasement? I want change.
In the November election, that was a big advantage Kolbe had. I admit, I voted for Kolbe several times because he seemed like a good guy, personable, had conviction and I didn't have time to research what he was really about. Most of the anti-gay voters didn't even know he was gay, which tells you something about how much more effective Republicans are at campaigns versus Democrats.
I was part of the idiot electorate with the Democrats who voted for Kolbe. Now I am trying to redeem myself. :)
Roger, your last post was really condescending. Blue in AZ and others do get it. I think you are disillusioned with Giffords and need to actually listen to what comes out of her mouth and not what you want it to be. This isn’t rumor or innuendo or some far out guessing game. A friend of mine has more than one of her quotes on tape. She is running as a centrist and she legislated like one too. Did it ever occur to you that some of us ‘get it’ more than you do? How many times have Democrats won the CD8 race or any others? Yeah, I thought so.
Gabby didn't have any experience when she ran for the House either. Weiss has a great deal of community volunteer and leadership experience...a true public servant. Gabby didn't before she got into politics. Gabby lead a pretty pampered life and got where she is through networking and connections, not hard work. Her campaign is the same thing. Latas is working his butt off. I do think she has done a relatively good job in the Senate, but don't talk about earning it because she certainly didn't.
Google her history going back at least 10 years if you want to play that game. Weiss is poised in front of the cameras, can talk about complex issues and provide tangible solutions. Jeff has military experience and more importantly, he really gets it. He keeps getting better and better. I wish I had been to whatever DGT is because I would have loved to see Jeff again. I really like his wife too. She is a smart cookie.
As far as earning it, let's be real. Gabby worked a summer at Price Waterhouse. She had no other work experience. Tell me of any other woman who could become CEO after 4 months of changing tires and sales unless it was by their own father. She didn't exactly earn her spot in politics when she started out so it is a double standard to apply that to Weiss or Latas.
I don't dislike Giffords, I don’t love her either. I just think Latas or Weiss would do much better in the general than Giffords. I can't say enough good things about Latas and Weiss is getting stronger and stronger for being the new kid on the block. She isn't afraid to take risks, much like Latas. I wish this were like the presidency and have a Latas-Weiss or Weiss-Latas ticket. Too bad I can only choose one.
cc burro and az blue, are you going to the house party for jeff coming up? I heard about a couple but I would love to know where they all are. I try to see him as much as possible. Hopefully Salette will start posting them on the site or emailing us.
Comments on "Anonymous"
"Too bad for the rest of us citizens in CD8. I'd like to have the out-of-towners stay home and let us decide this race."
But local voters willdecide the race. I don't think Weiss and Latas supporters will refuse endorsements...assuming they get them.
"They must think that the competition is pretty tough and need to clear the field early. It is disappointing to me, just an ordinary voter, that our voice has been squashed."
How has it quashed your voice? You still plan to vote, don't you? And even though I have asked folks who comment on this blog to identify themselves I haven't blocked anonymous posters. You have a voice on The Data Point.
Sounds like the only attacks are on you, Kralmajales. I think they are warranted. You seem to have wool over your eyes.
I don't think there is much desperation, but I do sense some concern that your candidate isn't standing up has tall in this field of competition. Money isn't everything, so don't give me that BS about who has the most. Remember, once the word goes out about this race, and it will, the real investigators will dig deep to see who is winnable, who is "Rove proof"? With the Union deal and Basha, Carl has a lot to work with considering what Dems think is a strong message about corrupt repugs, career politicians and swaying to money. Unfortunately, Gabby is reeking right now in her roll in doe. No attack here, just pointing out what the repugs see.
I know a few party hardy repugs. They want Gabby to win right now. They have a lot to work with. They feel Latas would be tough to beat, tougher than Patty, too.
Rove also has already said he is going after weak national security back ground. Gabby has changed her opinion on Iraq between Patagonia and the Tucson DFA forums. It's on tape. She will be painted now as "cut and run" and not standing up to the enemy. Not an attack, fact of what is coming down.
We need to really consider those skeletons in the closet. There are many other things that I can think of here. Repug turn Dem, pro-business (code for tax cuts and supporting elite). I’m not convinced Gabby will win, quite the opposite. We don’t need Graf and a Giffords/Graf race isn’t very reassuring. I would be much more comfortable with a Latas/Graf race.
I think you should quit smoking your “Elected Office Experience” crack pipe. Side by side, most of the candidates have life experiences that amount much more than just office holding.
Where are the actual people of congressional district 8 who are endorsing Gabby?
I see some folks, but mostly big money donors and political dynasty names from the upper class bipartisans that take no chances and support both (wealthy) sides.
Tom Daschle's endorsement, and Robert Reich's trip come straight from a DLC rolodex. Lots of image and stardust, but little to comfort the little people of CD8.
Better than her flightsuit picture though!
Where were Tom Daschle and Robert Reich when it came to stopping NAFTA and the WTO.
Gabby was on board for business. Were they? You bet! And so was the DLC!
It seems that Gabby is bringing in a lot of favors to get some much needed name recognition.
She's a great player among the corporate class, but she is unknown outside of two party system.
She needs to get her image together, sooner rather than later.
She comes off as an elitist, in her words 'pro-business democrat.'
I don't see anyone on her endorsement list who is on Medicare or depends on Social Security.
I doubt that people on Medicare or Social Security know Gabby or even care about her campaign. These are the flyover people of CD8.
She is over their heads, and her message will resonate with donors long before it filters to the low income voters.
Dear Anonymouse
The "long list of actual local supporters" is available on the Giffords for Congress website: http://www.giffordsforcongress.com/
Incidentally, please continue burying your critiques down here at the end of this long line of comments. Wouldn't want you to waste your time actually working effectively for someone.
'gards,
Art
This is the real endorsement list:
http://tinyurl.com/mrz2j
We need public campaign contributions, rather than money magnet campaigns.
It would be great to see what investments Gabby has, as she is well informed and capable. No better place for insider trading than in Congress.
The last comment sounds like it is from a candidate or campaign worker that can't get any support or contributions. Maybe the writing is on the wall. Time to call it quits?
Too bad Daschle is a has been and lost in 2004 to a small time candidate. You would think being Senate Minority Leader, you would be able to retain your seat. He couldnt even win his own race, how does he or Gabby think his endorsement will mean anything in Southern Arizona?
Looks like only lazy reporters and political hacks read these blogs and comments.
Nothing new here. Best move on.
When Gabby brings out her polls showing her popularity, then we'll see how competitive this race really is.
Raul Grijalva calls her capable and familiar. Can that be translated into a message that better defines her? This pro-business democrat image is poisonous because businesses seem to have enough pros representing them in Congress.
Not one candidate running is anti-business, or anti-party. Read their issues.
Only Gabby is self labeled as 'pro-business democrat.'
Gabby calls herself a centrist or moderate, and she runs from the liberal or progressive orientation that most of the base votes for.
Pro business? You bet! Not pro international mega-corps, not in favor of corporate domination of the Congress.
She is, understandably, pro small business, the kind of family operations that provide most of the jobs in Tucson.
If Latas and Weiss want to run against those, they can kiss the general goodbye.
Get a grip.
Gabby is a small 'pro-business democrat' then. None of her FEC donors look small, but they are all 'pro-business' at the expense of the voters.
Not even CD8 republicans are 'pro-business' conservatives. They are more like 'not in my backyard' conservatives, and they dislike losing sovereignty to global corporatism.
Will she support small businesses over the environment, healthcare, and clean elections?
Probably.
I'm less 'worried' about outsiders winning than insiders losing.
Gabby is a very smart lady with a dumbed down message that hasn't gotten her traction, but lots of heat.
The impression I'm making is that Gabby better improve, or she will definitely lose to an outsider with a clearer message to the voters, not the donors.
Read her website, and then try to find her voting record.
Gabby and I would still be buddies if she was a little smarter about where she is coming from and where she is going.
Bobbie Kennedy was the meanest son of a bitch in the political world... until his brother got assassinated. This impacted him, and he became a warrior for the people rather than merely the upper class. You can be rich and put people before profits, but you end up less wealthy and more humane.
Since Gabby is running to the right of everyone but Randy Graf, she hopes to appeal to independents and the republicans. She is misreading the demographics and CD8.
She has defined herself as a 'pro-business democrat', which is an awful way of saying you're pro business, and thats the most important aspect of her image.
If this is to reassure everyone that she's not a republican proxy sucking the dollars into an ambivalent image that few CD8 people off the Internet can even relate to... then I'm not onboard for her yet.
Well said, Roger. But it is later than you think.
Show me a poll that shows broad support, and I'll say Gabby has broad support.
Her website gives her an upper class image of having the free time to pursue politics, rather than a career, hence the 'professional politician' moniker.
I've made money supporting many 'pro-business democrats' and they were all disappointing, whether in victory or defeat.
Try calling Raul Grijalva a 'pro-business democrat' and make me laugh. Raul is very good with business men and women, but he is not running from his roots.
Gabby has no roots dealing with either tragedy, poverty, or defeat.
Hubris? Catharthis?
She insists on blurring clear positions, much like her seat belt law that would have given more probable cause to police, allowing them to intrusively pull over anyone deemed not wearing a seat belt.
She called it a safety issue. It was a way of criminalizing seat belt scofflaws, and giving cops more power.
This is one of her showcase issues.
This is her liberal side.
I wish universal healthcare for EVERYONE was.
I know people who have been dropped from her rolodex when they were no longer useful. Many of these folks have gone to the other candidates and they tend to be lower on the income food chain than her golden list of social contacts.
I wish this was not true, and that she made friends faster than enemies. We shall know the truth, when we see some decent polls of the district.
Where do you find a complete voting record for Gabby?
Not on her website.
This is Art's pot that is being stirred, and his family works for Gabby on a professional level.
This site promotes Gabby and no other candidate.
Notice the groundswell of average voters coming to her aid.
Roger has all the Republican talking points denigrating liberals, progressives, and leftists.
Which one of these best describes the candidates?
Remember, conservatives have opposed abolition of slavery, separation of church and state, civil equality, human rights, universal healthcare, collective bargaining, public education, and progressive taxation.
Which candidate(s) best fit these definitions?
lib·er·al
adj.
1.
1. Not limited to or by established, traditional, orthodox, or authoritarian attitudes, views, or dogmas; free from bigotry.
2. Favoring proposals for reform, open to new ideas for progress, and tolerant of the ideas and behavior of others; broad-minded.
3. Of, relating to, or characteristic of liberalism.
4. Liberal Of, designating, or characteristic of a political party founded on or associated with principles of social and political liberalism, especially in Great Britain, Canada, and the United States.
2.
1. Tending to give freely; generous: a liberal benefactor.
2. Generous in amount; ample: a liberal serving of potatoes.
3. Not strict or literal; loose or approximate: a liberal translation.
4. Of, relating to, or based on the traditional arts and sciences of a college or university curriculum: a liberal education.
5.
1. Archaic. Permissible or appropriate for a person of free birth; befitting a lady or gentleman.
2. Obsolete. Morally unrestrained; licentious.
pro·gres·sive
adj.
1. Moving forward; advancing.
2. Proceeding in steps; continuing steadily by increments: progressive change.
3. Promoting or favoring progress toward better conditions or new policies, ideas, or methods: a progressive politician; progressive business leadership.
4. Progressive Of or relating to a Progressive Party: the Progressive platform of 1924.
5. Of or relating to progressive education: a progressive school.
6. Increasing in rate as the taxable amount increases: a progressive income tax.
7. Pathology. Tending to become more severe or wider in scope: progressive paralysis.
8. Grammar. Designating a verb form that expresses an action or condition in progress.
n.
1. A person who actively favors or strives for progress toward better conditions, as in society or government.
2. Progressive A member or supporter of a Progressive Party.
3. Grammar. A progressive verb form.
pro·gressive·ly adv.
con·ser·va·tive
adj.
1. Favoring traditional views and values; tending to oppose change.
2. Traditional or restrained in style: a conservative dark suit.
3. Moderate; cautious: a conservative estimate.
4.
1. Of or relating to the political philosophy of conservatism.
2. Belonging to a conservative party, group, or movement.
5. Conservative Of or belonging to the Conservative Party in the United Kingdom or the Progressive Conservative Party in Canada.
6. Conservative Of or adhering to Conservative Judaism.
7. Tending to conserve; preservative: the conservative use of natural resources.
n.
1. One favoring traditional views and values.
2. A supporter of political conservatism.
3. Conservative A member or supporter of the Conservative Party in the United Kingdom or the Progressive Conservative Party in Canada.
4. Archaic. A preservative agent or principle.
"First, by far left I meant progressive voters or the most liberal members of the Democratic party...not communists...and I do not wish a new "red scare" (smile)."
It seems this site caters to 'pro-business' reactionaries, transactional democrats, professional politicians, and white folks that vote against liberty and equality.
If being far left means being a progressive voter, or a liberal voter, then I guess we are all communists now. When we vote for universal healthcare, progressive taxation, education for everyone, we are on the far left!
White folks are quite comfortable with everything associated with fascism, except the word 'fascism'.
Roger is neither progressive, liberal, nor rational.
He needs a leader to follow, and Gabby fits his needs.
Trashing liberal voters, progressive voters and the 'far left' are straight 100 proof Republican talking points.
Equivocating on the morality of war crimes is bipartisan.
Doing the right thing is what we need here.
We need single payer health insurance.
We need to apologize to Iraq, not to occupy them.
We need fair trade, not free trade.
We need clean public financed elections for Congress and the President.
We need to tax the wealthy and care for the poor and the sick.
We need more peacemakers, not more breaks for businesses.
These are mostly christian talking points, but I'm okay with them, even though I'm a lefty that believes in building a better America, instead of a contrived Apocalypse.
The Democrats and the Republicans need to learn that "blessed are the peacemakers," and the poor are also children of God.
I wish the Gabby image committee would include these points on her website, and in her POV.
As if.
Karl Rove has never been an advocate for the poor, the sick, the war victims, equal rights, freedom FROM religion, open voting, minorities, peace, education, or the commonality and universality of all humans.
I am no student of any trickster, shyster, or persons intent of deceiving or hiding the truth.
That said, where do you find Gabby's voting record?
What investments guide her?
We should be able to see where the other candidates are regarding their investments and assets too.
You have run on sentences, incomplete sentences, and lots of confusing phrases that do not inform nor defend your points.
I welcome transparency from all candidates, and I read all of their interviews.
I have actually spent more time with Gabby and her crowd than the other candidates, but that could certainly change.
I knew her before her first campaign, back in the day when she worked actively against the Open Spaces Initiative, and for providing a CAP water product that was awful for everyone.
Maybe she is wiser now.
Bring on some emotion, empathy and compassion. That would be better for everyone.
Art-
If Gabby endorses single payer health insurance and the insurance industry goes down on her like a duck on a junebug.... well, it could be a hybrid , could be a snack, could be a reason to vote for Gabby.
If she's really pro-small-business, instead of merely pro-business democrat she will feel the pain that makes us so cruel as a free market society. I know a county employee who had cancer, ran out of HMO charity and was forced to be for donations to continue therapy. County will go unnamed. People without insurance get it worse.
Did El Campo provide health insurance for all or any of their employees?
Workers or management?
Just management.
CC Burro,
A press release yesterday announced this event:
Who: Former Sen. Gabrielle Giffords,
U.S. Rep. Joseph Crowley,D-NY
(Chief Democratic Whip)
What: Hosts a forum on the Medicare
Part D Prescription drug plan.
Where: Lodge on The Desert, Catalina
Room, 306 N. Alvernon Way
When: Saturday, March 25, starting
at 11 a.m
This would be an opportunity to ask her questions directly.
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