Tweet
During Netroots Nation, FDL had a chance to talk with Mac D’Alessandro, a former SEIU New England political director who is now running a primary challenge to Stephen Lynch in Massachusetts’ 9th Congressional District. Mac described himself as a potential organizer inside Congress. He would join the Progressive Caucus, vote against war funding, support public financing of elections and breaking up the big banks. He also listed his number one priority in Congress as ending corporate personhood. While as just one member of Congress he’s unlikely to reach these goals, he responded, “that’s one more than Stephen Lynch. At least I’ll try to lead on these issues.”
Lynch, who voted against health care (claiming to have voted against it from the left), for the PATRIOT Act and the Iraq War, expects to win this race handily. But it’s notable that he has brought in Bill Clinton for a fundraiser for him, taking place tomorrow. As D’Alessandro notes in a letter to FDL, “This echoes Clinton swooping in to save Blanche Lincoln in the run-off against Bill Halter.”
The Clinton fundraiser for Lynch, which will add to his $1.3 million dollar war chest, comes at a time when he just voted to fund $37 billion – all of it unpaid for – to wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. D’Alessandro released this statement:
“While teachers are being laid off in Brockton, storefronts are empty from Needham to Dorchester, and so many people are still struggling to find work, I am disappointed that Stephen Lynch yet again voted with Republicans to commit another $37 billion to the war in Afghanistan. This money would have been better invested here at home, in communities like those in the 9th district. Our troops in Afghanistan – and Iraq – have performed admirably and done all we have asked of them. We must honor them now by bringing them home as safely and as quickly as possible.”
The labor movement and progressives have had few opportunities to hold members of Congress accountable for their votes, and D’Alessandro represents one of them.
The Massachusetts primary is September 14.
7 Comments
Clinton should fund raise after the primary for the winner.
Let’s get the PCCC on this to get Clinton to fund raise for Mac instead of Lynch – when MAC beats Lynch and become shte choice of the people.
WTF! Why is Clinton being such a dick? I expect this shyte from Rahm and even Obama but not Clinton.
The better question is, what’s in it for Clinton?
Where do you think Rahm and Obama learned it?
Little Stevie Lynch calling in Bill? He’s running scared.
Is Clinton trying to rehabilitate his reputation with Teabaggers?
Clinton is swine , always has been. He’s BV$H’s butt buddy. Cannot stand the man.
No this is the DNC being themselves, they don’t want anybody to left of them because they are actually Conserva-Dems or what a generation ago was Moderate Republicans (Country Club Republicans). To prevent any pressure from the Left, they want to prevent anybody else from coming into Congress that will pull it Left.
This is why I say and agree with anybody that says the debate has been pushed so far right that, that every fight starts from the right side of the debate. This is how Washington views America and fears Independent voters.
So Clinton being a card-carrying member of the DNC will put their weight behind any other Conserva-Dem rather than a Lefty because he/she is more likely to get elected and won’t fight the WH on key policy issues.
This is why the WH is so upset they can’t get any traction in the polls for all their “victories”. We are prevented them from taking their victory lap for watered down reform.
I hope turnout is strong, we need to send a strong message to the Tea Party that moving further right will not be tolerated.
Great points. The only quibble is that Lynch was a stubborn roadblock for health care, the only MA congressman to vote no in March, and now lying about it being a vote from the left. Trust me it wasn’t. He was jeered at a rally in Boston for not supporting the public option.