Open Left Bush Dog and FISA capitulation supporter Brian Baird is one of the few Bush Dogs still susceptible to a primary challenge this late in the season. Washington's primary is Tuesday August 19.
This morning Brian Baird's primary challenger, progressive community activist Cheryl Crist, was interviewed on Thom Hartmann's radio show. The online poll -- Baird v. Crist -- is getting overwhelmingly favorable results for Crist -- 85% to 15%.
Cast your vote now, and follow me below the fold for more on why Progressives need to unite behind Crist now.
In November we will have our Democratic majorities in Congress, so the game now is Better Democrats.
We're disappointed about FISA, but let's not just complain; let's act. Protecting the Constitution from these FISA assaults requires primary challenges to take out the Bush Dogs in blue and purple districts that would support more progressive representatives.
There are only so many Bush Dogs, and some are in red districts where we can't do better. For others, the primary date has already passed. That leaves just a few leverage points. One of them is WA-03's Brian Baird, the infamous and unrepentant surge supporter, who just this week voted against the Constitution by supporting the FISA compromise and telecom amnesty.
Now that Baird has confirmed his Bush Dog status by voting for telecom immunity, this race is getting a lot more attention. After the jump, what to do and why.
The Representative from Washington's Congressional District # 3 is an alleged member of the Democratic Party who has backed George Bush on matters of critical importance to U.S. citizens in general (and progressives in particular), for examples: 1) support for the occupation of Iraq, and, especially, support for 'the Surge'; 2) approval of the Peru Free-Trade Agreement in late 2007; and 3) an affirmative vote for the construction of 700 miles of fence/wall along the U.S. border with Mexico in 2006.
Consequently, I have been searching for a progressive opponent for Baird in the August primary election. This is the story and result of that search.
(Posted earlier on OpenLeft and DemocracyInVancouver.)
Could you imagine Rep. Brian Baird not being the official nominee of the Democratic party?
That could happen.
Typically, Democrats in Washington don't nominate candidates, in the past we just passed on our person through an open or less than open primary. But, this year, because of a Supreme Court Decision impacting our primary, local Democratic organizations are now voting to nominate candidates.
In each instance, the comments have weighed heavily in favor of adding a dedicated and experienced progressive peace activist to Congress, but wondered whether Cheryl Crist was a "credible" candidate?
What makes a candidate "credible," and does Cheryl Crist measure up? I will propose a counter-intuitive definition.
Bill Foster's victory yesterday in Hastert's red district is a reminder that a Peace Activist like Cheryl Crist could carry a purple district like WA-03 this year -- so the question is, should that happen?
I concluded that Cheryl would be a good congressperson and that WA-03 is not about to turn red. Most of the commenters agreed.
Today we'll look at the next biggest question people raise about the race: Is Brian Baird bad enough to justify the risk and trouble of replacing him, or is he basically a good representative who made one mistake (although it was one whopping huge mistake)?
In a prior diary, I profiled Cheryl Crist, a peace activist who has launched a primary challenge against pro-war Democrat Brian Baird in Washington's third Congressional District. Since then, Baird continues to be dogged by critics in his district angry at his pro-war vote, and Cheryl Crist is getting traction.
As usual, Emmett at Olympia Time puts his finger on the key question:
I'm just saying, defeating Baird in the primary could end up handing the district over.
Might a purple district like WA-03 go red? I went for the facts on this one. Here's what I found...
But only one Democrat has stepped up to the challenge: Cheryl Crist.
I met Cheryl last weekend at Camp Wellstone. Cheryl has people-powered-politics written all over her, and she's a good campaigner. Here's why I think the netroots should seriously consider supporting her (after the fold...)
Recently there have been many articles about Brian Baird, a Democrat from Washington who returned from Iraq to announce that he supported the troop surge.
But there is more to like about Baird!
Apparently he is a firm proponent of the logging industry.
He has supported several bills that would destroy US national forest for the benefit of the industry.
I'm spending most of my free time organizing the upcoming NW Progressive Convention (slated for Tacoma, WA on Nov. 10). I think with all the issues going on in Congress from Iraq, to Iran, health care (or lack thereof for millions of Americans), loss of civil liberties, poor trade agreements and on and on and on, that it would be appropriate to hear from our congressional representatives. Not just another rah-rah session that Bush is bad and the Dems are good, but some quality Q&A (tough questions, bullshit free answers). So then I thought, who'd be there, who should be there, and then who can we count on.
I like the article cause obviously they couldn't find a picture of some handsomer guy and were afraid to put up a picture of Lietta as a mother/grandmother being uppity and rude to a U.S. Congressman.
Rep Brian Baird (Wa.- 3) who had enough good sense to vote against the Iraq War in 2002, but now following a couple of recent trips to Iraq as a VIP guest of the military has become a big supporter of Duhbya's Splurge.
Rep. Baird's war zigzag zings Democrats - Now the Vancouver congressman opposes a quick troop withdrawal, giving aid and comfort to Republicans
Monday, August 27, 2007
Rep. Brian Baird's star is rising rapidly in the Republican Party.
Unfortunately for Baird, he's a Democrat.
Since returning from a trip to the Mideast this month, the Vancouver congressman has been touting the progress he observed in Iraq. Breaking with nearly all other Democratic members of Congress, he says the United States should not immediately withdraw troops from Iraq, vowing to oppose a binding timetable even though he voted for one just last month.
Republicans, including House Minority Leader John Boehner of Ohio, tout Baird's statements as a reason to keep troops in Iraq.
Congressman's Baird's analysis is that things are "changing for the better" in Iraq and I would not presume to suggest that I know more than he.
But I would remind Congressman Baird that he is not a legislator in Iraq, but in the United States. If he cannot keep his fiduciary responsibilities straight, he has to be considered to be the political equivalent of an "enemy combatant".
Crazy, but true, the wingnuts, understandably underwhelmed by their choices thus far, are clamoring for Generalissimo David Petraeus to enter the GOP Primary:
The GOP presidential field seemed complete last night when former senator Fred Thompson finally announced he was jumping into the race. But apparently the right-wing isn’t satisfied with its choices and is hoping that the race may have room for one more candidate — Gen. David Petraeus.
Today, the New York Sun has an editorial entitled "Petraeus for President"...
Well, the man is certainly not averse to inserting himself into the political fray, notably coming out with some very pro-Bush editorializing in the WAPO in the run-up to Dubya's 2004 re-election.
Lieberman and McCain write yet another Op-Ed in the WSJ to defend the White House surge and it must be said that they are quite brilliant in their political approach, with just the right combination of selected facts, fearmongering, low-key demonization of adversaries, sheer bad faith, and bluster.
The way the article is promoted by the WSJ says it all: "Listening to Petraeus - The president had the courage to change course on Iraq. Does Congress?
Translation: The President is pragmatic and listens to expert advice, as opposed to the ideological Congress.
Reality: hmmm.... the exact opposite?
Democratic Leadership Beware!
2 in 10 trust ‘neither party’ on Iraq
For the latest demonstration of The People’s anger, consider the recent Washington Post ABC poll.
A majority (53%) anticipate General Petraeus will lie about progress in Iraq. I take this as yet another example of how Bush has murdered trust for generations to come, not just trust in politicians but also trust in our military leaders.
Rep. Brian Baird (D-WA), who recently returned from Iraq as well, said his experience led him to believe the escalation should be sustained until next year. Asked to address Baird’s comments, Tauscher suggested he had become a victim of the "green zone fog":
I will tell you that when you get in the Green Zone, there is a physiological phenomenon I think called Green Zone fog. ... It’s death by powerpoint. ... It’s always that their argument is winning.
She added later, "It’s very, very easy to be influenced, from their point of view, that things are better." She said they will "shape" facts to show gains being made. Meanwhile, the reality in Iraq is that there is a lot of sectarianism in the government, particularly at the Ministry of Interior. "The MOI is basically this sleeper cell organization of Shiite death squads," she said.
And then laid out the consequences of intellectual and political sloppiness:
"I don't know of anybody who isn't desperately supportive of the military," she said. "People want to say positive things. But it's difficult to say positive things in this environment and not have some snarky apologist for the White House turn it into some clipped phraseology that looks like support for the president's policies."
Meantime, Baird has so many requests for interviews that he already has offered a two-hour media availability Monday, after Petraeus and the U.S. Ambassador to Iraq, Ryan Crocker, testify before the House.
Do I mean that Baird has gone irretrievably over to the dark side when I say that? No. I mean that Baird has discovered what, for Lieberman, proved to be the "gateway drug" -- media stardom for being the Democrat who will go on record to provide the coveted Dems DividedTM storyline.
Best reaction to this so far?
Rep. Pete Stark, D-Calif., told Congressional Quarterly: "I'll give Brian a gun and let him go to Iraq and shoot whoever he wants."
Unfortunately, it seems Baird's been aiming squarely at Democratic feet. And loving it.
