I live in the MA-09 District and I heartily support Mac DAlessandro's primary bid against Stephen Lynch. Why? Not only is he a true progressive, he will clearly fight for our agenda. I can see him building a meaningful progressive team with Alan Grayson.
This is how we get our agenda moving forward: put more and more legislators who will fight for it into office.
Please support his campaign.
Note: Mac's at NN, so look for him!
I met Mac two weeks ago. I had been hearing about him through a friend for a couple of weeks and had to go see for myself. Though I'm primarily homebound and have a very difficult time with the stimulus of group settings, I went to a house party.
I was so pleased with what I saw and heard, that I didn't care about the physical discomfort for me. In fact, I'd like to host a house party to keep building support for him.
What did I see?
I saw a man with a history of fighting the powers that destroy the middle and lower classes. His stories of organizing people to protest at the homes of finance executives was inspiring. Particularly when he mentioned that the wife of one executive opened the doors to them and said, "Oh yeah, he won't be taking any bonuses this year." with a voice of an enforcer.
As people were talking about the vagaries of the bailout and the abuses of corporations, I asked Mac if was aware of the growing movement to repeal corporate person hood. Not only was he aware, he was on board. He fully understood how the laws giving a corporation the status of person are at the root of so much dysfunction and instability in our economy. For that alone, I beg you to put him in office.
Mac was fluent in most of the issues of concern to progressives. When a phrase came up of which he was not aware, he was gladly willing to stand in front of the group and be educated. (The phrase was "precautionary principle". Not one used very often in our public vernacular.)
Mac was a solid presence. That is, he felt fully engaged in the moment and comfortable with himself. He joked about being a bi-racial lawyer who was steeped in community organizing from Chicago. While, on the surface, that sounds like a familiar candidate-turned-president, there is a significant difference: Mac is clearly more willing to be confrontational.
When asked if he thought he'd be able to get bi-partisan work done - a question which frankly baffles me, given how we can see that the Republicans have no interest in being productive when Democrats are in power - he responded that, of course he could reach across the aisle when its called for, but he was also ready to fight for what was right.
Of slightly stockier build than Obama, one can envision him as a fluid fighter. He spoke of being a child and being bullied. He was charging home one day, trying to get into the house before the big kid got to him. He happened upon his dad heading in. His dad scrambled in the door before him and locked him out. Told him he had to stand up for himself. And he did.
That's the strongest feeling I got from Mac: that he's a stand up guy. He has a sharp intellect, no doubt. You get that sense from his nerdy glasses. You know it for sure when you hear him speak to an issue. We need these solid guys in Congress to balance and support the more erudite style of the White House (a style I think behooves the position, but we must recognize what needs to complement it.)
I know that Mac would never vote against our interests the way Lynch does. Its time for Lynch to go and Mac is just the guy to do it.
If you're at Netroots Nation, find Mac and meet him. You won't be disappointed, I'm sure.
More than that, please support his campaign.
More Mac info:
Web Site: Mac4Congress2010
FB page: Mac D'Alessandro for Congress 2010
Twitter ID: @Mac4Mass