Received this e-mail from the good people at Blue America:
When Alan Grayson and Mark Takano asked their colleagues to sign a letter to President Obama assuring him they "will vote against any and every cut to Medicare, Medicaid, or Social Security benefits-- including raising the retirement age or cutting the cost of living adjustments that our constituents earned and need,” Ed Markey (D-MA), candidate for John Kerry's Senate seat in Massachusets, enthusiastically signed.
The President is on TV daily, asking for a Grand Bargain to end the sequester. And despite some tepid mewling against "slashing entitlements" the Democratic congressional leadership is on record in the past saying that if the House Republicans will take yes for an answer, they'll go along. To have a stalwart progressive like Ed Markey, who's in a tough primary battle with ConservaDem Stephen Lynch, sign the Grayson-Takano letter is a real mark of political courage.
And this isn't the first time Ed Markey took a stand. He resisted the blandishments of the House Democratic leadership when they were trolling for votes for Sequestration in August, 2011. When push came to shove (and they were pushing hard) Ed voted no; he voted against the Sequester. Naturally, his conservative opponent, Stephen Lynch, went with the herd-- with Hoyer, Israel, Crowley AND Boehner, Cantor, Ryan-- to vote for Sequestration.
Ed Markey is a natural successor to the Kennedy legacy in Massachusetts and this is why. He has the courage to stand up to the Republicans and his own Party when the lives and dignity of average working families are at stake. Blue America believes that this is the kind of courage we need more of in the US Congress.
https://secure.actblue.com/...
Alan Grayson put it well:
With the Norquist pledge, the Republicans have lined up on the side of millionaires, billionaires and multinational corporations. With our No Cuts pledge, we are lined up on the side of seniors, sick people, and poor people. We are comforting the afflicted, and they are comforting the comfortable.
We need more leaders like Alan Grayson, Mark Takano and Ed Markey. If you can, please consider contributing to their election campaigns.
https://secure.actblue.com/...
We are all in this together,
Digby, for Howie, John, and the Blue America team
Yesterday Ed Markey joined Alan Grayson in the "Congressmen With Guts" club by signing the letter to President Obama vowing to "vote against any and every cut" to our social safety net. Imagine this kind of courage working for us in the Senate! Let's make it happen. Please donate what you can today.
Ed Markey has shown the courage to stand up to Republicans and even his own Party when necessary. More of this, please? If you can, help Ed have what he needs to secure the "Kennedy Seat" in the Senate. Thank you!
https://secure.actblue.com/...
If you would like to thank Markey, Grayson & Takano for standing up for seniors, you can donate to their campaigns here:
https://secure.actblue.com/...
While your at it, why not sign the Daily Kos' petition that supports Senator Mark Begich and Congressman Ted Deutch's (D. FL-21) plan to prtoect and strengthen Social Security known as the Protecting & Preserving Social Security Act of 2013
http://campaigns.dailykos.com/...
You can also sign CREDO Action's letter thanking the 24 House Democrats who are leading the call to stop cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid here:
http://act.credoaction.com/...
P.S. Lets cut down on the "America is a plutocray, we're all doomed!" and "Obama and the Democrats are going to sell us down the river!!!!!" comments and switch into a more pro-active attitude that calls for action, please. I'm really tired of seeing diaries in the rec list that talk about the problem but don't propose any solutions or inspire this great community to call for action. I understand there is such a thing as a healthy dose of skepticism, but if skepticism is an over the counter drug, then there are quite a few abusers here. Thank you!