Polling from CT-2 House race - very close!

Jim Sullivan, the fire-breathing progressive Democrat running to unseat Republibot Russel Simmons in CT-2, just mailed me the results of an internal poll as part of his asking for more money.  The 2nd district of CT covers the less thickly settled Northern and eastern parts of the state, including the cities of Norwich, Storrs, and Willimantic, and is currently the most Democratic district in the country to be represented by a Republibot (Bush got 40% in 2000.).

Voting for:
Simmons 41
Sullivan 39
Lyon (Sorry, I don't know if Lyon is a spoiler on the left, right, or center.) 3
Undecided 17

Generic Democrat 46
Generic Republican 34

Name recognition:
Simmons 88
Sullivan 60

Simmons job rating
positive 44
negative 42

Kerry 54
Bush 36

"We need to elect a Congressman and a Congress who will stand up and oppose the out-of-touch policies of the Bush Administration"
agree 58%

Despite substantially worse name recognition, Sullivan is in a statistical tie.  This is a race we can and should win, as his numbers should move up once more people know who he is.

And, after all the talk about how we need to forgive this Democrat or that Democrat for supporting the Hate Amendment or Drilling for oil on the White House lawn or whatever, it sure feels good to support someone who is running ads lambasting his opponent on the Iraq War and, when in Congress, will vote with Nancy Pelosi and the majority of his party virtually every time--he supports gay rights, a major push for clean energy, fair trade, and all that good stuff.

•  It's *Rob* Simmons, not Russel

  by willyr on Wed Sep 01, 2004 at 12:42:53 PM PDT

•  Simmons

  Simmons, at least from a gay rights perspective, is a pretty upstanding guy.  He's against the FMA and voted against the court stripping bill (Marriage "Protection" Act).

  I'd rather that a pro-gay Republican like this stay in Congress and we concentrate on getting the reactionaries out.

  by Doppy on Wed Sep 01, 2004 at 12:45:47 PM PDT

  •  Being Right or Being Republican

    Simmons also has a pretty good environmental record...70% rating from the League of Conservation Voters.

    There are very few Republicans in Congress who have halfway decent records on the environment or gay rights...among many progressive issues...and Simmons happens to be one of them. Others like him are Reps Chris Shays and Nancy Johnson of Connecticut, Sherwood Boehlert of NY,  and Sens Snowe, Collins (Maine) and Chafee (RI).

    Republicans like them pose a bit of a dilemma for voters who care about these issues. I say "a bit", because despite my reluctance to vote against members who care about the same issues I do, ultimately each member of Congress has just ONE important vote to make---to declare allegiance to the leaders of his or her party by voting for Speaker of the House and Majority Leader of the Senate. This one decision is the most important vote they will cast in the next session of Congress, and it will determine whether many important progressive issues even get discussed, much less enacted. Electing people like Simmons and Johnson and Shays and Boehlert is tantamount to casting a ballot for Tom Delay.

    If these representatives would pledge to vote for Nancy Pelosi for Speaker I would say cut them some slack. But they won't. To them, it's more important to be a Republican than to be right.

    So vote 'em out!

    by willyr on Wed Sep 01, 2004 at 01:17:53 PM PDT

    •  Reactionary in Moderate's clothing.

      In the last 2 years, Simmons voted with Tom DeLay 88% of the time.  So he's moderate in the sense of only being 88% as much of a stinker.  But he was all for the Iraq War, drilling in ANWR, and the pharmasceudical profit-larder prescription drug bill from Hell.

      So I'm with willyr.  Let's not be grateful for the crumbs he might throw us on this or that issue.  He's keeping the thugs in power, and voting with them more than 7 times in 8.  Screw him.

      by Go Vegetarian on Wed Sep 01, 2004 at 01:45:58 PM PDT

      •  But...

        when you've got limited resources, going after somewhat progressive people and replacing them with somewhat progressive people who have a different letter after their name is a waste of time.

        I'd rather go after the Delays.

        by Doppy on Wed Sep 01, 2004 at 02:15:55 PM PDT

        •  Simmons on Wilderness

          Yup. Let's get rid of the bad guys first. But at the same time it is worth pointing out to "so-called moderates" that they too will be held accountable if they help keep bad guys in office.

          In fairness to Rob Simmons, I should point out that he voted twice in 2003 to protect the Arctic wilderness from drilling. (House Roll Call votes 134 and 135 on April 10.) On the other hand he has not cosponsored the primary bill that would permanently protect the Arctic Refuge Wilderness (H.R. 770). He has, however, cosponsored legislation to protect 9 million acres of Redrock Wilderness in Utah. See the American Wilderness Coalition's "Wild Card", which rates all members of Congress on wilderness issues:

          http://www.americanwilderness.org/wildcard/2004/wild_card_03_no_image.pdf

          The Coalition gives Simmons a "B" on wilderness issues. Bush (of course) gets an "F"

          Just giving credit where credit is due.
          

          by willyr on Wed Sep 01, 2004 at 04:02:50 PM PDT