The Modesto Bee, a paper that has consistently endorsed incumbent Republican Richard Pombo, has switched this year and has endorsed Democratic challenger Jerry McNerney. The editorial roasts Pombo:
We can no longer embrace a politician who appears to put special interests ahead of the interests of his district. It's also troubling that one watchdog group listed Pombo among Washington's 20 most corrupt representatives.
And it ties him to the problems with Republicans nationally in striking language:
This, like any election with an incumbent, is a referendum. . . . He is at the diseased heart of the quid-pro-quo process that defines Washington politics today. To send him back to the Capitol endorses a system we can no longer tolerate.
Then it goes after him on his extreme views:
And while his strident environmental views have caused us concern in the past, the idea he floated this past term about selling off parks was over the top. It's just one of many such ideas.
In contrast, we admire McNerney's more practical approach. Pombo got headlines by trying to gut the Endangered Species Act -- but his plan went nowhere. McNerney suggests negotiating changes to the act while preserving its goals.
If you prefer the politics of extremes; if you're OK with selling off national parks; if backroom dealmaking and tainted money suit you; if you embrace out-of-balance budgets and the concentration of wealth -- Pombo's your man.
But he's no longer ours.
http://www.modbee.com/...
This is outstanding news and continues the McNerney momentum. This race is becoming more exciting by the day. Both of Pombo's Republican primary opponents are working against him. Pombo seems unable to get volunteers, and is relying on tainted money and $500,000 from the RNCC. McNerney, by contrast has multitudes of volunteers knocking on doors and finding an amazing reception. And McNerney raised more money in the 3Q than the total he raised up to 6/30/06.
Now even the local papers are coming over. And in such a well-said way.
Please help Jerry McNerney. Volunteer if you can, or contribute here. http://actblue.com/...