Blue America PAC to Daily Kos Community: Thank You! Within hours of Connie Saltonstall announcing that she would take on the onerous task of running a primary campaign against entrenched, faithless Democrat, Bart Stupak (MI-01), I had a post up here at Daily Kos, a post that wound up on the recommended list and a post that helped generate over $4,000. There have been plenty of naysayers-- "she can't win" (which reminded me of how the battle started when we decided to back Donna Edwards against Al Wynn) and "he's entitled to his religious beliefs," being two of the most persistent comments-- but the overwhelming support we felt from this community helped us make up our minds to go forward an endorse Connie Saltonstall.
That's going to happen on Wednesday at 3pm (EST/noon PT) when Connie will do a live blogging session at Crooks and Liars hosted by Digby. The day after the Kos diary went up, Digby flew across country, met Connie and interviewed her, formalizing a Blue America vetting process that has developed over the last 5 years. We're moving ahead with helping Connie's campaign for reasons that go beyond Stupak's anti-Choice zealotry.
He has worked closely with conservatives to build a coalition to hold healthcare reform hostage, insisting that the bill will force Americans to pay for abortions, an out and out lie straight from John Boehner's messaging shop. Sadly, the bill will actually restrict women's ability to purchase insurance coverage for abortions, even with their own money. This was the result of a wrenching compromise by the pro-choice members of Congress who reluctantly acquiesced to the unreasonable demands of the minority so that millions of uninsured Americans might have access to health care. But that wasn't good enough for Mr. Stupak, who continues to lie about the provisions of the bill and is committed to vote with the Republicans who are determined to make healthcare reform President Obama's "Waterloo." Stupak refuses to take yes for an answer.
Well, as Digby pointed out to Blue America donors, Bart Stupak isn't good enough for a frustrated constituent named Connie Saltonstall, who waited patiently for months for someone to step up as Stupak waged his quixotic crusade against reproductive rights on the backs of the uninsured. When no one did, she finally decided that she had no choice but to challenge him herself. She says,
"Our Congressman has let us down. Bart Stupak has threatened to block healthcare reform unless the Amendment that bears his name is included in the final bill. I believe that he has a right to his personal, religious views, but to deprive his constituents of needed healthcare reform because of those views is reprehensible."
Saltonstall is an experienced and qualified politician having served in various capacities in Michigan politics for decades. More importantly, she is a person of deep commitment to progressive politics who not only believes that it's not too much to ask that the Democratic party protects a woman's constitutional right to privacy and provide health care for everyone at the same time, but that the progressive agenda can best deliver to her friends and neighbors what they need to get through these tough economic times, preserve their liberty and keep America a strong, tolerant, future-oriented nation.
Blue America is proud to endorse Connie Saltonstall for Congress. We hope that you will join us for a live chat at CrooksandLiars.com on Wednesday at 3PM est, to meet Connie for yourselves. The future of the health care reform bill, the Democratic Party and the country are at stake and regardless of the outcome when the vote is finally taken, Bart Stupak has proven that he is willing to go to any length to impose his personal religious views on the whole country. If you feel, as we do, that this is not in keeping with the fundamental values of the Democratic Party, then a donation to Connie Saltonstall's campaign is the best way to ensure that he no longer has the opportunity to do it.
Here's Stupak over with his pals at Fox on Monday, referring to the Democratic Party as the GOP-preferred "Democrat Party" and lying about abortion funding: