Yesterday, in the first GOTV diary in this series, the focus was on how high the stakes are in this race and three of the most critical races in this election cycle. The relative importance of those races, AZ-Gov, FL-Sen and MI-08 is based on the level of extremism of the Teaparty candidate and level of national attention given to the extreme positions the TeaParty candidate in each race champions. For example, in MI-08, Mike Rogers:
. . .WANTS RAPE VICTIMS FORCED TO CARRY RAPISTS’ OFFSPRING
A reasonable person argue against permitting abortion as a "form of birth-control" (this blogger would challenge that point of view), but anyone other than the most extreme "right-to-lifer" would have to concede that forcing a rape victim to carry her rapists' baby to term is cruel and unusual punishment imposed on a victim who has committed neither offense nor sin.
In this diary in addition to focusing on important races in which your effort to GOTV is critical, the first of the six issues mentioned in yesterday's diary will be discussed.
On September 13 of this year, SIMMI AUJLA published an article in Politico entitled, Tea party to GOP: Defund health care. Obtaining health care for all Americans has been a hard-fought battle for over 60 years. The republican party, funded by the same corporate interests who profit the most from making health care a scare resource, has managed to block universal health care since it was first proposed and, even with the modest success of the Obama administration, has managed to insure (pardon the pun) that the BIG CORPORATE health insurance companies would continue to increase their profits at the expense of the middle class taxpayers for years to come. There are a few very important rays of hope, however, in the historic passage of the the American Health Care Act. First and foremost, insurance companies can no longer deny claims nor health care insurance to people who have pre-existing conditions. The complete list of benefits from the passage of the health care bill are beyond the scope of this diary, but the Huffington Post has put together a pretty comprehensive list.
Unlike yesterday's diary, the 2 races highlighted today will focus on the TeaParty's involvement in trending scandals. However, before beginning with this next block of races, we should revisit the AZ-Gov race that was discussed yesterday. AZ Independent reports today on DKOS that AZ-GOV Jan Brewer declared "Arizona Child Health Day" after cutting kid's programs. This comes on the heels of cuts to in adult health care that AZ Independent refers to as Jan Brewer's "hard decisions" [that] kill.
Moving along to the races highlighted in this diary, it should be noted that this series is intended to be more than informational. If you live in one of these districts and share the concerns of millions of Americans about the danger of allowing these right-wing extremists to gain control of the wheels of government, DO SOMETHING. If you don't know what to do, email me at nNomad_@newspatriots.com
AK-Sen
This race is a gift from the TeaParty. By Teabagging a well-known and well-connected incumbent in a state with a relatively small population like Alaska, the TeaParty has pulled another boner (not to be confused with Boehner) like their first attempt in NY-23 last year. Thanks to the TeaParty, Dems were able to elect their first US Rep to NY-23 in over 100 years. Inside information on this race is that Palin has a long, personal, historical issue with Murkowski and that she is willing to see her candidate lose the election as long as Murkowski loses.
Note on AK-Sen campaign: The connection between Joe Miller and the Koch Bros. (TeaParty funding organization) may cost Joe Miller considerable support. Alaskans may tend to lean right because of their libertarian point of view, but they do not take kindly to candidates who are in bed with BIG Oil. Yesterday in the ADN an article discusses SULFOLANE: Private wells were tainted by oil refining chemical. The refinery that this chemical originated from was the Flint Hills refineryowned by the Koch Bros.
Progressives in Alaska are lining up solidly behind Scott McAdams, although you would not know that from the misinformation propagated by the Murkowski campaign.
WI-Sen
Wisconsin is shaping up to be a critical state in the 2010 election cycle. This Senate race comes to our attention as the TeaParty challenger, a millionaire businessman spending lots of his own money to buy the Wisconsin Senate seat, is put under the microscope. In July, Johnson was using BP Oil money to fund his campaign after promising to put his $315,000 worth of BP stock into a trust. His challenger in the primary said of Johnson, "I came away very disappointed in the candidates and what they had to say, because they talked about what they were against and not what they were for." While these issues should raise red flags to any Wisconsin voter the most damning aspects of the Johnson campaign are his extremist positions on issues. This seems to be a trend among Republicans this year. Veterans Today saidof Ron Johnson:
"It’s shameful and disgusting that Ron Johnson would go to the Wisconsin State Senate to defend Predator Priests under the rationale that the Child Sexual Abuse Victims Act is bad for business"
Notable is Johnsons' objection to government handouts, a popular right-wing talking-point. However, Johnson is not quite so adamant in his objection to government handouts when it comes to his private business interests. Speaking of subsidies Johnson's company PACUR received from the federal government, Politifact had this to say . . .
When it comes to describing Johnson’s company as getting "government aid," the Feingold ad is correct. Independent experts and the federal government itself label the industrial revenue bonds a government subsidy.
As is typical among right-wing corporatists, Johnson objects to government "handouts" that help working people, but has no problem with them when it benefits his own personal interests. So, it should come as no surprise that Ron Johnson would repeal YOUR health care while keeping HIS government subsidies. He says as much on his campaign web site:
The Health Care Bill is the greatest assault on our freedom in my lifetime. It must be repealed
In summarizing the GOTV needs in Wisconsin and Alaska, it is becoming apparent that BIG Money can only be defeated if YOU help. GOTV won't happen if you wait for someone else to do it.
nNomad