Ashwin Madia's parents came to America from India with $19 in cash and a dream that America would provide opportunities for their children. Now their child, Ashwin Madia is running for Congress in Minnesota's third congressional district as the Democratic Nominee to replace retiring Republican Jim Ramstad.
He is a Iraq War Vet who ran a grassroots campaign and defeated a better funded establishment candidate for the Democratic nomination. Now he is facing Erik Paulsen a state representative and extreme conservative (for example, he even voted against raising the minimum wage). This will be one of the most contested races in the country. It is targeted by both parties but it is a fantastic opportunity to send a great representative to Washington who will shake things up. That's why I'm proud to announce that Ashwin Madia is the latest Obamajority canidate and that he is joining us shortly (About 1 ET/ 12 CT) for a conversation about his campaign and the future of this country.
Follow me below the fold to learn more about Ashwin.
Last Monday I launched the Obamajority to give Barack Obama a strong progressive Congress that will enact his bold agenda. I started it out with three canidates, Rick Noriega, Darcy Burner and Patrick Murphy. I also asked for suggestions for who to endorse next.
The canidate that received the most support by far was Tom Perriello. I had already heard about his impressive run for Congress and so I am exited to announce that Tom is the latest canidate to be added to the Obamajority. So go and give him some change for change. In this essay I take a look at Tom and his campaign to bring much needed leadership to Virgina's 5th Congressional District.
First, Barack Obama opposed the invasion of Iraq from the start, and rejected the neoconservative principle of pre-emptive warfare as one of his main reasons for opposing the war. Being able to identify the invasion of Iraq as a colossal mistake makes Barack Obama far more qualified to lead our country than candidates who both were, and still are, unable to recognize why the war was such a bad idea. Comparing Obama's and Clinton's statements on the death of 4,000 American soldiers in Iraq, it seems clear that Hillary Clinton still believes in the neoconservative vision for Iraq, while Barack Obama does not. The second ideological marker is the Democratic Leadership Council, an organization formed to push the Democratic Party and the national political debate to the right on a variety of issues. While Hillary Clinton is a member of the DLC's leadership, Barack Obama has repeated refuses to be associated with the group.
Today Tom Hayden, Bill Fletcher, Jr., Barbara Ehrenreich and Danny Glover published aopen letter to American progressives urging them to join them and support Barack Obama. Why? Because Obama's campaign is a movement.
We intend to join and engage with our brothers and sisters in the vast rainbow of social movements to come together in support of Obama's unprecedented campaign and candidacy. Even though it is candidate-centered, there is no doubt that the campaign is a social movement, one greater than the candidate himself ever imagined
I think this is a very important letter and I'll take a deeper look at it in this essay.
It is not enough to elect Barack Obama as President of the United States. Real change requires a Senate majority so progressive and large that his initiatives won't get gummed up by Republican procedural tactics, and a House of Representatives full of Democrats wanting to change the way business is done in Washington.
Populista rolled it out last night, and it's simple -- we will be choosing a slate of Senate and House candidates, both challengers and incumbents, who best represent both the fifty-state strategy and progressive change for which Barack Obama is fighting. As the weeks and months progress, we will keep adding to this list to highlight worthy candidates from states and districts red, purple, blue and polka-dotted.
Our first three candidates are Rick Noriega, Darcy Burner and Patrick Murphy. It would be silly for me to try to redo what Populista has explained so well, so if you want the full background go there.
I'll just tell a quick story about my friend Patrick Murphy, whom I've known since we both joined this law firm in early 2005, months before he announced his run. We talked on the phone before one of the controversial Iraq funding votes -- he was leaning against voting for funding, and I knew it was a politically risky move for him in his majority-Republican district, that he'd be attacked for not "supporting the troops" and whatnot, even as a veteran of the fiasco in Iraq. I figured the netroots could give him a mulligan on a vote like that.
But Adam, he explained to me, they're going to smear me no matter what I do, so I might as well just do the right thing. Otherwise, it's not worth being here.
Mr. Speaker, for the sixth time, I rise calling for a change of direction in Iraq. For the sixth time, I call on the President to stop sending our brave men and women to referee a religious civil war. For the sixth time I call on this administration to focus our efforts in fighting the central front on the war on terror by killing Osama bin Laden and destroying al Qaeda in Afghanistan.
Mr. Speaker, last week countless folks back in Pennsylvania stopped me and asked, Aren’t you frustrated by this President who refuses to listen to Congress and the American people?
I told them, I am frustrated that our President refuses to follow the advice of military experts and the will of the American people. I am frustrated because my fellow paratroopers are still fighting and dying in the 138-degree heat of a Baghdad summer. I told them that I will refuse to stop fighting for the best policy for our troops and our families back here at home.
I have heard the other side say 4 more months. This President has had his 4 months. He has had his 4 years and 4 months. In 2004, the President said we are turning the corner. In 2005, the Vice President said the insurgency was in its last throes. In 2006, that was the year in transition. And now in 2007, the President says just be patient.
In the last month alone in Bucks County, we have buried four of our finest sons. Four names have been added to the memorial board outside my office. I, for one, don’t want to add any more names.
There is still a lot more work to do if we want to get Barack Obama elected. But if we want to truly change this country we need to do more then that. We need to build strong Democratic majority in the House and Senate committed to passing Obama's agenda of change. In short we need an Obamajority.
So I e-mailed a few people who had helped out with the Obamathon and came up with the idea for a fundraising drive like the Obamathon but for congressional candidates who will help build a Obamajority. Using the amazing ActBlue we have set up a fundraising page to build The New Obamajority. To start out it features three great candidates. Rick Noriega, Darcy Burner and Patrick Murphy. More will be added as time goes on (suggestions are welcome at obamathon (AT) gmail (DOT) com) but for now let me introduce you to those three great candidates who will help build an Obamajority.
