Stephen Lynch has to go.
He's the "Democrat" who represents the 9th district in Massachusetts, which includes parts of Boston and its southwestern suburbs. The Cook PVI for the district is D+11, meaning the district votes more Democratic than the nation as a whole by about 11 percentage points.
And yet, Stephen Lynch voted against the March health care reform bill in the House. This, after he originally supported the legislation last November. His was one of the most galling NO votes in the entire House, as it came from a fairly solid Democratic district, and by most accounts took Democratic leaders completely by surprise.
Today, a progressive SEIU-affiliated candidate named Mac D’Alessandro entered the Democratic primary to challenge Lynch.
I have to admit, I don't know all that much about Mac, but he seems to be a compelling candidate with a good heart and progressive positions. He's certainly worthy of consideration as a challenger to the disappointing conservadem currently holding this seat.
Why did Lynch vote no? That's anybody's guess. He voiced disappointment with the process, with the use of reconciliation for the final bill, with the lack of a public option (when he was conspicuously absent on the push for a public option last year). Some speculate that his pro-life record played a role in his decision.
But who really knows? Perhaps he's just angling to be the center-left challenger to Scott Brown in 2012, and thought this would be a good way to do it.
Anyway, back to Mac. Here's the announcement news from the Boston Globe:
US Representative Stephen F. Lynch could be facing a challenge, with the announcement by the regional political director of the service workers’ union SEIU of his intention to run for the South Boston Democrat’s seat.
Mac D’Alessandro, who may give liberal Democrats who are frustrated with Lynch’s more conservative leanings a candidate to rally around, has only until May 4 to obtain the 2,000 signatures he needs for his name to appear on the ballot.
Harmony Wu, a former OFA aide who worked on Obama's presidential campaign and lives in the district, had been mulling a primary run against Lynch but ultimately opted against it. She's posting on D'Alessandro's Facebook page, and seems to be supporting him fully.
WE NEED TO TAKE ACTION.
D’Alessandro needs 2,000 signatures by May 4th to get on the ballot. We need to help him reach that number. If you live in or around the 9th district, I'm sure he could use your help canvassing and gathering the signatures. If you don't, please join his Facebook page to help spread the word.
FACEBOOK - Join Mac D'Alessandro for Congress 2010
CANVASSING ASSISTANCE - Contact volunteerwithmac@gmail.com and provide your name, contact info, and availability.
For background, here are excerpts from an email I received from the campaign this evening:
We need your help!
As you probably know, the first big deadline is fast approaching. We need to submit 2,000 valid signatures to city and town clerks’ offices by Tuesday, May 4 at 5 PM in order to qualify for the Democratic primary ballot – so we’ve set a goal of 4,000 signatures to make sure that nothing is left to chance...
Also, we’re holding Volunteer Days on the mornings of April 24 (this coming Saturday) and May 1 (a week from Saturday), as well as making a big final push on the evening of Monday, May 3 in communities across the district.
If you’ll take the "I’ll Get 50 Signatures for Mac" challenge, join in on one of our Volunteer Days, or otherwise volunteer to gather signatures to help put Mac on the ballot, please e-mail us right away at volunteerwithmac@gmail.com with your name, contact info (address, phone, e-mail), and availability. Every hour spent volunteering and every signature collected, again, makes a big impact!
Let's make this happen. Lynch's behavior in the HCR debate cannot go unchallenged. There's no telling what other Democratic priorities he'll slink away from next.