If midterm elections were held today, Republicans would suffer at the ballot box. How much they would suffer, who knows? Right now, Rove's focus has got to be, How to mitigate the current PR disasters so that the voters don't punish Republicans in 2006. My fear is that, with the help of the short-attention-spam MSM, he will succeed.
So how do we help now to boot out Republicans?
I'd appreciate any ideas. I was in a funk for nearly a year after the 2004 election, but it's time to get involved again and doing things. I don't want to wait until there's a Democratic challenger - that will be too little and too late.
My representative is Jim Leach of Iowa. He's been in Congress since 1976 or thereabouts. He is considered a "moderate" Republican. He's not a bad person. He's no Tom Delay or Rick Santorum. I don't hate him. But his district is a Democratic district. In other words a lot of Democrats and certainly moderates and independents vote for him continually. He will be very very hard to unseat, but I'm sick of him because he is always there when the Republicans need his vote.
Leach voted against the Iraq war. I believe he truly believed it was a bad idea. But he was permitted to do so by the leadership, because (a) they knew they didn't need his vote, and (b) they know he is in a district that normally would send a Democrat to the House, so (c) his occasional votes that seem independent help him to get reelected.
When they need his vote, he's always there. About that walloping Medicare bill that's a drug company wet dream? Leach voted yea. It was close, 220-215.
I've worked for the last two Democrats to oppose him. Both failed. One outspent Leach heavily. Didn't help. HOW DO WE UNSEAT PEOPLE LIKE THIS? Leach is in a district where he should be vulnerable!
I'd love to hear ideas of what we can do NOW to pave the way for the Democrat who emerges from the primary to challenge the Leaches of the House and the Senate. The only idea I've had so far is to start an LTTE-writing campaign around the district where, without even mentioning Democrats or Republicans, we question Leach's votes, bring up the point that he is not nearly so moderate as he tries to appear. Question his "integrity," which is his big appeal around here, and explain that caving in on a principle to support Bush's rightwing agenda does not show integrity.
Any other ideas out there? And any 2nd Congressional District Iowans out there who want to join my LTTE campaign? Contact me at montague_13 @msn.com