Primary challenges to moderate Dems are 'healthy' for democracy: Hamsher Rachel Oswald

Published: Monday April 6, 2009





Print This Email This Targeting moderate Democrats in primaries can only be good for democracy, a prominent liberal blogger and activist told RAW STORY Friday.



Last week, Rep. Chris Van Hollen, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, warned that groups pushing for a more liberal Congress in 2010 could see their strategy backfire with more Republicans elected instead.



What Ive been warning people very clearly is, beware of forming a circular firing squad," Van Hollen said at a press conference last Wednesday. "We believe people should be focusing their efforts on expanding the Democratic majority, and that should be their singular focus."



Hamsher, however, disagreed with this sentiment.



If Representative Van Hollen believes in democracy, he should be happy about this. If hes not happy about this, you have to wonder what he believes, Hamsher said.



Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has said that what liberals groups are trying to do is not helpful to the Democratic Party's goal of increasing Democratic majorities in Congress.



"Its not helpful to me. Its not helpful to the Democratic Caucus," Reid said.



Formed with the intention of targeting incumbent Democrats that are viewed as being too beholden to corporate interests, the Accountability Now Political Action Committee plans to run a slew of progressive candidates in primaries across the country in 2010. In addition to Hamsher, who started Firedoglake.com, Accountablity Now includes Salons Glenn Greenwald and Daily Kos creator Markos Moulitsas. It is also supported by MoveOn.org.



Hamsher said Accountability Now was not above recruiting Republicans with progressive leanings to run in primaries in safely red districts.



We think a healthy primary market on both sides of the aisle is good for democracy, she said.



Hamsher declined to mention which districts specifically the group was looking at.



Right now were in the stage of looking at districts around the country and recruiting candidates, said Hamsher. We dont want to give away too much too soon.



In their strategy to choose which Democratic incumbents to go after, Accountability Now is focusing on Congressmen whose votes dont match up with the political views of their constituents. As an example, Hamsher points to Democratic Congressmen who hail from districts with high foreclosure rates but that saw fit to vote last week in favor of an amendment that would weaken attempts to cap executive pay at companies receiving federal bailout money.



Accountability Now will be closely looking at November 2008 election results, Hamsher said. While President Obama helped a lot of shaky Democrats win their elections by bringing out large numbers of supporters to the polls, Democrats wont have the advantage of a president headlining the top of their tickets in 2010. Hamsher and others are hoping this will make Congressional conservative and moderate Democrats more vulnerable to the criticism of liberal groups.



Many factors are in play to determine whether an Accountability Now candidate would do well in a primary race. These include consideration of the strength of the local party machine and the media market cost of running ads. Also weighed is the risk of losing a general election to a Republican after successfully besting the incumbent Democrat during the primary.



That last concern though, according to Hamsher, is not as great as some might think because so many districts across the country have become so gerrymandered that there is little chance of party-seats changing over.



Were just trying to build a healthy primary environment," Hamsher said. "We believe thats good for democracy.





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