This Florida primary "could well reveal more about the Democratic Party than any other contest in this cycle"

The Grassroots Campaign Against Debbie Wasserman Schultz

By Tim Canova

Less than a month ago, I jumped into the Democratic primary in Florida’s 23rd Congressional district against the incumbent, Debbie Wasserman Schultz. Many of you know her as the head of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) who has ineptly tried to undermine Bernie Sanders campaign for president by scheduling relatively few televised debates for times when there would be smaller audiences than the GOP debates. While she has headed the DNC, the Democrats have lost control of the Senate and even more House seats. Here in FL-23, the grassroots has been up in arms over her record in Congress.

Wasserman Schultz has been raising millions of dollars from big banks and corporations and voting for their interests on issue after issue, from deregulating Wall Street banks to supporting privatized prisons, the war on drugs, and mass incarceration. She talks about campaign finance reform but shills for Goldman Sachs, Comcast, Chevron, and a long list of giant corporations. Last week, she held a $5000 a plate fundraiser and is now sending out fundraising mail to the Democratic base urging contributions to fight off her first ever primary challenge. But rather than raise my name and let folks see who’s the real progressive in this race, she warns that the Republicans are out to get her!

My campaign is not taking a penny of corporate money, no corporate Super PACs, no dark money. I stand with the Move to Amend, to overturn Citizens United, for publicly financed elections, for Free Air Time for candidates for federal office. Instead, in less than a month, we have raised more than $120,000 from more than 4800 individual contributions, with an average donation of $25. Please consider donating time and again at TimCanovaforCongress.com or secure.actblue.com/… and please spread the word. If we want progressive change, we must all be willing to step up and contribute our time and money and give voice to our dreams. Together us ordinary folks can do extraordinary things. This is a real progressive grassroots campaign. That’s why the Huffington Post has said that our race “could well reveal more about the Democratic Party than any other contest in this cycle, including the one for president. . . . It’s a test of whether progressive ideas or corporate money are more central to the Democratic Party’s future.”

We have a lot of work to do and in the coming days and weeks we will open a campaign headquarters and launch an expanded campaign website which details my progressive positions on issues across the board. Until then, you can see what’s happening at our campaign Facebook page at www.facebook.com/… And to learn more about our grassroots campaign, see what others are writing about our campaign, my background, and my stance on the issues of importance to all of us:

The Intercept, by Glenn Greenwald:

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The New Republic, by David Dayen:

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Truthdig, by Alexander Reed Kelly:

www.truthdig.com/...

The Hill, by Mike Lillis

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The Huffington Post, by Zach Carter:

www.huffingtonpost.com/...