“All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.”—George Orwell

And if all you 36th district voters need any more reason to reject Harman, here are a few of her campaign doners

#1 Northrop Grumann $30,500
#2 Boeing $23,300
#5 Raytheon $10,000
#20 News Corp $6,750

Turns out Ms. Harman is a first class war profiteer. Do us all a favor down there in the 36th and show this woman the door.

http://www.operation2012.com/

And if all you 36th district voters need any more reason to reject Harman, here are a few of her campaign doners

#1 Northrop Grumann $30,500
#2 Boeing $23,300
#5 Raytheon $10,000
#20 News Corp $6,750

Turns out Ms. Harman is a first class war profiteer. Do us all a favor down there in the 36th and show this woman the door.

...your gonna need a lot stronger medicine than her.

Marcy has built real momentum because people are starved for hearing the truth.  She a person who can think critically and lead.  She has support across a wide swath, because she makes sense on a lot of issues.  People concerned about the heavy-handed tactics of Bruce McPherson shoving the Diebold machines back down our throats without any testing like the way Marcy Winograd showed up in Sacramento with Debra Bowen to put him under mock citizen arrest.  Iranian-Americans have endorsed her because like her passion to prevent the shock and awe Bush has planned for Iran.  Parents like the way she understands kids and the outrage she feels when young people are sent off to fight a losing war based on lies.  Those of us concerned about the constitution and our civil rights appreciate Marcy Winograd for her straight-forward defense of those rights.  With all the crooks and liars back there in Washington, we need strong medicine to stand up to them and fight.  Marcy is the one.

She ain’t gonna go anywhere. But ya gotta admit she’s good lookin’, at least she is in that picture. Even if she does look like she just came in from a Malibu business luncheon full of Pinot Grigio. Next time import Jeanine Garofalo from New York and run her. She takes herself a lot more seriously…Meanwhile I’d prognosticate that GI Jane’s eyeing a CA Senate seat down the road and then the chair of The Intelligence Committee—-And remember, she’s a Democrat. Even with that voting record. Worse still: I’d go so far as to say that many of you out there bitching and pontificateing about her duplicity may well have helped put her into the House…and you wonder why people don’t take politics seriously…

It is such a wonderful change to have a candidate who isn’t constantly engaged in political doublespeak.  I am so heartened to hear you call Harman out on her support for the many recent constitutional violations against Americans and her continuing support for the violent and immoral foreign policy blunders instigated by the Bush administration. 

I am ashamed that my Democratic representative Harman encourages Bush to cause more horror by pre-emptively attacking another country, especially after the obvious strategic blunder our pre-emptive violence in Iraq has been.  Harman continues to encourage unecessary and immoral violence that demoralizes our military and generates sweeping hostility towards the US throughout the world. 

It is such wonderful feeling to think that we may be seeing the last of Harman and the beginning of Marcy Winograd.  Finally, a representative in my district who will endevour to protect and defend my constitutional rights and not wage the horribly immoral, destructive and unecessary wars that are turning the rest of the world against us.

http://www.winogradforcongress.com

I understand that there is always strategy involved in politics but I’m afraid the talking heads and constant media beltway spin has got some well meaning folks exhibiting really questionable judgement. 

The best thing we progressives have going for ourselves is our strong principles and if we don’t stand up and support great candidates like Marcy Winograd because we’re frightened about losing, then we’ve lost already.  Don’t buy into the beltway nonsense peddled by partisan hacks, they aren’t looking out for your best interests.  These creeps aren’t interested in competent, credible, principled candidates winning.  These pundits like the game the way it is, with corruption endemic and the campaign cash flowing into their lobbying firms and personal bank accounts. 

Of course we should only vote for strong, credible candidates that can win.  But for gods sakes, vote your conscience so that once elected, your representative will lead and not be just another slobbering lapdog.  Vote smart, yes.  Vote for Marcy Winograd, a candidate who can win and lead.

I invite everyone to visit Marcy Winograd’s website and investigate her stated positions for yourself.  She comes off to me as a very credible and serious candidate who takes progressive and principled positions across the board.  But don’t take my word for it, go see for yourself.

http://www.winogradforcongress.com

Local p.r. exec for hire, David Buchanan, sez:“This is not a “safe” Democratic District… The late Mike Gordon barely won his Assembly seat.”

Mr. Buchanan is snowing you.  Please note:

A) CA-36 is not exactly the same as AD-53 (the district won by the late Mike Gordon in 2004).  CA-36 includes a greater portion of liberal West L.A. than does AD-53, and CA-36 also includes the heavy union stronghold of San Pedro.  AD-53 does not.  CA-36 is a more liberal and more Democratic district than AD-53.

B) About that AD-53 race that Mr. Buchanan says was “barely won” by Democrat Mike Gordon… Mike Gordon beat the Republican by EIGHT (8) POINTS (50.4%-42.5%).  An 8 point cushion counts as “barely won”?!  Also, Mike Gordon’s *razor close* 8-point win in ‘04 came against a tough opponent: the longtime Mayor of Redondo Beach.  By contrast, the GOP’s nominee for CA-36 this year is a political non-entity with no electoral experience, no campaign experience, no activist experience, no volunteer base, no website, no campaign staff, no campaign office, no campaign phone number, no campaign signage, no stationery, and no clue whatsoever.

For Mr. Buchanan to imply that, in November of ‘06, Marcy Winograd will be in electoral peril against a GOP cypher because, two years ago, a Democrat *eeked out* an 8 point win in a more conservative district against a tougher opponent is just plain insulting.  It’s disingenuous at best, and wilfully misleading at worst.

This coming Tuesday, the Democrats of CA-36 really do have the opportunity to vote their hearts, and without fear.  Don’t let hucksters like David Buchanan tell you otherwise.

Patrick Meighan
Venice, CA

No dice. GI Jane’ll go back in. The Left can reap what they’ve sewn. If ya ask me it serves ‘em right.

The commentary above is a nice reflection of what this campaign is all about:  The soul of the Democratic party.

In one corner, we have the “vote for Democrats because they’re called Democrats” people.  They don’t care that Jane Harman has dragged America’s name thruogh the mud, through her backing of a disasterous war, her attack on civil liberties, and her lack of interest in her constituents.  They say “she’s in our party, and besides, she backs progressive causes like choice and gay rights.”  BULL!  Visit her office in DC, like I have, and you’ll see it’s all about her right-wing view of foreign policy.  She doesn’t care about those other causes, so it’s easy for her to take a position, without taking a stand.

Have any of the comments on this article actually said anything positive about Harman?

On the other side, we have Marcy Winograd, who actually stands for something.  Yes, the Iraq war is a big one (as it should be), but on the other issues she has a real stand, too:  single-payer healthcare, worker’s right to organize, decriminalization of immigration, etc.

We’ve seen what we get when we back tepid “Democrats” like Harman in the primary - we get voter indifference, low turnout, and a government that doesn’t work for us.  We get elections where people don’t vote, because they think there’s no difference between the two parties.  What’s the point of running a Democrat who’s really a Republican, in every issue she actually cares about?

Give the Democratic party back its soul.  Vote for Marcy.

“Be assured that if Winograd wins the primary the GOP will be the winner in this District… The only reverberations you will hear across the nation if Winograd wins are those of another lost Congressional seat.—Steph Campbell, Costa Mesa, CA”

Steph Campbell should step outside of Costa Mesa and visit us here in CA-36 someday soon.  The formerly-swing district of CA-36 was gerrymandered a few years ago to make it a safe Democratic district.  The gerrymander extended CA-36 to include more of ultra-progressive Venice, plus liberal enclaves in West L.A. and Mar Vista, and parts of the union bastion of San Pedro.  At the same time, the conservative strongholds of Rolling Hills and Palos Verdes (where Jane Harman *used* to live) were cut out of CA-36, again rendering CA-36 bluer-than-blue.  Thus, in ‘04, Bush got 39% of the vote here in CA-36.

And the GOP candidate for the CA-36 seat that Steph Campbell of Costa Mesa would have us worry about?  He’s some dude who has no website, no campaign organization, no activist experience, no electoral experience, no volunteer base, not one single sign anywhere, and whose campaign “office” is him, alone, with his home phone.  I can’t even remember the dude’s name!  No one can!  And *he’s* gonna defeat the Democratic primary winner (who will have the full brunt of L.A.‘s and the state’s Democratic Party machine behind her) in this district where Democrats outnumber Republicans 60/40?

Maybe that might happen down where Steph lives in Costa Mesa, but not here in CA-36.  Even Jane Harman herself has stopped claiming that that is even the faintest possibility.

Make no mistake, the Republicans have wisely abandoned CA-36.  As such, the winner of the Democratic Primary on Tuesday WILL be the winner of the election in November.  And that will be for the voters of CA-36 to decide, *not* the voters of Costa Mesa, thank god.

Patrick Meighan
Venice, CA

I work in Jane Harman’s district for one of the many aerospace companies.  Most of the people who work and live in this district depend upon aerospace or LAX to make a living, whether it’s in retail, food services, or directly employed by aerospace.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see Republicans rooting for, or even contributing to, Winograd’s campaign to unseat Jane Harman because she has done an excellent job of delivering employment to this district.  It is the only way for the Republicans to take this seat.

I personally disagree with many of Harman’s votes, especially on protection of civil liberties, but I also appreciate her support for other human rights issues like choice and gay rights. 

But the reality is that a pro-defense industry candidate will represent this district.  If Winograd wins the primary, and I think the chances of that are slim, she will not have a chance in November.  Not only is she a novice, there will be just too much defense money available for her opponent.  Voter’s fear of losing jobs and security will sweep her Republican candidate into office.

The campaign by PDA to unseat Harman is a waste of time and resources.  We are trying to gain Congressional seats, not throw them away.  These single issue groups like PDA are incapable of contributing to the political system because they campaign with blinders on. 

I’m sure that Winograd is enjoying her 15 minutes of fame, but her efforts are wasteful and will prove either unproductive by losing on June 6, or counter productive by losing in November.

With all due respect to Mr. Sheinbaum, who has been a long time supporter of Democatic causes, and whoever wrote the letter for him, the facts are in error:

This is not a “safe” Democratic District.  In the recent gubernatorial recall, Republicans garnered 61% of the vote (48% Schwartzenegger, 13% McClintock).  The late Mike Gordon barely won his Assembly seat.

The RCCC has poured over $3 million dollars in the race to defeat Francine Busby.  They will do the same here in an open seat.

Marcy Winograd has time and time again, failed to support Democrats, when they are the only Democrat in the race.  She did not support or endorse Ted Lieu; she has failed, worst of all, to endorse Francine Busby, even when given the opportunity to do so as late as last night.

She is not a “real Democrat”, she does not care about taking back the House, and she does not understand the first step in withdrawing troops from Iraq, in protecting our civil rights, in impeaching President Bush is to gain control of Congress.  Without control, there is no oversight, there is no subpoena power, there are no committee chairs to hold hearings.  She is the wrong Democrat, at the wrong time, in the wrong race.

The comment from the Busby campaign is exactly right.  Taking back Congress is what it’s about and risking the loss of a Democratic seat is foolhardy.  Be assured that if Winograd wins the primary the GOP will be the winner in this District.  Harman’s district is “aerospace heaven” and Harman has done a good job of keeping those jobs in Southern California.  If Winograd wins, companies like Northrop will give their money to the GOP candidate - and that candidate will win. 

I would remind everyone that the War - while a huge issue - is not the ONLY issue.  Jane Harman stands solidly with progressives on issues such as choice and on opposition to any kind of intolerance for the gay community.

A vote for Winograd is one of those “feel good” votes that’s like eating chocolate to quell your appetite.  Temporarily it feels good - but the end result is never what you hope for.  Let’s face it, even if Winograd were to win in June, she won’t win in November - the election that counts.  And if you want to see Bush and his cronies impeached you better hope she doesn’t win the primary.  The only reverberations you will hear across the nation if Winograd wins are those of another lost Congressional seat.

Steph Campbell
Costa Mesa, CA

Kip says Marcy Winograd should not be chosen to represent the 36th district, because, though she’s “nice,” being agianst the Iraq war makes Winograd the wrong one “to become the Congress person for one of the largest military/defence congressional district in this country.”

Right, Kip! You really nailed her! 

And if most of the employment in your district came from factories that were major polluters, it would be equally bad politics to run an environmentalist for office, because anyone who would vote to strengthen the EPA could cause the factories to shut down, and “employees depend on ALL these pay checks to survive.”  Hey, we don’t want to rock the boat; we gotta survive, even if unrestrained pollution means that our children won’t!  Pollution-shmollution, who cares,  so long as we get our paychecks? 

So I say screw peace.  We wouldn’t want to do anything to stop those “defense” contracts from coming in.  And we certainly don’t need no representative from our district telling us that TWO THOUSAND FOUR HUNDRED LIVESand still counting) is too big a price to pay for all those good jobs. 
Let her go peddle her peace crap in some other district.

“So Marcy Winograd is supposed to become the Congress person for one of the largest military/defence congressional district in this country… She is the wrong candidate for this particular district.”

Fortunately for us all, Boeing Inc. and Raytheon will not be allowed to vote in this upcoming election.  Only us actual *voters* of CA-36 will be allowed to vote in this election.

Note that tuesday’s Democratic primary election should not be about who’ll be a better toady for the weapons manufacturers.  It should be about who best represents the values of the Democratic voters of CA-36.  Toward that end, lemme remind you that George W. Bush garnered all of 39% of the TOTAL vote of CA-36 in 2004.  Meanwhile, our alleged “Democratic” “representative” has gone along with Bush’s war, Bush’s extended occupation, Bush’s Patriot Act (three times!), Bush’s bankruptcy bill, Bush’s warrantless spying on Americans, Bush’s illegal secret prisons, Bush’s illegal limitless detentions in Guantanamo, even Bush’s flag-burning amendment.  Boeing and Raytheon may be fine with all that, but the Democratic voters of CA-36 sure aren’t.  That’s why the Democratic voters of CA-36 are exercising their constitutional right to seek a representative who better suits their political values.  To hell with what Boeing and Raytheon want.

Patrick Meighan
Venice, CA

I have a better idea, instead of siphoning off precious campaign money to essentially replace one Democrat with another, how about giving that money to another candidate who may actually have a shot at beating a Republican on June 6th - getting us one seat closer to taking back Congress?

I’m talking about Francine Busby, who’s running in the California 50th district (San Diego) to replace the seat vacated by “Duke” Cunningham. Right now she’s running neck and neck with her Republican opponent Brian Billbray.

Winograd has said “it’s time to build an opposition party.”

The hell it is. Folks, it’s time to take back Congress. Because without a Democratic majority, we have no power. And without power, we will never be effective in opposing Bush’s relentless march to war.

Please do what you can. Volunteer to phone bank this weekend. Give money until it hurts. Here’s the link to Busby’s website:

http://www.busbyforcongress.com/

Dear Stanley Sheinbaum,
Thank you for letting us know that about the Marcy Winograd candidacy.  Until we take decisive actions to outs the Jane Harmans and to elect the Marcy Winograds, we will continue to wallow in the old ways.  Marcy Winograd will not be changing things around very much, but she is an important step in the direction we need to take.

Francis Sarguis
Santa Barbara

hey! how ‘bout directing those “war billions” back into the pockets of the people that are paying or will have to pay for it?

what’s worse? the vile party-in-office who’s spending our and our children’s money as fast as it comes in on “democratization” of our a-rab friends, or the goofy party-out-of-office, who sees all that money and can’t wait to dream up social programs to spend it.

we REALLY need another revolution!

So Marcy Winograd is supposed to become the Congress person for one of the largest military/defence congressional district in this country.  Where the base of most of the tax revenues comes from in this district.  Where all the businesses that support this industry employ thousands of people and where all their employees depend on ALL these pay checks to survive?

She is the wrong candidate for this particular district. A nice lady that has no idea about her district she wants to represent.

Stanley is my political guru ever since I worked on the staff of both his Santa Barbara campaigns for Congress in the ‘60’s. I will send a contribution, inform others to do so as well and cross my fingers for Marcy as this is not my Congressional District. Margie Bernard

Harman’s duplicitous record of supporting US violence abroad is almost as dismal as her record of supporting the government abuse of American’s civil rights.  Winograd is a genuine progressive who will protect American’s rights and push hard to get us out of these insane and immoral foreign policy blunders.