EMILY's List Faces Internal Donor Dissent

by: Matt Stoller

Sat Apr 19, 2008 at 09:00


We've documented a variety of problems caused by the EMILY's List model of politics, including the execrable 11% victory rate for EMILY's List endorsed Democratic House candidates in 2006.  I've heard some grumblings from donors who are frustrated at the fairly conservative leanings of many of their candidates and the general lack of accountability in the process.  It's getting a bit worse.  At the end of the last quarter, EMILY's List sent out a fundraising pitch for Joan Fitzgerald, a Democrat running in a contested primary against Jared Polis, a progressive and wealthy businessman in Colorado, for the second Congressional district.  It's a safe seat.

EMILY's List has been sending out materials angering their local donors calling Polis a conservative and making pitches like this:  "Will you help Fitz-Gerald keep this critical seat in Democratic hands".  The seat is safe, so this argument is dishonest.  Furthermore, Polis is not a conservative; he was in fact on the EMILY's List Majority Council and was endorsed by former EMILY's List candidates Peggy Lamm, Pat Schroeder, Angie Paccione and Josie Heath.

There are a variety of other dishonest claims that EMILY's List is making about Polis on behalf of Fitzgerald, and it makes sense for them to work for her election.  That's their mandate.  But the way it's happening is rubbing a number of their donors the wrong way.  EMILY's List is making claims similar to their dishonest arguments in Massachusetts 5th around choice on behalf of Nikki Tsongas, only this time, they have attacked one of their own supporters quite viciously, and this is inadvertently reducing the organization's credibility.  People give to EMILY's List to promote female candidates, to promote progressive candidates, and because they believe their money isn't being wasted.  By lying about the Republican threat to the seat (there isn't one, it's a PVI D+8 seat), they are reducing their own credibility that they are using resources wisely elsewhere.  And by misleading people about Polis's record, the group is muddling the brand that they are progressive.

Some of their donors are quite shocked, and are beginning to wonder if EMILY's List is making false claims in its pitch for resources elsewhere.  I have seen up close how helpful the group can be, but there seem to be serious structural flaws that Ellen Malcolm has not yet seen fit to address.  You can't simply lie about your friends anymore and expect to escape accountability.

Matt Stoller :: EMILY's List Faces Internal Donor Dissent

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EMILY's List Faces Internal Donor Dissent | 14 comments
How Are Folks Learning About This Stuff, Anyway? (4.00 / 2)
It's that Internet thingie, isn't it?

Damn you, Al Gore!

"You know what they say -- those of us who fail history... doomed to repeat it in summer school." -- Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Season 6, Episode 3

not noticing (4.00 / 2)
A couple weeks ago I sent Emily's List an email criticising their continued support of Mrs. Clinton.  They don't seem to read the content of the email they get.

They've sent me 5 begs since then.

Soon I will go to their site and unsub from them.  It's just been too much trouble to bother.

But the other interesting point is that every missive from them comes from an individual.  Most such things come with some sort of indicating in the From field that they're from an organization.

It Seems To Me... (0.00 / 0)
that every organization, including EMILY's List, that supports women for public office (including Clinton now) is getting the shaft from the left because they aren't supporting Barack Obama.

I have to say that I am just really shocked and saddened that you folks and others in the left blogosphere can't even have a reasonable dialogue anymore unless it consists of supporting your views, your candidates, your goals, and your definitions.

What has happened to progressive politics? What I've seen the last months isn't progressive, imo. It's destructive narrowly-tailored views of what is and is not progressive and it is disturbing to the max.

Frankly, what EMILYs is doing is in many ways what the DNC is doing re: Barack Obama, under Howard Dean's leadership playing politics the good oldfashioned way. Yet I don't hear a peep from the left about his (or Barack Obama's) stealth tactics and dirty tricks.

This is NOT the Democratic Party, no matter how you slice and parse it. It's a singular agenda, not a set of Big Tent Party goals and ideals.

[ Parent ]
Variation on an old theme... (4.00 / 1)
... See, on the flip side of that, everyone who supports Obama has spent the last several months being accused of sexism, as if there's no reason anyone could oppose Hillary other than her chromosomes.  It couldn't have ANYTHING to do with a voting record that is only slightly more progressive than McCain's and a campaign that increasingly works from the same talking points as McCain's, right?

For all her talk of "standing up to the Republicans", she sure has a voting record that is all about lying down for them.

It's time that EL focuses on actually backing candidates that would fight for the rights of women instead of backing anyone that squats to pee.  In the TN-09 race in 2006, they absolutely slandered a progressive candidate with thirty years of experience fighting for equality for women.  And what did they slander him for?  A candidate that was basically Harold Ford Jr. in a dress who refused to say where she stood on any controversial issue.  In 2006, despite our nation having been at war for three years, Nikki Tinker couldn't actually bring herself to say whether or not she had formed an opinion on it (She's running again this year and still hasn't).

EL is staying out of the race this year SO FAR, and I don't expect them to get involved.  Why?  Because the women of this congressional district that knew who was really going to help them all told EL to take a long walk off of a short pier.  Their contributions are down in this area as a direct result of their actions.  They got burned, and they're not going to touch the stove again.  Lessons learned.

And they're doing it again right now in the presidential race, and by all appearances, the Polis-Fitzgerald race.  They're backing a female candidate despite the fact that said female candidate has a track record of not selling out the progressives that will actually fight for a woman's rights.

Perhaps it's time that they actually focus on an agenda rather than making sure the requisite number of representatives use the right bathroom.

If you want women's rights, you have to have a progressive candidate.  Sorry--- That's just the way it is.  If you are part of a group that has helped Marsha Blackburn, yet you're in favor of women's rights, you have worked against your own interests.  

It would be smarter to focus on an agenda.

[ Parent ]
Emily's List has too narrow an agenda and is unnecessarily divisive (4.00 / 2)
My wife is one of those Emily's List donors that became frustrated with their narrow political agenda and stopped giving. In my opinion any Progressive or Democratic fund that pre-selects candidates based on gender, race, religion, etc. is immediately suspect. For one, I think promoting candidates principally on the basis of gender creates unnecessary tensions in the political base. However, if we support candidates strictly on the basis of their progressive platforms, there will be plenty of women and minorities to take leadership positions, broaden the base, and make the Party stronger.
Amen (0.00 / 0)
We had a local candidate endorsed by Emily's List, Liz McCallum, who ran a Florida state rep seat. She lost the 2006 Democratic primary for the spot...and then immediately signed on with Reform Party gubernatorial candidate Max Linn* as a spokesperson and consultant.  During her campaign, many already had suggested that McCallum had many Republican tendencies.

I'm not suggesting that this single anecdote reflects of the quality of Emily's List but it does reinforce your point that their candidate is not necessarily the most solid candidate nor the best candidate for progressive causes.

* Footnote to this bizzaro tale: Linn recently switched registration to Democrat and is running for a Congressional seat held by Bill Young (R). I don't understand the mindset of candidates who change their party affiliations or loyalties from election to election--or within an election as McCallum had done.  

[ Parent ]
Steve Cohen House seat (4.00 / 3)
Take at look at Memphis, too.  Stephen Cohen, the incumbent, is pro-choice, and very progressive, but they're trying to unseat him.  Waste of money.
They Swiftboated Steve Cohen in 2006 (4.00 / 1)
I don't expect them to do much on behalf of Nikki Tinker this year.  They don't generally do much against an incumbent unless he gives them reason.

But the hatchet job they did on Cohen in 2006 isn't something that should be forgiven.  Before the primary, they sent out an anti-Cohen mailer that was probably one of the more dishonest pieces of direct mail I've seen since I was old enough to follow politics.

Among the lies:  They characterized a vote on whether or not an adult-oriented business could open on Sunday as a "sex crime vote".

I'd never had an ideological problem with Emily's List before that, but I've sure got no use for them now.

[ Parent ]
Shame on you Emily's List! (4.00 / 1)

I have been quite frustrated with Emily's List getting involved with the primaries. (An NOW for that matter.) Your diary reminded me to send them a Shame On You email and told them to bud out.

I think their training program for female candidates is very good. I am very angry with their role in the primaries this election. If it were a choice between pro-choice v. anti-choice candidates, then I could forgive their involvement. But that is not the case in our Presidential and in the CO-02 election.

If anyone wants to send a note, please email me for the address I have in my inbox. This email is for the training department but I asked her to please forward on to Ellen Malcolm. It's better than sending it to an info email via the web. My email is in my profile.

Thank you Matt for writing this up.

Oh and Jared Polis is a terrific candidate. 

Disclosure Note: greenchiledem is treasuere for Jared Polis campaign committe. 


Emily's List (4.00 / 3)
I have been a Planned Parenthood board member and contributor for nearly 50 years. I marched in the Million Women march in Washington. Naturally I saw Emily's List as a natural fit for my priorities. I contributed big bucks(for me)to Emily's List prior to the Kerry/Bush campaign.  Went to their big luncheon at the convention where I was a delegate from OH-05 and also a supporter of Robin Weirauch who was trying to unseat a long time Republican during two cycles. Emily's List did nothing for Robin although in the more recent special election they finally promised her $5000 in matching funds. Too little, too late and no risk taken during the four years Robin worked her tail off in this huge 16 county district. Right now I'm furious about their support of Clinton. It may conform to the Emily's List mandate to elect pro-choice women no matter who or when, but they've certainly lost me.
Sorry to see this,... (0.00 / 0)
...but not entirely surprised, given the general turmoil on the progressive/liberal side.

I have been wondering how EMILY's list decides whom to support, especially in regard to how much weight is given candidate gender, versus stance on issues of importance to women.  Despite this uncertainty, I gave a good-sized contribution to them recently, out of gratitude for their support of Donna Edwards in MD-04.  Of course I'm now getting the e-mail bombardment from Ms. Malcolm other commenters have noted.

I'll have to keep an eye on this, as well as all the other turmoil among potential/actual progressive groups (SEIU/CNA, etc.).  Interesting times...

Keep your mind free and clear, Donna Edwards, and don't sell your soul.

Emily's List is listing (0.00 / 0)


John McCain doesn't care about Vets.


Interesting timing... (0.00 / 0)
http://www.coloradopols.com/sh...
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                                                                                                               APRIL 19, 2008
CONTACT: Dayna Hanson, (720) 936-7034 or
                Dayna@polisforcongress.com

POLIS ENDORSES OBAMA FOR PRESIDENT
Announcement made at nationwide Nation for Change! event in Boulder

BOULDER, CO -- Jared Polis today announced his endorsement of Senator Barrack Obama for President, citing a need for a true progressive voice in Washington and a leader who is willing to put party politics aside in the best interest of the nation. ...

Another superdelegate for Obama.  And look at the timestamp.

EMILY's List has passed its "Shelf Life" (4.00 / 1)
EMILY's List was founded in 1985 in Ellen Malcolm's basement, and today Ellen Malcolm is still President of EMILY's List!

In 1985, it made sense for one organization to focus on the narrow agenda of electing female pro-choice Democratic Party candidates to political office.  I guess by their 20th anniversary the organization had exhausted its usefulness - and perhaps its effectiveness, if the 11% success rate in the 2006 general election meant anything.

From this perspective, it looks as though the "old girls' network" created to promote candidates like Hillary Clinton has, like Hillary, exhausted both its political creativity and its political ethics after more than 20 years in the trenches.

Yes, I'm afraid that "the old girls' network" has become a part of the Old Politics that the Obama vision seeks to eclipse!  That result should not be too surprising, I guess, since the narrow focus of this particular political network was instrumental in helping bring to office many women (like Hillary herself) who were bought and paid for by the Democratic Leadership Council and its pro-corporate funding base!

EMILY's List Faces Internal Donor Dissent | 14 comments





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