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.
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