The message that democracy works best when all citizens participate – including those reintegrating into society after serving time for felony convictions - is finally being heard by the public, the media, and the U.S. Congress. Whether the message will affect the change needed to enfranchise the millions of Americans who currently cannot represent their communities in the democratic process, it is encouraging to find more citizens recognize the value in voting rights restoration and its impact on rehabilitation.
This week Project Vote and the ACLU of Pennsylvania filed a lawsuit, on behalf of ACORN, against Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett and Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala, Jr. The purpose of the suit is to keep the district attorney from filing a frivolous complaint alleging that ACORN's method of retaining - not paying - canvassers was a violation of state law.
If there was ever a doubt that committed activists could shake things up and make a difference, let the recent grassroots PA-Sen Straw Poll stand as an example in your mind.
The problem: Political insiders were dominating the contours of the PA-Sen primary, trying to clear the field for Arlen Specter. The grassroots had no meaningful voice.
The solution: A Straw Poll supported by tons of national and state progressive actors -- where thousands of activists could weigh in on whether the most talked-about potential challenger was good enough to be drafted.
The theory of change: By creating one place where the public, political insiders, and the media could look to see the grassroots discontent with Specter and the level of support for Joe Sestak, progressives could alter the environment in which potential challengers made their decision about whether to run -- and alter the media dialogue to make the idea of a primary challenge less far-fetched.
Below are over 35 media stories and blog posts about the Straw Poll's launch and the final results -- personally, I'm most thrilled with all the local media coverage.
And John Morgan of The Pennsylvania Progressive (a Straw Poll partner) got some video of Sestak talking about our collective impact. Thanks to all who partnered and voted and believed that we could alter the political terrain together.
The grassroots Straw Poll has ended, and over 7,500 votes were cast!
The results: 85% in Pennsylvania and 86% nationally said YES -- draft Rep. Joe Sestak to run against Arlen Specter in the Democratic primary.
Joe Sestak just sent over this statement thanking all who voted!
"I am honored that so many of you took the time to vote in the recent grassroots Straw Poll. Let me tell you, I and many others were paying attention. If I decide to run it will be in large measure because of the grassroots energy of so many people like you. Until I and my family make that decision, please accept my thanks and my best wishes as you continue be active participants in our people-powered democracy. Thank you so very much!"
The goal of this Straw Poll -- sponsored by the PCCC in partnership with OpenLeft, Daily Kos, Digby, CrooksandLiars, the Pennsylvania Progressive, Keystone Progress, and many others -- was to allow the grassroots to have a meaningful voice in a process previously dominated by party insiders.
Not only does there appear to be grassroots energy for a primary -- but Sestak seems to be someone many folks could rally around.
Sestak obviously is paying attention to the voting results, and a big grassroots draft fund would also likely influence his decision even more.
If he runs, he automatically gets all draft donations, giving him a boost. If he doesn't, funds in that account go to ActBlue -- a vital piece of progressive infrastructure that has revolutionized people-power campaigning by making online contributions to Democrats easy. (Thanks, ActBlue!)
I've now counted 6 strikes against Specter since he announced himself a Democrat (tell me if I'm missing any):
He opposed President Obama's health care plan, voted with banks to kick people out of their homes, opposed Employee Free Choice, said Norm Coleman should be seated in Minnesota, launched a "cure cancer" fundraising site that actually funds his own political campaign, and declared he will not be a loyal Democrat.
There's an important decision for Democrats and progressives to make concerning 2010. That's why, as I've mentioned before, the PCCC, Open Left, Daily Kos, and a bunch of national and Pennsylvania progressive partners teamed up for a grassroots Straw Poll:
"Should a Draft Sestak movement be created to take on Sen. Arlen Specter in the Pennsylvania Democratic primary?"
Voting remains open for less than 24 hours, ending 10am EST Monday. So, wanted to give folks one final chance to weigh in. Arguments for and against drafting Sestak are made on the polling site.
Over 7,000 folks have voted so far, and this Straw Poll has already been covered by Politico, ABC, NBC, the Philadelphia Inquirer, and a bunch of news outlets across Pennsylvania.
Rep. Joe Sestak (D-PA) told a local paper he is watching the Straw Poll as he decides whether the grassroots energy exists for a primary run to be worthwhile. So the way I see it -- the more people that vote, the more impact we'll have on the race.
For those who didn't get to see the drama unfold in real time this week, I thought I'd compile a brief summary of the major points to keep everyone up to date (minus the blink-and-you-miss-it appearance of Tom Ridge).
I met Joe Sestak in 2006. He came to speak at Haverford College, which sits right on the border of Pennsylvania's Montgomery and Delaware Counties. The latter had been represented in congress by Republican Curt Weldon for the last 20 years, but Joe fought to change that. Wearing blue jeans and an obnoxiously vibrant collared shirt, Sestak did not look the part of a true pol as he stood at the front of a small lecture hall. What prevailed upon us in that meeting though was Joe's sincerity and concern for the people of Philadelphia's western suburbs. He spoke plainly and at length about his personal commitment to restoring competence to the military appropriations process and to extending the public health privileges that his family enjoyed to all Americans. We who met Joe that night were relatively unsurprised when, despite early skepticism, he defeated Weldon by 7 points.
Born in 1983, I have never known a Pennsylvania politics not dominated by the unique, wishy-washy leadership style of Senator Arlen Specter. As a kid, I knew him as the guy who would call in occasionally to the local sports talk radio station and walk his dog through my East Falls high school campus (an entitlement which, needless to say, no other Philadelphian enjoyed). Since that time I have gotten to know the man better as something of a political coward--championing desperately needed progressive reforms and then voting against them, and apologizing for when not scripting Bush administration legal policies in the Senate. No, it came as no surprise to me when Specter decided that the Republican electorate in PA was no longer entitled to gauge his performance.
A New Democrat, Sestak is less progressive than I and I'm sure many of you. For the first time though, I see the very real potential for Arlen Specter to be replaced by a legislator who actually stands for something and respects the wants and needs of his constituency. So what else could I do but my best to ensure that Rep. Sestak does indeed decide to fight this time? If you feel the same, I encourage you to join our new Facebook group, Congressman Sestak, PLEASE challenge Senator Specter, share your opinions on our wall, email your support to the congressman and amplify the voice of Pennsylvanians no longer content to concede to the personal ambitions of a man whose opportunity to lead has so long been squandered.
Official description:
Joe Sestak is a United States Congressman representing the 7th District (Delaware County) of Pennsylvania. A Democrat, Sestak is a retired Navy Vice Admiral and the highest-ranking former member of the Armed Forces to serve in the Congress.
In 2006, Sestak challenged 10-term Republican Curt Weldon for the 7th District seat in Washington. Weldon, a Delaware County institution, had won re-election in 2004 with 59% of the vote in spite of Presidential candidate John Kerry's 53% winning tally in the district. Still, Sestak was able to raise funds beyond Weldon's in 2006 and win the election by a 7+ point margin. Since his election, Sestak has actively served on the House committees on Small Business, Education & Labor and Armed Services, earning Majority Leader Steny Hoyer's designation as the most productive freshman congressman.
Sestak has made indications that he may seek election to the United States Senate seat currently held by Republican Arlen Specter. Specter has recently thrown that bid into question by declaring that he now is in fact a Democrat.
So what kind of Democrat the Keystone state inherit in Specter? He ardently supports the death penalty. He has voted against the Brady Bill, background checks at gun shows, the ban on assault weapons, and trigger locks for handguns. In 2006, an amendment written by Specter in to the USA PATRIOT act allowed the Bush administration to appoint United States Attorneys without confirmation by the Senate or limits on their terms. He voted for cloture on the Employee Free Choice Act in 2007, then voted against the bill. In 2009 he has vowed to not vote for cloture on the same. This exemplifies a long history of voicing tacit support for progressive measures and not voting for them in congress. Still a representative of a large blue-collar constituency from Philadelphia, Specter has recently showed more interest in investigating the destruction of "Spygate" tapes by the NFL following the New England Patriots' defeat of the Philadelphia Eagles in Superbowl XXXIX.
The longest-serving Senator in Pennsylvania's history, Arlen Specter will represent the state for a 30th year in 2010. Now 79 years old, Specter is seeking re-election to a 6th term. His decision to switch parties in April of this year represents his desire to do so, facing a strong Republican primary challenge from his right and voicing no future policy ambitions to endear him to either side.
Always the fighter, Joe Sestak has appropriately wondered aloud about what exactly Arlen Specter is fighting for, aside from his establishment status. If he is to be re-elected, it is possible that Specter will earn the very powerful charimanship of the Senate Appropriation Committee, though it is unknowable to anyone what Democratic measure he might champion there. What is widely understood about Specter is that he is loyal to no one and bafflingly unpredictable. Sestak has meanwhile sought to make the most of his deep personal commitment to armed service personnel and the people of Pennsylvania, notably through his stance on accessible and affordable health care, which Arlen Specter has shown no meaningful signs of supporting.
So this is our choice, Pennsylvanians! The Washington establishment has rallied around Specter, but it will ultimately be our responsibility to choose a Democratic candidate to face anti-tax pitchfork-wielder Pat Toomey. If you would like to see Pennsylvania represented by an energetic agent for change, and not the original proponent of the single-bullet theory, please join our group, email Joe and let him know that it's time to fight again.
On the very day Arlen Specter became a Democrat, he lamented that not enough right-wing Bush judges got confirmed, he opposed workers' right to organize, and he compared himself to Joe Lieberman. The DSCC and Pennsylvania Democratic Party will be supporting Specter in the primary.
If there is a potential progressive challenger to Arlen Specter in Pennsylvania, they are probably scratching their head right now asking, "Would I have any chance at all if I ran, or is the fix in?"
What can progressives to do create an environment where this person feels they can run?
Legally, we can't put money in a pot for a fictional candidate. But we can pledge now that if a real progressive steps up, we'll get their back.
People who join are pledging to give at least $25 to a credible progressive challenger who steps up. It'll either succeed or flop -- and that will solely be determined by whether the energy is there for people to join and pass it along to their friends.
If enough folks join, media will probably pay attention -- but more important, a progressive challenger would be paying attention. If not many people join...same thing. The destiny of a "challenge Specter" movement is in your hands. And the window to make this idea credible is likely short.
So, what say you? Click here or on the image above if you want to join.
Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter will switch his party affiliation from Republican to Democrat and announced today that he will run in 2010 as a Democrat, according to a statement he released this morning.
Specter's decision would give Democrats a 60 seat filibuster proof majority in the Senate assuming Democrat Al Franken is eventually sworn in as the next senator from Minnesota. (Former senator Norm Coleman is appealing Franken's victory in the state Supreme Court.)
"I have decided to run for re-election in 2010 in the Democratic primary," said Specter in a statement. "I am ready, willing and anxious to take on all comers and have my candidacy for re-election determined in a general election."
He added: "Since my election in 1980, as part of the Reagan Big Tent, the Republican Party has moved far to the right. Last year, more than 200,000 Republicans in Pennsylvania changed their registration to become Democrats. I now find my political philosophy more in line with Democrats than Republicans."
Overall, I'm happy. I mean, why shouldn't I be when we will be assured of 60 Senate votes once Al Franken is seated in Minnesota? Still, I have a few reservations.
As several states enter critical phases in their legislative sessions, the debate for one of the most controversial election reforms continues to dominate headlines and legislative hearings. This year, more than 26 states introduced legislation to go above and beyond federal election law relating to voter ID, despite near consensus among voting rights advocates that it hurts the process far more than it helps. Last week, the hysteria around voter ID reached an all time high in six states, evoking public concern from advocates and citizens alike.
I have long been enraged by the idea of for-profit corrections facilities. It is just not a good idea to make locking people up (or detaining them) profitable. In a capitalist system such as the U.S., profit becomes king - ruling over all other consideration. This is something we have seen a lot of lately. However, a case in point is the Pennsylvania corruption case that has resulted in overturning hundreds of juvenile convictions.
The perceived tightening of Pennsylvania polls seems to be due entirely to an increase in McCain support - undecideds coming home to McCain. But since Obama's support is above 50%, for McCain to pick off Pennsylvania would require a decrease in support for Obama - and there's no evidence of that. Obama's support has held steady, with the Pollster trend at 52% and only a couple polls coming in below 50%.
So concern over Pennsylvania tightening is misplaced - the polls actually show no reason for concern. The only cause for worry would be a pretty severe Bradley effect - people telling pollsters that they are voting for Obama when they actually will vote for McCain.
There really isn't a lot left to say as we head into the final 24 hours of the campaign. First, and most important, Kelly, Amanda and I want to thank everyone who has helped in any way with the campaign. The one thing I will take away from this experience, regardless of the outcome on Tuesday, is the people I've met, the communities I've visited and the stories we've shared.
It has also been encouraging how many people have stepped up over the last 2 weeks to help with donations to the campaign. Once our opponent got desperate and decided to go negative there were many people and organizations who stepped up and sent in late donations. These late donations allowed us to expand our media advertising and create a second TV ad to combat the distortions coming from our opponent's campaign.
McCain's best hope for victory requires taking a Kerry state big enough to offset the losses of Colorado, Virginia, Iowa and New Mexico. If he could hold all the rest of the Bush states (including Nevada) and take Pennsylvania, he wins 273-265.
So, McCain has been barnstorming PA lately as part of operation Infinite Delusion. They have 15 events held or scheduled in PA for the month of October including 7 by McCain himself, 6 by Palin, and 4 by Cindy (2 are joint McCain/Palin events). How's that working for him? October's PA polling:
Tell you what there Rocky, I don't think you'll be running up the steps with a crowd cheering you onto victory anytime soon.
Philadelphia sports fans have been waiting for a championship for 25 years. It almost happened last night, but the weather and MLB idiocy forced a controversial postponement of Game 5 of the World Series, setting up a 3-inning ending at 8:37pm Wednesday night, after an infomercial from Barack Obama. Philadelphia is a very angry town right now, and Barack Obama is playing with fire by running his infomercial directly before the game. Championship-starved Philly sports fans (I among them) will not appreciate a political commercial delaying an already-delayed outcome, and the man running that commercial will receive his fair share of ill will. If the Phillies lose tomorrow night, god forbid, Obama will likely be blamed by a large percentage of the local population. This may all seem ridiculous and childish to many of you, but if you understand the mind of the Philadelphia sports fan, it should make sense. He should pull the commercial and run it after the Series ends.
Update (Wed 1:24am): Since I didn't make it clear in the original post, I'd like to add that of course I know electing a Democratic president next week is more important than any sporting event, even a Phillies World Series. But not everybody feels that way (and by definition those people would be swing voters), so this may be a tone-deaf political move.
This is the fourth in the series of Grassroots Reports we are providing over the final few weeks of the campaign to let the blogosphere know what 21st Century Democrats is doing in several key battleground states. This week's report focuses on Pennsylvania which has become the epicenter of the race for the White House and the state where Republicans have chosen to make their last stand. They've redirected resources from all over the country to the Keystone State. Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin held a joint rally in Hershey, PA this morning reiterating their empty message. 21st Century Democrats is working day and night to ensure there is nothing sweet about McCain's plans for Pennsylvania.
The campaign schedule has been pretty intense over the last week and will continue to be so until the BIG day on Tuesday, November 4th. I want to congratulate everyone for putting so much effort into this year's election, not just for an individual campaign, but for the entire Democratic ticket. I've seen people in every community throughout the 5th district working to make sure the message is getting out.
I want to remind everyone it is important that we finish strong. Don't take anything for granted, ignore the polls and work like the polls show our candidates 5 points down. Remember, while all indications show Barack Obama will be our next president, if we believe the polls, Al Gore would be concluding his second term or we would be working to re-elect President John Kerry right now.
There's been much discussion over the McCain campaign's apparent retreat from Colorado in favor of longshot Pennsylvania. And now we get the news that John McCain and Sarah Palin will crisscross PA next week, making numerous appearances.
Why give up on Colorado, the state that could give Barack Obama his winning margin and where polling and history suggest better potential than Pennsylvania? Most of the speculation I've read has centered on electoral math and the desire of the McCain campaign to win one big blue state rather than trying to defend multiple poor-trending red states.
Here's another idea I got when looking at the polling for competitive House races at Pollster: Pennsylvania has more closely contested House races than any other state except Florida which has the same number, 10. Colorado, meanwhile, has only one and that one moved strongly toward the Dems a month ago.
The RNC has been footing much of the bill for the McCain campaign which is limited to 84 million dollars in federal matching funds. Has that money come with strings attached? Has the McCain campaign been pressured into the PA strategy in a bid to limit the damage in House races there? Another state McCain and/or Palin will visit next week? Ohio, with seven more competitive House races.
If the RNC believes McCain is going to lose they may at least want him to limit the damage in Congress. Does this theory make sense or not?
Now that McCain has adopted a last-minute, last-ditch, long shot Pennsylvania strategy, there has been a lot of concern trolling about my home state, Pennsylvania, recently. In a welcome development, polling shows it hasn't hurt Obama at all, but that it has hurt the concern trolls themselves.
One question the McCain campaign's decision to keep targeting Pennsylvania in spite of his 11-point deficit is whether a race can be considered done when there is a double-digit deficit with two weeks to go. The question also applies to Senate races like the Collins-Allen race in Maine, the Inhofe-Rice race in Oklahoma, and the Johanns-Kleeb race in Nebraska, all of which have about 11-14 point leads for the Republican according to the most recent public polling.
In keeping with my overall theory about politics and polling, I think the answer to that question is that it depends on what other factors are in play in the state in question and the race in question. Here's three of the biggest variables that need to be considered in all four of the above state contests:
