In 2002, Gov. Gray Davis and his campaign became famous for spending around $10 million on ads attacking (and promoting at various times) Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan, who was in a Republican primary for governor and considered a more serious threat than businessman Bill Simon. The ads helped Riordan go (at one point) from over 30 points ahead to losing by 18.
In CA-45, there is a 3rd-party teabagger in the race between Mayor Steve Pougnet and Rep. Mary Bono Mack who is siphoning off a lot of Mack's vote. Pougnet's campaign is executing a similar tactic:
Hoping that third party candidate Bill Lussenheide can steal a significant portion of the Republican vote from incumbent Rep. Mary Bono Mack next month, Democratic challenger and Palm Springs Mayor Steve Pougnet paid for a robo call promoting Lussenheide as the "true conservative in the race."
The call features a woman who describes herself as a registered Republican and says she's voting for Lussenheide, who is running as an American Independent, because he's the real Tea Party candidate in the race for California's 45th Congressional District. At the end of the call, the woman notes that it was paid for by the Pougnet Campaign
At the same time, Pougnet sent out mailers - largely to the same audience - describing Lussenheide as "extreme" and "dangerous." By comparison, Lussenheide makes Bono Mack, R-Palm Springs, "look like a raging liberal," according to the mailer.
The robo calls are designed to target Republicans who might question whether Bono mack is conservative enough, while the mailers appear to be intended to portray both Lusseneide and Bono Mack in a poor light.
This is actually a big deal that could work, as a teabagger named Clayton Thibodeau took 27% of the vote against Bono Mack in the Republican primary earlier this year. As you've probably read, I'm a strong supporter of Pougnet's, who aside from being strongly progressive all-around, would be the first gay married dad in Congress. After spending a lot of time talking to folks on the ground in the distrct, there's an incredibly strong distaste for Bono Mack in the district, who makes few friends with her opposition to LGBT equality in places like more progressive, gay Palm Springs and being considered a RINO in other, more conservative parts of the district. And before anyone thinks that pieces like this telling who paid for the calls and mailers make people think twice, I disagree. With folks hating politics in general of late, two other big-ticket (gubernatorial race and Senate race) races to pay attention to, I think insider baseball stuff like this doesn't grab attention. Davis' campaign moves were an even bigger deal with the money he was spending, and it still had the intended effect.
If this works, it could nudge Pougnet over the edge, too.
So I was at a Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund dinner last night (they raise money for openly LGBT candidates). Speaker Pelosi came and spoke, and talked about how much progress she made by telling a story. She said David Cicilline, who is the openly gay mayor of Providence, RI and seemingly a lock to be elected to replace Patrick Kennedy, came to her office and said, "Madame Speaker, I would be the first openly gay person elected to Congress." To which she replied, no, that was Tammy Baldwin. Then he said, uh, well, I would be the first openly gay man elected to Congress. No, she said, that was Jared Polis. Then he paused, and said, "Well, then I would be the first openly gay Italian-American elected to Congress!"
I'm telling the story because I think it illustrates the progress made by the progressive community in electing diverse candidates to office who start changing attitudes internally... from the Tammy Baldwins of the world to the first Muslim in Keith Ellison, and so forth.
For some background, I've written about Steve before here and here, and we had him here on OpenLeft along with 5 other LGBT blogs for a live chat last week. He'd be the first married gay parent elected to Congress. No small deal in a Congress where so many of the electeds think every child, even the ones desperate to have adopted parents, need a mother and a father. No small deal in a Congress where so many of the electeds think marriage is between a man and a woman, because that's how it's always been.
His campaign sent me his creative new ad, which will start running today:
Background on Bono Mack's attacks and the web ads she had to pull down can be found here
Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis was out campaigning for Steve last week at a big labor rally, and called Bono Mack part of "the team that put us in this hole, this mess, this ditch." Not only is that true, she refuses to help get us out. She has this faux moderate aura about her, but votes with Boehner over and over again. She voted against the stimulus, opposed a public option, the financial reform bill, even the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. She refuses to take a position on SB 1070 in a district that is 38% Latino and borders Arizona. She voted against repeal of DADT, refuses to co-sponsor or express support for an inclusive ENDA.
And the part that really gets me? She supported the 1999 Largent Amendment to ban same-sex adoption in DC. So basically, she doesn't think people like Steve and his partner should be even allowed to raise their two happy, healthy, smart children- much less go to Congress.
That's not the only reason to support Steve. Steve also has gotten Palm Springs awarded an innovation hub for clean and renewable energy (only one of two in SoCal) and as an outdoors person, is a leader on clean energy, from pushing support for California's AB 32 law to finding ways to save energy in Palm Springs government. He helped get medical marijuana dispensaries up and running in the city and is supporting Prop 19 this year. He's been endorsed by Democracy for America, the California Nurses Association, California Teachers Association and Federation of teachers, Planned Parenthood, Council for a Livable World, HRC and the Victory Fund.
Please join me in welcoming Mayor Steve Pougnet to OpenLeft for today's live chat about his race against Republican Mary Bono Mack and any/all issues important to you. Mayor Pougnet was first elected in 2007 and is running in CA-45, a district Obama won last cycle. He was also on the original DCCC Red to Blue list, is endorsed by Democracy For America and was a DFA Grassroots All-Star finalist. More background on him and where he stands can be found here.
This chat is being simultaneously hosted on AMERICABlog, Pam's House Blend, Bilerico Project, and Good As You. You can submit a question below using the simple interface, with just your name and question. No user account required. Ask away!
Please join us today at 2 PM EST for a live chat with Mayor Steve Pougnet, the Democratic nominee for Congress in CA-45 (against incumbent Republican Mary Bono Mack)
Continuing our series of live chats with selected pro-equality candidates in competitive races (last week's was with Paul Hodes) in which OpenLeft is partnering with AMERICABlog, Pam's House Blend, Bilerico Project, and Good As You, today Mayor Steve Pougnet will be taking questions at OpenLeft at 2 PM EST. Steve sent this in last night:
I know Steve to be someone who embraces transparency and new media- he often says to me that he's not afraid to take any question from anyone, anywhere. That's part of the reason I'm strongly supporting Steve- because he believes in the netroots providing accountability.
There are a lot of other reasons I'm supporting Steve- his work on clean energy as Mayor of Palm Springs, CA, is one- but the biggest one is what I've written here if you'd like some background. Steve would be the first openly gay, legally married parent elected to Congress.
Photo credit: The Advocate
It's as he says in the video above- the sight of him with his partner and twin children ascending the Capitol steps, and being visible to colleagues, could be a tremendous milestone for our movement. A lot of movement for people- including members of Congress- is visibility and member-to-member contact, and Steve being the only member of Congress to be affected by DOMA is a big deal. Steve and his partner proving that same-sex adoption can result in children being raised in a healthy environment is a big deal- a lot of members are still opposed to the idea. In short, it would be a big step forward for equality in the halls of Congress.
Meanwhile, Bono Mack voted against repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, refuses to co-sponsor ENDA or say how she'll vote on the measure, refuses to say whether she supports Prop 8 in her own state, and supported the Largent Amendment in 1999 to ban same-sex adoption in the District of Columbia. She also supported the bailout, opposed the stimulus, a health care public option, the financial reform bill, and even voted against the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. People tell me Bono Mack is one of the "decent" ones, and it shocks them when I point out how rank-and-file she is. It says a lot when she was endorsed by the Gay FreedomWorks, a.k.a. GOProud. The contrast couldn't be greater, and it's what makes this race one of the more exciting for progressives going on offense against an incumbent this cycle.
Join us at 2 PM EST for a live chat with Steve Pougnet, and bring your best questions.
I have gotten somewhat tired of hearing the woes of Dems this cycle from folks reading Politico and assuming the majorities will all but evaporate. There's an intentional ignorance in the traditional media to forget about open Senate seats ripe for pickup in New Hampshire, Missouri, Ohio and Kentucky, and competitive seats in North Carolina and elsewhere. For a variety of reasons, there hasn't been as much attention on the House, where I'm focusing on CA-45, a district where Obama won and we have a candidate that can do the same.
CNN has a profile up about Steve Pougnet, the openly gay mayor of Palm Springs, CA who is running to take down Mary Bono Mack, the Republican incumbent. Steve, who I profiled earlier here, would be the first married, openly gay parent elected two Congress (he and his partner are raising twins, Julia and Beckham).
Photo credit: The Advocate
In the piece, Mary is portrayed as she would wish us to believe, a moderate Republican in the mold of Susan Collins:
California's 45th congressional district has never been represented by a Democrat, but the majority party is looking to give six-term Rep. Mary Bono Mack a run for her money.
The district, which includes Palm Springs and the slice of rural southern California just to the city's east, has seen a population growth of 28 percent since 2000. Hispanics now make up 41 percent of the population. As such, an electorate that overwhelmingly voted for George W. Bush in 2000 and 2004 handed President Obama a 5-point victory two years ago.
As her constituency shifted toward the middle of the political spectrum, Bono Mack shifted across party lines to vote with the Democrats on some key pieces of legislation. In 2007, she was one of 82 Republicans to vote in favor of raising the minimum wage. In 2008, she voted in favor of the financial industry bailout known as TARP. And in June, she was one of eight Republicans to support the Democrat's "cap and trade" energy bill.
To unpack a coupla things, being one of 82 Republicans in favor of raising the minimum wage in 2007 in contrast to an unpopular President's opposition isn't exactly a profile-in-courage. Nor is voting in favor of TARP along with dozens of other Republicans, including neoconservatives like Roy Blunt. The piece continues with some contrasts:
Palm Spring's large gay community has made equal rights a key issue in the race. Bono Mack has not taken a stance on Proposition 8 but has twice voted against constitutional bans on same-sex marriage. Pougnet, who is openly gay, supports repealing Prop. 8, the Defense of Marriage Act, and the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.
The district shares a border with Arizona and is within 50 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border, which has thrust immigration reform into the spotlight as well. Pougnet opposes Arizona's controversial immigration law, the strictest parts of which have been temporarily blocked by a federal judge. Bono Mack has stopped short of endorsing Arizona's legislation, but said the state's citizens voted for the law because the Obama administration has "failed to act" on immigration.
Bono Mack also voted against repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, refuses to co-sponsor ENDA or say how she'll vote on the measure, and supported the Largent Amendment in 1999 to ban same-sex adoption in the District of Columbia. She also opposed the stimulus, a health care public option, the financial reform bill, and even voted against the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. People tell me Bono Mack is one of the "decent" ones, and it shocks them when I point out how rank-and-file she is.
Meanwhile, Steve just released his first ad this week pointing out these contrasts:
The buy is 1000 points on Palm Springs broadcast and a large cable buy in the Los Angeles media market, which is supplement by a large English and Spanish radio buy. The campaign tells me Pougnet is the first House challenger to be up on broadcast and cable this cycle.
Because a large part of the district is in Los Angeles media market and the expense of staying on the air there, and that the Pougnet campaign is at a financial disadvantage, they could use a few bucks to introduce Steve to the rest of the district. I threw in $10 myself this morning.
While national Democrats focus on protecting every seat- including anti-LGBT Blue Dogs- let's focus on building progressive, pro-equality majorities by going on offense.
Note: You can watch Steve's debate tonight at 9:30 EST here.
I don't normally take a close interest in Congressional races unless it's someone I personally know, have believed in enough to work for (Ted Kennedy) or is a personal hero of mine (also Ted Kennedy). I want to hit on one race that's different.
I've been in touch with Steve, who is the current Mayor of Palm Springs, CA, and his team since last year. Steve, who is openly gay, is running against Mary Bono Mack in CA-45, a district Obama won with just over 51% of the vote that is centered on Palm Springs and Cathedral City that stretches east to the Arizona border, and includes Joshua Tree National Park. Aside from being generally terrible on plenty of issues, including the stimulus and health care, Bono Mack parades around as this faux LGBT-friendly member of Congress, mostly because heavily gay Palm Springs is in her district. Then she voted for the Largent Amendment in 1999, which would have banned same-sex parent adoption in DC. She refused to take any position on Prop 8, despite being a CA member. She refuses to co-sponsor an inclusive ENDA. And the final straw for me was voting against repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, despite compromise after compromise being made, and characters like Powell and Cheney coming out in favor of it, to pave the way for supposed LGBT-friendly moderates like Bono Mack. Didn't matter.
Back to Steve. A lot of candidates reach out to online organizers and blogfolk, and Steve's team was no different at first. They know I write about LGBT issues. That was until I started talking more and more with him personally, and discovered that he actually reads blogs, and even more importantly, he actually gets it.
I use that expression a lot, and people use it a lot with me, and it's hard to define "it". Taking a loose stab at "it", I would say it means he gets the need to organize in and outside of Congress. In fact, he used that term with me- "organize" when I first talked with him on the phone about six months ago. I took notes on what he said to me:
I know you do online organizing. I would like to do that same kind of organizing, but colleague-to-colleague. I would be the first openly gay parent elected to Congress- I've got two daughters. I would be first legally married gay man elected to Congress. I really think kind of colleague-to-colleague contact makes a difference. I want to go to DC to build those kinds of relationships and bring straight allies onboard.
It really struck a chord with me. Aside from what I believe is the need to have more out LGBT members of Congress- there are only 3 out of 435- having someone who runs for the first time as a married gay dad just sends jitters through me when I think about what kind of difference that could make. I often wonder to myself, how many moderate, squishy members of Congress who are hedging on their co-sponsorship of ENDA, or aren't sure if they believe in marriage equality, have ever actually talked to someone like Steve? Arkansas voters recently enacted a ban on same-sex parent adoption, and it's become an issue in Florida statewide races. How many members from those delegations know someone who is a in a same-sex relationship and raised kids just as well as any two opposite-sex individuals?
And, perhaps most importantly, he would be the only member of Congress impacted by DOMA, as he told John and Joe:
He continued to tell me on the phone:
I'm not going to Washington look for a job. I have children. I'm very passionate about my politics. All my employees and my bosses knew that I'm gay and who my partner is, despite going to a conservative school. I'm never been afraid of that and I won't be in Washington. Do I plan on making it very difficult for folks to vote against something that will hurt my family? Absolutely. There's nothing my family is going to do that's going to hurt your family. So will I be a strong force on those issues? Absolutely. You'll see very quickly the leadership role we play in the LGBT movement.
I don't think it's a silver bullet, but having an openly gay dad in Congress could make a difference.
Aside from that, Steve is boldly progressive on many other issues, including his concentration as Mayor on clean energy, his support of a public option (his father is a physician, his mother a nurse, and talked my ear off about health care), and his concentration on the environment (he's a big outdoors guy). He married more same-sex couples than any other mayor in California. He took the time to come to Netroots Nation this year. He was a DFA Grassroots All-Star finalist. He diaries on Kos and raises on ActBlue from boldly progressive communities. He reads progressive blogs, including our little space here. I'm proud to try and help him get to Congress.
I'm telling you all this because Steve is debating Mary Bono Mack tonight- her first debate since 2002- in their only debate of the year at 6:30 PST/9:30 EST. I'm kinda looking forward to it, if only because I haven't seen a candidate debate since, I think, Obama/McCain.
You can watch it here (and if the embed works, I'll embed it here). Check him out, watch the debate and see what you think.
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