Staying above the fray pays in Florida

By Hilary on 07/22/2010 @ 04:49 PM

Tags: Alex Sink, 2010 Elections, FL-Gov, GOP Opponents

Great news in Florida -- new polling shows Alex Sink jumping ahead in the race for governor. While Republican candidates Rick Scott and Bill McCollum have been knocking each other back and forth on the airwaves, Alex has stayed above the fray, pushing her positive message -- and it's paying off. This Tampa news outlet said it best: Alex Sink surges as Rick Scott and Bill McCollum sling mud in Florida Governor's Race.

But, this race is far from over. The Republicans are reaching record spending levels and don’t show signs of slowing down any time soon. No matter which of the two comes out on top, Scott or McCollum, we know he’ll be setting his sights on Alex soon enough -- and she's going to need the resources to fight back against the mud coming her way.

UPDATE: Empowering women...by endorsing men?

By Hilary on 07/22/2010 @ 11:29 AM

Tags: Susan B. Anthony List, 2010 Elections, Dina Titus, NV-03

Last week, you heard from Jen about the perplexing workings of the anti-choice Susan B. Anthony List. The SBA List claims their mission is to support the election of anti-choice women to Congress, yet yesterday they announced the endorsement of ANOTHER male candidate.

This time they're touching down in Nevada where Cong. Dina Titus is fighting off a challenge from her former colleague state Sen. Joe Heck. We've been watching Heck, and know that he is the wrong choice for Nevada. He's aligned himself with the far-right Sharron Angle, even adopting her agenda as his own.

Heck stands with Angle and many more out-of-touch Republicans when it comes to putting Americans back to work. He's gone on the record to say “the role of Congress is not to create jobs.” With a district that has staggering unemployment, now is not the time to be turning back the clock to the failed economic policies of the last Republican administration.

We know Cong. Dina Titus in action, and she's not shaken by challenger Joe Heck - she's focused under pressure and is continuing to deliver for the people of Nevada's third district. In her first term, she hasn't held back, working to ensure that Congress was looking out for the families of her home state.

But with support from the SBA List and national Republicans, there's no doubt Heck will be able to tap into the GOP's financial resources to wage a formidable challenge. The National Republican Congressional Committee and right-wing groups such as The Family Research Council have committed to spending more than $1,400,000 in their attempts to unseat Cong. Titus.

Dina needs our help today. Click here to help her campaign and show the SBA List that we know what OUR mission is in Nevada!

Margaret steps in front

By Hilary on 07/21/2010 @ 06:15 PM

Tags: 2010 Elections, MN-Gov, Margaret Anderson Kelliher, GOP Opponents

Great news today from Margaret Anderson Kelliher's race for Governor in Minnesota -- public polling data just released shows that Margaret leads the GOP nominee Tom Emmer by 40%-35%. She also holds the highest margin over Emmer of all three Democratic primary candidates.

MAK, as the campaign likes to call her, has been working hard to reach out to women and men across Minnesota. There are just a few weeks left before her August 10th primary and the campaign's momentum continues to propel her forward. She's recruited volunteers to contact hundreds of thousands of voters and is up on the air right now letting the voters know how she'll be a breathe of fresh air for Minnesota's families. It's paying off!

"When Tom Emmer proposed cutting wages for Minnesota servers, Margaret was the one candidate who stood up and fought aggressively on behalf of hard-working Minnesotans. She was the one candidate to propose increasing the minimum wage," said her spokesperson.

With her proven record as Minnesota's Speaker of the House, it's easy to see why Margaret is our choice for Governor.

Mary Jo Kilroy rolls up her sleeves for American families

By Jen Bluestein Lamb on 07/21/2010 @ 04:12 PM

Tags: Mary Jo Kilroy, OH-15, GOP Opponents, US House

Last night, I had the privilege of spending some time with Cong. Mary Jo Kilroy (OH-15), a true progressive leader from Ohio. I couldn’t believe I was getting the opportunity to talk to Mary Jo the night before her work on financial reform became law. Mary Jo was one of only two freshman on the conference committee, and she worked hard to write this bill and get it passed. But you know what? She wasn’t resting on her laurels. She was already talking about what she was going to do next, what more needed to be done for American families.

But then again, Mary Jo takes on big challenges and just keeps going. Mary Jo Kilroy put herself through college and law school. She took back a House seat that had been in Republican hands since 1967. She stayed doggedly on one of AIG’s subsidiaries when they tried to avoid doing the right thing to help prevent more Ohioans from losing their homes. Kilroy is a roll-up-her-sleeves woman who gets things done and she must be feeling so much pride today as President Obama signs the financial reform bill whose passage she worked so hard for, knowing that her work will help American families to thrive far into the future.

And how strange to consider that at that very same moment, her former bank lobbyist opponent Steve Stivers was in DC, collecting big dollar checks at an event hosted by the banking industry. Talk about a tin ear for Americans’ lives. On the day that Kilroy’s hard work to protect Americans from the excesses and greed of some in the banking industry becomes law, Steve Stivers is breaking bread with those same banking industry lackeys. I shudder to imagine what he’s promising them. Less regulation? More opportunity to once again risk the stability of American families through predatory practices and unfettered greed?

I am always so proud of the pro-choice Democratic women elected with EMILY’s List support. But today, I am particularly proud to be a part of Mary Jo Kilroy’s movement to protect American families from corporate greed. In my mind’s eye, I imagine Steve Stivers and his bank lobbyist cronies, scheming away as they turn in their checks, rubbing their hands with glee at the prospect of turning back the clock and once again running roughshod over Americans’ prosperity and economic security. But then I see Mary Jo Kilroy. She’s ready. She’s determined. And she’s not going to let them.

Roxanne Conlin's coalition grows

By Hilary on 07/21/2010 @ 02:55 PM

Tags: Roxanne Conlin, IA-Sen, GOP Opponents, 2010 Elections

It’s a safe bet that Republican pundits are taking a second look at this year's Senate race in Iowa, where Roxanne Conlin is poised to give GOP Sen. Chuck Grassley the race of his life.

Grassley - the man who proclaimed President Obama was trying to "pull the plug on grandma" by reforming health care - is out of touch with the issues facing Iowan families.

Democracy for America (DFA) recently announced its endorsement of Roxanne, adding to her growing progressive coalition. Founded by Howard Dean, the DFA works to support progressive candidates running at every level of government through the power of grassroots organizing.

As Dean wrote in a recent email to supporters, "[Conlin]'s a fighter who will stand up for Iowans, like she did as Assistant Attorney General and U.S. Attorney. When an Iowa teacher was fired for being pregnant, she took that woman's case all the way to the state Supreme Court – and won."

We're proud to see that the coalition to retire Sen. Grassley has picked up another member and continues to grow. We'll be standing behind Roxanne each step of the way.