Liberals celebrate win in N.H. House race

[ProSense]

Liberals celebrate win in N.H. House race

By Shane D'Aprile

Liberals celebrated a win Tuesday in the congressional district left vacant by Rep. Paul Hodes (D-N.H.). 


Their candidate, Anne McLane Kuster, defeated Katrina Swett by running from the left.

With 13 percent of the precincts reporting, Kuster won the Democratic primary with 74 percent of the vote.

The race was a narrative that was tailor made for liberals nationwide. Swett is the daughter of the late Rep. Tom Lantos (D-Calif.) and the husband of former Rep. Dick Swett (D-N.H.). She was also the co-chairwoman of Sen. Joe Lieberman's (I-Conn.) 2004 presidential campaign.



Kuster raised significant amounts of cash from liberal activists nationwide and her candidacy was propped up by the newly-former Progressive Campaign Change Committee and liberal blogs like Daily Kos.


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Yay!

[Tesha]

1. Hot damn! A clear *PROGRESSIVE* win!

From before sun-up to after sun-down, Mr. Tesha
spent all day at the polls today (and I spent
a few hours) holding Annie's signs. And he and
I have both spent quite a few hours over the
last several days doing "visibility" for Annie
in our city.

So it's nice to see a clear win for a true
Progressive against a relatively Blue Dog
opponent. Now, on to the General Election
(which still promises to be very, very tough).

Today, when Katrina Swett still thought she
had it locked up, her partisans at the polls
were all trying to get our assurances that after
it was all over, we'd settle our differences and
support Katrina. Let's hope they're now willing
to take their own advice and return that favor;
it would be a shame if PUMA spirit cost us the
General Election!

Tesha

[SoxFan]

14. "Progressive"? Yeah, sure.

A Big Pharma lobbyist who voted voted for Charlie Bass in his past campaigns is "progressive", but a former aide to Joe Biden who founded a human rights foundation is not?

Behold the power of netroots delusion. By the way, if you want us to be all warm and fuzzy over Kuster, you should have thought of that before your campaign decided that anyone who doesn't meet the litmus tests isn't a "real Democrat".

[Tesha]

15. So are you going to vote for Kuster? (NT)

[SoxFan]

18. I vote in the 1st district

So I will be voting for Carol Shea-Porter. If I lived in the 2nd I would hold my nose and vote for Kuster without a lot of enthusiasm. Keeping Boehner out of the Speaker's chair is more important.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

2. So happy to hear this!!! n/t

[Radical Activist]

3. I doubt I would have hearned about this on the news.

Not that I watch the corporate press anymore.

[Robbins]

4. NH

Plus there are signs Teabagers may help Hodes get elected to the seante by having the more extreme Republican as the nominee IS the returns continue to hold up.

[Cha]

5. I just got an email..

We Won! We did it!! No, wait...WE DID IT!!!

[HughMoran]

6. This is great news.

NH surprises me (in a good way) at times :D

Funny, I just saw an ad on CNN for one of the losing Republicans in the Senate primary here (NH). Telk about lame - running an ad 3 hours after the polls closed - lol.

[CTLawGuy]

7. NH

shifted markedly to the left in about 2006.

[Odin2005]

8. VICTORY!!!

:woohoo:

[mikekohr]

9. Great news! nt

mike kohr
Bureau County Democrats
http://bureaucountydems.blogspot.com

[craigmatic]

10. Sounds good but how is she running aginst the repub?

[BrklynLiberal]

11. YES! I got a great note from them...

Dear J

We did it!! No, wait...WE DID IT!!!

Just minutes ago, bold progressive Ann McLane Kuster defeated Joe Lieberman's presidential campaign co-chair Katrina Swett in tonight's New Hampshire congressional primary -- winning by double digits.

Annie ran a superb campaign -- and PCCC members made thousands of phone calls and chipped in nearly $100,000 toward her people-powered victory.

We formed the PCCC to achieve big progressive victories just like tonight's. Let's keep the momentum going!

Can you chip in $4 so the PCCC can continue helping progressive candidates win in 2010? We need your help to win more elections in November.

Here's what Annie wrote to PCCC members yesterday:

The PCCC has been a great partner and has helped progressive candidates like me run effective, people-powered campaigns.

Phone calls from PCCC members to voters were a tremendous help. Many PCCC members donated $3, $4, or $10 as well, allowing us to continually expand our grassroots effort.

Thank you for being part of the "people power" that is changing this country. Your efforts are noticed and greatly appreciated.

Together, we're making a big difference. But we need your help to continue winning progressive victories in 2010 -- chip in $4 here.

We'll help Ann Kuster defeat Tea Party Republican Charlie Bass in November -- and help other progressive champs like Bill Hedrick (CA-44), Elaine Marshall (NC-Sen), and others.

It'll be a big job -- but we can do it with your help. Please chip in $4 to help progressives keep making history in 2010. Click here.

Thanks for being a bold progressive,

Stephanie Taylor, Adam Green, Jason Rosenbaum, Michael Snook, Forrest Brown, Keauna Gregory, Julia Rosen, and the entire PCCC team

[AtomicKitten]

12. Awesome headline: "Progressive Takes Down Blue Dog"

[SoxFan]

13. Katrina Swett is no Blue Dog

She actually has a longer record of fighting for progressive candidates and values than Kuster. Annie became the netroots pet rock, but she is still a corporate lobbyist (pharmaceutical industry, financial sector) who donated to several right-wing state legislators, and supported Reagan, Bush I, and even her opponent in the general election, Charlie Bass.

While she was doing that, Katrina worked for Joe Biden, served as a de facto staffer for her husband, Congressman Dick Swett, founded a human rights foundation, and helped elect countless local Democrats in New Hampshire.

[Tesha]

16. So are you going to vote for Kuster in the General Election? (NT)

[SoxFan]

19. As I said above...

If I lived in NH-02, I'd hold my nose and vote for Kuster, if only to keep Boehner, Cantor, and company out of the House leadership.

[AtomicKitten]

17. Yes, she is. She was also co-chair of Lieberman's independent run.

In NH Dem. primary debate, Blue Dog Swett attacked Annie Kuster for being a progressive Democrat: http://www.americablog.com/2010/09/in-nh-dem-primary-debate-blue-dog-swett.html

[SoxFan]

20. Get your facts straight.

She was a co-chair of Lieberman's Democratic campaign for president. She had nothing to do with the independent campaign.

Lieberman was also supported by two of the three most recent state Democratic chairs; by several staunchly liberal state senators and representatives; by several leaders of the NH Stonewall Democrats; by the current Vice Chairman of the Democratic National Committee; and by the guy who went on to co-chair Kucinich's 2008 campaign in the state.

It was a much more diverse bunch than you realize.

I've worked with Katrina on Democratic campaigns since 1986. Kuster didn't become active in Democratic politics until 2004. She did, however, write checks to right-wingers like Andre Martel and Bob Clegg in 2002 and 2004. Katrina never did that.

[AtomicKitten]

21. OK she was cochair for his pres run BUT!!! she also supported his indie run for Senate.

You need to get your facts straight too! LOL!

Here's her continued vocal support for Lieberman in his indie run AFTER Lamont beat his sorry ass in the primary: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/6/23/878080/-NH-02:-Will-Swett-back-Lieberman-for-2012

Also here's she's doing the two-step over her support for Lieberman in his indie run: http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/6/26/153222/071
and: http://downwithtyranny.blogspot.com/2010/04/nominating-katrina-swett-would-be.html

You may be okay with the above, but surely you can't expect other Democrats to be okay with her backing that jackass Lieberman AFTER he lost the Dem primary.

* She opposed the public option calling those supporting it "extremists."
* She supports making ALL Bush's tax cuts permanent.
* All women's groups (NOW, Emily's List, etc.) endorsed her opponent.

You are entitled to support whomever you wish but you should try to understand there were plenty of reasons to vote against her.

* edited for links

[SoxFan]

23. Kuster supported Reagan and Bush

Supported Charlie Bass over Dick Swett, Arnie Arnesen, Mary Rauh, and Barney Brannen.

Gave money to Andre Martel and Bob Clegg.

That track record is far worse than anything Katrina has done.

[Tesha]

22. Ahh, I see.

http://downwithtyranny.blogspot.com/2010/04/nominating-katrina-swett-would-be.html

> Like Lieberman, Swett demonizes Democrats and Democratic
> values and principles for her own narrow advantage, painting
> herself as somehow "better" than the party she's so out of
> place being part of. She runs from the words "liberal" and
> "progressive" and always points out that she's a conservative
> Democrat.

Democrats don't support restricting abortion; Blue Dog
"Democrats" do.

Democrats support marriage for all; "Blue Dog" Democrats
don't.

Most Democrats are embarrassed by "Independent Democrat"
Joe Lieberman; Katrina celebrates her relationship with
Lieberman.

> And, like Lieberman (and Harman) Swett is a clueless
> hawk whose idea of foreign policy is backing Israel's
> extreme right Likud Party rather than what works for
> Israel, let alone for the United States of America.
> She was a consistent Bush backer in every move he made
> to drag the U.S. into attacking Iraq-- the same way she
> supported all his tax cuts for the wealthy that have led
> to a severe economic squeeze on the middle class. And
> like Blanche Lincoln, she's an advocate for abolishing
> the Estate Tax, basically the most reactionary taxation
> stand anyone can take.
>
> A good little protégé and corporate shill, Swett opposed
> the public option, calling on Democrats to "compromise"
> with the extremists who oppose healthcare reform. ...

I'm quite pleased that Annie is our standard-bearer and
can (and do!) enthusiastically support her.

FYI, here's the link to a similar from The Nation:

http://www.thenation.com/blog/154735/professional-left-isn%E2%80%99t-dead-yet

Tesha