Last night Donna Edwards beat Al Wynn in a Democratic primary in Maryland. Wynn was the worst kind of Democrat, little more than an in-house lobbyist for big corporations rather than looking after the interests of his own constituents. The blogs, led by blogger Matt Stoller of OpenLeft, joined together with MoveOn, SEIU, Emily's List, Progressive Maryland and others to take Wynn down. And we did. You did. Last fall a coalition of progressive blogs held a $100k fundraiser for Donna, and we raised all $100k in little more than a week (you guys chipped in $5k). The $100k from the blogosphere was not only 12% of the total money Donna raised, but we were there supporting Donna from the beginning, before the other money and groups came on board. Donna's victory is in a very real sense your victory.
PS Stoller tells me that last November the powers-that-be were telling Donna she was toast. She'd never win. Give up. Ha.
If you need more evidence of which side is fired up, look at the results from Virginia. 972,633 Democrats voted in Virginia. Compare that to 473,500 Republicans. More than twice as many Democrats went to the polls in a state that is turning bluer by the day. And, Obama received almost 620,000 votes -- almost 150,000 more than all the Republicans combined.
Still struck by how old and angry McCain looked last night -- when he spoke after Obama. Stark difference.
Tonight, Donna won a decisive victory over incumbent Al Wynn in the Democratic primary in Maryland's Fourth CD. This is a very very VERY Democratic district. That means it's Donna's seat, the fall election against a token Republican will simply be pro forma.
Donna will be a true progressive when she is sworn in next January. This is a very exciting win over Al Wynn who was basically the in-house lobbyist for Comcast and Verizon.
A lot of people deserve credit for helping out. SEIU and EMILY's List did their parts. But, a major shout out is due to Matt Stoller who played a key role in Donna's campaign. He put his heart and his head into this race -- and got the rest of us to weigh in, too, with fundraisers and more. And let's not forget, you guys helped donate to her campaign, so thank you too.
Today is the primary in DC, Virginia and Maryland. And, it matters. Besides the presidential race, there is the very important Democratic primary in Maryland's Fourth Congressional District. Donna Edwards is a better Democrat -- and we sure need more of them.
Already 7:30 am and I haven't seen a Mike Huckabee interview, yet. But I know I will. He's everywhere.
This makes Congressman Wynn seem really desperate.
Matt Stoller captured a fake news video from the Al Wynn campaign. Representative Wynn is being challenged in the February 12th Democratic primary in Maryland's Fourth Congressional District by Donna Edwards. As Matt accurately notes, the video is "really stupid." Wynn is pretty much the Democratic lobbyist for the telecom industry and Comcast. You'd think with all Wynn's friends in the communications industry that his campaign could come up with some better than a fake news interview.
I've known Donna Edwards for more then ten years. We worked on domestic violence issues together. She is a committed progressive who needs to win because we need really need more better Democrats. AMERICAblog has an ActBlue page for Donna.
Fake news interviews from one of the telecom industry's biggest supporters -- or a real and better Democrat. That's the choice on February 12th for voters in Maryland's Fourth CD.
Hi Everyone. Thank you, AMERICAblog for your tremendous support throughout the campaign and especially over the last 72 hours -- you are unbelievable. We're going to take back Congress and the 4th CD in Maryland with your help.
Note from Joe: We're very excited to have Donna Edwards join us this afternoon. I've had the good fortune of knowing and working with Donna for over ten years. She is a true progressive and will be a better Democrat. Donna will take some time to answer questions in the comments this afternoon. But to give you a sense of the powerful advocate that is Donna Edwards, check out the video below from a debate during last year's campaign. You'll see why Donna Edwards is going to be a great -- and truly progressive -- member of Congress. And, don't forget to contribute to Donna's campaign. Every contribution matters.
It's day 3 of the online fundraiser for Donna Edwards. After reading today's post, everyone who cares about access to the internet and curtailing Comcast will want Donna in Congress.
Last week, John wrote a post about Comcast's abuse of its power. In September, the Washington Post reported that Comcast has been cutting off service to customers for allegedly using too much service without telling them how much was too much. Yesterday, Save The Internet.com filed a petition with the Federal Communications Commission to rein in Comcast.
It's important to understand why Comcast feels like it can act this way -- with impunity. One reasons is because almost NO ONE stands up to them. Certainly not Al Wynn who might as well be the lobbyist for Comcast on the Hill. We will probably NEVER hear Rep. Al Wynn criticize Comcast. Last year, Wynn was one of the co-sponsors of H.R. 5252, which was THE anti-net neutrality bill pushed by the telecom industry. This year, he already got his campaign contribution from Comcast. Because Wynn is on the Energy and Commerce Committee, he could be a champion of consumers -- but he's not. He sides with industry.
This is another reason we need Donna Edwards in Congress. She knows whose side she is on, which you can see in this new video (Donna has a bit of laryngitis):
Every contribution made to Donna's campaign sends the message that we want better Democrats. Every contribution matters so, if you can give, donate $5, $10, $20 to her campaign. ActBlue makes it easy.
And, remember, Donna will be posting on AMERICAblog tomorrow afternoon and sticking around to answer questions. That's one good thing about blogging -- you can do it even with laryngitis.
According to the Washington Post, Prince Georges County, Maryland has the highest mortgage foreclosure rate in the state. You'd think that the congressman from Prince Georges County would have been worried about the predatory lending affecting his constituents. Nope. While the mortgage crisis was brewing, Rep. Al Wynn was doing everything he could to protect the financial services industry -- not the families in his district. And that culminated with his vote for the bankruptcy bill.
The mortgage crisis didn't happen overnight. And, we're not saying the bankruptcy bill caused the mortgage crisis. But let's be real. Members of Congress, like Al Wynn, were too busy doing the bidding of the large banks and financial institutions to worry about consumers. That has to change.
We need better Democrats. We need Democrats who will put the interests of their constituents before the powerful special interests. We need Donna Edwards in Congress.
As I reported yesterday, in advance of Speaker Pelosi's fundraiser for Al Wynn on November 3rd, a group of progressive blogs are holding an online fundraiser for Donna. Every contribution sends the message that we want better Democrats. You can contribute here. Send that message.
This coming Saturday afternoon, Donna will be posting on AMERICAblog and taking some time to respond to questions and comments.
And, below is a recent video interview with Donna Edwards. She's found that the mortgage foreclosure issue is resonating in Maryland's Fourth Congressional District:
With your help, on February 12, 2008, Donna Edwards will be on her way to Congress.
Last year, Donna Edwards challenged Congressman Al Wynn for the Democratic nomination in Maryland's Fourth Congressional District. On primary day in September of 2006, Donna stunned the political world by nearly beating Wynn. It literally took days to get the final vote count before Wynn was declared the winner. This time around, Donna is going to win. And, we can make that happen.
Over the next couple days, a number of the progressive blogs including Firedoglake, Atrios, Openleft, Color of Change, MyDD, Down With Tyranny, Swing State Project and Dailykos,, are going to be holding an online fundraiser for the real Democrat running in Maryland's 4th C.D. Coincidentally (or not), Speaker Nancy Pelosi is hosting a fundraiser for Wynn on Saturday, November 3rd. But the reality is that Donna is the kind of Democrat who will empower Nancy Pelosi to be a better Speaker.
We set up an Actblue page to raise money for Donna. Maryland has moved up its primary to February 12, 2008. That means we can send an early message in an important election year about electing real Democrats.
You can learn more about Donna on her campaign website. I've known her for more than ten years. We first met when she was the Executive Director of the National Network to End Domestic Violence. She's a committed progressive and truly a force of nature. Donna Edwards is the kind of person who will change Congress for the better.
In one succinct paragraph, Matt Stoller explains just who Al Wynn is and why he needs to go:
MD-04 is a 77% performing Democratic district that runs in Montgomery and Prince George's County. It is as safe as safe can be for a Democrat. Wynn voted for the war in Iraq, the repeal of the estate tax, was a cosponsor of the bill gutting net neutrality, the Bankruptcy Bill, and the 2005 Energy Bill. He's really the epitome of the corrupt Democrat who gives cover to the right-wing to enact legislation. He even voted for no-bid contracts for Federal prisons.
Yes, that's right. He voted for the war. He voted for the bankruptcy bill. He is a reliable vote for the telecom industry. You could pretty much call him Rep. Al Wynn (D-Verizon) or (D-Comcast).
We really need better Democrats. Help elect Donna Edwards. Contribute today.
Donna Edwards is challenging the results of balloting that took place in the primary on Tuesday:
Congressional candidate Donna Edwards announced plans yesterday to file a lawsuit over apparent voting irregularities in Tuesday's primary election in Prince George's County, while defeated county executive challenger Rushern L. Baker III demanded an independent investigation of the process.
The separate announcements signaled that Tuesday's voting, a flawed process by many accounts, may not conclude the close primary contests for a seat in Congress and the county executive's office. The election itself was "horrendous," the Prince George's elections administrator said yesterday. And the victorious Democratic county executive candidate, incumbent Jack B. Johnson, said it warranted investigation.
"The integrity of the election is at stake," said Edwards, who ran against Rep. Albert R. Wynn in the 4th District Democratic primary and is waiting for the race to be decided when provisional ballots are counted next week in Montgomery and Prince George's counties.
No surprise, but the only major candidate in Prince George's county who isn't concerned about voting irregularities is "Landslide Al" Wynn. (And, yes, for you history buffs, that is a comparison to "Landslide Lyndon" and his 1948 primary victory)
It's 2006. This was a Democratic primary. Yet, Donna's right: the integrity of this election is at stake. If the integrity of an election is at stake, it is not an understatement that the integrity of democracy itself is at stake. The system in Prince George's County lost its integrity when voting machines were left unsecured.
Montgomery County also had its fair share of voting problems last Tuesday. There are still votes to be counted there.
This election is not over -- and there cannot be a winner named until the actual votes that were cast on Tuesday are counted.
Lots of primary election news to ponder today. The race in Maryland's Fourth Congressional District is still up in the air. With 75% reporting, Donna Edwards is AHEAD of Al Wynn. There were some problems with voting in Montgomery County that have delayed counting. (UPDATE via CQ Politics is the the uncounted votes are in Prince Georges County which is Wynn's base.)
55 days til Election Day. It's going to be a bumpy ride.
It's a big primary day across the country. Some of the key contested races to watch are Massachusetts Democratic Governor, Rhode Island Republican Senate, New York Democratic Governor and Attorney General, DC Mayor, Maryland Democratic Senate and the Democratic primary for Maryland's Fourth Congressional District where Donna Edwards is going to be the big surprise today.
Donna Edwards will make a great member of Congress. She's smart, savvy and has a commitment to the issues that matter to her constituents. Her very strong challenge to the incumbent, Al Wynn, seems to have caught a lot of the politicos, including Wynn, off guard.
Matt Stoller at MyDD spent some time examining Al Wynn's disclosure statements and is able to expose Wynn's financial shenanigans:
This Congressman has a strange and disturbing pattern of breaking campaign finance laws to hide the identities of the people funneling money into his campaigns. It's not that he makes mistakes, or misreports a donor here or there. Al Wynn simply choose not to follow campaign finance laws. There's obviously sloppiness here, but the pattern of flouting the rules goes so far back and is so extensive that it's hard to conclude that it isn't intentionally done to hide his funding sources.
Read the post and you'll be even more convinced that Wynn has to go. Wynn shows the same contempt and disregard for the campaign finance laws that he showed to his constituents when he voted for the bankruptcy bill:
It's not just that Wynn is awash in contributions from Walmart, right-wing corporate sources, and developers, it's that he systematically hides the workings of his cash machine from the public, violating campaign finance laws consistently over a pattern of many years.
This is fascinating and disturbing stuff, and it's a good argument for why we need lots more primaries. Had Donna Edwards not challenged Al Wynn, we would never know the workings of Wynn's machine. We wouldn't be able to connect Wynn's legislative support of the telecom companies to his contempt for disclosure laws meant to serve the public to his support for Bush's energy policies to his support for local developpers. But because Donna stepped up to the plate, now we know what we're up against.
If there's anyway you can help Donna between now and Tuesday, please do it.
The Washington Post endorsed Donna Edwards in her primary challenge to Al Wynn:
REP. ALBERT R. WYNN has represented Maryland's 4th Congressional District since 1993, and in that time he has never faced a serious challenger. This year, in Donna Edwards , he does. Ms. Edwards, a lawyer and foundation executive with a distinguished record of civic activism, is Mr. Wynn's opponent in the Sept. 12 Democratic primary. Tough, articulate and knowledgeable, she is one of the smartest and most impressive newcomers in Maryland politics.
This gives Donna great momentum heading towards primary day. She is going to make a superb Member of Congress -- and will truly represent her constituents.
A win by Donna will keep the progressive momentum moving towards November.
If you want to give Donna some help, check out her website.
In their first time sharing a stage, Edwards attacked Wynn on his votes supporting the war in Iraq, the repeal of the estate tax and changes in bankruptcy law.
Edwards said the Democratic congressman has voted in "lockstep" with the Republicans, making him out of sync with the 4th Congressional District, which stretches across parts of Prince George's and Montgomery counties.
She hit him hard on his vote to send troops to Iraq, a stance that Wynn has since described as a mistake. "He says, 'Knowing what I know now, I wouldn't have voted for it,' " Edwards said. "Well, 'sorry' is just too late."
Wynn, who appeared unprepared for her criticism, said Edwards clearly did not know what he had delivered for the district.
Donna Edwards will make a great member of Congress. I met Donna 10 years ago when she was running the National Network to End Domestic Violence and I joined their board. She was a pioneer in that issue.
Donna is bright, smart, funny, committed -- and she will truly represent her district, unlike the current member, Al Wynn. Maryland's Fourth District is a Democratic stronghold. Donna's right when she says their Rep. shouldn't be voting with George Bush and the Republican party. Check out her website and help her out if you can. She can win this race -- and she should.
This is a definitely a race worth watching. Read the Post article about her debate and you'll know she's the real deal. The last line says a lot:
Edwards has cast Wynn as a "complacent" incumbent who has betrayed his constituency.
"He voted in support of the war, but it's really more than that," Edwards said yesterday. "It's his voting the Republican line. I don't understand it for our district. It doesn't represent our district."
Edwards said at the Largo forum that Wynn's positions no longer match those of his constituency.
"As long as he chooses to vote lockstep with the Republicans, we will not have health care," Edwards said in response to whether she supports an affordable health care system. She said she supports a single-payer system.
Her supporters, a sizable crowd, broke into thunderous applause.
Gus Alzona, a Republican candidate for the 8th Congressional District, who shared the stage with the two, couldn't resist commenting: "That's a tough act to follow. I'm glad she's not my opponent."
