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I couldn't have better news. The Republicans have withdrawn all of their financial support in the pivotal race in Arizona's 8th Congressional District, all but conceding defeat in a race that we had targeted.
Their extremist nominee, Randy Graf, was already unacceptable to Arizona. But, when he was endorsed by former Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan David Duke -- after a history of mingling with white supremacists -- something had to be done. I immediately stepped in and issued a letter to put pressure on my colleague Tom Reynolds, chair of the NRCC, to pull out of the race.
"While you and I may have differences of opinion when it comes to policy, certainly we can agree on the right thing to do. Supporting a candidate with ties to the white supremacist community is not the right thing to do.
...Tom, you should pull down your ads in support of Graf immediately. Candidates tied to white supremacists are not right for Arizona and they are certainly not right for America.
...I assume that it is for these reasons and more that incumbent Republican Congressman Jim Kolbe will not endorse Randy Graf. If he is not worthy of the incumbent's endorsement, he should not be worthy of yours. Please do the right thing and pull your support of Randy Graf."
As a result, the NRCC cancelled all of their media buys and walked away.
Candidates tied to white supremacists are not right for Arizona and they are certainly not right for America. It is just the latest example of a Republican party that has completely lost touch with American values.
Randy Graf will have to go it alone against one of the strongest and most vibrant Democratic candidates in the country, Gabrielle Giffords. Unlike Graf, Giffords' values have to do with a fair day's pay, affordable health care for every American, and government that works for working families, not against them. It is no surprise that initial polls had her ahead by 19 points over Graf even before this meltdown.
Democrats are only 15 seats away from controlling the majority in the House and setting an agenda of change for America. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is fighting for victory one seat at a time. This sort of boost helps Democratic momentum nationwide. Help us win these 15 seats.
Rahm Emanuel Chairman, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
Good news! :D
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