House Dem: Liberal groups need to back off for party to succeed this cycle

[The Straight Story]

House Dem: Liberal groups need to back off for party to succeed this cycle
By Sean J. Miller - 01/30/11 05:00 PM ET

Liberal groups need to stay out of Democratic primaries if the party is going to retake the House majority, according to a conservative Massachusetts Democrat.

Rep. Stephen Lynch was one of several Democrats who faced an aggressive primary challenge from the left in 2010. His challenger Mac D'Alessandro, a former top official with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), received almost $300,000 from labor groups for his campaign.

“There was a lot of money spent against Democrats by Democrats,” Lynch told The Ballot Box. “That contributed to the scale of our losses.”

Lynch survived his primary and was reelected in November, but several House Democrats who were targets of the left lost their reelection bids. For instance, the SEIU encouraged its members in Ohio’s 18th district to “skip-a-Space” on their ballots and not vote for Rep. Zack Space because of his opposition to healthcare reform. The two-term Democrat was subsequently defeated by Republican Bob Gibbs.

http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/house-races/141135-house-dem-liberal-groups-should-back-off-for-party-to-win-in-2012

[earthside]

1. He means the Repuglican Party ...

... because, well, you know the Truman quotation.

[yourout]

2. Ok....I will back off on the donations and volunteering. Will that work for you?

[DCKit]

3. "Stephen Lynch" isn't one of the names that pops up when I think "Liberal/Progressive (D)"

Is he just someone I hadn't heard of, or is he (D)-corporate and full of it?

[Arkana]

17. He's in the Progressive Caucus along with the rest of the MA delegation.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

4. Liberals stay out.

Message received, loud and clear.

[Roland99]

5. Guess he thinks we should follow Rush Limballs' latest screed.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

6. Right. The "moderates" did so astoundingly well in 2010.

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[tabbycat31]

7. I agree with him

Liberal groups need to focus more on attacking Republicans than eating their own.

[mitchtv]

11. so, care to give us our choices too?

vote your conscience for primaries is all we have.

[tabbycat31]

14. Most of the time here the primaries are unopposed

However I do support competitive primaries.

What I do not support is the loser of the primary not going away after the primary is over. The loser of the primary should concede gracefully and throw his/her support towards the winner of the primary, as well as volunteers, etc.

I also do not think that Democrats need to continue to go after Blue Dogs. In some districts a progressive WILL NOT WIN. I'd rather see a Blue Dog in there who votes with the party 90% of the time than a Republican. They need to go after Republicans instead.

[denverbill]

8. Correction. I think he meant "Liberal groups need to vote for party to succeed this cycle."

Thanks for another inspiring slapdown asshole conservadem!

[stillwaiting]

9. Well, this liberal has pretty much backed off the Democratic Party.

Mission Accomplished Lynch!!

Good luck!

[mitchtv]

10. not only should we shut up,

but stay out of HIS primary too. That's our only time to reach out and slap them. A big fat FU to that kind of anti democratic Dem

[MadHound]

12. More "sit down and shut up" talk,

Gee, like that's going to work. That's not how democracy or even big tent politics work, sorry.

[sendero]

13. What contributed to the scale of your losses..

... is that you are no different than Republicans. And 2012 will be worse. Too bad.

[IDemo]

15. "a conservative Democrat"

Does any other kind exist these days? :shrug:

[Arkana]

16. Lynch is a yutz.

He's the only member of the MA delegation that voted against the HCR bill, but not because he thought it was too intrusive--he thought it should have been stronger.

I honestly can't fathom his motives.