Open Letter To Progressive Democrats

[Nickster]

I wanted to post this article from Bill Scheurer's website, I contacted him directly and he gave me the ok to post it in its entirety. He said that he would answer any questions anyone may have since he has posted on DU before.

Open Letter To Progressive Democrats

By Bill Scheurer



My name is Bill Scheurer, and I am running as an independent candidate for U.S. Congress in the 8th District of Illinois, with backing from several large unions.

The freshman incumbent is a Democrat who has voted with the Republicans for such things as the estate tax repeal, the bankruptcy bill, CAFTA, the Patriot Act, the Iraq War, the Real ID act, the Enron/Halliburton energy bill, the flag desecration amendment, an excessive military budget that does not meet our current needs, and most recently, the leave-no-millionaire-behind ‘tax relief’ extension.

These votes have bitterly alienated many supporters who worked so hard for her narrow victory in 2004. They will not support her again.

Her Republican challengers are very regressive, and line up with their party leadership on nearly every issue. Any one of them would be far worse than her for our values.

So, given these circumstances -- why do I run? I run to win. I run to keep the Republicans from winning. I run because, having lost her supporters, she cannot win again.

I run because -- sooner or later -- we must face the fact that progressives can no longer accept a system where the corporate two-party duopoly serves up a choice between ‘the lesser of two evils’ for federal office every two to four years.

The Democratic Party -- at the federal office level -- no longer exists, outside the major metropolitan areas. The party of Dennis Kucinich in Cleveland, John Conyers in Detroit, Barbara Lee in Berkeley, and Jan Schakowsky in Chicago -- is not the same party as Joe Lieberman in the Connecticut suburbs, and Zell Miller in the Georgia countryside. The party of groups like Democracy for America, and the Progressive Democrats of America -- is not the same party as groups like the DCCC and DLC.

The Democracy for America ‘Sign the Pledge’ campaign urges us to withhold support from any federal candidate who does not commit to a withdrawal plan from Iraq. Rahm Emmanuel (DCCC) and Al From (DLC) cannot run fast enough away from this issue. They and their candidates (like my incumbent) fear this call.

Likewise, these corporate Democrats cannot stand with working families to face large corporate interests on economic issues -- like trade and taxes. After casting the deciding vote in favor of CAFTA, my incumbent raked in hundreds of thousands of dollars from corporations and related individuals outside our district. She even solicited and accepted money from Wal-Mart (before labor made her give it back).

These Democrats are trying to sell their base the dream that the party can take back the House in 2006, because of all the problems the Republicans are having. Yet, they use the same methods of unprincipled ‘triangulation’ that the American public despises so much. This ‘win by default’ strategy cannot work. They have to stand for something.

A teacher of faith once put the question: What good does it do, if you gain the whole world, and lose your own soul? Politicians should consider this question. Voters do.

I run to help stop the attack on working families, fix our broken healthcare system, balance the budget, and end the Iraq war.

If you share these concerns, we invite you to join our campaign, and others like it. The Democratic Party, on its own, will never get us there.

Bill Scheurer edits The PeaceMajority Report, and is an independent candidate for the U.S. Congress in the 8th District of Illinois.

[alusmotdnabed]

1. Such Hypocritical Crap

Bill is running as an “Independent” against Melissa Bean because he would rather elect a Republican than let Bean win re-election. He got pounded by her in the primary and he knows he'd lose again if he ran in a primary against her. It's easier to win a primary when you're not running against an incumbent, and we all know what's really going on here.

Do you two really expect anyone to believe that Bill is anything but a hypocritical opportunist?

Bill really has no business criticizing anyone for not being "pure" enough on progressive issues, when he can't even figure out what he believes himself.

Clearly Google is your enemy, guys. For example.....

Bill Scheurer, DEMOCRATIC candidate questionnaire (IVI-IPO), January 12, 2004:
Do you support: a. the Human Life Amendment? No.
b. parental or spousal notification or consent to obtain an abortion? No.
c. restoration of Medicaid coverage of abortion? Yes.
d. a ban on so-called partial birth abortions? No.
e. insurance coverage for abortions for federal and military employees and their dependents? Yes.

Bill Scheurer, "Independent" candidate for Congress, Lakeland Media, October 13, 2005:
"Scheurer, who considers himself a life-oriented person, opposes abortion ... he would allow for 'extenuating circumstances' such as rape, incest and the life and health of the woman."

Bill Scheurer, DU blogger, December 7, 2005:
"I'll be posting my views on the website fairly soon. I refuse to accept the labels of 'life' and 'choice' in this important discussion."

Choice is a huge issue for our party and he's not only wrong on it, but clearly reversed his position on an issue that is just plain black and white. And for all the whining about Bean's Shiavo vote (which was clearly a mistake), Bill says he would have voted the same way calling Terry Schiavo “the token of our culture of life.” (Right-wing pandering anyone?)

And, there is absolutely no evidence that Bean solicited money from Wal-Mart or that labor made her return it, and you should tell the guy you work for not to publish unfounded lies if he still wants people to overlook his opportunism and help elect a Republican by voting for him.

Democrats need more Democrats to win - not fewer - which is why Nancy Pelosi, Jan Schakowsky, Dennis Kucinich and Barbara Lee are all PUBLICLY SUPPORTING Bean. They know the only way to control the agenda is if Democrats have a majority, but apparently short-sighted "progressives" like you and Bill would rather elect Republicans and keep undermining average Americans than accept a Democrat who dares to occasionally reflect her district's interests instead of yours.

[Nickster]

3. Well, I was curious about his views on abortion so I sent him an email

asking him about his stance on that matter. He's against abortion, that's true. He always has been as well as against the death penalty and against war. Sounds consistent to me.

Myself, I'm pro-choice so I asked him a lot of questions regarding his stance and found out that he is concerned about making abortion less needed rather than illegal. I guess it isn't easy to see that from excerpts of a candidate questionaire. That's why I chose to contact him and those questions, feel free to do the same.

As for the Schiavo issue, read the article and take the message in its entirety rather than a small piece of it.

"I would have voted to save Terry Schiavo because my conscience cannot turn aside from the burden of saving life, no matter what the stage or perceived quality of that life. This is the same conscience that compels me to oppose war and capital punishment, and to work for a more humane and just society - a world where no one starves to death, a world where no one dies for lack of medical care. This is a hard order, I know"

I can't speak for Mr. Scheurer. So if you really want to grill him, feel free to send him an email and ask the hard questions. I did and I liked what I found out and I wanted to share that with my community who might choose to stay home rather than vote again for Melissa Bean, which was my plan(to stay home). If you want to vote for Melissa Bean, help yourself. I sent her money, made calls for her, and knocked on doors in the last election for her. I just can't do it again.

[mopinko]

5. terri shiavo did not die for lack of medical care, or starve.

and this guy is full of shit. he is putting lipstick on the prolife pig, acting as though death is not a part of life. he is running as an independent, he is not a dem. he should stop pretending that he is.

[Bill Scheurer]

13. for the record

for the record, here is the piece i wrote on the terry schiavo spectacle last easter. the "token of our culture of life" phrase was said in irony -- perhaps too subtle for straight party-line thinking. judge for yourself from the whole article ...

-------------------------------
Terry Schiavo: Our Paschal Lamb
by Bill Scheurer

Once again, the politicians and media have offered the yearly spectacle of surrogate virtue to redeem our collective soul. This time in the form of a helpless woman, made childlike and beautiful in her affliction. She is the token of our culture of life.

Before going on, let me say that if I was in Congress, I would have voted to save her too. (Not that this absurd legislation will actually do that. It merely passes the issue to another set of courts, which are unlikely to intervene and save her life.)

I would have voted to save Terry Schiavo because my conscience cannot turn aside from the burden of saving life, no matter what the stage or perceived quality of that life. This is the same conscience that compels me to oppose war and capital punishment, and to work for a more humane and just society--a world where no one starves to death, a world where no one dies for lack of medical care. This is a hard order, I know.

Is this why our government and press do not work for it--because it is impossible? Or, is it because it is too difficult--too expensive, politically and economically.

With the trillions of dollars we spend on war and luxury, how many lives could we save? Like Otto Schindler at the end of Schindler’s List, when he wanted to throw away his ring and fancy car, crying out--how many could these have saved?

More than 10 million people die each year from hunger and disease. Things we could invest our fortunes in, instead of consumption and war. 10 million people! 2 Holocausts every year! Avoidable, preventable, savable deaths. Bigger than the Twin Towers. Bigger than the Tsunami. The holocaust of poverty. The tsunami of greed.

Instead, we anoint a scapegoat, a sacrificial lamb, a token, every year. We invest this victim with the burden of our humanity--drive it into the wilderness, sprinkle its blood on our doors--and count ourselves among the elect, the one chosen to live.

Whether we genuflect at the mythical story of Jessica Lynch, or the Iraqi boy flown to our finest hospitals for medical care--all of these poster-child stories stand in silent proxy for the thousands of other veterans and civilian victims of our war, who receive no such attention from our government, our press, or our economy. These observances show that we are good people, that we care, that we value life.

This year, it is Terry Schiavo, who beams with the beauty of a saint, an icon of helpless love. Yes, let us save her (for real, not for show). But let us also save the millions of others we kill with our indifference and greed. We rip the feeding tubes from their veins with our callous priorities, the same as hers.

Only by changing these priorities--will we save our collective soul, will we become the ‘beloved community’ of the truly elect. Peace be with you.

Bill Scheurer works as the national coordinator for PeaceMajority.org and is the author of “us & them: bridging the chasm of faith.”

[Walt Starr]

23. BLECH!

I would take a Melissa Bean over a spoiler like you ANY DAY!

Having a (D) in the Congress is far more important than voting for somebody who agrees to forum rules and then proceeds to violate them and will have NO CHANCE WHATSOEVER of winning, while trying to spoil and get a Repuke elected.

We've got your number, Bill.

[Bill Scheurer]

9. change of heart

Actually, this person is correct that my position changed in the Spring of 2004.

Previously, my position was personally opposed to abortion, but in favor of a woman's right to choose this for herself. It was a matter of civil rights, which are deeply important to me.

As I became more exposed to the issue, I changed my position -- to recognize the rights of the unborn child as well. I realize the Democratic party takes the opposite stand. In fact, nearly everyone in my campaign does too -- since most of them are Democrats, who cannot support Bean.

People need to decide if the issue of abortion is more important to them than such things as war, capital punishment, civil rights, and regressive tax and economic policies that Bean supports.

This comment does not accurately reflect my Terry Schiavo article, but someone else has clarified this history in another reply thread.

As for the "progressive" and "opportunist" labels, people can sort this out themselves. There is no way I can support a candidate of either party who votes for something like the Iraq war.

Bill Scheurer

[davsand]

15. Oh good lord. YOU call yourself a Progressive?

"...It was a matter of civil rights, which are deeply important to me."


"...People need to decide if the issue of abortion is more important to them than such things as war, capital punishment, civil rights, and regressive tax and economic policies that Bean supports.


YOU claim Bean is a sellout but you are willing to tell women they don't have control over their own bodies??? YOU want to force our daughters into a life dictated by their biology and you f***ing DARE to claim an interest in civil rights?

GAWD. HOW can you look in the damn mirror and claim to be progressive?



Laura

[Walt Starr]

20. Your posting here is in direct violation of DU rules

Since you are a candidate opposed to a Democratic Incumbent, you cannot post here. you are violating the rules you agreed to abide by simply by posting here.

[Quequeg]

2. Did Melissa Bean really vote that way?

According to the above article, Bean voted for "the estate tax repeal, the bankruptcy bill, CAFTA", which I'm sure that Dennis Kucinich and other progressives all voted against.

I believe it was the "estate tax repeal" which prompted Warren Buffet to say, "if there's class warfare in America, then my class is winning."

The "bankruptcy bill" was a shameless gift to the credit card companies.

CAFTA was opposed by everyone except big business, which expressed its support through the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Even the Latino caucus opposed CAFTA. Only 15 Democrats in the House voted for CAFTA. The Democratic party leadership made this a party-line vote. Do most citizens in the 8th district really benefit from CAFTA?

I like this website www.VOIDnow.org which stands for "Vote Out Incumbents for Democracy." The idea is to encourage people to vote against incumbents, regardless of the parties involved, until Congress starts solving the major problems. Although my sympathies are with the Democratic party, sometimes I think Ralph Nader was right when he said, "the Republican party is the D- party and the Democratic party is the D+ party."

If I lived in the 8th district, I'd consider voting for one of the challengers. Yes, if everyone did that, I realize that the "greater of 2 evils" could get elected, but politicians should only be re-elected if they do a good job. After 2 years of suffering with a pro-business Republican, we can always vote for another Democrat.

www.StopGlobalism.com      www.VOIDnow.org

[LSK]

6. Unfortunately yes, search her voting record here:

http://www.vote-smart.org/voting_category.php?can_id=MIL20905

[Bill Scheurer]

10. yes, and boasts of it

Yes, she not only votes this way, but boasts of it. She thinks only a Republican, or someone like it, can win in the 8th District. I believe otherwise.

Bill Scheurer

[davsand]

4. "Progressive Democrats " need to run in DEM primaries.

Say what you want about his positions or how bad Bean's votes have been, the bottom line is that if he REALLY wants votes from DEMOCRATS he needed to run in the Dem primary. It is THAT simple.

He has left my party and thus he is in the same category with the GOP. He is a threat to the Dem party and as a result he is nobody I'd ever waste time or energy on except to bash him.




Laura

[Freddie Stubbs]

7. But then his campaign would end in March

By running as an independent, he gets to play make-believe until November.

[Bill Scheurer]

11. says who?

Why? Who says we have to limit ourselves to these two parties? Especially, when they both get their money from the same corporate interests. Why can't candidates and voters choose what they want?

Bill Scheurer

[kevsand]

14. Nobody says we have to.

Obviously, candidates and voters can choose what they want. And in a perfect world, those choices all would have good consequences.

Unfortunately, we don't live in a perfect world, and from what I can tell, the 8th district is clearly very far from perfect. That means that some choices will have dire consequences.

You can not convince me that any progressive independent, either pro or anti-choice, will ever defeat both the democratic incumbent and the republican in the 8th district. That means one of the two established party candidates will win.

You have positioned yourself to get most of your votes from either people who would have voted for Bean, or people who would have stayed home otherwise. Either way, that means there will be less votes for Bean, and raises the likelihood that the Republican will win.

If you seriously think that you will take any significant margin from the republican base, I have to believe that you are either naive or fooling yourself. You seem reasonably intelligent. Do the math.

This is why we are having so much difficulty divining your motives. I personally suspect that you would have fared much better in the dem primary this time around, given the dissatisfaction with Bean and the prospect of a head-to-head contest, rather than the free-for-all you guys had last time. (I remember multiple candidates in the dem primary last time; my apologies if I have that wrong.)

Instead, you seem intent on a course that most of us see as leading to the very real possibility of losing us a caucus vote for the dem leadership in the house.

I don't like Bean at all, but your path leads us away from dem control, rather than toward it. The only satisfactory way to remove Bean is to beat her in the primary. I think that labor, in particular, would have been happy to help if you had chosen to mount a primary challenge.

[tritsofme]

8. Bill Scheurer is a great friend to George Bush and Dennis Hastert

in their quest to retain control of the House in 2006.

[Bill Scheurer]

12. no, bean is their friend

Not really. Bean is the one who is their friend. She is the one who votes with them on the most important bills. She is the one who has so alienated her base that got her elected in the first place, that she cannot win again. She is the one who is giving the seat back to the Republicans. Groups like the Teamsters, Machinists and Aerospace Workers, and Auto Workers decided on their own to not support her again. As did the Democrats involved in our campaign. I did not do that. She did. In fact, my campaign is the only real hope of keeping the seat from the Republicans in 2006.

Bill Scheurer

[alusmotdnabed]

16. Give me a break, Bill

Exactly what kind of “exposure” to the issue of choice did you encounter between January of 2004 and “the spring of 2004”? What additional forms of “exposure” can we expect as your campaign evolves?

Bean may not always vote with the Democrats, but she does it the overwhelming majority of the time. Are you actually promising to vote with the Democrats 100% of the time, unlike Bean? If not, why would any Democrat vote for you?

It’s easy to exploit high profile votes like CAFTA or the bankruptcy bill. But what about the vote that matters more than any of the others – Bean’s vote for Pelosi as speaker? The kind of legislation we despise the most would never see the light the day if Pelosi was Speaker. But you seem content to give Republicans another two years to ram through even more horrible legislation – and make it even easier by giving them one more guaranteed vote. Just as long as you can wait it out to run again.

Honestly, if Bean is such a great friend to Bush and Hastert, why have the Republicans made her the top target for defeat next year? If she wasn’t somehow standing in the way of their agenda, why would they bother spending the money to beat her?

I don’t know what makes you think all the Democrats in our area are so angry at Bean that they’re willing to help you elect a Republican. And I’m not sure why you’d think they’re stupid enough to believe that it would be easy to defeat an incumbent Republican Congressman in a district Bush won with 56% of the vote.

Two or three unhappy labor unions and a handful of ticked off voters isn’t exactly a movement. It seems to me that the majority of people that are glad you’re running are Republicans, because that is who you will help the most.

[tritsofme]

17. You're nothing but a spoiler, to say different is a lie,

to yourself and everyone here.

Bean is the only type of Democrat that can win in this conservative district, someone to the left of her certainly isn't going to win.

[tofubo]

18. in fact, not

[Walt Starr]

21. You signed up on DU and posted in direct and flagrant violation of the

DU rules. you advocate yourself as a candidate yet the rules clearly state that you must support Democratic candidates.

so since we can't trust you to abide by our rules, how can we trust anything you say?

[mopinko]

19. bill, i don't think you are

progressive. how can you possibly call yourself progressive and think that the government has a place in the life and death decisions of american families? just where would you draw the line?
you certainly are correct about the media storm around terri schiavo covering up for our every day indifference. you are incredibly wrong if you think that more feeding tubes keeping more people who are really already dead alive is some kind of answer. people die. fetuses die. in fact, nature tries to prevent an unsupportable fetus from implanting in the first place. things die. it's part of life. get over it. and mind your own business.

i regret that you are running as an independent. in ordinary times, independent or third party candidates would be fine. but these are no ordinary times. and it is a pity that you cannot run in the dem primary, and bring your issues to the party. but i think the majority of the voters in the 8th should send their choice to congress. if it is bean, it is bean. if you have already presented yourself to the voters, and had your clock cleaned, and are now playing spoiler, you will indeed be complicit in the mess that is happening in washington. progressives play fair.

[Walt Starr]

22. You did know that advocating ANY candidate instead of the Democrat

is a violation of DU rules, didn't you?

[Name removed]

24. Deleted message

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[LeftyMom]

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