Barney Frank sez: go after consevadems in PRIMARIES

[eridani]

Couldn't agree more. More and better Dems. Work on the "better" part in primaries and the "more" part in general elections.

http://readersupportednews.org/off-site-news-section/69-69/2693-liberal-democrats-target-blue-dogs-in-primaries-not-november


House Financial Services Chairman Barney Frank (D-Mass.) has some advice for liberal activists upset at the votes of the party's conservative members: defeat them in primaries -- but only in safe Democratic districts.

Frank told liberals at a Congressional Progressive Caucus Foundation event in Los Angeles in April that primaries are the place to push for more liberal Members.

"I said don't defeat conservative Democrats in November ... the place to do that is in the primary," Frank said Friday in an interview. But Frank added his caveat that such a primary challenge should only come in districts where a more liberal candidate would win in November.

"I particularly would not, for example, support a primary challenge against (Rep.) John Barrow (D-Ga.), because I thought that would cost us the seat," Frank said.

Frank, who is a top party fundraiser, noted his support in primaries for other conservative Blue Dog Democrats besides Barrow including Reps. Jim Matheson (Utah) and Allen Boyd (Fla.), for the same reason.

Frank's comments come with the party's liberal and moderate wings clashing both on and off Capitol Hill heading into what appears to be the most challenging environment for Democrats since the 1994 Republican revolution.

Frank's support for taking on conservative Democrats in primaries was cited positively by the liberal blog Down With Tyranny in discussing controversial comments made last week by Energy and Commerce Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) to The

[aquart]

1. I love Barney.

[Warpy]

2. Barney's right and I started contributing to opponents of blue dogs

this year. Some, like Bill Halter in Arkansas, outraised their incumbent opponents. Halter was cheated out of the nomination by typical GOP dirty tricks that closed polling places in his strongest areas--they knew Lincoln would be easy to defeat.

However, it's being noticed by the DLC dead wood at the center of the party that progressive candidates are raising more funds than conservatives and that they're doing it through small donations, so the word is getting out there.

The other word that has to be filtering through the cement encasing their beltway wonk skulls is that the Democrats who are in the biggest trouble in their districts are the Blue Dogs and other conservatives.

While the leadership still adores party conservatives, it seems the rank and file are getting other ideas and rebellion is afoot.

It can't come soon enough for me.

[Poboy]

3. So. is Barney Frank only half "fucking "R word'* '?

*substituted for fear of actually quoting Rahm's actual words, the Dem admin. Chief of staff, might be cause for post deletion by censors.

[Poboy]

4. ttt