I really didn’t care for Emanuel’s tactics during the 2006 race – the progressive blogs were complaining about this very stuff back then, and it irked the hell out of me. I was watching Tammy Duckworth‘s primary race at the time, and fuming about how she was getting lackluster support from the DCCC, probably because of her position against the war (and how striking she was in military uniform and prosthetic legs in campaign photos while campaigning on the issue). She’s doing good work for veterans now, but she could have been so much more effective in Congress. I hope she runs again, and kicks do-nothing butt.
One Utah » Blog Archive » Democrats for War
Thanks to reporter Matt Renner of Truthout.org, evidence has now emerged that at least one major player in the leadership of the Democratic Party–2006 Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chair-cum Democratic Caucus chair Rahm Emanuel–worked dilligently and effectively behind the scenes of the 2006 congressional campaign, to dial down Democratic party opposition to the Iraq War.
According to Renner, Emanuel very systematically worked to eliminate candidates—including incumbents—who strongly opposed the Iraq war and who had outspokenly advocated immediate withdrawal from Iraq, by promoting alternative Democratic candidates with strong conservative credentials—some of them former Republicans—whose position on withdrawal from Iraq was ambigious at best.
Renner’s report is detailed and factual, providing a close analysis of four sample races in which the DCCC endorsed and/or promoted a more hawkish candidate over one with an clear position in favor of immediate withdrawal from Iraq.
In two of these races, the DCCC candidate won the primary only to lose the election.
Incredibly, even Democratic incumbents who were strong opponents of the Iraq war, were targeted for removal by Emanuel.
I don’t care much for the guy – and all this behind-the-scenes politicking is like trying to position himself as Rove Lite: Less corrupt! More shilling!
[tags]Rahm Emanuel, Tammy Duckworth, anti-war, progressives, do-nothings[/tags]