Al Wynn resigns

Hat Tip: Open Left

Matt Stoller of Open Left wrote, “Roll Call just reported that Al Wynn resigned his seat to join a DC law firm.” 

Now “Fat Albert” can ply his trade as the corporate whore that he is free from the contraints of progressive policy that the public expects from a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, but never receives.  Looks like Miss Donna will need to run in a special election and can claim the prize she won in February earlier than she thought.  

Looks like the “Fat Albert” was a gentleman after all. 

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The Witch is Dead

We are witnessing the beginning of the end for Hillary Clinton. I cannot conceive of any scenario in which a Negro Presidential contender could lose eight straight contests after Super Tuesday and still be considered the front-runner looking toward Texas and Ohio. Nothing comes to mind because IT WOULD NEVER HAPPEN. The Media buys her B.S. because of the person selling it.   The only thing holding Hillary Clinton up right now is white privilege because it sho’ ain’t the voters.    

With a third of the precincts counted, Barack Obama, a Negro who came from outta nowhere, is running the table with 63% of the vote against the most formidible political machine on earth.   Curious that I haven’t heard the term Clinton fatigue as of late.   If this ain’t it, I don’t know what is.   Tee, baby, when you said,”that Byotch can’t win,” you were right on target.   God bless your pointed head.  Clinton’s inevitability was nothing more than a Jedi mind trick used by the dark side of the Force and Barack just killed the Empress by throwing her down the mine shaft. 

 

Virginia Updated 1 minute ago County Results Exit Poll		Obama	559,959	63%	36	94% reporting
		Clinton	315,811	36%	16

 

Race	Status	Candidate	Votes	Vote %	Del*	Precincts
District of Columbia Updated 4 minutes ago County Results		Obama	77,432	76%	3	89% reporting
		Clinton	24,563	24%	0
		Uncommitted	262	0%	0

Race	Status	Candidate	Votes	Vote %	Del*	Precincts
Maryland Updated 1 minute ago County Results Exit Poll		Obama	350,956	60%	11	73% reporting
		Clinton	213,692	37%	5
		Uncommitted	7,485	1%	0

 

Checking both Montgomery County and Prince Georges County Precincts, Donna Edwards has defeated corporate whore Fat Albert Wynn for re-election from Maryland’s Fourth Congressional District by a landslide of 36,010 votes to 22,148.  Looks like K-street has a new lobbyist and the people have a new champion.

Congressional Race Update

The race to succeed Julia Carson is taking place behind the scenes because Carson, 69, is in the late stages of terminal lung cancer, she has no intention of resigning, and the process to name the Democratic nominee in a potential special election, should she pass away soon, is entirely in the hands of the 680 plus precinct committeepersons in the 7th Congressional District.    The rules of the Indiana Democratic Party are clear, “A vacancy for U.S. House of Representatives shall be filled by a caucus of the eligible committeepersons whose precincts are within the congressional district.”        

Blogger Jim Shella is reporting that the vacancies in county precinct committeepersons are being filled rapidly in anticipation of having to name a nominee to succeed Ms. Julia.  In that inside baseball scenario, City-County Councilman Andre Carson, Ms. Carson’s grandson, is likely to have an advantage if his grandmother’s allies are filling the vacancies.

 

In Maryland, State Delegate Herman Taylor, a liberal and supposed friend of Al Wynn, has announced his candidacy for Congress against Al Wynn in an attempt to split the liberal vote progressive challenger Donna Edwards needs to de-throne the incumbent corporate whore.   The Washington Post is reporting that a delegation of business leaders came to Taylor to urge his candidacy.  If you believe that a so-called delegation of business leaders came to the independent conclusion that Taylor was better than Edwards on their own, I have a bridge in brooklyn for sale that I think would be a good retirement investment for you.

Southern Comfort

I drink rarely and when I do, wine is usually my drink of choice. If I’m feeling really adventurous, Southern Comfort is my favorite liqueur. Wikipedia describes it as, “a fruit, spice, and whiskey flavored liqueur produced since 1874. It is made from a secret blend of whiskey, peach brandy, orange, vanilla, sugar, and cinnamon flavors.” It is so damn yummy and the perfect metaphor for the focus of this and subsequent posts I’ll be doing this week on Louisiana and Tennessee.

Wikipedia goes on to say that “Southern Comfort was first produced by Irish bartender Martin Wilkes Heron (b. 1850 c. 1920), the son of a boat-builder, at McCauley’s tavern at the corner of Richard and St. Peter Street, in French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana. He moved to Memphis, Tennessee in 1889, patented his famous creation, and began selling it in sealed bottles with the slogan “None Genuine But Mine” and “Two per customer. No Gentleman would ask for more.” Southern Comfort won the gold medal at the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis, Missouri.”

“The plantation depicted on the label of Southern Comfort since the 1930s is Woodland Plantation, an antebellum mansion in West Pointe a la Hache, a small town in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana.”

Being a lover of history, even the history of this liqueur evokes the right image of warmth and cozyness that I feel once I’ve downed a glass and settled in for a rich discussion of political history and southern politics. That being said, here we go.

Looking around the web I spotted the latest campaign finance reports of several races I have my eye on and found several interesting things.

Starting in Memphis, Tennessee, there is the race between the sistah I have dubbed the Corporate Mammy and her opponent, Steve Cohen. Cohen, you’ll recall, is the white successor to Harold Ford, Jr’s Memphis Congressional seat and is set to defend it next year against Nikki Tinker, a corporate tool cut from the same cloth as her mentor, Harold Ford, Jr.

At this point, its all about the benjamins and sistah ain’t no slouch having raised $176,000 so far this year with $171,000 on hand. Her white opponent is running scared and clocked a healthy tally of $374,000 on hand. The Commerical Appeal is reporting that the corporate mammy ain’t playing fair and has resorted to push polling to get her campaign jump started. This race has only begun to get interesting. The racial angle is what we thrive on here at Skeptical Brotha.

Next up is the race in Maryland between challenger Donna Edwards and her opponent, Congressman Al Wynn, a corporate butt buddy of Harold Ford Jr in the DLC. I’ve got much love for this sistah and have endorsed her for this seat. She’s been endorsed by Democracy for America and hopefully after the corporate pod people at Emily’s list are whipped mercilessly with a wet noodle-Emily’s List. Something tells me that we’ll all turn blue black and die holding our breath on that one.

Sistah Donna has rasied over $214,000 for this race with $115,000 on hand. Fat Albert has raised over $592,000 with $400,000 on hand. He is giving new meaning to running scared because he clearly is terrified. She is burning money at a fairly good clip and that concerns me, but I think that whatever she’s doing, she’ll have the money to continue and win this February primary over Wynn.

Finally, there are two races I’ve classified as no way in hell. My favorite two candidates for the Senate: Vernon-I-didn’t-rape-her,-I’m-just-a-little-freaky-Jones, and Vivian-I’ve-lost-my-damn-mind-Figures. Vernon Jones, the DeKalb County CEO, is term-limited and running for the Senate seat of Saxby Chambliss, the shameless xenophopbic bastard that accused his opponent, former Senator Max Cleland, of coddling Osama Bin Laden in a series of ads so foul that they are still infamous to this day-5 years later.

Jones has no hope of unseating the senator and his millions in campaign cash. Jones is being aided in his hopeless quest by raising over $376,000, which is more than respectable at this point. He has over $265,000 on hand. Dekalb county, the largest suburban county outside Atlanta is booming and he can rightfully take credit, but it still won’t help. We are talking about Georgia after all. I wonder if he takes a page out of Marion Barry’s book when his supporters ask about the rape allegation and tells them “The Bitch set me up.”

Anybody who knows me knows that I enjoy Alabama politics because like all southern politics, its colorful and interesting. The most interesting race in Alabama of late was the Mayor’s race in Birmingham in which they ousted their two term Mayor in favor of Jefferson County Comissioner Larry Langford. They were so pleased with the Mayor that he got only 8% of the vote. Ouch.

It also featured a wealthy candidate endorsed by CBC corporate whore Artur Davis. He came in second. Hallelujah, Thank You, Jesus. Anyhoo, the Alabama Senate race has none of the same Pizzazz. Instead, its tired and as over as Whitney’s marriage to Bobby.

To put it simply, State Senator Vivian Davis Figures is delusional. Her campaign report states clearly why: she ain’t raised but $24,636 dollars in the short time she’s been in this race. Not an auspicious start at all. Senator Jeff Sessions, a neo-confederate racist, has $3.5 million on hand. Like I said, the sistah is delusional and needs to check herself into a private funny farm somwhere before she’s involuntarily committed to a padded cell she can permanently call her own.

I almost forgot the little matter of Harold Ford, Jr’ s up and coming nuptuals to his fiance and his impending announcement of a run for Governor.

Before I comment on that fully in another post, what do y’all think about that. Y’all think he’s been hitting a bottle of southern comfort on the regular or do you think that it’s a mental thang for him to believe that jumping the broom with snowflake is not gonna make his gubernatorial run an exercise in futility.

I’ll let you all in on a little secret. There is a certain black female politico that I met a few years back and she met Harold Whore Jr at one of the Democratic National Conventions and has been pining for him ever since. Like Harold, she is fair skinned. What we used to call “Light, bright, and damn near White.” I’m sure if she got the chance, she’d tell him what Lonette McKee told Wesley Snipes in Jungle Fever “I wasn’t light enough for ya, you had to get you a white girl.”

Donna Edwards swings into action

Coordinated in campaign colors white, yellow and blue, the Donna Edwards for Congress campaign headquarters opened this evening in Temple Hills, Md.   As I walked to the door, I was met by the candidate. Donna is refreshingly down to earth and engaging.  I spoke with the candidate briefly and explained my reason for attending without giving too much away. 

The best way to get over the funk of disillusionment with the political process is to help somebody.  For all of the right reasons, Donna is fantastic candidate worthy of my time and support.  A good crowd of progressives from both Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties were present and it was diverse-just like Donna’s campaign staff. 

To get the party started, Donna was introduced by freshman Maryland State Delegate Aisha Braveboy.  Delegate Braveboy movingly spoke of her continuing support for Donna because Donna is a candidate that genuinely speaks of issues important to the community: medicare, medicaid, education, and the disaster that is No Child Left Behind. 

Donna stepped up to the mike and to the assembled guests that February 12, 2007 presents the people of Maryland’s fourth congressional district the opportunity to turn the page on the deceitful, dangerous, and disatasrous Bush regime.  Donna eloquently spoke of leading the nation for change against both Republicans and Democrats that stood with the Bush Adminstration’s agenda of mass deception-a not so veiled reference to Congessman “Fat Albert” Wynn.  Instead of deception, she wants America to be a country and a district that takes the lead in expanding health care access, education, and a country in which leaders look to actually lead.

Finally, my favorite part was Donna’s pithy ending, “Our phones are on, our pencils are sharpened, and our numbers are growing.” Indeed.  Funds permiting, I can come back in mid-September and do some door-to-door canvassing.  With a district approximately 800 square miles, she’ll need all the volunteers she can muster to beat Fat Albert.  If y’all are interested, lend a sistah a hand. The Donna Edwards for Congress HQ can be reached at 301-316-1880.

 

 

 

Election Update

Latina State Senator Jenny Oropeza and African American Assemblywoman Laura Richardson and Valerie McDonald, daughter of the late Juanita Millender McDonald square off Tuesday in the special election to replace the Congresswoman. If anyone receives 50% of the vote, she wins the seat outright, otherwise, the top vote getter in each parties primary vies for the seat in July. The latest fundraising numbers show a tight money chase between Oropeza and Richardson with Valerie McDonald bringing up the rear. In the endorsement game, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has not weighed in as expected but the California Democratic Party has, endorsing Oropeza. Moreover, the bulk of organized labor has endorsed Richardson.

Serious competition in the form of Long Beach Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske was averted when she abruptly pulled out of the race after her constituents implored her to stay on the Council. That leaves the white vote largely up for grabs and it leans heavily toward Oropeza. Latino voters are united in support of Oropeza while African American voters, who vote in larger numbers than Latinos, are split between McDonald and Richardson, with the lion’s share going to Richardson because of her broader political support despite substantial Congressional Black Caucus support for McDonald’s candidacy.

The California Legislative Black Caucus is united behind Richardson and the political leadership of heavily African American enclaves in the district: Compton and Carson are almost all united for Richardson. Other African American candidates in this race are just vanity candidates and unlikely to garner significant support. If the Congressional Black Caucus retains this seat, it will be in spite of their divided efforts, not because it did anything to support the winner.

In other news, Florida Congressman Alcee Hastings has drawn a challenger in the form of Belle Glades, Florida City Commissioner Ray Torres Sanchez. Sanchez, a funeral director, will challenge Hastings in the Democratic primary where he presumably will be crushed.

Two Maryland races are heating up significantly. The race for Maryland’s 4th Congressional district between Corporate Shill Al Wynn and Donna Edwards is moving along swimingly with both sides trading pointed barbs and rhetoric. Al Wynn is now an unabashed war critic after having voted against war funding for the first time this month. His about face is striking given the cozy corporate collusion and whoring he had no problem with before he was almost defeated by Donna last September.

Lastly, the first television ad was run in the race for Baltimore Mayor as Incumbent Mayor Sheila Dixon announced the kick-off of her campaign for Mayor and her push to take Baltimore to the next level. With a campaign account upwards of $ 1 million and the most professional city administration in history, she is the odds on favorite in this contest for a full four year term as Mayor. Accomplished and detail oriented, Mrs. Dixon has made her presence felt in Baltimore and is coming to grips with its intractable budgetary and crime problems.

 

 

The Whore takes sides in Maryland

 

HAT TIP: by Rosalind Helderman at the Maryland Moment Blog, WaPo.com

About 1,000 people showed up for a kick-off fundraiser for U.S. Rep. Albert Wynn (D) at Prince George’s Camelot banquet hall in Upper Marlboro. Wynn survived a tough challenge from local activist Donna Edwards in last September’s Democratic primary.

Because of the quirks of the presidential primary calendar, Wynn’s campaign for reelection is already very active. That’s because when Maryland voted to hold its Presidential primary earlier than ever, it also meant other primary races, including for Congress, got pushed up. The Wynn-Edwards rematch for the Democratic nomination from Maryland’s 4th district will now take place on Feb. 12, just a bit more than a year after Wynn took office.

That might be why Wynn’s aides wanted for a big turnout at this morning’s event, at which they were hoping to raise $250,000. (One attendee said he received on the order 10 calls urging his appearance.) Their work must have paid off–much of the county’s state legislative delegation was in attendance, as were several members of the County Council, Comptroller Peter Franchot, Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler and County Executive Jack B. Johnson.

“Make no mistake about it–it’s on!” Wynn told the room. “Let’s go get ’em!”

There was a bit of buzz at the event, however, about Wynn’s selection of a keynote speaker for the event–former representative and candidate for Senate Harold E. Ford, who is now head of the Democratic Leadership Council. Edwards’ campaign has been built on attacking Wynn from the left, especially because he voted to authorize the use of force in Iraq in 2003. Ford, meanwhile, is widely seen as a fairly conservative Democrat.

“He’s not representative of the district–I don’t think he represents the Democratic party,” said Del. Victor R. Ramirez (D-Prince George’s). “I don’t see how it helps [Wynn].”

“I was a little disappointed in Mr. Ford’s comments on Iraq,” said Del. Doyle L. Niemann (D-Prince George’s). “I thought they were not necessarily representative of where Al Wynn stands.”
The comments Niemann was referring to took place during the breakfast event’s speechifying. Wynn told the crowd, “We’ve got to bring our troops home from Iraq.” He noted, however, that doesn’t mean abandoning the war torn country. Instead, he said the United States needs to let regional players like Egypt and Jordan work out a peace plan.

Ford, meanwhile, offered scathing criticism of how President Bush has managed the war, but specifically noted “I don’t think we can leave Iraq right away.” Ford went on to say, “As much as didn’t do it right, we have to get it right because there are people over there who want to do us harm.”

In an interview, Wynn called Ford “a tremendous young talent in our party.” Wynn said he believed Ford made it clear he wants the United States out of Iraq, but “he also made it very clear that we need to think beyond cliches. My race is not going to be a bunch of cliches…We’re going to talk about issues, substance and policy. We’re going to try to bring some depth to how we deal with the 21st century.”

Edwards will hold her campaign kick-off at Watkins Park on June 30.

Tacking to the left and voting correctly as of late was meant to defang his Primary opponent,  Donna Edwards.  Wynn has undone all of his recent efforts by cavorting with Skeptical Brotha’s least favorite corporate Whore, Harold Ford, Jr.  I guess stupid is as stupid does.  

Edwards to challenge Wynn again

 

 

HAT TIP: THE HILL By Aaron Blake

May 03, 2007

Democrat Donna Edwards, who narrowly lost to Rep. Albert Wynn (D-Md.) in a 2006 primary challenge, officially signed up for a rematch last week when she filed a statement of candidacy for the 2008 race.

After a brief campaign, Edwards shocked almost everyone by losing by fewer than 3,000 votes, 50 percent to 46, in September. She begins her 2008 bid nine months before
Maryland’s new Feb. 12 primary with a goal of raising $1 million and putting together a better campaign organization. 

She already has done something she didn’t last cycle — hire a campaign manager. Adrienne Christian, who was deputy campaign manager for now-Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.), joined Edwards’s campaign full-time in mid-April.

Edwards said she has spent the eight months since the primary attending community meetings in the 4th district and gauging support for another bid against Wynn.

She said a formal announcement is likely to be set for May, and she will leave her job as executive director of the Washington-based Arca Foundation around Labor Day to campaign full-time.

“I was trying to figure out if this was just a flash in the pan and wake-up call or there’s a real call for change,” Edwards said. “I wouldn’t have filed if I hadn’t thought it was a real call for change.”

Edwards was able to make it a close race last cycle in large part by focusing on Wynn’s vote in favor of giving President Bush the authority to go to war in Iraq.

Wynn, an eighth-term congressman who cruised through the general election, has said the primary result took him by surprise, and he has upped his community outreach as part of an effort to shore up support among the disaffected.

He also has wasted no time getting started raising money. In the first quarter, he pulled in about $130,000.

Edwards emphasized that the race was about more than Wynn’s Iraq war vote and said his recent changes won’t fool people.

“I know that Mr. Wynn is flying right on a lot of things these days, but we can’t ignore the fact that a significant reason for that is because I challenged him,” Edwards said.

The race puts the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) in a tough spot, because it must decide whether to support Wynn in the primary.

The DCCC did not commit to supporting Wynn, but spokeswoman Kyra Jennings said, “The DCCC has a long-standing policy of supporting our incumbent members.”

Edwards raised just less than $350,000 last cycle, while Wynn raised about $800,000 — most of it before the primary.
Christian said the Edwards campaign has held two small house parties and has fundraisers in Washington and New York planned.

Edwards aims to raise more local money this time, but she also has made inroads with grassroots groups. She received late help from MoveOn.org’s political action committee last year and has gotten involved with the board of They Work For Us, a nonprofit group designed to keep Democratic members of Congress from straying too far from the party’s ideals.

But she might not have Wynn all to herself this time around, as several other politicians in the Prince George’s County area have been rumored to be considering bids.

Edwards said she isn’t paying attention to other candidates and won’t back down.

“When I decided to run, most of those same people said to me it will be impossible to beat him,” Edwards said. “The fact that I opened the door means that I want to walk through it, and I’m not going to let somebody else do it.”