August 09, 2011 11:20 PM UTC

Almost calling for an Obama Challenger: Tim Carpenter of Progressive Democrats of America

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• by: John H Kennedy

Today,  I  received this email from Progressive Democrats of America that I thought I would share.  To the best of my knowledge, until this morning,  PDA would not allow discussion of a Primary Challenger to Obama, to be even discussed on it’s Accountability and Justice Google Group because as it’s officers said, it might impact PDA’s ability to lobby for other issues and might put the very existence of PDA within the Democratic Party, at risk.

So this email shows a sea change in attitude.    

Now Tim Carpenter is willing to admit that  “lefty blogs and discussion lists are on fire with talk of primarying Obama”.   Good for him and PDA.   Holding even Democratic Presidents accountable is what all of the members expect.  I know I want nothing less.  

Sadly, though, Tim acknowledges only that calls for a primary challenger ‘have been made’… and Carpenter and PDA aren’t today calling for a primary Challenger to Obama.  

If the officers of PDA really want to Hold Obama Accountable to rank and file Democrats… Isn’t That What They Should DO?   Shouldn’t the PDA Advisory Board be going on record as calling for a primary challenger?   If you want to push Obama to the Left, there is no other way.    I commend Tim Carpenter for doing this, but he and PDA need to take it one step farther… Call for a Primary Challenger.

Would be primary challengers need to know that they will be supported if they throw their hat in the ring to fight for the Democratic Party rank and file.  They deserve that much.  So, without actually calling for a challenger, just saying that others are doesn’t get the job done.

PDA certainly wants the rank and file of the Democratic Party to believe that they are a skilled and powerful force working for the best interests of the Base, so calling for a primary challenger ‘very soon’ is the only way PDA will have any real credibility on this issue.

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Tim Carpenter’s email follows:

Tuesday, August 9, 2011 3:46 AM

From:”Tim Carpenter for PDA” info @pdamerica.org

To: “John Kennedy” protestinthestreet @yahoo.com

Anger management

Dear John,

It has been a challenging month for progressive Democrats. We are angry and fired up!!!

snip

While PDA had no illusions that President Obama was a progressive, we never thought he would cave in to corporate interests this fast and this much.

Besides turning off independents, President Obama continues to turn his back on progressive Democrats already angry by his escalation of the war in Afghanistan and his failure to get out of Iraq, close the Guantánamo Bay prison, end the Bush-era tax cuts, hold Wall Street accountable, and enact a Medicare for all healthcare system. Now he has put Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare at risk. By embracing the GOP austerity line, Obama has aligned Dems with policies that threaten the economy.

PDA was launched in 2004 with a commitment to elect a progressive governing majority. We have learned over the course of the last seven years simply electing Democrats will not get us where we need to be. That’s why we will be busy working the 2012 election cycle to elect the most progressive Democrats to Congress we can-like Norman Solomon-and we will continue to challenge President Obama to become an unapologetic Democrat in the tradition of FDR and those who defined the party at its most successful moments over the past century.

Fueled by righteous progressive anger, lefty blogs and discussion lists are on fire with talk of “primarying” Obama.

Whether or not a primary challenger rises up, and even as we work to elect progressive Democrats to Congress, we as citizens have an obligation to challenge President Obama on his performance and broken promises.

We will take this challenge to every caucus and primary. President Obama will be confronted by angry progressive Democrats from Iowa to New Hampshire to California to the Democratic National Convention-until he speaks out and works for Main Street, not Wall Street and for Healthcare NOT Warfare.

Nothing less than the heart and soul of our party is at stake; we invite you to join us outside in the streets, and inside the Party to ensure that progressives are taken seriously in this election cycle:

– snip –

Tim Carpenter for PDA