Be a Better Democrat. Support Pennacchio in Pennsylvania.

I have a confession: I used to not vote in primaries. A loyal Democrat since 9th grade when I campaigned in my high school for Jimmy Carter, I didn't care who I voted for as long as there was a capital "D" after his (or her) name.

When Bill Clinton accepted the nomination at the Democratic convention I was thrilled. And when his bus tour went through Wisconsin I journeyed to LaCrosse to see him and Al in person. I signed up the next day to help on the campaign.

But then Clinton was elected, and the first thing he tried to do was issue an executive order allowing gays to openly serve in the military. I loved him for thinking first of this group, who'd suffered silently, their population raided by HIV, shamed and dishonored even as they served their country...I was proud, that day, to have helped put Bill Clinton in office.

A few days later, I cried bitter tears of disappointment. Such a simple act had proved to be impossible, not because of Republican opposition, but because conservative Democrats—actually Republicans in sheep's clothing—had aligned against their new president. I wanted to drive a stake through Sam Nunn's cold traitorous heart.

Instead, I vowed to become a better Democrat.

That's what I'm doing today. Trying to prevent another Republican who wears the sheep's clothing of a "D" behind his name from getting the nomination in Pennsylvania's Senate race.

There are virtually no differences between Bob Casey and Rick Santorum, R-Pennsylvania. Yes, Santorum's a nut. But he votes pretty much the same way Casey would—Casey even recently endorsed conservative darling Samuel Alito for Supreme Court justice. Casey would probably, I'll grant you, vote for a Democrat as Senate leader, and some people say this is all that matters: a majority of "D"s.

I know better. I still remember those tears I shed, watching Sam Nunn and other democrats (lowercase intentional) denounce an executive order that would have restored dignity to gays and lesbians in the U.S. military. I became cynical that day.

Those of you who remember Bill Clinton's terms in office remember the grief those Southern conservative democrats continued to give him. We've seen the same thing recently, with Zell Miller and Henry Cuellar in Texas: democrats with a lowercase "d" sabotaging Democratic values as well as vital congressional votes.

My cynicism has turned to action. Primary races such as the one currently in Pennsylvania are where the  real battle lies for the heart and mind of the Democratic party.

If you too care about preserving the values real Democrats hold dear, get involved when your voice—and dollars—matter. The general election is too late.

Join us in the Pennacchio blogswarm and online petition drive. Over the next ten days, several of us here in the blogosphere boonies will be bringing this race to your attention. Penn resident eRobin at Fact-esque is leading the effort.

Don't be fooled by another Republican who doesn't know his alphabet. Support progressive, Democratic values, like a woman's right to choose, living wages, universal health care, stem cell research, and church-state separation. Support Chuck Pennacchio in Pennsylvania.

Read more about Chuck's positions here. Read about how he beats Santorum in the latest Zogby poll here. Then spread the word here.

Comments

[Casey Up to Bat]

An argument against Bob Casey is not necessarily an argument for Chuck Pennachio. Looking at Chuck's bio, his top qualification seems to be that he was a "personal aide" to Alan Cranston, "Chuck carried forth responsibilities that gave him more contact with a United States Senator than any other staff position on Capitol Hill."

A friend of mine was a personal aide to a U.S. Senator. Not only do you get to know how the Senator takes his coffee (we're not in England, we don't drink tea), but, also that he likes three peeled oranges in the morning. Being the personal assistant hardly qualifies you to be a U.S. Senator -- hell, scheduler (which my friend was later promoted to) is a more prestigious position in a Senate office.

He also was a low level field operative for a bunch of candidates, rising, after years of trying, to the prestigious position of "deputy campaign manager." Wow -- great qualifications, he'll be an awesome policy maker.

I could go on making fun of Chuck, perhaps talking about the prestige of the University Arts School or whatever, but, I won't -- instead, I'll make a viability argument.

If the modus operendi for supporting Pennachio is that he's "not Bob Casey," why not support Alan Sandals? As of the last reporting period, Sandals had raised $550K and had over $50K cash on hand. Pennachio? He's raised a paltry $75K and has a mere $9K on hand.

So, what's your argument for Pennachio?

[KathyF]

First of all, I don't put a whole lot of stock in "resume" when I examine candidates. Previous elected experience doesn't necessarily mean a candidate has what it takes to move to another elected position. Nor does working for another candidate. His background as an academic in history and diplomatic relations seems perfect, actually, for a Senate candidate. Especially in these days when our reputation is mud around the world.

As for the issues, it's not often I agree with ALL a candidate's positions. I was prepared to overlook major differences with Howard Dean, for instance: he believed in the death penalty, and I'm a fervent death penalty opponent.

Among the issues that Pennacchio supports, perhaps the most important is campaign finance reform. I trust a dark horse candidate like Pennacchio to enact campaign finance reform, just like Feingold did, whereas entrenched candidates like Casey who raise large chunks of money don't generally have the will to change the way we elect candidates.

I could go on--stem cell research, education, gay marriage, etc., all lead me to support Pennacchio. But you asked about Sandals.

I could be wrong, but he doesn't seem to be running a very aggressive campaign. I also suspect the bulk of his cash has come from fellow attorneys. It's easy to raise money from lawyers; trust me, I've done it.

If the "mighty blogosphere" got behind Pennacchio the way they have other candidates, his cash shortage wouldn't be an issue, and frankly, I have no idea why the a-listers are so eager to knock off Lieberman in Connecticut when a Lieberman clone is about to get the nod in Pennsylvania.