Blue America '10

by Blue America

511
Supporters 31,071
Raised $
Distributed among the recipients below  

Among Blue America pages you will find actions dedicated to specific endeavors, like defeating Blue Dogs, rewarding members of Congress who have been fighting for meaningful health care or for ending the disastrous occupation of Afghanistan. There is even a page dedicated specifically to giving props to progressive hero Alan Grayson and one dedicated to making sure Arkansas voters are aware how reactionary corporate shill Blanche Lincoln behaves when she thinks no one is looking. I'm kind of partial to the one that Digby came up with to send a message to the Inside the Beltway Establishment by supporting BETTER Democrats, the non-corporate kind.

This page, though, is the Blue America PAC mainstay, our official candidates' endorsement page. On this page are the candidates for office-- the challengers and a tiny handful of incumbents-- who we are recommending that our readers donate to. Each candidate has been interviewed and questioned about a handful of specific items: women's choice, equality under the law for all Americans, campaign finance reform, issues of war and peace, and the bread and butter issues that seek to re-establish an equitable balance between ordinary working families and powerful Big Business interests. The Blue America PAC is especially looking for strong and independent-minded progressive leaders and critical thinkers, something at least as important as any single position.

You will find the candidates we endorse on this page covered on the blogs Digby's Hullabaloo, Crooks and Liars and DownWithTyranny. In the past we have raised over $2 million, overwhelmingly in small donations. Most of the money raised has gone directly to candidates via our friends at ActBlue. Money to our PAC has been used to advertise for (and against) candidates and initiatives and to promote activities commensurate with building a strong progressive Congress. Blue America bloggers do not hire themselves as consultants nor in any way seek to gain financially from this PAC. The PAC was established because we love our country and seek to help perfect it. Please send us suggestions at BlueAmericaPac@gmail.com/

And let's make 2010 even more successful for progressives than 2006 and 2008.


Spread the Word

Image of Alan Grayson

Alan Grayson

FL-08 (Map)

In 2008 Alan Grayson beat Republican incumbent Ric Keller 52-48% in a Republican-leaning district. But instead of playing a defensive Republican-lite game, like so many red-district Democrats do, Grayson has become one of the most outspoken and effective champions of working families in Congress. He may be public enemy #1 to reactionaries but he's been one of the rays of light for ordinary Americans looking for a plain-speaking and courageous member of Congress willing to stand up for us all. Grayson has no fear, which drives the Republicans crazy. He was voted onto this page by a poll of all past Blue America donors.

Raised on this page: 148 2,479
Raised across ActBlue: 19,634 557,755

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Image of Bill Hedrick

Bill Hedrick

CA-44 (Map)

Bill Hedrick has been a public school teacher in Riverside County for 35 years. When he ran for Congress against a corrupt, sexual predator in 2008, the DCCC wouldn't give him the time of day because he's not wealthy and has no connections to wealthy special interests who finance campaigns. Instead Bill, who is now serving his 5th term as president of the Corona-Norco School Board, had a connection with enough regular folks in his Inland Empire district to come closer to defeating an entrenched incumbent than any Democrat in the state of California. This year that kind of grassroots power should propel him to victory.

Raised on this page: 90 1,727
Raised across ActBlue: 708 68,060

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Image of Billy Kennedy

Billy Kennedy

NC-05 (Map)

Billy Kennedy is a popular radio talk show host-- and a farmer and carpenter-- with a fiery populist message that sounds a lot like the saner noises coming from the Tea Party movement-- but without the racism, hatred, and Fox-stoked paranoia. Kennedy's speaking authentically for working Americans like himself-- and that could spell real trouble for Big Business shill Virginia Foxx

Raised on this page: 143 3,410
Raised across ActBlue: 269 14,423

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Image of Craig Pridemore

Craig Pridemore

WA-03 (Map)

State Senator Craig Pridemore, a past Washington Conservation Voters "Legislator of the Year" honoree is a refreshing, unabashed progressive running in a sea of business-oriented Democrats hoping to replace retiring Democrat Brian Baird. Aside from being on the progressive side of every important issue facing Americans, Craig's got a great attitude. After having know him for about two days, he confided in me that "the conventional wisdom up here is that a Democrat can't win if he/she stands for Democratic values. I am absolutely committed to changing that perception and to make WA-03 a reliable, progressive seat in the future." And we're committed to helping him do that.

Raised on this page: 117 2,534
Raised across ActBlue: 177 8,601

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Image of Connie Saltonstall

Connie Saltonstall

MI-01 (Map)

Bart Stupak has turned into an anti-choice cultist after spending way too much time with absolutists from The Family. He's lost it completely and, in Connie's words, "was willing to sacrifice health care reform because of abortion funding." The former Charlevoix County commissioner will need all the help she can get to retire this disgrace to the Democratic Party. She is a proven and fearless progressive with a strong sense of character and a motivation of serving her community.

Raised on this page: 142 4,577
Raised across ActBlue: 873 36,410

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Image of Doug Tudor

Doug Tudor

FL-12 (Map)

The race for the Democratic nomination in Florida's 12th congressional district-- basically Polk County, the seat being given up by Adam "Howdy Doody nimrod" Putnam-- is the clearest example so far this year of the Inside-the-Beltway Establishment being the mortal enemy of grassroots Democrats. When I called the DCCC and asked them why they're backing a Blue Dog, Lori Edwards, who opposes the entire Obama agenda, over a thoughtful progressive, they told me that Edwards had raised lots of money-- the Blue Dogs have given it to her and urged lobbyists their corporate cronies to support her-- and because Blue Dog Allen Boyd, the only Democrat to join George Bush's crusade to destroy Social Security, was pushing her on them. Meanwhile, Doug is a thoughtful Naval veteran with an incredible record and a vision for America that translates to creating good-paying jobs in an economy that isn't dependent on starting foreign wars.

Raised on this page: 36 849
Raised across ActBlue: 801 46,490

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Image of Marcy Winograd

Marcy Winograd

CA-36 (Map)

In 2006 progressive community activist Marcy Winograd, a founder of the L.A. chapter of Progressive Democrats of America and an unrelenting anti-war organizer, jumped into the Democratic primary against Blue Dog and war monger Jane Harman-- who had famously described herself as "the best Republican in the Democratic Party." Marcy was one of the very first candidates Blue America ever endorsed. And we were overjoyed that she decided to run again this year.

This year her campaign is based on a Green New Deal that would put 10 million Americans back to work repairing America’s infrastructure, building rapid transit, and developing alternative energy to make the country more secure. And she pledges to lead the congressional Progressive Caucus to cut billions in government waste in Iraq and Afghanistan and commit taxpayer money to jobs, healthcare, and education. If elected she will immediately push to freeze foreclosures and invest in programs that would make Southern California the epicenter for green technologies-- expanding the talent of aerospace into development of rapid transit and renewable energy and fight for

• tax credits for job creation

• wage subsidies to put America back to work

• investment in schools to prepare our children for the future economy

• community-based public sector jobs, building playgrounds, cleaning up abandoned property, creating food co-ops & farmers markets

If Marcy is elected, we will have the kind of genuine progressive leader working for us-- not someone whose arm we have to twist to do the right thing. She has been fighting against the unjustifiable wars in Iraq and Afghanistan-- and fighting FOR a more equitable and just society for working American families.

Raised on this page: 163 4,163
Raised across ActBlue: 1,607 51,257

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Image of Blue America PAC

Blue America PAC

Raised on this page: 153 1,793
Raised across ActBlue: 15,268 610,306

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Total: 00,000