Blue America chat — Trevor Thomas (MI-3)
by digby
This is a big one, folks. You might want to pop over to C&L at 11 pst to see the fireworks. We’ve got a true blue progressive up against a conservative, anti-choice Democrat and it’s a pitched battle. Here’s Howie:
Trevor Thomas is running for Congress in west Michigan’s 3rd CD, which is mostly based in Grand Rapids and Battle Creek and has traditionally been a mainstream type of district. Before the House seat was captured last year by radical right teabagger Justin Amash it had been moderate Republican Vern Ehler’s district. Long before that it has been represented by Arthur Vandenberg and, later, Jerry Ford. Amash is a bad fit for the district. But before Trevor can face him, he has to win the Democratic primary against a virulently anti-Choice, self-funding multimillionaire, Steve Pestka. Pestka will be just another hackish social conservative helping the GOP in their wars against everyone. While in the state legislature, for example, Pestka voted with the GOP to defund Planned Parenthood— same stand as Amash. Trevor, of course, is a 100% pro-Choice candidate, like every Blue America-backed candidate. Today at 11am (PT)–2pm ET– Blue America will be spending some time online with Trevor at Crooks and Liars. If you can, please join us for a question and answer session.
“I’m the only candidate in this race who is pro-woman and pro-choice,” he told us last week. “Just look at the record. My opponents have both voted to undermine a woman’s right to choose and eliminate critical health services. I would expect that from a tea-party favorite like Rep. Amash, but a Democrat? Clearly there are folks supporting him who aren’t comfortable with me raising this as a major issue, but we’re not going to back down. There’s too much at stake in this election for women, and I am the only one who will fight for the issues that matter most to them and their families.”
Trevor learned something important– probably many things– when he was working for Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm. She was running against billionaire Grand Rapids powerhouse Dick DeVos but even being outspent by $27 million, she beat him decisively. “Michigan voters, Trevor told me, “cannot be bought.” Good to know– but he also learned how to make dollars stretch a long way and how to leverage grassroots support against a campaign bloated with money from corporations and the one-percent. And he’ll need to use those lessons in his own race– in both the primary and general as he faces off against two consecutive wealthy self-funders.
Gov. Granholm and Lt. Governor John Cherry are both campaigning for Trevor. They know him– and they know Pestka.
“From day one Trevor has been a fighter for fairness and opportunity,” said former Governor Jennifer M. Granholm. “From the newsroom to the halls of Congress, Trevor has the experience and passion to get results on the issues critical to Michigan families. This is a campaign of inclusion that will stand up and represent all the voices of West Michigan and I am proud to support and be a part of it.”
Gaius Publius over at Americablog has the bad news:
[A] serious question: Who does the DCCC back in the Michigan 3rd CD race?
Steve Pestka, who voted to defund Planned Parenthood when he was in the Michigan House, or Trevor Thomas, an actual pro-woman Democrat
Context — Obama’s White House is in the process of trying (and failing) to damp down the firestorm from the gay community about Obama’s pointed refusal to grant the same protection against same-sex–preference bias as it routinely grants to other biases.
Simultaneously, national Democrats are taking the “Republican War against Women” meme and, at least until Rosen-gate, wrapping themselves tight in it — making it their unique selling point (product identifier) in the 2012 election.
Something doesn’t add up.
Is the national Democratic “we support women” message sincere? If so, they should disavow anti-woman Steve Pestka now and actively work to make Trevor Thomas the nominee.
Or is the “we support women” just a convenient … untruth, told to sell an appearance only?
If Pestka is the nominee, the DCCC will be using “War on Women” money to finance Planned Parenthood–defunder Steve Pestka’s House race.
That’s a problem, if you gave to the DCCC to fund its defense of women. Only the DCCC can clear this air.
This isn’t the only race this is happening. If anti-choice Blue Dog Tim Holden — to whom Debbie Wasserman Shultz donated $2,000 by the way — wins his primary, the DCCC will be spending the money you donated to fight the War on Women to help a man who is virulently anti-choice.