Jane Hamsher's Lincoln-Halter post-mortem

[UrbScotty]

I'm not Jane Hamsher's biggest fan, but she has some excellent points.

Yeah it sucks, and I’m in no mood to write one of those “we fought the good fight” pieces any more than you’re in the mood to read one. So a few quick points:

1) There is absolutely no doubt in anyone’s mind that Blanche Lincoln’s derivatives amendment would never be in the financial regulation bill unless Halter was in the race. None. It’s not a guess. Many people who have been working on the legislation have said so, repeatedly. She only became interested in it to show she was doing something with the banks besides soaking up their PAC money. If she had lost today, it would’ve been out of the bill tomorrow. Tonight somewhere Goldman Sachs is weeping, because if they take it out now, she’ll look like a corporate lackey who was only doing it for the optics and Boozman will have a field day.

2. It’s no small thing that Blanche’s $2.9 million in PAC donations from Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, AIG and Exxon Mobil were offset by $3.6 million in small donor donations for Halter. That could not have happened 10 years ago, because we would have been at the mercy of the media to get the message out to tens of thousands of people. When we started trying to calculate how much the online organizations could raise together, we really didn’t know (I guessed $3 million). Now we do. $3.6 million for the not-extraordinarily-progressive Bill Halter means it can be done again, which will will be a strong incentive for quality challengers to take on incumbents who might not otherwise want to risk it.

http://elections.firedoglake.com/2010/06/09/lincoln-defeats-halter/

[joeybee12]

1. Problem is, President Rahm and his cohorts will see yesterday as

vindication that his stick it to the left, bend over for corporations strategy works.

[HughMoran]

3. Goldman DLC bankster corporatist Wall Street fools!

[Warpy]

9. I understand what really worked was fraud

in the polling places in a strong Halter district were reduced from ten to two.

Typical Republican, she can't win unless she gets somebody to cheat for her.

(yes, I know, but that "D" behind her name usually doesn't mean a damned thing)

However, if the OP is correct an this resulted in something decent in the financial reform bill and it stays there, perhaps it will be worth putting up with the corrupt DINO for another six years.

[HughMoran]

2. Shit, I forgot I gave Halter some cash last month

I thought it was a good bet too :(

[joeybee12]

4. I think something's fishy about that vote...

all polls had Halter ahead.

[CrispyQ]

5. What's up with the closed pollinig places?

We have to stop this shit!

[mvd]

6. I'm still happy about Halter's campaign

The grassroots progressives won against Specter and nearly beat Lincoln. It's not often you do either one against an incumbent in a primary. At least a message was sent to Lincoln that maybe she'll hear. I think this was a good start in getting more progressive Democrats elected.

[mzmolly]

7. D

ITTO.

[mvd]

8. Hi, mzmolly

I'm sorry, but I don't understand what you mean here. Could you explain?

[mzmolly]

11. I meant ditto.

Sorry to be so confusing. I fully agree with your every word. :hi:

[laughingliberal]

10. She's correct about the derivatives reform issue. Dodd had a plan to weaken it which he squashed

the day after Lincoln failed to win the primary. They sent it intact to conference so Lincoln would not have to face the criticism before her runoff. I expect they'll kill it now but she will likely be hammered about it now by the Repug. I think she's toast. Halter was polling 11 points better against the Repug than Lincoln.