Rep. Dan Lipinski, who calls himself an Illinois Democrat, is making turncoat former Democrat Jeff Van Drew look principled. At least Van Drew quit the party and joined the Republicans. Lipinski has decided to go full Republican in his Democratic primary race against Marie Newman.
Daily Kos obtained the first mailer he's sent out this year for his reelection (you can read it below the break) and it's a doozy. First off, the letterhead, declaring him "Our commonsense congressman," and then the launch into full-on Republican talking points. He says he's facing a "fierce" (that's true) challenge from "a far-left extremist who believes that this is a Democratic majority district, its representative should be a radical progressive." Like the entire "radical" Democratic House which supports a woman's right to determine her own health choices. Lipinski is the sole forced birther Democrat left in the House.
It gets worse, much worse. "My opponent," he says, launching into the written equivalent of a horror-movie whisper, "has even been endorsed by socialist congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, also known as AOC." Ooooooh, scary. "Also known as," just like someone from the FBI's most-wanted list. Then he details all those scary things she supports like "so-called 'Medicare for All,'" which he flat-out lies about, saying it would "eliminate medicare." And "AOC's extreme 'Green New Deal,'" which would take your cars and airplanes away "within ten years." They're going to take your car away and make you "radically upgrade" your home, he says, or tear it down.
That's "just the start of Newman's extreme agenda" the letter threatens. She would be the "fifth member of the radical 'Squad' whose members, including AOC, are far to the left of Nancy Pelosi." Notice how he sneakily slides that in? She's even worse than, gasp, Nancy Pelosi! And why again is he's getting Democratic institutional support?
Someone should remind him this is a Democratic primary. It's going to have to be the voters of Illinois's 3rd district. We can help.
Published with permission of Daily Kos
Ed. Note: Marie Newman is a Blue America candidate. You can give to her here.