Here's a link to another video of Rep. Rush Holt predicting the NSA surveillance programs scandals back in 2008.
There's only a few days remaining until the primary vote arrives in New Jersey. Are you as tired of corporate-conservative-Wall street Democrats as I am? That's how Cory Booker has framed his career. I remember watching the movie Street Fight, directed by my friend Marshall Curry. It portrayed Cory Booker as a real fighter and somebody that could help the 98%er, but since he's been mayor, he's become a Harold Ford Democrat, squishy on everything progressive and more attuned to the Ed Rendell, Fix the Debt nonsense. Rendell argues for cuts to Social Security and rising the age on Medicare. With Democrats like that, what are Republicans worried about?
That's why we are backing Rush Holt.
Last April, just three months before he passed away, the ailing liberal lion Senator Frank Lautenberg issues a strong statement in opposition to proposed cuts to Social Security. He said:
"We can't afford to further balance our books on the backs of middle-class families and seniors. The proposed cuts to Social Security benefits are a major problem that would hurt countless Americans.”Sadly, the man considered to be the frontrunner to succeed him, Newark mayor and media darling Cory Booker, isn't willing to hold that line. He said just this week that he'd consider raising the retirement age for younger people, a patented Republican dodge and a sure sign that he cannot be trusted to protect the Democratic Party's greatest achievement.
But there is someone in the race who will protect Social Security, and his name is Congressman Rush Holt. Holt not only opposes all cuts to our most important social insurance program, he is a co-sponsor of the Protecting and Preserving Social Security Act, which would expand Social Security benefits, not cut them.
Where Mayor Booker has said that he has "not formed an opinion" on a carbon tax, something which 41 Democratic Senators have already voted for, Rush Holt is a card-carrying scientist who strongly supports it.
Where Mayor Booker thinks calling for repeal of the Patriot Act is "irresponsible", Rush Holt sponsored a bill in the House just this week to do just that. He said:
"The executive branch’s groundless mass surveillance of Americans has turned our conception of liberty on its head. My legislation would restore the proper constitutional balance and ensure our people are treated as citizens first, not suspects.”
Where Mayor Booker considers Wall Street a strong friend and ally, Rush Holt ... doesn't.
The last thing we need in the US Senate is another Wall Street friendly centrist with a propensity for government secrecy and a willingness to cut our most important social insurance programs.There are plenty of those already.
Journalist Glenn Greenwald calls Congressman Holt "a genuine stalwart on civil liberties and privacy and vehement opponent of the crony capitalism that governs DC." Tim Carpenter of PDA says, "He doesn't just vote progressive, he speaks out and leads on the issues that unite us as progressives --- Medicare for All, The Robin Hood Tax, Repeal of the Patriot Act and Hands Off Social Security."
In the upcoming primary, New Jersey can choose an establishment celebrity who plays a progressive on TV or it can choose a real progressive. We strongly believe the choice in this race is clear and urge you support Congressman Rush Holt for US Senate who will be one of the Senate's strongest civil liberties champions and will join the ranks of Elizabeth Warren, Sherrod Brown, Ed Markey and Tammy Baldwin in support of economic fairness, justice, and opportunity. Please donate what you can and spread the word among your friends and acquaintances in New Jersey.
We are all in this together,
Digby, for Howie, John, Tim Carpenter of PDA and the Blue America team
Digby catches Booker now flip flopping on cuts to Social Security since we've put so much pressure on him.
If you care about Social Security, you'll help Rush Holt. Booker responded today to liberal outrage by backing off his earlier comments and saying he won't support cuts to Social Security. But if it takes progressives hammering him to protect the Party's signature program in a Democratic primary is it reasonable to believe that he can be trusted once he gets into the Big Money Boys Club of the US Senate? Honestly, this issue doesn't take any nuance or any thinking through. A real progressive can answer that question without any equivocation every time he or she is asked: "no, I will not cut Social Security." That's not a hard one.
And any candidate who cavalierly tosses off the opinion that repealing the Patriot Act is "pretty irresponsible" clearly has no idea of the stakes in these issues and can be expected to simply go along to get along with whatever the national security state wants to do. We already have too many of those in the US Senate.
Please donate what you can and spread the word among your friends and acquaintances in New Jersey. If you can't donate please help spread the word that Rush Holt is a true blue Progressive because we need to fight for politicians like this.
And here's a link to a Youtube of Rush Holt's entire Geek Out Live Town Hall. It was quite informative.
