Progressive Democrats of America, a grassroots political action committee (PAC) created in 2004, endorsed Ed Fallon today in the Democratic primary to represent Iowa’s third Congressional district. The Des Moines chapter of the group had previously endorsed Fallon last month.
A press release from the Fallon campaign quoted the candidate as saying,
“PDA is pleased that I’m challenging Congressman Boswell due to his record on voting with the Republicans to support President Bush’s agenda on the Iraq War, the PATRIOT Act, warrantless surveillance, torture, ‘free-trade’ agreements, bankruptcy ‘reform’ that hurts the middle class, and billions in corporate welfare for big oil and gas companies.”
[…]
“Because I’ve never taken money from PACs or paid lobbyists, PDA won’t be making a contribution to my campaign,” Fallon said, “but they will encourage their members to make individual contributions. They want to help give our next president a Democratic congressman who will support progressive, Democratic policies.”
The full text of the press release is after the jump.
Other national organizations that have endorsed Fallon include eQualityGiving and Democracy for America.
Contact: Stacy Brenton
Fallon for Congress
(515) 822-3029
stacy@fallonforcongress.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEFallon Endorsed by Progressive Democrats of America
Friday, April 25, 2008 (1:00 PM CDT) – Ed Fallon last night received the national endorsement of Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) in his primary challenge to Congressman Leonard Boswell in Iowa’s Third Congressional District.
“PDA’s priorities are ending the Iraq War, universal health care, economic justice, global climate change, and clean, fair, transparent elections,” Fallon said, “and these are the issues I’ve been talking about for years and they are the focus of my campaign.”
Fallon added, “PDA is pleased that I’m challenging Congressman Boswell due to his record on voting with the Republicans to support President Bush’s agenda on the Iraq War, the PATRIOT Act, warrantless surveillance, torture, ‘free-trade’ agreements, bankruptcy ‘reform’ that hurts the middle class, and billions in corporate welfare for big oil and gas companies.”
“I’m grateful for the endorsement,” Fallon said. “It’s another sign that people in Iowa and around the country are ready for real change in Washington. Our government is broken, mostly because of the presence of big money and well-heeled special interests. That has to change if we are to meet the challenges facing us.”
PDA was founded in 2004 as a grassroots PAC to build a Democratic Party and government controlled by citizens, not corporate elites – with policies that serve the broad public interest, not just private interests. “Because I’ve never taken money from PACs or paid lobbyists, PDA won’t be making a contribution to my campaign,” Fallon said, “but they will encourage their members to make individual contributions. They want to help give our next president a Democratic congressman who will support progressive, Democratic policies.”
PDA played a key role in the stunning electoral victory of November 2006 and is credited with helping insurgent candidate Donna Edwards defeat Democratic Rep. Al Wynn in Maryland’s 4th Congressional District in February. Fallon has also received national endorsements from Democracy for America, another progressive Democratic organization that supported Donna Edwards, as well as Change Congress and eQuality Giving.
8 Comments
Yadda Yadda Yadda
Nobody is going to vote for Fallon because an obsure national group endorses him. Boswell got Al Gore’s endorsement, which will matter a lot more to Iowans.
the-demo-memo Sat 26 Apr 5:58 PM
this could help Fallon raise money, though
from progressives across the country who weren’t previously aware of this race.
As much as I respect Al Gore, I don’t think anyone leaning to Fallon is going to change his or her vote because of Gore’s endorsement of Boswell. An endorsement like that is a media story, that’s all.
desmoinesdem Sat 26 Apr 7:35 PM
plus
plus all the people who are going to vote for fallon also voted for Nader because apparently the oscar winning nobel peace prize winning face of environmental liberalism wasn’t liberal enough for them. Please continue forth you brave souls with your ever so useful and enlightened choices. And for all you fallon supporters out there you better hope this raises him some cash and quick because he desperately needs it. Wouldn’t want his field staff to go hungry.
therealworld Sat 26 Apr 10:23 PM
hmmm, Nader got less than 2 percent in Iowa
Fallon seems poised to do quite a bit better, wouldn’t you agree?
I am one of very many Gore voters who will be voting for Fallon on June 3.
Some of us have crazy ideas like the president shouldn’t be allowed to define what torture is, and the president shouldn’t be able to have people locked up indefinitely without having charges filed against them.
Also, many of us know that Boswell didn’t vote to repeal the estate tax in order to protect family farms (since there hasn’t been a single family farm lost because of that tax).
Also, many of us recognize that Bush’s 2005 energy bill will go down as one of the very worst legacies of his presidency.
I notice that you still haven’t taken up my challenge to defend Boswell’s many votes with the Republican majority (against the majority of House Democrats).
desmoinesdem Sat 26 Apr 11:19 PM
Another Gore vote for Fallon
I’m another Gore supporter backing Fallon for Congress. Demo Memo just hates Fallon, and she prefers a Congressman who has voted with Bush and the Republicans over and over again to one that supported Nader. At least Demo Memo has stopped claiming (falsely) that most House Democrats voted for the war in Iraq. Boswell abandoned the majority of his fellow Democrats in the House who opposed giving Bush the ok for war and voted with Bush. At least some Dems, such as John Edwards, admitted their mistake. Boswell instead sends flyers making it look like Fallon is responsible for the war Bush and Boswell started. Chutzpah!
heartland-dem Fri 2 May 2:50 PM
well
Ok well i dont know wat chutzpah means but Boswell has on several occasions apologized for his war vote and gave his reason for it. For those who were at the district convention he explained it was because he was he sat in the oval office and the president of the united tell him several times that there are weapons of mass destruction there. this was after 9/11 and before a lot of people got to know the real bush. It was a bad vote but when the President of the united states lies to you i think its ok to give him a little slack especially since he has apologized for it. If yo are telling me you can sit in the Oval office and have the leader of the free world tell you all of that and not respond then well i dont even know. It was a bad vote he knows it we know it everyone knows it.
As a side note on the election i heard a rumor that the early voting in grinell and drake combined was no more than 250 votes. That is very very bad news for fallon who needed to rack up some big numbers there. You combine his inability to raise money and his inability to turn out what should be part of his base support and you get a very very weak campaign. If civic skinny can figure out this race is all but over then things must really be bad for the fallon team
therealworld Fri 2 May 4:05 PM
that's a pretty weak excuse
Given that Bush packed his administration with neocons affiliated with the Project for a New American Century, which specifically advocated starting multiple theater wars in the Middle East, in particular in Iraq. That, combined with the ample dissent prior to the war and the obvious politicization of 9/11, Richard Clarke’s warnings, etc. etc. etc. should have at the very least been reason for pause.
Also, Civic Skinny is a gossip column. It’s always been hit or miss.
garonsen Fri 2 May 5:57 PM
if Boswell has it all sewn up
he should have no reason to fear debating Fallon on the issues.
By the way, I can’t find a single Boswell supporter to write a defense of Boswell’s voting record here. How about you, RealWorld? Want to take a crack at explaining to us all why Boswell voted the right way on the various issues raised by Fallon, or why it was worthwhile for him to vote the wrong way out of political expediency?
desmoinesdem Fri 2 May 8:07 PM