Red-to-Blue WV-02 Anne Barth talks live with me and clammyc!
Tue May 06, 2008 at 12:58:17 PM PDT
As we all await with bated breath the results of the NC and IN primaries, it seems a good time to remind everyone that the next president will be able to accomplish very little of their agenda without the strong backing of a Congress dedicated to progressive Democratic principles. (And if John McCain somehow wins, we'll need as many Democrats as possible to blockade four more years of Bush policies.) As the FISA fight reminds us, many of the promises made by Hillary and Obama will be for naught without increased majorities to work with in Congress.
We need more and better Democrats in Congress to achieve this goal--and few races to take Republican House seats in the fall are as promising and exciting as Democrat Anne Barth's bid to unseat Shelley Moore Capito in WV-02. That's why clammyc and I will be talking directly with Ms. Barth in an exclusive interview today at Heading Left, starting at 1:30pmPST/4:30pmEST!
This race is so promising that the DCCC has put WV-02 on its famed Red to Blue list--and it's no wonder. The district is winnable, Ms. Barth is fantastic, and her Republican opponent Ms. Capito is a bad fit for West Virginia and the nation.
How winnable is this district for Democrats? Consider this: Ms. Capito is a Southern Republican who is pro-choice and has strong ties to labor unions--essentially a Lincoln Chafee/Ben Nelson of West Virginia. That's what the Republicans have to do to try to hold onto this seat, which should by all rights be in Democratic hands. Unfortunately for Ms. Capito, she cannot conceal her ties to Republican excess and greed, including her massive campaign contributions from "energy" companies, the fact that she was the #1 recipient of Tom Delay's insanely corrupt ARMPAC, and her involvement on the House Page board covering for Mark Foley's predations.
Fortunately for us, Anne Barth has our backs and is ready to take on the needs of this district. Daughter of a local Methodist minister and longtime aide to Senator Robert Byrd, Anne has the regional ties, the connections and know-how to win in West Virginia. And she's also the sort of Democrat we need in office today. Here's her position on Iraq:
We are in our fifth year of the Iraq war with no strategy to win the peace and bring our brave soldiers home. There have been over 4,000 American lives lost, more than a trillion dollars spent, with no end in sight. While I support our troops, I oppose an open-ended commitment to the war in Iraq.
I will work toward a responsible plan to bring our brave men and women home with honor.
We must focus on training the Iraqis to take responsibility for their own security soon, set benchmarks for the Iraqi military, and give more emphasis to diplomatic strategies.
The war in Iraq has had a serious impact on our military, and our brave men and women are stretched thin by extended deployments. In Congress, I will work to strengthen America’s national security and refocus on the terrorist threats around the globe that are currently ignored.
And the economy:
Right now, our country is in record debt, wages are at a stand-still, and every working family is working harder and finding it more difficult to make ends meet with the rising costs of gas, groceries and health care.
In Congress, I will fight for working families. I will work to balance our budget and restore fiscal sanity to our government – because we simply can’t afford the path we’re on.
We must return our attention to our needs here at home. Like my mentor, Senator Robert C. Byrd, I believe in building. Our roads, bridges, water and sewer systems are crumbling from neglect. Repairing our infrastructure creates good jobs, stimulates local economies, and opens the door for regional commerce.
I also want to see real tax relief for middle-class families. I support ending tax cuts for the wealthiest that shift more of the tax burden onto the middle class. We must stop rewarding companies that send our jobs overseas with tax breaks. Let’s shut down loopholes that allow billionaires to pay fewer taxes than their workers.
I support refocusing tax breaks on middle-class families, beginning with larger child tax credits and credits for college tuition.
Think this great candidate is worth paying attention to as we await the results of the NC and IN primary vote today?
Then tune in at 1:30pst/4:30est today and hear me and clammyc chat with Anne (if you catch it too late to hear it live, don't worry--use the same link to download it later!). And if you like what you hear, please consider giving Anne some love with a donation to a great Democratic candidate to expand our majority!
Update: If you want to learn more about this race and other happenings in West Virginia, head over to West Virginia Blue, the progressive state blog. There's much more there on both Capito and on Anne.
Also, if you are interested in hearing interviews with other fine progressive candidates, below is a list of previous Heading Left candidate interviews conducted by myself and clammyc:
