AND LOCAL HARDWORKING DEMS LOSE THEIR POLITICAL HOME TO A HANDFUL OF BLUE DOGS AND NEAR REPUBLICANS
I recently happened upon a Facebook post seeking attendees for a day of events around the district hosted by our Democratic House Representative, Brad Schneider. The notice (a republishing of which can be found here) calls the events "Interactive Exercise Sessions on the Federal Budget and Fiscal Responsibility," and will take place at various locations in the district on September 24, 2013.
Per the notice, the events are co-hosted by "the non-partisan Concord Coalition" who apparently are to put attendees through "exercises that include small working groups collaborating on ideas to reduce the nation’s debt and deficits and improve the long-term fiscal outlook for the country."
The punchline is that "the non-partisan Concord Coalition" is a partner of Wall Street billionaire Pete Peterson's "Fix the Debt" campaign. I don't think I have to explain what that is to the Kos audience. Sadly, another Democratic Rep. promoted a similar event this past spring. The Kos post on that which goes into more detail about Peterson and the message can be found here.
So I don't leave you without source or cite, or any details, suffice it to say that according to Sourcewatch, and the sites linked to that page, the Concord Coalition is the touring company for Peterson's efforts to tell Americans that we just cannot afford Social Security and Medicare. Earlier this year, the Concord Coalition brought Peterson's road show to states that had been swing states in the 2012 election. Now, Schneider helps them bring it to the Illinois Tenth Congressional District.
Troubling to me is that many good Democrats who do not believe in trickle down economics, and sincerely want to protect the social safety net have been induced to spread the message for Schneider and Concord. I imagine they saw the message was from their Democratic Rep, and looked no further before passing it on.
For himself, today, Schneider is all Facebook and aTwitter about Republicans' threats to shut down the government over Obamacare, a program Schneider himself once voted to delay with a view to kill it.
Brad to District: Don't look at me. Look over there. Aren't they terrible?
While one could look at these events as opportunities to discuss the issues with Rep. Schneider, I've been to events like this in the past, and suspect there will be no room for any real discussion. The hosts will have their ways of clamping down on serious questions--"You're being disruptive." "We've brought in the experts. Who are you?" "No speechifying, let's move on".
Anyone who questions the event becomes the villain, and for reasons I'll never understand, there never seems to be a shortage of enforcers happy to work against their own interest for the crumbs of attention bestowed upon them by the benevolent elected official to an "inside supporter" who will not remain "inside" by asking questions.
Perhaps if a large group of liberals and other defenders of the social safety net attended, it might be different, but when does that ever happen in the Illinois Tenth? School has started. Parents are toiling away at their jobs, and driving the kids from afterschool activity to afterschool activity. Who has time on a Tuesday to fight with Brad who's only doing this for our own good (as he will tell us)?
It strikes me that, in this way, a Democrat like Schneider may be more dangerous than the Republicans. We know what Republicans are all about, but a lot of Democrats, even many progressives, are still trying to give fellow Democrat Schneider the benefit of the doubt, or are willing to stand down to let this "Democrat" keep his seat as the lesser of two evils, or don't realize what he's doing through all the lingo and subterfuge of calling the sales pitch for ditching Social Security and Medicare "non-partisan" and an "exercise" to "collaborate". Some are faux Democrats themselves working to keep everyone's spirits up and defenses down.
These events are supposed to be about collaboration, but the only collaboration I feel is going to come from them will be Schneider's collaboration with Republicans, and Wall Street billionaires, to hookwink Americans out of benefits they fought hard to get, and already paid for with their hard earned dollars. And pulling all this money out of the economy so Republicans can continue to argue, and win evidence that does not exist unless it's created, to push us further into a fully uncontrolled, deregulated economy where average Americans are sold useless or dangerous products at high prices, and continue to lose their jobs and homes.
I'll admit that I'm also pretty upset because I feel like, at least here at home, I've lost my party. I've worked hard for local Democrats, and was one of the founding members of Tenth Dems back in 2003. I put sweat, blood and tears into this organization, and I didn't do it so a so-called Democrat can run around the district, after winning based on my (and others') hard work, and work against our values, while denying he's doing it, and trying to make it look like those who complain about it are the problem.
I feel like my voice, and voices similar to mine as I am not the only one, are not heard there anymore in the local Democratic organization. And it's not just a feeling. Schneider supporter Steve Sheffey got a spread in this month's newsletter, "The Top 10 Reasons to Reelect Brad Schneider." No counter-argument is there, or welcome. We're told we have to accept the "big tent," but the tent always seems to shrink when the liberals show up.
The Republicans didn't have to beat us. They just sat back and watched one of their own say he was one of our own, get us to work for him, get our friends to enforce it, and take over the place.