Democratic Nominee Adkins Makes Good Showing Against Billionaire-backed Teabagger

The Kentucky Post is calling the Fourth Congressional District for repug Thomas Massie. At 8:44 p.m., with 65 percent of the vote counted, Adkins has 38 percent of the vote versus 59 percent for Massie and three percent for Libertarian Independent David Lewis..

In 2010, repug incumbent Geoff Davis beat Jon Waltz 69 percent to 31 percent. In 2008, a Democratic wave year, Davis beat Michael Kelley 57 to 41 percent, when McCain beat Obama in Kentucky 67 to 33 percent.

Adkins getting 38 percent in a deep-red district against the blank checks of a billionaire is an accomplishment to be proud of.  It also speaks directly to the importance of turning out democratic voters who sit at home in off-year elections. I'll have more on that tomorrow after we get the full turnout numbers.

Last-Minute Repug Rejection of Massie

Sheesh, Marcus, maybe you should have waited until what, 5 p.m. on Election Day to let your fellow repugs know that Thomas Massie would be a fucking disaster for your party?

And yeah, we knew the non-teabagging repugs of Northern Kentucky didn't vote for Massie in the primary and aren't happy about him being the nominee, but holy shit whatever happened to party loyalty? 

Marcus Carey, former Fourth Congressional District Republican Party Chair:

After months of research, a number of conversations with people all across the district and a keen eye trained on the fourth district race from a unique perspective, I have put together an admittedly long, but comprehensive view on how this race has shaped up.

EDITORIAL

 I am addressing this post to my fellow republicans in the fourth congressional district. Next Tuesday you will have choices in the race for Congress. You might assume that your choices are limited to voting for libertarian/republican Thomas Massie or democrat Bill Adkins. You are missing something. You also have the choice of not voting in that race, which I encourage you to consider and here is why.

Read the whole amazing thing, which makes emo-prog laments over Obama's "betrayal" read like CBO reports.

Is this a personal thing between Carey and Massie?  Is Carey still smarting over the Tribble-Toupeed One's victory over Great Repug Hope Trey Grayson?  Does anyone listen to anything Carey has to say?

It's certainly too little, too late to hurt Massie. But it's yet another reason for every Democratic voter in the Fourth District to get out tomorrow and vote for President Obama and Democratic nominee Bill Adkins. And take every Democratic voter you know with you.

Herald Endorses Adkins in Kentucky's Fourth

That would be the supposedly commie-lib Lexington newspaper that is so far "left" it endorsed corrupt repug Hal Rogers in the Fifth District.

From the Editors of the Herald:

(Repug Massie's) campaign is funded by large amounts of money from individuals and organizations with no interest in Kentucky, which raises questions about whether he's interested in representing Kentucky, or like his supporter, Sen. Rand Paul, is using Kentucky as a springboard to a national stage.

That alone would be almost enough for his Democratic opponent, Bill Adkins, to earn our endorsement. But Adkins, a lawyer and Democratic Party activist from Grant County, has other attributes that make him a good choice. He's thoughtful and well-informed, and draws on a wide variety of life experiences in articulating his positions.

Perhaps nothing illustrates the difference better than what they said about the "fiscal cliff" during their KET debate, the only time Massie, elected in 2010 as Lewis County judge-executive. deigned to appear with Adkins.

A combination of harsh spending cuts and tax increases will take effect in early January if Congress does not come up with an alternative. The winner of this race will take office immediately because of Geoff Davis' resignation, so will have a say in deciding what happens.

SNIP
Adkins favors a moderate approach, preserving tax cuts for small businesses and working people, while tempering cuts in domestic and defense spending until the economy is stronger.

Their answers on abortion were also enlightening. Although hoisting the torch of liberty in his campaign, Massie didn't hesitate to thrust the government into this area, saying all abortions should be illegal.

Adkins didn't dodge this hot potato. He took the risky position of saying government should not be involved in decisions about continuing or terminating pregnancies. He noted that in his law practice he daily sees the tragic results of unwanted children being brought into the world. Finally, he said that three of his own children are adopted.

Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/2012/10/30/2389550/choose-adkins-for-congress-4th.html#storylink=cpy

SNIP

Adkins has demonstrated an understanding of and genuine interest in promoting the interests of the district and the state. He deserves the support of voters in the 4th District. 

Read the whole thing.

Support Adkins here.

Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/2012/10/30/2389550/choose-adkins-for-congress-4th.html#storylink=cpy

Call Your Questions in to Adkins-Massie Forum

Next Monday, Oct. 22, 8 p.m to 9 p.m., just before the third and last Presidential Debate.

 From Kathy Groob:

Finally, we will see Bill Adkins and Tom Massie square off at the KET candidate forum (not really a true debate) this Monday, October 22nd from 8-9 p.m.  This will be a great warm-up to the third and final Presidential debate.  

Please be ready to call in with your questions for Bill and Mr. Massie. 

Call-in number:  800-494-7605 

Questions can also be submitted online at Twitter: @BillKET or #kytonight (phone calls are preferred)

Please tweet and Facebook to your friends and supporters to tune in Monday night!

I'd say the only relevant questions to Massie are variations of "Do you support the Romney-Ryan plan to kill Medicare?"

Substitute "outlaw birth control," "cut taxes on the rich," "bomb Iran," "fire teachers, police and firefighters" for "kill Medicare" and you're good.

 

Here's a fun one for Massie: "How will you work for bipartisanship in Congress if President Obama is re-elected?"

And another fun one: "How much money has that teenaged Texas billionaire spent to promote your campaign?"

Fourth District Repugs Running Scared

How do I know? One of them drove right off the road and over my two Bill Adkins yard signs. Backed up and did it again, until the signs were shredded and the metal frames were twisted. Hope it killed a tire and punctured the oil pan.

I'm putting two more out tomorrow - this time backed with concrete.

Run 'em again, motherfucker, and you'll flip that oversized tiny-penis-compensator you call a truck right into the ravine.

Massie Still Hiding From Voters

When you think you've got the election locked up in a republican district with a teenaged Texas billionaire writing you blank checks, I guess you can afford to blow off organizations that represent thousands of the people you claim you want to represent.

From Bill Adkins' campaign:

When AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) sent their questionnaire to Congressional candidates, Bill Adkins immediately responded.

Bill’s opponent, Tom Massie REFUSED to respond to the AARP request, and would not even complete the questionnaire. Read the official AARP NKY CD4 Voter Guide for yourself.

We can't send a person who doesn't care about seniors to Congress.

Bill will fight to protect Medicare from “going voucher” and will always listen and respond to the needs of our seniors.

I'm no fan of special-interest questionnaires that mostly serve to lock candidates into extreme positions from which they can be attacked.

But starting on November 7, the biggest and most critical fight in this country is going to be over saving Social Security as a public insurance program or turning it over to Wall Street to plunder. Or maybe just killing seniors slowly with a thousand "minor" benefit cuts.

Where does Tom Massie stand?

Thomas Massie Is A Coward

To be honest, if I were the repug nominee in deep-red Nobama Northern Kentucky with the backing of a teenaged Texan billionaire, I wouldn't risk my likely landslide in a debate, either.

That doesn't mean Thomas Massie isn't a sniveling, weak-ass, limp-dicked coward.

From the campaign of Democratic nominee Bill Adkins:

Massie afraid to debate, hides from local voters

Arrogant and dismissive of Kentucky voters,
Massie visits Washington while refusing 15 traditional
Kentucky debates and public forums

Tom Massie has turned down invitations from twelve organizations that have traditionally held candidate forums and debates for Congressional races, refusing 15 invitations in total, including one from his own Tea Party.

“Tom Massie is doing a great disservice to the voters of Kentucky by refusing to have an open discussion on important issues like jobs and Medicare,” says Adkins. “If he can’t face the people of our district and answer the tough questions, he isn’t fit to serve in Congress.”

Multiple independent civic organizations and insitutions, including Northern Kentucky University, have invited both Bill Adkins and Thomas Massie to participate in candidate forums and debates. Bill Adkins has accepted every invitation and Thomas Massie has turned down every event:

NKY Chamber of Commerce	REFUSED
Oldham County Bipartisan Debate	REFUSED
Kentucky Education Assoc. Candidate Night	REFUSED
Nat’l. Federation of Retired Employees	REFUSED
Northern Kentucky University Forum	REFUSED
Lewis County Chamber of Commerce	REFUSED
CN|2 Politics Televised Debate	WILL CHECK SCHEDULE
Alexandria Town Hall	CANCELLED
Campbell County Congressional Forum	REFUSED
Shelby County Farm Bureau	REFUSED
Kentucky Retired Teachers Association	REFUSED
Harrison County Tea Party Debate	REFUSED
Kentucky Corn Growers Association	NO RESPONSE
NAACP Candidate Forum – Shelby County	NO RESPONSE
Grant County Chamber of Commerce Forum	NO RESPONSE

Leaders of both Democratic and Republican parties have attempted to schedule bipartisan debates, but have been told no by the Massie campaign.

“Mr. Massie is acting like he already has the job,” said Oldham County Democratic Party Chair, John Sutton. “In an open seat, the people living in the district don’t really know much about either candidate. Mr. Massie received less than 50% of the vote within his own party where there was less than 12% turnout in the entire state. We expect at least 300,000 people to vote in this race and the public deserves a chance to get to know these two men, and more importantly, where they stand on the issues,” added Sutton.

“When there is an open seat, there has never been a precedent for refusing to participate in live debates in the largest economic region of the district, Northern Kentucky. Both the Chamber of Commerce and Northern Kentucky University have traditionally held live debates and Mr. Massie has refused to participate in either of these traditions,” says Campbell County Democratic Party Chairman Paul Whalen.

“It is a shame for the voters of the 4th District that one of the candidates in this open seat doesn’t see the importance of involving the voters in this race. Tom Massie’s behavior indicates that the people of the district do not matter to him,” says Whalen.

Find out more about Bill Adkins here.

What the DINOs are Buying in KY-6

We're all already sick of the campaign ads here in Central Kentucky, and we've got 52 days to go.

But while you're watching Ben Cowardly Worm Chandler's ads, remember who's paying for them, and why.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) is supposed to help get more Democrats elected to Congress.  But it's ignoring big, fat repug targets like Paul Ryan who have strong progressive opponents and instead spending your donations defending repug-lite Blue Dogs like ol' Cowardly Worm.

Down with Tyranny:

And, I'm afraid, a good portion of the DCCC targets this cycle-- carefully chosen by corrupt "ex"-Blue Dog Steve Israel, have opponents who are unworthy of support from anyone who cares about making progress in America. Many of their Frontline candidates, incumbents in trouble because Democrats don't want to support them because of their basically GOP voting records, define all that's wrong with the Democratic Party, from Blue Dogs John Barrow (GA), Jim Matheson (UT), Larry Kissell (NC), Ben Chandler (KY) and Mike McIntyre (NC) to reactionary fellow travelers Bill Owens (NY), Mark Critz (PA) and Ron Barber (AZ). They all have horrendous voting records and no one should consider voting for any of them without reading those records and seeing how often they back the Republican and corporate agendas.

Among Cowardly Worm's many repug votes you can count the one in favor of the anti-woman Stupak amendment that nearly derailed health care reform, and the one supporting the repugs' despicable false charges against Attorney General Eric Holder.

Back in July, Down with Tyranny wrote this:

Yesterday Sam Stein blew the whistle on how the DCCC has "favored" the worst Democrats in Congress. If you're a regular DWT reader you're well aware of the overall narrative: the DCCC recruits and finances conservatives and discourages and starves progressives. We've mentioned it... frequently. In fact, it's gotten even worse since "ex"-Blue Dog Steve Israel took over the committee and has systematically gone forward institutionalizing a policy Rahm Emanuel put in place in 2006 and that lapsed slightly when Chris Van Hollen ran the show-- but just slightly. Now, however, it's full steam ahead.

SNIP

If you want to contribute to the DCCC, at least be aware what you're throwing your money away on. And if you'd like to support progressive Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt type Democrats, like David Gill and Patsy Keever, mentioned above, you can do it directly through ActBlue, where the DCCC doesn't rake off a cut for themselves.

The DCCC is not giving a dime to Proud Obama-Supporting Democrat Bill Adkins in Kentucky's Fourth District Open Seat. Yes, it's a red district and the repug is a teabagger backed by a teenaged billionaire from Texas,  but the Fourth elected a Democrat to Congress in 1998, 2000 and 2002. The Fourth has the Real Democratic candidate it needs; some national encouragement could make all the difference.

Help Bill Adkins put on the air a campaign ad that will make you proud to support him.



As opposed to this, which is just depressing the shit out of everybody:

Adkins Only Ky Dem Condeming GOP Rape Platform

Not incumbents John Congressman Awesome Yarmuth in the Third District or Ben Cowardly Worm Chandler in the Sixth.

Certainly not challenger Charles Hatchett in the First, who opens his website with the word "God blessed America, not joke challenger David L. Williams in the Second, who doesn't even have a website, nor persistent challenger Kenneth Stepp in the Fifth, who also does not have a website.

Only Proud Obama Supporter Bill Adkins in the Fourth.  From the email:

Bill Adkins stands firmly against “No Exceptions” language in Republican Party platform

After Congressman Todd Akin’s outrageous remarks last week that “legitimate” rape victims do not get pregnant, the Republican party voted to incorporate strict language into their party platform with no exceptions for pregnancies that result from rape or incest.

Trying to avoid the loss of a potential pick-up seat, some Republicans are calling for Todd Akin to step down from his race in Missouri.

Where is Tom Massie, my opponent, on this issue? Why hasn’t he stepped up to condemn these horrible remarks and denounce his party’s platform that there are no exceptions for women and young girls who have been raped or victims of incest? Where is his compassion for victims?

Tom Massie says he wants an "adult conversation". Tell Tom Massie to stop hiding and tell us where he stands on rape victims’ rights.

We do not need to elect an extremist to Congress who will step on women’s rights. I need your support today.

Massie is a giant teabagger who beat four primary opponents with the help of a teenaged billionaire from Texas. Bill Adkins is running as a proud supporter of President Obama in racist Northern Kentucky. That alone makes him the bravest and most liberal congressional candidate in the Commonwealth.

Give him some love.

A Campaign on Obamacare Means Dems Win

Yesterday in Frankfort, Mitch McConnell and Ran Paul rallied the teabaggers with the same old worn-out tirades against Obamacare.

Democratic candidates across the state - and the nation - should be celebrating. They're handing us the election on a platter.

Democratic social programs have always been winners with a majority of voters - when Democratic candidates make the case.  It's only when Democrats concede the field and run away from the New Deal - fail to passionately defend Social Security and Medicare - that repugs win.

Digby:

According to this polling done by Democracy corps late last month, if the Democrats make that case (and don't get caught up in "balanced approach" mumbo jumbo bullshit) they will take the voters that Mitt Romney and the Republicans need to win:

The President starts out with a 3-point margin against Mitt Romney, 49 percent to 46 percent. When asked to judge the two candidates in a very narrow way—Romney’s support for the Ryan budget because it reflects his values and Obama’s opposition because of what it would do to the most vulnerable—the vote shifts. Obama wins a majority of voters (51 percent) and his margin more than doubles to 8 points (51 to 43 percent.) This is a significant finding.

Meanwhile, in deep-red North Dakota, Democratic Senate candidate Heidi Heitkamp is running away with the election by ... running on Obamacare.

 

Steve M.:

Yes, for her that last line has a double meaning -- go back to the days before the law and go back to her time with cancer. But if you're a Democrat who hasn't experienced a health crisis like this personally, don't you know people who have? Friends? Relatives? Constituents? Talk about it. Make it real.

Heitkamp also doesn't seem ashamed to say she's voting for her party's presidential candidate, even in a state where he'll lose:

... Heitkamp says she'll be voting for Obama in November -- because Mitt Romney supports the House Republican budget.

"People ask me why, and I point to that budget," she says.

... Heitkamp is betting that the House budget, with its Medicare restructuring and dramatic program cuts will seem even more radical to the emotionally conservative North Dakotans than the stimulus or health care law. "There's $180 billion in farm cuts in there," she said, launching into a litany of government aid it would strip away from North Dakota.

According to a new poll, she has a 6-point lead, in a state where Obama trails by 19.

Yeah, she slammed Obama a couple of months ago, saying he "failed in the one test America had for him, which was to unite the country." That's nasty. But I'm still giving her points for slamming the GOP agenda. Republicans nationalize every election. Democrats need to do the same. The national Republican agenda will be horrible for everyone, and everyone could grasp that. But Democrats need to say it. (Are you listening, Elizabeth Warren?)

Clare McCaskill is going to lose her seat - and possibly hand the Senate to repugs - to national disgrace Todd Mouthbreather Akin because she's running away from Obamacare, away from the New Deal, away from Democratic strength.

When Dems respond to repug attacks on the programs people love by cowering in corners, they lose. When Dems respond by going on offense to praise and protect those programs, they win.

Democratic candidate Bill Adkins, running for the open seat in the "Nobama" (h/t Zandar) Fourth District, is campaigning as a full-throated supporter of the president and Obamacare. He's got an uphill climb in that repug racist stronghold. But he wouldn't have a chance in hell running repug-lite like Ben Chandler, who's going to lose his should-be-safely-blue seat in the Sixth to proud repug Candy Barr.

Kentucky Does the Logical, No-Expense, Disenfranchising Thing

Yes, it saves a ton of money and it makes a lot more sense than trying to squeeze a special election in sometime between five and 11 weeks from now, but it leaves the 700,000-plus residents of the Fourth District without representation in Congress for nearly three more months.


From the AP:

Gov. Steve Beshear has scheduled a special election to replace former Republican U.S. Rep. Geoff Davis for Nov. 6 - the same day as the general election. 

That means big savings for taxpayers in the 4th District.

Lynn Zellen, spokeswoman for the secretary of state's office, said holding the special congressional election on a separate day could have cost as much as $500,000.

This also means that the winner of this election will not have to wait until January to be seated in the 113th Congress along with the other new Members, but will begin representing the Fourth District immediately on Nov. 7.  Bill Adkins or Thomas Massie will join the 112th Congress in the lame-duck session that may prove one of the most contentious in history.

Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/2012/08/17/2302538/beshear-calls-special-election.html#storylink=cpy

Third-Party Candidates Provide Opportunity KY Democratic Party Ignores

Third-Party Candidates Provide Opportunity KY Democratic Party Ignores


See, in normal states, extremist reich-wingnuts running as independents in races where the repug had the advantage would have state Democratic officials shouting "Hallelujah!" and pouring money and volunteers and everything else they can find into the Democratic candidate's campaign.

Not in Kentucky.

Scott Wartman at NKY.com:

Graphic anti-abortion television ads with images of aborted fetuses that ran in the Cincinnati market during the Super Bowl will likely return in the fall.

Two anti-abortion activists, David Lewis and Andrew Beacham, filed Tuesday to run as independents for Congress in Kentucky.

Lewis, 27, of Batavia, ran the anti-abortion ads in his candidacy against Speaker of the House John Boehner earlier this year in the Republican Primary. He said he will run the ads again in the Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky markets now that he filed for Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District against Republican Thomas Massie and Democrat Bill Adkins.

Beacham, 29, of Elkhart, Ind., filed for Kentucky’s 2nd Congressional District against Republican incumbent Brett Guthrie, Democratic challenger David Lynn Williams and Libertarian Craig Astor. Beacham gained notoriety for ripping pages out of a Koran in front of the White House.

And from the repug-led Kentucky Democratic Party?

Crickets.

In the Second District, it's hard to blame them. David Lynn Williams is a perennial loser who delights in choosing races where he can cause the maximum damage to Democratic hopes. No one - not even the most rabid anti-Guthrie repug-haters - wants him to win.

But it is certainly the state party's fault that no real Democrat ran against him in the primary.

In the Fourth, however, Bill Adkins is a Real Democrat who is running a pro-Obama campaign. In racist, repug-heavy Northern Kentucky he didn't stand a chance against billionaire-supported teabagger darling Thomas Massie.

Now Lewis' entry into the race gives Adkins a chance. Not a great chance, but a chance.

If only the Kentucky Democratic Party were in the business of electing actual Democratic candidates.

How to Talk to Red-State Voters About ObamaCare

I'm sure cowardly worm Ben Chandler won't follow Heidi's lead (yet another reason why he'll lose to the real repug in the race, but maybe stand-up dem Bill Adkins will.

Down with Tyranny:

Democrats running in red districts or red states are in a tough situation with voters who are uninterested in nuance and long used to voting against their own financial interests. The campaign video (above), released yesterday by Democrat Heidi Heitkamp handles it exceedingly well. It's a response to the latest DC special interests attacks funded by secret donors. They've already spent over half a million dollars-- which goes a LONG way in North Dakota-- smearing Heitkamp and bolstering the campaign of the state's biggest, and most hated, landlord, Rick Berg. If you haven't seen it yet, take a look, or even watch it again. Key line: "There are good things, and bad things in the health care law, but we have to make coverage more secure, not less. Unlike my opponent, I won't vote to deny coverage to kids or let insurance companies deny coverage for pre-existing conditions."

Heitkamp has reminded the media that just months after filming a campaign ad attacking his opponent for eliminating waste within Medicare, Berg voted to maintain these very same savings. According to the Associated Press: “In a post-election reversal, House Republicans are supporting nearly $450 billion in Medicare cuts that they criticized vigorously last fall after Democrats and President Barack Obama passed them as part of their controversial health care law. The cuts are included in the 2012 budget that Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., unveiled last week and account for a significant share of the $5.8 trillion in claimed savings over the next decade.” Rick Berg... a hypocrite? No one who's ever dealt with him as their landlord would have to wonder. He also voted, right after being elected to the House, to allow insurance companies to deny health insurance to people with pre-existing conditions, a part of ObamaCare that is even popular with Republicans.

Even with all the money Big Business has been dumping into the North Dakota race, polls show that Berg is still losing. Heidi's a real fighter and she's not going to be pushed around by Karl Rove and his financiers. As Attorney General, she took on Big Tobacco and won. When she was diagnosed with cancer-- just two months from election day-- she underwent chemotherapy and she still managed to campaign. The DSCC was smart to back her, even in a tough electoral environment

An Obama Democrat in Deep Red Northern Kentucky

So, a teenaged Texas parasite bought a Kentucky congressional seat for a freakazoid teabagger.

This sets up as clear a choice for Democratic voters as is ever seen in Kentucky outside of Louisville: your typical wingnut crazy repug against not the usual conservadem, but an actual proud progressive.

Zandar, who has a ringside seat in the Fourth:

Bill Adkins, (who won the Democratic primary), has raised...about $14,000. It's a shame too, because Bill Adkins is that rarest of breeds: A Kentucky Democrat who isn't running screaming from President Obama.

Bill Adkins, one of two Democrats running in the 4th Congressional District, said he believes government-payer health care system can best tackle the inefficiencies and problems and that’s the way to preserve Medicare.

“Single payer is my preference. I think that the compromise that is the buy-the-insurance mandate is an incremental move,” Adkins said (7:00).

He also said he would consider one of U.S. Sen. Rand Paul’s proposals — to decrease the level of benefits for seniors with the highest incomes, known as means testing.

Adkins, a Williamstown lawyer and the Grant County Democratic Party Chairman, said he decided to get into the 4th District race because he said he wanted to make sure there was a full discussion of the issues.

“We needed a Democratic presence in this race,” he said.

Yeah, that's right, a Kentucky Democrat who acts like a real gorram Democrat. Single payer. I love this guy. The problem is after redistricting, KY-4 has gone from fairly conservative to blood red. Adkins is going to need a miracle against Massie ....

Not giving up entirely on Adkins either. He's one of the folks we need in Congress.

When Democratic candidates lose to repugs in Kentucky, the Kentucky Democratic Party "leadership" screams the same thing: "Not conservative enough!" Time after time, Blue Dogs to the right of Mitch McConnell lose to real repugs, and the KDP uses every loss to justify yanking the party further over the DINO cliff.

Adkins winning would be the KDP's worst nightmare: proof that Democratic candidates who run as loud, proud progressives - who actually stand by That Ni**er In The White House - can win by inspiring discouraged Democratic voters.

So the party will ensure he loses by denying him money and support - maybe even going so far as to actively harm his campaign with whisper campaigns and threats to potential supporters.

How to puncture the conservadem myth that a liberal dem can't win outside Louisville but a Blue Dog can? Simple: make sure Adkins gets more votes and a higher percentage of the vote than that received by the dems who lost to retiring incumbent Geoff Davis.

Yes, the DCCC and conservadems will claim liberals are losers regardless of the facts, but that's not a reason not to support Adkins; that's a reason for Democratic candidates and Democratic voters to get the fuck off our fat asses and make the liberal argument publicly. Why are we ceding them the stage?