* Daily Kos yesterday…
Pathetic. Nauseating. Desperate. Pick your favorite, but these all apply to the anti-partisan group No Labels’ effort to prop up conservative Democratic Rep. Dan Lipinski as he faces a progressive primary challenger, Marie Newman.
One of No Labels’ super PACs, United for Progress, has sent out the mailer above trying to link Lipinski to former President Barack Obama. Here’s the thing: Lipinski refused to endorse Obama in 2012—when Obama was a sitting president from Lipinski’s party and, indeed, from Lipinski’s home state of Illinois.
United for Progress has spent nearly $750,000 boosting Lipinski, who opposed the Affordable Care Act, marriage equality, and the DREAM Act, is vehemently anti-choice, voted to weaken Wall Street reform, and only came out for a $15 minimum wage when he lost a major union endorsement over it. This while representing a congressional district where Hillary Clinton got 55 percent of the vote in 2016.
* Today…
Team Obama settles score with Lipinski
Congressman Dan Lipinski was no friend to President Barack Obama when his fellow Chicago Democrat occupied the White House.
On Thursday, Lipinski got his comeuppance.
A collection of former Obama aides and supporters banded together to deliver some Chicago-style payback, just days before the embattled congressman faces a tough Democratic primary challenge that could end his career.
And what was that Chicago-style payback? Did they contribute a pile of money to Marie Newman’s campaign? Did they announce they’d recruited dozens of people to walk precincts? Did they say they were setting up a phone bank? Did they at least send some Chicago-style pizzas to Newman’s HQ?
* Nope. They held a press conference in David Axelrod’s office. It did get some TV coverage, though…
“This is about calling out hypocrisy, frankly, and letting voters know what their representative is doing in Congress, and lying about their record and allegiances is not going to be tolerated,” said John Atkinson, former President Obama campaign aide. […]
“President Obama needed Congressman Lipinski when every vote counted to pass the Affordable Care Act, we got it done without him but his district deserves better,” said Jon Carson, Obama 2008 campaign National Field Director.
* And…
Former Obama staffers, like John Carson, gathered Thursday to say Lipinski is stealing the former president’s image.
Oh noooo! Whatever will happen now?! /s
* Related…
* Lipinski, Newman to clash on TV tonight, just days before primary
* The $2 million campaign: Big bucks in race between Lipinski, Newman
* In Illinois Primary, Democrats Take Aim at One of Their Own
* Pro-Life Democrat: ‘It Would Be a Disaster’ for Party to Expel People Like Me
