Winograd, Harman Race Heats Up Again

Winograd, Harman Race Heats Up Again
By Ernest A. Canning | BradBlog

A little more than seven months after launching her second attempt to unseat California's powerful eight-term Democratic U.S. Congresswoman Jane Harman, the PDA-backed Marcy Winograd recently sent out a fundraising email in which she described Harman as the Joe Lieberman of the House.

In the campaign letter, Winograd notes Harman's claim in her 1998 election, as reported by the Los Angeles Times: "I was flattered to be introduced in the last election as the best Republican in the Democratic primary."

The Harman campaign did not respond to an email requesting comment on the quote above, though a spokesperson from the Winograd camp sent us a copy of the archived 1998 LA Times report on the Congresswoman's comments to "several hundred civic leaders" in downtown Los Angeles, containing her direct quote which ends with Harman adding: "I accept."

The race presents a classic David and Goliath match up. With a net worth ranging between $236 million to $558 million, Harman, is said to be one of the richest members of Congress. Winograd, by contrast, is running a bottom-up progressive campaign of the type I advocated for recently in "Progressives of America - Unite!". The match-up presents a stark contrast in directions for a conflicted Democratic Party...

In addition to Progressive Democrats for America, Winograd's notable progressive supporters include Daniel Ellsberg, Gore Vidal, Ron Kovic, Jodie Evans, Co-Founder, Code Pink, Norman Solomon, Lila Garrett of KPFK, David Swanson and Jim Hightower.
Harman's campaign web site, contains a long list of people and organizations who have endorsed her candidacy, which includes numerous elected officials, multiple labor and professional organizations, the National Organization for Women (NOW), the National Women's Political Caucus (NWPC), the Sierra Club and the California Democratic Party.
In her email, Winograd challenged Harman's record in Congress, stating:
• Harman voted to protect the pharmaceutical industry at the expense of patients - making it more difficult for breast cancer patients to buy affordable generics.
• Harman voted against the bill that would have permitted judges to reduce mortgage payments in bankruptcy courts.
• Harman voted to protect and bail out the big banks while supporting legislation that made it more difficult for consumers to declare bankruptcy.
• Harman applauded Bush's illegal wiretapping program; three years later she claimed she never supported it.
• Harman lobbied for the Iraq invasion and occupation while personally investing in military contractors. Read more.