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In New Hampshire’s Second Congressional District, progressive activists claimed victory Tuesday in the Democratic primary as their candidate Ann McLane Kuster won in a landslide over Katrina Swett, who had run for the seat in 2002. Progressives shunned Swett partly because she’d served as co-chair of Sen. Joe Lieberman’s presidential campaign in 2004.
In the Republican contest, the GOP establishment candidate, former six-term congressman Charlie Bass, defeated anti-abortion conservative Jennifer Horn.
Horn was endorsed by the Susan B. Anthony List Candidate Fund, a pro-life political action committee, and by New Hampshire’s right-leaning newspaper, the Manchester Union Leader, which said “If any candidate can claim the Tea Party mantle this year, it is Jennifer Horn…. We would love to see her in Washington giving grief not only to the Obama administration, but also to her own party's leadership.”
Bass had funding from several of his former GOP House colleagues, including from the PACs of Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wisc., Rep. Joe Barton R- Texas and Sen. Richard Burr, R- N.C. Several corporate PACs including those of Aetna, Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer backed Bass.
He was also supported by the Republican Majority for Choice, a group that supports abortion rights. (The Republican Majority for Choice also backed losing GOP Establishment hopeful Rep Mike Castle in the Delaware Senate primary.)
Bass was ousted in the Democratic of wave of 2006, losing to Paul Hodes, who is giving up the House seat to run the Senate.
When Bass served in the House, he split from most Republicans by voting against oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, against the ban on same-sex marriages, and for allowing abortions to be performed in U.S. military medical facilities.
Bass portrayed himself in 2006 as non-partisan. “I’ve always prided myself on being able to work with Democrats, I get lots of Democratic votes,” he told msnbc.com in an interview in 2006. But this year he’s running on a pledge to repeal President Obama’s health care overhaul.
The district went for Obama in 2008 with 56 percent of the vote.
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Teabaggers are out, Obama is back in.
You need to go back to sleep. We'll wake you Socialists up in November.
Move along folks, nothing to see here 'cept a Tea Party ghost or two and you all don't believe in ghosts do you?
If Republicans had acted like fiscal conservative, small government proponents, this wouldn't be happening. People are tired of the lies. Not sure of the outcome, but in the long term it will make for a better Republican Party. Problem is getting rid of Boehner and McConnell, along with Pelosi and Reid.
Throw the bums out!
If you are implying that the Democratic Party has ever been fiscally conservative or proponents of small government, you've not been paying enough attention. But, I certainly agree that the hordes of bums on both sides of the aisle need to hit the road. Take it a step further by imposing term limits.
The democratic party opposed a nationalized bank. Please learn history. Democrats weren't always progressive. This whole left-right economic struggle that currently seams to define the two parties was not always the case.
What ever happened to the Moral Majority? I thought we elected these people to represent us? If they are only there to line their pockets with money from special interest groups, then we don't need them, regardless of party affiliation. There was no cost of living increase this year, veterans have a rise in prescription medication, and Congress voted themselves a $10,000 a year raise, bought themselves a $14 million dollar computer program to moniter their own health care, exempted themselves from the mandatory health care bill and also exempted themselves from sexual harrasment claims. The only ammendment that I see necessary for the Constitution is one that says "No member of congress shall pass ANY bill that does not apply equally to all members of the United States." Forget about all the party line B---Kissing, and do what's right, do what made our country great , and start doing it now.
Calssic Examples here - Tea Party candidates - they win some battles but definitely lose the war as they are just too far to the right to be considered electable by a population that is mainly in the middle. Nevada and Delaware will be two highlightes of this statement and Florida just may go to the independent (former republican).
People whio believe this is socialism need to go back to 7th grade civics class to learn more about the concept, the system. It is, apparently, in vogue to toss the word around as if they actually know something. America the ignorant!