So tomorrow Democratic voters will head to the polls tomorrow to vote for who will be filling in Senator Ed Markey's (D. MA) old congressional seat. Today, Progressive Democrat Carl Sciortino made a great case for why Democratic voters should pick him to be their nominee:
http://inthesetimes.com/...
People like to throw the word “progressive” around a lot. What do you mean when you say you’re a progressive?
I consider myself a progressive Democrat because I’m an FDR Democrat, an Elizabeth Warren Democrat. I’m a Democrat who believes that government can and should play a positive role in building up communities and strengthening our families and opportunities for growth in this country. I think that gets shied away from even by a lot of Democrats.
It’s not just about saying you’re a progressive when running for office or when it’s convenient to the campaign. Taking a very active role is important to being a progressive in the legislative context. The way I have worked as a legislator in the last nine years [is that] I didn’t just show up and cast good progressive votes and send out press releases—I organized, I built up support, I worked to build coalitions to move progressive legislation, I co-founded our Progressive Caucus to organize within the legislature.
What do you think is your biggest legacy as a state legislator?
I think anybody that served in the state House the last decade would probably agree the biggest issue was the marriage equality debate, which is what first got me in the legislature in 2004. [Sciortino, who’s gay, campaigned that year against then-State Rep. Vincent Ciampa, who opposed gay marriage]. That was a very powerful debate to take part in. In 2004, it was not clear whether marriage equality would be just a blip—whether we were going to lose it or whether we could actually keep it and be able to build a movement across the country.
It’s something I’m incredibly proud of. To see it now a reality in many other cases, having unfolded in such a quick period of time, and to have the federal government finally recognizing marriage equality is pretty powerful.
I’ve heard the critique that the Democratic Party leadership tends to focus mostly on social issues like marriage equality, and not enough on class issues and economic justice. What do you think?
It was actually the Elizabeth Warren campaign last year that gave me any sense that my politics might have a place in a national context. Her ability to literally change the conversation about economic justice, to really hone in on the problem of the growing gap between rich and poor, her ability to tell the American story through the lens of economic inequality is a very powerful story that really has to be told right now. And she’s one of the masters at both the policy that underlines those values, but also the ability to weave the story in a way that connects with people.
Democrats need to learn really important lessons from her campaign and from her success as an elected official. Because that is the story we need to be telling and the work we need to be focusing on right now in this country. - In These Times, 10/14/13
Progressive groups are rooting for Sciortino to win his party's nomination tomorrow:
http://www.wickedlocal.com/...
Progressive Democrats of America is proud to announce its decision to endorse Carl Sciortino for Congress in Massachusetts Fifth Congressional District, stretching from Winthrop and Revere on the Massachusetts Bay to the Metro West communities of Framingham and Ashland and encompassing 24 cities and towns.
PDA members in the 5th District voted overwhelmingly in favor of endorsing Sciortino following submission of candidate questionnaires by four of the seven Democrats in the race.
Sciortino, who has received the endorsement of Congressional Progressive Caucus Co-Chairs Keith Ellison and Raul Grijalva is running as an un-apologetic Progressive, and has already provided significant leadership in this race.
Immediately following the President’s announcement of his intention to use force in Syria, Sciortino issued a statement opposing this move and challenging his opponents to do the same:
“We have seen way too many wars in the last 10 years,” said Sciortino. “I’ve had too many friends and family members serve in Iraq and Afghanistan - one of which, we know, was based on lies. Both of which dragged out well beyond when they were expected to end. We don’t need more wars.” - Wicked Local Medford, 10/5/13
Another few good reasons why Democrats should back Scirontino tomorrow are his stances on domestic surveillance and medical marijuana:
http://www.wickedlocal.com/...
SCIORTINO: There is no reason why the government should be spying on law-abiding citizens. I do not want to live in an America that can wiretap any citizen any time it wants to. It is ludicrous that federal agencies that have information about dangerous individuals cannot communicate with other agencies to make sure we stop violent crime, but there is no room in our Constitution for our government to violate the Fourth Amendment.
SCIORTINO: I believe that the case has already been proven that medical marijuana can be an effective treatment for some health problems, and I think we should listen to the science. I believe states that have legalized marijuana for both medical and recreational use should be left alone by the DEA, and I applaud the president for taking this position. I would support the decriminalization of marijuana at the federal level, and believe it should be taxed and regulated similarly to alcohol. - Wicked Local Framingham, 10/13/13
Social Security, the debt ceiling and Citizens United are all great reasons to back Sciortino as well:
http://www.masslive.com/...
Sciortino responded that he would support Obama if the president were to rely on a constitutional provision to unilaterally raise the debt ceiling – something Obama says he will not do.
Clark, Spilka, Koutoujian and Sciortino all disagreed with Obama’s willingness to means test Medicare and adopt a new formula that lowers Social Security cost of living adjustments. Koutoujian suggested raising the Social Security payroll cap, so the wealthy pay more benefits – something all five Democrats then said they support. Clark and Koutoujian talked about the need to rein in health care costs, while Spilka said government can negotiate better prescription drug prices and introduce standardized coding and billing.
Browsnberger criticized Sciortino for “raising three quarters of his money outside of the state.” Sciortino attacked Brownsberger for supporting the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision, which allows corporations to make unlimited political expenditures. Sciortino said he is proud to have supporters around the country “who want to see progressive leadership.” - The Republican, 10/8/13
And here's the final reason Democrats should vote for Carl tomorrow:
http://www.wickedlocal.com/...
Carl Sciortino articulates progressive values best. Reminiscent of Ted Kennedy and Elizabeth Warren, he alone seems to begin each answer with a broad perspective, and then is able to explain clearly how his position on the issue fits into that worldview.
Of all the candidates, I believe that Carl would be most likely to become a leader in Congress, a person whose ideas draw other congresspersons to follow him. He alone seems to have the capability not only to support our district, but also to become a national progressive leader. For this reason, please join me in voting for Carl Sciortino on Oct. 15. - Wicked Local Waltham, 10/7/13
Primary day is tomorrow. If you would like to donate or help out Carl's campaign get voters to the polls tomorrow, you can click here to get involved:
http://carlforcongress.com/