Ben Lodmell is running an active campaign against Jo Bonner in AL-01, criticising Bonner in op-eds, letters to the editor and (gasp) blog posts. He just launched a new website that continues to criticize Bonner at the same time it emphasizes Lodmell's own priorities to achieve change for the better:
Fiscal restraint
Affordable healthcare
Improved education
Energy independence
A stronger middle class
More and better jobs
An improvement in America’s standing in the world
Too often Alabama Democrats have run polite campaigns against incumbent Republicans, carefully avoiding mention of their opponent's name or sharp criticism of his policy or record. This cautious approach is not only a reliable loser at the ballot box, it is morally indefensible as well. If you think the incumbent is doing a bang-up job, why are you running against him? If you think he's doing a crappy job, keeping quiet about it does a disservice to your supporters and to voters.
Ben Lodmell has differences with Jo Bonner, and he isn't afraid to tell voters what they are. That isn't mudslinging, it's honest discussion -- a necessary ingredient for good government, and a hopeful sign for Alabama politics.
Ben Lodmell issued a press release today in which he sharply criticized Congressman Jo Bonner for his continuing support of the trade embargo with Cuba. That embargo has been in place for most of my lifetime and there's not much evidence that it's done a damned bit of good to "bring Democracy to Cuba."
As Ron Sparks and others have long pointed out, Alabama producers are in a great position to market our agricultural products to Cuba, so ending the trade embargo would be a major boon for the state's economy. Why wouldn't our Congressional delegation be supportive of more trade with Cuba? In these days of undue influence from lobbying interests, Lodmell may have a point about those contributions to Bonner from the US-Cuba Democracy PAC.
Here's the entire release from the Lodmell campaign:
Did you hear what President Bush said last week about Cuba? “As long as the (Castro) regime maintains its monopoly over the political and economic life of the Cuban people, the United States will keep the embargo (on Cuban trade) in place.” His objective? To bring democracy to the Cuban people. Now, doesn’t that sentiment have a familiar ring?
At 36, I’m not old enough to know for sure, but I’ll bet you a box of Cuban cigars that U.S. presidents having been saying much the same thing since the Communist Cuban Revolution of 1959. But for goodness sake, when will President Bush – and let’s not forget his ever-faithful man in Mobile, Congressman Jo Bonner - wake up and smell the Cuban coffee? The Cold War has been over for nearly 20 years. But not to the Bush-Bonner gang, apparently. Not when it comes to Cuba. The fact is that piddling island, which has about 11 million people and is about the size of Alabama, couldn’t hurt us if it tried, with or without Fidel or his brother Raoul at the helm.
Even so Cuba has been a thick political thorn in the side of the U.S. for almost 50 years, and no administration in all that time has had the common sense or guts to pluck it out. Heck, every chance Bonner gets he does what the President wants him to do and that is to vote against normalizing relations with Cuba. Jo continues to follow his President’s lead despite the fact that the U.N. General Assembly has voted 16 years in row on a resolution urging the U.S. to lift the 46-year-old trade embargo. Jo’s voting record seems oblivious to the very real probability that lifting the Cuban trade embargo would provide Alabama with significant “investment and trading opportunities that have been missing” since 1962, according to study released earlier this year by Auburn University. This windfall would be on top of the $126 million in humanitarian exports to Cuba Alabama enjoyed in 2004.
According to the Auburn study, the Cuban embargo costs the U.S. $1.2 billion a year in lost export revenue, “with the Southeast and Alabama in particular suffering.” Moreover, if the embargo were lifted, Cuba would likely become a much larger market for Alabama agricultural products, such as poultry, meats, soybeans and grain, which in turn would also benefit the Port of Mobile, the study says. Alabama’s employment picture would surely improve as would our service industries due to increased demand.
Is it possible that Jo Bonner doesn’t recognize that the benefits of trade – even with our enemies – has a better chance of improving relations between countries than the hardheaded my-way-or-the-highway attitudes we have seen in recent years? Look at China, for instance.
Is it also possible that Jo Bonner missed the Auburn University report? Never read it? Perhaps. But then again, perhaps not. After all, one of Jo’s big political special interest contributors since 2004 has been the U.S.-Cuba Democracy PAC, a powerful lobby that uses big bucks to help shape public policy favoring continuation of the Cuban embargo no matter who it hurts – the people of Cuban or Jo Bonner’s constituents in the first congressional district of Alabama.
Benjamin Lodmell spoke to the AFL-CIO meeting in Mobile last Tuesday. I asked the campaign for the gist of his remarks - below. Good stuff!
When General Wesley Clark [link here] told the members of UAW Local 1314 in Huntsville “the union movement is the real secret weapon of the American economy,” he wasn’t kidding. It is a secret. Bush’s man in Mobile, Congressman Jo Bonner, has done his best to keep it that way. So the time for change is long overdue. We need a Democrat in Congress from the First District who will give the labor movement the kind of representation needed to strengthen working families by:
·Supporting the union movement;
·Creating good jobs
·Making health care affordable and accessible to every man, woman and child, not just the rich and well-off;
·Improving job security and workplace safety; and
·Ensuring reliable pensions.
·Securing our borders and enforcing our laws
That’s what I stand for. That’s what I will work for in Congress. But there are other reasons why you should vote for Ben Lodmell. For one thing, I have spent half my adult life helping people that need help through public service and charities that provide opportunities for those that have none. And, unlike the Bush-Bonner gang that has been squeezing the life out of the middle class, I believe in my soul what you believe - that working families and the union movement represent the backbone of America and that working families and the union movement need to be strengthened - not weakened by returning the likes of Jo Bonner to Congress next year.
Sure, it’s going to be a tough campaign, but it can be won. For my part, I’m willing to give a year of my life, along with a strong personal and financial commitment, to beating Jo Bonner in next year’s election in order to give the labor movement some true representation in Washington. What are you willing to do, because I can’t do it alone? I need your help. And I need it NOW.
The fact is that, although Bonner’s campaign hasn’t started yet, he’s already soaked the rich and the famous for more than a half-million dollars to buy his way back to Congress. The point is, I have a lot of catching up to do. With your help, we can do it together. With your support, we can get labor back on track. I’m ready to fight. Are you?
Since the first time I talked to Lodmell, I've been impressed that he sincerely believes it's important to run on his values and talk to voters about what Democrats really stand for. Too many Alabama voters get their news about Democratic values from Fox News, Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, et al. Those guys present a caricature of liberals that bears no relationship to reality. In my opinion, Democrats have not successfully combated the demonization of our values and it's refreshing to see a congressional candidate out there talking about working families, the squeeze on the middle class, health care-- he came out strong in favor of SCHIP reauthorization -- and yes, the importance of the union movement to Alabama families.
The other thing that impresses me about Lodmell is that he's willing to give up a year (more actually, since he's been doing this a few months already) of his life to talk directly to First District voters about his values and his desire to be a real representative of the people, not a rubber stamp for whoever is in the White House.
This is a tough district, but Benjamin Lodmell is working hard to get the Democratic message out. Give him some help -- he's out there earning it.
Benjamin Lodmell, candidate for Congress in Alabama'a First District, had a rapid response to Jo Bonner's vote yesterday to uphold Bush's SCHIP veto. I recieved this via email last evening:
Bonner has no shame; votes against S-CHIP
override; children’s healthcare in jeopardy
Contact: Benjamin Lodmell, Candidate for Congress
PO Box 40926 - Mobile, AL 36640
Telephone: 251-404-2663
MOBILE, October 18, 2007 - Representative Jo Bonner once again has shamelessly proven he is “Bush’s man in Mobile.” Today the three-term Congressman from Alabama’s first congressional district voted to defeat a bi-partisan House override of last week’s Presidential veto of legislation calling for an expansion of the federally-subsidized State Children’s Health Care Program.
Today’s vote of 273-to-156 was 13 votes shy of the two-thirds needed to override the President’s veto.
The five-year S-CHIP reauthorization and expansion bill would have added as many as 4 million children, most of them from low-income families, to the 6 million already receiving subsidized healthcare at a cost of about $6 billion a year more than the President wanted.
Even if Congress gives the President what he wants, it won’t be enough to maintain the ‘ALL KIDS’ version of S-CHIP that has been operating in Alabama for ten years, according to estimates by Department of Health officials. If the President digs in his heels, estimates are that about 68,000 Alabama children would lose their existing health insurance and join the 75,000 kids currently uninsured in the state.
“Bonner’s cockamamie reason for opposing healthcare for poor children? The S-CHIP bill would raise taxes paid by smokers! Can you believe it” Lodmell asked? “Here’s a Congressman who earlier this year voted to make the rich oil industry even richer by giving it billions of dollars in subsidies now votes to deny poor uninsured children the healthcare they need because it will increase ‘entitlements.’ What kind of uncompassionate ideological nonsense is that? Bonner has no shame. Why didn’t he apply some of this fiscal thinking when helping the President to increase the national debt by about $5 trillion since Bonner’s been in office?”
Lodmell became a Democratic candidate for Congressional seat held by Bonner early last month. Raised in Huntsville during much of his early life, Lodmell describes himself as the people’s representative. “When it comes to the people’s money, I’m an anti-special interest fiscal conservative,” he said. “Beyond that, I’m a pragmatic, independent-thinker with a social conscience that can bridge the ideological extremes that often get in the way of getting the people’s business done in Congress.”
Democratic Congressional hopefuls Greg Warren (4th District) and Benjamin Lodmell (1st District) are making their opponent's vote against S-CHIP reauthorization a campaign issue. Alabama Republicans are wrong on this issue and voters here know it.
Warren, whose opponent is CAFTA tie breaker Robert Aderholt, issued this statement on Tuesday:
Is Alabama's current Representative from the Fourth Congressional District actually representing his district or is he representing President Bush? Yet again your current Representative has voted against helping his own constituents to fall in line with the Bush Administration. The latest being his vote in opposition of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) reauthorization act. This bill would have provided an additional $35 billion for SCHIP -- $30 billion more than Bush wanted. This legislation would reauthorize coverage for 6.6 million children and extend the program to 4 million more. This program has significantly affected the health status of children from low-income families. As before with his deciding vote for CAFTA (which has cost his district numerous jobs) your current Representative has again come up with his excuses for turning his back on the needs of his constituents to be President Bush's "rubber stamp". Your current Representative had rather tell you what you need and what is good for you instead of the job that he was elected to do which is represent you and your needs.
As noted, Aderholt has exhibited a paternal attitude toward his constituents, first assuring them that his CAFTA vote would protect textile jobs in the district (wrong!) and more recently through absolute opposition to a tribal casino, with no consideration to any positive economic impact it might have on the area.
Down in South Alabama, Benjamin Lodmell is taking on Jo Bonner. From a statement issued by the Lodmell campaign on Monday:
“That must be what they mean by compassionate conservatism,” Lodmell said when learning of the President’s veto. Even if Congress eventually gives the President what he wants, it won’t be enough to even maintain the ‘ALL KIDS’ version of S-CHIP that has been operating in Alabama for ten years, according to estimates by Department of Health officials. “That’s heartless and intolerable.” When asked about his vote against S-CHIP, one member of Alabama’s Congressional delegation reportedly said he “didn’t join the Republican Party to raise taxes on the American people.” Point well taken, Lodmell said, “Especially when you consider how a failed Republican ideology has destroyed this country’s sense of fiscal responsibility by replacing years of federal surpluses with staggering deficits and reducing taxes for the rich while trying to fight two wars at the same time. “It’s incredible that those who managed to increase our national debt by about $3.5 trillion since Jo Bonner and President Bush first took office can now say ‘no’ when asked to provide healthcare for children who through no fault of their own are uninsured. “The difference between what the bill calls for and what President Bush opposes is less than 4% of the $190 billion the Pentagon asked for in fiscal 2008 to fight the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It’s also a drop in the bucket compared with what Congress has been secretly sneaking into its annual appropriations bills. Which, by the way, may be the reason why Jo Bonner refused to discuss his ‘earmark’ activity with a journalist during a recent interview. “No matter how they try to explain it away, Bonner’s vote and the President’s veto against children’s healthcare simply boggle the mind. Regardless of their new-found fiscal sanctimony, trying to make political points at the expense of poor children is just plain unconscionable.”
Bonner, Aderholt and other Republicans of their ilk are in Bush's pocket on this and everything else. They have happily voted to spend, spend, spend on Bush's foreign entanglements, but now they draw a line over a small spending increase for children's health care -- which won't increase the deficit by one dime. How can these men sleep at night?
Benjamin Lodmell's campaign released a statement today (full text below) with some harsh -- and deserved -- criticism of Jo Bonner for his NO vote on reauthorization of the S-CHIP program. Republicans like Bonner point to S-CHIP and cry socialized medicine, taxes and government health care. Those words aren't quite as scary as they used to be.
If you want to see how socialized medicine works in this country, take a look at our military and veterans hospitals and clinics. Or check out Medicare, an extremely popular, government-run, tax-funded program. This bridge is an example of what happens if we go hell-bent down the "eliminate taxes" and "drown the government in the bathtub" road.
I don't see any moral ground for opposing S-CHIP reauthorization. Thankfully, Democrats like Lodmell are calling Republicans out over this unconscionable vote. Bonner is so deep in Bush's pocket, he will probably vote to uphold the veto anyway. Who will suffer if Bush's veto stands? The children of working class Alabamians will feel the pinch right away. Bonner and his ilk will have to wait until November of next year.
MOBILE, October 8, 2007 – If Representative Jo Bonner has his way – and it looks like he will - the ranks of Alabama’s uninsured children will likely swell, thanks to President Bush’s veto last week of legislation calling for an expansion of the federally-subsidized State Children’s Health Care Program. If enacted, the so-called “S-CHIP” program would be paid for by an increase in federal tobacco tax. Much to his shame, Bonner, and every other member of Alabama’s Republican Congressional delegation, voted against the five-year S-CHIP reauthorization and expansion bill that would add as many as 4 million of the nation’s 9 million uninsured children to the popular healthcare program at a cost about $6 billion a year more than the President wants. Estimates are that if Congress fails to override the President’s veto later in the month, about 68,000 Alabama children could lose their existing health insurance and join the 75,000 kids currently uninsured in the state. “That must be what they mean by compassionate conservatism,” Lodmell said when learning of the President’s veto. Even if Congress eventually gives the President what he wants, it won’t be enough to even maintain the ‘ALL KIDS’ version of S-CHIP that has been operating in Alabama for ten years, according to estimates by Department of Health officials. “That’s heartless and intolerable.” When asked about his vote against S-CHIP, one member of Alabama’s Congressional delegation reportedly said he “didn’t join the Republican Party to raise taxes on the American people.” Point well taken, Lodmell said, “Especially when you consider how a failed Republican ideology has destroyed this country’s sense of fiscal responsibility by replacing years of federal surpluses with staggering deficits and reducing taxes for the rich while trying to fight two wars at the same time. “It’s incredible that those who managed to increase our national debt by about $3.5 trillion since Jo Bonner and President Bush first took office can now say ‘no’ when asked to provide healthcare for children who through no fault of their own are uninsured. “The difference between what the bill calls for and what President Bush opposes is less than 4% of the $190 billion the Pentagon asked for in fiscal 2008 to fight the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It’s also a drop in the bucket compared with what Congress has been secretly sneaking into its annual appropriations bills. Which, by the way, may be the reason why Jo Bonner refused to discuss his ‘earmark’ activity with a journalist during a recent interview. “No matter how they try to explain it away, Bonner’s vote and the President’s veto against children’s healthcare simply boggle the mind. Regardless of their new-found fiscal sanctimony, trying to make political points at the expense of poor children is just plain unconscionable.” Lodmell declared his candidacy for the Democratic Party’s nomination early last month. Raised in Huntsville, Lodmell describes himself as the people’s representative. “When it comes to the people’s money, I’m an anti-special interest fiscal conservative,” he said. “Beyond that, I’m a pragmatic, independent-thinker with a social conscience that can bridge the ideological extremes that often get in the way of getting the people’s business done in Congress.”
From Highway 431 we learn that Vivian Figures finally has a website. It isn't much, but you can sign up for email updates. I thought the form was rather intrusive -- honestly all they need to send me email updates is an email address.
The only news mention of Vivian Figures I found for this week is this one from the Mobile City Council meeting which seems to be neither here nor there as far as the Senate race is concerned. Hang in there.
Last week I had an opportunity to chat with Benjamin Lodmell, Democratic candidate for the AL-01 Congressional seat now held by Jo Bonner. This is the second time I've spoken with him and he passes my first candidate electability test: Likeability. He is easy to talk to, gives thoughful responses and nothing he said to me sounded canned or packaged.
Lodmell told me that he plans to work full time between now and the 2008 election meeting people in his district, listening to their concerns and building a strong campaign. Even this early in the campaign season he is having a lot of conversations with voters, the traditional Democratic constituency of course, but also meeting a cross section of voters through shaking hands at the grocery store, knocking on doors, talking to people at shopping malls and so forth.
In those informal conversations, Lodmell says health care is a recurring concern he hears, especially from those who are self employed, work for a small business or are in another situation with no health insurance. Lodmell said that people seem to be concerned with their own insecurities, with how expensive life is. Concerns about the price of gasoline, health care and the rising price of food are mentioned frequently.
I asked if he heard many concerns about Iraq and he said that does come up, but not as often as health care worries. Lodmell said he is a "strong supporter of a timely withdrawal from Iraq" but from the general public he hears not so much anger about the situation there as frustration. People are also expressing concern about the cost of staying in Iraq and how much money has been spent on the war already. He said folks in the 1st District (map below) tend to be fiscally conservative and are concerned about government spending.
He reiterated that he is a "moderate Democrat" and elaborated, saying "by moderate I mean willing to listen," try to build bridges between ideological extremes and "represent everyone, even the people who didn't vote for me." He also said he is a lifelong Democrat, who believes in the principles the Democratic party stands for.
I asked him how he felt about supporting the Constitution and the Bill of Rights and what I regard as a weakening of those documents by legislation in recent years. He said he is concerned about "changes in all these hard won rights" and we need to "be careful about what civil liberties we allow to be torn down." He said he appreciated the push and pull between Homeland Security and Civil Liberties, particularly in an environment of fear, but cautioned against giving up too many freedoms. He said "liberty is not conservative or liberal, it's an American issue and one that should be taken very seriously." I particularly asked if he had an opinion on the so-called Protect America Act extending the Bush administration's wiretapping authority. Lodmell declined to comment until he had read the bill. While it didn't answer my question, that is a refreshing attitude since lawmakers in recent years have admitted they often vote on bills before they read them.
Running against an incumbent is never a picnic and Lodmell realizes that to win he must make serious inroads with independent minded voters and conservative voters who are disgruntled with Bonner's performance. He plans to run a campaign that will "challenge Jo Bonner" and "not just roll over and take it" when Republicans strike back at him. He talks about getting out and listening to people and getting back to the true spirit of representative government.
His website, benjaminlodmellforcongress.com is up, though still under construction, and he has already started raising money online through ActBlue. The more contact I have with Lodmell the more I think he is a very good Democratic challenger for Jo Bonner in Alabama's First Congressional District.
The Political Skinny has a neat story this week. I love it when a Democrat gets a great deal from a Republican. It just turns that savvy businessman/country bumpkin stereotype on it's head.
U.S. Rep. Jo Bonner , R-Mobile, has a loyal supporter in University of South Alabama President Gordon Moulton . But earlier this year, Moulton sold his Government Street home to the man now challenging Bonner in next year's election, according to Mobile County Probate Office records.
Moulton said he wasn't aware that Lodmell planned to challenge Bonner for the 1st Congressional District seat, and he might have asked more for the house if he had known it. The price had been reduced because the house had been on the market for a while.
Could be some other things in Mobile will be switching parties after next year.
By the way, Benjamin Lodmell's ActBlue page is up and working, accepting online donations to help him take on Jo Bonner. This is a great way to give to progressive candidates ... safe, secure, simple, and you can even do a recurring donation of $5 or $10 (or more) each month until the election. It's a practically painless way to support Democratic candidates.
In the July 31st Lagniappe, Jeff Poor writes that Democrat Benjamin Lodmell is undeterred by Jo Bonner's past successes in AL-01 Congressional races.
History isn’t on Lodmell’s side. In Bonner’s three runs for Congress, he soundly defeated Judy Belk twice and my personal favorite local Democrat, Vivian Beckerle, taking no less than 60 percent of the vote in each attempt.
"I wouldn’t be running if I didn’t think I could win," Lodmell said. "I do think there are some vulnerabilities."
A big Alabama welcome to all the folks coming over from Senate2008Guru. We agree that Ron Sparks really is a rock star.
Ron Sparks made an appearance on Alabama Public Television's For the Record program a few minutes ago. Did anybody else see the program? Feel free to disagree with my recollection or correct me -- esp. if you have it on tape and can provide exact wording. Some points that may be worth discussing:
Early in the program (pre Sparks) host Tim Lennox referred to the Birmingham News as one of the largest "conservative papers" in the state. About time people started facing up to that fact.
Also pre-Sparks, Lennox and his guest (Jim Rainey from the Opelika News) were discussing the record amount of money presidential candidates have raised in Alabama. They spent a lot of time talking about Fred Thompson, Rudy, and McCain, but very little on the Democratic candidates, neglecting entirely to mention that the top money raiser of either party was John Edwards. They also neglected to mention that Chris Dodd visited Birmingham and drew a big crowd a couple of months ago.
The first thing Lennox asked Sparks was about the punch in the Alabama Senate. I thought he responded well and honestly. He knows both men well and it should never have happened.
Lennox also asked him about Alabama agricultural exports to Cuba. Sparks explained that the embargo has been in place 45 years and if it hasn't worked by now it isn't going to. He said Alabama's trade with Cuba is legal and is good for Alabama farmers.
A caller from Madison (that voice sounded familiar) asked point blank about Sparks intentions to run for office in the future, and hoped we would be seeing more of him. Lennox mentioned SackSessions and Trent Thompson's decision to close the blog if Sparks was not going to get in the race. Sparks reiterated that he had been very interested in the Senate race, but he had told party leaders he would not run in a primary race, mentioning the need to focus on Sessions and the undesirablitly of "splitting the party down the middle." He mentioned that another Democrat had told him she planned to run and also said another potential candidate had the same assurance from that "other Democrat." He also reiterated his desire to continue to serve the people of Alabama "as long as they will let me."
I thought this was pretty strange. Lennox asked Sparks if he knew Larisa Thomason. Sparks said he didn't believe he did. Lennox said Larisa is the creator of the BlueSparks blog and is also on the board of the Alabama ACLU. It sounded like that was supposed to be some kind of "gotcha." Sparks said that a lot of people have been giving him encouragement to stay in public service, to run for higher office and so forth, but he really didn't know anything about Ms. Thomason. (I do know Larisa Thomason and there aren't many finer people on this Earth. -- Mooncat)
There were questions about country of origin labeling (Sparks is for it) food labeling (if it says grouper on the box it needs to be grouper in the box) and why it's hard to find Alabama seafood in local grocery stores.
Near the end Sparks was talking about the need to reach across the aisle and work with Republicans to get the job done. Lennox asked him why he didn't just declare himself a Republican. Sparks patiently explained that he's a life long Democrat, that there are differences between the two parties (Social Security and health care were mentioned) and that he understands that just because something is proposed by a Republican, it isn't automatically bad.
Lennox revisited the issue of Sparks future plans to run for another office. Sparks said he (the host) would be the first one to get a call when he decides. He said "I wish I could decide today" and mentioned Governor, Lt. Governor, U.S. Senate and Congress. He also talked about how unpleasant it is to make fundraising calls and how he wished the system was different, but those are the rules that you have to play by.
At no point in this interview did Ron Sparks rule out the Senate race. He talked again about not wanting to run in a primary. He mentioned that he had been assured someone else (we know that is state Sen. Vivian Figures) was going to run. He said he "wished he could decide today" but he didn't say anything approaching "I am not going to run for U.S. Senate."
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Benjamin Lodmell
I asked him how he felt about supporting the Constitution and the Bill of Rights and what I regard as a weakening of those documents by legislation in recent years. He said he is concerned about "changes in all these hard won rights" and we need to "be careful about what civil liberties we allow to be torn down." He said he appreciated the push and pull between Homeland Security and Civil Liberties, particularly in an environment of fear, but cautioned against giving up too many freedoms. He said "liberty is not conservative or liberal, it's an American issue and one that should be taken very seriously." I particularly asked if he had an opinion on the so-called 
In the July 31st 
A big Alabama welcome to all the folks coming over from 
