Posted on 11/01/2012 7:09:55 PM PDT by SmithL
Supporters of Eric Swalwell, the Democratic insurgent who’s challenging Rep. Pete Stark, D-Fremont, are up in arms about a recent Stark mailer which depicts Swalwell in a cup of tea – a la the Tea Party. Here are some excerpts:
“Who is really behind Eric Swalwell? On the doorstep, at meetings, driving this rookie city councilman’s campaign? Tea Party supporters. They’ve given money, given energy and given life to the Swalwell campaign – and they’ll succeed unless we stop them.”
“Campaign finance reports show that over $86,000 of Eric Swalwell’s contributions come from Republicans. Swalwell claims he’s no conservative, but the evidence speaks for itself. Republicans and their corporate allies in the pharmaceutical world like Amgen and Pfizer are excited about young Swalwell because they think he’s their cup of tea.”
“As reported in a respected East Bay newspaper, Dublin City Councilman Eric Swalwell took over $15,000 from a contractor and voted to give them a no-bid contract. Swalwell’s actions would have been illegal in some East Bay cities.”
Ellis Goldberg, president of the TriValley Democratic Club, is incensed. “I have not endorsed either candidate nor has the club, but I feel this defamation of one of my club members has to be answered,” he wrote in an e-mail Wednesday night. “Both candidates are TVDC members, Eric has been active for many years.
Aside from being a long-time Tri-Valley Dems member, Swalwell interned for former Rep. Ellen Tauscher, D-Alamo – a Blue Dog, but certainly no Tea Party darling; also, he chaired the 2008 TriValley United Democratic Campaign to get Democrats elected to local and state offices. Nothing he has said on his website, in interviews or elsewhere indicates Tea Party policies. He is a Democrat, not some zombified “Manchurian Candidate” for conservatives.
But that’s not exactly what Stark’s mailer said. And without a doubt, there are conservatives who want to see Swalwell beat Stark.
Put yourself in the shoes of any Republican – Tea Party-sympathetic or otherwise – living in this district: Who would you vote for, with only these two candidates on the ballot? Stark and his supporters are proud that he’s one of the most doggedly liberal members of Congress, and it’s safe to assume anyone with even a streak of conservatism would vote against him. That’s been part of Swalwell’s campaign strategy from the get-go – appealing to a broader spectrum of voters than Stark can. If anyone to the right of Pete Stark is deemed a Tea Partier, there are a whooooooole lot of Democrats and independents out there who’ll cry foul.
And wouldn’t out-of-district and out-of-state conservative interests who want to see Stark gone contribute to the campaign of anyone who could make that happen? Of course they would. Swalwell, at a significant fundraising disadvantage to the incumbent, would be a fool to turn that money away.
As for the pay-to-play accusation, we’ve discussed that East Bay Express story here.
Swalwell’s campaign also noted today that a photograph included in the mailer – depicting Swalwell holding up an Etch-A-Sketch on which a GOP elephant has been drawn – was doctored. Here’s the original:
Lisa Tucker, Swalwell’s campaign manager, said they believe Stark’s campaign took it from a Facebook page.
“It just misrepresents, it implies Eric drew that elephant on the Etch-a-Sketch and he did not,” she said. “There was no reason to take a personal photo of Eric and doctor it like that.”
Stark, you little fruitcake, you little fruitcake, I said you are a fruitcake.
If you are going to define a 'tea partier' as a person who thinks independently with strong conservative values then I guess that I am one of that group.
BUT, it's a damn shame that the painters paint me, in that class, as a 'tea partier' in a country where 'all men are created equal'!!!!!!!
I voted for Swalwell. He came by my house in primary season and I nearly slammed the door when he told me he was a Dem. He told me that based on the “top 2” primaries (rigged for Union-funded Dems) that he was running against the old Commie whackjob Stark.
He was nice and seemed to understand business.
First Dem I’ve ever voted for.
California redistricting has really messed with the tri-valley over the past 30 years, and now with the top-2 system in California there won't be any more Republicans making it to the general election.
In my district (the new CA-15), it's Anybody But Stark for me.
-PJ
I wouldn’t give him a thin dime but I would vote for Stark’s fellow rat opponent if I lived there.
If Stark loses the absurd and illegal new system in California will have done us some good. (besides winning us a close seat where 2 Republicans are facing off!)
What’s illegal about it? Louisiana has had a jungle primary for years.
Actually, as I recall, LA’s primary used to be on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, then a runoff 3 weeks later (on Saturday) if necessary.
The DOJ did challenge it, and the compromise made was that the primary would be moved to October and the general would be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.
However, the jungle primary has withstood legal challenge.
In my view, the GOP as private entity and universally recognized major party has a right to slate candidates for each and every general election.
Or at least prevent more than 1 person from running with Republican next to their name in the all party primary.
I am not a law talking guy but that’s they way I slice it.
Dang, I got that backwards. Boustany and Landry face off in 3 weeks.
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