UPDATED: Major Effort to UNSEAT CASTLE ANNOUNCED
UPDATE: Sydicated columnist (and all around douche bag) Robert Novak picked up the “Castle under attack for IRAQ” story. This is how you boil a frog. Little by little.
This is awesome news. The Americans Against Escalation in Iraq (AAEI) is a coalition of a variety of groups that are committed to opposing President Bush’s Iraq War escalation and to the responsible redeployment of American forces. They are targeting Mike Castle and a number of House and Senate Republicans who continue to support Bush’s disastrous Iraq War strategy in order to convince/pressure them to break with President Bush and “take a stand” with their constituents against the failed Iraq policy.
The group is putting a field staff in Delaware this summer to work on a number of different projects and actions directed at persuading Congressman Useless to finally break with President Bush and stand with the people of Delaware against the failed Iraq War.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Rep. Castle Crying for Mercy on Iraq War
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
New Polling memo: http://gqrr.com/articles/1976/3461_SuburbanRepublicans.pdf
WASHINGTON – Americans Against Escalation in Iraq is releasing today a new Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research polling memo. The new poll gauged public opinion on the war in Iraq in 2008 battleground districts. Congressman CastleIraq voted in lockstep with President Bush on the war in , and is beginning to pay the price. Castle is one of many Members of Congress in suburban districts where outrage over the President’s reckless Iraq war has reached the boiling point.
Although many attribute the overwhelming victory of Democrats in 2006 to a bungled Bush war in Iraq, some pundits concluded that suburban voters in a number of swing districts are what put the country solidly in the Blue column. A Greenberg poll conducted for Americans Against Escalation in Iraq cites dire trouble for Republicans in suburban districts as suburban voters in malls and mini-vans across America suburban voters break against the war turning their ire on Republicans.
Suburban Republicans Running Scared
USA Today: “Democratic Gains In Suburbia Spell Trouble for the GOP”
In the 2006 elections “Democrats carried nearly 60% of the U.S. House vote in inner suburbs in the nation’s 50 largest metropolitan areas, up from about 53% in 2002, according to the analysis by the Metropolitan Institute at Virginia Tech.” [11/26/07]
Republicans Paying the Price For Bush War in Burbs
“Republican member’s approval rating currently stands at 44 percent – 7 points lower from where it stood when this debate started. It is true that Republicans’ approval rating improved marginally after the President’s veto, but not nearly enough to reach the pre-debate levels of support or affect suburban voters’ underlying opposition to the war.” [Greenberg, Quinlan and Rosner Memo, 5/16/07]
Polling Indicates Strong opposition to the war in suburban districts
“Voters in suburban districts are deeply dissatisfied with the war in Iraq and the President’s policies . . . unfavorable feelings toward the war have progressively increased Since the debate over the spending bill started — from 59 percent in early March to nearly two-thirds after the president’s veto, and 61 percent of voters oppose the President’s current plan in Iraq. Interestingly, opposition to Bush’s policies is stronger in Republican-held suburban districts than Democratic-held districts and reached its highest level yet with two-thirds of voters opposing the President’s plan.” [Greenberg, Quinlan and Rosner Memo, 5/16/07]
Suburban G.O.P. Members March to WH on War
The majority of the Republicans who went to the White House, earlier this month to warn Bush on his Iraq policy hail from suburban districts: Reps. Mike Kirk (D-at large); Gerlach (PA suburbs); Castle (Chicago suburbs); Ramstad (MN burbs); Walsh (Syracuse); Tom Davis (VA- [New York Times, 5/10/07]
DE-(At Large) Representative Michael Castle
Michael Castle, a Republican first elected in 1992, is Delaware’s congressman-at-large. His at large seat encompasses many suburbs that have taken a sharp turn against the war. Castle the descendant of Benjamin Franklin and the son of a DuPont patent lawyer has been a staunch supporter of Bush’s endless war, voting with Bush on the war 16 times since 2002. (New York Times, 5/10/07; Washington Post, 5/10/07; House votes 5/11/07)
Castle is one of only eight GOPers representing districts that Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) won in ’04. Last cycle, Castle won with only 57% of the vote against “political neophyte” Dennis Spivack, whom he far outspent, $1.1M to $362K. (Kraushaar, Politico, 2/15).
DCCC Comm. Dir. Jennifer Crider: “This is definitely a priority for us. He’s definitely beatable.” (Drucker, Roll Call, 2/27).
Castle has already shown signs of movement on his position on Iraq. “The whole tone of it was, ‘Where are we going? How rapidly can we get answers?’ ” Castle said after the 45-minute meeting at the White House. Castle said Bush seemed to be relying on an assessment from Army Gen. David Petraeus, U.S. commander in Iraq, and U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker due out in September. “My preference would be to get decisions earlier if at all possible,” Castle said. [News-Journal, 5/9/07] It is possible that Castle can’t wait all summer facing the heat from his angry constituents on the war.
“The group is putting a field staff in Dealware this summer to work on a number of different projects and actions directed at persuading Congressman Useless to finally break with President Bush and stand with the people of Delaware against the failed Iraq War.”
I find it ironic that they are putting in field staff to tell Castle how Delawarians supposedly feel.
Well he is not listening to Delawareans so maybe some George Soros money will get his attention.
Without giving away the farm, I’ll just have you know that Mike Castle’s poll numbers have gone UP since the 06 election.
The more money Soros wastes here, the less he spends where people are actually vulnerable.
Castle’s poll numbers have gone UP since the 06 election.
Right.
Don’t go the Terry Strine, Alan Levin route.
Well, he’s still breathing, so I guess that might be a reason for some Delaware voters to give him a better approval rating. That seems to be a crucial criteria around here.
It is hard to vote out a friend. Only when a different paradigm is presented that conflicts with the one we previously held on to, can we be convinced to make such a significant change.
The linkage that connects Castle (popular by 57$) to war (popular by 5%) has been forthcoming only from this and a small number of other blogs statewide.
With slightly more than 370,000 votes up for grabs, just how many of those potential voters even know that Castle supports Bush’s policies lockstep, lies at the crux of the problem………..But any effort that effectively links Castle’s ouster with the ability to end the war, should do the trick……of course, there is always the chance the Slippery Castle will, like the Grinch who he resembles facially, (at least according to his picture in today’s News Journal) will have his heart grow, 3 times larger, and he will then choose to take the “correct” route and stand up for what all Delawareans believe………that in Iraq we need to start standing down……….
Also, you would need this thing we like to call an “opponent.”
A DE GOPer bragging about viable opponents for statewide office! HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Its the two party system that put Castle back in. Even supposedly good government groups backed Spivak…who really has no issues of his owns, but “uses a lobby firm in DC” to plan his issues…or just out and out plagerizes those issues that Democrat/Independent Karen Hartley Nagle had.
When voters stop thinking Castle is moderate. and really look at his abymsmal record…they would throw him out of office…but the Delaware State Chamber and the GOP in Delaware along with some supposedly good democrats with no real candidate who can beat the machine…will continue to loose election after election to Castle…
What we need is new blood in the democrat party, and more and more people going independent to build a viable 3rd party in the State of Delaware that truly has the interests of the citizens…not the interests of corporate Delaware.
Defeating Castle doesn’t require an independent candidate. Castle’s last Dem opponent cut Castle’s electoral margin in half, with invisible support from the Del Dem party.
Let’s try that again, this time with FEELING!!
“What we need is new blood in the democrat party”
Liz I could not agree more. But when that “new blood” has one issue (being a sore loser and spoiler) I don’t think that is very productive.