Noreen raises more $ against mcdermott than the republican, ol' what's his name

Linnea Noreen, the independent, progressive protest candidate running against the 7th District Democratic wheel-sleeper, Jim McDermott, has raised more than 3 times the money than her Republican opponent, Steve Beren. 

According to Open Secrets.org, she's raised $62,841 to the Beren's $14,596.

McDermott, who only needs walking around money in the campaign, has $843,091.

If you hear Beren's radio ad, read Sound Politics, or listen to him puffing on Republican Radio (KVI Saturdays, 3-5p) you'd think Mike McGavick, Dino Rossi, and he are the Three Hors d' ouvresmen of the Apocalypse doing the Lord's Work at the forefront of the battle for the hearts and minds of Washington voters.

Actually, he's just an unfunded placeholder for a mostly impotent party in an unwinnable race. And a 29-year old independent woman- also previously unknown, is beating the pants off him. (Did we degrade her again? probably, sigh...)

Comments

[lukobe]

Good job Ms. Noreen!

$800K to McDermott's campaign? Unnecessary...should have gone to charity, since McDermott's gonna win anyway.

But Michael...are you sure Noreen is "progressive"? http://www.myspace.com/seattlelinnea : "I'm a social liberal, fiscal conservative who thinks that government should be in the business of disseminating power, information and resources to its citizens. I also believe that the Parties are far more interested in maintaing power than they are about actually helping people. It's time for a revolution. Not some crazy left-wing, social justice, money for public programs type thing. Nor some even crazier right-wing "the government sucks" mantra. I'm talking about giving decision-making power to people. I wonder what that says about me if I'm defining myself in political terms... S-C-A-R-Y!"

Sounds great to me and quite progressive in its old sense, but not in its new sense of "liberal" (in ITS new sense)...

[joanie]

Sounds libertarian to me. Power to the people and no crazy money for social justice or public programs? I guess I hardly knew ye, Michael.

Schwarz seemed to nail her inexperience and naivete on an earlier thread.

Are we just being hopeful here? Seems like if you're gonna carry water for a candidate, you might know a little more about them first.

[blathering michael]

For me, this is more about McDermott than Noreen. She's a protest candidate. She's not going to win itany elections for a while- we can parse her politics then. She lights up an otherwise dull race, speaking truth about McDermott (nice somebody does for once) and makes the R's look stupider than they usually do.

[Stephen Schwartz]

Frankly, while Noreen is naive, I would certainly prefer her to Jimmy McD if only to break the ice.

What I would REALLY like, is to see McD step down for someone more impressive to take the job. You know, someone who speaks out on SEATTLE issues ... funding for the UW (and other colleges), education reform, .... yada yada.

McD remons me of an actor playing a politician in a movie ... was it the one starring Eddie Murphy? Anyhow, McD is the white haired, ruddy faced, pomposity, who always means well but ... well his bed time is early y'know.

[lukobe]

what's wrong with power to the people? :)

[Jim in Puyallup]

Tony Snowjob was wet you pants excited. From ear to ear.....lol

[seattlelinnea]

Interesting... I assumed I am progressive because I believe in public education, I want to guarantee universal access to health care, and because I want everyone to be able to afford housing.

I believe that one day we will achieve all of these (and energy independence)--which makes me an idealist. It is easy to confuse idealism with naivety... but I ask, when was the last time we saw real idealism in this country? Martin Luther King, Jr? Idealists are exactly what we need, and what I hope to remain until the day I die.

[joanie]

What to choose? CSpan debate between Catherine Harris and Bob Nelson actually moderated by Tim Russert. Catherine Harris held up her end of the debate . . . interesting. She was articulate and specific. Russert was obviously more patient with Nelson and interrupted Harris continually. But, she was respectful and assertive in spite of his rudeness. This surprised me.

Before it ended, I switched to Charlie Rose who was interviewing a very tired-looking Howard Dean (a hero of mine, esp. with his 50-state strategy dissed by Hilary but proving to be a wise move); then David Kuo Tempting Faith, the book that exposes the exploitation of the Christian right by the Bush Administration. Fascinating . . . Kuo's political idol was Bobby Kennedy and he tried to work for pro-life Dems first but there weren't many. (His girldfriend had an abortion in college and he became remorseful.) So, he talked to Bush who told him how much he wanted to help poor people (which was Kuo's big ambition) and Kuo bought it. Kuo still doesn't know if Bush was conning him or if he actually meant what he said but just never got it done.

He also mentioned that he read Chuck Colson who wrote that when he was in the White House he found the religious conservatives the easiest group to control.

Kuo has a brain tumor which is what generated his need to write the book.

[joanie]

Idealism and pragmatism must go hand-in-hand or nothing is accomplished. King's idealism was attained through marches, jail time, security threats, years of demeaning and demanding hard work.

It didn't come as a result of participating in Drinking Liberally on Tuesday nights.

To equate yourself at all with King is naive.

I applaud idealism - yours included. But you need more.

Instead of striking the pose of the idealist (read dilettante), why not explain your statement "Not some crazy left-wing, social justice, money for public programs type thing."

[Badger]

But she's so cute, c'mon!

[lukobe]

Joanie, I'm guessing she means by it exactly what I have meant when I've said similar things--money for social programs is good, if spent wisely.

[joanie]

Why do you have to guess?

[lukobe]

Because I don't know her personally and don't want to take the time to quote directly from her web site (which, however, I have visited.)