Our Partial Victory
By Ed Fallon

Last Tuesday's primary election was disappointing, but we're not quitting. We didn't beat the political establishment but we sure shook it up. In fact, Leonard Boswell's voting record and rhetoric over the past seven months look, well . . . almost progressive!

• Having voted for the Iraq War in 2002 and for funding it unconditionally until earlier last year, he finally settled on a consistent position against the war last November.

• Despite being a long-time supporter of granting retroactive immunity to telecom companies for aiding the Bush Administration in spying on Americans, he switched his position this year.

• In 2001, he voted against an amendment raising fuel economy standards to 27.5 miles per gallon. Yet last December, he finally endorsed the Safe Climate Act, which raises fuel economy standards to 35 miles per gallon.

• After voting for much of President Bush's agenda for almost eight years, he joined other House Democrats last November to support Dennis Kucinich's resolution to impeach Dick Cheney.

• In its brochures and advertisements this year, the Boswell campaign invented a whole new Congressman Boswell, one who sounded a lot more like a member of the Progressive Caucus, not the Blue Dog Caucus.

In short, BECAUSE OF OUR CAMPAIGN, CONGRESSMAN BOSWELL BEGAN VOTING AND SOUNDING MORE LIKE A DEMOCRAT. Now it's up to us to make sure he continues.

So, although last Tuesday's election wasn't the victory we wanted, we accomplished much. This month, Lynn's focus as campaign manager is to organize and harness the extensive resources assembled during this campaign. My focus is to pay off our campaign debt, something I've never had to deal with before.

Sincerely,

Ed Fallon