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Jan

16

The Nation’s Alterman: “If Jeebus is truly my amigo, Marcy Kaptur runs…wins”


In Eric Alterman’s column today, Sort of Slacker Friday at The Nation, he provides a round-up of thoughts, including this one in his “Short Takes” section:

Part The Third: I can’t say I’ll miss George Voinovich one way or the other, but the fact that he made John Bolton’s life miserable for even a second makes me wave at least a little fondly in his direction. If Jeebus is truly my amigo, Marcy Kaptur runs for this seat and wins, but I can’t see it.

I can understand where he’s coming from.  I don’t read Alterman regularly so I’m not aware of any backstory for his Kaptur affinity, but earlier this month, The Nation named her Most Valuable House Member in the magazine’s Most Valueable Progressives of 2008 of listing:

MOST VALUABLE HOUSE MEMBER: Marcy Kaptur

When Democratic leaders in the House buckled in the face of Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson’s call for a no-strings-attached bailout for big banks, it was Kaptur who rallied the opposition–successfully blocking Paulson’s first proposal in the House and forcing minor improvements in the plan. Ultimately, Paulson got most of what he asked for – and the banks pocketed hundreds of billions without aiding beleaguered homeowners or stalling the downward spiral of the economy. Kaptur warned that this would happen, as part of an ongoing critique of the bailout scheme. Throughout the fight, the Toledo Democrat’s speeches on the House floor were as visionary as they were populist–making the longest-serving woman in the House something of a YouTube phenomenon. For this, she will get no credit from Democratic party leaders. That’s too bad, as her record on economic issues–especially trade and agricultural policy–is one of consistently being right when just about everyone else was wrong. To a greater extent than anyone else in the House, she has defined the distinction between Main Street and Wall Street as something more than a slogan; and she is one of the few Democrats who actually understands that the only economic “fix” for America will be the one that begins on Main Street.

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 10:05 pm January 16th, 2009 in activism, Congress, Democrats, Government, leadership, Ohio, Politics, Women 

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