Donna Edwards: A New Kind of Democrat

In 2006, long-time progressive activist and public interest lawyer, Donna Edwards shocked seven-term Congressman Albert Wynn, losing to him by just three points in the Maryland Democratic primary.  In Tuesday's Potomac primary, a more seasoned and well-financed Edwards didn't sneak up on anyone, and she sent the centrist Wynn packing with an inspiring and much needed victory.  In the closing days, Edwards stood strong against personal attacks levied by a desperate Wynn campaign, and supporters such as the League of Conservation Voters, Emily's List, MoveOn, Progressive Democrats of America, and the SEIU helped her to keep the voters focused on the issues.

As John Nichols recently noted in his excellent article, the Edwards-Wynn primary this year was "a bellwether contest in the fight for the soul of the Democratic Party."  There's a difference between a Democratic Congress and a progressive Democratic Congress.  As Nichols points out, the "cautious and unfocused" 2007 Democratic Congress has lower approval ratings than George Bush--and that's no easy feat.  The strong anti-war and populist message that led to the Blue Wave of 2006 was quickly watered down as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi struggled to keep the caucus united.  The only solution to that struggle?  Replacing corporate-DLC-Blue Dog-centrist Democrats like Wynn--who voted with Bush on the Iraq war, Cheney's energy bill, and with the pharmaceutical industrry--with a true progressive like Edwards.

  "Donna Edwards is, for us, the prototype of what a new Democrat in the new Democratic majority in Congress ought to look and sound like," Patrick Gaspard, executive vice president of SEIU 1199, told the Washington Post.

Gaspard is absolutely right.  Nichols wrote that Democratic Congresses historically pull Democratic presidents to the left, "but Presidents rarely go willingly."  That's why we need a new kind of New Democrat--who, like Edwards, is fearless and true to their progressive values. 

Donna Edwards is a single mother who has spoken openly of the financial struggles she endured during years without child support.  She's a former executive director for the National Network to End Domestic Violence and also the progressive nonprofit Arca Foundation. She knows how to build a movement through insider-outsider strategies, rather than adopting poll-driven, consultant-given, Inside-the-Beltway positions.

Edwards's victory gives the progressive movement another key partner and player inside Congress--and a woman, at that.  She will help drive progressive issues into the national debate and campaigns, and forge a movement to make the changes we so desperately need in our nation.  As Edwards told Nichols, "The work progressives do on the outside is essential, but more of us have to be on the inside if we're going to make the Democratic Party the ally we need to change the Congress and the country." 

Comments (22)

1. Meet the New Boss.....same as the Old Boss.....soon!

   BTW, if a Repub Congress can pull a Dem POTUS to the right, guess it's not that far fetched a Dem Congress would try, or can, to pull a Dem POTUS to the left.....

   Posted by Happy at 02/13/2008 @ 12:43am

2. Posted by HAPPY 02/13/2008 @ 12:43am

   well, it's about time to stop getting fooled.

   Posted by frosty zoom at 02/13/2008 @ 01:11am

3. congratulations, ms. edwards.

   Posted by frosty zoom at 02/13/2008 @ 01:15am

4. No, but good luck to Ms Edwards. If she wins, could be indictative. (Although Maryland pretty Blue, and the Dem victories in 2006 were "Jim Webbs", not "Donna Edwardes")

   And if she loses, of course, there will be plenty of excuses and "dirty tricks" charges.

   Posted by MASK 01/02/2008 @ 09:22am

   Posted by frosty zoom at 02/13/2008 @ 01:15am

5. Jim Webb is more of a progressive than you guys are giving him credit for. But he hasn't had much chance to prove his chops or his mettle.

   I was rooting for Ms. Edwards to pull this off, and I'm glad she's showing a Blue Dog the door. However I can't quite call it a movement yet if she is the lone progressive to make this leap. Any insight into this Ms. Vanden Heuvel?

   Posted by yutsano at 02/13/2008 @ 01:23am

6. "Jim Webb is more of a progressive than you guys are giving him credit for. But he hasn't had much chance to prove his chops or his mettle."

   Posted by YUTSANO 02/13/2008 @ 01:23am

   Yes he has. He been in office 2 years now. He made all that fuss about Bush and the war and he still can't get his bills before the house floor.

   Posted by ACook at 02/13/2008 @ 08:58am

7. Posted by FROSTY ZOOM 02/13/2008 @ 01:15am

   And I stick with that, FROSTY. We're not talking a "pure progressive winning" in ...Georgia...or Tennessee...or Louisiana.

   Big ups to Ms Edwards....but one more "Dennis Kucinich" does not a Revolution make.

   Posted by Mask at 02/13/2008 @ 09:06am

8. but one more "Dennis Kucinich" does not a Revolution make.

   Posted by MASK 02/13/2008 @ 09:06am

   obviously. but at least people are off their butts and voting.

   Posted by frosty zoom at 02/13/2008 @ 09:08am

9. Posted by JOMAMMA 02/13/2008 @ 09:36am

   the chinese libertarian!

   LOL.

   Posted by frosty zoom at 02/13/2008 @ 09:40am

10. Posted by JOMAMMA 02/13/2008 @ 09:36am

    Sorry, MAASCH, where in my post do you read that?

    I congratulated Ms Edwards, but noted that one more "Kucinich" does not a Revolution make.

    I think Ms vanden Heuvel and the "TN" guys are making too much of this.

    Now, if Obama were running as some "progressive maverick" (like METTEYYA THINKS he is)...or if his rival was John Edwards (more to his Left) and not Hillary (more to his Right)...they might have something to gloam onto.

    As it is, this is one of Ms vanden Heuvel's "Sweet Victories"...which translates as one out of 500 times where the proggies win one.

    Posted by Mask at 02/13/2008 @ 09:54am

11. It is kind of ironic that Emily's List supported Donna, while serving as an attack dog for Hillary against Obama, yet Obama's supporters surging to the polls obviously have Donna a huge boost. It is possible that without Obama in the race, she wouldn't have won. It is a possibility, and one people should heed. This is the same kind of race that will play out all across America in November, but that time it will be Democrats versus Republicans, and we need a president on the ballot who can inspire a movement, and push these progressives over the top, not one who will rally the conservatives and push the Republicans over the top. This race is much bigger than just the presidency, Congress is at stake as well, to say nothing of local elections.

    Posted by bridoc at 02/13/2008 @ 09:56am

12. I was very glad to vote for her and even happier that she actually won.

    Posted by hhemwm at 02/13/2008 @ 10:01am

13. I think Ms vanden Heuvel and the "TN" guys are making too much of this.

    Posted by MASK 02/13/2008 @ 09:54am

    C'mon. If she lost, you'd be making something of it.

    Posted by Hman23 at 02/13/2008 @ 10:12am

14. Go Donna, Go Donna, Go Donna. Congratulations Ms. Edwards!

    Posted by lewwelge at 02/13/2008 @ 10:30am

15. Posted by HMAN23 02/13/2008 @ 10:12am

    No, it'd just be "status quo 100%"...as it is, it's "status quo 95%" (or less given the actual number of conservative or "compromising" Dems that will face actual primary defeats by "true blue progressives".

    Again, we're talking about MARYLAND...not Virginia or Oklahoma or something. Kucinich loses his re-election bid from Cleveland, it's NOT going to mean a "massive shift to the Right" in Rust Belt Ohio...but a lot of factors (including his waste of time campaign eating into his campaign for re-election to the House).

    Congrats to Ms Edwards...but don't expect her to be elected Speaker or Majority Whip anytime soon.

    Posted by Mask at 02/13/2008 @ 10:37am

16. "We The People of The United States of America" are awake and voting. Not just a simple razor thin one person majority but well more than 60 seats to guarantee 6o Senate votes is possible and will happen when Billary is out March 4, 2008 and the Democratic Party unites behind President Barack Obama. '09 and forward Ms. Edwards can do her thing, Jim Webb can prove who he really is, a real MAJORITY of real Liberal and Progressive Congressional Democrats can do the constitutionally mandated work of goverment and get the United States of America off life support.

    No more Republican triangulating, Centrist, Clintonian, neo-con, corporate deal making. HALLALEUJAH!!!

    Posted by bobc at 02/13/2008 @ 10:53am

17. Goodbye and good riddance to that boot-licking DINO asswipe Albert Wynn.

    Congratulations to Donna Edwards and all those she will represent.

    Posted by drhammer at 02/13/2008 @ 11:44am

18. Posted by BOBC 02/13/2008 @ 10:53am

    See? This is the kind of stuff I'm talking about. BOBC is going to be VERY depressed in 2009+.

    Posted by Mask at 02/13/2008 @ 12:02pm

19. She sounds good! We need more like her.

    Posted by P. J. Casey at 02/13/2008 @ 12:07pm

20. No more Republican triangulating, Centrist, Clintonian, neo-con, corporate deal making. HALLALEUJAH!!!

    Posted by BOBC 02/13/2008 @ 10:53am

    put down the bong. take a deep breath............

    Posted by K-STREETKREW 02/13/2008 @ 12:59pm | ignore this person

    Posted by frosty zoom at 02/13/2008 @ 1:33pm

21. "put down the bong. take a deep breath............"

    Posted by FROSTY ZOOM 02/13/2008 @ 1:33pm

    Actually, I find politics more palatable if you put the bong to your lips and take a deep breath...

    Posted by drhammer at 02/13/2008 @ 2:45pm

22. If Webb is so progressive, why did he vote against striking immunity from the telecom companies for eavesdropping on Americans? I'm a fan of Webb and his stance on the war, but I can't figure out why him and 17 other democrats voted against this amendment. To me that directly contradicts the most basic principles of the progressive party.

    Posted by joe_frm_chi at 02/13/2008 @ 5:47pm