Staunch Obama supporter wants to oust Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee because she supported Hillary Clinton

[Catherine Vincent]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5966538.html

HOUSTON RESTAURATEUR CONSIDERS RUN AGAINST JACKSON LEE
By ALAN BERNSTEIN Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle
Aug. 26, 2008, 12:55PM

U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, left, a Democrat from Houston, appeared with Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton at the Wesley AME Church in downtown Houston earlier this year as Clinton battled for the Democratic nomination.

DENVER — Hours before the deadline, Houston restaurateur and prominent Barack Obama supporter Marcus Davis said today he may become a write-in candidate in the Nov. 4 election against U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, who originally supported Hillary Rodham Clinton for president.

Today is the deadline for potential congressional candidates to seek write-in status. They can get on the ballot by paying a $3,150 fee or by submitting petition signatures from as many as 500 voters, according to the Texas Secretary of State's Office.

Davis, owner of the popular Breakfast Klub restaurant and a nearby storefront being used by the Obama campaign, said Jackson Lee's support of Clinton sharpened complaints about her in the 18th Congressional District.

"The past few years have been about show, more than substance," Davis said. "These things became more evident as a result of her support for Clinton."

So, as Jackson Lee, D-Houston, called for party unity and promoted Obama's candidacy at events related to the Democratic National Convention here today, Davis said he was giving "strong consideration" to providing a Democratic alternative to her on the ballot.

....more

-------------

Who cares if Ms. Lee is supporting Barack Obama for President now eh, Mr. Davis? :eyes:

[TheDebbieDee]

1. Sounds like something personal to me..............

[wyldwolf]

2. Is that person a DUer? Sounds like it

[LisaM]

3. Un-fricking-believable

This little quote caught my eye, too:

"In late March, Obama backers booed Jackson Lee as she spoke at a local delegates' convention at Texas Southern University".

I give Obama credit for not acting this way, but some of his supporters have completely gone berserk. Someone here on DU said that at her caucus in Washington State, a woman got up to speak for Hillary and was likewise booed and shouted down.

[TahitiNut]

33. Poor Nell

:shrug:

[Me.]

4. It Is Important To Note

That 90% of the rep.'s constituents were/are for Obama and they were very unhappy when she supported HRC. In there may lie the answer to why people think they can effectively challenge her.

[ej510]

5. Who cares she will win easily.

[wvbygod]

16. Let's assume your prediction will materialize

How would you respond to the wishes of the voters being for Hillary and the reps be for Obama?

See a capacitor in that state of flux?

[Marrah_G]

21. Okay turn it around then

Should Kerry and Kennedy be made to pay for supporting Obama when Mass went to Hillary?

The whole thing is just stupid and divisive.

[wvbygod]

32. I don't believe in "an eye for an eye"

I believe in the representative representing the people and not the people bowing down
to the representative's desires. They were elected to serve the people. The people feel
elite enough internally without their representative projecting theirs into them.

[Me.]

30. She May

She's good at her job and I've often liked the questions she asks in hearings. Her constituents will decide what is important and if they want more representation when they have a strong leaning to one position.

[wvbygod]

14. They tried that here in WV and the staunch ones said suck it up

But you see, it was Hillary supporters (the people) versus the know-all federal senators
in this case so it's was just dandy to rub crosshatch against the voters wishes because the
shoe was on the other stocking while the anointed few showed the little people the error
of their CHOICE. Byrd and Rockerfeller knew what the people wanted before the people had
a chance to say they were not bitter nor toting guns or bibles at the time.

And the bigots relieved themselves with their velvet touch upon and above reproach
in the knowing they was never wrong.

[carlotta]

15. Well then Kerry and Kennedy should have been supporting Clinton

Their constituents went heavily for Hillary and yet they supported Obama. Should the Dems in Mass. run challengers against them?

[MarjorieG]

18. You do know Hillary put a challenger to Kerry over this...

Kerry and Kennedy only campaigned in Boston, and just 2-3 weeks after they endorsed. Losing but gaining delegates.

Risky, and now wasting an opportunity for one of Obama's chief surrogate to be campaigning more than he should have this year. His opponent is a fraud, but was given help by Hillary machine in getting petition signatures.

[carlotta]

20. You are misinformed

"Massachusetts is very parochial that way," Democratic activist Tim Carpenter, of Northampton, who had stopped at the headquarters for a visit, said of the tough criteria for getting on the ballot.

Carpenter was former presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich's deputy campaign manager four years ago and co-founded Progressive Democrats of America, a national organization that has made headway in building support to impeach the president and vice president. The Nation magazine writer John Nichols named Carpenter "Most Valuable Activist" of the year in 2007.

O'Reilly did well in Carpenter's Northampton precinct in the Democratic caucus held earlier this month, Carpenter said, and the candidate was more popular than Kerry with Amherst Democrats at their caucus, Vickery said.

Vickery doesn't have a count yet of how many delegates O'Reilly has, but his campaign is trending in the right direction, he said. "We have a good sense of where we're strong - western Massachusetts, the Cape and Gloucester area."

O'Reilly is a former Watertown firefighter and commercial lobsterman who patterns himself after the late Robert F. Kennedy. O'Reilly has said he decided to challenge Kerry after becoming disillusioned with his 2002 Senate vote authorizing President Bush to wage war in Iraq."

Hillary had nothing to do with this.

[Abacus]

29. Sure

Constituents should feel free to challenge their leaders in whatever fashion they feel is appropriate. In fact, I remember reading on electoral-vote that there was a significant primary challenge against Kerry precisely because he voted against his constituency.

[LisaM]

19. But wouldn't most of them honor her integrity

for sticking to a pledge?

My representative supported a different candidate than I did in the primary, but it wouldn't occur to me not to vote for him (or run against him) because of it.

[carlotta]

6. This is not atypical

It was written about during the primaries. Obama supporters, most notably Jesse Jackson Jr., were threatening black delegates who supported Clinton. They told them that if they didn't fall in line behind Obama they would find themselves facing opponents in their upcoming elections. I know people don't like to hear this stuff, but it's true.

Now we see they are making good on their threats. Shameful.

[ellacott]

9. I'm sorry but this isn't a threat is she was a good representative

Stephanie Tubbs Jones got tons of criticism but her seat was safe.

[ellacott]

17. I think it's pretty pitiful if these people can't handle opponents

If they took care of their constituents they wouldn't have anything to worry about.

[highplainsdem]

7. Disgusting.

[redqueen]

8. Wrong forum. (nt)

[FrenchieCat]

10. I guess that if Hillary would have won, these are the folks that

we would have demanded Barack demand get behind Hillary Clinton.

For some reason, I believe that they would have listened to Barack...and I believe that Barack would have made himself more than just clear to just some.

[WeDidIt]

11. Sheila JAckson Lee is the DU candidate

This guy is a write-in.

We support the DEMOCRATIC candidate around here.

Mr. Davis can go to hell. If he wanted to challenge Lee, he should have done what Barack Obama did. Take it to the primary.

[Catherine Vincent]

12. If some of you have the time, check out the comments at the bottom of the article.

Most of them are hateful anti-Jackson-Lee comments. And guess what? These aren't Obama supporters, they're Democrat-hating conservatives. Idiots.

[onehandle]

13. He got a headline. Mission accomplished. Now go away. nt

[Chloroplast]

22. Please don't look at the OP as Obama supporters hating Hillary supporters.

I'm from Houston and have had several run-ins with Rep. Jackson-Lee and I CANNOT STAND HER. Whatever the issue is, it's personal and someone is using the rift to their advantage. Rep. Jackson-Lee is rude, crass and acts like a fool every time she gets a chance and I'm not shocked in the least that someone is finally standing up to her.

[LisaM]

24. What exactly happened?

Curious.

[Chloroplast]

25. Goodness, where to start.

Rep. Jackson-Lee has run (and won!) several elections and because of that no longer feels that she has to answer to her constituents. People have tried talking to her and either she doesn't show up, she shouts you down, or flat out ignores you. My mother volunteers with organizations geared to African-Americans and has invited me to some of their forums and it's sad. They're just so used to her that they forgot that if she doesn't follow through, you can vote her out. Now, people are waking up and unfortunately, the person being the most vocal is an Obama supporter. I think Rep. Jackson-Lee has potential to be effective but she's just become accustomed to the perks of government.

[LisaM]

27. Oh, okay, thanks.

If the restaurateur has other issues with her, he really should voice them. Because he is certainly giving the idea that he's being vindictive.

[Catherine Vincent]

28. I have heard that about her. nt

[Bonobo]

23. Some people apparently can't get their shit together yet...

Meow! Hiss!

[QC]

26. This guy needs to join DU--he's a natural! n/t

[Catherine Vincent]

31. Update: Houston restaurateur won't run against Jackson Lee

Obama supporter says his write-in candidacy would distract attention from Democrat's bid for White House


http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5966538.html