What if we run a primary challenger to Baucus right now and start

[BR_Parkway]

funding the hell out of him with all the tiny donations like we did for 2008 elections - build him/her a "too big/too quick to ignore war chest" and let everyone know we're serious about single payer or public option.

If we did it hard and fast, it would give us a ton of leverage with every other hold out and sell out to the big corporate money that's amassing against us in this fight.

"Senator, you're either with us or against us - and if it's against us, then we're going to replace you...."

How much money would it take to make them finally understand we're dead serious about this? How much to let them know that if they vote against us and for the big corps, then we're going to vote them out of office?

We managed to get Lamont over Lieberman in a primary, if we organized, we could replace Baucus as well. I'm sick of sending politicians to Washington only to have them turn over our democracy to corporations. We can have our own revolution - one of singling out the sell outs and throwing them out of our government

[LiberalFighter]

1. There needs to be a viable candidate willing to run against him first.

With better standards than Baucus.

[kenny blankenship]

2. I will donate to anyone running against this corrupt shitbag

Good. Bad. Ugly. I don't care.

[mmrbrownn77777]

16. me too

me too

[WeDidIt]

3. Baucus is up for re-election in 2014.

He was just re-elected.

[BR_Parkway]

6. Then we pick another Dem who's the face of selling us out

[wtbymark]

4. what about a push for re-call? n/t

[WeDidIt]

5. No U.S. Congressperson or Senator can be recalled.

Under Article I of the constitution, The House has the power to expel its members and the Senate has the power to expel its members, both via a vote of two-thirds of the members. Those are the only two bodies empowered under the constitution to remove Congresspersons and Senators.

[debbierlus]

7. We need a candidate

[WeDidIt]

8. You've got five years to find one

beacuse the next election for his seat is 2014.

[BR_Parkway]

15. No - we need to start now and keep building the pressure and the

money - so the rest of the corporate sell outs will see that if they vote against us, we'll turn our attention to them and run a primary against them - everyone wants a piece of Obama's money machine - but none of them are far sighted enough to how easily it could be turned against them in support of a candidate who will actually vote for what American's want instead of what health insurance CEO's want

[Qutzupalotl]

9. What about investigating him for corruption?

This looks like pay to play.

[SoCalDem]

10. Why we need public financing and term limits.

After a time in DC, they get "comfy" with lobbyists, and "know" that any time they want, they can cycle into a multi-million dollar job with any number of lobbyists.

With public financing and an end to lobbying (except for non-profit/humanitarian organizations), we would have a steady turn over and would finally have legislators who did OUR bidding.

2 4-yr terms in the house
2 6-yr terms in the senate

no DC lobbying job when they are done, until a time equal to what they served, has passed.

NO pension until they serve 20 years (8 + 12=20)

and then they're DONE.

and no health benefits in their retirement.

[Donnachaidh]

11. oh yeah -- totally agree!

:thumbsup:

[kentuck]

12. Unfortunately...

I think that may be needed. The voters get no respect. If we can show all of them with one example, it might make them think twice? If we have a Senator that cannot support single payer or even, any public option, then he is not for the people. He is not a true Democrat.

[bvar22]

13. Evan Bayh is up for re-election in 2010.

He is one of the leaders of the Blue Dog (DLC) coalition of TRAITORS in the Senate, and would make a good target to focus our "displeasure" with "Democrats" who vote with Republicans.

Other good targets in The Seante (I don't have their re-election years):

Carper (Delaware)
Pryor and Lincoln in Arkansas.
Landrieu (La.)
Both Nelsons

Led by Sens. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.), Tom Carper (D-Del.) and Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.), members said early press reports of their meetings were mischaracterized as an opposition group to President Barack Obama’s agenda and budget. But they acknowledge that they are seeking to restrain the influence of party liberals in the White House and on Capitol Hill. <...>

Nelson said the moderate bloc is modeled after the Blue Dogs, but that the realities of the Senate prevent them from being as organized or unified as the House group, which regularly wins concessions from House Democratic leaders.

http://thinkprogress.org/2009/03/12/senate-blug-dog-coalition/

The IMPORTANT thing is to organize and focus our efforts.
We CAN unseat (or at least cause extreme distress) if we choose our target wisely and coordinate our efforts.

[WI_DEM]

14. Any chance the governor of Montana would challenge him? he's the only one who probably could "maybe"

beat him in a primary.