Linda, welcome to Firedoglake. You just came through an amazing election cycle and I know you were extremely successful in raising a great deal of money and almost beat an incumbent. But I want to ask you if you find the way we finance our democracy is fair to anyone at all? How bad is it for candidates? Incumbents? Taxpayers and society?

I love this question Howie because I just spoke on it at our local Rotary yesterday! Bottom line — our government is for sale. If you ever wondered if that were true, just look at what happened last week with the credit card bill. There was so much yapping from politicians about what they were going to do for us, and when it came to a vote on putting a cap on interest rates, only 33 Senators were in favor of a 15% cap. All you have to do is look on opensecrets.org to find out why. There are hundreds of billions of dollars going to incumbents from the financial sector.
The result? What’s good for the taxpayer RARELY is the primary motivation of Congressional votes. For incumbents … forget it? Unless you’re VERY wealthy, you can’t match the war chest the incumbent comes in with … generally millions.

Great answer. There’s no way the Blue Dogs would ever let you into their caucus. Another topic: Mark Sanford used to represent your district before he became governor. Do you think his super partisan approach to governance has made any Republicans in the district think that maybe something is wrong with the GOP approach to government? Or do they just like it like that. Judging by how much better you did than Obama in SC-01, I’m guessing you had a big cross-over vote. Either that or there are an awful lot of gay women who are racists. What were you hearing from Republicans when you ran?

Linda, Glad to see you here how would you propose we break the stranglehold that corporate interests have on the Congress. How do average citizens fight that kind of monetary clout?

Welcome to FDL this afternoon Linda.

How does one survive as a Progressive in South Carolina when you see your governor and others bragging about refusing aid under the stimulus package that would help unemployed and others to survive this economy?

Mark Sanford … manoman. You know what. He’d make a great activist. He would. You can be a single thinking person of conviction as an activist, but not as a public servant.

I know because I was an activist. Running to represent a diverse constiuency is entirely different. You really have to work to understand where people are coming from and think in bigger terms.

Dave, we have to … HAVE TO … get rid of the PAC system. And we need people yelling out the windows, “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore!” A citizen movement and a wholesale removal of incumbents who sell us out is what it will take. As far as I’m concerned, this government corruption (aka PAC buying government) is responsible for our economic meltdown and a LOT more!

Linda, why did you do so much better last November than Maatta did in 2006? And what can Democrats learn from that?

Linda, I hope you run again and win. More women are needed in government. Closeted gays – especially Republicans with their piety, hypocrisy and double standards do no good for modern society and equal rights for all.

To live in South Carolina as a Progressive you have to educate people about things they are being hoodwinked about. And there are LOTS.

I have never understood why we have 360 years of “good ol’ boy rule” with the result that we rank toward the bottom of almost everything good, and the top of the bad stuff, and yet we keep re-electing them????

Linda, sorry this is just a drive by. Thanks for your efforts. We need more reps like Alan Grayson.

Thanks to you too Howie, for all you do.

Thanks Howie and Welcome to FDL, Linda !

In my line of work, I often use anecdotes like the ones above to show young people that they are as empowered as their actions and beliefs. I hope you don’t mind if I use the anecdotes above … I’ll be sure to quote your name as well.

I would like to join Howie in encouraging you to run again in 2010.

I did better than Maata because I gave and raised the money it takes to get your face and your views out there. Our system is dangerously dependent on the 30 second spot. Maata couldn’t buy enough of them.

Plus I’m a little more approachable than Maata. He’s smarter than I am and I’m more outrageous and warmer.

Boo, since Howie told me about Grayson, I’ve been doing some research on him. I LOVE HIM!!! Grayson for President in 8 years!

With Carroll Campbell the 3rd or 4th or 5th or whatever he is, and the Sarah Palin of The South– Katherine Jenerette– looking to take Henry Brown out in a primary, would it be better for a Democrat to run against one of those very flawed candidates or against the kook with the kind of insane voting record that so many South Carolinians seem to like?

I don’t know which anecdotes you liked but quote away … especially to young people. One of my FAVORITE things about running was to have mothers bring their little girls up to tell them this was a lady running for Congress and they could do that too.

Ha! Basically you’re saying would you rather run against old kooks or new kooks!

If I ran again, I’d want to run against Brown. His voting record is so different from my views that we have a lot to talk about.

Plus … he beat me and I don’t like that.

But what about Jenerette? That sounds like it could be fun. I think all the churches would have to endorse you! Can you tell our readers a little about her (or are you too embarrassed?)

Thank you much!

People come out when they’re ready I suppose … I took a long time myself. And, it is particularly dangerous to employment in SC since it’s legal to fire you for being gay and it has happened many times. But, I simply had to come out. The lack of integrity in being closeted was driving me crazy.

By the way, in Howie’s intro, he quoted me as saying several members of state and U.S. government were gay … I don’t know that for sure having never been intimate with any of them. Those are the rumors.

Linda, please run. You will find many like-minded souls in Congress on many of your core values. You won’t find them in the blue dogs, though. But you will find them. And your views on Congress being for sale will be timed perfectly with the coming fiscal reckoning that will be needed.

Oh please run again Linda, I may not be in your district but you can count on a lot of support from outside who like the cut of your jib. S.C. NEEDS a progressive representative and not just another DLC middle of the roader.

Jenrette! Well, she very good looking! She’s an officer in the Army and has 1 or 2 tours in Iraq under her belt. She used to work for Henry Brown.

All that makes her gold.

Unfortunately, her stepdaughter has a blog about being sexually abused by Jenrette’s husband which is quite a shocker.

Dave, I just don’t see how I could win in 2010. The African American vote won’t be as strong until 2012. Plus, the last election ate up all my cash. They kept calling me an heiress but I’m not! My parents (thank you God) are very much alive and well!!

Rest assured that run or not, I’ll be keeping active and ornery!

Remember that Thomas Ravenel character? I think he was the South Carolina Treasurer or something like that and wanted to primary Lindsey Graham and then they caught him with his snout in a bag of cocaine or selling it or something shady. I’m hearing from the same people who told me Ravenel was a drug fiend that Carroll Campbell XXII is too. Is he a serious candidate? Won’t he and Jenerette cannibalize each other’s potential in a primary?

AND THE KILLIN’ GOEZ ON AND ON AND…

Citizen Linda Ketner:

Have you done enough research yet to be able to distringuish between a Blue Dog and a real Democrat or to discover the similarity between Blue Dogs and the indigenous fascist Dixiecrats that have characterized South Carolina political history?

KEEP THE FAITH AND PASS THE AMMUNITION, WE HAVE WARS TO END!!

Always love progressives, and am one.

If we can get rid of PACs what other mechanism should we use to tell our government what we want it to do?

Just askin’.

Dude, she just nominated Alan Grayson for president. That’s good enough for me.

Welcome to FDL, Ms. Ketner

First off, what a lovely bio from your brother. It seems you got your official DFH creds from an early age, a moral compass and a passion for justice and equality.

Was this latest campaign your first foray into politics? And when you speak at these local venues, what is the response to your progressive platform? Are people becoming more or less politically tolerant in your neck of the woods?

Thanks for putting yourself out there by running for elected office.

My guess is that both Jenrette and Campbell will spend the first part of the race trying to eliminate one another … using every reality and rumor they can come up with because that’s how the game is played here in S.C. But then, they are going for Henry.

They smell blood in the water.

There’s actually a strong young Republica candidate that hasn’t decided yet. His name is Todd Garrett and he’s from the upstate.

I especially liked the “Letter to Ike” and “drinking from the colored water fountain”. I live in Toronto and I teach meditation to Execs and those in high demand careers.

My favorite hobby is giving workshops for kids on being self- empowered … most of them think they’re inadequate because they do not possess Harry Potter’s magical powers or Miley Cyrus’s legion of fans.

As a source of inspiration to young girls, run in 2010 and give representation to your ideals. Too many people give up on these ideals because they think the only way to get ahead it to be like the Bushes and Cheneys of this World.

Citizen Howie Klein:

Thanx but I’d like to hear it from her…who and what she’s for in the context of Southern politics are not as revealing as who and what she opposes.

And then there’s Strom Thurmond’s kid. I hear he thinks that seat is his stepping stone to paternal glory. Is he just like his daddy?

Several of you have cautioned me about the Blue Dogs.

Here’s what I know about them after a couple of meetings in DC. I’m anxious to know what you know.

I know that they are fiscally conservative … I am too. In terms of the social issues, they are all over the board and they are “allowed” to be. Apparently, 15 of the 50 are Republicans in sheep clothing. Which confuses me actualy – why wouldn’t they run as Republican since it’s easier to win in the South as a Republican.

Hi there!
This was my first foray into politics as a candidate. If you don’t count that I was a Senator from North Carolina at Girls Nation!! With Jane Pauley no less.

I’ve been actively “lobbying” the statehouse for years on homelessness, affordable housing and social justice issues.

We actually got a Housing Trust Fund Bill passed in 1992 in a dramatically Republican state legislature. It took us from 46th in the nation in Affordable Housing to 6th and over the last 17 years has provided safe, decent housing for tens of thousands of South Carolinians making $10,000 or less (of which we have around 30% last I checked).

Here’s hearing it from her Norske … the mechanism would be the same, we have people lobby. We just wouldn’t allow contributions from corporations and special interest groups. Do you think publically financing elections would work?

Linda, the Blue Dogs wouldn’t advertise this when they’re seeking recruits but they are the nexis of systemic corruption in the House. You don’t want to get anywhere near them. They are play-for-play central. The House Agricultural Committee is like a Blue Dog caucus meeting and they would rather see the whole country sick from eating poisoned food than go against their financial patrons in Corporate Agriculture. There isn’t a caucus in Congress– at least not a Democratic one– that is as enmeshed with special interests as the Blue Dogs. The “fiscal conservative” thing is just a mask and only applies when they are espousing conservatism. When it comes to busting the budget for their own earmarks and for their financial patrons, the fiscal conservatism goes flying out the window.

No, Paul Thurmond is actually a smart and fairly moderate (for SC) guy. He’s young though. Early 30’s I think. He says he won’t run if Henry is running … and from all I hear, Henry is running.

Consider me more educated! That corporate agriculture game drives me up the wall. They would most assuredly NOT like me.

Citizen LindaGKetner:

Thanx for the response…for me, your use of the semantically empty term “fiscal conservative” is troubling, it has been used to imply that “liberal” Democrats are NOT protective of public wealth and private economies. The purpose of this term has been to cover for those, particularly in the South, who oppose New Deal “liberalism” and all it’s tenants and to those of us who are old enough to remember the anti-New Deal Repubican Party it is the single most used term to cover for theft and public corruption.

Jim DeMint has been one of the only senators– aside from Pat Roberts– to come out and directly slam Sonia Sotomayor. Most of them would rather let their surrogates like Limbaugh and Tancredo do the dirty work. What’s your reaction to the president’s nomination?

Running for representation is important, I grant you. It’s expensive though. It takes around $2 million to be competitive in this race. Raising that amount is tough, tough, tough. No one thought I had a chance when I began my run. As time went on and I kept building in the polls, more money came. Most of it in the last couple of weeks which was too late.

But … from my bio you probably see that I run to win rather than move the ball down the field. I’ll more than likely run for something that will make a difference again … just not sure when.

Please understand that every day you spend in defense of the ideals you represent, you are a winner.

The experience you gained in the last race can be put to good use in the next … tapping all those sources and of course, having Howie, Jane and BlueAmerica on your side.

Good Luck in all your endeavors !

I love the idea of publically financed elections.

I think in order to get rid of PACs we would have to get the definition of “person” changed. Currently an organization can be a “person” for free speech purposes. This is inherently unfair to the majority of actual persons who do not have the wherewithal to support an organization to “speak” for them. I don’t know how we do this but I am for it.
Thanks for your time.

Norske,
I think Republicans and Democrats are WAY off base on the bank bail outs … I think we have a corporately run political system that MUST stop. I don’t know why Geitner and Bernake are up there instead of Steglitz and Krugman (I know that I’m misspelling everybody’s name). I think the Federal Reserve is printing money and sending us (in a couple of years) into a hyper-inflation that we may not recover from. I believe that failure to reinstitute the Glass Stegall Act when we now have a majority in both houses indicates that we are equally culpable in corporate politics. Fiscally, I’m afraid we are on the road to perdition and currently, the Progressives aren’t turning the car off that road (Grayson, Sanders and a few exceptional exceptions excluded).

Down here, we call what I just said fiscal conservatism.

And then as a practical matter down here, in order to be heard as a Democrat, you have to separate yourself from the PERCEPTION (not necessarily the reality) that Democrats are tax and spend socialists.

I like Sotomayor very much. Rush and the boys are reaching deep this time when they call her a racist. How do they explain that when Alito said the same thing?

I hear you! And, I appreciate your encouragement! I’ve given myself until mid-June to decide and what you just said is actually why I’m still pulled toward running.

Linda, if you run again next year and win how would your election make a difference in the lives of ordinary families in SC-01? I mean in many ways you and Henry Brown are polar opposites. How do you foresee that translating into an impact on people’s lives?

Amen!

Let’s hope–against hope–that the modern-day version of “The Pecora Committee” turns out better than I expect. The Congressional Dems get to name six members, the Congressional Republicans only four. Will the Dems choose the likes of Liz Warren or those of the Banking Caste mafia?

I worry that they’ll choose the usual cast of “moderate” Dems like Uncle Lee Hamilton. Put me to sleep! Put the country to sleep too–which is the idea.

Good look, Linda! You can make a difference.

We are polar opposites and I would spend every day working to put real change into the lives of ordinary folks in SC. I think Dems and crossover voters know that.

Specifically, I’d get very aggressive about bringing renewable energy technology and production to SC’s first district. We’re the Saudi Arbia of wind. We haven’t had a new economy in years and are surviving down here by selling off our natural beauty.

Second, I’d work to have us be one of the twenty Harlam-experimental educational programs. 40% of our kids don’t graduate highschool and 30% of our schools are in the top 100 worst American schools.

Third, I’d work to get regional planning around smart growth communities and transportation.

I could spend the rest of the time talking about specifics … how to combat our overwhelming poverty. How to protect one of the most beautiful natural environments in the world. How to deal with water resources. On and on. It would be very, very different locally.

OK, Linda, what would have to change for you to take the plunge and jump into the race again fopr 2010?

Lordie, me too John … if we name the Banking Mafia … well, it’s too disheartening to imagine but it’s a possibility as you know.

Linda I suspect you will find you have a lot more support if you run again, more of us who support the ideas you epresent KNOW of you now. I for one wish I had known of your candiacy long before it hit the air waves. Early in is early won. Please think of it Lass.

Linda as far as the Banking industry is concerned Gold Rules: He/She who has the Gold Makes the Rules. I would bet the Banking Mafia will indeed have the bulk of the members. (Can you see why my other Nome De Plume is CynicL1)

If I can help you from my own field of expertise, I’d be glad to do so. Howie and Jane can give you my contact info.

My guests have arrived so I’m off to entertain … may all good things come your way !

Love the way you think Howie!

I need 2 things: the African American vote and 2 million dollars.

I tried to get several beloved African Americans to run for statewide office … the idea being he/she could turn out the African American vote.
It didn’t work. So, I’d need Michelle Obama to come down here and kick off an operation for me like Obama had in NC.

And, I’d need red-to-blue money right away and in great quantities; PLUS, national money because S.C. is poor, poor and poor. We’ve got 11.4% unemployment, the retirees are struggling to keep their homes, and our typical sources for wealthy folks money (homes, construction and Wachovia) are on the skids.

The other obstacle I’d need to find an answer for (and it hurt me toward the end last time) … some Republicans who wanted to vote for me did not because of concern that both houses and the Executive Branch would be controlled by one party.

Laughing, Dave!

Howie, thanks for all that you do. I think that Linda has the potential of Donna Edwards and it would serve us well to support her in every way possible.

Thanks so much! Have fun with the company!

While we’re taking a deep breath, I want to thank my typing teacher in the 10th grade, Miss Cox! Also Lane for introducing me to firedog and Howie!

In response to your last bit about one-party rule– Obama certainly has a better vision of where to take the country than Republicans do. He can’t do it without members of Congress who are open to change. Republicans in Congress, particularly Henry Brown, haven’t been open to anything but knee-jerk obstructionism. On the other hand, no one gets it all right and when Obama gets it wrong, I noticed that the most intellectually honest disagreements are coming from progressives. Four dozen Democrats– and only a tiny handful of Republicans– voted against his request for billions of dollars in supplemental expenditures in Afghanistan and Iraq. Donna Edwards and Alan Grayson were two of the Democrats who told the president “no.” Donna told me she got some interesting phone calls from a certain dipshit in the White House with a weird name. I bet that kind of principled, non-partisan opposition to bad decisions in the White House would go over well in your district.

I think Obama is trying his darndest to change the way things work up there and he is most definitively not my target. It’s Congress I’m fed up with.

I think that the Republicans are generally obstrucitonist 100% of the time now because they don’t have any new ideas.

The progressives in the Congress are our best hope. Their integrity and willingness to dig deep into issues – well, it shows! If we could only get principled non-partisan opposition to be the norm, we’d be on the way to pulling ourselves out of this quagmire. But currently, it doesn’t work that way. I’m hoping Donna and Alan (and more) are the new leadership.

Oh shoot … missed your point. To your point, Yes! I think it would work down here. That’s why I had so many crossovers in last election.

Linda, if you’re interested in factory farms and reforming agriculture and you need a popular African-American to help you campaign, how about John Salley?

They don’t know who he is, Howie.

Linda One Party Rule didn’t seem to bother Republicans when they were in total control. The Old Send Supporters of the President so the Evil Democrats can’t block his agenda crowd ran on single party control. The hypocrisy of the Republicans just never ceases to amaze me. We need MORE progressive Democrats in congress to counter the edge the Conservatives, Dem and Rep, now exercise. Without it we will never see health care reform, true regulatory enhancement or improvements to education.

I spoke too soon. Maybe they would. We’d have to poll it.

Linda,

Howie has introduced to us many great candidates but I must say you are the most believable I recall. Integrity sticks out all over you. I can see how conservatives will vote for you because of that even tho they may disagree policy wise. Hope you run again soon.

The House is debating a food safety bill right now and the Blue Dogs are absolutely determined to destroy it. Fortunately it seems to have been rescued from the tender mercies of the Ag Committee– where all reform legislation in agriculture goes to die– and will be taken up by the Energy & Commerce Committee, which is committed to working families rather than Big Ag campaign contributors.

Amen, Dave! But they don’t see it that way.

That’s about the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me Joel! If I were straight, I’d hunt you down and ask you out!

What’s the line up in the Energy and Commerce Committee? Does it have a chance of moving and passing?

My representative, Zack Space, is a Blue Dog. He’s exactly one hair’s-breadth away from Sen. Voinovich (R-OH) on the political spectrum, in fact he’s further to the right. And we elected him in 2006 as a Democrat! That’s why he won. He’s a nice young man but easily led and I am quite disappointed with him.
Blue Dogs want their cake (the win) and want to eat it too (vote like a Repub). That is just wrong.
You can’t beat poor people over the head with “pay-go” when they’ve lost jobs houses health care etc. You have to be willing to step the hell up and deal with reality that is a bad recession/depression.
Blue Dogs are like lap dogs. They can’t deal with real people’s problems. They are status quo lovers, small creatures who don’t like nasty calls from Republican constituents but don’t seem to mind the Democratic calls one bit. They hate seeing poor people because..well, they might catch something, you know?

Late to the party, but want to encourage you to consider running again. Is there anything about your campaign that you would do differently next time?

Applauding you from over here in Athens! (Where that real skunk blue dog Barrow is from)

You guys, I’m embarrassed that I was so naive about the Blue Dogs. And, I’m grateful to you for setting me straight on them. Believe me, I got an entirely different read from what they were telling me.

Waxman’s the chair and he can do it. He’s got a great committee, overwhelmingly Democratic with some stalwart progressives committed to food safety like Tammy Baldwin, Peter Welch, Diana DeGette, Frank Palone, Jan Schakowsky and Lois Capps. You’ve got some nutcase Repugs on the committee too– Sue Myrick, John Shadegg, Joe Barton– but all they can do is howl and make faces. So it will get through the committee.

I don’t recall wishing I were female but, I’m thinking I’m thinking…

Things I would do differently:
- I needed a stronger field operation
- We were going to close with an attack on Brown’s approval to develop a protected space on the coast (and his son-in-law was the developer). The Ad company got the coordinates wrong in the helicopter and took video of the wrong place. It was too late to re-shoot. I would have gone up in the helicopter … patched together something.
- Figure out what Cloud with the NYTs has against gay people
- Hired my 2nd Campaign Manager first – Bill Romjue
When you’re talking 6,700 votes out of almost 400,000 cast, you think of a skillion things that could have made the difference. You know?

LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!

Linda, thanks for coming by and spending the afternoon with us. I hope this was just the first date and that we’ll spend time together again. Please come back to FDL when you decide what you’re going to do about 2010. We’d like to help you make politicial history in South Carolina.

That’s EXCELLENT! We’re poisoning our kids and Ag Corporations are making money doing it. Makes me crazy.

You guys have been wonderful to me! Thank you!!

Yes I do. I do not know Romjue, but am friends with his occasional partner in crime, Keith. They were part of the Joe Biden support group. Hard to call it an actual campaign. One of the dumb things our Veep did was let Romjue go–one of the few people who had ever actually been through an Iowa caucus. The Delaware Mafia really ran that thing into the ground.

Anyway, we watched your efforts with interest after Romjue put you on our collective radar and you came very close. I was really disappointed to see your result on election night. I know you tightened things up relatively late, and can’t help but think that if you started early you would have a good shot. You must have a lot of name recognition already built up.

Welcome to you, Linda.

The more I read the more I am inclined to think that Bush is an ‘accessory after the fact’ rather than the ‘decider’ he pretended to be.