Does This Protest Make My Ass Look Fat?

So Code Pink sent out a baker's dozen worth of protestors to confront Jane Harman and Lynn Woolsey at a low-dollar fundraiser at Danny's Deli in Venice, CA.

Based on the turnout I saw today, Code Pink stopped being relevant somewhere around 2007.

Woolsey had received a tremendous amount of blow-back for her support of Harman. Yesterday, the congresswoman responded:

Dear Tim, Mimi, Donna and Norman,

Thank you for the thoughtful letter and the opportunity to respond.

I will be attending the fundraiser on Saturday.

Jane Harman has been a strong ally on an issue important to progressives—health care reform.

From the early days of the debate, Jane has been an unwavering advocate of the robust public option, and on the Energy and Commerce Committee voted against the Blue Dog amendment that weakened the public option.

She also urged that the Kucinich amendment that would have given states the option of adopting single-payer health care plans be included in the final House bill.

I appreciate Jane’s support for “real” health care reform.

Since her election in 1992, Jane has compiled a solid progressive record on a number of issues.

Her first vote in Congress was for the Family and Medical Leave Act, and she has consistently opposed all efforts to roll back a woman’s right to choose. NARAL has given her a 100% pro-choice rating.

She was an original co-sponsor of legislation to repeal the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, and she was one of only 67 votes against the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996. The Human Rights Campaign gave her a 100% rating for the 111th Congress, and she has a lifetime rating of 80% from the ACLU.

Jane supports the rights of workers to organize and was an original co-sponsor of the Employee Free Choice Act.

She refuses to cross picket lines, has marched with local janitors, health care workers, and others, and has opposed unfair trade agreements such as NAFTA and CAFTA. The AFL-CIO, SEIU, and AFSCME have all given her a 100% rating for the 110th and 111th Congresses.

Jane has a strong environmental record, having opposed all efforts to roll back clean air and water standards and drill off-shore California or in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The League of Conservation Voters has given her a 100% rating for the 110th Congress.

Jane opposes eliminating the estate tax and voted against the Bush tax cuts.

On Iraq, Jane has publicly stated that the intelligence on WMDs was wrong and she was wrong to believe the Bush Administration’s claims.

Since then, she has joined me in opposing the surges in Iraq and Afghanistan.

With posts on the important Homeland Security Committee and Energy and Commerce Committee, Jane has proven herself to be a leader on Capitol Hill, and I join other Congressional progressives like John Conyers, Jim McGovern and Henry Waxman in endorsing her candidacy.

Sincerely,

Lynn Woolsey