Could Florida Be Done with Debbie?

by Kim D.

During the primary season, much of the focus is on who will win the official party nods to run for president in 2016; however, other party politicians are facing tough challenges that may shape the face of American politics. Take for instance Debbie Wasserman Schultz. The DNC chairwoman is facing a serious challenge to her congressional seat from Tim Canova.

Since 2008, we’ve lost 13 Senate seats, 69 House seats, 912 state leg seats. When do we start winning under DWS? https://t.co/v2nqM6HLDM

— Tim Canova (@Tim_Canova) April 5, 2016

But, who exactly is Tim Canova? From his campaign site, he bio begins like this:

Tim Canova has been challenging Wall Street banks and political corruption for most of his adult life.

As an activist, attorney, educator, and frequent commentator on the rigged economic and political systems that put Wall Street and multinational corporations first while leaving ordinary Americans behind, Tim is uniquely positioned to shake up Congress.

Basically, he is another progressive who would align well with Wall Street demonizers Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. The buzz is that due to Debbie's pathetic job performance as the spokeswoman for the Democratic party, her seat is in jeopardy and Canova has a realistic shot in replacing Shultz in Washington:

“With his record-breaking fundraising haul this quarter, Tim Canova is proving it is possible for a grassroots-funded campaign to take on a powerful incumbent – even one so firmly embedded in the establishment,” said Mike Nellis, a senior digital strategist at Revolution Messaging who developed and implemented the digital fundraising program for the Canova campaign. “Tim Canova is a candidate who speaks truth to power and will fight for working Americans, not big corporations. We are bringing the best digital strategies and branding available to amplify his message. Thanks to Canova’s supporters, we are well on our way to building a campaign that can compete and win.”

And from some of Debbie's recent actions, it is clear that she is taking this challenge seriously:

To help save her public image, Ms. Wasserman Schultz has authored desperate Op-Eds for various news outlets in attempts to come off as relatable. “Having a perspective of a working mother has helped in the role as a legislator,” the Florida congresswoman wrote (poorly) for US News. Ms. Wasserman Schultz’s explanation of how being a mother in government poses challenges fails to mention her privileged financial status. Most working mothers do not have the salary of a U.S. congresswoman plus a husband’s banker income to pay for things like childcare.

And now, to help rig her own election in the Democratic primaries, Ms. Wasserman Schultz is blocking any challenger to a Democratic incumbent from accessing the voter file database—a vital campaign tool for any election. 

“Last week, I called the Florida Democratic Party to request access to the voter file database and software known as VAN that is routinely used by Democratic candidates across the country,” wrote Tim Canova, Ms. Wasserman Schultz’s primary challenger, in an article on Medium. “I was told that our campaign would be denied access to this database because I am running against an incumbent Democrat, Debbie Wasserman Schultz. I was also told that any Democratic candidate running against an incumbent Democrat would be denied access — even a lifelong progressive challenging an out-of-touch incumbent.”

This tactic sounds familiar. Schultz has used this trick to support the nomination of Hillary Clinton:

In December, Mr. Sanders fought a similar battle, filing a lawsuit after Ms. Wasserman Schultz revoked his campaign’s access to the voter database files over a firewall breach and the ineptitude of the vendor hired by the DNC. It is likely that another lawsuit will need to be filed by Mr. Canova and other progressive candidates who are challenging corrupt and out-of-touch incumbents in the Democratic Party. 

Could it be that many in the Democratic Party are sick of the dirty tricks of established politicians much like their Republican or might right-minded counterparts are? This race should be interesting to follow. The primary election takes place August 30th.