- May 14, 2008 10:04 AM
U.S. Senate candidate Scott Kleeb, the first of Democratic Courage's Daring Dozen candidates, won his primary last night with 69 percent of the vote. Democratic Courage president Glenn Hurowitz wrote the following message to Democratic Courage members:

Dear Supporter,
I have some great news to report: Nebraska U.S. Senate candidate Scott Kleeb, the first of Democratic Courage's Daring Dozen candidates, won his primary last night with 69 percent of the vote! Thanks to everyone who contributed to help make this victory possible.
This is a great win for progressives. Scott is a champion in fighting the climate crisis, expanding health care, and bringing the war in Iraq to a responsible end. His victory in a conservative state (while being outspent) shows that his brand of courage can work anywhere (it also makes Democratic Courage three for three in congressional primaries!).
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- May 7, 2008 11:53 AM
Wharton professor Gregory P. Nini and author Glenn Hurowitz (Fear and Courage in the Democratic Party) have updated their widely covered studies of the popular vote and the popular will in the 2008 Democratic primary nominating contest and the Michigan and Florida vote.
Among the conclusions of the update:
* Because of dramatically lower turnout in caucus states, caucus state residents are underrepresented in national popular vote tallies by a factor of 6.
* Even if primaries had been held everywhere, caucus states would still favor Obama, albeit by a smaller margin, based on demographic characteristics. Giving all states equal representation in the popular vote by holding primaries everywhere (and accounting for demographic differences between caucus and primary voters) would boost Obama's current popular vote margin by approximately 600,000 votes.
* If Michigan and Florida's current vote totals are included, Clinton would need to win only about 53 percent of upcoming primary votes to claim a popular vote lead. However, if vastly lower turnout in caucus states is factored in, Obama's lead returns to 689,000, an almost insurmountable advantage.
* 1/3 of Floridians and 60 % of Michiganders stayed home during their primaries because they didn't think their votes would count. Based on demographic projections from the results in other states, regular primaries there would have produced a Clinton win in Florida and an Obama win in Michigan.
The study is available for download at http://www.dcourage.com/Popular%20Vote%20Study.pdf.
Glenn Hurowitz is available at 202-552-1828. Professor Nini is available at 215-898-7770 or 202-285-0652.
- May 5, 2008 9:43 PM
Democratic Courage today announced the first two members of its "Daring Dozen" congressional candidates - chosen for their progressive values and their backbone. Democratic Courage will be asking its members to contribute to their campaigns and take part in grassroots efforts on their behalf.

Scott Kleeb, Nebraska Senate, primary.
Scott Kleeb is taking on Tony Raimondo in the May 13 primary.
"Although he's running in one of the most Republican states in the country, Scott Kleeb has the courage to say what he believes and say it proudly," said Democratic Courage president Glenn Hurowitz. "He's fighting for progressive solutions to the climate crisis, for America's economic anxiety, and the lack of affordable health care, and Nebraskans are responding."
Raimondo was a lifelong Republican until five months ago.

Bob Lord, Arizona-03
Bob Lord is running to represent Arizona's Third District against Republican John Shadegg.
"It takes someone with real backbone to take on John Shadegg and the Republican machine, but Bob Lord's got it," Hurowitz said. "Bob is standing up against Shadegg's legacy of corruption, oil industry influence peddling, and bankrupt ideas, and that message is resonating in this conservative district."
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- April 21, 2008 9:20 AM
Originally Published April 20, 2008
By Glenn Hurowitz
The concrete wall rising along the Mexican border is supposed to help keep illegal immigrants out of America. But it's precisely because it will do nothing of the sort that its politician defenders are willing to throw billions of dollars and hordes of political capital into constructing it.
Those politicians know something they hope their constituents won't figure out: Walls don't work.
A 10-foot wall does nothing to stop someone with an 11-foot ladder. The Border Patrol has admitted that there are dozens of tunnels under the wall. People fly over in small airplanes. More than 40 percent of illegal immigrants to this country come here legally and then overstay their visas.
There are ways to reduce the flow of illegal immigrants: more border security guards, deployment of a high-tech "virtual fence" (though technical glitches are slowing this down), vehicle barriers and (above all) enforcing America's immigration laws, including penalties against employers who hire undocumented workers. Indeed, according to border mayors and law enforcement officers I interviewed, the wall will perversely weaken our border security.
"We're fortunate that right now Mexicans have positive feelings about America and have provided invaluable assistance to the United States in several criminal investigations," McAllen Mayor Richard Cortez told me while I was investigating the wall for Grist Magazine. "But if you really want a security problem, have Mexicans hate the United States, and I'll show you a security problem."
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- April 15, 2008 7:39 AM

By Glenn Hurowitz
The evil empire is invading. The victims are blamed and called terrorists. The world politely wrings its hands, takes some symbolic action and goes about its business.
It's Tibet in 2008, but it was also Afghanistan in 1979, when the Soviet Union sent its legions of tanks across the Oxus River to crush Afghan independence. And the U.S.-Afghan experience can teach us a lot about how the United States should deal with China.
Initially, the United States did little to help Afghanistan during the years immediately following the Soviet invasion besides offering some paltry aid and a boycott of the 1980 Olympics. Meanwhile, the Soviets sent in their troops and their helicopters and slaughtered whole villages of Afghans.
But Rep. Charlie Wilson (D-Texas) changed that. As chronicled in George Crile's extraordinary book "Charlie Wilson's War" (and the eponymous movie starring Tom Hanks), Wilson saw what few others did: that the mighty Soviet empire could be beaten with a little serious American help.
And so Wilson obtained billions in funding for arms and training for the Afghans, and soon enough the Afghan freedom fighters were downing Soviet helicopters, ultimately forcing the Soviets to withdraw. Suddenly, the myth of Soviet invincibility had been destroyed -- and the USSR was no longer able to contain its citizenry's longing for liberty.
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