NOW Week of 1.18.08 == Progressive Dem Beats Incumbent in Maryland

[L. Coyote]

Dem Challenger Beats Incumbent in Maryland
Contest highlights internal divisions in the Democratic Party
http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/403/index.html

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STORY UPDATE (2.14.08): Donna Edwards defeated Al Wynn in the February 12 Maryland primary.

In Tuesday's Democratic primary, Donna Edwards beat eight-term incumbent Rep. Al Wynn to represent Maryland's 4th District. Edwards' campaign was fueled by support from liberal bloggers, advocacy groups and labor unions. NOW profiled the race in January as an example of how liberals and centrists are battling for control of the Democratic Party.

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With the primary season underway, America is focused on whether the next president will be Democrat or Republican. Meanwhile, within the Democratic Party another struggle is unfolding. NOW on PBS reports on a rift between progressives who believe the party has sold out its liberal values and centrists eager to capture a broad swath of the more conservative voters. It's a struggle that is taking place at all levels of government.

In Maryland, eight-term incumbent Al Wynn is facing a tough challenge from newcomer Donna Edwards. According to Edwards, Wynn has sold out to big business and the Bush agenda, including a vote for the war in Iraq and the 2005 energy bill. Wynn says his challenger is naïve and doesn't understand that there are choices in politics between compromise and doing nothing. Fueling candidates like Edwards are the foot soldiers of the progressive battle—bloggers and other political outsiders like Matt Stoller of OpenLeft.com who are drumming up national support on the Internet. Maria Hinojosa speaks with the candidates and Matt Bai, author of The Argument: Billionaires, Bloggers, and the Battle To Remake Democratic Politics.

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