Attack ad against 1st CD candidate Suzan DelBene

Below are scanned images of one of the anti-Suzan DelBene fliers sent out by Progress Washington, which, according to this article, was a PAC formed by Laura Ruderman’s mom, Mary Rotchschild. (Ruderman and DelBene are running for Congress in the 1st CD.)

Ruderman and her mom have come under criticism by some Democrats for engaging in mud-slinging against a fellow Democrat.  (But, Ruderman was apparently unaware of her mother’s actions til after the fact, according to Ruderman’s campaign manager.)  A nasty primary battle could aid Tea Party Republican candidate John Koster.

I’ve seen another ad by Progress for Washington that attacks both DelBene and Darcy Burner (charging Burner with being a “loose cannon” for having called President Obama a “Republican.”)

DelBene is allegedly spending close to a million dollars of her own money to fund her campaign.

I’m of mixed opinion about whether primary candidates should harshly criticize their opponents, because I’m eager to rid the Democratic Party of DINOs.  Suzan DelBene has said that, if elected, she will not join the Progressive Caucus. Instead, she’ll become a New Democrat (a centrist).  See this article and video.  And there are claims that as head of DOR, DelBene helped protect Microsoft tax breaks.  (DelBene is an ex-Microsoft executive, and her husband is a senior executive at Microsoft).  In other words, I suspect that DelBene is a corporate Dem. But the issues page on her campaign website indicates support for all the correct progressives policies:  the Buffet rule, reinstating Glass Steagall, protecting Social Security and Medicare, clean energy, repealing DOMA, protecting freedom of choice, etc.  So I suppose I would support her if she runs, though not as strongly as I’d support a more progressive candidate.

There’s still some mystery about the identity of Progress for Washington. I found this website for an entity called Progress for Washington:

http://progressforwashington.blogspot.com/p/about-us.html

which was “founded by Scott White, 46th District Democrats chair Chad Lupkes and King County Democrats Legislative Action Committee co-chair Sarajane Seigfreidt.” Is that related to Rotchschild’s group?  I doubt it.  I’ve emailed Lupkes and Seigfriedt to verify and will post a summary of their response here. [See Chad’s response below: different group.]

This Seattle Times article covers the story.

The Woodinville Patch says that Laura Ruderman is asking her mom’s PAC to stop the ads.

This Democratic Underground posting discusses the mystery of exactly who’s funding the ads.

[Added 12/07/23, by way of Erna Berghuys] Open Secrets’ page on Progress for Washington says that Progress for Washington is a SuperPAC that so far in 2012 has spent $197K on negative ads against Democrats (presumably against DelBene) and $21K on positive support for Democrats.