Dakota War College continues to note that Washington D.C. Democrats still haven't thrown a whole bunch of money at U.S. Senate candidate Rick Weiland. I can't tell if that's mirth or rue: remember, by not yet winning the favor of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee or Majority Leader Harry Reid, Weiland dodges the Washingtonification the War College wishes it could wage.
But Weiland is winning endorsements from nationwide progressive groups. Howard Dean's Democracy for America says we want Weiland:
DFA Executive Director Charles Chamberlain said of Weiland that he’s “running as a progressive fighter ready to take the country's growing income inequality crisis head on.”
“From his experience as a former FEMA Regional Director to his leadership as the State Director of the AARP, Weiland has proven time and again that he has what it takes to stand up for the people of South Dakota and Democracy for America is proud to stand up with him in his grassroots fight for the U.S. Senate,” he added [Alexandra Jaffe, "Progressive Group Endorses in Maine, South Dakota," The Hill, 2014.03.11].
Jaffe calls Weiland "boldly progressive" for advocating Medicare as a public option and campaign finance reform. The former seems relatively moderate compared to the single-payer plan we Wellstone-Kucinich Democrats would advocate. The latter seems like common sense, not liberal red meat, especially since, going back to the DWC post that started this discussion, Democrats can beat Republicans in fundraising.
Even more progressive on Democracy for America's endorsement list is Vermillion native Jon Hoadley, who is running for the Michigan Legislature in Kalamazoo. Repealing "right-to-work" laws, fighting cynical anti-abortion legislation, supporting gay rights and peaceful conflict resolution... now that's progressive!