Jane Hamsher Pushes Democratic Politicians to Fight for Progressive Values to Win BuzzFlash's Wings of Justice Award

WINGS OF JUSTICE

Jane Hamsher

Progressives have learned that it's much easier to fight against something than for something. Fighting against the Bush reign of disaster was a pretty easy task, simple to take shots even with one arm tied behind the back.

But Jane Hamsher, founder and publisher of Firedoglake, is part of a new generation of leading activists who is holding the fire to the feet of Democrats to make sure the progressive agenda gets passed.

While many were celebrating the House's passage of the health care bill, Hamsher stepped up and pointed out that the legislation would make it more difficult to afford biologic drugs. Hamsher notes that she took biologic drugs with her bouts with breast cancer -- she is a 3-time survivor of breast cancer.

"But thanks to Representatives Anna Eshoo and Joe Barton, there will be no generic versions of these drugs. At least not for 12 years, if the House health care bill announced today passes.

"And because of an "evergreening" clause that grants drug companies a continued monopoly if they make slight changes to the drug (like creating a once-a-day dose where the original product was three times per day), they will never become generics. Instead of the Waxman-Deal amendment that granted much more reasonable terms to biologic patent holders, Speaker Pelosi chose to include the Eshoo-Barton amendment. And we could all be paying for that choice for the rest of our lives."

But this has been typical of Hamsher, who has been pounding Democratic politicians to pay attention to the base, to remember about the kind of change people voted for in record numbers in 2008.

Politics is littered with compromise, and way too often, negotiation for Democrats starts with a compromise as the opening bid (e.g., public option). Those in power have to be reminded of the guiding principles of those on the left, and Hamsher has been there with a proverbial bullhorn. As Alexander Hamilton once noted, "Those who stand for nothing fall for anything." Hamsher is there to remind politicians of where progressives stand.

Hamsher and FireDogLake were also behind a TV ad push to get Sen. Blanche Lincoln to commit to the public option.

"We're hoping our TV ads will help persuade Lincoln, worrying about her re-election prospects, that with 80% of Americans favoring at least a public option, her career in politics depends on her championing her constituents, rather than Health Insurance CEOs."

Blanche Lincoln hasn't been the only borderline Democrat that has caught Hamsher's ire. She was a prominent supporter of Ned Lamont against Joe Lieberman in 2006.

Of course, Hamsher came into the spotlight with her amazing coverage on the front lines of the Scooter Libby trial.

While many on the progressive front are trying to get something accomplished for President Obama, Jane Hamsher is fighting from the left to let the politicians know who brought them there in the first place.

"It's time to take the Democratic Party back from the Blue Dogs and ConservaDems who are selling it off to the highest bidder."

For standing up for progressive issues and reminding Democratic politicians to retain Democratic values, Jane Hamsher wins this week's BuzzFlash Wings of Justice award.

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Nominated by BuzzFlash staff. Click here to see a full list of past Wings of Justice honorees.