From the Communist Party USA Convention - Joelle Fishman on Defeating the "Extreme Right"

Joelle Fishman, from Connecticut is chair of the Communist Party USA's political action commission, the Party organ dedicated to coordinating the communist's electoral work with their labor union, "community organization" and Democratic Party allies.
She is also the daughter-in-law of WW2 era Soviet spy, Victor Perlo.At the Communist Party convention over the weekend, Fishman told delegates that the "party plans to focus on key House and Senate races around the country" to "decisively defeat the extreme right..."From the Peoples World"The 2010 elections are the next step of our continuing project to decisively defeat the extreme right and expand democratic rights, including ridding the federal government of entrenched corporate interests," Joelle Fishman, chair of the party's political action commission told the delegates."Newt Gingrich is attempting to frame the 2010 elections with a new "Contract ON America," to whip up hysteria that government spending for social needs is against the interests of working people."The CPUSA, like many progressive economists, has been saying that it is precisely massive government spending that can create the millions of jobs needed to solve the economic recession and cure deficit problems over the long term. The party says nothing less than a new WPA type program is needed immediately.Fishman said there were many encouraging signs already in the electoral arena.She noted how the International Association of Machinists played a critical role in Pennsylvania where voters turned Sen. Arlen Specter out in favor of Rep. Joe Sestak. Specter had double crossed the labor movement on election law reform by his waffling on support for the Employee Free Choice Act."In Western Pennsylvania, Republicans poured $10 million into capturing the seat held by Rep. John Murtha, but they did not succeed," said Fishman. "They rejected slanders against Democrat Mark Critz and attacks on Nancy Pelosi and President Obama."Fishman also noted how conservative Democratic Sen. Blanche Lincoln in Arkansas was forced into a runoff election with labor-backed Bob Halter after she voted against health care reform.The party plans to focus on key House and Senate races around the country, she said.Up for election this year are 435 House seats and a third of the Senate seats. For the GOP to gain control of the House there would have to be a shift of 45 seats. For Republicans to gain control of the Senate 6 seats would have to shift.The top "battleground states," according to Fishman, are California, Florida, Illinois, Missouri and Ohio, all states where there are large Communist Party organizations.