Collin Peterson: Obama Considering The 'Original Lieberman' For Post?

The Hill reports that President-elect Obama is "considering Reps. Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) and Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-S.D.) for the USDA post. His transition team declined to comment on Cabinet speculation."

The news of Rep. Peterson's consideration has some Democratic activists up in arms. A DailyKos post titled "Who was Lieberman before Lieberman was Lieberman?" notes that Peterson has often been a thorn in the side of House Democrats, much like Joe Lieberman in the Senate.

The DailyKos post cites a 2005 article in which Peterson was "upbraided" by Democratic leadership for not being a "team player":

Rep. Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) was harshly upbraided Monday night by House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.) and other members of the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee for failing to be a "team player," signaling that the Democratic leadership intention to impose a strict regimen of party discipline in the 109th Congress.

Party leaders dressed down Peterson as he sought to persuade the 50 members of the steering committee to make him the ranking member on the House Agriculture Committee. Hoyer and Miller directed much their ire on Peterson's Medicare vote, when Peterson was one of 16 Democrats to side with Republicans in the tightest roll call in recent memory. It is a strong indication that Democratic leaders will insist upon party unity as Republicans plan to reform Social Security, the other massive entitlement program that has been a mainstay of the Democratic coalition.

Peterson was one of five Democrats to vote for the House GOP drug bill in 2000 and one of eight to vote for the Republican Medicare bill in 2002.

He stands next in seniority on the agricultural panel to replace former Rep. Charles Stenholm (D-Texas), who was defeated in November. But questions about Peterson's party loyalty, both his voting record and his lackadaisical fundraising, have forestalled what would have been an otherwise routine promotion to be the Democrats' top lawmaker on issues affecting rural -- and often red -- America.

"There is no doubt that there's a lot of resentment about how Collin Peterson has conducted himself in his time in Congress. It's more than just the Medicare vote," a senior Democratic aide said.

A Democratic leadership aide said: "Members were upset when they learned that [Rep. F. Allen] Boyd [D-Fla.] co-sponsored a Republican Social Security bill and are tired of some members of the caucus not pulling their weight. And the Steering Committee reflected that."

By making Peterson sweat out his committee position, Democratic leaders hoped to send a clear message to their caucus that they would demand a higher degree of party loyalty in the coming Congress, several leadership aides said.

"Why not just not pay your dues, buck the party on important votes and hold press conferences with Republicans to make your election a cakewalk and then still get your committee?" another Democratic leadership aide said.

Comments

[stop7997]

Just keep saying to yourself over and over: "Supreme Court, Supreme Court, Supreme Court..."

[boing007]

I would leave him out in the Minnesota cold, a la Frost Bite Falls.

With Rocket J. Squirrel, Bullwinkle the Moose and a host of others.

[Okieborn]

I am thoroughly convinced that President Elect Obama is his own Worst Enemy !!
Peterson Lieberman Clinton This is a Joke !!!
I want my vote back !!
Independent Now !!!!

[thepoliticalcat]

Oh, don't be silly. He's getting the lamebrain out of the Senate into a position where he can be fired at a moment's notice if he fails to perform and is answerable to his boss, who happens to be? Obama. There's a reason why David Axelrod said "There are no potted plants in Obama's staff." This guy is a potted plant. He'll fail, get fired, and retire to obscurity. Meanwhile, some far more intelligent and appealing candidate will be found to run for his seat.

Quit whining.

[66rock]

Oh please.

People who voted for Obama are not sitting here just looking for a reason to be critical.
He hasn't even been sworn in yet.

We have faith and trust in his judgement.

If you voted McCain/Palin, I don't blame you for wanting that vote back.

[ramblingjohnny]

I think that the point! You name him at a relatively harmless post and he has to leave the Senate to be replaced by a more loyal Democrat and a year from now you just dump him in an Ambassadorship farewell job!

[ExpatInEurope2008]

US officials flunk test of Amerian history, economics, civics

US elected officials scored abysmally on a test measuring their civic knowledge, with an average grade of just 44 percent, the group that organized the exam said Thursday.

Ordinary citizens did not fare much better, scoring just 49 percent correct on the 33 exam questions compiled by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI).

"It is disturbing enough that the general public failed ISI's civic literacy test, but when you consider the even more dismal scores of elected officials, you have to be concerned," said Josiah Bunting, chairman of the National Civic Literacy Board at ISI.

Well, THAT explains a lot!

You can take the test yourself HERE

Average score for this quiz during November: 77.7%

I got 31 out of 33 correctly " 93.94 % :P

Take the test yourself HERE

http://www.americancivicliteracy.org/resources/quiz.aspx

[Voltaire1280]

I am Australian,living in a Third World country. I took your Civics Quiz and scored 63.64% !

[brooklynite77]

Um, wow, talk about biased!

[chronic]

These cr @ckpot posters is more proof that the Dems are thier worst enemy.


Can't even unite for a few d @mn months!!!!!

[thepoliticalcat]

You're assuming everyone whining is a "democrat." You have no idea if they're actually a dog.

[sharkfeeder]

If all of this Lincoln stuff is true, it's very naive. Once Hillary sets up her own shadow government across town, and once Lieberman starts voting republican on a regular basis again, Obama might as well stick Cheney, Gingrich, and a Tarantula in his cabinet. He will have no control whatsoever. I really hope we don't all end up regretting our votes.

[DonCosenza]

The worst that will happen during Obama's tenure with Hillary is that the State Dept. will continue to be marginalized just as it was for the past 8 years. The longer term damage will be the career advancement of Clintonistas at the expense of Obama loyalists at the department.

I can only hope Obama knows what he's doing with Clinton. I don't have anything personal against her and her supporters, I'm just not sure they're ready to accept the new king of the hill.

On the bright side, though, it just about puts the kibosh on her running in 2012, and I doubt she'll run in 2016, being 70.

[brooklynite77]

If Clinton goes against Obama she'll be out of a job, unlike if she had stayed in the Senate where she could have progressed quite far over the years. No, she'll play it safe.

[thepoliticalcat]

Buck up. Obama has repeatedly shown that he is NOT naive. As long as Hillary was in the Senate, she could continue fundraising and working for a 2012 run and opposing Obama's policies. If she's working for State, she's working for Obama. He handled it masterfully. He got Bill to agree to have every speech pre-vetted by Obama's team; and he's not announcing Hillary's appointment till after Txgiving, just in case she decides to pull a fast one. She's not getting any love from the Senate Dems after the vicious campaign she ran against the O-man. He's nobody's fool.

[Amalek]

How about nominating Liebermann himself? OK, he knows nothing about agriculture, and might be opposed especially by the pig farmers.

But we get him out of the senate and get a real democrat to replace him.

[HoraceOvidson]

One thing to consider. Are we working to protect corporate farming or family farming? But then, are there any family farmers left? Factory farms and/or feedlots carry a lot of problems. Big source of pollution. Animals that are treated with steroids and antibiotics--substances that can be passed on to the human population. Okay, I'm starting to think of some other questions. Conflicts between using some ag products like corn for both food and energy. Making sure we are sufficiently protecting wetlands and prairie potholes for our wildlife. Ya know, a lot of times the appointment of a Secretary of Agriculture seems like a footnote. People little note nor long remember the Secretary of Agriculture-- with the exception of Earl Butts, because of his off-color jokes. But times are such that this appointment could be very important. Congress should not just rubber-stamp Barak's appointment. The idea should be to generate a serious discussion about some very important questions to our quality of life.

[Yermammy]

Big Corporate Farms take money for NOT producing. Just like Diamonds or Oil. Reduce the quantity and jack the price. We could save TRILLIONS by taking away the subsidies. Don't count on it though, because they're Major Contributors to election campaigns. They're the great unseen power.

[KansasWrangler]

How to get rid of crappy legislators? Appoint them to administration posts, dump them when they fail to live up to expectations. They don't have anyplace to go back to.

[theaviator]

I don't see the Peterson thing happening. So we are all panicking again for simply a name mentioned among others. This gossip is ridiculous. Expect Sandlin to get it.

Also, we have to be careful about hearsay about someone, personally I don't know much about the guy, so I'll give myself time to know more before jumping to conclusions about Peterson or anybody I know little about.

[Frenbar]

So far, every Obama appointment has been a right wing Clinton or Bush retread. It's not a wild assumption to think he will appoint another.

[simplify]

Enough with the speculation already

[Dystopic]

Let's not nominate too many senators... we do want to keep a majority...

[Kassandra]

I wish they'd stop calling Social Security an "entitlement" program when we have already PAID FOR IT!

GAD!

[Dystopic]

It is an entitlement program. You are entitled to pay whether you want to or not, and you are entitled to take it whether you want to or not.

[treetracker]

Not quite - I have paid SS all my life - 35 working years, but when I retire I'll be eligible for Railroad retirement under my (former) husband's plan. I can choose one or the other, but cannot collect both.

Railroad employees pay no SS - they pay into the Railroad Retirement Plan which is nearly identical to the plan Congress has. And it pays MUCH better than SS. So If I choose RRR, all the money I have paid (and my employer has paid) into SS will end up going into the general fund of SS and I assume eventually paid out to others.

[MsLiz]

So we are kind of entitled to social security, aren't we?

[Judyisacutie]

Seriously.

[gslusher]

Perhaps you don't understand two things. First, it is an "entitlement" program because you become eligible for it by virtue of some personal characteristic--e.g., age, disability, rather than being chosen for it. Second, you have paid only a small part of the likely benefit you will receive, unless you paid the maximum amount every year for 40+ years and will only be eligible for the smallest payment because of income from working.

[boing007]

Kassandra

I wish they'd stop calling Social Security an "entitlement" program when we have already PAID FOR IT!

That's just good old fashion Republican framing. Read George Lakoff.

[eggman]

Peterson is Ag Committee chair -- he HAS to be considered for USDA. Who cares how he votes on Medicare as long as his agricultural views line up with Obama's? But Peterson would be a bad choice for another reason: A Republican would take his current seat. Peterson is a conservative Dem in a conservative district. Dems are lucky to have him.

Kind of the same situation with Stephanie Herseth Sandlin - Blue Dog Dem in a traditionally conservative state.

[OlderBudWeiser]

I, for one, care about his vote on Medicare. It's already partially privatized with the premium going an HMO with it's own rules. You'll care about that one day eggman.

[DonCosenza]

I think his point is, if you're looking for someone to fill a USDA post, why would you care about their votes on medicare?

If you disagree with his votes, then if anything you should be happy to see him go to the USDA because he won't be able to cast any more of them. Of course, a Republican is likely to take his place, and will probably vote even further to the right...