Senate Dems May Punish Bayh, Feingold For Omnibus Opposition

The Hill:

Senate Democrats are debating whether Sens. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) and Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) should be punished for opposing a $410 billion omnibus.

Some Senate Democrats, including members of the Appropriations Committee, are angry that Feingold and Bayh have panned the massive spending bill after legislative priorities important to both lawmakers were included in the package.

Read the whole story: The Hill

Comments

[GnomeDigest]

Dont know much about Bayh, but Kay Hagan from NC, one of these 14 corporate shills, was more than happy to campaign on Obamas agenda, the need for change, and showed constant avid support for Obama's vision. She got herself elected to the Senate on Obama's coat tails, and yet it still only took her 2 months to stab Obama in the back by undermining his agenda. Didnt take long for Hagan to find her nitch amongst the other unscrupulous corporate whores.

[SparkyDash]

Isn’t Bayh a Blue Dog Dem? And wasn’t Bayh passed over unceremoniously by Obama as VP consideration for a better man, Biden? And didn’t Bayh publicly announce not long ago that he was heading a separatist Senate caucus of “moderate/­conservati­ve” Dems, he labels “centrist”?

I’m thankful daily that President Obama saw Bayh for what he is and chose Joe Biden as a loyal vice president. Biden is as loyal to Obama as the day is long.

Bayh is all about Bayh, has made other “right” turns in the Senate, is untrustworthy as an Obama supporter, is still bitter not being tapped as VP, and is considering running for higher office in the future.

This won’t be the last incident, I believe, where Bayh will go against the president…I believe he is setting himself up as Obama’s successor…phooey.

[chonus]

Anyways, they couldn't punish Feingold if they tried. He has the people behind him. If anything, he should/will punish them.

[bannorhill]

So the Senate Democrats don't want their Senators to think for themselves. I thought that is what they were elected to do.

[federalist papers fan]

The Dems are going to punish Feingold and Bayh for speaking out against a pork laden bill when their Dem candidate said he would make it a priority during the campaign to end pork. So who are Feingold and Bayh betraying, their president or congressional Dems?

[Lesjoan]

bravo!

[Lesjoan]

More power to Feingold and Bayh!

[BethinIllinois]

Ditto! Let's hear it for voting your conscience!

[banja]

They were being touted on Fox noise as the new "democratic resistance "to Obamas so called socialist agenda. I don't like the political opportunism from Feingold and Bayh, they need to choose sides pretty quickly, the fake McCain outrage about earmarks in a bill this size is simply ridiculous. they need to face the music from the caucus. Then Menendez with the whole whole Cuban fiasco, holding up Obama science nominees in enraging. the guy doesn't want Cuban Americans to send more money or visit their relatives, huh. I don't understand it.

[commentator101]

OK, I excoriated Feingold for what he said a couple of days ago about Afghanistan.

Gotta give him kudos here.

Bravo, Russ!

[DMHendrix]

First of all, this "punishment" talk is silly. It sounds so childish and if its one thing I've learned over the past few years of watching how Harry Reid dealt with Joe Lieberman...there is no such thing as punishment in the Democratic caucus.

True dem's know that Evan Bayh is and always has been a right-leaning "conservative". He loves to go on television and be in the spotlight..for whatever reason. The DNC (Hello Gov. Kaine??) needs to start looking now for a primary opponent to Bayh now.

[XLintLuvR]

Well, that would be one form of punishment. The other being denying him funds from the DNC coffers once you get to campaign season. These politicians do need to be taught however that there are penalties for their actions. You can't have repub idealogies, fill the bill with pork, then turn around and complain that its got a ton of pork so you won't vote for it. That's precisely what the other side is doing. They get to have their cake and eat it too. Stuff all their agenda into the bill, then say it's got too much pork so they vote against it knowing that it would pass. That way they can say they took a stand while at the same time, getting done what they intended. I say get rid of the DINOs. Not just those two, but include Landrieu, Gillebrand, and Baucus for good measure since he tried to gut the stim in order to get those three repubs.

[gbee]

I have to agree. They DO need to be taught a lesson. Whether you are for earmarks or against them - pick a side and stick to it. If you argue and win to get your issues addressed in a bill...well then you should vote for it unless there is some really good reason not to, and by "really good," I don't mean for politically expedient posturing. These guys want to have it both ways. Like the Republicans, they want to load the bill up with earmarks, protest against them for constituent consumption, then quietly vote FOR them in the end, or, even better, vote against them in a losing effort so they can further dissemble.

[GeorgeP922]

Folks, great news.

I was over at the DKOS and it seems the DLC might be going down!

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/3/6/82439/53871/475/705333

Next up, Third Way, the thinktank of the DLC (founded by Mark Penn) your next!

[DMHendrix]

Harold Ford Jr's group? That's interesting. Thanks for the link.

[rizvisa1]

Fiengold is not a party hack. He have always stood for his principles.

[EyeDoc007]

Democrats new motto, you're either with us or against us.

[GeorgeP922]

Man if I were a republican now, I would be totally depressed too

[terragazelle60]

Who should we be with the bla sted re pubs who put us in this shape? I voted for Obama...and I am a Dem. I will not go along with those who use lies to spin so that they have power for elections..and that goes for other Dems. I for one am sick of those cretans that will vote against other Democrates. Wait til we have some thing to show as Dems and fix this mess...then show boat. But right now there is too much rideing on Congress, and I am tired of the games. We will be the losers. I am sick of the blue dogs and ready to put my money on anyone to get rid of them.
Giving Re pubs points is stu pid. All they do is give repubs more power to use against us. Get rid of them!

[EyeDoc007]

Party first, where have I heard that before?

[Mayoyo]

Never underestimate the power of the democratic party to grasp defeat from the jaws of victory

[notthistime]

whatever. What's with the my way or the highway committee?

The man has a right to object to whatever he wants if he truly believes in good faith that it is the wrong decision. We don't want a 'yes" party, we want folks to poke holes in things to make sure the final decision is the right one.

[GeorgeP922]

Read the article again, and see how Reid says concessions were made to him.

Bayh is a DINO, and his purpose is to obstruct us.

Dont forget, Mark Penn is his mentor and BFF.

[chonus]

His "concession" was no congressional pay raises. Win, win.

[widdles]

I am sorry, but I don't care which party (DEM or GOP) is playing the "punish" game, Legislators should be allowed to vote their conscience or their constituents and not have to be told to go sit in the corner.

While us Democrats have admonished the Republicans for their lock-step mentality, now our own party is playing the game.

STOP IT ALREADY - just get in there and do your job according to what is right for this nation.

Now, I do need to let you know, I may not agree with Bayh or Feingold, but I still think this game that is being played is wrong - SO VERY WRONG!!

[GeorgeP922]

So it's ok with you then when Politicians vote NOT for their people, but for their ideologies?

Because thats what Bayh has done.

He is a republican, and so is Lieberman, if they want to vote with that ideology they need to get steppin.

I don't care what the Senate does for Bayh, because as soon as a viable primary challenger for his 2010 election shows their face, they will get millions from activists around the country, much like the 2006 Lieberman race where we beat him in the primary.

[EyeDoc007]

How did that 2006 race in CT work out for you in the end? And whatever happened the Darcy Burner?

[jay1975]

How do you know that Bayh didn't vote for the people. Do you have access to his email and voice mail? Wow, you must be the greatest party insider in all of Huffpo. As for Lieberman, other than Iraq and Obama, he is a liberal Democrat through and through. The Repubs are good at "eating their own" and it seems that the Dems are fast learners.