Earlier today I interviewed Rep. Bruce Braley (D-IA), the new head of the DCCC's Red to Blue program. Great guy! I was shocked at how refreshingly candid he is. I guess he hasn't been Inside the Beltway long enough to turn into... well, one of them. When I asked him about reactionary Democrats crossing the aisle to vote with the Republicans on core Democratic values-- like equality in the workplace for women-- he didn't mince words:
It's extremely frustrating to me. It doesn't seem like one of those defining issues that is going to be used against you to paint you as a tool of the Speaker, which is usually what happens in these races in the Deep South. It does seem like this is an issue that is a defining issue for Democratic voters and I would hope that Democrats in those districts in Alabama and around the country would make their feelings known to help educate these new members to the fact that just because you have received support in the past, to pick up an open seat, does not mean that you can ignore what your party stands for when it comes to basic tenets.
Baron Hill (Blue Dog- IN)
Walt Minnick (ID)
Heath Shuler (Blue Dog-NC)
Hill is the co-chair of the reactionary Blue Dogs in charge of policy. Minnick was just elected and has voted with the Republicans on every disputed bill that has come up so far. And Shuler... Rahm Emanuel's one big "success" from 2006, a proto-Republican masquerading as a Democrat who thinks he's going to run for Richard Burr's Senate seat in 2010, something that would insure another six years for Burr. Their second tactic to was a motion to recommit and it failed 179- 247. Three Republicans, Chris Smith (NJ), Frank LoBiondo (NJ) and Vern Buchanan (FL), voted with the Democrats and 5 reactionary Democrats crossed the aisle in the other direction:
Bobby Bright (AL)
Walt Minnick (ID)
Gene Taylor (MS)
Jim Marshall (GA)
Mike McIntyre (NC)
In the end 40 Republicans voted for final passage, bringing the total to 289 for and only 139 against. Only two fake Democrats voted against it:
Jim Marshall (GA)
Bobby Bright (AL)
The DCCC spent $1,177,847 directly on Bright's race-- and helped him raise a substantial part of the $1,110,000 he spent himself. If he isn't going to vote with the Democrats on the easy bills, like equality for women in the workplace and aid for needy children, we can get a pretty good idea about which side he's going to be on when it comes to the tough issues confronting Congress. That million bucks the DCCC wasted on this clown certainly would have helped elect some of the Democrats in close races who got zero from the DCCC, like Bill Durston (D-CA), Doug Tudor (D-FL), and Bill Hedrick (D-CA) to name a few.
Today Eric Massa (D-NY), who ousted an entrenched incumbent in a very Republican district (R+5) in Upstate New York, was proudly informing his constituents that he helped pass SCHIP. "Protecting the health of our children is not only the right thing to do, it is an imperative," he wrote to voters in his district. "The United States has always been a leader in the world and today we have taken the lead on this issue. I am proud to have helped pass this bill which will help over 11 million children have access to health care... I was sent to Washington to serve the families of my district. Today we have come together to pass a bill that's not only revenue neutral, but it also does the right thing. We have a moral obligation to improve the health of our next generation. SCHIP, or Child Health Plus as it's known in New York, is a critical first step in rebuilding and strengthening America's future. I'm proud to be a part of a New Direction Congress which has passed this bill and I hope the Senate follows suit quickly so that President-Elect Obama can sign this important bill in his first few days in office." I'd love to see what Bright tells his constituents about why he voted with the Republicans-- although 40 Republicans didn't vote with the Republicans!
Meanwhile, next time the DCCC asks you for a contribution, ask them what guarantees they're offering that the money won't go to elect congressmen who oppose basic Democratic values and principles.
