Baron Hill Told to Get Back in Line
Baron Hill Told to Get Back in Line
Party Honchos Come Calling to Get Lap Dogs Back on Board
Washington- Play time is over for Baron Hill, according to his leaders in Washington. After Hill and his fellow ‘Blue Dog’ Democrats strayed too far from the reservation by not yet offering their full-throated support for Nancy Pelosi’s government healthcare takeover, Democrat party bosses have made it clear that it’s time to get back in line.
With the Democrats’ healthcare agenda faltering as public opinion sours, party leaders have rounded up Hill and fellow members of the weak-kneed Blue Dog Coalition and sent them to the White House for a stern talking-to from the President himself:
“President Obama has invited a small group of fiscally-conscious House Democrats — known as the ‘Blue Dogs’ — to the White House Tuesday morning in an effort to win their support for his controversial health care reform package.” (Chad Pergram, “Obama to Press ‘Blue Dog’ Dems on Health Care,” FOXNews.com, 7/20/09)
The White House field trip comes at the same time as another firm scolding from Democrat leaders directed at members who needed some help remembering how to toe the party line:
“House leaders would like their freshman lawmakers to stay a little bit more on-message.
“Democratic leadership staffers scolded freshman chiefs of staff Monday for blindsiding House leaders with a letter protesting the tax on the wealthy designed to pay for President Obama’s healthcare overhaul.
“‘They said that letters like this don’t help anybody,’” said a freshman Democratic aide.” (Mike Soraghan, “Leaders Want House Freshmen to Stay More On Message,” The Hill, 7/20/09)
“As Baron Hill gets his wrist slapped by his party bosses for stepping out of line, it’s clear who’s calling the shots in Washington,” said NRCC Communications Director Ken Spain. “Indiana families likely thought it was too good to be true when they heard that Hill might actually side with them instead of Nancy Pelosi as Democrats attempt to drive up healthcare costs. Unfortunately for them, they were right.”
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