Fellow Dem Freshman: Betsy Markey Is in Trouble
| FYI, a version of the release below went out to the following districts: John Adler (NJ-03); John Boccieri (OH-16); Bobby Bright (AL-02); Gerry Connolly (VA-11); Kathy Dahlkemper (PA-03); Steve Driehaus (OH-01); Alan Grayson (FL-08); Parker Griffith (AL-05); Martin Heinrich (NM-01); Jim Himes (CT-04); Debbie Halvorson (IL-11); Mary Jo Kilroy (OH-15); Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ-01); Larry Kissell (NC-08); Suzanne Kosmas (FL-24); Frank Kratovil (MD-01); Dan Maffei (NY-25); Betsy Markey (CO-04); Eric Massa (NY-29); Michael McMahon (NY-13); Walt Minnick (ID-01); Scott Murphy (NY-20); Glenn Nye (VA-02); Tom Perriello (VA-05); Gary Peters (MI-09); Mark Schauer (MN-07); Harry Teague (NM-02); and Dina Titus (NV-03).
Fellow Dem Freshman: Betsy Markey Is in Trouble Dems Demand Loyalty at Any Price
Washington- According to her fellow freshman Democrat Kurt Schrader (D-OR), Colorado Rep. Betsy Markey is in serious danger of being sent home by voters next November. Schrader, like Markey, has felt the heat coming from Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other Democrat leaders to get on board with their runaway spending spree and job-killing government healthcare takeover. With Democrat party bosses expecting loyalty at any cost, Schrader put Markey and the rest of his fellow freshmen on notice:
“Without the Barack Obama surge of 2008, Schrader could face a tougher year in 2010, particularly if the economy is a negative for Democrats… ‘I’m worried that half of my freshman class won’t be there in two years.’” (Jeff Mapes, “Rep. Schrader: The Target Is on Me,” The Oregonian, 10/17/09)
Roll Call highlights why Schrader and his fellow freshmen have reason to worry about getting sent packing on Election Day. Nancy Pelosi is leaning on them hard to push through the latest piece of her ‘make or break’ agenda and is ready to hang them out to dry if they don’t get on board:
“Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was wrapping up a leadership meeting last week when she turned the conversation to a politically vulnerable Democratic freshman.
“Pelosi noted that the lawmaker had recently received a big legislative assist from leaders but then declined to show up for a press conference promoting their health care reform push, sources in attendance said.
“Some people in the room said Pelosi’s implication was clear: Marginal Democrats need to be team players in the party’s make-or-break drive to restructure the health care system — or stop expecting the legislative favors that they covet to establish track records for re-election.” (Steven Dennis and Tory Newmyer, “Pelosi Plays on Rookie Loyalty,” Roll Call, 10/20/09)
“Even Betsy Markey’s fellow Democrats are starting to realize what Americans have known for months: Markey’s undying loyalty to her radical and reckless party leadership is already spelling the end of her political career in Washington,” said NRCC Communications Director Ken Spain. “If Markey continues to neglect Colorado families in order to maintain her blind partisanship and vote with Democrats 94.7 percent of the time as they railroad through their latest failed policy prescription, she might as well start cleaning out her office now.”
While Betsy Markey is at a crossroads, all signs point to her loyally following Democrat leaders down the path to political peril.
(Source: Washington Post’s US Congress Votes Database)
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