Is Obama Politically Too Toxic For Target Freshman Dems?

For Immediate Release: May 24, 2010
Contact: Press Office (202) 479-7070

Washington- A recent CQ Politics article highlights Pennsylvania Democrat Kathy Dahlkemper’s desperate ploy to convince voters she’s a moderate by distancing herself from President Obama. After riding his coattails to victory in 2008, Dahlkemper is now trying to run from the increasingly unpopular and polarizing president. Unfortunately for her, she can’t run from her past. Since elected, Dahlkemper has voted with her party 94 percent of the time and has continued to rubber-stamp her party’s job-killing, runaway spending spree. Dahlkemper voted for a failed trillion-dollar stimulus flop, supported a disastrous healthcare bill and cleared the way for increasing our nation’s debt to record-high levels. Now, as freshman Democrat Dahlkemper attempts to run from the president, she will soon find out that she can’t hide her record from voters.

“The House Democratic freshmen who rose to power riding candidate Barack Obama’s coattails in 2008 are now eager to strut their independence heading into the midterms.”

“‘You have to be an independent, no matter what,’ Rep. Kathy Dahlkemper said. The Pennsylvania Democrat pointed to her vote against the climate change bill, which she said is an economic loser for southwest Pennsylvania, and her fight for abortion funding restrictions in the health care bill as evidence of her independence.

“Dahlkemper said that while she would be ‘very happy to welcome’ Obama to her district, she didn’t know how much of a help or a hindrance he would be. “I just think we don’t quite know yet where his popularity is,’ she said.’” (Jennifer Bendery and Steven T. Dennis, “Freshmen Run Away From Obama,” CQ Politics, 5/23/2010)

After repeatedly pushing their unpopular agenda against the will of the American people, out-of-touch Democrats are bracing for big losses in the upcoming midterm elections.

“Anxious and angry, Americans are not in a congratulatory mood. That’s bad news for President Barack Obama and his Democratic allies.”

“Just 35 percent surveyed this month say the country is heading in the right direction, the lowest measured by the AP-GfK survey since a week before Obama took office in January 2009. His approval rating remains at 49 percent, as low as it has been since he became president.”

“‘The public has come to believe the stimulus bill and financial bailout were of no use in helping the economy, contrary to evidence suggesting otherwise. Health reform remains a very controversial measure. The bottom line is that the public is scared, they’re angry, they’re in a foul mood and not inclined to see great victories or achievements,’ Mann said.” (Tom Raum, “Landmark overhauls may not help Democrats at polls,” Associated Press, 5/24/2010)

“Now as Obama’s approval rating continues to fall, Kathy Dahklemper has been desperately trying to distance herself from the president and his policies, which have become politically problematic,” said NRCC Communications Director Ken Spain. “After riding the president’s coattails to victory in 2008 and voting for his policies 94 percent of the time, Dahlkemper can’t hide her radical past from Pennsylvania voters. With a midterm election that is a referendum on the president’s failed policies of borrowing too much, taxing too much and spending too much, Dahklemper is soon to be a political causality of her party’s unpopular agenda.”