Blue Dogs Push for New Lapdogs to Join the Pack
August 9, 2010
Blue Dogs Push for New Lapdogs to Join the Pack
As Blue Dogs Become a Dying Breed, Dems Look to Extreme Liberals for “New Blood”
Washington- As the Democrats’ Blue Dog Coalition continues to shed an unusual number of members, so-called Blue Dog Democrats in Washington are throwing their support to extreme liberal candidates to continue their legacy of endorsing the job-killing Obama-Pelosi agenda.
“While the so-called Blue Dog Democrats love preaching that they’re independent-minded fiscal watchdogs when they’re at home, they have done nothing but repeatedly cave to Nancy Pelosi’s reckless spending in Washington. The truth is, as Washington Democrats of the deteriorating Blue Dog Coalition aim to replenish their ranks with the next round of loyal Pelosi Lapdogs, they are looking to surround themselves with the same partisan yes-men that endorsed their party’s failed spending spree for the past two years.” – NRCC Communications Director Ken Spain
It’s no wonder that the Blue Dog Coalition continues to lose an unusual number of politically vulnerable members – Americans are aware that the result of this rubber-stamped, one-party rule is a mounting national debt that will end up costing future generations.
“The House Blue Dog Coalition, which is losing an unusual number of members, is aiming to replenish its ranks by making endorsements in a handful of competitive races”
“If elected, these hopefuls would join a thinned Blue Dog group in the upcoming 112th Congress. Tennessee Reps. John Tanner and Bart Gordon, Arkansas Rep. Marion Berry, and Kansas Rep. Dennis Moore, are all retiring, while Indiana Rep. Brad Ellsworth and Louisiana Rep. Charlie Melancon are waging Senate campaigns. Alabama Rep. Parker Griffith, a freshman who started the cycle as a Blue Dog, switched to the Republican Party in 2009 before losing his seat in a primary.
“The list of outgoing Blue Dogs outpaces the 110th Congress, when the only Blue Dog who retired was Alabama Rep. Bud Cramer. Texas Rep. Nick Lampson, Florida Rep. Tim Mahoney and Louisiana Rep. Don Cazayoux – all freshmen – lost their campaigns for re-election.” (Alex Isenstadt, “Blue Dogs push for new blood,” Politico, 08/09/2010)
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Causey Doubled-Down on his Support for ObamaCare: “He also knows that the issue of health care, which sparked the ire of voters from all political walks of life, will be a thorny issue for his campaign. Cong. Berry voted for the health care measure passed by the U.S. House of Representatives. ‘Now I’m running as my own man. I have my own ideas and my own solutions that I feel will be beneficial and in touch with the people of east Arkansas,’ said Causey. He thinks there is a lot of common ground in the health care bill that sits in conference committee right now and he appears hesitant to start from scratch on the thorny issue. ‘I believe that there are common sense solutions that we can all agree on.’ He noted improving coverage, eliminating pre-existing conditions, curbing prescription drug costs, and investing in technology to streamline expenses. ‘I think that those things that we’re in agreement on were encompassed in the legislation that was moving forward,’ he said.” (Roby Brock, “Chad Causey announces First District congressional bid,”
Talk Business “Political Buzz,” 02/09/2010)
• Radically Liberal Big Labor Group Endorses Causey: “A labor group has endorsed Chad Causey, a Democrat, in the race for the 1st District congressional seat that is being vacated by Rep. Marion Berry. Members of the Arkansas AFL-CIO heard Friday from candidates for the position during their convention at Hot Springs and announced their endorsement afterward.” (“Ark. union group endorses Causey for 1st District,” Associated Press, 03/27/2010)
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Two Days Prior, AFL-CIO President Announced the Union Would Support a Democrat Primary Candidate Who Supports Their Radical Agenda: “Alan Hughes, president of the Arkansas AFL-CIO, said his organization was ‘highly disappointed in [Berry’s] vote’ and noted that Causey and the other Democrats running for the seat Berry is vacating would be sitting for interviews at the state federation’s convention this weekend in Hot Springs. ‘We’re going to drill the hell out of them,’ Hughes said, alluding to their positions on health care and other issues important to labor.” (Jonathan Martin, “W.H., labor to vote-switchers: We won’t forget,”
Politico, 03/25/2010)
Trent Van Haaften (IN-08):
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Trent Van Haaften Spoke At Union Healthcare Rally: “From 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Thursday, several labor organizations will stage a ‘Highway to Health Care’ rally at the Evansville Labor Temple at 210 N. Fulton Ave. Sponsored by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, the AFL-CIO and Health Care for America Now, the tour features a recreational vehicle which an announcement calls ‘a mobile activism center, complete with on-board laptop computers, cell phones and postcards for participants to contact their senators and representatives.’ Democratic state representatives Gail Riecken and Dennis Avery of Evansville, Trent Van Haaften, D-Mount Vernon, and Russell Stilwell, D-Boonville, will speak, as well as local residents telling their health care stories.” (Thomas Langhorne, “Local health care rallies planned this week,”
Evansville Courier & Press, 08/17/2009)
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Rally was in Support of Government-run Option: “Sponsored by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, the AFL-CIO and Health Care for America Now, the ‘Highway to Health Care’ rally at the Evansville Labor Temple was designed to keep the pressure on for a public option.” (Thomas Langhorne, “Public option fuels latest local rally over health care,”
Evansville Courier & Press, 08/21/2009)
• Herron was a Vocal Supporter of TennCare: “Sen. Herron said that TennCare has been beneficial to the state in a number of ways.” (Michael Finn, “Legislator Cites Difficulty In Obtaining Tenncare Info,” Chattanooga Times Free Press, 10/10/1997)
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WSJ Characterized TennCare as a Disastrous State-Level Precursor to Obama’s Healthcare Takeover: “In 1994, Tennessee launched an ambitious public insurance program to cover its uninsured. The plan, TennCare, fulfilled that mission but nearly bankrupted the state in the process. As originally envisioned, the Tennessee plan expanded Medicaid, the government health-care program for the poor, to cover people who couldn’t afford insurance or who had been denied coverage by an insurance company. With an initial budget of $2.6 billion, TennCare quickly extended coverage to an additional 500,000 people by making access to its plans easy and affordable. But the program became so expensive that Tennessee was forced to scale it back in 2005. Now, as Congress debates a national health-care overhaul, state experiments like Tennessee’s are informing the discussion.” (Avery Johnson, “Tennessee Experiment’s High Cost Fuels Health-Care Debate,”
Wall Street Journal, 08/17/2009)
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Herron Supported a State Income Tax: “Roy Herron…supported the income tax in the past…Herron introduced a resolution in 2000 proposing a constitutional amendment to do away with the Hall income tax and allow the General Assembly to enact a tax on personal income over $100,000 annually for individuals or $200,000 annually for a married couple.” (Jeff Woods, “Along with McMillan, Herron and Kyle Supported State Income Taxes Too,”
Nashville Scene “Pith in the Wind,” 07/24/2009)
Stephene Moore (KS-03):
• Moore Indicated that She Plans to Continue her Husband’s Legacy as a Rubber-Stamp for the Obama-Pelosi Agenda: “In a 30-minute interview, Moore discussed everything from abortion to how she would have voted on health care reform and her Republican opposition.
Moore:
– Would have voted for national health care reform in part because it decreases the national debt. ‘I believe for our country we had to do it. The insurance system was broken down. And doing nothing was not an option.’
– Backs abortion rights.
– Would not say whether she would vote for Nancy Pelosi to serve another term as House speaker. ‘There will come a time when I look at that and make a decision.’
– Would have voted for the stimulus bill and cap-and-trade because of the jobs it creates.” (Steve Kraske, “Stephene Moore announces for Congress, says she’s not entitled to seat,”
Kansas City Star, 04/06/2010)
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