Are Dems Taking ‘Marching Orders’ to Block Fiscal Responsibility?
March 30, 2011
FYI, a similar version of this release below went out to the following districts: Jason Altmire (PA-04), John Barrow (GA-12), Sanford Bishop (GA-02), Tim Bishop (NY-01), Dan Boren (OK-02), Leonard Boswell (IA-03), Bruce Braley (IA-01), Dennis Cardoza (CA-18), Russ Carnahan (MO-03), Ben Chandler (KY-06), Gerry Connolly (VA-11), Jim Cooper (TN-05), Jim Costa (CA-20), Mark Critz (PA-12), Henry Cuellar (TX-28), Peter DeFazio (OR-04), Joe Donnelly (IN-02), Raul Grijalva (AZ-07), Martin Heinrich (NM-01), Brian Higgins (NY-27), Jim Himes (CT-04), Maurice Hinchey (NY-22), Ruben Hinojosa (TX-15), Tim Holden (PA-17), Rush Holt (NJ-12), Jay Inslee (WA-01), Steve Israel (NY-02), Bill Keating (MA-10), Dale Kildee (MI-05), Ron Kind (WI-03), Larry Kissell (NC-08), Rick Larsen (WA-02), David Loebsack (IA-02), Jim Matheson (UT-02), Carolyn McCarthy (NY-04), Mike McIntyre (NC-07), Jerry McNerney (CA-11), Michael Michaud (ME-02), Brad Miller (NC-13), Bill Owens (NY-23), Frank Pallone (NJ-06), Ed Perlmutter (CO-07), Gary Peters (MI-09), Collin Peterson (MN-07), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), David Price (NC-04), Nick Rahall (WV-03), Mike Ross (AR-04), Loretta Sanchez (CA-47), Kurt Schrader (OR-05), Heath Shuler (NC-11), Adam Smith (WA-09), Betty Sutton (OH-13), John Tierney (MA-06), Niki Tsongas (MA-05), Pete Visclosky (IN-01), Tim Walz (MN-01), Anthony Weiner (NY-09), David Wu (OR-01), John Yarmuth (KY-03)
Is Shuler Taking ‘Marching Orders’ to Block Fiscal Responsibility?
Democrat Leaders Instruct Members to Score Political Points Rather Than Develop Spending Solutions
Washington — With the Congressional Democrats’ fiscal strategy of blocking reform and scoring political points leaking yesterday, one has to wonder whether North Carolina Democrat Heath Shuler is also simply following orders from Washington Democrats. So far, Shuler has demonstrated no significant action on cutting our record deficit, and we are now learning that his Democrat leaders are issuing marching orders that are far more focused on winning political battles than fixing the big-spending crisis they created and continue to defend to this day. Since Shuler continues to stand with his Democrat leaders who are calling these shots, is he also “quietly rooting for” a government shutdown in spite of his North Carolina constituents’ wishes?
“As Heath Shuler’s veteran Democrat leaders in D.C. continue to issue marching orders to block reform and play their political games, there is little evidence to suggest Shuler isn’t following along,” said NRCC Communications Director Paul Lindsay. “Even though clinging to their big-spending ways leads us to fiscal catastrophe and a government shutdown, Shuler and his Democrat leaders are seemingly embracing the opportunity to score political points along the way. Unfortunately for his North Carolina constituents, this means even more federal debt on their backs and threatening services like Medicare to the beneficiaries who need them.”
Sen. Chuck Schumer, the No. 3 Democrat in the Senate, accidentally revealed yesterday that the Democrats’ marching orders are to oppose reform rather than work towards a solution:
“After thanking his colleagues — Barbara Boxer of California, Benjamin L. Cardin of Maryland, Thomas R. Carper of Delaware and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut — for doing the budget bidding for the Senate Democrats, who are facing off against the House Republicans over how to cut spending for the rest of the fiscal year, Mr. Schumer told them to portray John A. Boehner of Ohio, the speaker of the House, as painted into a box by the Tea Party, and to decry the spending cuts that he wants as extreme. ‘I always use the word extreme,’ Mr. Schumer said. ‘That is what the caucus instructed me to use this week.’ A minute or two into the talking-points tutorial, though, someone apparently figured out that reporters were listening, and silence fell.” (Jennifer Steinhauer, “On a Senate Call, a Glimpse of Marching Orders,”
The New York Times‘
The Caucus Blog, 3/29/11)
Ex-DNC Chairman Howard Dean also blurted out yesterday that Democrats should be rooting for a government shutdown instead of trying to agree upon a plan:
“Howard Dean, the former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, sees an upside to a looming government shutdown – at least politically. ‘If I was head of DNC, I would be quietly rooting for it,’ said Dean, speaking on a National Journal Insider’s Conference panel Tuesday morning. ‘I know who’s going to get blamed – we’ve been down this road before.'” (Alex Roarty, “Howard Dean: Democrats Should Be ‘Quietly Rooting’ for Shutdown,” National Journal’s
Hotline On Call Blog, 3/29/11)
Between Heath Shuler’s loyal actions on behalf of the Democrat Party and his party leaders’ comments on their political strategy, it seems rather likely that he is more interested in playing the same D.C. political game. Although his inaction and the resulting government shutdown would make matters worse for his North Carolina constituents, Shuler appears content to stand with his veteran D.C. Democrat leaders instead.
House Dems Taking Marching Orders to Block Reform, Quietly Rooting for Shutdown? http://ow.ly/4pso6 #MadeinWDC
###