“New Democrats” Attempt to Rebrand Themselves, but Their Records Expose Partisan Foot Soldiers
“New Democrats” Look a Lot Like the Old Democrats, Despite What Party Leaders Claim
Washington — Democrat leaders in Washington are currently touting Jim Himes and his fellow “New Democrat” coalition members as the model for “moderate” Democrats to win it big in 2012. However, when examining Himes’ actual voting record, it is clear that he has been a consistent and reliable ally of President Obama’s job-destroying policies that are at record levels of unpopularity among American voters.
“Jim Himes has been remarkably loyal to the failed policies of spending, borrowing, taxing and regulating that have left middle-class families in Connecticut suffering from the weak economy they face today,” said NRCC Communications Director Paul Lindsay. “If Himes and his fellow ‘New Democrats’ are going to provide the example for candidates in 2012, then voters across the country will see even more liberal Democrats stepping up to defend the widely unpopular Obama agenda.”
Washington Democrat leaders are touting the “New Democrat Coalition” as their key to victory in 2012:
“Like the once-mighty Blue Dog Coalition, the New Democrats have had a diminished role in the minority, with a smaller membership and few legislative opportunities to flex their influence on stock issues such as trade and innovation. But unlike the predominantly rural and Southern Blue Dog membership, New Democrats from urban and suburban districts contend that their numbers will only increase after the 2012 elections.”
(Jessica Brady, “New Democrats Feel Their Time Is Coming,” Roll Call, 11/30/11)But “New Democrat” Jim Himes has supported the widely unpopular cornerstones of the Obama agenda, like the government takeover of healthcare (Roll Call #165, 3/21/10; Roll Call #167, 3/21/10), the $800 billion failed stimulus (Roll Call #70, 2/13/09) and the job-killing cap and trade proposal (Roll Call #477, 6/26/09).
Jim Himes has voted alongside his Democrat leaders 89 percent of the time this year. (The Washington Post‘s U.S Congress Votes Database, Accessed 11/30/11)
While Himes is a loyal foot soldier for Democrats, their failed policies continue to reach record lows in popularity among voters:
“About 60 percent of voters said they disapprove of Mr. Obama’s handling of the economy, the highest on record. Just 34 percent approve of the job he is doing on the matter.”
(Corbett B. Daly, “Poll: Obama disapproval rating on economy at record high,” CBS News’ Political Hotsheet Blog, 11/11/11)“New Democrats” like Jim Himes are hardly the moderates they claim to be, with records that show strong loyalty to the Democrat agenda that voters are rejecting in record numbers. If “New Democrats” are the model for Democrat candidates in 2012, voters across the country will be left suffering from an agenda that continues to make a bad economy worse.
“New Democrats” Attempt to Rebrand Themselves, but Their Records Expose Partisan Foot Soldiers http://ow.ly/7Kcal #madeinwdc