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For House Democrats, It’s ObamaCare or the Highway

May 3, 2012

Nancy Pelosi’s Purge of ObamaCare Opponents Signals that Democrats Have No Intention of Abandoning Their Disastrous Government Healthcare Takeover 

  • If it wasn’t already clear, support for ObamaCare has become a litmus test for membership in Nancy Pelosi’s Democrat caucus.
  • The increasingly left-wing House Democrats now appear to be the main source of support for a failing government healthcare takeover that even President Obama is struggling to defend.
  • However, that very support for the politically toxic government healthcare takeover stands between Pelosi and her delusional dream of regaining the Speaker’s gavel.

If it wasn’t already clear, support for ObamaCare has become a litmus test for membership in Nancy Pelosi’s Democrat caucus:

DEPARTING BLUE DOGS “SINNED” BY VOTING AGAINST OBAMACARE: “In the House, where the conservative Democrats known as the Blue Dogs saw their numbers cut in half in 2010, the climate isn’t much different. Five of the remaining Blue Dogs have already announced their intention to retire; two more lost reelection bids last Tuesday in Pennsylvania. Among their sins: Departing from the party line to vote against the president’s health care plan.” (Charles Mahtesian and Jim VandeHei, “It’s Going to Get Worse,” Politico, 5/1/2012) 

ALTMIRE “ANGERED SOME DEMOCRATIC LEADERS BY VOTING AGAINST PRESIDENT OBAMA’S HEALTH CARE LAW”: “Altmire narrowly retained his seat in 2010. He had pleased many constituents but angered some Democratic leaders by voting against President Obama’s health care law.”(Salena Zito, “The Class of 2006: House Democrats are Gone,” The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 5/2/2012) 

THINKPROGRESS: “OBAMACARE OPPOSITION CONTRIBUTES TO BLUE DOGS’ PRIMARY LOSSES”: (Zachary Bernstein, “ObamaCare Opposition Contributes to Blue Dogs’ Primary Losses,” Think Progress, 4/25/2012) 

DEFEATED BLUE DOG DEM TIM HOLDEN HAD BEEN HAMMERED OVER VOTE AGAINST OBAMACARE: “In the race for the Democratic nomination in the 17th District, progressive attorney Matt Cartwright defeated Rep. Tim Holden. Cartwright had frequently attacked Holden for his vote against ObamaCare, at one point claiming Holden was ‘voting with the insurance companies and against health care reform.'” (Zachary Bernstein, “ObamaCare Opposition Contributes to Blue Dogs’ Primary Losses,” Think Progress, 4/25/2012) 

POLITICAL PAYBACK FOR VOTING AGAINST OBAMACARE? BIG LABOR TARGETED OBAMACARE OPPONENT REP. JASON ALTMIRE (D-PA): “Union leaders were furious at Altmire over his vote against Obamacare, claiming he had promised them he would vote for it before reneging in the end and opposing it….As a result, the unions went all out for Representative Mark Critz.” (John Fund, “Liberals Unseat Moderate Democrats in Pa. Primary,” NRO, 4/25/2012) 

POLITICO: “BLUE DOG DEMS FACE EXTINCTION”: (Alex Isenstadt, “Blue Dog Dems Face Extinction,” Politico, 4/17/2012) 

BLUE DOG CAUCUS HALVED FROM 54 TO 26 AFTER 2010 ELECTIONS COULD BE HALVED AGAIN IN 2012: (Aaron Blake, “Why the Blue Dogs’ Decline Was Inevitable,” The Washington Post, 4/25/2012) 

NUMBER OF BLUE DOGS COULD FALL TO AS FEW AS 10: “In other words, only about 10 Blue Dogs are sure-things to return next Congress, and the caucus needs new blood.” (Aaron Blake, “Why the Blue Dogs’ Decline Was Inevitable,” The Washington Post, 4/25/2012) 

FIVE OF REMAINING 25 BLUE DOGS ANNOUNCED RETIREMENT, 2 LOST PRIMARIES, AND ANOTHER 8 “ARE LEGIMITATELY VULNERABLE”: (Aaron Blake, “Why the Blue Dogs’ Decline Was Inevitable,” The Washington Post, 4/25/2012) 

The increasingly left-wing House Democrats now appear to be the main source of support for a failing government healthcare takeover that even President Obama is struggling to defend:

PELOSI: OBAMACARE IS THE DEMOCRATS’ “CROWN JEWEL” AND “GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT”: (Jake Sherman, “Pelosi: Health Care is Obama’s ‘Crown Jewel,'” Politico, 4/3/2012) 

AND COMPARED OBAMACARE TO THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE:(Peter Kasperowicz, “Pelosi Speech Connects the Healthcare Law and the Declaration of Independence,” The Hill, 3/21/2012)

OBAMA HHS SECRETARY KATHLEEN SEBELIUS SAID WHITE HOUSE WILL “KEEP GOING” EVEN IF SUPREME COURT DEEMS MANDATE UNCONSTITUTIONAL: (Sam Baker, “Sebelius: ‘We Keep Going’ if Court Strikes Down Mandate to Have Insurance,” The Hill, 1/24/2012)

“THE OBAMA VACUUM: HOUSE DEMS DEFEND” OBAMACARE: (Jonathan Allen and Kate Nocera, “The Obama Vacuum: House Dems Defend Health-Care Reform,”Politico, 3/21/2012)

HOUSE DEMS “GOING ALL OUT TO DEFEND THEIR HEALTH CARE” DISASTER: “House Democrats are going all out to defend their health care reform law as the Supreme Court takes the case next week.” (Jonathan Allen and Kate Nocera, “The Obama Vacuum: House Dems Defend Health-Care Reform,”Politico, 3/21/2012) 

REP. XAVIER BECERRA (D-CA): OBAMACARE SUPPORTERS “SHOULD STAND BY” THEIR SUPPORT OF THE LAW: “Despite those numbers, Becerra said Democratic candidates shouldn’t shy away from supporting the law. … ‘Anyone who believes that the Affordable Care Act is good has a good chance of being elected to office and should stand by that.'” (Ed O’Keefe, “Democrats: The More Americans Learn, the More They Love Health Reform,” The Hill, 3/19/2012)

REP. DORIS MATSUI (D-CA): “THE MORE [AMERICANS] FIND OUT ABOUT IT, THEY MORE THEY LIKE IT”: “ ‘The more they find out about it, the more they like it,’ Rep. Doris Matsui (D-Calif.) insisted Monday, adding later that “Republicans are now trying to get rid of something, and we’re moving ahead, and people are beginning to feel the positive effects.” (Ed O’Keefe, “Democrats: The More Americans Learn, the More They Love Health Reform,” The Hill, 3/19/2012) 

DEM WHIP STENY HOYER SAID “CITIZENS ARE COMING” TO “SEE THE BENEFITS” OF DEMS’ GOVERNMENT HEALTHCARE TAKEOVER: “But I think there’s very, very strong support in the Democratic Party, and I believe that citizens are coming to that more and more as they see the benefits of that accruing to seniors in terms of their prescription-drug bill being reduced.”(Jessica Brady, “Democrats Willing to Tinker with Health Care Law,” Roll Call, 3/7/2012)

However, that very support for the politically toxic government healthcare takeover stands between Pelosi and her delusional dream of regaining the Speaker’s gavel:

PELOSI ALLIES RECENTLY MUSED ABOUT DEFEATING BLUE DOGS TO “PURIFY THE CAUCUS”: “Another liberal, Pete Stark of California, had referred to [the Blue Dogs] as ‘brain dead,’ while Henry Waxman mused to a reporter that the loss of a few Blue Dogs might purify the caucus.” (Robert Draper, “Do Not Ask What Good We Do,” Free Press)

DCCC NOW SPURNING “MODERATE” DEMOCRATS IN ITS CANDIDATE RECRUITMENT: “An aide within the Blue Dog organization told The Fix that the group ‘is not happy with DCCC’s progress in recruiting moderates.'” (Aaron Blake, “Why the Blue Dogs’ Decline Was Inevitable,” The Washington Post, 4/25/2012)

DEFEATED BLUE DOG REP. ALTMIRE (D-PA): FOR DEMS TO WIN TOUGH SEATS, “YOU HAVE TO HAVE SOMEONE WHO REALLY IS A MODERATE, NOT SOMEONE WHO IS JUST PERCEIVED AS ONE”: ” ‘In order to hold these competitive seats, you have to have someone who really is a moderate, not someone who is just perceived as one,’ Altmire said. ‘You have to demonstrate that to your constituents. If you don’t have a voting a record that fits the district, you lose the voters’ confidence.'” (Salena Zito, “The Class of 2006: House Democrats are Gone,” The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 5/2/2012)

BUT OBAMACARE REMAINS POLITICALLY TOXIC:

KAISER HEALTH TRACKING: MAJORITY OF INDEPENDENTS WANT OBAMACARE OVERTURNED: “A growing number of Americans, 59 percent, believe the Supreme Court will find President Obama’s signature domestic accomplishment unconstitutional, and a majority of independents, 52 percent, would be happy if that happened.” (Conn Caroll, “Majority of Independents Want ObamaCare Overturned,” The Washington Examiner, 4/24/2012) 

NEW CBS/NEW YORK TIMES POLL: 47% OPPOSE OBAMACARE, JUST 36% APPROVE: “In the latest poll, 47 percent said they oppose the law while 36 percent approve, with the rest having no opinion. The results are similar to previous surveys that have consistently found the law’s detractors outnumbering its supporters.” (Dalia Sussman, Helene Cooper, and Kate Phillips, “Most Americans Oppose Health Law, Poll Finds,” New York Times, 3/27/2012)

ABC NEWS/WASHINGTON POST POLL: 55% FAVOR REPEALING ENTIRE HEALTHCARE LAW, ONLY 37% OPPOSE: (Greg Holyk, “As Health Care Law’s Trial Approaches, Two-Thirds Say Ditch Individual Mandate,” ABC News, 3/19/2012) 

STUDY: OBAMACARE COST DEMOCRATS THE HOUSE: “A top Democrat acknowledged Thursday that President Obama‘s health care bill hurt his party in 2010. And a new study suggests it cost the Democrats something pretty specific: their House majority…The study, by five professors from institutions across the country, looks at the health care bill alongside other contentious votes in the 111th Congress and determines that, more so than the stimulus or the cap-and-trade energy bill, it cost Democrats seats. In fact, they lost almost exactly the number of seats that decided the majority.” (Aaron Blake, “Study Shows Health Care Bill May Have Cost Democrats the House,” The Washington Post, 3/9/2012)