7 Democrats Who Are “Breaking Bad” From Their Districts
(Note: due to popular demand, the above poster is now for sale in the NRCC store.)
Millions of Americans across the country this weekend will wait with bated breath for the series finale of AMC’s Breaking Bad. The show follows the story of Walter White, a middle class father who descends into a life of leading a drug empire, as he “breaks bad” from his former lifestyle.
The show got us at the NRCC thinking about some Democrats who are “breaking bad” from their districts – voting lock-step with President Obama and his liberal, big government agenda – while trying to hide it from their constituents.
Here are 7 of the most vulnerable House Democrats who’s rubber stamping of President Obama’s liberal agenda is causing them to “break bad” from the voters back home. The question remains: how will the Democrats’ season of Breaking Bad end?
1. Jim Matheson (UT-04)
Democrat Jim Matheson from Utah may think he’s the right fit for his conservative, R+16 district. But what did he do when the voters back home weren’t paying attention? Matheson voted for the $787 billion stimulus bill in 2009, signing his name to the Obama Administration’s trademark achievement of excessive, wasteful spending and failed economic policies. While the voters in Utah’s 4th District aren’t looking, Matheson routinely breaks bad from his district and supports Obama’s Big Government agenda. It’s time to get out of Washington, Congressman Matheson.
2. John Barrow (GA-12)
You would think that, when serving an R+9 district that voted for Mitt Romney by more than ten points in 2012, Democrat John Barrow would start to change his tune on ObamaCare. Yet, Barrow has repeatedly voted to keep the President’s healthcare law intact, and even voted against defunding the train wreck last week. Barrow may be telling the voters in Georgia one thing, but whenever John Barrow gets back to Washington, he starts breaking bad and voting in-step with President Obama and Nancy Pelosi’s agenda.
3. Ron Barber (AZ-02)
Democrat Ron Barber may be relatively new to Congress, but that doesn’t mean he can ignore the voters from his R+3 district. When it comes to voting lock-step with President Obama’s tax increases, higher deficits, and skyrocketing debt, Ron Barber hasn’t missed an opportunity to disappoint his constituents and break bad from the fiscally responsible agenda they’d like to see from their congressman.
4. Nick Rahall (WV-03)
Democrat Nick Rahall may act like he is serving the needs of his conservative West Virginia district that voted for Romney nearly 2-to-1. But what is he doing in Washington when the voters aren’t looking? Walking step-by-step with President Obama and his anti-coal agenda, including joining the fringe left wing of his party and voting for the Progressive Budget, which calls for an industry-killing carbon tax. Nick Rahall has been breaking bad in the halls of Congress for far too long, while flying home and hiding his real record from his constituents.
5. Collin Peterson (MN-07)
Despite the fact that the liberal, big government cap and trade bill would have wrecked havoc on our already struggling economy and caused energy prices to skyrocket, Democrat Collin Peterson voted for it anyway. He doesn’t talk about that vote much back home in Minnesota, though – probably because the voters in his R+6 district wouldn’t approve of their congressman breaking bad on a failed liberal energy policy.
6. Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ-01)
Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick’s R+4 district certainly doesn’t like ObamaCare – but why did she vote for the healthcare law in 2010? In what may be the worst case of a Democrat breaking bad from the voters back home, Kirkpatrick has routinely voted for and defended ObamaCare. Her constituents expect better, and deserve a representative who won’t sell out her district for Washington special interests.
7. Mike McIntyre (NC-07)
Democrat Mike McIntyre is certainly in a difficult spot, considering that his North Carolina district voted for Romney/Ryan by double-digit margins last year. Yet when given the chance to prove to the voters back home that he was listening, McIntyre voted against the Ryan plan to balance our budget and fix our nation’s fiscal crisis. It didn’t take him too long to break bad in Washington when he thought his district wasn’t watching, but McIntyre simply can’t get away with telling the voters one thing while doing another.
These seven Democrats are a part of the NRCC 2014 “Red Zone,” the most vulnerable Democrats up for re-election this cycle. To learn more about these seven targets, visit NRCCRedZone.org.