( – promoted by buhdydharma )
Crossposted at Daily Kos
“But they vote to represent their Conservative districts!” some say.
“But those voters won’t vote for a candidate that is that liberal/ much of a Democrat!” other say.
Bullshit.
No one woke up on 11-4-08 and said “I want to vote for a Democratic Congressman who will undermine Presidential Candidate Barack Obama and side with Bush Conservatives on every major issue! Yay! Change!”
Screw speaking softly. I say it is time for the Big Stick.
So . . .
Riddle me this. Why isn’t House Representative and Liberal Progressive Dennis Kucinich (D-OH10) a Blue Dog with Conservative Concerns?
More below the fold, and contact information where you can tell the Blue Dog Democants’ what you think of their Conservative Concerns.
Election data taken fom Research2000
Let’s compare the districts and recent election Results between Liberal Progressive Dennis Kucinich and your Blue Dog Dempublican Conservatives.
| Democratic Candidate | 2008 Votes | Conservative Republican | 2008 Votes | Other | 2008 Votes | OH-10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dennis Kucinich | (57%) 157,246 | Jim Trakas | (39%) 107,895 | Other | (4%) 10,621 |
Here is Jim Cooper’s recent 2008 election results. You may remember Democant Jim Cooper as the guy who killed health care reform the last time, during the Clinton Presidency.
| Blue Dog Conservative/Democrat Candidate | 2008 Votes | Conservative Republican | 2008 Votes | Other | 2008 Votes | TN-05 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jim Cooper | (66%) 180,828 | Gerard Donavan | (31%) 85,005 | Other | (3%) 8,611 |
BAD DOG!
Again, I ask, if Dennis Kucinich (D) wins with 57% and Jim Cooper (AHIP) wins by 66%, why isn’t Kucinich more conservative than Cooper?
I know there is a difference between districts, but do you think the majority of Jim Coopers 180,000+ voters decided to vote for Change we can prevent from within our own party?
Never mind that whole “I get to wear a D next to my name” thing. The trick isn’t to say you are a Blue Democrat, it is to Act Blue, like a Democrat, and support the Democratic Platform and President.
I specifically choose Dennis Kucinich for this experiment because he will never be mistaken as a Conservative, and he is a member of the Progressive Caucus, but let’s try a district that is more like Ohio and less like Tennessee.
Let’s try Red Blue Dog Zach Space of Ohio.
| Conservative Demoplant Candidate | 2008 Votes | Conservative Republican | 2008 Votes | OH-18 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zach Space | (60%) 164,150 | Fred Dailey | (40%) 110,001 |
Blue Dog Conservative Democrat Zach Space represents Ohio, just like Progressive Democrat Dennis Kucinich, yet even though they share the same party and state and their districts are mere miles apart, politically they live on seperate planets.
Why?
That’s simple. One Democrat is a Democrat. The other one is NOT.
Representative zach Space has come out in favor of a Public Option in Health care. So have a few other Dogs. That doesn’t mean we should trust them, or not use the Big Stick on them. I think it is EXACTLY why we should use the Big Stick, because it works.
One Congressperson represents what they think is best for their voters. The other one does what he thinks is in his own interests.
Or, in a Red Dog’s case, what is in the interests of the Special Interests they serve.
But “this still doesn’t explain Tennessee voters.”, some will still say.
Therefore, I give you a Progressive Democratic House Representative from Tennessee, Steven Cohen.
| Progressive Democratic Candidate | 2008 Votes | Conservative Republican | 2008 Votes | Other | 2008 Votes | TN-09 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steven Cohen | (88%) 198,389 | None | None | Other | (12%) 27,416 |
Tennessee’s 9th Congressional District is entirely contained within Shelby County and includes the city of Memphis. In the Southwest corner of Tennessee, Memphis is nestled along the Mississippi river and just minutes away from the both Arkansas and Mississippi state borders. A part of the Southern river culture and home of the blues, Memphis is a diverse, rich American city with hard-working citizens supported by a thriving Memphis economy.
Progressive Congressman Steev Cohen’s district is only miles away from Blue Dog Conservative Republican in Dem clothing Jim Cooper’s district. There is NO EXCUSE for Jim Cooper’s Conservative concerns or Blue Dog bullshit.
Well, ther are a few reasons why Blue Dogs are Conservative AND somehow get to run as Democrats. Millions of reasons, in fact.
The typical member of the Blue Dog caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives has received $10,300 more from insurers than the typical non-Blue Dog Democrat in the House (including health and accident insurers, HMOs and other health services) and only $3,625 less than the typical House Republican. Earlier this month, the Blue Dogs sent a letter to House leadership arguing that a public option should be created “only if insurance market reforms and increased competition don’t lower costs on their own,” according to the Politico.
Jim Cooper has already pulled down our Democratic party once before, he has killed Health Care reform once before and might be trying to do both again. Why?
Because he is not threatened with losing his seat. He can win with 66% of his vote and know no matter how bad he fucks the Democratic party, he ain’t going nowhere.
When you look at the Conservative Lap Dog Caucus, the same can be said of many of the others.
Altmire, Jason (PA-04)
Arcuri, Mike (NY-24)
Baca, Joe (CA-43)
Barrow, John (GA-12)
Berry, Marion (AR-01)
Bishop, Sanford (GA-02)
Boren, Dan (OK-02)
Boswell, Leonard (IA-03)
Boyd, Allen (FL-02)
Bright, Bobby (AL-02)
Cardoza, Dennis (CA-18)
Carney, Christopher (PA-10)
Chandler, Ben (KY-06)
Childers, Travis (MS-01)
Cooper, Jim (TN-05)
Costa, Jim (CA-20)
Cuellar, Henry (TX-28)
Dahlkemper, Kathy (PA-03)
Davis, Lincoln (TN-04)
Donnelly, Joe (IN-02)
Ellsworth, Brad (IN-08)
Giffords, Gabrielle (AZ-08)
Gordon, Bart (TN-06)
Griffith, Parker (AL-05)
Harman, Jane (CA-36)
Herseth Sandlin, Stephanie (SD)
Hill, Baron (IN-09)
Holden, Tim (PA-17)
Kratovil, Jr., Frank (MD-01)
McIntyre, Mike (NC-07)
Marshall, Jim (GA-03)
Matheson, Jim (UT-02)
Melancon, Charlie (LA-03)
Michaud, Mike (ME-02)
Minnick, Walt (ID-01)
Mitchell, Harry (AZ-05)
Moore, Dennis (KS-03)
Murphy, Patrick (PA-08)
Nye, Glenn (VA-02)
Peterson, Collin (MN-07)
Pomeroy, Earl (ND)
Ross, Mike (AR-04)
Salazar, John (CO-03)
Sanchez, Loretta (CA-47)
Schiff, Adam (CA-29)
Scott, David (GA-13)
Shuler, Heath (NC-11)
Space, Zack (OH-18)
Tanner, John (TN-08)
Taylor, Gene (MS-04)
Thompson, Mike (CA-01)
Wilson, Charles (OH-06)
If the purpose of the Conservative Dogs is to put the breaks on Progress whenever it is close, if their purpose is to be the monkey wrench in the works whenever Democracy fucks up Conservative plans to rule this country with a lying fist, then I say Fuck Em.
And I say it is time to Hit These Dogs with the Big Stick!
The same thing is happening in the Senate. Now that we have an idiot proof (barring Harry Reid) majority there all of a sudden is this ConservaDem coalition. What purpose do they serve?
There own.
God forbid the public votes for Democrats in a total landslide! They might not enact Conservative policies! Well, I know how to solve that problem.
Republican lap dog Democant’s Activate!
And to those who say that it is purity trolling to fight a Dem who agrees with you 60/70/80/90% of the time, have you considered that the Blue Dog caucus rotates their votes for Yes, but always have a NO! ready when we need a Yes the most?
I don’t think a single Evan Bayh voter woke up on election day and said ” I am going to vote for a Senator who will stand in the way of President Obama’s agenda. I want a Senator who will protect my Conservative interests as a Democratic voter!”
Bullshit!
Conservatives already have a party.
I am all for fiscal responsibility, stoping waste and promoting reform. If that is the goal, good.
But if the Conservative leaning Dems are only in our party to slow things down while they lick Special Interest peanut butter, we don’t need em.
So, here is The Big Stick for Republican lap dogs.
Call your Blue Dog representative if you live in their district and tell them “Deny me the Public Option of affordable Health Care insurance, and I will use my publiic option to destroy your political career.
And tell them there are Millions of Democrats who support President barack Obama who will be glad to help you do it!
Contact your Blue Dog Conservative Democan’t Representitive here and tell them if they don’t support your Public Option for Health care Reform we will use our Public Option to throw them out of our Democratic party.
If you are not in a Conservative Lap Dog District use this e-mail address to tell them there will be consequences for standing in the way of a Public Option in Health Care Reform
Contact the Blue Dogs:
Kristen Hawn
Communications Director
If we can’t whip these Dogs into shape we don’t deserve a majority.
And part of making the one who you brought dance with you is standing up to the bully who tries to steal them away from you.
I am damn sure there are no Blue Dog activist screaming at Democrats they voted for for more Conservative politics.
Screw risking the majority. The fact is, if the majority is Blue Dog/ConservaDems + Republicans it isn’t our majority anyway.
So what do we have to lose?
We stand to lose everything if we don’t threaten these Dogs with the Big Stick.
If not now, then when? When we have supermajorities again?
Can we whip Blue Dog Conservatives into fighting for change and supporting President Obama’s agenda?
YES WE CAN!!!
It’s time for Blue Dogs to Act Blue!
And if not, it’s time ActBlue pulled them off of their pages and we show their leaders the Dog House door!
Lives literally depend on it.
You can vote in the comments for which Blue Dog or ConservaDem we should target first.
I say we gets ads up, phone calls and e-mails out there. No one else is going to do it for us.
We are the ones we have been waitinng for.
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Time to Act Blue, or show them the Dog House Door.
Conservatives already have a party, and it ain’t ours.
BAD DOG!
to me. I have never bought the argument that blue dogs use about representing their districts or constituents. I always think if a Democrat won then the majority of people who voted in a formerly Republican district voted for change, for a Democrat, not another corrupt pol who does not represent them but the money that controls their vote. The blue dogs use their constituents,as an excuse. I worked for candidates on ActBlue I phoned people at election time in the districts they were running in, in several cases after they won I regretted my efforts.
We can never compete money wise with the oil/energy industry or the so called health industry any of the too bigs. Our biggest power lies in the ballot box, and in organizing grassroots opposition. This in itself requires money as the DCCC and the party machine puts its considerable resources behind the incumbents, look at Lieberman, or Diane Feinstien. Yes we can! something I learned working on the Obama campaign, the movement that got him elected has a lot of power, we need to use it.
In my state we have Wyden who runs unopposed as a moderate, when in actuality he’s a weasel of the highest order. Oregon is not conservative, it’s got a lot more liberals then conservatives. By-partisan is not how are system works, it a two party system that has morphed into one. This one party we have now does not represent we the people it is owned lock stock and barrel by the entities that now ‘own the place’.
… voting to take away the power of insurance companies to run rampant over the health care exchanges is one of the most populist part of the whole damn program. Blue collar and rural working folks sure as hell don’t need to be told that if you give the damn insurance companies an inch, they’ll decide they are only insuring the foot that aint hurting.
But they do need to be told there’s a reason all the insurance companies are paying people to go around and rile people up lying about the plan. That reason is $2b to $12b in profits in under a decade.
The system is broke for everyone except insurance company bureaucrats and overpaid insurance company executives. For them it works just fine.