Many on the Left are livid with the Blue Dogs because rather than fall in line in support of the Obama agenda, they have slowed consideration of both cap-and-trade and the health care overhaul. There is certain to be real anger at the report that their efforts are being rewarded with an unprecedented cash haul from affected industries:
So far this year, the political action committee attached to the fiscally conservative House Democratic voting bloc is on track to shatter all its fundraising records, raising more in the first six months of 2009 — more than $1.1 million — than it did in the entire 2003-04 fundraising cycle.
Nearly 54 percent of the Blue Dog PAC’s haul this year comes from the energy, financial services and health care industries, up from 45 percent in 2004, according to analysis of CQ MoneyLine data by the Center for Public Integrity.
These contributions poured in as President Barack Obama and the Democratic Congress have been making a major push to reform health care, develop a new energy policy and restructure oversight of the banking sector.
Democrats are already deeply divided on health care, energy, and several other major parts of the Obama agenda. This will add to the division. On the other hand, perhaps Congressional liberals might take this as one of many signs that there’s a great deal of unease about the ideas they’re pushing. Perhaps it’s time to compromise, instead of trying to impose this ambitious agenda on an unreceptive public.
On these measures, there is no room
mdredstater Thursday, July 23rd at 1:12PM EDT (link)for compromise on any component of the Obama agenda. Cap-and-tax and Obama-care need to be defeated in their entirety because the passage of any element of the bills that are up for vote assaults the free market and the private lives of citizens.
I'm torn by this
djemi Thursday, July 23rd at 1:15PM EDT (link)Yes it is good news that the ‘blue dogs’ seem to be slowing down the BO agenda but they are still Dems so instead of a 10lb bag of (site rules) we get a 5lb bag. Now most of these ‘blue dogs’ are from conservative district, right? So how is it good news that they happen to be raising more money than before, doesn’t that just make it harder for ture conservatives to take those seats back, just saying.
“If I can’t shoot rabbits,then I can’t shoot fascist”
“With age, comes Wisdom, but only if you are paying Attention, son” my ‘Old Man’
RS Help files (h/t JLenardDetroit) Grassroots in Michigan
Moes Strategy
I don't disagree...
Brian Faughnan Thursday, July 23rd at 1:57PM EDT (link)To some extent, this is a zero-sum game: the more that Democrats buck their party’s agenda, the likelier they are to survive next year. If this is what happens, and the net effect is to preserve a Democrat majority while blocking the worst excesses of Obamism, then that’s what happens.
Of course, the way the economy is going, the likely outcome is both a check on the Obama agenda and sweeping Democrat losses in 2010. So we may have to console ourselves with that.
I've got no problems consolling myself with that
djemi Thursday, July 23rd at 3:33PM EDT (link)But and I hate that word, SWMBO uses it alot, must be something about lefties.
Anyway no matter how bad the economy gets and its going to get a lot worse, the super lefties are safe in their seats, its the purple dems that are up for grabs and if they can play the NObama agenda card with all that money and somehow get re elected even with a reduced margin the Super Lefties in the leadership will just use that “election mandate” stick to kick the BO agenda back into gear.
I don’t think its going to happen that way, it’s just a concern I have.
IMHO with the Bad economy the Republicans may re take the house and reduce the dems majority in the Senete, thus pushing the super lefties from the leadership of the Dems, not that I care.
“If I can’t shoot rabbits,then I can’t shoot fascist”
“With age, comes Wisdom, but only if you are paying Attention, son” my ‘Old Man’
RS Help files (h/t JLenardDetroit) Grassroots in Michigan
Moes Strategy
The market works!
briann Thursday, July 23rd at 2:00PM EDT (link)They are creating value and the market is rewarding them. This is how it should be.
-Bri
Here's the compromise
scottbomb Thursday, July 23rd at 2:31PM EDT (link)1. Medicaid is already available for poor, disabled people but finding a doctor that’s accepting new patients is nearly impossible in some cities because Medicaid doesn’t pay worth a hill of beans. These payments can be improved.
2. Means-test Medicare and Social Security. Two birds, one stone. There’s no reason why we should be forced to subsidize the medical care and retirement of millionaires.
3. Remove barriers to buying health insurance across state lines. Allow small businesses to get together and buy group policies.
4. Reform tort law to remove the ability of juries to award outrageous punitive damages. This would have to be done at the state level.
Done!
http://www.HowObamaGotElected.com
“The American people will never knowingly adopt socialism. But, under the name of ‘liberalism’, they will adopt every fragment of the socialist program, until one day America will be a socialist nation, without knowing how it happened.” - Norman Thomas, U.S. Socialist Party presidential candidate 1940, 1944 and 1948
Not Quite - Health Insurance Still Does Too Much
IJB Thursday, July 23rd at 3:31PM EDT (link)Until we get away from health insurance covering everything, we’ll never get out of this mess.
All regular Dr’s check-ups, temporary medications, and even non-major injuries (e.g. getting a cast) need to be paid directly by most people (and, yes, that will likely necessitate HSAs) and not the insurance industry. We need to get away from this co-pay nonsense.
Once medical insurance is scaled back to mostly ‘catastrophic coverage’, a la auto insurance, medical costs will likely start snapping back into like based on market forces.
The problem with healthcare is that far too much of it has been insulated from market forces for too long…
This kills GOP chances of taking back the House
eliminatedebt Thursday, July 23rd at 8:56PM EDT (link)Its not the liberal districts GOP is going to win in. Its going to be the conservative ones that have Blue representation that the GOP needs. If these boys are raising excessive amounts of money just from being antagonists now and surrendering later after the money is pocketed… they are well off.
If the GOP is to have a 20+ landslide in 2010, it would have to come from the Blue Dog districts. Oh Pelosi and her spending will continue. Rahm was smart, I bet he planned for this as a long term goal.
Independent, fiscal conservative.
Don't be so sure
kyle8 Thursday, July 23rd at 10:28PM EDT (link)If the economy is as bad as I believe it will be, being a blue dog and having money will not save them, at least a lot of them.
“Nothing works like freedom, Nothing succeeds like liberty”
Kyle
What You Said
IJB Thursday, July 23rd at 11:24PM EDT (link)If unemployment is still over 10% by, say, June of 2010, nothing will save the Dems. *Nothing.*