The Blue Dog Democrats have genuinely boxed themselves in lately on their consistency regarding Iran.

On September 25, 2007, all the Blue Dog Democrats who were then in Congress voted in favor of H.R. 1400, the Iran Counter-Proliferation Act of 2007. The legislation would have prevented Iran from joining the World Trade Organization, imposed economic sanctions on the nation including banning the import of all goods originating from Iran, etc.

The bill never made it through the Senate, but all the Blue Dogs in the House supported it.

On March 31, 2009, Congressman Brad Sherman (D-CA), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade sent Barack Obama a letter regarding their conversation on “the need to prevent funding from the G-20 package from going to Iran.”

According to Sherman’s letter, “the World Bank has been providing assistance to Iran throughout this decade, and continues to do so as we speak. From 2000-2005, some $1.35 billion was approved for Iran in nine separate loan packages.” Further, Sherman insisted, “Iran should not receive any benefits from any of the institutions - World Bank, IMF or any other multilateral institution - that will be utilized by the G-20 to assist with the global recovery while Tehran insists on violating United Nations Security Council Resolutions concerning its nuclear program.”

You can read Brad Sherman’s letter here (PDF).

Despite the Blue Dogs uniting in 2007 to try to defund Iran and despite the Blue Dogs, via Brad Sherman (one of their own), expressing concerns over the IMF funding Iran as recently as March 31, 2009, some of them are even still considering voting for H.R. 2346, the 2009 Supplemental Appropriations Act.

Below the fold are the targeted members of Congress we need you to call ASAP. Find your state. Make the calls. Tell them to vote no on H.R. 2346, the 2009 Supplemental Appropriations Act. Report back what they say.

[UPDATED:] Brad Sherman wants it known he is not and never will be a Blue Dog Democrat. He’s just your typical left wing Democrat without any conscious about spending. I regret the error.

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Note: I was asked why I’m posting the full list if we’re less than 12 votes away from beating Obama on this. The reason is because over the weekend I expect the Democrats to pull some tricks and make some promises to wavering Blue Dogs. We need to keep the pressure up today so they don’t go wobbly over the weekend.

Get on the phone ASAP. The vote has not happened and it looks like it won’t until next week. Why? Because we are bringing pressure to bear and the Democrats are having a very hard time keeping a majority on the legislation.

We absolutely cannot falter on this. We must keep up the continuous pressure headed into the weekend. See the list of names below and call, call, call.

We should not be bailing out European national banks. We are less than a dozen votes away from being able to kill this. Call these members of Congress ASAP.

Call the members of Congress below. Ask each one to vote against H.R. 2346, the 2009 Supplemental Appropriations Act.

Let us know in the comments what each one says.

The Blue Dog Democrats are wavering on supporting H.R. 2346, the 2009 Supplemental Appropriations Act. How do I know? Sources tell me Rahm Emanuel is trying to sweeten the package.

Remember: H.R. 2346, the 2009 Supplemental Appropriations Act, will provide funds to the International Monetary Fund to bail out European banks. We can stop it.

Target their home offices. Below, find your state, find your Congressman, and call them. Call their local offices. Tell whoever answers the phone that you want your Congressman to vote against H.R. 2346, the 2009 Supplemental Appropriations Act.

BE QUICK ABOUT IT. WE CAN’T WASTE ANY TIME.

Barack Obama wants to bail out European banks.

No, it is no joke. He really wants to. He is going to send the International Monetary Fund billions of dollars that will then be used to do in Europe what Obama has done here.

We can stop it.

House Republicans are going to vote in a block to oppose this, which means around thirty Democrats are needed. The Blue Dog Democrats are logical targets. Those Democrats who represent districts that tilt Republican can be pressured. And among them, the freshman Blue Dogs can really be pressured.

Call 202-224-3121. Ask for the members of Congress below and tell them to oppose H.R. 2346, the 2009 Supplemental Appropriations Act.

Bobby Bright AL-02
Parker Griffith AL-05
Ann Kirkpatrick AZ-01
Suzanne Kosmos FL-24
Walt Mitnick ID-01
Frank Kratovil MD-01
Glenn Nye VA-02
Tom Perriello VA-05

Once you’ve called these people, use the same number and call these members, all of whom are in heavy Republican districts:

Travis Childers (MS-01)
Harry Mitchell (AZ-05)
Gabby Giffords (AZ-08)
Jim Marshall (GA-08)
John Barrow (GA-12)
Bill Foster (IL-14)
Baron Hill (IN-09)

So. Last week, Representatives Cantor and Hoyer had a bit of an exchange over where the money we’re giving the International Monetary Fund is going. Cantor wants to know why we’re going to be giving countries that don’t like us at all the opportunity to take our money, and Hoyer wants to know why Cantor is ignoring the way that Hoyer is brandishing Reagan’s name like an apotropaic talisman:

CANTOR: Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time. I will tell the gentleman, New York Times, May 27, 2009, pointed out Hezbollah, the Shiite militant group involved in Lebanon and its government, had talks with the IMF to discuss the possibility of the extension of credit…We are very, very concerned. There is a real possibility that some of the world’s worst regimes will have access to additional resources that will be provided to the IMF, and is he not concerned about that?

[possible snip: the Congressional Record transcript is down]

HOYER: The reason the Reagan administration and the first Bush administration–and I might say, although I don’t have a quote from the second Bush administration, the second Bush administration, as well, was a supporter of the IMF as the gentleman, perhaps, knows.

The fact of the matter is the United States will play a very significant role in the decisionmaking of the IMF because we’re a very significant contributor. It is a red herring, from my perspective, to raise the fact that money could go somewhere. Of course money could go somewhere.

…which Hoyer then followed up with this inadvertent comment, which the Hill’s Blog Briefing Room mercifully omitted:

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It is bad enough that we’re bailing out domestic banks. Barack Obama now wants to bail out European banks via funding for the International Monetary Fund (”IMF”).

Humorously, there is a unique coalition forming on this because part of the legislation is also tied to war funding and the Graham-Lieberman amendment to stop the release of photos showing alleged torture. The whole thing has gotten rather convoluted. The Republicans in the House will probably vote against it en masse.

The Blue Dog Democrats are being forced to vote for it by Rahm Emanuel and Nancy Pelosi, but the pressure is only just mounting. If we mount pressure now by calling them and pinning them down, they’ll most likely change their mind and side with the GOP. There are enough of them to kill it.

Additionally, Lindsey Graham and Joe Lieberman are going to grind the Senate to a halt unless their amendment to prohibit the release of the photos gets enacted into law one way or the other. So one way or the other we’ll still get Graham-Lieberman, which is a good thing.

Call the members of Congress below. Ask each one to vote against H.R. 2346, the 2009 Supplemental Appropriations Act.

Let us know in the comments what each one says.