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Pelosi's Whip: A Blue Dog vs. A Progressive

By Big Tent Democrat, Section War In Iraq
Posted on Tue Mar 20, 2007 at 09:20:24 PM EST
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Progressives are saps. Blue Dogs know how to fight better. Case in point:

The Blue Dogs get an Iraq funding bill tailored for them and one of their leaders says:

Tanner, the Blue Dog representative on the chief deputy whip's team, had been undecided until yesterday morning. Now that he is on board, he hastened to add that he is not about to start leaning on his Blue Dog colleagues. "I don't ask people to vote on the leadership's behalf, particularly on a vote like this," he said.

A progressive, who got figuratively spat on by the Dem leadership, says:

Schakowsky, like Waters, is one of nine chief deputy whips, and her early statements of opposition had stunned leaders. She pledged yesterday to press liberal members of the House Out of Iraq Caucus and Progressive Caucus to fall into line.

Progressives are saps. And saps get pushed around:

Pelosi plans to speak to Lewis as soon as possible, if not to win his vote, at least to secure his silence. The speaker held pointed discussions this week with the leaders of the Appropriations Committee, making it clear that she has the power to determine the popular panel's membership. That was a clear indication that she might move against Rep. Barbara Lee (Calif.), an antiwar activist and the only Democrat to vote against the war spending bill in committee last week. As for Waters, action may not come until after the House votes on the Iraq bill, but aides close to Pelosi made it clear that there will be consequences for a chief deputy whip working against the leadership she had sworn to help on tough votes. "Let's just say, the speaker has taken notice," one aide said.

Let's just say, SHAME on Nancy Pelosi. She can't whip a Blue Dog but she'll beat the crap out of progressives.

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    Pelosi's Whip: A Blue Dog vs. A Progressive | 11 comments (11 topical)

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    If Bowers is right (5.00 / 1) (#1)
    by andgarden on Tue Mar 20, 2007 at 09:28:49 PM EST
    and there are now more Progressive Caucus defectors, the won't crap on us next time.

    Look what Pelosi is doing (none / 0) (#2)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Tue Mar 20, 2007 at 09:30:50 PM EST


    Parent
    She obviously knows (5.00 / 1) (#3)
    by andgarden on Tue Mar 20, 2007 at 09:38:10 PM EST
    she has a problem. Getting Brzezinski's endorsement for the bill is an extra step. (It's actually before my time, but IIRC Carter was pretty left, and Brzezinski was usually regarded as a hawk).

    Parent
    Zbig's endorsement means squat (none / 0) (#4)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Tue Mar 20, 2007 at 09:43:45 PM EST


    Parent
    hope so. (5.00 / 2) (#5)
    by andgarden on Tue Mar 20, 2007 at 09:46:29 PM EST
    You know, this spending bill is so bad that I could almost write the 2008 GOP attack ad copy myself.

    Parent
    Wait till (3.00 / 2) (#6)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Tue Mar 20, 2007 at 09:47:38 PM EST
    September 2008. It gets better for them.

    I have hope that McConnell and/or Bush will save the day for us.

    Parent

    Wisconsin delegation (5.00 / 1) (#8)
    by Ben Masel on Tue Mar 20, 2007 at 10:51:52 PM EST
    Quotes from BRIAN TUMULTY Green Bay Press-Gazette

    Kagen: for. Yet, ""I cannot find anyone in my district who wants to spend more money in Iraq,"

    Baldwin: No comment. "Rep. Tammy Baldwin's spokeswoman, Jerilyn Goodman, said she did not know how the Madison Democrat would vote. She indicated Baldwin was too involved in other matters to be contacted about her position."

    Kind: "I am currently studying the proposal and the feedback from our military commanders, and I look forward to crafting a new direction for this war.""

    Moore: Not reached for comment

    "I'm not a general, and I don't want to start acting like one now," Rep. Paul Ryan of Janesville said in a statement, indicating he planned to vote against the bill.

    list of progressives and where they stand (5.00 / 2) (#9)
    by conchita on Tue Mar 20, 2007 at 11:11:00 PM EST
    from afterdowningstreet.org

    CONFIRMED COMMITMENT TO VOTING NO
    Rep. Raul Grijalva (only leaning no according to Politico)
    Rep. Dennis Kucinich
    Rep. Barbara Lee
    Rep. Charles Rangel (via comments)
    Rep. Maxine Waters
    Rep. Lynn Woolsey
    Rep. John Lewis (via comments, may vote "Present," Politico)

    VOTING NO but need to be called for confirmation
    Rep. Dan Boren (leaning: The Hill)
    Rep. Keith Ellison (leaning: The Hill, leaning No Politico)
    Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (The Hill, leaning No Politico)
    Rep. Pete Stark (The Hill, Politico)
    Rep. Edolphus Towns (The Hill)
    Rep. Diane Watson (The Hill, Politico)
    Rep. Jim Marshall (Politico)

    VOTING YES
    Rep. Jerry McNearney (from comments; note: this guy got elected on peace platform)
    Rep. Neil Abercrombie (The Hill)
    Rep. Michael Arcuri (The Hill)
    Rep. Melissa Bean (The Hill)
    Rep. Nancy Boyda (The Hill)
    Rep. Dennis Cardoza (The Hill)
    Rep. Peter DeFazio (The Hill, sold out for pork: Politico)
    Rep. Chet Edwards (The Hill)
    Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand (The Hill)
    Rep. Phil Hare (The Hill)
    Rep. Tim Mahoney (leaning: The Hill)
    Rep. Mazie Hirono (leaning: The Hill)
    Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. (The Nation and via comments)
    Rep. Steve Kagen (The Hill)
    Rep. Tom Lantos (The Hill)
    Rep. John Larson (The Hill)
    Rep. Carolyn Maloney (The Hill)
    Rep. George Miller
    Rep. Chris Murphy (The Hill)
    Rep. Patrick Murphy (The Hill)
    Rep. Jerrold Nadler (The Nation)
    Rep. John Olver (via comments)
    Rep. Donald Payne (The Hill)
    Rep. John Salazar (The Hill)
    Rep. Jan Schakowsky
    Rep. John Salazar (The Hill)
    Rep. Jose Serrano (The Nation)
    Rep. Joe Sestak
    Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (The Hill)
    Rep. Tim Walz (The Hill)
    Rep. Charlie Wilson (The Hill)

    UNDECIDED/UNKNOWN
    Tammy Baldwin
    Xavier Becerra
    Robert Brady
    Corrine Brown
    Michael Capuano
    Julia Carson
    Yvette Clarke (undecided but leaning No, Politico)
    William "Lacy" Clay
    Emanuel Cleaver
    Rep. Steve Cohen (The Hill, leaning No Politico)
    John Conyers
    Elijah Cummings
    Rosa DeLauro
    Lloyd Doggett
    Sam Farr
    Chaka Fattah
    Bob Filner
    Barney Frank
    Luis Gutierrez
    John Hall
    Phil Hare
    Maurice Hinchey
    Michael Honda
    Hank Johnson
    Stephanie Tubbs Jones
    Marcy Kaptur
    Carolyn Kilpatrick
    David Loebsack
    Ed Markey
    Jim McDermott
    James McGovern
    Juanita Millender-McDonald (leaning No, Politico)
    Gwen Moore
    Jim Moran
    Ed Pastor
    Bobby Rush
    Linda Sanchez
    Louise Slaughter
    Hilda Solis
    Bennie Thompson
    John Tierney
    Tom Udall
    Nydia Velazquez
    Diane Watson
    Mel Watt
    Henry Waxman
    Peter Welch
    Bobby Scott (undecided, Politico)
    Danny Davis (undecided but leaning yes, Politico; previously voting No, The Hill)

    LAST DITCH EFFORT
    afterdowningstreet and pda encourage phone calls to the undecideds tomorrow asking them to support lee's amendment to fund withdrawal and to vote NO on the supplemental unless it includes lee's amendment. reach the congressional switchboard at 202-224-3121. phone numbers for progressive caucus here.

    Gotta say that as far as life and death, (5.00 / 1) (#10)
    by Militarytracy on Wed Mar 21, 2007 at 08:27:47 AM EST
    unnecessary destruction and bloodshed, upholding American values along with rational thinking.....this is the best damned thread on the net hands down and ought to be required reading for any proclaimed Democrat, Liberal, Progressive, or Independent.  BTD's writings that are keeping tabs on the Blue Dogs and spelling it all out loud enable me to be sort of sane and somewhat happy right now.  I suppose it is the best gift you could give a military family's mom person at this moment in time.  Thank You to conchita for putting all the names up there!

    Thank you (5.00 / 1) (#11)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Wed Mar 21, 2007 at 09:37:21 AM EST
    That I am annoying Matt Stoller because of this is a badge of honor for me.

    HE defends a harmful approach.

    Parent

    Unified front in the wrong direction (none / 0) (#7)
    by Mattk D1 on Tue Mar 20, 2007 at 10:22:41 PM EST
    One of the achievements Pelosi was lauded for prior to the 2006 election was her ability to get house democrats to present a unified front. This slop make me wonder a few things.

    Did she get so used to the previously unheard of occasion of dems voting as one that she has lost sight of the fact that everyone flying together in the wrong direction is not a useful goal?

    Do you know where Hoyer and Clyburn are on this?

    Are Blue Dogs charting a Pete Best course, only with the additional possibility they will take the potential of getting the Beatles down with them?

    Pelosi's Whip: A Blue Dog vs. A Progressive | 11 comments (11 topical)

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