National Democrats Still Hooked on Blue Dogs

If health care reform finally passes Congress, it will be thanks to dirty fucking hippie liberals like Dennis Kucinich, who betrayed the insane So-Beyond-Left-They're-Right to do the right thing for the country.

It will pass despite the determined and desperate efforts of Blue Dog DINO scumbuckets like Ben Wire Hanger Chandler, who claims to be pro-choice but voted for Stupak and against the actual bill.

So, the Democratic Establishment is gearing up to support all the liberals making primary challenges against Blue Dog traitors like Stupak. Right? RIGHT???!

Sigh.

Down with Tyranny exposes the DCCC's hypocrisy in attacking certain repug representatives while continuing to support worthless DINOs who commit the same crimes.

Anyway, yesterday's full frontal against Ryan by the DCCC-- which, ironically, still refuses to give the time of day to his opponent, progressive activist Paulette Garin-- asks the straightforward question, "As insurance premiums skyrocket, will Representative Paul Ryan continue protecting insurance company profits?"

SNIP

So is that D-trip hypocrisy? I mean, sure, Ryan is a disgrace to America. But what's Suzanne Kosmas, who they are pointlessly pouring resources into protecting? And John Barrow has a thoroughly progressive and incorruptible former state senator, Regina Thomas, running against him in the primary. If the DCCC can denounce Ryan, they can denounce Barrow for the exact same crime. Of course, like I said, they're not supporting the progressive running against him either!

Earlier, DWT noted that the DCCC's "Red to Blue" campaign is pouring resources into promoting yet more Blue Dogs rather than supporting liberals who actually could, like Alan Grayson, turn a red district blue.

The good news yesterday was that the DCCC added Donna Edwards (D-MD) as a vice chair of their Red to Blue program, which, in the past, has been badly flawed. The less good news is that Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who once ran the Red to Blue program herself and is now the real power at the DCCC, has decreed that all serious resources are going to protect Front Line incumbents, primarily a bunch of conservative aisle crossers who are barely Democrats.

Although they have promised to stop the anti-grassroots practice of taking sides in contested primaries, the Wasserman Schultz has forced the reluctant professional staff to keep doing it. She was behind the decision to endorse a lobbyist-backed ultra-conservative, Lori Edwards. with not a glimmer of a chance to win in November, for the seat being vacated by Adam Putnam (FL-12). Edwards is being sponsored by the Blue Dog caucus and Patrick Murphy, the Blue Dog who heads the Red to Blue program this year, jumped into the race early at the behest of Wasserman Schultz and Lori Edwards' main backer, Allen Boyd, the right-wing Democrat who was the only member of his party to back Bush's legislation to kill Social Security and who is facing likely defeat in his own primary this year.

Today the DCCC announced their first round of Red to Blue candidates. These are the challengers who Democratic members are encouraged-- some would say strong-armed-- to donate to. As we saw last month, Blue Dogs always give to conservatives likely to vote with the Blue Dog caucus (and the GOP) against progressive legislation. Progressives, inexplicably, seem to go along for the ride!

When I complained to the DCCC that they had endorsed a Blue Dog with no local backing from Democratic activists over a grassroots progressive who did well against Putnam when he ran in 2008, I was told, ingenuously, that Edwards had raised lots of money and that Tudor hadn't. Turns out all that Edwards money-raising prowess was actual contributions from the Blue Dog caucus and by individual Blue Dog shitheads with a vested interest in electing new anti-progressive members of the caucus. Oh, and then there was the lobbyist funder that Wasserman Schultz and Boyd put on for Lori Edwards in DC. But Wasserman Schultz has always hated straight-talking ordinary Americans who didn't play the Inside the Beltway game that is so despised throughout the country.

Read the whole thing.

Passing Health Care Reform gives us a chance - a small one, but there - to do what the 2008 elections failed to do: Create More Liberals. But the DCCC and DNC are so terrified by the idea of a Congress full of Alan Graysons and a nation full of voters who love their Graysons that national Democrats would rather turn the country back to the repugs.

UPDATE, 12:52 p.m. In comments, anonymous writes "You might be interested to know that Doug Tudor, the Progressive candidate in FL-12, was raised in Danville, Kentucky, and still has family living there. He returns to Danville about twice a year and will be there in June for his 30-year high school reunion. Your readers can learn more about Doug at www.teamtudor.org."