Posted on 04/26/2012 6:17:29 PM PDT by neverdem
WASHINGTON — The defeat of two conservative House Democrats by more liberal opponents in Tuesday’s Pennsylvania primary illustrates the strong hold the new health care law still has over committed Democratic voters and foreshadows an even more polarized Congress next year in the aftermath of the latest round of redistricting.
Representatives Jason Altmire and Tim Holden both lost in primaries to opponents who joined together with activist groups to pummel the veteran lawmakers over the opposition to the new health care law and climate change legislation — positions they had used to their advantage in the past to show their independence from President Obama and the Democratic Party.
“A lot of us thought of his record as his strength,” said Hugh M. Reiley, the chairman of the Schuylkill County Democratic Party, referring to Mr. Holden. “He was not falling prey to all that party bickering. He was able to reach across the aisle.”
“Last night, the Democratic Party became more liberal,” he added.
While Republicans have seized on the health care law as a political weapon to employ against the president and Congressional Democrats, many Democratic voters and party activists see it as a major achievement and are poised to punish Democrats who fought it. The results on Tuesday also suggest health care could be a major rallying cry if the Supreme Court overturns all or part of the law this summer.
Mr. Altmire, who lost to a fellow incumbent, Representative Mark Critz, after they were thrown into a new district together, was able to ride his health care opposition to re-election in 2010. That position...
--snip--
In eastern Pennsylvania, state Republicans stuffed the Democratic cities of Scranton and Wilkes-Barre into Mr. Holden’s formerly conservative-leaning seat. The result: A 10-term congressman and founding member of the centrist Blue Dog coalition...
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Not exactly. They “Faked” to the right with Blue Dog canidates in a calculated move to get Nancy Pelosi control of the House. The party never moved an inch to the right in ideology....I’m sure these “Conservative” Democrats were told who REALLY runs things in DC when they arrived the first day. Kind of like how the TEA PARTY Congressman are probably told by Establishment GOP’ers like Boehner the first day how things work.
Thanks neverdem, and voters!
From your lips to God's ear.
Around here they wear the label "RINO."
Interesting that the MSM is talking about the plight of centerist ‘Rats.
Meanwhile, the drumbeat of Dictator Obama grows louder:
regulate -— control -— destroy -— Regulate -— control -— destroy -— REgulate -— control -— destroy -— REGulate -— control -— destroy -— REGU
That’s an interesting spin.
A double two-fer, like putting four feral cats in a gunny sack with a little gasoline, put a rope around the top and suspend it from a tree limb.
When they are done squealing you can light it {or not}, but it can be served in the white hut {doggy substitute} over white rice and green chile peppers.
In PA we have closed primaries, demonRATS can only vote for demonRATs, pubbies for pubbies and all others {independents, greenies, etc...} stay home.
I was and Independent for over two decades and only registered so I could vote in the primary elections.
I switch parties depending whether I want to vote for or against some one.
The down side is your name shows up on both party lists and you get crushed with phone calls, junk mail, door knockers from both parties.
Most of the party leadership never moved an inch to the right in ideology. Don't forget Harry Reid needed the NRA's emdorsemeent in 2010. They got candidates who were pro Second Amendment or pro life as needed starting in 2006. Bob Casey is a pro life example. In early 2009, 64 rats in the House sent a letter to Holder about renewing the so called assault weapons ban. They told him to pound sand. So we got Fast & Furious. Since they took Congress in 2006 what serious gun grabbing has been done?
Actuallly, while the new PA-12 combined districts held by two Democrats (Altmire’s PA-04 and Critz’s (and formerly Murtha’s) PA-12), neither was a heavily Democrat district. In fact, John McCain arried both districts, and the new PA-12 gave him 54% of the vote (around 10% more than in PA as a whole), making it a very winnable district for the GOP. Our nominee is Keith Rothfus, who came within around 1% of defeating Altmire in 2010 and who should be favored to beat Critz this November. http://www.keithpa4.com/
Yes, LOL, because it’s a fiction....these two probably only voted against it because they were up for election. The Democrats often permit their most vulnerable members to cross the aisle when elections are coming that way they can claim to be conservative when conservative will be the winning issue. But the funny thing is the Democrats have no loyalty and the liberals kicked their rears out. It’s going to be fun to see where this goes in the general election.
So in short, two Democrats were replaced with two more Democrats.
Shocking...
Good point.
By the way, were these winning candidates supported by that group that is backing all those who are challenging incumbents?
By my count, in just three years and change, Obama & Pelosi are responsible for 2/3rd's of the Blue Dog Coalition voted out.
They went from agenda-setting to wielding little to no power over Democrat Congressional policy in less than half a decade.
He was good at getting spending money to spread around. Not gonna lose sleep over his demise.
PA is turning into a refuge for society's refuse.
Keep in mind folks this was a DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY that they lost, not a general election. The dems were battling to be the candidate, and when pandering to democratic leftists, the one who goes more communist wins. In the general election it will be a different story.
Its been amusing watching the democratic primaries actually, because when its time for the general, the Republican need only run the democratic guys own ad against them. What will get you votes from the communist block won’t win you a general election.
“What’s a ‘conservative democrat? Some sort of extinct species?”
Well, going by the primary results, if they werent before tuesday, they are now. I dont consider this good news unless the leftist Dems are defeated.
Since they took Congress in 2006 what serious LIBERTY grabbing has been done?
A LOT!
The district is now heavily D but the trade off was a safer district for Barletta (R). Plus Holden was pitted against another incumbant D so its one less democrat but Cartwright will vote lockstep with Pelosi.
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