Martin Frost a "Moderate" or "Centrist"? Don't be Fooled.

Project Vote Smart ^

[governsleastgovernsbest]

The media has already begun to paint Martin Frost, the congressman from Texas who is competing with Nancy Pelosi for the House minority leader post, as a "moderate" and a "centrist."

Have a look below at the ratings from various interest groups (as gleaned from the Project Vote Smart web site).

Far from a moderate, Frost is a predictable liberal. Pro-abortion without restriction, anti-gun, big tax and spender - on issue after issue, he fits the typical liberal profile.

In some meaningless hypothetical manner is Frost to the right of Nancy Pelosi? I suppose so. But then again, so is Leon Trotsky!

RECENT RATING OF MARTIN FROST BY VARIOUS INTEREST GROUPS

National Right to Life Committee - 0% Planned Parenthood - 100% NARAL (National Abortion Rights League) - 100% National Federation of Independent Business (Small Business) - 11% Small Business Survival Committee - 8% Christian Coalition - 0% ACLU - 69% NAACP -93% Human Rights Campaign (gay rights) = 100% Family Research Council (family values) - 0% American Conservative Union - 4-25% NEA (teachers union) - 100% Children's Defense Fund (Hillary's alma mater) - 93% National Rifle Association - F Coalition to Stop Gun Violence - 100% Pro-labor (ratings from a wide variety of unions) - 91-100% Citizens Against Government Waste - 4% Americans for Tax Reform - 10% National Taxpayers Union - 9% League of Private Property Voters - 10%

Get the picture!?

[governsleastgovernsbest]

I take this as good news. If Frost beats Pelosi (which seems unlikely), he will continue the Democrats' leftward drift toward electoral oblivion.

[ppaul]

When Martin Frost got his start in Congress, conservatives in Texas called him a Commie.
Don't be fooled by this chameleon.

[Russell Scott]

Either one will only accelerate the spread of the bubonic plague within the party, forcing more Rats to be exterminated in 2004.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Reformatting Frost's Ratings

RECENT RATING OF MARTIN FROST BY VARIOUS INTEREST GROUPS

National Right to Life Committee - 0%
Planned Parenthood - 100%
NARAL (National Abortion Rights League) - 100%
National Federation of Independent Business (Small Business) - 11%
Small Business Survival Committee - 8%
Christian Coalition - 0%
ACLU - 69%
NAACP -93%
Human Rights Campaign (gay rights) = 100%
Family Research Council (family values) - 0%
American Conservative Union - 4-25%
NEA (teachers union) - 100%
Children's Defense Fund (Hillary's alma mater) - 93%
National Rifle Association - F
Coalition to Stop Gun Violence - 100%
Pro-labor (ratings from a wide variety of unions) - 91-100%
Citizens Against Government Waste - 4%
Americans for Tax Reform - 10%
National Taxpayers Union - 9%
League of Private Property Voters - 10%

[gulfcoast6]

I watched his entire press conf. on CSPAN, he is dangerous.

[goldstategop]

Martin Frost is as liberal as Nancy Pelosi but he at least recognizes the Democrats can't be a majority party built only on a tiny base of true liberal believers. Pelosi on the other hand seems determined to relegate the Democrats to a fringe political cult. Its obvious which candidate Republicans are better off with as House Minority Leader. Just wait til the kooks, wackos, and loonies come out. It'll be more than enough to turn off the centrist and swing voters the Democrats will need if they are to entertain any hope of ever retaking the House.

[Arkie2]

It's already started. The state house in Georgia will see several dems switch parties and the pubs will have control there. The dems just don't get it and are commiting political suicide with their move to the left. What a relief.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

In his press conference, Frost paid lip service to moderation. But he would have to renounce his own views and voting record to become a moderate, thereby alienating his base.

Perhaps he would be less disastrous for the Dems/less good for the Republicans, but only marginally so.

[DugwayDuke]

Well, actually, Frost is a moderate. For a democrat, that is. You see, any one who supports abortion, gun control, high taxes, and Hillary Clinton is a moderate.

[Churchjack]

Help!! I'm trapped in Martin Frost's district!! Arrrrrghh...

Kidding aside, he's one that campaigns conservative to get the votes, then libs out. I believe he's to the right of Pelosi, but that's not saying anything substantive, really.

[ppaul]

The state house in Georgia will see several dems switch parties and the pubs will have control there.

I am pinching myself again.
Is this all for real?
I must be dreaming!

[PJ-Comix]

FLASH! I just heard that Harold Ford of TN is now in the running for Minority Leader.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Does he face any tough opponents? Is he somehow able to hide his liberal record from his constitutents? My super-liberal congressman is right out there (or perhaps I should say "left out there") with Pelosi, yet manages to get away with it in a moderate district.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Interesting. In a press interview a couple days ago when he called for Gephardt to step down, he flatly denied that he was interested in running for Minority Leader.

So he has already demonstrated that singular quality necessary for leadership in the Democrat Party - the ability to lie with a straight face.

I've always found Ford creepy - too smooth and calculating by half.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Here's a link to a story on Ford running for Minority Leader:

http://www.gomemphis.com/mca/politics/article/0,1426,MCA_1496_1532752,00.html

[goldstategop]

I would bet Frost campaigns as a moderate Democrat down in Texas since openly identifying himself as a liberal there would be committing political suicide. He understands better what the Democrats' plight is than Pelosi since after all he represents a state trending Republican. In Texas and elsewhere in the South, Democrats are an endangered species. Pelosi couldn't care less to see them become extinct as the dodo but where would that leave the likes of Frost? As a fossil Southern Democrat, you can bet the bank he's not happy.

[retiredtexan]

Frost did not say that he would or could work with republicans, He said that he knew how to deal with them and control the outcome.

[11th Earl of Mar]

Great post. Thanks for the homework.

I think the Dems will vote for the real thing in Pelosi. Why not have a leader who is liberal and proud of it, instead of a voting liberal who talks centrist.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

I think we win either way. Pelosi is a strident left-winger, Frost is a dull liberal with a personality so bad even the liberal press describes him as unpleasant.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Thanks, and you're very welcome. I have found the ratings available via Project Vote Smart to be invaluable in cutting through the misleading way that so many politicians describe their political leanings.

You'll find another post from me that demonstrates that Harold Ford, Jr., who as you know has also thrown his hat into the ring and described himself as a moderate, is also in fact a liberal.