RENEGADE DEMOCRATS IN CONGRESS SHOULD REAP WHAT THEY'VE SEWN, NO LESS THAN REPUBLICANS-- THAT'S WHAT PRIMARIES ARE FOR

Are Democrats better than Republicans? How about, both Inside the Beltway parties suck but all the Republicans are horrible and some Democrats haven't succumbed? In fact, most of the Democrats are voting pretty well on Iraq and most of the key issues facing the country. But there are 3 or 4 dozen reactionaries, mostly, though not exclusively, from the Old Confederacy, who team up with the Republican minority to thwart any kind of progressive agenda. We saw that this week quite a bit, didn't we?

Yesterday's Congressional Quarterly had an awkwardly titled story about how Democrats have to face up to this problem: "Possible Primary Challenges Haunt Democrats Struggling With Iraq Policy." The story has a pretty Inside the Beltway perspective.

House Democrats are peeved and Republicans are quietly delighted by warnings that anti-war groups may back primary challengers against Democrats who hesitate to directly challenge President Bush’s Iraq policy.

The threat of primary fights next year reminds congressional Democrats that as they search for a way to deal with the war, they must be mindful that part of their party’s base demands nothing less than a full legislative effort to get U.S. forces out of Iraq.

Republicans eager for any positive development regarding the 2008 elections say they can hardly believe their good fortune. Battles among Democrats would soak up campaign money and leave bad feelings that could spill over into the general elections.

Medea Benjamin, a leader of the women’s peace group Code Pink, said “There is a lot of anger’’ at Democrats who are seen as softening their war opposition, “especially in districts where people won in 2006 on an anti-war platform. They deserve to be challenged,’’ she said.

They certainly do-- and Blue America intends to help with that effort. Our Blue America page already is backing two outstanding progressive challengers, Donna Edwards (MD-04) and Mark Pera (IL-03), who are running against reactionary Bush-Dems Al Wynn and Dan Lipinski. CQ's information is badly messed up on who might be credibly primaried. They name Brian Baird (WA), Ellen Tauscher (CA), Wynn (MD), Joe Donnelly (IN), Hank Johnson (GA), and Jerry McNerney (CA). Johnson has one of the very best voting records of anyone in Congress and no one is seriously thinking of backing a challenge to him. McNerney has had a couple of rough spots with some of his most idealistic supporters but nothing that will amount to a challenge, especially when you consider that his actual voting record is excellent. Wynn, is not in the "maybe" category. He's being challenged-- big time. Neither Donnelly, Tauscher nor Baird have attracted an opponent, step #1 for a serious challenge. Dan Lipinksi, not mentioned in the CQ piece has 3.

Even the most stalwart progressive congressional Democrats tend to discourage primaries against their colleagues. Lynn Woolsey is an heroic exception. “'It’s perfectly legitimate for constituents to express disappointment. But strategically it’s a mistake to go after those Democrats,' said Jim McGovern, D-Mass., who says Congress should not approve more war funding without Bush’s agreement to withdraw American forces from Iraq next year. McGovern said anti-war forces should target their efforts elsewhere. 'I think everybody’s fire should be aimed at Republicans,' he said. 'What has screwed everything up is that Republicans, with near-total unison, have stayed with the president on the war.'"

Today the Democratic leadership tried ginning up some anti-Republican anger among the base regarding Bush's threat to veto the bill both houses of Congress pass regarding Children's health care. The horrible Republicans, the horrible Republicans," we heard them moan. But did they mention that there are 10 Democrats also voting against childrens' health care. Why should we be angry at the Republicans but not the Democrats who voted the same way? Yet you can count on the DCCC and the Democratic leadership to go to the wall to save the skins of reactionary Democrats who don't enthuse Democrats, like Dan Boren (OK), Jim Cooper (TN), Joe Donnelly (IN), Brad Ellsworth (IN), Baron Hill (IN), Bob Etheridge (NC), Mike McIntyre (NC), Heath Shuler (NC), Jim Marshall (GA), and Gene Taylor (MS).

Neil Abercrombie, D-Hawaii, said the anti-war groups’ threat, coupled with pressure within the House Democratic Caucus to settle for nothing less than mandating a speedy withdrawal from Iraq, amounts to a “recapitulation of the Inquisition.’’

Abercrombie, who with John Tanner, D-Tenn., is lobbying Democratic leaders to permit a vote on their proposal requiring Bush to devise a plan for withdrawal but without setting withdrawal deadlines, called any effort to squelch debate within the caucus “very ill-considered.”

...Republican leaders are gleeful. “I just sit on the side and have a big grin on my face,’’ said Tom Cole, R-Okla., head of the National Republican Congressional Committee.

Cole pointed to criticism of Democrats by the anti-war group MoveOn.org, which has become a GOP target since it sponsored an advertisement that Republicans denounced as an over-the-top attack on Iraq commander Gen. David H. Petraeus. “This is a constituent group that thinks it is the Democratic Party, and they’re madder at the Democrats than they are at us,’’ Cole said.

Cole’s NRCC predecessor, Thomas M. Reynolds, R-N.Y., said that if primary challenges develop, Democratic leaders will face tough choices.

“One thing we’ll see is if the leadership gets involved defending members, and if leadership does that, it has all kinds of cross-currents down the political river,’’ Reynolds said.

MoveOn.org says it will announce on Sept. 24 the results of an online poll that asked its members whether the groups should back primary challenges.

On the other hand, Cole and the NRCC hardly look like they'll be in a position to take advantage of anything. Aside from being nearly bankrupt and unable to raise any money, bitter infighting has spilled over into a battle royale between Cole and the hapless and ineffectual Boehner. Cole says if Boehner doesn't back down he can take the pointless, thankless job of trying to win back a GOP majority in Congress and shove it up his ass.


IF YOU'RE JUST WAITING FOR THINGS TO GET BETTER... NEVERMIND. ACTION, ON THE OTHER HAND...

An editorial in yesterday's NY Times didn't call for primaries against reactionary Bush-Dems, but they sure laid out the problem.

If you were one of the Americans waiting for Congress, under Democratic control, to show leadership on the war in Iraq, the message from the Senate is clear: “Nevermind.” The same goes for those waiting for lawmakers to fix the damage done to civil liberties by six years of President Bush and a rubber-stamp Republican Congress.

The Democrats don’t have, or can’t summon, the political strength to make sure Congress does what it is supposed to do: debate profound issues like these and take a stand. The Republicans are simply not interested in a serious discussion and certainly not a vote on anything beyond Mr. Bush’s increasingly narrow agenda.

Think Al Wynn. Think Dan Lipinski. Then think about Donna Edwards and Mark Pera-- and Blue America.