Republican War On Working Families Rachets Up

but only one jerk voted with the obstructionists against Obama's plan

Last week we congratulated the DCCC for running ads against some of the anti-family reactionaries that are trying to obstruct President Obama's increasingly popular stimulus plans. Our one gripe is that they left themselves open to charges of hypocrisy by going after only Republican obstructionists like Dan Lungren (R-CA), Ken Calvert (R-CA), the notorious Diaz-Balart Brothers (R-FL), Ahn Cao (R-LA), Michele Bachmann (R-MN), and Dave Reichert (R-WA) while ignoring treacherous Blue Dogs and other reactionary Democrats who crossed the aisle and voting with these same Republicans against the bill. The few Democrats who consistently betray American working families need the same treatment that their Republican allies get. The worst of them-- Bobby Bright (AL), Parker Griffith (AL), Walt Minnick (ID), Heath Shuler (NC), Jim Cooper (TN), Gene Taylor (MS), Jim Marshall (GA), Collin Peterson (MN), Travis Childers (MS), Dan Boren (OK), Mike McIntyre (NC), Joe Donnelly (IN)-- need to stop hiding behind the Democratic Party so their constituents know they vote with Republicans against Democratic values more frequently than they vote with Democrats on substantive issues.

So this morning I was pretty happy to see that two unions that are very tied in with the Democratic leadership, the slavish AFSCME that does nothing without marching orders from Rahm Emanuel and Americans United for Change will launch radio ads against 21 members of Congress who tried obstructing the stimulus bill, including one exceptionally bad Blue Dog, Jim Cooper who represents Nashville, one of Tennessee's most progressive areas. Obama beat McCain there 56-43%.

The two unions will spend over $200,000 on the ads and aside from the treacherous Cooper, they are targeting vulnerable Republicans like Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Jim Gerlach (R-PA), Charlie Dent (R-PA), Michael Turner (R-OH), Dave Reichert (R-WA), Steve LaTourette (R-OH), Todd Platts (R-PA), Fred Upton (R-MI), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), John Fleming (R-LA) and Brett Guthrie (R-KY). A sample ad:

“Haven't you ever wished you had a second chance to do the right thing? Well this week, Congressman Dave Reichert has a second chance to get it right when it comes to our economic crisis. The first time around, Congressman Reichert voted against President Obama's jobs plan. But every day since 20,000 Americans have lost their jobs..."

It's significant that Obama beat McCain in several of these districts and it isn't likely that voters want their congressman obstructing his plans to rescue the economy from years of failed Republican economic policies and the hated Bush agenda-- and agenda that these congressman have rbber-stamped.

In Reichert's suburban Seattle district, for example, Obama beat McCain 57-42%. It was a similar story in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley, where Obama beat McCain 56-42% and in Gerlach's suburban Philly district where Obama took 58% of the vote to McCain's 41%. Fred Upton in southwest Michigan might feel nervous, having seen his next door neighbor, Tim Walberg, defeated by progressive Democrat Mark Schauer while Obama beat McCain 54-45% in his own once-safe district.

These same unions are also running TV ads this week, "No is not an Option," against obstructionist leaders, John Boehner, Eric Cantor and Miss McConnell.



Anti-working family fanatic Eric Cantor, #2 (fittingly) in the House Republican leadership sent out a vicious and bigoted anti-AFSCME ad that he doesn't have the balls to run on TV but which he sent out to Big Business supporters today. Before you click, take a deep breath. And after you watch it, remember that to be a Republican means to be a hypocrite. There's no way to separate the two. Eric Cantor (R-VA): "The use of obscenity…should not and cannot be tolerated. As a parent, I share the concerns of many regarding the level of offensive television and radio programs that are transmitted into our homes. The recent violations that have occurred disgusted not only me, but damage our society."