Will Progressive Congressmembers Stand Up To Obama And Boehner?

There are a lot of good, solid progressives whose voting records and public statements indicate they're not going to get behind the Grand Sellout of American working families that Obama and Boehner are going to present as a fait acompli is a couple weeks and then demand everyone vote for it to save us from catastrophe. The half dozen most solid progressive voting records are held by Judy Chu (D-CA), Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Jim McGovern (D-MA), John Olver (D-MA) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI). Their ProgressivePunch Crucial Vote scores go from 96.80 (Chu) to 95.75 (Baldwin). There are 44 Members almost as good and a load of newly-elected progressives who will fit in there as well. But no matter how you slice it or dice it, Judy Chu has the best voting record in Congress. We first became aware of Judy in 2009 when she ran, successfully, to replace Hilda Solis in a special election after Obama appointed her Labor Secretary. Judy came across well and sounded very promising back then... but she's more than lived up to that promise since.

In the CNN interview above, Rep. Chu explains what kind of cuts progressives are pushing as part of the Grand Bargain. She wants to reform Medicare too-- and not the way people who depend of that program fear Obama and Boehner have in mind. "There should be a change to Medicare in which we can actually negotiate for drug prices. After all, we do it for Medicaid. Why can't we do it for Medicare? That would be a big savings to the Medicare program."

At the same time, Progressive Caucus Co-chairman Raul Grijalva was taking another tact. Sunday, on This Week With George Stephanopoulos he explained why Congress should be working on job creation now, not long-term debt reduction. "Part of this whole crisis we’re talking about is about jobs and the ability of this government to generate jobs and put Americans back to work and in a secure place for their families... We’re ignoring the loopholes. We’re ignoring the subsidies. We’re ignoring all the [tax] breaks that have happened over a decade-plus. And now we’re asking the middle class, the elderly, the poor, to carry the brunt of mistakes that were made ten or twelve years ago.”

Everyone has seen the consistent flow of national polls showing that Americans, by overwhelming margins do NOT want to see cuts in benefits to Medicare or Medicaid (let alone Social Security). Yesterday a PCCC poll of Virginian's showed that even in that state, which sometimes elects far right-wing Republican lunatics like Bob McDonnell and Ken Cuccinelli and usually votes right-leaning Democrats statewide, that Virginia voters are adamant about now benefits cuts-- so adamant that they'd consider ousting any Democrat who backs the Obama-Boehner Grand Sellout.

A few interesting findings that jumped out at me are: 1) Bob McDonnell within 4 points of Mark Warner for U.S. Senate in 2014; 2) any support by Sen. Warner for cutting Medicare and/or Medicaid, including raising the retirement age, would make 33% of voters "less likely" to vote for him (vs. 22% who say "more likely"); and 3) Virginia voters believe President Obama's mandate in this election is far more to focus on jobs (46%) than on the debt (22%). Let's hope our leaders are listening...

New Poll Results:

QUESTION: Do you approve or disapprove of the way Democrat Mark Warner is handling his job as US Senator?

Approve ..........................................................54%
Disapprove...................................................... 36%
Not sure .......................................................... 11%

QUESTION: If the election for Senate were held today, and the choices were Democrat Mark Warner and Republican Bob McDonnell, who would you vote for?

Mark Warner ................................................... 50%
Bob McDonnell ............................................... 46%
Undecided....................................................... 4%

QUESTION: If Senator Mark Warner supported any cuts to Medicare and Medicaid benefits, including raising the retirement age or reducing cost of living adjustments, would that make you more or less likely to vote for him, or would it make no difference to your vote?

More likely....................................................... 22%
Less likely ....................................................... 33%
Wouldn't make a difference............................. 39%
Not sure.......................................................... 7%

Meanwhile, President Obama's partner in treachery against the America people, the House Republican leadership, is not getting very good grades from the American people. A new Gallup Poll released yesterday shows that trust in the Republican congressional leaders to handle the so-called "fiscal cliff" has fallen even more this week-- down to 26%. [In contrast, Democratic congressional leaders get a 38% positive rating and President Obama gets a 48% positive. 64% of Americans disapprove of the way Boehner, Cantor and Miss McConnell are handling the negotiations. I bet they would approve of Jerry Nadler (D-NY), though. Listen below where he explains it's what's in the deal not that there is a deal. That is most important to him. "I won't vote," he states right from the git-go, "for any deal that cuts Social Security or that reduces benefits to Medicare; I hope that no one else will either." Blue America will be there with you, Congressman Nadler.