BREAKING: Steve Israel May Actually Let The DCCC Try To Beat A Republican Committee Chairman!

I've been very excited about how the MoveOn/PPP polls show all those Republican committee chairs who Steve Israel tries to give free reelection passes to are vulnerable because of their support for shutting down the government. Israel only knows how to go up against hapless backbenchers and leaves the evil-doers alone. Opponents to Republican policymakers like Buck McKeon, Paul Ryan, Darrell Issa, Fred Upton, Mike Rogers, etc get no support from the DCCC. In fact, Israel personally calls big donors and tries bullying them into not contributing to candidates running against his Republican pals.

But I was disappointed that one of the most vulnerable-- and most right-wing-- of the GOP committee chairs who Israel refuses to take on, John Kline, hasn't been included in any of the polls. I asked MoveOn and they explained that Minnesota doesn't allow the kinds of phone-polling they were doing. Kline's district, MN-02 in the suburbs south of the Twin Cities includes Eagan, Burnsville, Apple Valley and Mendota Heights. Though the lagging PVI is still R+2, Obama beat both McCain and Romney in this district. Last year Amy Klobuchar swept all 6 counties that make up MN-02, including red Scott County (the wealthiest in the state). Although he had no help whatsoever from the DCCC, Mike Obermueller, the grassroots Democrat who ran against Kline last year-- and is doing so again this year-- held him to a 54-46% win-- with a landslide win in Rice County and a 50/50 tie in Washington County. Kline spent $1,957,356 and, with no backing from the DCCC, Obermueller spent $705,166. In the last week of the campaign, the DCCC-affiliated House Majority PAC realized it had made a big mistake and spent a little over $60,000 trying to help Obermueller-- too little, too late.

This cycle, there are indications the DCCC may be mending its ways-- at least in MN-02. Yesterday, a poll was released by the House Majority PAC for MN-02 that shows Kline, Chairman of the House Education and Work-Force Committee, trailing. In fact, this poll didn't compare Kline to a "generic Democrat." It pitted Kline against Obermueller, a popular state legislator, and showed Obermueller beating Kline 42-38%.

Andy Stone, Communications Director for House Majority PAC, sounds like his group is ready to step in and help Obermueller. “Numbers don’t lie. Voters are clearly holding vulnerable Republicans accountable for shutting down the government and driving the country almost to the point of default."

Rep. Obermueller: "Voters in this district have seen the real John Kline in action over the past few weeks. Congressman Kline is part of the so-called leadership in Congress that took us into an irresponsible government shutdown and to the brink of economic disaster just to deny people healthcare. While Congressman Kline and his friends were letting the reckless Tea-party agenda get in the way of what's best for our country, no one was working on the big challenges we face like reforming our broken immigration system and helping working families get back to work. I know the importance of addressing these issues, and the people in this district deserve a representative who will focus on them. Instead of doing that, Congressman Kline has helped prevent Congress from moving forward on any issue that can't get a Tea-party stamp of approval."