How Do You Know Who The New Dems Are? Right Before Elections They Vote With The GOP To Condemn President Obama

Two-faced Georgia reactionary,  John Barrow, votes with Republicans to condemn President Obama

The House is back in session after their 2 month vacation-- and just before another 6 week vacation. Right off the bat Boehner had McCarthy bring up some cockamamie resolution (HR 644) by Virginia crackpot Scott Ridell, "condemning the Obama administration’s failure to comply with the lawful statutory requirement to notify Congress before releasing individuals detained at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and expressing national security concerns over the release of five Taliban leaders and the repercussions of negotiating with terrorists." Predictably, it passed. But it wasn't a strictly party-line vote. Of course all 227 zombie-Republicans voted YES-- even the "moderates." But 22 semi-Democrats from the Republican wing of the Democratic Party voted for the condemnation too. These are all cowards who fear for their precious careers. If one is yours… do the right thing in November:

• John Barrow (Blue Dog/New Dem- GA)
• Ami Bera (New Dem-CA)
• Bruce Braley (foot-in-mouth Senate candidate-IA)
• Julia Brownley (New Dem-CA)
• Cheri Bustos (Blue Dog-IL)
• Jim Costa (Blue Dog-CA)
• Henry Cuellar (Blue Dog-TX)
• Tulsi Gabbard (HI)
• Pete Gallego (Blue Dog/New Dem-TX)
• Joe Garcia (New Dem-FL)
• Dan Lipinski (Blue Dog-IL)
• Jim Matheson (Blue Dog-UT)
• Mike Michaud (Blue Dog-ME)
• Patrick Murphy (New Dem-FL)
• Beto O'Rourke (TX)
• Gary Peters (New Dem-MI)
• Collin Peterson (Blue Dog-MN)
• Nick Rahall (Blue Dog-WV)
• Raul Ruiz (CA)
• Kurt Schrader (Blue Dog/New Dem-OR)
• Kyrsten Sinema (Blue Dog/New Dem-AZ)
• Tim Walz (MN)

Obviously, the Republican leadership has more pre-election troublemaking in mind besides just a ritual condemnation of Obama that isn't even going to be taken up by the Senate. Tuesday evening they took up Steve Southerland's dirty water bill, HR 5078, which passed 262-152, every Republican voting for more polluted water except Chris Smith (R-NJ). They were joined by 35 Democrats, mostly the regular suspects from the Republican wing of the party, the Barbers and Barrows, Sinemas and Gallegos. The idea behind the bill is to turn oversight of waterways and wetlands over to local governments that are more easily bribed by corporate interests than federal overseers. Big developers and Big Sugar pushed hard for this and many of the backing came from Members taking legalistic bribes from the Big Sugar monopolies. Of the 10 biggest recipients of Big Sugar bribes in the House this cycle, only two voted against Southerland's bill, Betty McCollum (D-MN) and Dan Kildee (D-MI). This is just the cash that's been given to these congresscrooks so far this cycle:

• Mike Conaway (R-TX)- $50,000
• Collin Peterson (Blue Dog-MN)- $46,400
• Mike Simpson (R-ID)- $42,500
• Frank Lucas (R-OK)- $38,400
• Alcee Hastings (D-FL)- $36,000
• Dan Kildee (D-MI)- $34,500
• Joe Garcia (New Dem-FL)- 32,200
• Doug LaMalfa (R-CA)- $30,500
• Betty McCollum (D-MN)- $30,000
• Bob Gibbs (R-OH)- $29,500

So far, in his short political career, Southerland, a freshman, has taken $49,500 from Big Sugar. There's no reason to think Big Sugar, which gives equally to corrupt Democrats and corrupt Republicans, will have any problem if Blue Dog Gwen Graham, who's already raised a fortune and has taken $400,192 from special interest pacs, replaces him. Even if the anti-EPA bill gets through the Senate, which isn't likely, Obama's not going to sign it into law.

[T]he White House has threatened to veto the bill, saying the federal rule is needed to ensure clean water for future generations and to reduce regulatory uncertainty. More than 115 million Americans get their drinking water from rivers, lakes and reservoirs that are at risk of pollution from upstream sources, the White House said.

EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy said the proposal does not include new restrictions and merely clarifies what bodies of water already are under federal jurisdiction in the Clean Water Act.

“To set the record straight: this is not about restricting farmers; it’s about protecting downstream water quality for all of us without getting in the way of American agriculture,” McCarthy said in a July speech to a farmers group.

The effort to redefine what constitutes “waters of the United States” was spurred by two Supreme Court decisions that blurred understanding of what waters are covered under the Clean Water Act. Two Supreme Court decisions, in 2001 and 2006, limited regulators’ reach but left unclear the scope of authority over small waterways that might flow intermittently. Landowners and developers say the government has gone too far in regulating isolated ponds or marshes with no direct connection to navigable waterways.

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said the rule would extend the EPA’s power to include streams, ponds, ditches and even stormwater runoff, at the expense of small businesses and farmers.

“Beyond sounding ridiculous, this rule will impact farmers, energy producers and any private citizens that use their land for economic or recreational purposes,” said McCarthy, who is not related to the EPA official.

Rep. Nick Rahall, D-W.Va., said the EPA rule would hurt his coal-producing state and cost jobs in a troubled economy.

“One has to wonder what is in the water over at EPA headquarters,” said Rahall, one of several Democrats in farming and energy-producing states to support the GOP bid to block the EPA.

Rep. Tim Bishop, D-N.Y., said opponents were mischaracterizing the EPA rule.

“It’s not about the federal government trying to regulate someone’s backyard birdbath,” Bishop said. Instead, he said the rule would protect waterways that provide drinking water to millions of Americans and habitat to wildlife of all types.