The 2014 Democratic Freshman Class... And The Republicans

New Jersey voters are sending an African-American woman to Congress-- for the first time

Yesterday, Limbaugh said that Republicans were elected "to stop the Democrats. Republicans were not elected to govern." Democrats, on the other hand, are elected to govern. And even though the Democrats got clobbered Tuesday, there were a number of good Democrats elected.

Blue America missed seeing some of our favorite candidates, like Paul Clements, Pat Murphy and Kelly Westlund, get elected. But we did see Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ) elected, someone we expect to see rise in the leadership. She is smart, dedicated, feisty, grounded in strong values and has already served as the Majority Leader of the New Jersey state Assembly. Tuesday, she beat her Republican opponent 60.62 to 36.88%. Similarly, another Blue America-endorsed candidate, Ted Lieu, beat the heavily-financed Sheldon Adelson candidate 58.37 to 41.63%. That was significantly better than longtime Democratic incumbent Henry Waxman did last year in his reelection bid (when he scored 54). Ted has been a tested leader in the California state legislature and has worked tirelessly and effectively to push a common-sense progressive vision he'll be bringing to Washington. Here's the freshman class-- or at least the part of it that ran so that they can help govern, not just obstruct:

• Ruben Gallego (AZ-07)- progressive
• Pete Aguilar (CA-31)- corrupt New Dem
• Ted Lieu (CA-33)- progressive
• Norma Torres (CA-35)- moderate
• Gwen Graham (FL-02)- Blue Dog, who has already vowed to oppose Pelosi
• Mark Takai (HI-01)- moderate
• Seth Moulton (MA-06)- moderate
• Debbie Dingell (MI-12)- transactional hack
• Brenda Lawrence (MI-14)- moderate
• Brad Ashford (NE-02)- Blue Dog
• Donald Norcross (NJ-01)- corrupt transactional hack
• Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12)- progressive
• Alma Adams (NC-12)- moderate
• Brendan Boyle (PA-13)- moderate
• Donald Beyer (VA-08)- transactional hack/New Dem

Of the 15 Democratic freshmen, 2 defeated Republican incumbents and the rest just took over very Democratic seats.

Among the newly elected Republicans, there's a whole menagerie of bizarre sociopaths who are destined for Ted Cruz's suicide caucus, particularly David Brat (VA), Barbara Comstock (VA), Glenn Grothman (WI), Jody Hice (GA) and Mark Walker (NC). At least there's plenty of entertainment value promised in this lot.

A quick scan of some of the newest members of the House shows just how extreme this latest crop of Tea Party Republican members of Congress truly are.

From Georgia to Maine, Virginia to Wisconsin, Illinois to Iowa, extreme Tea Party Republicans have been elected to seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. Take Glenn Grothman in Wisconsin’s 6th District to start. We’ve already detailed the long list of Grothman’s greatest extreme hits, but as a quick refresher, the Congressman-elect has: proselytized about the “war on men,” fought for a seven-day workweek, and proposed a law to formally consider single parenthood a contributing factor to child abuse.

In Georgia, Congressman-elect Jody Hice thinks it’s okay for women to run for public office, provided they do so with the permission of their husbands. Hice wrote a book in 2012 in which, according to Mother Jones, he “asserts that supporters of abortion rights are worse than Hitler and compares gay relationships to bestiality and incest.” In that same book, Hice “asserts the gay community has a secret plot to recruit and sodomize children,” and writes that Islam “does not deserve First Amendment protections.”

BOTB

Virginia’s 7th District, former home of Eric Cantor, will now be represented by Tea Party upstart David Brat. Brat, a professor by trade, has a deep appreciation for and commitment to rigorous science and facts, as evidenced by his claim that he is not concerned with global climate change because “over time, rich countries solve their problems.” Brat has also argued that one of the largest factors in economic growth is “the Protestant religious establishment,” and in an olive branch of bipartisanship, claimed that “the left does not believe in diversity. They believe in top-down, I’m going to force my way onto you.”

Just up the road in Virginia’s 10th District, Congresswoman-elect Barbara Comstock has voted in favor of allowing Virginians to bring guns into bars (because that can only end well). She pushed anti-union bills as a state legislator while being paid by a right to work advocacy group. And to top it off, she supported personhood legislation and voted in favor of an extreme piece of legislation requiring Virginia women to undergo a transvaginal ultrasound before they could receive an abortion.

New York’s Lee Zeldin, First District, also wants to restrict women’s access to health care, and supports a tax break for the wealthiest 2% of Americans. Lest you think those were Zeldin’s only extreme policy positions, the good Congressman-elect also supports an option to replace Social Security with private investment accounts. In Maine’s 2nd District, newly elected Bruce Poliquin opposes raising the federal minimum wage and likely violated the state’s constitution by being involved with businesses while serving as state treasurer.

It’s not just extreme policy positions and offensive rhetoric that defines this crop of Tea Party Republicans. Some prefer to put their Tea Party-patented obstructionism front and center. David Young from Iowa’s 3rd District is an admitted member of the anti-compromise caucus. He praised Cruz’s filibuster and the shutdown last year; supports abolishing government agencies like Departments of Energy, Commerce, and Education, as well as the EPA and IRS; and he opposes rape and incest exceptions for abortions.

Meanwhile, Illinois Republican Mike Bost (IL-02) once had an outburst while serving in the Illinois House over a pension reform bill in which he threw papers all over the floor and compared Republicans and his constituents to the Biblical flight of Jews from Egypt. The Chicago Tribune kindly referred to Bost as an “obstructionist.” Huffington Post reported that while Bost “made a name for himself” with outbursts like this, his aggressive temper has not been confined to legislative matters. With Mitch McConnell promising no more government shutdowns, maybe Ted Cruz could learn a thing or two from Bost’s antics.

This is just a snapshot of the Republican Party’s latest class of Tea Party House electees. Are they moderate? No. Has anything changed for the “rebranded” GOP? Definitely not.

And, if that's not enough for you, the DCCC has a great press release out today, "Which New House Republican..." Keep in mind the DCCC didn't challenge most of these GOP sociopaths they're railing against today. Still... good press release:

…Thinks the government should track undocumented immigrants like FedEx packages?

Answer: Barbara Comstock (VA-10): “I think immigration should be done by legislation, not executive action. I think first and foremost, we need to stop playing politics with this and secure the borders…Fedex can track packages coming in here all the time; we can track people who are coming into the country. And we can do that right.” [ThinkProgress, 9/25/14]

…Thinks Social Security and Medicare are Ponzi schemes?

Answer: Carlos Curbelo (FL-26): “Taking a page from Rick Perry, Miami congressional candidate Carlos Curbelo called Medicare and Social Security ‘a Ponzi scheme’ that needs extensive reforms in order to remain sustainable. Curbelo, who was in D.C. fundraising, made the comment in a talk to George Washington University College Republicans on Thursday. A Democratic ‘tracker’ filmed Curbelo’s university remarks-- unbeknown to him, Curbelo said Friday.” [Miami Herald, 9/19/14]

…Thinks women, minorities and young voters are to blame for problems in this country?

Answer:  Cresent Hardy (NV-04): “Republican state lawmaker and congressional candidate Cresent Hardy blamed women, minorities and young voters for problems in the United States by electing President Barack Obama.” [Las Vegas Sun, 9/23/14]

…Thinks government shutdowns can be “constructive?”

Answer: French Hill (AR-02): “First of all, government shutdowns have been a part of the tension between the executive branch and the legislative branch for decades. […] So it’s not always something that’s a partisan issue, there’s a constructive tension between the executive and legislative.” [Delta Grassroots Forum, 6/13/14]

…Thinks the U.S. is importing steel from North Korea?

Answer: Mike Bost (IL-12):  In 2014 Bost said: “Another concern is the Granite City right now has a concern with Granite City Steel, because what has occurred in, our tariffs not being place in incoming steel from China and from I think its North Korea.” [The Southern Illinoisan Editorial Board, 10/21/14]

.…Said he doesn’t “have a qualm” about going to war with Mexico?

Answer: Mark Walker (NC-06): “‘But I would tell you, if you have foreigners who are sneaking in with drug cartels, to me that is a national threat, and if we got to go laser or blitz somebody with a couple of fighter jets for a little while to make our point, I don’t have a problem with that either,’ Walker said, garnering applause from the audience. A followup question asked if he would have qualms about going to war with Mexico. ‘Well, we did it before. If we need to do it again, I don’t have a qualm about it,’ the candidate said.” [WRAL, 9/18/14]

…Said the First Amendment should not cover Islam, likened being born gay to being born violent, and thought women should get husband’s permission before entering politics?

Answer: Jody Hice (GA-10): “Hice, a Baptist minister and conservative radio show host, has also said the First Amendment should not cover Islam, once likened being born gay with being born violent and said it is okay for women to hold positions of power in politics, so long they are within their husband’s authority.” [Washington Post, 7/23/14]

…Compared rape allegations to “buyer’s remorse?”

Answer: Ken Buck (CO-04): “He also defended his handling of an alleged rape in 2005 that he declined to prosecute because he believed some of the details appeared to show the woman in question consented to the sexual encounter. Months later, he told the Greeley Tribune that ‘a jury could very well conclude that this is a case of buyer’s remorse.’” [Politico, 10/18/10]

…Called Hillary Clinton the “Anti-Christ?”

Answer: Ryan Zinke (MT-AL): “Ryan Zinke, a former Navy SEAL and state senator who is now running for Congress in Montana, said during a campaign stop this week that he is worried the country is losing sight of the real threat to the nation: Hillary Clinton. ‘We need to focus on the real enemy,’ said Zinke last week, referring to Clinton, according to the Bigfork Eagle. He also called the former Secretary of State the ‘anti-Christ.’” [Huffington Post, 1/31/14]

…Wanted his state to be able to nullify federal laws?

Answer: Tom Emmer (MN-06): “The Minnesota Republican Party’s official candidate to succeed Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who is looking ahead to a 2012 run for President, is a staunch conservative well to Pawlenty’s right who has a long history of “Tentherism,” the attempts by the far right-wing to invoke the Tenth Amendment and nullify federal laws on various liberal initiatives. He has even proposed a state constitutional amendment that would allow federal laws to operate in Minnesota only if they were consented to by super-majorities of the state legislature.” [Talking Points Memo, 5/03/10]

…Thinks being a single parent is child abuse?

Answer: Glenn Grothman (WI-06): “Wisconsin State Senator Glenn Grothman, the Assistant Majority Leader and a close ally of GOP Governor Scott Walker in the effort to destroy collective bargaining in the Badger State, is taking crazy to new levels. Grothman has introduced a bill that would require the State of Wisconsin to officially deem single parenthood to be a ‘contributor’ to child abuse and neglect and to put the same into statutory laws of the state.” [Forbes, 3/02/12]

…Led two government shutdowns in his home state?

Answer: Mike Bishop (MI-08): “Bishop has been blamed by many for a part in helping cause Michigan’s brief government shutdowns in 2007 and 2009 under former governor Jennifer Granholm (D).” [Huffington Post, 4/07/14]

…Foreclosed on as many as 80,000 homes a year?

Answer: Dave Trott (MI-11): “Trott used to own the largest “foreclosure mill” law firm in Michigan, one that churned out hundreds of thousands of evictions after the housing bust. His firm made money off virtually every aspect of the foreclosure process. And the company used what adversaries describe as unscrupulous and potentially illegal tactics to ensure evictions, even when foreclosures were preventable […] Trott was quoted in a 2007 interview saying that foreclosures were ‘all we’ve ever done.’ He would grow the firm to 1,800 employees, processing two-thirds of all Michigan foreclosures and completing as many as 80,000 foreclosures a year. The name Trott was well-known throughout Michigan: In 2013, anti-foreclosure activists set up ‘Trottville’ encampments across the state to protest evictions.” [New Republic, 9/10/14]

…Blamed Middle East turmoil on “girly men” in the White House?

Answer: David Rouzer (NC-07): “After explaining to his audience that putting Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan in the White House would result in ‘real mean’ engaging in foreign policy, a Republican congressional candidate suggested the current wave of turmoil in the Middle East happened because ‘girly men’ currently occupy the White House.” [Mediaite, 9/19/12]

…Wrote a bill that could have kept undocumented immigrants from attending state college, getting a marriage license, and even obtaining water and sewage service?

Answer: Barry Loudermilk (GA-11): “A proposed bill under consideration in the Georgia legislature to prevent all undocumented immigrants from attending state institutions of higher learning also contains provisions which could prevent them from even obtaining marriage licenses and water and sewage service. The legislation, sponsored by Georgia Sen. Barry Loudermilk (R), would remove foreign passports from the list of valid identification documents for state agencies-- unless they were accompanied by federal immigration documentation.” [ThinkProgress, 3/27/12]

…Wanted his state to “opt out” of hate crimes act?

Answer: Steve Russell (OK-05): “A common right-wing objection to federal health care legislation is that it’s unconstitutional […]Oklahoma state Sen. Steve Russell (R) is proposing to use the same argument and tactic to try to exempt his state from the recently-passed Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act-- which extends hate crimes protections to gays and lesbians-- because he claims it infringes on freedom of speech..” [ThinkProgress, 11/18/09]

Today, at his combative, negative press conference, Speaker Boehner conceded that some new GOP members "have made some statements" which are strange but says there will be "some really solid members." We'll try to find one in the coming months.