Good Riddance, Jeff Van Drew, Who Has Always Belonged In The GOP

If you're a regular DWT reader, the Washington Post and NY Times pieces from earlier today should come as no surprise: Blue Dog and fake-Democrat Jefferson Van Drew is jumping the fence and becoming a Republican instead of just voting like one. Mike DeBonis, Rachel Bade and Josh Hawsey wrote it up. And Jonathan Martin did the honors for the Times. The Post crew said his switch to the GOP-- after a meeting with Señor Trumpanzee on Friday-- would be a "political jolt to Democrats ahead of next week’s expected vote to impeach the president." Why? Have they not be noticing how he votes? Progressive Punch doesn't just rate his voting record an "F." They show he has the most anti-progressive record of any Democrat (19.23)-- and more conservative than independent former Republican Justin Amash (32.93) and 3 Republicans, Brian Fitzpatrick (28.57), Thomas Massie (28.33) and John Katko (21.20). Van Drew's voting record is closer to conservative Republican Elise Stefanik's (16.10) than it is to the next worst Democrat, Anthony Brindisi (23.08). The New Jersey Democratic Party has already been warning that they would not back him in a primary fight, although, of course, DCCC Chair Cheri Bustos has been firmly on his side and has offered to spend whatever he needed for reelection.

Two Democratic officials familiar with Van Drew’s discussions in recent days said they believe he has decided to switch parties. The White House meeting was confirmed by a Trump administration official and one of the Democratic officials.

Van Drew and Rep. Collin C. Peterson, a veteran Minnesota Democrat who represents a much more conservative district than Van Drew’s, were the only two Democrats to vote against a House resolution in October formalizing the impeachment inquiry.

Van Drew’s decision to oppose impeachment badly alienated Democratic voters in his district, sparking a primary challenge that threatened his prospects for reelection.

A polling memo obtained by the Washington Post, citing results of a Dec. 7-10 survey of likely Democratic voters commissioned by Van Drew’s campaign, found that only 24 percent believed that he should be reelected, with 58 percent wanting another Democrat nominated for the seat.

Speculation about a potential party switch has swirled for days on Capitol Hill and inside New Jersey political circles. Van Drew on Tuesday denied that he was switching parties, as he maintained that he would vote against impeachment.

“I’m not changing anything-- just doing my job,” he said in a brief interview. “I’m still a Democrat, right here.”

Asked if Republicans had approached him about a party switch, he said, “I’m not talking about other people and what they’re doing.”

A few weeks ago, Van Drew's handpicked candidate to replace him in the state Senate, another GOP-lite conservative pretending to be a Democrat,, was defeated. Bob Andrzejczak is a Van Drew clone and he lost to Republican Mike Testa in a district that includes much of Van Drew's-- 27,163 (53.5%) to 23,636 (46.5%.

Van Drew is hardly the first Blue Dog to jump the fence. The name "Blue Dog" came from Fort Worth conservative Democrat Pete Geren who switched to the GOP and got a job from George W. Bush. Three other Blue Dog founders, Billy Tauzin (LA), Gene Taylor (MS), Nathan Deal (GA), Jimmy Hayes (LA), Ralph Hall (TX), also became Republicans. Since the desertion of the founders many more Blue Dogs have jumped ship, especially Blue Dogs from the old slave holding states, such as Parker Griffith (AL), Charles Canady (FL), Artur Davis (AL), and Virgil Goode (VA).

I guess he won't be part of this one-- but he has already collected $1,276,316 this year as a Democratic candidate, including large amounts from unions and from Democratic leadership PACs (about a hundred thousand dollars), including Steny Hoyer's PAC. Before Trump bribed him on Friday, Van Drew had very publicly promised he would stay a Democrat, so he really should give all that money back that he took under false pretenses.