DCCC Wants You To Defeat Everyone Who Voted Against The Minimum Wage-- Except The 6 ConservaDems Who Crossed The Aisle Friday

The other day, we mentioned that every single Republican-- no exceptions-- voted against George Miller's modest proposal to gradually increase the minimum wage to $10.10/hour. And almost every Democrat voted to increase the minimum wage. Almost? Yes, 6 of the most conservative, anti-working family Democrats-- each of whom votes far more frequently with the GOP than with the Democrats-- crossed the aisle and voted with Bohener and Cantor against working folks. It's not even a big deal about which Democrats did this-- Barrow (Blue Dog/New Dem-GA), Matheson (Blue Dog-UT), McIntyre (Blue Dog/New Dem-NC), Owens (New Dem-NY), Peterson (Blue Dog-MN) and Kurt Shrader (Blue Dog/New Dem-OR)-- because they do it all the time. Here are their ProgressivePunch career-long crucial vote scores:

• John Barrow- 37.95
• Jim Matheson- 43.22
• Mike McIntyre- 45.92
• Bill Owens- 38.08
• Collin Peterson- 40.43
• Kurt Shrader- 59.09

The other thing they have in common is the kind of massive support they get from the DCCC. Most of the money the DCCC collects from donors is spent on reelecting incumbents-- but not just any incumbent. They have a list of Democrats who they say most need the help. The majority of the Democrats on that list and on it because they can't raise money from the Democratic base on their own because they vote with the GOP so frequently on the most important issues. And wouldn't you know it-- all the ConservaDems who voted against the minimum wage increase (except Collin Peterson and Kurt Schrader who funds their campaigns by extorting legalistic bribes from lobbyists with business before their committees)-- are on the DCCC's Frontline list. If you donate to the DCCC you are donating to Democrats who will vote to end Choice, vote against equality for the LGBT community, vote to do whatever the NRA tells them to do and, as we saw this week, vote against working families. Donate to the DCCC and you are sending money to John Barrow, Jim Matheson, Mike McIntyre and Bill Owens.

The money the DCCC wastes on these Members Boehner and Cantor have come to depend on is money that could have elected dependable progressive leaders like Rob Zerban and Nate Shinagawa, each of whom came close to beating their Republican opponent but got no help from the DCCC and didn't quite go the distance. Needless to say, within minutes of the anti-minimum wage vote Friday the DCCC and all the Beltway shills who parrot their line were screeching about how the Republicans killed a minimum wage increase. But have Barrow, Matheson, McIntyre, Owens, Peterson and Shrader switched parties? I don't think so. Here's a fundraising letter the DCCC sent out within an hour of the vote:

VOTE ALERT: Congressman Shithead Just Rejected Minimum Wage Increase

Congressman John Shithead just rejected a commonsense measure to increase the minimum wage.

Working families have gone without an increase in the minimum wage since 2009, and according to a Pew Research/USA Today poll last month, 71 percent of Americans favor increasing the minimum wage. The latest Census Bureau numbers show that income rose for the top fifth of American households last year while median income fell to a level that is 8 percent lower than pre-recession levels.

“In our country, it’s not right when men and women work hard at a full-time job and can’t earn enough to make ends meet or support their families, but Congressman Shithead would rather chose Tea Party ideology than help hardworking families,” said Emily Bittner of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “The people of California work hard and play by the rules but they’re getting squeezed by higher prices and lower earnings-- and now Congressman Shithead just said no to a commonsense way to put more money in their pockets: raise the minimum wage.”

  BACKGROUND

Congressman John Shithead Voted Against Increasing the Minimum Wage from $7.25 to $10.10 Over Three Years. Upon enactment, the measure would have increased the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $8.20 within three months. A year from this date, the federal minimum wage would increase from $8.20 to $9.15. A year from this date, the federal minimum wage would increase to $10.10. [HR 803, Vote #74, 3/15/13]

Raising the Minimum Wage Would Benefit as Many as 30 Million Americans. According to the Economic Policy Institute, “Increasing the federal minimum wage to $10.10 by July 1, 2015, would raise the wages of about 30 million workers, who would receive over $51 billion in additional wages over the phase-in period.” [Economic Policy Institute, 3/13/13]

  ·         Raising the Minimum Wage to $10.10 Would Generate 140,000 Net New Jobs. According to the Economic Policy Institute, “Across the phase-in period of the minimum-wage increase, GDP would increase by roughly $32.6 billion, resulting in the creation of approximately 140,000 net new jobs (and 284,000 job years) over that period.” [Economic Policy Institute, 3/13/13]

Wealthiest Get Richer While Middle Class Income Shrinks, according to Census Bureau. “Income for the top fifth of American households rose by 1.6 percent last year...All households in the middle of the scale saw declines...The numbers helped drive an overall decline in income for the typical American family. Median household income after inflation fell to $50,054, a level that was 8 percent lower than in 2007, the year before the recession took hold.” [New York Times, 9/12/12]

In other words, the DCCC wants you to contribute to them because, for example, Paul Ryan voted against raising the minimum wage. But they won't use the money to help defeat Ryan and replace him with Rob Zerban who wants to raise the minimum wage but will instead use it to help reelect reactionary anti-working family shills John Barrow, Mike McIntyre, Jim Matheson and Bill Ownes who voted with Ryan against the minimum wage. This, by the way, makes perfect sense to people who have spent too much time Inside-the-Beltway. 

The Boehner Boys In Action-- Big Time

Steve Israel ready to fight... progressives

There were two bills that passed in the House Thursday that should help define what the next two years in that body are going to be like-- and presage the need to more clearly define what the Democratic Party stands for. Both bills were passed by the GOP with the help of a motley gaggle of right-wing Blue Dogs and other die-hard conservative Democrats, the remnants of the Boehner Boys (most of whom were beaten at the polls last November).

The first of the votes was to approve Robert Dold's H.Res 150, the FHA Refinance Program Termination Act which, if passed by the Senate and signed by President Obama, would rescind and permanently cancel all unexpended funding remaining available and allocated for the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) Refinancing Program of the Making Home Affordable initiative of the Secretary of the Treasury (under which borrowers owing more on their mortgage than the value of their home are provided opportunities to refinance into a FHA loan). It passed 256- 171. One Republican, Joe Heck, whose Nevada district has one of the worst housing crisis in the country, voted with the Democrats. But 18 of the most family-unfriendly conservative Democrats stuck with Boehner, as most of them have on almost all contested votes so far this year:

Jason Altmire (Blue Dog-PA)- 25.58
John Barrow (Blue Dog-GA)- 27.91
Dan Boren (Blue Dog-OK)- 16.28
Dennis Cardoza (Blue Dog-CA)- 33.33
John Carney (DE)- 55.81
Ben Chandler (Blue Dog-KY)- 34.88
Jim Cooper (Blue Dog-TN)- 51.16
Jim Costa (Blue Dog-CA)- 21.95
Henry Cuellar (Blue Dog-TX)- 27.91
Rick Larsen (WA)- 65.12
Dan Lipinski (IL)- 44.19
Jim Matheson (Blue Dog-UT)- 34.15
Bill Owens (NY)- 32.56
Collin Peterson (Blue Dog-MN)- 27.91
Mike Ross (Blue Dog-AR)- 20.93
Kurt Schrader (Blue Dog-OR)- 67.44
Heath Shuler (Blue Dog-NC)- 46.51
Tim Waltz (MN)- 51.16

The same day, Republicans and their Blue Dog allies voted for corporate shill Jeb Hensarling's Emergency Mortgage Relief Program Termination Act (H.Res. 151), which would rescind and permanently cancel all unobligated funding remaining available under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act for the Emergency Mortgage Relief Program. This one passed 242-177 with two Republicans-- Steven LaTourette (OH) and Jaime Herrera Beutler (WA) voting with the Democrats and 8 of the very worst Blue Dogs sticking with Boehner:

Jason Altmire (Blue Dog-PA)- 25.58
John Barrow (Blue Dog-GA)- 27.91
Dan Boren (Blue Dog-OK)- 16.28
Dennis Cardoza (Blue Dog-CA)- 33.33
Ben Chandler (Blue Dog-KY)- 34.88
Jim Costa (Blue Dog-CA)- 21.95
Tim Holden (Blue Dog-PA)- 30.23
Kurt Schrader (Blue Dog-OR)- 67.44

By the way, the bolded renegade Democrats are the ones who have been chosen by "ex"-Blue Dog Steve Israel, DCCC Chair, to get priority treatment-- the bulk of the contributions that come in to the DCCC. The number next to each name is their Progressive Punch Crucial Vote score for the current session. Note Dan Boren's 16.28, which is now lower than that of several dozen Republicans'! And you wonder why people are confused about the difference between the two parties?

Maybe you know that Blue America has a special Blue Dog page, dedicated to replacing them with real Democrats.


NOTE FROM KEN: Owing to technical difficulties, today's Sunday Classics post will appear at 2pm PT.

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Are Blue Dogs Boehner's Ace In The Hole Against Teabagger Defections In His Own Caucus?

It shouldn't surprise anyone that the corporately funded-- albeit greatly shriveled-- Blue Dog caucus is working with Wall Street shills John Boehner and Paul Ryan to shred the social safety net for the poorest Americans. This week, after Heath Shuler-- one of the Blue Dogs who has voted more frequently on substantive issues with the GOP than with the Democrats-- went on another of his whiny attacks against Nancy Pelosi, the most corrupt member of the Blue Dog hierarchy, Mike Ross started publicly hinting the Blue Dogs are going to join the GOP jihad against the middle class.



The Blue Dogs were decimated in the November elections as Democratic voters sat on their hands and helped defeat over half the caucus. They lost another member yesterday when California conservative corporate shill Jane Harman announced her retirement from Congress. Among the Blue Dogs defeated in November were many of the ones who voted with Boehner as a default position-- slimy right-wingers like Jim Marshall (GA), Allen Boyd (FL), Bobby Bright (AL), Travis Childers (MS), Glenn Nye (VA), Gene Taylor (MS), Harry Mitchell (AZ), Frank Kratovil (MD), Walt Minnick (ID) and Lincoln Davis (TN). Most of the rest of the defeated Democrats were conservative Blue Dog allies like Michael McMahon (NY), John Adler (NJ), Suzanne Kosmas (FL), Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ) and Ike Skelton (MO). Blue Dog candidates for Senate like Charlie Melancon (LA) and Brad Ellsworth (IN) were soundly beaten and the House challengers backed by the Blue Dogs, like Lori Edwards (FL) and Chad Causey (AR) were all thoroughly thrashed by teabagger sociopaths running as Republicans.

Blue Dogs have an ace in the hole with former caucus member and new DCCC chairman Steve Israel-- who has already been strutting around Washington declaring himself "Rahm without the filthy mouth," meaning he'll be doing everything in his power to keep progressives out of primaries while bolstering anti-Choice, anti-gay, anti-immigrant, anti-union conservatives like Ross, Shuler, Jim Matheson (UT), John Barrow (GA) and the rest of the Blue Dog left behinds. The Blue Dogs are raising a huge warchest from shady lobbyists and corporate sources with which to shoe horn conservatives into Democratic primaries, guaranteeing that voters have no choice between a conservative Republican and a conservative Democrat. Blue America fights that here and could use whatever help you can afford.

The 26-member Blue Dog Coalition met Monday in New York with former President Clinton to discuss ways to move a centrist political agenda through a divided Congress. Clinton advised the group on ways to handle the situation and discussed budget, housing and energy policy, Rep. Jim Matheson (D-Utah) said.

“One of the reasons we invited President Clinton was he had to work with Republicans after the ’94 election,” Ross said.

He said that even though the coalition lost half its members in the most recent election, it might have more clout this Congress.

That’s because Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) could have trouble winning the support of some Tea Party-backed freshmen. The Blue Dog Coalition could provide needed votes to move centrist bills through the chamber, Ross said.

“Blue Dogs have always been about bringing people to the middle,” Ross said. “If we can play a role … we are all about that.”

Coalition member Rep. John Barrow (D-Ga.) told reporters that the Blue Dogs would be looking to partner on ways to reduce burdensome regulations and lessen the negative impact of the Dodd-Frank financial reform act.

Blue Dogs are wrestling to find the right balance between cutting spending and investing to create jobs. Democratic leaders have argued that cutting $32 billion in spending this year could harm the economic recovery.

The Blue Dogs will be focused this year on restoring fiscal discipline while looking to “jumpstart our economy and put people back to work,” Ross said.

Clinton told the group that he believes government should foster innovation to provide the economy with a “new game-changer that creates new types of jobs,” Matheson said.

Ross is hoping to provide the votes Boehner needs when nascent shreds of populism pull teabaggers away from the anti-family, Wall Street agenda that is shared by the Blue Dogs and Republicans of the Boehner-Cantor-Ryan ilk, the architects and strong arms behind Bush's TARP Wall Street bailout.

Boehner Boys Are Back-- The Loyal Opposition

Republicans must be fuming now that Obama has coopted their whole platform and made it his own. True, lunatic fringe sociopaths like Georgia freak and John Bircher Paul Broun are screeching that Obama is a socialist, but-- when push came to shove-- the official GOP response to Tuesday night's State of the Union address by Paul Ryan had more in common with Obama than with Michele Bachmann's crackpot Tea Party ravings. Broun tweeted away during the president's speech, like this:


Earlier in the day, Broun walked in lockstep with his Republican colleagues in passing H. Res. 38. The resolution was introduced by flagrant Republican closet queen David Dreier, a man whose entire pathetic life is built around lies and deception, and he named it "Reducing non-security spending to fiscal year 2008 levels or less." It sounds like he had gotten an advance copy of Obama's SOTU speech and was determined to claim the ground Obama would be covering. The resolution, which passed 256-165, "requires the Chair of the House Committee on the Budget to include in the Congressional Record the contemplated allocation for the Committee on Appropriations for the remainder of FY2011 that assumes a transition to non-security spending at FY2008 levels or less."

Looks like there was some bipartisanship going on there even before everyone had picked their cross-species sitting partners for the night's Big Event. I mean there are only 242 Republicans, so how did the resolution wind up with 256 votes? Easy... the Boehner Boys are back (in town)! Remember this?

Since Obama was elected there are a handful of neo-Confederate Blue Dogs who have voted-- on crucial substantive issues-- more frequently with the Republicans than with the Democrats, Parker Griffith of Alabama has gone so far as to promise his constituents that if they re-elect him, which isn't very likely (since Democrats have no reason to vote for him and Republicans will have their own candidate), he'll vote against Nancy Pelosi as Speaker next year. The Blue Dogs, and fellow travelers, who vote more frequently with the GOP on the big issues are, from bad to worse:

Baron Hill (IN)
Jim Matheson (UT)
John Barrow (GA)
Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ)
Mike McIntyre (NC)
Heath Shuler (NC)
Chris Carney (PA)
Mike Ross (AR)
Artur Davis (AL)
Lincoln Davis (TN)
Joe Donnelly (IN)
Frank Kratovil (MD)
Walt Minnick (ID)
Jason Altmire (PA)
Bobby Bright (AL)
Charlie Melancon (LA)
Harry Mitchell (AZ)
Glenn Nye (VA)
Scott Murphy (NY)
Jim Marshall (GA)
Dan Boren (OK)
Travis Childers (MS)
Parker Griffith (AL)
Gene Taylor (MS)

Many of these clowns were recruited and nurtured by Rahm Emanuel to help keep the Democratic caucus corporate friendly for his Wall Street paymasters. There are several Republicans who vote more frequently with the Democrats than some of these characters-- Tim Johnson, Ron Paul, Mike Castle, Jimmy Duncan, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Vernon Ehlers, Walter Jones and Chris Smith. But most of the time the Republicans vote in lockstep. Their party discipline is good; they're all a bunch of robots for the most part.

The names in bold are congressmembers, mostly Blue Dogs, who were defeated in November and are no longer selling out Democratic principles and values-- at least not on the floor of Congress, many having moved on to Blue Dog Heaven (K Street). But the ones not bolded somehow escaped the midterms intact and are, once again, doing whatever Boehner and Cantor want. And a few hours before Obama's State of the Union, what Boehner and Cantor wanted was a partisan GOP banner proclaiming that these Republicans are no longer the Bush party that drove America to the brink of Depression and economic ruin-- although millions of families were driven over that brink. And which Democrats, exactly, danced to the tune Boehner and Cantor was playing? Should be easy for DWT regulars to guess:

Jason Altmire (Blue Dog-PA)
John Barrow (Blue Dog-GA)
Dan Boren (Blue Dog-OK)
Ben Chandler (Blue Dog-KY)
Jim Cooper (Blue Dog-TN)
Jim Costa (Blue Dog-CA)
Jerry Costello (fellow traveler-IL)
Joe Donnelly (Blue Dog-IN)
Tim Holden (Blue Dog-PA)
Larry Kissell (fellow traveler-NC)
Lipinski, Jr (fellow traveler-IL/TN)
Jim Matheson (Blue Dog-UT)
Collin Peterson (Blue Dog-MN)
Mike Quigley (IL)
Mike Ross (Blue Dog-AR)
Kurt Schrader (Blue Dog-OR)
Heath Shuler (Blue Dog-NC)

Keep track of these names. They will be the Democrats giving bipartisan cover to right-wing Republicans on their quest to destroy the middle class and empower Big Business. And, of course, to win back the Senate and the White House in 2012. These guys give a new meaning to the term "the loyal opposition."

Just so you know, Blue America, which was key in defeating the single worst Blue Dog from last session, Bobby Bright, is starting up operations again for BadDogs.