Keeda Haynes: "It Is Time For Change And I Am That Change."

Tennessee is spiking really badly right now. An anti-mask governor and legislature have given the state 59,546 COVID cases-- including 1,955 new cases on Friday, 1,460 new cases on Saturday-- and a rapidly rising 8,933 cases per million Tennesseans. The governor, Bill Lee is a clueless Trump fanatic, refuses to mandate masks and the Tennessee General Assembly... well, the state Senate has 5 Democrats and 28 Republicans and the state House has 26 Dems and 73 Republicans-- obviously a full-fledged chapter of the Trump Southern Death Cult.





They're not worried about the pandemic overwhelming Tennessee hospitals; they're worried about maintaining a memorial to savage mass murderer and KKK first Grand Wizard Nathan Bedford Forrest in the state capitol where they can all admire it everyday and be infused with its Fort Pillow Massacre inspiration. A friend of mine in the legislature tells me they're also plotting the next state gerrymander. With a very good chance that conservative Blue Dog (and proto-Republican) Jim Cooper is going to be defeated by Keeda Haynes, the Fort Pillow Massacre fans intend to eliminate TN-05 (basically the strongly blue city of Nashville and its suburbs) by dividing it up among several Republican districts, exactly what Tom DeLay did to Austin.





Why would they suddenly do this to Nashville? Look closely-- Keeda is a woman; Keeda is progressive; Keeda is African American... and not likely to celebrate the Fort Pillow Massacre with them... or wink and look the other way as some conservative Southern Democrats do.

"I believe that those of us that are closest to the problem are closest to the solution," Keeda told me recently. "I understand and have personal experience with a lot of these issues that we are now demanding be changed in the criminal justice system. Experiencing and seeing these disparities first hand, I personally wrote Jim Cooper a letter regarding the various issues and volunteered to work with him and other members of Congress to address these issues. He met with me but did nothing about these issues. That was over 4 years ago, when he had the opportunity to be on the forefront of criminal justice reform and to fight for our community and our issues and not when it became 'popular' to do so. Nashville deserves better than this. We need a leader who understands the issues the community is facing and will actually lead when it comes to those issues."

As a former public defender, Keeda has fought against all of these racist laws, policies and procedures in the criminal justice system from the wealth based detention-- known as money bail-- to sentencing laws that disproportionately impact black and brown communities. She told that when police officers strip searched her client on the side of the road, when they kicked her client in the face and lied about it; when they profiled her Black and Hispanic clients just to make traffic stops, she filed grievances and complaints against police offers to ensure police accountability, and she has advocated with the community and voted for the police oversight board in Nashville. Fighting systemic racism isn’t new to Keeda. For her this is personal. "Accountability and Justice," she has been saying for a very long time, "are long overdue." Here's what she said Saturday:

None of us can deny that a shift is happening in our country right now. And to move our country and the conversations forward, we need someone who has always been fighting to dismantle systemic racism in every area and that brings passion and determination to that fight.

To see the change that we want to see, we must acknowledge that our current leadership, as nice and as respected as he may be, doesn’t fit this moment and can’t help move our community and country forward.

For the past 57 years in this district, we have been represented by 5 wealthy white men… Richard Fulton, Clifford Allen, Bill Boner, Bob Clement to our current representative Jim Cooper, who has been in this seat since 2003. This can no longer work for us.

This election allows us the opportunity to actually have someone that is more representative of who we in this district, someone that will actually be a leader and passionately fight for our issues and that will make sure that our voices are heard and that we have a seat at the table.

It is time that we had a Black person representing us in this district, it is time that we had a female U.S. Representative from the state of TN and it is time that we had someone elected to Congress with a felony on their record.

It is time for change and I am that change.

There are a lot of reasons to support Keeda-- the issues she's running on; her strength of character; to combat systemic racism; to combat gerrymandering-- and believe me, if the Fort Pillow Massacre legislature tries getting rid of her, this will be a case that will wind up in the Supreme Court. Please consider turning that support into a financial contribution. Early voting is just getting started in her race and she has a lot of ground to cover when it comes to getting her message out. The Blue America "Primary A Blue Dog" thermometer on the right will take you to a page where you can watch her campaign video and, if you want to, contribute to that campaign.

New Blue America Congressional Endorsement-- In Nashville, Tennessee

People seem surprised when they find out that Nashville is a Democratic city and that Tennessee's 5th congressional district is safely blue. Obama won the district both times he ran. In 2016 Trump took just 38.2% of the vote- and in Davidson County (Nashville), he only got 34.3%). In 2018, Davidson County backed Democrats in both the gubernatorial race and the U.S. Senate race-- and performed at a D+43 level to reelect longtime incumbent Jim Cooper 177,923 (67.8%) to 84,317 (32.2%). Virtually all of Nashville's elected officials are Democrats including the mayor (John Cooper-- Jim Cooper's brother and their father was a former Tennessee governor) and the 10 state Reps.

TN-05 has a solid PVI of D+7, but Cooper is a Blue Dog, best known for his conservative politics. When he was first elected, in 1982, Nashville wasn't part of his rural district but he gave up that district to run, unsuccessfully, for the U.S. Senate and when the Nashville district opened up, he spent nearly a million dollars of his family's money to buy the seat. He's never had a serious challenger since then. Republicans are happy with his conservative politics and Democrats have been afraid to challenge him in a primary.

Until now! Meet Keeda Haynes, a top-notch progressive reformer who vigorously backs Medicare-For-All, the Green New Deal, a $15 living wage, a national cap on rent and home price increases, top to bottom student loan reform, H.R. 40 (Sheila Jackson Lee's bill to set up a reparations commission), marijuana legalization, a path to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented individuals currently living in the U.S., competitive prescription drug costs and a whole platform built on solid progressive positions. This week, Blue America has endorsed Keeda and I asked her to introduce herself with a guest post-- and the brand new video directly below-- in the hope that everyone else would be as impressed as I was when I've been speaking with her by phone over the last couple of weeks. Please consider contributing to her campaign by clicking on the 2020 Blue America Primary-A-Blue-Dog thermometer on the right. This is a very special candidate who would make an extraordinary member of Congress. Please dig as deep as you feel comfortable digging!





I Am That Change
-by Keeda Haynes

Many Americans recently have recoiled in horror at the filmed slaying of 25-year-old, African-American Ahmaud Arbery by two vigilantes in Glynn County, Georgia. Another tragedy of epic proportions also occurred in Louisville when police officers-- without knocking and announcing their presence-- fatally shot 26-year-old Breonna Taylor, an emergency room tech, to death. Sadly, the cases of Ahmaud Armery and Breonna Taylor are not isolated incidents in the United States of America. They are pristine examples of a criminal justice system that too often disrespects and devalues the lives of African-Americans and other persons of color.

But, beyond these high-profile killings of African-Americans, countless millions languish away in prison, shackled by a criminal justice system that locks them away and throws away the key. It’s what Michelle Alexander has called the New Jim Crow-- the systematic oppression of entire groups of people. The human toll of mass incarceration takes on many shapes and forms and no longer can we turn a blind eye to it.

Many care little for our prisoners, assuming a person is in prison because of their criminal conduct. But a prison sentence should not be a death sentence…but that is what it has turned into for the hundreds of inmates that have died in custody due to the coronavirus. They were someone’s father, mother, sister, brother, daughter or son and their lives had value. Our prison population is one of the most vulnerable and they deserve to be protected.

When I sat on the top bunk of my 3x8 prison cubicle in Alderson, West Virginia, looking back over the range at 100 other women, recently sentenced to seven years in prison for a crime I didn’t commit, I thought to myself” what if I die here.” The possibility of that happened back in 2003 wasn’t nearly as possible as it is today. Having served nearly four years in federal prison for a crime I did not commit, I know that fear, confusion and frustration that many incarcerated individuals are feeling right now. Only through my faith did I persevere and emerge from prison an even stronger individual, hell-bent on devoting my life to public service and fighting for those in need.

After my release in 2006, I went to law school, passed the bar exam, and became a public defender in Nashville, Tennessee. I advocated in the trenches for those society has considered the least of these amongst us. Every day in the courtroom, I knew the difficulties my clients faced because I had sat in their shoes and felt those same feelings of desperation.

Now, my public service has taken a different direction after working as a public defender for the past six and a half years, but my fight, passion and determination remain. I am running for Congress in TN-05 and I will take the same level of passion and determination to Washington to advocate on behalf of the community of District 5. I will stand alongside the community, fighting daily for access to quality health care, affordable housing and criminal justice reform. I will provide them with equitable access in government decision making and will make sure their voices are heard.

Armaud Arbery shouldn’t have been killed while jogging. Breonna Stewart shouldn’t have been killed in her sleep. Hundreds should not have died in jails and prisons. I shouldn’t have served nearly four years in prison for a crime I did not commit.

It is time that we in TN-05 have someone in Congress that understands that the United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world; that mass incarceration disproportionally affects black, brown and low- income communities; and, that we need to address the racist policies and procedures that have caused this large disparity.

It is time for change in Congress. I am that change.

Are You Going To Remember Who Tried To Help The Refugees In November, 2018?

The last time I drank a Coke (or Pepsi) I was barely 20; it was in 1970. There was no social media then (aside from postcards) and international telephone calls were way too expensive for someone like me. So, while I was making my way by land across the world I depended on letters from home for news. If you read the comments here at DWT, you've no doubt run across someone calling herself "Hone." She was a friend of mine in college and she sent me a letter-- to poste restante (I think in Kabul) which came to me months after the massacre at Kent State. Although she doesn't remember it today, her letter included a call to arms: American students would topple Coca Coca and Pepsi, two iconic American brands, as a response to the murders of the peaceful protestors. Foolishly I had been depending on Coke for hydration because the water was so dangerous to drink in countries like Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India in those days. The U.S. consulates in Iran and Afghanistan would warn American travelers to boil water for several minutes, let it cool down and then boil it again before drinking it. So it was a great sacrifice for me to give up consuming soft drinks. But I did and never touched one again. Yesterday I deleted my Uber app and I'll never get in another Uber. It'll be taxis and Lyft for me from now on.

OK, how about a few words from Pope Francis? This is what he told a group of Catholic and Lutheran pilgrims yesterday: "[T]he sickness or, you can say the sin, that Jesus condemns most is hypocrisy... You cannot be a Christian without living like a Christian. You cannot be a Christian without practicing the Beatitudes. You cannot be a Christian without doing what Jesus teaches us in Matthew 25," a reference to Christ’s injunction to help the needy by such works of mercy as feeding the hungry, clothing the naked and welcoming the stranger. It’s hypocrisy to call yourself a Christian and chase away a refugee or someone seeking help, someone who is hungry or thirsty, toss out someone who is in need of my help. If I say I am Christian, but do these things, I’m a hypocrite.

Randian fake-Christian Paul Ryan, who can be eliminated, politically, in 2018, is still pissing off God by swearing that Trump's executive order is not a Muslim ban. He's lying. And most of the Republicans in Congress are right there with him. The relatively new congressman from Staten Island, Dan Donovan said the same thing a;most all the GOP members are saying, namely that "President Trump's decision is in America's best interest." Even the Republicans criticizing Trump-- so far Senators Susan Collins (ME), Jeff Flake (AZ), Lindsey Graham (SC), Lamar Alexander (TN) and Ben Sasse (NE) plus House members Mike Coffman (CO), Carlos Curbelo (FL), Elise Stefanik (NY), Will Hurd (TX), Mike Fitzpatrick (PA), Charlie Dent (PA), Justin Amash (MI), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (FL) and Barbara Comstock (Va), all from blue-leaning or swing districts-- are bing very circumspect. Barbara Comstock, for example, one of the most electorally vulnerable Republicans in Congress, issued a tepid statement saying, "As I consistently have said, I don't believe it is constitutional to ban people from our country on the basis pf religion. However, I do support-- and the House of Representatives has supported on a bipartisan basis-- increased vetting based on national security concerns. The president’s executive order yesterday went beyond the increased vetting actions that Congress has supported on a bipartisan basis and inexplicably applied to Green Card holders, people who are legally within our country who have followed the rules. Green Card holders go through a detailed legal process and are vetted. They are required to register with the selective service-- many serve in the military. They pay taxes. I find it hard to believe that green card holders-- legal permanent residents-- were intended to be included in this Executive Order. This should be addressed and corrected expeditiously."

It was addressed expeditiously, thought not corrected. When Department of Homeland Security officials asked the White House for a clarification, the neo-Nazi who Trump has put in charge of this whole mess, psychopathic right-wing blogger Steve Bannon, said Green Card holders were very much meant to be included. No comment on that report from Ryan or Comstock or any of the other Republicanos enabling Trump and Bannon. The only Republican who seems sincere and principled in his opposition to Trump's unconstitutional mayhem is Justin Amash, noting Trump's executive order "overreaches and undermines our constitutional system... The president's denial of entry to lawful permanent residents of the United States (green card holders) is particularly troubling. Green card holders live in the United States as our neighbors and serve in our Armed Forces. They deserve better... Ultimately, the executive order appears to be more about politics than safety. If the concern is radicalism and terrorism, then what about Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and others? Finally, we can't effectively fight homegrown Islamic radicalism by perpetuating the 'us vs. them' mindset that terrorists use to recruit. We must ensure that the United States remains dedicated to the Constitution, the Rule of Law, and liberty."

Politically, Democrats better follow the lead of resisters like Ted Lieu and Jerry Nadler and let their own base know they are fighting-- and for real-- and not let the story become a false narrative about a few"brave Republicans" standing unto Trump. But what Comstock and other Republicans are talking about when they refer to "bipartisan support" is the 289-137 approval of an ugly, bigoted anti-refugee bill by Texas' Michael McCaul. 47 Democrats-- mostly from the Republican wing of the Democratic Party-- joined forces with 242 Republicans to pass it. 135 Democrats and just 2 Republicans voted against it-- and one of the Republicans, Iowa extremist Steve King, voted NO because he didn't feel the bill was draconian enough. Over the weekend into today many of the 47 Democrats who voted with the Republicans are trying desperately to distance themselves from their own votes.

Take right-wing Blue Dog Jim Cooper, who represents (badly) a safe blue seat in Nashville. Yesterday he was trying to hide his bigotry with a tweet. Steve Israel, one of the leaders of the move to get Democrats to vote with the GOP against refugees, was practically rending his clothing today in sympathy for the immigrants. Here's a list of the worst of the traitors who are still in Congress:

• Pete Aguilar (New Dem-CA)
• Ami Bera (New Dem-CA)
• Sanford Bishop (Blue Dog-GA)
• Julia Brownley (worthless coward-CA)
• Cheri Bustos (Blue Dog-IL)
• Gerry Connolly (New Dem-VA)
• Jim Cooper (Blue Dog-TN)

• Jim Costa (Blue Dog-CA)
• Henry Cuellar (Blue Dog-TX)
• John Delaney (New Dem-MD)
• Tulsi Gabbard (LOL-HI)
• Jim Himes (New Dem-CT)
• Steve Israel (Blue Dog-NY)
• Ron Kind (New Dem-WI)
• Ann Kuster (New Dem-NH)
• Dan Lipinski (Blue Dog-IL)
• Sean Patrick Maloney (New Dem-NY)
• Donald Norcross (Corrupt-NJ)
• Scott Peters (New Dem-CA)
• Collin Peterson (Blue Dog-MN)
• Kathleen Rice (New Dem-NY)
• Tim Ryan (Would-be Leader-OH)
• Kurt Schrader (Blue Dog-OR)
• David Scott (Blue Dog-GA)
• Terri Sewell (New Dem-AL)
• Kyrsten Sinema (Blue Dog-AZ)
• Filemon Vela (Blue Dog-TX)

There's only one group that has been working consistently to drive Blue Dogs and New Dems out of Congress for over a decade-- Blue America. No one else has dared. Want to help? You can here.

Since Mike decided to delete this tweet over the weekend, we decided to decorate it for him

How Many House Democrats Are Still Unevolved On LGBT Equality?

Boehner happily swearing in a very unevolved Pete Gallego (D-TX), the one freshman Blue Dog

With Bill Nelson (D-FL) finally getting on board the equality train there are no Democratic senators left except for ones who probably go back and forth in their minds every night about whether they should switch to the Republican Party or not, like the idiot from Arkansas who bragged on film about his sadly low IQ. He also has the lowest score on LGBT equality issues of any Democrat in the Senate, a 50%, same as Susan Collins (R-ME), closet case Lindsey Graham (R-SC), and John McCain (R-AZ). Aside from Pryor, the only unevolved Democrats on this matter are arch-conservatives from red states: Tim Johnson (SD), Mary Landrieu (LA) and Joe Manchin (WV). I suspect Landrieu's reticence-- cowardice?-- to embrace equality will hurt her badly with her New Orleans base and she'll lose her reelection bid in 2014. She's using an ass-backwards strategy that is always a loser for Democrats; Republicans have their own candidates and they're not going to rally around a Democrat just because she's reluctantly anti-gay. Tom Johnson is retiring so it will be interesting to see how his son Brendan, a probable candidate for the seat, handles the issue.

The evolution of conservative House members has gotten less attention than conservative senators like Mark Kirk (R-IL), Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) and Bob Casey (D-PA) announcing they've come around. One longtime homophobe with a miserable record on LGBT issues has been Blue Dog Jim Cooper, whose Nashville district is far more evolved than he is. Recently he gave up on the bigotry too though and announced he would back marriage equality. Until now, Cooper has had a dismal lifetime crucial vote score of 28.57 on LGBT issues, worse than libertarian-leaning Republicans. We had a hint Cooper had started evolving last July when homophobic fanatic Steve King (R-IA) proposed an amendment to a defense budget that would prevent gay soldiers from marrying on bases. Although 17 of Cooper's Blue Dog and ConservaDem colleagues backed King, Cooper actually voted with the Democrats. Several of the 17 who voted with King have since been defeated in primaries and general elections but 9 remain in the House today-- John Barrow (Blue Dog/New Dem-GA), Sanford Bishop (Blue Dog-GA), Henry Cuellar (Blue Dog-TX), Gene Green (TX), Dan Lipinksi (IL), Jim Matheson (Blue Dog-UT), Mike McIntyre (Blue Dog/New Dem-NC), Collin Peterson (Blue Dog-MN) and Nick Rahall (WV). A tenth, Blue Dog homophobe Joe Donnelly is now in the Senate; he endorsed marriage equality on his Facebook page yesterday. There are also two freshmen who have been elected since then who campaigned on anti-equality platforms, Bill Enyart (IL) and Pete Gallego (Blue Dog-TX).

There's still some hope for more evolution from some of this lot, though. When the GOP tried to strip protection for gays and lesbians out of the domestic violence legislation in February, only 2 Democrats voted with the GOP-- anti-gay fanatics Mike McIntyre and Dan Lipinski. 60 Republicans voted with the Democrats against the amendment.

Echoing a growing number of Democratic politicians, Rep. Jim Cooper said Tuesday his support for gay marriage developed over his years in office and that he sees the issue mattering for economic development as well as civil rights.

Tennessee Republicans, meanwhile, continued to express opposition while saying the issue is one for the states.

The comments of Cooper, a Nashville Democrat, came in an interview and followed his prepared statement from the day before in which he said he favors recognition of same-sex marriages while recognizing some churches may continue to object.

"We're just talking about civil marriages here," he emphasized again Tuesday.

"A number of groups are trying to figure out what to do," he said. "The nation is working its way through this now."

He added, "My views have evolved over time."

..."My denomination changed its mind (on gay marriage)," he said of the Episcopal Church.

The Episcopal House of Bishops, meeting in a national convention in July 2012, OK'd priests blessing same-sex couples but stipulated a blessing did not equate to approving marriage. The latter remained a matter for civil authorities, it said.

Cooper said he was also pleased to see Davidson County adopt a policy that prohibits private-sector firms wanting county business from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation or gender.

"The principle of non-discrimination is important," he said.

And if firms from states that recognize gay marriage want to relocate offices and employees to Tennessee, the congressman said, they may want assurances such marriages will be accepted in the Volunteer State.

"We need to be as welcoming in Tennessee as we can be," Cooper said.

Tennessee, however, adopted a state constitutional amendment in 2006 that says marriage can only be between a man and a woman.

Congressional records show Cooper voted in 2006 for a proposed amendment to the U.S. Constitution defining marriage as between one man and one woman as well.

Every Blue America candidate favors marriage equality, of course. Yesterday I asked the Democrat running against John Boehner in western Ohio if he feels this is an issue people in his district are playing attention to. He does-- and he's very aware that his position is very different from Boehner's. Andy Hounshell: "I want everyone to have the opportunity to be as happy as my wife and I are. It's not just about saying you are married either. There is much more to it than that. You have to be legally married to receive medical benefits, survivor benefits, etc. There is no logical reason why two consenting adults should be denied the same opportunity that I have."

Blue Dogs Show Their True Colors Again-- Red

Tuesday evening Boehner was finally forced by Northern Republicans-- like Frank LoBiondo (above)-- to allow a vote on aid for the victims of SuperStorm Sandy. LoBiondo sounds pissed off... and threatened his Confederate colleagues in Mississippi, Florida (and California) who refused to vote for funds. The bill passed, 241-180 but with only 49 Republican votes. 179 Republicans and one slimy Blue Dog-- Jim Cooper of Nashville (who had successfully lobbied for federal money for Tennessee flooding in the past)-- voted against the relief fund. But before the final bill, there were 9 roll calls on amendments, most of which were meant to diminish the federal assistance in some way. Worst of them was South Carolina secessionist Mick Mulvaney's amendment to force reductions in social programs to pay for the aid. That one failed 162-258, although only 71 Republicans voted for it. 157 Republicans followed Eric Cantor and the Confederates in supporting Mulvaney. And so did 5 ConservaDems: Blue Dogs Collin Peterson (MN), Jim Cooper (TN), Jim Matheson (UT), and Kurt Schrader (OR) plus corrupt corporate whore and New Dem John Carney (DE).

Another toxic amendment, very narrowly defeated (206-214), was offered by John Bircher Paul Broun (R-GA) and Broun had the support of Blue Dogs Matheson and Schrader plus corporate whore and head of the New Dem caucus Ron Kind (WI). When Louisiana secessionist and hypocrite John Fleming got his amendment passed 216-205 3 Democrats joined the GOP, Blue Dogs Collin Peterson and Matheson plus New Dem Caucus chairman Ron Kind (WI). Conservative Democrats almost managed to help Michigan reactionary Dan Benishek pass his crazy amendment. It failed 208-212, with 6 ConservaDems voting with 202 Republicans-- Blue Dogs Collin Peterson, Kurt Schrader, and Jim Matheson plus fellow traveler Dan Lipinski (IL) and New Dems Ron Kind and Scott Peters (CA).

The Blue Dogs didn't actually swing one outcome. There are only 14 members left in the pathetic motley caucus and after the Great Blue Dog Apocalypse of 2010, followed by this year's Blue Dog extinction, their clout barely registers... even when they can get some corporately-funded New Dems on their side. The latest blow to the right-wing group came last week when Adam Schiff resigned from the Blue Dog, petrified that redistricting has put him into a militantly anti-Blue Dog L.A. district. November's election only puked up one freshman Blue Dog, Texas reactionary Pete Gallego and the 13 who still haven't been defeated, forced to retire or officially join the Republican Party yet are:

• John Barrow (GA)

• Sanford Bishop (GA)
• Jim Cooper (TN)
• Jim Costa (CA)
• Henry Cuellar (TX)
• Jim Matheson (UT)
• Mike McIntyre (NC)
• Mike Michaud (ME)
• Collin Peterson (MN)
• Loretta Sanchez (CA)
• Kurt Schrader (OR)
• David Scott (GA)
• Mike Thompson (CA)

Derrick Chengery took a look at how the Blue Dog Caucus has been losing relevance and are now "fighting to stay alive." Much of his analysis comes straight from the Blue Dogs themselves-- about how "independent," "moderate" and concerned with fiscal issues they are and ignores the reactionary social agenda-- anti-Choice, antigay, pro-gun, etc-- that most Blue Dogs have eagerly embraced, but he wonders aloud why they have "continued to dwindle." [Blue Dogs John Barrow, Mike McIntyre and Kurt Schrader all refused requests for interviews for his article.] Keep in mind that when Blue Dogs and their allies say "moderate," they're usually describing right-wing positions somewhat short of the neo-fascism embraced by Republicans. There's nothing "moderate" or vaguely mainstream about the Blue Dogs and their fellow travelers.

According to Republican consultant Matt Mackowiak, it's all about the national political climate.

During the height of the anti-Bush momentum in 2006, Blue Dog Democrats were able to gain support from certain groups of Republican voters who were frustrated with their party's leadership.

"Blue Dogs are often forced to be moderate by the demographics and makeup of their districts. Oftentimes, they're southern Democrats in very socially conservative districts that certainly go Republican in presidential elections," Mackowiak said. "But a conservative, pro-business, moderate Democrat can win in a good environment if they run a good campaign."

...Once standing strong at 54 members in 2008, Blue Dogs helped give Democrats control of the house for four years.

  The loss of Blue Dog incumbents in the 2010 midterm elections shrunk the coalition to 26 members, with voters favoring more conservative candidates.

November's election added to the loss, leaving Congress with just 13 Blue Dogs.

Times may be looking grim for the group. However, they still believe their coalition is the key to a successful Democratic party.

"What is so puzzling about Democrats writing off certain congressional districts … is that they fail to either see or accept the correlation between winning those highly competitive House seats below the Mason-Dixon Line and taking control of Congress," the Blue Dog Coalition said in a statement.

"It is not a coincidence that the reduction of Blue Dogs on Capitol Hill coincides with Republican control of the House of Representatives."

Due to their moderate views, they are seen in the public eye as swing votes for controversial spending bills. Some Republicans might argue that Blue Dogs' fiscal conservatism is all a facade, making them susceptible in elections.

"When I was on the Hill, we used to always talk about Blue Dogs having the bark but not the bite," added Mackowiak. "They talk about being fiscal conservatives, but they oftentimes vote for spending bills."

Another factor thrusting Blue Dogs into a downward spiral is a lack of party loyalty.

Although pundits have said our country is at a time where reaching across the aisle is crucial to legislative success, support of affiliated party has become crucial to keeping your seat.

The nature of being a Blue Dog prevents candidates from pledging devotion to a single political party, which can be frustrating during reelection.

Although this strategy works in certain instances, it tends to alienate some Democrat support. And when a Blue Dog goes up against a Republican who is able to attract both moderate and staunch conservatives, they become susceptible to defeat.

Meanwhile, the Blue Dog caucus maintains they don't want their fellow Democrats to lose sight of their party's message.

"We are not suggesting that Democrats abandon their principles. Rather, instead of always starting political debates on the far left, and only moving to the middle during negotiations, Democrats should begin in the middle and challenge Republicans to come to us," the Blue Dogs said in a statement.

Loyalty aside, the pressure of the election cycle on the Blue Dogs can be overwhelming.

"Most members of Congress only fear a primary or only fear a general election. But Blue Dogs fear both every two years," Mackowiak said.

"They fear primaries from the left because they're not 'liberal' enough. And then once they survive that primary, they try to move back to the middle and run against a fairly conservative and well-funded candidate."

Although there is no set agenda for the Blue Dogs going forward, the 13 remaining members of the coalition will undoubtedly be swing votes on crucial spending bills.

Several groups are recruiting a candidate to run against Nashville Blue Dog Jim Cooper-- the one "Democrat" to vote against aid for SuperStorm Sandy victims. Here's Blue America's brightest hope in that field and here's our Blue Dog extinction fund. Meanwhile, Josh Marks at The National Memo offers up 5 of the 56 right-wing ideologues as the perfect Republican congressional hypocrites. Each was a big advocate for emergency federal disaster funds in their own districts and each voted against the same thing for New York, New Jersey and Connecticut survivors. No wonder Peter King (R-NY) has been urging wealthy donors to stop giving money to Republican congressional candidates! Marks' list includes Congress' stupidest man, Louie Gohmert, California sleazebag Darrell Issa, Florida's own Porky-Pig John Mica, South Carolina's biggest-- among many, many, many-- embarrassment Joe "You Lie" Wilson, and the creepy little Ayn Rand fanatic from Wisconsin who wanted to be vice president.

Jim Cooper Redux-- Get Ready For A Nashville Primary

Yesterday we asked the simple question Who Is Jim Cooper And Why Is He Trying To Kill Health Care Reform?. In trying to answer the question we pointed out-- based on talks with people in Nashville-- that his constituents are unhappy with his work on behalf of his corporate donors and against the interests of their families. Today at Daily Kos, all that is quantified.

Cooper has been practically begging for a primary challenge. His favorability ratings are far below President Obama's and far below Governor Bredesen's. And his duplicitous role in the health care debate has a lot to do with it. Among all voters in the district 61% favor the public option Cooper is trying to kill on behalf of Big Insurance. Among Democrats... 80% favor the public option. Even 64% of Republicans favor it! So it's unsurprising that 77% of Democrats disapprove of Cooper's actions of health care.

Right now there is no primary opponent for Jim Cooper. That's about to change.


UPDATE: Blue Dog Cooper Howling In Indignation

Cooper went running to the Nashville Post, yelping that he's for he public option and that Obama isn't as popular in Nashville as scientific unbiased polling shows him to be. Markos cut him to shreds and left little blue doggie pieces all over the K Street gutter.

Cooper says he supports the public option suddenly? Like Bernie Sanders? He and Karl Rove are holding a joint event to discuss health care in Nashville on Saturday. He didn't invite Bernie. Maybe because Bernie makes too much sense for them:

Who Is Jim Cooper And Why Is He Trying To Kill Health Care Reform?

James Hayes Shofner Cooper is part of the Tennessee political elite, the son of former Governor Prentice Cooper. He represented a very conservative Tennessee swing district from 1982-1994 and he was a garden variety Blue Dog Democrat, quick to sell out his constituents to corporate interests and quick to spout right-wing talking points. In the big Clinton battle over health care in 1993 he was Hillary Clinton's nemesis among reactionary Democrats and worked harder than anyone to undermine health care reform, going so far as to imply Clinton was veering towards socialism. He hasn't accused Obama of being a socialist yet but this year he is one of the leading Blue Dog foes of meaningful health care reform. If the House had a treacherous Gang of 6 (a kind of health care death squad) the way the House of Lords does, he would surely have wrangled his way onto it.

In 1994 Cooper gave up his House seat to run for an open Senate seat and was thoroughly thrashed by Fred Thompson. He opened a law practice in Nashville, one district over. When that heavily Democratic 5th district came open, he jumped at the chance to run for Congress again. But whereas his conservative Blue Dog status was tailor-made for his old exurban swing district, the heavily Democratic 5th-- which hasn't had a Republican since 1897, when the GOP turned away from progressive ideals and went all corporate-- isn't as good a fit for the reactionary Cooper. Obama won the 5th with 56% of the vote, despite losing Tennessee with only 42%. Cooper is far more conservative than his district and, although he endorsed Obama early-- mostly because of smoldering rancor with the Clintons-- he was one of only 11 right-wing Democrats to vote against Obama's stimulus package. He's one of only a small handful of Democrats from solid Democratic districts who votes as frequently as he does with the GOP. He toils behind the scenes watering down progressive legislation and making it more corporate friendly and less family friendly. That's Jim Cooper's role-- and the corporations pay him well for his troubles.

Lately there have been rumblings that his constituents are getting sick and tired of his negative role in the health care debate... again. After gobbling up $184,759 in thinly disguised bribes from the Insurance Industry (on top of another $900,664 from the Medical-Industrial Complex), Cooper takes his marching orders, as always, from Big Business. He's no better, and no less corrupt, than a Republican. If Insurance CEOs want to kill the public option and substitute some pathetic, ineffective co-ops, they know they can depend on Jim Cooper to help carry out their wishes.

"A co-op," he disingenuously spouted off on MSNBC Friday, "is really used over three-quarters of the land area of America so we buy our electricity that way. It's a creature of the New Deal. It's worked really pretty well over all the country for 70 or 80 years. It's owned by the customers; it is not owned by the government. It works. It works real well."

But Rep. Cooper hasn't always been so enthusiastic about the rural electric co-op model. In fact, just last year, Cooper published an article in the Harvard Journal on Legislation that blasted the rural electric co-ops, which he argued had "turned away from their historic role" as pro-consumer organizations and had "taken on deeply troubling anti-consumer behaviors."

No doubt his corporate masters will get him a new set of talking points next time they send him over to TV or radio to do their dirty work. Don't let Jim Cooper and a pack of bribe-hungry Republicans and Blue Dogs frustrate real health care reform again. Please consider joining Blue America in thanking the 65 progressive members of the House who have drawn a line in the sand and said they will not vote for any legislation that excludes, at minimum, the public option that President Obama campaigned on and, in part, won the presidency on. We've collected nearly $400,000 in less than a week. If you can't for any reason donate, please consider phoning the office of a member of Congress who backs health care reform and saying thanks for their courage and dedication. You can find the phone numbers here. Jim Cooper's is not on the list.



Strange that Howard Dean is the one out there making the case for the public option while Secretary Sebelius is just bumbling around like a pathetic mess. Why doesn't Obama get rid of her and give the job to Dean?

Republican War On Working Families Rachets Up

but only one jerk voted with the obstructionists against Obama's plan

Last week we congratulated the DCCC for running ads against some of the anti-family reactionaries that are trying to obstruct President Obama's increasingly popular stimulus plans. Our one gripe is that they left themselves open to charges of hypocrisy by going after only Republican obstructionists like Dan Lungren (R-CA), Ken Calvert (R-CA), the notorious Diaz-Balart Brothers (R-FL), Ahn Cao (R-LA), Michele Bachmann (R-MN), and Dave Reichert (R-WA) while ignoring treacherous Blue Dogs and other reactionary Democrats who crossed the aisle and voting with these same Republicans against the bill. The few Democrats who consistently betray American working families need the same treatment that their Republican allies get. The worst of them-- Bobby Bright (AL), Parker Griffith (AL), Walt Minnick (ID), Heath Shuler (NC), Jim Cooper (TN), Gene Taylor (MS), Jim Marshall (GA), Collin Peterson (MN), Travis Childers (MS), Dan Boren (OK), Mike McIntyre (NC), Joe Donnelly (IN)-- need to stop hiding behind the Democratic Party so their constituents know they vote with Republicans against Democratic values more frequently than they vote with Democrats on substantive issues.

So this morning I was pretty happy to see that two unions that are very tied in with the Democratic leadership, the slavish AFSCME that does nothing without marching orders from Rahm Emanuel and Americans United for Change will launch radio ads against 21 members of Congress who tried obstructing the stimulus bill, including one exceptionally bad Blue Dog, Jim Cooper who represents Nashville, one of Tennessee's most progressive areas. Obama beat McCain there 56-43%.

The two unions will spend over $200,000 on the ads and aside from the treacherous Cooper, they are targeting vulnerable Republicans like Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Jim Gerlach (R-PA), Charlie Dent (R-PA), Michael Turner (R-OH), Dave Reichert (R-WA), Steve LaTourette (R-OH), Todd Platts (R-PA), Fred Upton (R-MI), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), John Fleming (R-LA) and Brett Guthrie (R-KY). A sample ad:

“Haven't you ever wished you had a second chance to do the right thing? Well this week, Congressman Dave Reichert has a second chance to get it right when it comes to our economic crisis. The first time around, Congressman Reichert voted against President Obama's jobs plan. But every day since 20,000 Americans have lost their jobs..."

It's significant that Obama beat McCain in several of these districts and it isn't likely that voters want their congressman obstructing his plans to rescue the economy from years of failed Republican economic policies and the hated Bush agenda-- and agenda that these congressman have rbber-stamped.

In Reichert's suburban Seattle district, for example, Obama beat McCain 57-42%. It was a similar story in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley, where Obama beat McCain 56-42% and in Gerlach's suburban Philly district where Obama took 58% of the vote to McCain's 41%. Fred Upton in southwest Michigan might feel nervous, having seen his next door neighbor, Tim Walberg, defeated by progressive Democrat Mark Schauer while Obama beat McCain 54-45% in his own once-safe district.

These same unions are also running TV ads this week, "No is not an Option," against obstructionist leaders, John Boehner, Eric Cantor and Miss McConnell.



Anti-working family fanatic Eric Cantor, #2 (fittingly) in the House Republican leadership sent out a vicious and bigoted anti-AFSCME ad that he doesn't have the balls to run on TV but which he sent out to Big Business supporters today. Before you click, take a deep breath. And after you watch it, remember that to be a Republican means to be a hypocrite. There's no way to separate the two. Eric Cantor (R-VA): "The use of obscenity…should not and cannot be tolerated. As a parent, I share the concerns of many regarding the level of offensive television and radio programs that are transmitted into our homes. The recent violations that have occurred disgusted not only me, but damage our society."

Obama Ready To Fight Back?

Not all those sabotaging Obama's plans are Republicans

With self-serving and unpatriotic right-wing partisans-- who would rather see America fail than Obama succeed-- doing everything they can to undermine the president and denigrate him and lie about his policies, I was happy to see Obama finally stop emphasizing his Post-Partisan World mumbo-jumbo and come out and fight for what he believes in... and for what we elected him to do. His OpEd in this morning's Washington Post, while not the bare-knuckle Chicago street fighting the rightists hysterically warned us of (and practice themselves) but he does take the messaging back from a brain-dead mass media which, unblinkingly, allowed the Obstructionists to present their fictional case about what the president is trying to accomplish as though it were fact. They never seem to remember that it was their own policy agenda-- the one implemented under Bush and the one they are actually still pushing today-- that has brought the country to its knees... and caused the voters (outside of the worst bastions of reactionary sentiment in the Deep South and Mormon West) to overwhelmingly reject the Republican Party on all levels. "By now," the president writes, "it's clear to everyone that we have inherited an economic crisis as deep and dire as any since the days of the Great Depression. Millions of jobs that Americans relied on just a year ago are gone; millions more of the nest eggs families worked so hard to build have vanished. People everywhere are worried about what tomorrow will bring."

What Americans expect from Washington is action that matches the urgency they feel in their daily lives-- action that's swift, bold and wise enough for us to climb out of this crisis.

Because each day we wait to begin the work of turning our economy around, more people lose their jobs, their savings and their homes. And if nothing is done, this recession might linger for years. Our economy will lose 5 million more jobs. Unemployment will approach double digits. Our nation will sink deeper into a crisis that, at some point, we may not be able to reverse.

That's why I feel such a sense of urgency about the recovery plan before Congress. With it, we will create or save more than 3 million jobs over the next two years, provide immediate tax relief to 95 percent of American workers, ignite spending by businesses and consumers alike, and take steps to strengthen our country for years to come.

This plan is more than a prescription for short-term spending-- it's a strategy for America's long-term growth and opportunity in areas such as renewable energy, health care and education. And it's a strategy that will be implemented with unprecedented transparency and accountability, so Americans know where their tax dollars are going and how they are being spent.

In recent days, there have been misguided criticisms of this plan that echo the failed theories that helped lead us into this crisis-- the notion that tax cuts alone will solve all our problems; that we can meet our enormous tests with half-steps and piecemeal measures; that we can ignore fundamental challenges such as energy independence and the high cost of health care and still expect our economy and our country to thrive.

I reject these theories, and so did the American people when they went to the polls in November and voted resoundingly for change. They know that we have tried it those ways for too long. And because we have, our health-care costs still rise faster than inflation. Our dependence on foreign oil still threatens our economy and our security. Our children still study in schools that put them at a disadvantage. We've seen the tragic consequences when our bridges crumble and our levees fail.

Every day, our economy gets sicker-- and the time for a remedy that puts Americans back to work, jump-starts our economy and invests in lasting growth is now.

Now is the time to protect health insurance for the more than 8 million Americans at risk of losing their coverage and to computerize the health-care records of every American within five years, saving billions of dollars and countless lives in the process.

Now is the time to save billions by making 2 million homes and 75 percent of federal buildings more energy-efficient, and to double our capacity to generate alternative sources of energy within three years.

Now is the time to give our children every advantage they need to compete by upgrading 10,000 schools with state-of-the-art classrooms, libraries and labs; by training our teachers in math and science; and by bringing the dream of a college education within reach for millions of Americans.

And now is the time to create the jobs that remake America for the 21st century by rebuilding aging roads, bridges and levees; designing a smart electrical grid; and connecting every corner of the country to the information superhighway.

These are the actions Americans expect us to take without delay. They're patient enough to know that our economic recovery will be measured in years, not months. But they have no patience for the same old partisan gridlock that stands in the way of action while our economy continues to slide.

So we have a choice to make. We can once again let Washington's bad habits stand in the way of progress. Or we can pull together and say that in America, our destiny isn't written for us but by us. We can place good ideas ahead of old ideological battles, and a sense of purpose above the same narrow partisanship. We can act boldly to turn crisis into opportunity and, together, write the next great chapter in our history and meet the test of our time.

I don't think there are many Republican mayors in America but the mayors are very much behind the Stimulus package. There are, however, plenty of Republican governors-- and they're behind the bill-- quite actively-- and pushing it too. Who wants it to fail? Craven political hacks and extremists like David Vitter (R-LA), Jim DeMint (R-SC) and Jim Cooper (Blue Dog-TN) who would rather see America in ruins than allow Obama to save the day.
Here he is explaining what he's trying to accomplish: