Last Night Even Conservative DCCC Chair Cheri Bustos Gave Up Trying To Sabotage An Impeachment Inquiry. And Even 30 Republicans "Would Like To" Impeach Him

Technically, the call for an official impeachment inquiry into Trump's treason is bipartisan, since ex-Republican Jason Amash (I-MI) is adamantly in favor of it. There are still no actual Republican members of Congress on board-- something that will likely hurt the reelection chances of Republicans Brian Fitzpatrick (PA), John Katko (NY), Fred Upton (MI), Chris Smith (NJ), Brian Mast (FL), Lee Zeldin (NY), Rodney Davis (IL), Michael McCaul (TX), Donald Bacon (NE), Elise Stefanik (NY), Peter King (NY), Scott Perry (PA), Vern Buchanan (FL), Steve Chabot (OH), Mario Diaz-Balart (FL), George Holding (NC), Tim Walberg, Chip Roy (TX), Peter Stauber (MN)... This morning, though, the Associated Press reported that Vermont Governor Phil Scott became the first Republican governor to back an impeachment inquiry. At a press conference today he said he wasn’t surprised by the allegations and said it is Congress' "solemn responsibility" to uphold the Constitution.

So far all the House Republicans and even vulnerable Senate Republicans, are holding firm: "Trump is being framed" or something like that. But if even the most timid of Democrats, Andy Kim of New Jersey, and Colin Allred of Texas are coming out for impeachment, there may be Republicans already doing the plus/minus calculations in their heads. But not Lindsey Graham! Boston Globe reporter Liz Goodwin asked Lindsey, South Carolina senator and Trump defender-to-the-death, to describe what he thinks would be "an inappropriate quid pro quo scenario." Lindsey lisped dramatically in that way southern closet cases always do: "Uh, hey pal, you know, you need to like, go after the Bidens or I ain’t gonna give you any money." He insisted Trump had to be "really like, thuggish about it."

Since my list of Democrats opposing impeachment yesterday, these have all changed their positions and now back a formal impeachment inquiry, many of whom were just waiting for the OK from Pelosi:

• Albio Sires (D-NJ)
• Kathy Castor (D-FL)
• Antonio Delgado (D-NY)
• Darren Soto (New Dem-FL)
• Marc Veasey (New Dem-TX)
• Lizzie Fletcher (New Dem-TX)
• Charlie Crist (Blue Dog-FL)
• Rosa DeLauro (D-CT)
• John Larson (D-CT)
• Steny Hoyer (D-MD)
• Donald McEachin (New Dem-VA)
• Steven Horsford (New Dem-NV)
• Susie Lee (New Dem-NV)
• Andy Kim (D-NJ)
• Joseph Morelle (D-NY)
• Susan Davis (New Dem-CA)
• Lois Frankel (D-FL)
• Debbie Wasserman Schultz (New Dem-FL)
• Linda Sanchez (D-CA)
• Ami Bera (New Dem-NY)
• Cindy Axne (New Dem-IA)
• Jahana Hayes (D-CT)
• Joe Courtney (D-CT)
• Jerry McNerney (D-CA)
• Gregory Meeks (New Dem-NY)
• Elijah Cummings (D-MD)
• David Scott (Blue Dog-GA)
• Bobby Scott (D-VA)
• Jim Clyburn (D-SC)
• Dave Loebsack (D-IA)
• Jimmy Panetta (New Dem-CA)
• T.J. Cox (New Dem-CA)
• Jim Costa (Blue Dog-CA)
• Ed Case (Blue Dog-HI)
• Richard Neal (D-MA)
• Mike Thompson (Blue Dog-CA)
• Raul Ruiz (New Dem-CA)
• Susan Wild (New Dem-PA)
• Donna Shalala (D-FL)
• Abby Finkenauer (D-IA
• Peter Visclosky (D-IN)
• Stephen Lynch (New Dem-MA)
• Josh Gottheimer (Blue Dog-NJ)
• Sanford Bishop (Blue Dog-GA)

A few more members will keep announcing for impeachment today and tomorrow. Right now, these are the ones still not convinced-- a combination of political cowards and actual Trump enablers:

• Colin Allred (New Dem-TX)
• Anthony Brindisi (Blue Dog-NY)
• Cheri Bustos (New Dem-IL)
• Joe Cunningham (Blue Dog-SC)
• Henry Cuellar (Blue Dog-TX)
• Sharice Davids (New Dem-KS)
• Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI)
• Jared Golden (D-ME)
• Vicente González (Blue Dog-TX)
• Kendra Horn (Blue Dog-OK)
• Ron Kind (New Dem-WI)
• Conor Lamb (D-PA)
• Al Lawson (New Dem-FL)
• Dan Lipinski (Blue Dog-IL)
• Ben McAdams (Blue Dog-UT)
• Stephanie Murphy (Blue Dog-FL)
• Tom O'Halleran (Blue Dog-AZ)
• Collin Peterson (Blue Dog-MN)
• Max Rose (Blue Dog-NY)
• Kurt Schrader (Blue Dog-OR)
• Terri Sewell (New Dem-AL)
• Xochitl Torres Small (Blue Dog-NM)
• Jeff Van Drew (Blue Dog-NJ)
• Frederica Wilson (D-FL)

People who guessed Van Drew.. seem to be onto something

Meanwhile-- and seemingly unrelated-- it's worth noting that yesterday 11 Republicans voted with the Democrats to end the bogus national emergency that he declared in February as an excuse for stealing congressionally allocated money from the Pentagon to build his vanity wall. It passed 54-41 but will be vetoed by Trump. Below are the 11 Republicans who voted against Trump. You'll note super-endangered Colorado Republican Cory Gardner was not among them. He voted with Trump... again. I spoke with Gardner's most formidable opponent, Andrew Romanoff, who told me that "The real emergency here is that Cory Gardner-- like most of his GOP colleagues-- has done nothing to counter a corrupt and lawless president. A handful of Republicans have stood up to Donald Trump as he disregards the Constitution and diverts public funds to fulfill a political promise. Cory Gardner, who campaigned as a 'new kind of Republican,' has proven to be anything but." The other senatorial Cory had a few words for Gardner and Republican lapdogs like him:

• Lamar Alexander (R-TN)
• Roy Blunt (R-MO)
• Susan Collins (R-ME)
• Mike Lee (R-UT)
• Jerry Moran (R-KS)
• Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
• Rand Paul (R-KY)
• Rob Portman (R-OH)
• Mitt Romney (R-UT)
• Pat Toomey (R-PA)
• Roger Wicker (R-MS)

Not enough to impeach. But... Robert Costa of the Washington Post noted that "several" of the Senate's usual Trump enablers were stunned yesterday and questioned the White House’s judgment after it released a rough transcript of President Trump’s call with the Ukraine president that showed Trump offering the help of the U.S. attorney general to investigate Joe Biden. One Senate Republican, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to speak candidly, said the transcript’s release was a 'huge mistake' that the GOP now has to confront, even as they argue that House Democrats are overreaching with their impeachment effort." He reported that one of the top Senate staffers, likely someone in Moscow Mitch's office was expecting yesterday's closed-door lunch to be "tense as Republicans react to the transcript and debate their next step."

Mitt Romney, no fan of Trump's-- ok, no one hates Trump's guts more than Romney-- said he finds the transcript "troubling in the extreme. It’s deeply troubling. Clearly what we’ve seen from the transcript itself is deeply troubling." He seemed to even encourage the impeachment inquiry: "There’s a process the House is pursuing. The Senate is also looking at the testimony of the whistleblower." Ben Sasse (NE), another anti-Trump Republican who generally keeps his mouth shut, "In general terms, American elections should be for Americans. And the idea that we would have foreign nation-states coming into the American electoral process, or the information surrounding an election, is really, really bad." Yes, really, really. A Republican strategist, Mike Murphy told Andrea Mitchell on MSNBC that a Republican senator told him "if it was a secret vote, 30 Republican senators would vote to impeach Trump."

Approached by the media, Maine Republican Susan Collins was not budging from her comfort zone: "If there are articles of impeachment I would be a juror just as I was in the trial for President Clinton, and as a juror I think it’s inappropriate for me to reach conclusions about evidence or to comment on the proceedings in the House." Bernie was less reticent. This is the statement he sent out to his supporters yesterday:

Gregg Miller, Shane Harris and Karoun Demirjian reported the about the cherry on Trump's cake: Joseph Maguire, Trump's hand-picked Acting Director of National Intelligence "threatened to resign over concerns that the White House might attempt to force him to stonewall Congress when he testifies Thursday about an explosive whistleblower complaint about the president. The revelation reflects the extraordinary tensions between the White House and the nation’s highest-ranking intelligence official over a matter that has triggered impeachment proceedings against President Trump." He warned the White House that "he was not willing to withhold information from Congress."

Republicans don't care what Schiff has to say-- especially Senate Republicans. After all he's only the House Intelligence Committee Chair. Why should they care; they're senators and someone might pick them to be president or vice president someday! Here are ten of them telling reporters their take-- or something-- on the whistleblower thing:

The New Bipartisanship: Members Of Congress From Both Parties Who Glory In Corruption Hate AOC

Trump and Pelosi make common cause: they both hate AOC

Friday, the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (HR 2500) passed 220-197. Every Republican voted against it, along with 8 progressive Democrats (Earl Blumenauer, Adriano Espaillat, Barbara Lee, AOC, Ilhan Omar, Mark Pocan, Ayanna Pressley and Rashia Tlaib). The Republicans opposed it because it didn't allocate enough money to the Military Industrial Complex and because several amendments curtailed Trump's ability to abuse the Pentagon and the separation of powers. Many progressives opposed the bill’s $733 billion price tag, but agreed to support it if certain amendments pass, particularly the ones constraining Trump’s war powers.

There were dozens of amendments, some of which-- by Ted Lieu and Ro Khanna-- we've talked about in recent days. Most of the amendments offered by Democrats-- like Ted's and Ro's-- passed. But not the two offered by AOC. One would have kept Trump from sending troops to the border and another was meant to bar funds from keeping migrants in Department of Defense facilities, in effect turning them into concentration camps. Amendment 429 failed 179-241-- 52 Democrats joining all the Republicans to oppose it-- and Amendment 430 failed 173-245-- 58 Democrats joining all but one Texas Republican to oppose it.




Most of the AOC-hating Blue Dogs and New Dems opposed both amendments. Here's the whole list of the Democrats who voted against one or both of the AOC amendments-- in case you keep track of things like that (also included is each member's ProgressivePunch grade):

• Cindy Axne (New Dem-IA)- F
• Anthony Brindisi (Blue Dog-NY)- F
• Cheri Bustos (New Dem-IL)- F
• Gil Cisneros (New Dem-CA)- F
• Lacy Clay (MO)- B
• Emanuel Cleaver (MO)- C
• TJ Cox (CA)- F
• Angie Craig (New Dem-MN)- F
• Charlie Crist (Blue Dog-FL)- F
• Jason Crow (New Dem-CO)- F
• Joe Cunningham (Blue Dog-SC)- F
• Antonio Delgado (NY)- F
• Abby Finkenauer (IA)- F
• Jared Golden (ME)- F
• Josh Gottheimer (Blue Dog-NJ)- F
• Josh Harder (New Dem-CA)- F
• Kendra Horn (Blue Dog-OK)- F
• Steven Horsford (New Dem-NV)- F
• Crissy Houlahan (New Dem-PA)- F
• Marcy Kaptur (OH)- F
• Andy Kim (NJ)- F
• Conor Lamb (PA)- F
• Al Lawson (New Dem-FL)- F
• Susie Lee (New Dem-NV)- F
• Mark Levin (CA)- B
• Dave Loebsack (IA)- F
• Elaine Luria (New Dem-VA)- F
• Stephen Lynch (New Dem-MA)- F
• Ben McAdams (Blue Dog-UT)- F
• Lucy McBath (New Dem-GA)- F
• Joe Morelle (NY)- F
• Seth Moulton (New Dem-MA)- F
• Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (New Dem-FL)- C
• Stephanie Murphy (Blue Dog-FL)- F
• Tom O'Halleran (Blue Dog-AZ)- F
• Collin Peterson (Blue Dog-MN)- F
• Dean Phillips (New Dem-MN)- F
• Kathleen Rice (New Dem-NY)- F
• Max Rose (Blue Dog-NY)- F
• Harley Rouda (New Dem-CA)- F
• Mary Gay Scanlon (PA)- B
• David Scott (Blue Dog-GA)- F
• Terri Sewell (New Dem-AL)- F
• Mikie Sherrill (Blue Dog-NJ)- F
• Elissa Slotkin (New Dem-MI)- F
• Abigail Spanberger (Blue Dog-VA)- F
• Haley Stevens (New Dem-MI)- F
• Xochitl Torres Small (Blue Dog-NM)- F
• Lauren Underwood (IL)- F
• Jefferson Van Drew (Blue Dog-NJ)- F
• Sue Wild (New Dem-PA)- F
• Colin Allred (New Dem-TX)- F
• Salud Carbajal (New Dem-CA)- F
• Matt Cartwright (PA)- A
• Ed Case (Blue Dog-HI)- F
• Sean Casten (New Dem-IL)- F
• Henry Cuellar (Blue Dog-TX)- F
• Val Demings (New Dem-FL)- F
• Lizzie Fletcher (New Dem-TX)- F
• Vicente González (Blue Dog-TX)- F
• Jahana Hayes (CT)- A
• Katie Hill (New Dem-CA)- F
• Anne Kuster (New Dem-NH)- F
• Jim Langevin (RI)- C
• Tom Malinowski (New Dem-NJ)- F
• Chris Pappas (New Dem-NH)- B
• Scott Peters (New Dem-CA)- F
• Katie Porter (CA)- F
• Kurt Schrader (Blue Dog-OR)- F
• Kim Schrier (New Dem-WA)- F
• Jackie Speier (CA)- C
• Debbie Wasserman Schultz (New Dem-FL)- D
• Jennifer Wexton (New Dem-VA)- F

• Dan Lipinski (Blue Dog-IL)- F "present"

By the way, another reason conservatives voted against the Pentagon funding bill is because it includes an amendment by Jackie Speier reversing Trump's ban on transgender soldiers. That amendment passed 242-187, with 10 Republicans-- Susan Brooks (IN), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA), Trey Hollingsworth (IN), Will Hurd (TX), John Katko (NY), Tom Reed (NY), Elise Stefanik (NY), Steve Stivers (OH), Fred Upton (MI) and Greg Walden (OR)--voting with the Democrats for equality.

And then there's the good kind of bipartisanship-- working for the common good

And a nice little UPDATE from this morning, courtesy of Señor Trumpanzee's, the Internet's biggest troll-- although, please keep in mind that AOC was born in New York City, just like Trumpanzee, Ayanna Pressley was born in Cincinnati, one part of Ohio that voted against Trumpanzee in 2016 and Rashida Tlaib was born in Detroit, another part of the U.S. that had the good sense to firmly reject Trumpanzee in 2016.

And he's sure that Nancy would pay? Has she contradicted him?

And, by the way, an awful lot of people get the news from The View, which helps explain why so many voters are so misinformed and even stupid beyond redemption. It's not Fox News, of course, but it really is just as steeped in self-righteous ignorance.

Why Exactly Today's House Democrats Never Fail To Disappoint

Last cycle, Pelosi's dreadfully corrupt-- as in just like a GOP pay-to-play outfit-- SuperPAC, the House Majority PAC, spent $72,107,669, very little of it supporting progressives and almost all of it supporting New Dems and Blue Dogs from the Republican wing of the Democratic Party. These were the 26 candidates who got the most help-- over a million dollars from Pelosi (and not counting the money the DCCC spent in these districts). The letter grade after their name is from ProgressivePunch of their voting records so far:

• Harley Rouda (New Dem-CA)- $3,805,387-- F
• Kim Schrier (New Dem-WA)- $3,208,288-- F
• Gil Cisneros (New Dem-CA)- $3,165,740-- F
• Andy Kim (NJ)- $3,082,713-- F
• Josh Harder (New Dem-CA)- $2,953,370-- F
• Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (New Dem-FL)- $2,623,646-- D
• Antonio Delgado (D-NY)- $2,623,610-- F
• Colin Allred (New Dem-TX)- $2,584,185-- F
• Anthony Brindisi (Blue Dog-NY)- $2,524,001-- F
• Tom Malinowski (New Dem-NJ)- $2,456,302-- F
• Sean Casten (New Dem-IL)- $2,274,909-- D
• Katie Hill (New Dem-CA)- $2,093,513-- F
• Mike Levin (D-CA)- $1,926526-- C
• Elissa Slotkin (New Dem-MI)- $1,813,501-- F
• Susie Lee (New Dem-NV)- $1,645,841-- F
• Betsy Dirksen Londrigan (IL)- $1,571,733-- Lost
• Mikie Sherrill (Blue Dog-NJ)- $1,559,959-- F
• Haley Setevens (New Dem-MI)- $1,461,966-- F
• Lauren Underwood (D-IL)- $1,436,761-- F
• Cindy Axne (New Dem-IA)- $1,385,313-- F
• Dana Balter (NY)- $1,362,961-- Lost
• Abigail Spanberger (Blue Dog-VA)- $1,333,500-- F
• Katie Porter (D-CA)- $1,289,315-- F
• Dean Phillips (New Dem-MN)- $1,273,983-- F
• Steven Horsford (New Dem-NV)- $1,165,611-- F
• Jason Crow (New Dem-CO)- $1,078,673-- F

So far this year Pelosi's SuperPAC had raised-- as of the February 29 FEC reporting deadline-- $45,987,776. They handed out $2,500 to 43 incumbents who claim to be in danger. Almost all of them are terrible members of Congress. One example happens to be Jeff Van Drew, who was a Republican-lite Blue Dog at the time and soon after getting the check got rid of the "lite" and "Blue Dog" and officially joined the Republican Party. One of the things most of them have in common are grotesquely conservative voting records. These are the 42 who are still-- as of this writing-- in the Democratic Party, again with their ProgressivePunch voting score.

• Colin Allred (New Dem-TX)-- F
• Cindy Axne (New Dem-IA)-- F
• Antony Brindisi (Blue Dog-NY)-- F
• Matt Cartwright (D-PA)-- A
• Sean Casten (New Dem-IL)-- D
• Gil Cisneros (New Dem-CA)-- F
• TJ Cox (New Dem-CA)-- F
• Angie Craig (New Dem-MN)-- F
• Jason Crow (New Dem-CO)-- F
• Sharice Davids (New Dem-KS)-- F
• Antonio Delgado (D-NY)-- F
• Abby Finkenauer (D-IA)-- F
• Lizzie Fletcher (New Dem-TX)-- F
• Jared Golden (D-ME)-- F
• Josh Gottheimer (Blue Dog-NJ)-- F
• Josh Harder (New Dem-CA)-- F
• Jahana Hayes (D-CT)-- B
• Katie Hill (New Dem-CA)-- F
• Kendra Horn (Blue Dog-OK)-- F
• Steven Horsford (New Dem-NV)-- F
• Andy Kim (D-NJ)-- F
• Conor Lamb (D-PA)-- F
• Susie Lee (New Dem-NV)-- F
• Mike Levin (D-CA)-- C
• Elaine Luria (New Dem-VA)-- F
• Tom Malinowski (New Dem-NJ)-- F
• Ben McAdams (Blue Dog-UT)-- F
• Lucy McGrath (New Dem-GA)-- F
• Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (New Dem-FL)-- D
• Tom O'Halleran (Blue Dog-AZ)-- F
• Chris Pappas (New Dem-NH)-- C
• Katie Porter (D-CA)-- F
• Max Rose (Blue Dog-NY)-- F
• Harley Rouda (New Dem-CA)-- F
• Kim Schrier (New Dem-WA)-- F
• Mikie Sherrill (Blue Dog-NJ)-- F
• Elissa Slotkin (New Dem-MI)-- F
• Xochitl Torres Small (Blue Dog-NM)-- F
• Abigail Spanberger (Blue Dog-VA)-- F
• Haley Stevens (New Dem-MI)-- F
• Lauren Underwood (D-IL)-- F
• Susan Wild (New Dem-PA)-- F

The grades in red indicate that the member might as well join DCCC fave Jeff Van Drew in the Republican Party-- since they vote with the GOP so often. You may have noticed that none-- as in not one-- of the progressive freshmen is on the list, even though several have difficult and challenging reelections.

Pelosi's PAC also spent $5401,839 trying to help the right of center candidate, Christy Smith, in the CA-25 primary.

This week, the PAC booked $51 millions in TV ads for the November election, again, primarily going to conservative incumbents from the Republican wing of the party and almost entirely ignoring progressives (with the exception of Matt Cartwright).

• Minneapolis: $6,756,785 (not for Ilhan Omar, who is facing an avalanche of dirty money, but for two conservative New Dems, Angie Craig and multimillionaire Dean Phillips)
• Philadelphia: $6,130,195 (for protecting Andy Kim, Madeleine Dean and possibly Chrissy Houlahan and Mary Gay Scanlon)
• Atlanta: $4,485,505 (primarily to protect Lucy McBath and for whichever Democrat wins the GA-07 primary)
• Detroit: $4,456,640 (not be helping to protect either Rashida Tlaib or Andy Levin, but just conservatives Haley Stevens and Elissa Slotkin)
• Las Vegas: $3,493,525 (Susie Lee and Steven Horsford)
• Miami: $3,290,080 (Debbie Mucarsel-Powell and possibly Donna Shalala)
• Cedar Rapids: $2,241,105 (Abby Finkenauer)
• Houston: $2,205,190 (Lizzie Fletcher)
• Boston: $1,965,310 (Chris Pappas)
• San Antonio, Texas: $1,622,480 (challengers Gina Ortiz Jones and Wendy Davis)
• Des Moines: $1,410,695 (Cindy Axne)
• Portland: $1,313,085 (Jared Golden)
• Wilkes-Barre: $1,401,735 (Matt Cartwright)
• Dallas: $1,128,300 (Colin Allred)
• Norfolk, Va: $1,116,650 (Elaine Luria)
• Phoenix: $1,106,115 (Tom O'Halleran)
• Richmond: $1,095,275 (Abigail Spanberger)
• Pittsburgh: $1,014,970 (Conor Lamb)
• Harrisburg: $975,620 (challenger Eugene DePasquale)
• Lansing: $913,735 (Elissa Slotkin and possibly wretched Blue Dog challenger Gretchen Driskell)
• Omaha: $895,940 (Cindy Axne)
• Quad Cities: $845,760 (open blue seat)
• Bangor: $751,650 (Jared Golden)
• Rochester, MN: $486,915 (challenger Dan Feehan)
• El Paso: $202,546- (Xochitl Torres Small)
• Fargo: $200,580- (Colin Peterson)
• Mankato: $122,515 (challenger Dan Freehan)
• Presque Isle: $89,760- (Jared Golden)
• Ottumwa, Iowa: $40,920- (open blue seat)

You know what's amazing about this list? Pelosi was a founding member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, along with Bernie, and-- I shit you not-- long, long ago was actually a progressive and used progressives to build her power base. She is now literally an anti-progressive and nothing progressive will ever happen in the House until she retires or... whatever.

Trump's Concentration Camps-- Funded By 176 Republicans And 129 Pelosi-Democrats

American Dream Revisted by Nancy Ohanian

The bad news: on June 27 129 Democrats joined with the GOP to vote to authorize funds for Trump's concentration camps. Briana Urbina is a top progressive candidate taking on Stony Hoyer this cycle. She told me she "cannot forgive my representative for voting in support of the cruel and inhumane treatment of immigrants at the border. The practices of this administration cannot be divorced from the system that funds it. Steny should be using his power in leadership to dismantle this system not bolster it. Our district has a vibrant and beautiful immigrant community. I have been honored to serve immigrant families as a pro bono attorney. I will continue my service to all Marylanders, native and foreign born when I am sworn in as the first Latina elected to Congress from Maryland."

The good news: 95 Democrats voted against funding the concentration camps despite Pelosi and Hoyer having shit-fit. These are the 95 who are fit to call themselves Democrats:

• Alma Adams (D-NC)
• Pete Aguilar (New Dem-CA)
• Nanette Barragán (D-CA)
• Karen Bass (D-CA)
• Don Beyer (New Dem-VA)
• Earl Blumenauer (D-OR)
• Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR)
• Brendan Boyle (New Dem-PA)
• Anthony Brown (New Dem-MD)
• G.K. Butterfield (D-NC)
• Tony Cárdenas (New Dem-CA)
• André Carson (New Dem-IN)
• Judy Chu (D-CA)
• David Cicilline (D-RI)
• Gil Cisneros (New Dem-CA)
• Katherine Clark (D-MA)
• Yvette Clarke (D-NY)
• Lacy Clay (D-MO)
• Gerry Connolly (New Dem-VA)
• Lou Correa (Blue Dog-CA)
• Danny Davis (D-IL)
• Pete DeFazio (D-OR)
• Diana DeGette (D-CO)
• Rosa DeLauro (D-CT)
• Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA)
• Debbie Dingell (D-MI)
• Lloyd Doggett (D-TX)
• Eliot Engel (New Dem-NY)
• Veronica Escobar (New Dem-TX)
• Adriano Espaillat (D-NY)
• Dwight Evans (D-PA)
• Ruben Gallego (D-AZ)
• Chuy García (D-IL)
• Sylvia Garcia (D-TX)
• Jimmy Gomez (D-CA)
• Raul Grijalva (D-AZ)
• Deb Haaland (D-NM)
• Brian Higgins (D-NY)
• Katie Hill (New Dem-CA)
• Steven Horsford (New Dem-NV)
• Jared Huffman (D-CA)
• Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX)
• Pramila Jayapal (D-WA)
• Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY)
• Joe Kennedy (D-MA)
• Ro Khanna (D-CA)
• Brenda Lawrence (New Dem-MI)
• Barbara Lee (D-CA)
• Andy Levin (D-MI)
• John Lewis (D-GA)
• Ted Lieu (D-CA)
• Zoe Lofgren (D-CA)
• Alan Lowenthal (D-CA)
• Nita Lowey (D-NY)
• Ben Ray Luján (D-NM)
• Carolyn Maloney (D-NY)
• Betty McCollum (D-MN)
• Donald McEachin (New Dem-VA)
• James McGovern (D-MA)
• Gregory Meeks (New Dem-NY)
• Grace Meng (D-NY)
• Gwen Moore (D-WI)
• Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (New Dem-FL)
• Jerry Nadler (D-NY)
• Grace Napolitano (D-CA)
• Joe Neguse (D-CO)
• Donald Norcross (New Dem-NJ)
• AOC (D-NY)
• Ilhan Omar (D-MN)
• Frank Pallone (D-NJ)
• Bill Pascrell (D-NJ)
• Mark Pocan (D-WI)
• Ayanna Pressley (D-MA)
• David Price (D-NC)
• Mike Quigley (New Dem-IL)
• Jamie Raskin (D-MD)
• Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA)
• Linda Sánchez (D-CA)
• Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA)
• Jan Schakowsky (D-IL)
• Brad Sherman (D-CA)
• Adam Smith (New Dem-WA)
• Darren Soto (New Dem-FL)
• Jackie Speier (D-CA)
• Mark Takano (D-CA)
• Dina Titus (D-NV)
• Rashida Tlaib (D-MI)
• Paul Tonko (D-NY)
• Norma Torres (New Dem-CA)
• Lori Trahan (New Dem-MA)
• Juan Vargas (New Dem-CA)
• Marc Veasey (New Dem-TX)
• Filemon Vela (Blue Dog-TX)
• Nydia Velázquez (D-NY)
• Peter Welch (D-VT)

It must have stung Pelosi especially hard when she wasn't even able to control members of her own leadership team and inner circle-- like Hakeem Jeffries and Ben Ray Luján, each fearful of primaries from the left. But these were Pelosi's "good soldiers" who told themselves a nice story that made it ok to vote funding for concentration camps. If any of them call you for a contribution to their reelection efforts, ask them why they decided our taxpayer money should go for locking children seeking asylum in cages inside concentration camps.

Babies in Cages by Nancy Ohanian

Colin Allred (New Dem-TX)
Cindy Axne (New Dem-IA)
Joyce Beatty (D-OH)
Ami Bera (New Dem-CA)
Sanford Bishop (Blue Dog-GA)
Lisa Blunt Rochester (New Dem-DE)
Anthony Brindisi (Blue Dog-NY)
Julia Brownley (New Dem-CA)
Cheri Bustos (Blue Dog-IL)
Salud Carbajal (New Dem-CA)
Matt Cartwright (D-PA)
Ed Case (Blue Dog-HI)
Sean Casten (New Dem-IL)
Kathy Castor (D-FL)
Emmanuel Cleaver (D-MO)
Jim Clyburn (D-SC)
Steve Cohen (D-TN)
Jim Cooper (Blue Dog-TN)
Jim Costa (Blue Dog-CA)
Joe Courtney (D-CT)
TJ Cox (D-CA)
Angie Craig (New Dem-MN)
Charlie Crist (Blue Dog-FL)
Jason Crow (New Dem-CO)
Henry Cuellar (Blue Dog-TX)
Elijah Cummings (D-MD)
Joe Cunningham (Blue Dog-SC)
Sharice Davids (New Dem-KS)
Susan Davis (New Dem-CA)
Madeleine Dean (New Dem-PA)
Suzan DelBene (New Dem-WA)
Antonio Delgado (D-NY)
Val Demings (New Dem-FL)
Ted Deutch (D-FL)
Michael Doyle (D-PA)
Anna Eshoo (D-CA)
Abby Finkenauer (D-IA)
Lizzie Fletcher (New Dem-TX)
Mike Foster (New Dem-IL)
Lois Frankel (D-FL)
Marcia Fudge (D-OH)
John Garamendi (D-CA)
Jared Golden (D-ME)
Vicente Gonzalez (Blue Dog-TX)
Josh Gottheimer (Blue Dog-NJ)
Al Green (D-TX)
Josh Harder (New Dem-FL)
Jahana Hayes (D-CT)
Denny Heck (New Dem-WA)
Jim Himes (New Dem-CT)
Kendra Horn (Blue Dog-OK)
Chrissy Houlahan (New Dem-PA)
Steny Hoyer (D-MD)
Hank Johnson (D-GA)
Bill Keating (New Dem-MA)
Robin Kelly (D-IL)
Dan Kildee (D-MI)
Derek Kilmer (New Dem-WA)
Andy Kim (D-NJ)
Ron Kind (New Dem-WI)
Ann Kirkpatrick (New Dem-AZ)
Raja Krishnamoorthi (New Dem-IL)
Anne Kuster (New Dem-NH)
Conor Lamb (D-PA)
Jim Langevin (D-RI)
Rick Larsen (New Dem-WA)
John Larson (D-CT)
Al Lawson (New Dem-FL)
Susie Lee (New Dem-NV)
Mike Levin (D-CA)
Dan Lipinski (D-IL)
Dave Loebsack (D-IA)
Elaine Luria (New Dem-VA)
Stephen Lynch (D-MA)
Tom Malinowski (New Dem-NJ)
Sean Patrick Maloney (New Dem-NY)
Doris Matsui (D-CA)
Ben McAdams (Blue Dog-UT)
Lucy McBath (New Dem-GA)
Jerry McNerney (D-CA)
Joseph Morelle (D-NY)
Stephanie Murphy (Blue Dog-FL)
Richard Neal (D-MA)
Tom O'Halleran (Blue Dog-AZ)
Jimmy Panetta (New Dem-CA)
Chris Pappas (New Dem-NH)
Donald Payne (D-NJ)
Ed Perlmutter (New Dem-CO)
Scott Peters (New Dem-CA)
Collin Peterson (Blue Dog-MN)
Dean Phillips (New Dem-MN)
Chellie Pingree (D-ME)
Katie Porter (D-CA)
Kathleen Rice (New Dem-NY)
Max Rose (Blue Dog-NY)
Harley Rouda (New Dem-CA)
Raul Ruiz (New Dem-CA)
Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD)
Bobby Rush (D-IL)
John Sarbanes (D-MD)
Adam Schiff (New Dem-CA)
Brad Schneider (Blue Dog-IL)
Kim Schrier (New Dem-WA)
Bobby Scott (D-VA)
David Scott (Blue Dog-GA)
Jose Serrano (D-NY)
Terri Sewell (New Dem-AL)
Donna Shalala (New Dem-FL)
Mikie Sherrill (Blue Dog-NJ)
Albio Sires (D-NJ)
Elissa Slotkin (New Dem-MI)
Abigail Spanberger (Blue Dog-VA)
Greg Stanton (New Dem-AZ)
Haley Stevens (New Dem-MI)
Tom Suozzi (New Dem-NY)
Mike Thompson (Blue Dog-CA)
Bennie Thompson (D-MS)
Xochitl Torres Small (Blue Dog-NM)
David Trone (New Dem-MD)
Lauren Underwood (D-IL)
Jefferson Van Drew (Blue Dog-NJ)
Pete Visclosky (D-IN)
Debbie Wasserman Schultz (New Dem-FL)
Maxine Waters (D-CA)
Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ)
Jennifer Wexton (New Dem-VA)
Susan Wild (New Dem-PA)
John Yarmuth (D-KY)

"Denny Heck voted to give money to concentration camps," his progressive primary opponent, Joshua Collins told me. "And he did it with no expectations of improved oversight or improved conditions. We might as well be burning money because they're already getting over $700/day per detainee, and still won't even give them toothpaste and soap. That vote was despicable. And it signifies why we have to replace Representatives like Denny Heck. He's not just a lazy centrist who won't budge on important issues like Medicare for All and a Green New Deal. He's actively helping the Republicans. And when asked why he makes all these bad votes, and why he refuses to support impeachment, his office says it's because he takes his marching orders from Nancy Pelosi. If he is being funded by large corporations and controlled even more explicitly by Nancy Pelosi, why in the hell should he be representing Washington's 10th? He needs to retire already. He's gotta go. That's why I'm running against him."

23 hours to go on this poll, but the trend seems set

Progressive Democrat Matt Tirman is running for the House seat occupied by New Dem chief Derek Kilmer in the sprawling 6th district west of Seattle. "The vote to give $4.6 billion in funding to ICE was not one to help the children being kept in cages at the border," he told me this morning, "but one to assuage the enormity of guilt felt by those in Congress. This was not a way to help reunite families, or help provide the humanitarian aid so desperately needed. This was simply a way for congressional members, like Rep. Kilmer, to stick a band aid on the issue and hope the American people will be placated so they could go march in their hometown parades without having to worry about messy questions about kids in cages."

Dean Obeidallah penned an OpEd for CNN yesterday, Why is Nancy Pelosi slamming AOC and helping Trump?. He was as pissed off as every progressive I know about Pelosi's slide over to the Dark Side, in terms of Trump's concentration camps and in her vicious attacks against progressives who opposed her collaboration with America's #1 enemy. She has especially singled out freshmen women Ilhan Omar (MN), AOC (NY), Rashida Tlaib (MI) and Ayanna Pressley (MA) for the full scale viciousness many Democrats would rather see her aiming at McConnell and Trump. She's become a real detriment to the Democratic Party and with her legacy in shreds, should step down and disappear immediately.

"Whatever"

Pelosi's criticism came after a June 25 vote in which the four were the only Democrats to oppose a House bill to provide funding for the crisis at the southern border because as they put it in a statement, "in good conscience, we cannot support this supplemental funding bill, which gives even more money to ICE and CBP and continues to support a fundamentally cruel and broken immigration system."

In response to that vote, Pelosi told Dowd, "All these people have their public whatever and their Twitter world," adding, "But they didn't have any following. They're four people and that's how many votes they got."

by Jack Spencer

In response, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez took to Twitter, focusing in on the dismissiveness of the speaker's "public whatever" remark. "That public 'whatever' is called public sentiment. And wielding the power to shift it is how we actually achieve meaningful change in this country," she tweeted.

What makes Pelosi's remark so stunning is that it flies in the face of her often-repeated philosophy that she has espoused to House Democrats since taking control of the chamber in the 2018 midterms. "Our diversity is our strength and our unity is our power," she wrote last November.

Pelosi is 100% correct with that approach. That means, though, that diversity of opinion needs to be respected-- not belittled. This unity is vitally needed in the time of Donald Trump, since the Democrat-controlled House is the only chamber that serves as a legitimate check on the President.