There’s No Such Thing As A Blue Dog Democrat: They’re Just Democrats–UPDATD

July 31, 2009 / 7:00 pm • By Dr. Melissa Clouthier

Every once in a while I’m hit with a fit of idealism and believe a politician actually stands for something. Five minutes later, I’m dissuaded of that notion by guys like so-called Blue Dog Democrat Gene Taylor. Politico reports:

Rep. Gene Taylor (D-Miss.) has called Grover Norquist’s anti-tax group Americans for Tax Reform “lying sacks of scum” for lumping him in with other moderate Democrats who support the House health reform bill.

“Americans for Tax Reform are lying sacks of scum, and anyone who knowingly repeats this false information is also a liar,” Taylor said in an unusually blistering statement for a member of Congress.

The incident has so incensed Taylor, he’s pointing out Americans for Tax Reforms past ties to convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

The Americans for Tax Reform release said Taylor had agreed to a “backroom deal” on health care.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0709/25670.html#ixzz0MswAWHg1

Americans for Tax Reform responds:

Americans for Tax Reform issued the following public statement today about Rep. Gene Taylor’s (D-Miss.) press release distancing himself from the Blue Dog Compromise struck this week in the Pelosi/Waxman-led effort to reform healthcare:

Gene Taylor like many others is a BDINO (Blue Dog in Name Only). He voted to make Pelosi Speaker, he voted to make Waxman head of the Committee. He voted to put Barney Frank in charge of our banking system. Mike Ross, Pelosi and the other Democrats declared that the Blue Dogs were on board. If he’s not, he should have proudly indicated so–he didn’t. If he’s upset with the Blue Dogs for their decision, he should consider resigning from that caucus. If he doesn’t like being tarnished with supporting Pelosi’s government take over of healthcare, he should bring it up with her.

Congressman Taylor has historically had a difficult time telling the truth and keeping his promises.

On March 1st, 1996, Gene Taylor signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, promising his constituents he would oppose all income tax increases while serving in Congress . Apparently, he did this just to get elected, as his written word has turned out to be worthless. When Republicans controlled the Congress from 1996 to 2006, he never had the opportunity to vote for a tax increase. The first Congress he had the chance to vote for a tax increase, he did.

He has broken his Pledge so far three times now at Pelosi’s bidding: on January 18, 2007 (Roll Call No. 40) , on July 27, 2007 (Roll Call 756), and on December 6th, 2007 (Roll Call No. 1140). We’re glad that Congressman Taylor finally found a Pelosi tax hike package he’s willing to oppose (so far), but you can’t blame us for being caught off guard by it. If he doesn’t want to be associated with the Blue Dogs, he should formally leave the group. No fair hiding behind their skirts when convenient and then pretending he’s never met them when inconvenient.

Progressive Democrat. Blue Dog Democrat. Still a Democrat. Principles? Hardly.

The Blue Dogs are trying to find a way to sell out promises to those who voted them in and still get voted for again. Good luck with that guys. Serving two masters doesn’t work well.

UPDATED: Dan Riehl says, “Jeepers, people, get it together.”

Ha! Whatever. There is going to be some bad blood after this legislation gets “rammed through” (in the inimitable words of Chris Matthews). And then, there will be political blood spilled. Democrats in conservative districts will pay a bloody price for this and they know it but they are helpless before the Pelosi-Reid-Obama machine.

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  • http://sidburgess.com Sid Burgess

    The Republican Party isn’t my master too. They have gotten it wrong with plenty of things. Do I really need to list them all?

    Everyone has picked their side. Those sides are not “right and wrong”. Many Democrats are democrats because of their upbringing (their parents were registered as such) I know I am registered Republican because my father is. I always thought he knew what he was talking about.

    However, just like me, he was against the war (Iraq), medicare, and so many other Republican ideas.

    There isn’t a master here that we can all just pick and everyone else gets to be called stupid.

    John Norquist is the president of the Congress of New Urbanism. He is probably pretty hated by the right for his views on government planning (though most objections to him are incorrect assumptions driven by talking heads on the right) but he is a big advocate for School Choice. Same goal, different reason.

    Life demands that we not just make choices once, but that we mange our choices in such a way that we can continue to promote our causes. If we all ran around beating our own drum, nothing would ever get done. Well, we would make a lot of noise.

    If you believe that, you wouldn’t be registered with the Republican Party. You don’t agree 100%.

    Instead of ensuring that we will never work with democrats again, why can’t we instead find ways to accomplish what we can with who we can.

    I hate to keep bringing up the kids, but it is a valid argument. What are we going to tell our kids about our fight today? What is our argument for continuing to argue about the future instead of acting our the choices we have. How much water will it really hold?

    Peace

  • http://melissaclouthier.com Dr. Melissa Clouthier

    Sid,

    This is by no means saying that Republicans got it right. What I’m saying is that when it comes down to voting, Democrats vote like a herd. The rest is just window dressing.

    Republicans cannot seem to even agree on one principle like not increasing taxes.

    And the Blue Dogs are just trying to weasel a way into supporting Nancy Pelosi and the President and not get rhetorically beat to death by their constituents–and then be voted out.

    Republicans believe that the only way to get elected is to stand for everything and in doing so, they stand for nothing.

    And, I recognize that Americans are more nuanced. But Americans need to decide the kind of America they want–we’re at a cross-roads. We either are going soft Socialist, ala Europe or reassert our commitment to free markets, free enterprise and greatness.

  • http://sidburgess.com Sid Burgess

    I am in agreement with your comment mostly. I think that our difference may arise in a difference of opinion as to how to solve the problem

    I agree, we are at a crossroads, but it has little do with our form of government. The cart before the horse is our inability as a people to DEMONSTRATE that we can actually be responsible. Our nation is in shambles. We have to be willing to call BS, even on ourselves sometimes. This means embracing intelligent solutions and not political rhetoric. That may mean not fitting into a mold neatly.

    Democrats vote in hers just as often as Republicans. I’d be willing to research that to prove I am right.

    America needs to stop choosing federal politics, not just stop choosing which federal politician. Vote, stay informed, but proving that we can actually pull this off is the only way to avert socialism of any kind.

    Politics thrive in a vacuum, specifically a leadership vacuum. Leadership needs to not just inspire people to talk more about the problem, but to solve them.

    One of the reasons I am so grateful for my time as an elected official at the municipal level, was the lesson learned from working in a non-partisan environment. That same environment is possible everywhere…we just have to want it. That vision of such a place, a place where the partisans are considered fringe and the rest are focused on stability of our nation, solutions for the future, now that is most definitely not a socialist nation.

    This doesn’t mean we don’t need parties or groups, only that we accept that as natural and we judge people as the constitution judges them, by their actions. Plenty of difficult debate took place before our founders signed the dotted line, but when they emerged, they had a unique respect for the purpose of their collaboration.

    We need that same purpose driven politics (if that is what we are going to call it)