One would think with the various democratic capitulations to the President on everything from Iraq War Funding to warrantless wiretapping to habeas corpus would be enough to ensure that freshman congresscritters don't get the awful label of "Libural".
God forbid they should be associated with that vindictive Nancy Pelosi who just wants to drive GWB out of town.
UPDATED: To add Go Edwards so maybe someone will read this. This is not an endorsement of John Edwards. (Not that there is anything wrong with John Edwards).
No that is not enough for some of these fearful folks. Apparently now the Washington Post says they are Padding their independence from the democratic leadership by voting nay routine procedure issues.
That way when the deeep scary voice over comes and says, "Congressman X voted WITH Nancy Pelosi Y% of the time, Y might be a slightly lower number.
Half a dozen freshman Democrats took to the House floor one late-October morning to cast their lot with Republicans.
Their actions went unpunished by the Democratic leadership that day, as they have on many other occasions in recent weeks. The symbolic gesture -- casting nay votes on approving the House Journal, essentially the minutes of the previous day -- would have no bearing on the leadership's agenda.
This guy really inspires me.
"I'm viewed as an independent. I'm viewed as a conservative Democrat," said Rep. Jason Altmire (Pa.), the first freshman to regularly oppose his party's leadership on the journal vote.
this one too!
Rep. Brad Ellsworth (D-Ind.), who has opposed more than half the journal votes, called his opposition "protest votes against little things I heard during the day" before. "I hope the people back home are monitoring all my votes," he said.
as does Nancy
Dubbed the "majority makers" by Pelosi's leadership team, the freshmen have become a major front in the Democrats' battle to sustain and expand their majority next fall.
as do Steny, Rahm, and Van Hollen
Protecting the 42 freshman Democrats, the largest partisan class since 73 Republicans took office in 1994, has been the top priority for key Democratic strategists such as Rep. Rahm Emanuel (Ill.). The freshmen get special treatment from leaders, including a weekly meeting with Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (Md.). And they receive frequent advice on how to vote from Emanuel and Rep. Chris Van Hollen (Md.), chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
I mean things like this are really really really scary!!!!!
"While these Democrats might claim to be independent voices for their districts, the differences between them and Nancy Pelosi are purely aesthetic," said Ken Spain, spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee.
I think these folks need some advice from
Stuart Smalley on how to improve their self image