This small article from
The Oklahoman all but speaks for itself:
U.S. Rep. Dan Boren, who opposed his party more often than any other U.S. House member last year, is part of the Democratic team of "whips" that tracks votes on key issues. Boren, of Muskogee, announced Wednesday he has been named an assistant whip.
The rest inside.
The rest:
"I will use my position on the Democratic whip team to continue my work for Oklahoma's priorities," the freshman congressman said. "We all have to come together to protect our borders, provide affordable health care, create jobs and address our nation's energy problems."
A study released this year by Congressional Quarterly showed Boren voted against the House Democratic Party's position 41 percent of the time in 2005, giving him the lowest "party unity" score of any House member of either party. Boren also sided with President Bush, a Republican, 65 percent of the time, the second-most of any House Democrat.
But House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer of Maryland called Boren "a young, energetic member of Congress, and someone who is truly in touch with the values of America's heartland."
According to the dKosopedia:
In politics, a whip is a member of a political party in a legislature whose task is to ensure that members of the party attend and vote as the party leadership desires. The term originated in the Parliament of the United Kingdom and derives from the "whipper-in" at a fox hunt. Whip is also used to mean the voting instructions issued to members by the Whip.
So the Democratic Congressman who voted against his leadership the most often last year is now supposed to help make sure that other members obey the instructions that he himself ignores for 2 out of every 5 votes. The one guy who clearly disobeys the whips is now one himself, and proudly talks about how he'll "continue" in his ways.
And we wonder why the House Dems don't seem to speak with one voice.