It's extremely disappointing, but hardly surprising:
Rep. Betsy Markey on Wednesday became an official member of the Blue Dog Coalition, a 55-member group of conservative Democrats known for fiscal restraint and bucking party lines.
Those of us who have seen her in action this past year already knew her orientation, but now it's official. And it fits in well with the Democratic Party's strategy these days: appease your opponents and screw your base.
The Denver post reported this week that
Markey was accepted as a Blue Dog by unanimous vote after a months-long process that included interviews by the coalition's members and an examination of her voting record.
Markey's a first-term congresswoman, having unseated the loathsome GOP star Marilyn Musgrave in the Democratic surge of 2008. On a delicious side note, Newsweek ranked Musgrave at the bottom of the "Dignity Index" this week, saying:
Despite losing her re-election bid by 12 points, Colorado GOP Rep. Marilyn Musgrave refuses to congratulate her opponent or even concede the race. Score: 78
Markey's blue-dog hue has been there all to see since she took office. In her "town hall" appearances on health care she declared she would only support reform if was completely budget-neutral, and that she was opposed to expanding Medicaid or raising taxes on the wealthy to finance reform. She voted against the bill in its narrow house victory, but supporters say (quietly) she had permission to do so from Nancy Pelosi because of her perceived vulnerability. And, while she did vote for the stimulus package, she voted against the 2010 budget and a measure to raise the debt ceiling.
Her conservatism is also unsurprising given that she served on the staff of Colorado Senator Ken Salazar, who had a definite and unpleasant conservative streak. A lot of us cheered when he was tapped for Interior mainly because it opened up his seat.
The political calculus seems to be that Markey is too vulnerable in Colorado's "Fightin' Fourth," and needs to play the conservative to hold her seat. It has traditionally been a red district - in the GOP column since 1973. But history is a poor guide here. Growth of Denver and its suburban halo has been shading the state blue for years. There were two Republican senators in 2004, now there are two Democrats. And last year Markey beat three-term incumbent Musgrave by 12 points in the "Red" 4th District.
I honestly have no idea why Markey's people thinks a turn to "the center" (read: the right) makes sense. The teabaggers - who are greatly energized - are not going to vote for her, ever, no matter what she does. And the base that carried her to victory last year (myself included) is increasingly demoralized. Because of their disappointment with Markey and (let's face it) Obama, they're either going to grudgingly pull the lever or stay home next year. If Markey and the rest of the Democrats keep treating us like embarrassments, then the bumper stickers, yard signs, rallies and donations are simply not going to be there. And neither will the votes.