MA 2010 Election Update – Roll Call of Dems who Voted to Stay in Session to avoid Tax Increase in 2011 – Not One Mass. Rep. on the List!

The House voted to adjourn yesterday and put aside voting on legislation that would have prevented a tax increase come January, 2011. Those Democrats voting to stay in Session, along with all Republicans are shown below. Who’s missing? Every single Democrat Congressional Representative from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts – who voted with House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi (who cast the vote that put the House on mini-vacation) to come home and campaign. One more reason why anti-incumbent sentiment is running high in Massachusetts are stunts like this.

Putting one’s “career” over the interests of the tax payers is a problem; therefore, when the opportunity arises, in every district in the Commonwealth, the question should be poised:
“Why, Congressmen, (or woman) did you vote to come home and campaign, instead of saving me from paying more taxes? Followed by: “and why should you keep your job?”


Every single member of the House of Representatives (your congressional representative) and Senator knew that allowing the Bush Tax cuts to expire would mean your income would decrease, yet the people we hired decided their income was more important – they needed to get back to their districts to campaign. Was it each and every single Congressional Representative or Senator – hardly. In fact, the House of Representatives passed the motion to adjourn and not vote on the Bush Tax Cuts by one vote – the tie breaker - Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi.

That means that thirty nine Democrats joined all Congressional Republicans in voting to stay in session and vote on your income. Those Democrats who joined all Republicans and voted no are:

AL Bright
AZ Giffords
AZ Kirkpatrick
AZ Mitchell
CA McNerney
CO Markey
GA Marshall
ID Minnick
IL Bean
IL Foster
IN Donnelly
IN Ellsworth
LA MeLancon
MD Kratovil
ME Michaud
MI Peters
MI Schauer
MS Childers
MS Taylor
NC McIntyre
NC Shuler
NH Arcuri
NJ Adler
NM Heinrich
NV Titus
NY Bishop
NY McMahon
OH Driehaus
OH Kilroy
OH Space
PA Altmire
PA Carney
PA Murphy
PA Perriello
PA Sestak
SD Sandlin
TX Edwards
VA Connolly
VA Nye

If your Democrat Congressman or Congresswoman is not on the above list, they are responsible for increasing your income. Nothing more, nothing less.

Obama and Clinton Differ On the Tea Party – Too Little, Too Late to Salvage 2010 Mid-Terms – Is Clinton Laying Groundwork for 2012?

Bill Cliton On the Stump for Democrats - Image Sun Sentinal

There’s been a dearth of talk show appearances for former President, Bill Clinton this past week, from the Sunday morning news shows to an appearance last night on Fox News with Greta Van Susteren – the main topic – The Tea Party movement. Clinton, according to Politico, is suggesting that politicians listen to the Tea Party, while at the same time, suggesting they are “funded” by right wing extremists. The same theme was reiterated last night in an appearance on Fox News’ Greta Van Susteren, with the exception that in this particular interview, Clinton referred to the polls, and incidentally appeared exhausted (see video here). Clinton, who has been on the campaign trail with Democrat candidates (incumbents) as an alternative to President Obama (even in Massachusetts, where he’s been on the stump for for Stephen Lynch (D-MA), during a primary fight with a Progressive Democrat and will be appearing in Tuanton at the High School to support an endangered Barney Frank against Republican challenger, Sean Bielat at 2 pm on March 26th.)looks exhausted as it appears to be an uphill battle.

Bill Clinton, who is generally popular as a moderate Democrat, especially among the all important independent voter, has been looking at the polls – the Tea Party appears to have the support of a majority of voters, and some members are Democrats or independents, that would vote for a Democrat. It’s a fine line to walk, supporting candidates who are the nemesis of the Tea Party movement, such as Rep. Barney Frank, while trying to garner Tea Party support for the Democrats. He is potentially laying groundwork for a 2012 run at the White House by Hillary Clinton, who has been rumored to be considering mounting a challenge against sitting President Barack Obama. Clinton is no dummy; he’s survived impeachment with high approval ratings, and has generally followed polls in order to understand what it is that voters want from an elected official.

It must be taxing to attempt to stump for a Political Party one loves and believes in, while the Party “leader”, in this case President Obama, is doing just the opposite. Clinton is caught in the twilight zone of Progressive dogma and incompetence, with Obama challenging the “Tea Party” to come up with a plan, if they are not happy with the way he and his administration (Congress included) have run the government. (NY Daily News). Obama, either apparently understands that, contrary to many of the press who characterize the Tea Party as a “philosophical movement”, it is a fledgling Political party, one which may marginalize the Democrats, rather than the Republican’s should it continue to gain mainstream prominence - or he’s moronically hitting back at the core electorate he needs – independent voters and women, the majority of which, make up the movement.

At this point in the game however, Democrats are still desperately trying to either marginalize the Tea Party as “fringe” or tie them to the GOP (and considering Tea Party candidates have, in the same way as Progressives candidate to the Democrats, run as Republican’s and have been extremely successful) with both tactics being rather self-defeating.

In reviewing polls at Real Clear Politics.com, the numbers are not good particularly good for the Democrats. The methodology employed by Real Clear Politics in assessing a particular race, is to include all polls taken, regardless of accuracy, which may move the numbers into a “tie” where none exists. In addition, congressional districts across the nation which are competitive are not being polled – the prime example is the MA 4th District where Sean Bielat (R) is challenging Barney Frank (D-MA) who is, for perhaps the first time, actively campaigning in the district. Therefore, there may be more Republican gains than anticipated at Real Clear Politics.

There is a reason why Bill Clinton is going to Taunton to stump for Barney – where the former President will be greeted with respect from what is anticipated to be a well-attended rally the troop’s event, compete with an Anti-Barney Protest that may rival the attendance inside the school. (The rally, announced by the Bielat campaign on Facebook, is working to ensure that protesters are covered by all applicable laws and have the correct permits.) Given that one has to wonder just how many voters vested in the 4th district are planning on attending. That may have added an extra bit of “angst” to the already overburdened Clinton (unless of course, he plans on skipping out on Barney to hand out Hillary Clinton 2010 bumper stickers to those Independents and Democrats who will be at the counter-Barney rally.)

Of the two men, one a sitting President and the other a former two-term President, who managed to work with a Congress in total political opposition, the one to watch in the coming weeks will be Bill Clinton as he attempts to undo what Obama does naturally, offend potential mainstream voters. Should Clinton manage to at least salvage some shred of dignity on a road paved with Congressional misery, it will be a coup. One has to understand that Clinton coming to rally for Frank, instead of Obama is a huge signal that Obama has lost even Massachusetts, and sends clear signals to those who would have rather seen a Clinton in the White House, that it may still be a possibility.