UPDATE: Fifteen "Benedict Arnold" Democrats and their primary challengers

Moderators, pay careful attention - in no wise am I encouraging independent or third-party candidates to run against these Democratic incumbents. This is strictly Democrat vs. Democrat, and I say let the battle for the party begin!

Disclaimer: This is not a complete list. Updates and additions are welcome.

(AL-5) Robert "Bud" Cramer
Voted for Military Commissions Act (8/27/06), voted against McGovern Amendment (5/10/07), voted for Bush's demands for warrantless wiretapping (8/4/07)
Primary Challengers: NONE AT PRESENT

(AR-2) Victor Snyder
Voted against McGovern Amendment (5/10/07), voted for Bush's demands for warrantless wiretapping (8/4/07)
Primary Challengers: NONE AT PRESENT

(AR-4) Mike Ross
Voted for Military Commissions Act (8/27/06), voted against McGovern Amendment (5/10/07), voted for Bush's demands for warrantless wiretapping (8/4/07)
Primary Challengers: NONE AT PRESENT

(CO-3) John Salazar
Voted for Military Commissions Act (8/27/06), voted against McGovern Amendment (5/10/07), voted for Bush's demands for warrantless wiretapping (8/4/07)
Primary Challengers: NONE AT PRESENT

(FL-2) Allen Boyd
Voted for Military Commissions Act (8/27/06), voted against McGovern Amendment (5/10/07), voted for Bush's demands for warrantless wiretapping (8/4/07)
Primary Challengers: NONE AT PRESENT

(IL-3) Daniel Lipinski
Voted against McGovern Amendment (5/10/07), voted for Bush's demands for warrantless wiretapping (8/4/07)
Primary Challengers: JERRY BENNETT, JIM CAPPARELLI, MARK PERA

(IL-8) Melissa Bean
Voted for Military Commissions Act (8/27/06), voted against McGovern Amendment (5/10/07), voted for Bush's demands for warrantless wiretapping (8/4/07)
Primary Challengers: RANDI SCHEURER

(KY-6) Ben Chandler
Voted for Military Commissions Act (8/27/06), voted against McGovern Amendment (5/10/07), voted for Bush's demands for warrantless wiretapping (8/4/07)
Primary Challengers: NONE AT PRESENT

(LA-3) Charles Melancon
Voted for Military Commissions Act (8/27/06), voted against McGovern Amendment (5/10/07), voted for Bush's demands for warrantless wiretapping (8/4/07)
Primary Challengers: NONE AT PRESENT

(MN-7) Collin Peterson
Voted for Military Commissions Act (8/27/06), voted against McGovern Amendment (5/10/07), voted for Bush's demands for warrantless wiretapping (8/4/07)
Primary Challengers: NONE AT PRESENT

(MS-4) Gene Taylor
Voted for Military Commissions Act (8/27/06), voted against McGovern Amendment (5/10/07), voted for Bush's demands for warrantless wiretapping (8/4/07)
Primary Challengers: NONE AT PRESENT

(ND-0) Earl Pomeroy
Voted for Military Commissions Act (8/27/06), voted against McGovern Amendment (5/10/07), voted for Bush's demands for warrantless wiretapping (8/4/07)
Primary Challengers: NONE AT PRESENT

(SD-0) Stephanie Herseth Sandlin
Voted for Military Commissions Act (8/27/06), voted against McGovern Amendment (5/10/07), voted for Bush's demands for warrantless wiretapping (8/4/07)
Primary Challengers: NONE AT PRESENT

(TX-28) Henry Cuellar
Voted for Military Commissions Act (8/27/06), voted against McGovern Amendment (5/10/07), voted for Bush's demands for warrantless wiretapping (8/4/07)
Primary Challengers: NONE AT PRESENT

(UT-2) Jim Matheson
Voted for Military Commissions Act (8/27/06), voted against McGovern Amendment (5/10/07), voted for Bush's demands for warrantless wiretapping (8/4/07)
Primary Challengers: NONE AT PRESENT

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As you can see from the list presented above, out of 15 turncoat Dems, only two of these turncoats have Democratic primary challengers. Clearly, our party still has a world of work to do - and not much time left to do it.

So, if your Congressperson is one of the individuals listed above, and there isn't anyone challenging that individual for that seat in Congress, it's a sign that you should find an honest Democrat who is willing to run against them - or possibly run against them yourself. Hopefully the deadline for filing hasn't passed yet.

:kick:

MKJ

:hi:

:toast: MKJ

:kick:

yes!

We morphed it into lifetime tenure, with graft and corrution as far as the eye can see..

In MY perfect world:

Senate TWO 6-yr terms MAXIMUM
House TWO 4-yr terms MAXIMUM

FIVE year lobbying prohibition

Leaving senators could run for house seat (TWO term max)
Leaving congresspeople could run for senate (TWO term max)

NO PENSION UNTIL 20 YEAR *CONTINUOUS SERVICE* REQUIREMENT WAS MET..

NO retirement health benefits after retirement unless the 20 year continuous requirement has been met..and then it's COBRA ONLY.. (let them pay the REAL cost)


>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

SCOTUS

55 yr age MINIMUM
75 yr age MAXIMUM

15 year service maximum..NO PENSION/NO BENNIES

This allows them to have achieved a career's worth of experience, documentable..and to have raised ther families. These people always say they do it to be of SERVICE, so my plan lets them amass their retirements from their former work, set themselves up nicely, and still SERVE their country..

:kick: MKJ

Yay Me! :applause:

:loveya:

:toast: MKJ

:P

:rofl: MKJ

P.S. John Salazar in CO D3 has got to go, as does his DINO bro in the Senate.

And you have your answer to why the fuck the primaries were moved up so far.

Blue Dog Democrats.

Another solution would be for you to change parties.

How do you feel about Democratic senators and congresspersons who take positions opposing the Democratic Party Platform?

Are they not also guilty of political heresy just as you accuse the congresspersons in the OP?

vote with the R's more than not is a good thing for our party.

MKJ

issues that support the Democratic Party Platform?

You might want to refresh your memory of our party platform by reading the 2004 platform at http://www.democrats.org/pdfs/2004platform.pdf

of the American people, I don't give Democrats any more breaks than R's.

My own rep, who is quite liberal by most standards, has still heard an earful from me on impeachment, the telecom bill, Iraq war funding votes and net neutrality.

Why can't we hold our reps accountable? MKJ

the natural, inherent, inalienable/unalienable right to keep and bear arms for self-defense.

I hope you are a frequent participant in DU's Guns forum where we expose Dem senators and representatives who vote in opposition to the Dem Party Platform that says "We will protect Americans' Second Amendment right to own firearms, and we will keep guns out of the hands of criminals and terrorists by fighting gun crime, reauthorizing the assault weapons ban, and closing the gun show loophole, as President Bush proposed and failed to do."

:hi:

I had no idea that we were headed that way.

If you want to know how I feel about weapons, "On God, guns and Colorado" in my journal might give you some insight. Anyway, I think the gun grab by Blackwater in NOLA was egregious.

I'm still not sure how this ties into this thread. :shrug: MKJ

the Dem platform.

That's what you seem to imply when you list congresspersons who vote on bills along with Repugs.

Surely there must be at least one issue on which Dem and Repug congresspersons can agree without being condemned by their respective parties -- isn't there?

All I can do is hold my own rep accountable to what I, as their constituent, am asking they do. MKJ

in 2004 against a Republican challenger. And when he won, he rushed into Washington to jump the aisle and join with the Republicans to "privatize" Social Security. He made the Atrios Wall of Shame. But you know what, he didn't talk that way when he lied to us.

I promise you that I will never vote Republican, but I will never pull lever his again.

He ran unopposed last term, and probably will this term, but he is a snake.

This isn't about political orthodoxy. This is about respect for the Constitution itself.

MKJ

from 30 to 50 years ago. I would not trust this one.

Constitution we must obey the law or follow MLK's lead in peaceful protest.

and that means a very great deal right now. When the DLC was running the party, the Democratic Parties in the redder states where deprived of funding by a party leadership that thought money should be spent where contests could be won. Quite a few state parties were nearing bankruptcy. Dean's 50 state strategy has gotten them all back into solvency, but it's still going to be a while before they can afford to mount primary campaigns to unseat DINOs.

First, we need a party majority in both houses; by then, following Dean's strategy of funding local parties, we'll be in a position to challenge the jerks and get them out of office in favor of Democrats.

therefore can bring home the bacon for ND

I quit voting for Earl Pomeroy several elections ago. All three of our congress critters usually run unopposed. If they do have competition, it is some rightwing nut job that thinks our democratic representatives from ND are really Democrats. Dorgan is ok most of the time. The other two, not so much.

some of these might be safe Democratic districts, while others ones where defeating a Democrat would seriously risk the likelihood of a Repuke gaining the seat. One Congressperson NOT mentioned, and considered THE SINGLE LEAST PROGRESSIVE member of the Black Caucus, is Congressman Ford of Memphis, who comes from a safely Democratic district.

If we know which districts are likely Democratic even if the incumbent gets bumped in the primaries, then we could try to focus on recruiting people to run.

I would add that in some cases, even less rightwing Democrats, like Barney Frank, from safe Democratic districts can be challenged by strong MORE progressive Democrats. The whole issue is relative to the particular districts and not on an absolute political scale ... a kind of political arbitrage.

I haven't been too happy with his voting record, but he is against that DAMN WALL & as long as he votes against that DAMN WALL, I'll vote for him.

dg