Progressive Media Summit: Punish Lincoln! ConservaDems Might Pay Price!

Progressives: Punish Lincoln! Sen. Sherrod Brown: Stay Tuned!
Christina Bellantoni | March 10, 2010, 4:22PM

Senate Democrats attempted to reassure riled up progressive pundits today that conservaDems might indeed pay a price next January when the caucus decides who will - and won't - keep their leadership positions.

TPMDC and other news outlets are in attendance at the Progressive Media Summit on Capitol Hill, hosted by the Senate Democrats. Some here, including John Aravosis and MSNBC's Ed Schultz, are treating it as a forum to tell the Senators what they are doing wrong.

Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) told the group he understands frustration that some Democrats "don't have the backbone we wish they had." After the Democrats were asked why the leadership doesn't strip Sen. Blanche Lincoln of her Agriculture Committee chairmanship, Brown chimed in and said that might be coming next year.

An attendee stood up in the back of the room and said there should be consequences for Democrats who don't support the caucus on procedural measures.

"That's so unfair," Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) complained from the podium. Brown piped up: "There's next year."

Brown, one of the most progressive members of the Senate, told the crowd that when the Senate reorganizes in January after the midterm elections, the caucus will need to elect committee chairs.

"I'm not predicting who or any will be defeated but they are certainly going to get a message. That's one of the things we've talked to Harry Reid about," Brown said, not mentioning Lincoln (D-AR).

Brown said the caucus would go through each chairman and ask for a yes or no on keeping the leadership post, using as an example, should Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) retain his chairmanship of Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

"Yes, for him of course. For some others it may not be," Brown said. "We all understand the frustration because we all have it."

Schultz complained that Democratic leadership avoids the Sunday shows while the Republicans dominate. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) said that Democrats forget "Rush Limbaugh was campaigning 365 days a year."

Stabenow complained that some members don't go on television because they "feel like they are going to get beat up."

"Many people in our caucus feel like they are beat up on both sides," she said. "That doesn't help us."

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/03/progressives-punish-lincoln-sen-sherrod-brown-stay-tuned.php?ref=mp

She forgets that we live in a democracy and dissent and criticism of our leaders is as American as apple pie.

The purpose of Democrats going on those shows should be to help reframe the debate in Democratic and progressive terms. Course, sounds like Stabenow hasn't a clue what framing is.

Why don't our Democrats get the head of the FCC to look into the Media Matters Repotrs & others that "Meet the Press, ABC and Face the Nation" all have both more Conservative Guests and more Republican Senators and Representatives than they do voices from The Dems and the Left. This is Network TV where the FCC can make changes. But, Dems are afraid to go on because they might "get beat up?" That sounds threatening to them and something needs to be done.

here is how it works, little Debbie.
the people elected you to do a job. you dont do that job, the people criticize you and throw your ass out of office.

you work for the people , lil Deb, not for the multinational lobbyists.

if you cannot take the heat, spineless dems, get out of the kitchen.

And those who break ranks should suffer severe consequences: they should be stripped of committee or sub-committee chairs if they have them, if they persist they should be stripped of all committee assignments, staff, and given offices in a broom closet. No thing they propose should ever reach the floor, not one dollar of discretionary spending should ever find its way to their states, and Federal facilities and the like in their states should be moved elsewhere.

"Politics ain't bean-bag."

"Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom."

We would not beat them up we would back them. Instead they bend over for the RPIGS who like any other bully will beat them up because they are wusses.

Sorry they have to get it from both sides but we on the left have noticed its the squeaky wheel that gets the grease and if we don't complain we get ignored.