Mary Landrieu’s Doing Something Weird: Running On Her Record

[Playinghardball]

WASHINGTON — When Sen. Mary Landrieu took to the floor Nov. 21, 2009, she was determined to set the record straight. With Senate leaders still struggling to find the votes for the law that would become known as Obamacare, rumors began leaking to the press that Majority Leader Harry Reid had secured the Louisiana Democrat’s vote with a promise of $100 million in Medicare payments to the state.

It wasn’t true, and Landrieu was none too pleased. “I am not going to be defensive about asking fro help in this situation, and it is not a $100 million fix. It is a $300 million fix. … I’m proud to have asked for it. I’m proud to have fought for it,” Landrieu declared matter-of-factly.

Landrieu’s floor speech was all the more remarkable given the intense pressure Democrats were under from Republicans over Obamacare. Within weeks, fellow centrist Sen. Ben Nelson found himself embroiled in controversy over the “Cornhusker Kickback” — a $45 million provision inserted into the health care measure for Nebraska that Reid had included as a sweetener for Nelson’s vote.

Nelson then followed the conventional wisdom — if you’re a red state, moderate Democrat, you need to run from your party, its signature legislation, and any hint that you break conservative fiscal orthodoxy. But that strategy didn’t help Nelson, who watched as conservatives mounted an aggressive campaign around the earmark, ultimately forcing him into early retirement.

Meanwhile, Landrieu has embraced her record for bringing home the bacon, hasn’t shied away from her Obamacare votes and finds herself in a good position to win reelection in one of the most conservative, anti-Obama states in the nation.

“It was just the way I was to taught to be, or encouraged to be, by my father and my parents,” Landrieu told BuzzFeed.

More here: http://www.buzzfeed.com/johnstanton/mary-landrieus-doing-something-weird-running-on-her-record

[dsc]

1. Good position is a bit optimistic

She is still polling in the low 40's even in two way match ups and she will need to be over 50. That said, she is doing the right thing and is an amazing campaigner who has a history of pulling out these races so I wouldn't bet against her.

[1StrongBlackMan]

2. I've never understood why a politician ...

would run away from securing benefits for their electorate ... Isn't that why their electorate elected them?

[Proud Liberal Dem]

3. Yeah.......but

this is the state that elected Bobby Jindal and up until the last month or so, ACA was a huge liability for Democrats. The GOP ran repeatedly on the idea that not only were the benefits of the law going to a bunch of "takers" but that the rest of us would suffer with the loss of our plans (and freedom!) as a result of the law. Now that the first open enrollment is over and lots of people have health insurance (exceeding expectations) and, well, the sky hasn't fallen for the rest of us, people are (slowly) waking up to the reality that ACA/Obamacare isn't going to ruin the country like the Republicans were constantly telling us. There is every indication that Republicans now view running on ACA/Obamacare repeal as a political loser for them while, conversely, Democrats see it as a winner. The Republicans' new tactic of hyper (re-)focusing on Benghazi is even starting to turn people off- to the extent that people are paying attention to it at all. I'm sort of at a loss to figure out exactly what the Republicans have to run on. They exist pretty much for no other reason than to obstruct President Obama at this point.

[Cha]

4. And, she's ahead doing so! thanks Play~