Liberal Democrats Turn on One of Party's 'Blue Dogs' [View All]

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The Wall Street Journal

Liberal Democrats Turn on One of Party's 'Blue Dogs'
Carney Is Opposed For Backing Bush On Surveillance Bill
By BRAD HAYNES
August 18, 2008; Page A5

FACTORYVILLE, Pa. -- In 2006, liberal and centrist Democrats put aside longstanding differences to support candidates across the political spectrum in pursuit of the party's first congressional majority in 12 years. Now, as Democrats have grown confident about expanding that majority, old fissures are re-emerging as some left-leaning activists once again emphasize loyalty to their ideas over loyalty to the party.

One of the first big battlegrounds is in northeastern Pennsylvania, where liberal bloggers who boosted Rep. Chris Carney's 2006 upset win over a four-term Republican incumbent have this year turned against the freshman Democrat, actively campaigning for his defeat in November. Upset by Mr. Carney's advocacy of President George W. Bush's domestic-surveillance legislation, his former supporters have attacked him with television, radio and newspaper ads as he faces a tough re-election fight against millionaire Republican Chris Hackett.

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Mr. Carney's liberal detractors haven't endorsed his Republican challenger but say they wouldn't be bothered if the seat turned Republican once again. "Our goal is to attach a real price to the type of things Chris Carney is doing. If that means he ends up losing, then so be it," said Glenn Greenwald, a columnist at Salon magazine and one of the organizers behind the effort. "I would rather see a smaller majority but fewer Blue Dogs than a big majority with the Blue Dogs in charge.".. "We're not just Democrats, we're progressives. We're not about getting the leadership of the Democratic party more power," explains online activist Howie Klein of Blue America, which has raised more than $1 million since he co-founded it in 2005. "Blue America is about better Democrats, not more Democrats."

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When Mr. Carney joined 20 Blue Dogs this spring in pushing House leadership to approve domestic-surveillance legislation that protected telecommunications companies from prosecution, Blue America formed a fund to "get even" with Democrats like him. Mr. Carney said his firsthand experience with military intelligence convinced him of the importance of the domestic spying program.

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Blue America has also spent $30,000 on robocalls and ads against Majority Leader Steny Hoyer this year to try to "soften him up" for a 2010 challenger in his Maryland district. The group has spent thousands against Democratic Rep. John Barrow in Georgia as well but curtailed spending when internal polls showed Mr. Barrow was "not vulnerable enough."


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