Why does Bobby Bright ("D"-AL) Hate Women And Children And Love Republican Ideology?

[FLAprogressive]

"Yesterday Alabama freshman Bobby Bright joined the House Democratic caucus' most reactionary member, Jim Marshall (Blue Dog-GA), in opposing the Democratic Party's attempt to reach needy children with health insurance (S-CHIP). They were the only two Democrats to vote against the bill, which passed in a massive landslide, 289-139, with 40 mainstream conservative Republicans joining the rest of the Democrats to pass it....

Later the same day the landmark Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 came up for a vote and Bright was one of only 5 Democrats to cross the aisle and join the GOP to register their contempt for the concept of equal pay for equal work for American working women, the others being Dan Boren (Blue Dog-OK), Allen Boyd (Blue Dog-FL), Parker Griffith (AL), and Travis Childers (MS).

During the 2008 election cycle we warned the DCCC and Alabama voters that Bright's reactionary record indicated clearly that he could be counted on to support Republican Party positions on even the most basic, core Democratic values and principles. The DCCC proceeded to spent $1,177,847 in Independent Expenditures alone on electing Bright.....At the same time dozens of real Democrats were given not one dime-- or even the time of day-- by the DCCC, some of whom were able to hold their Republican opponents to tiny margins.

.... tell the DCCC that you want accountability for the money they spend on reactionary fake Democrats. Millions of dollars were wasted in the last two cycles on "Democrats" who consistently vote against the most basic Democratic principles, "Democrats" who revel in crossing the aisle and voting with the GOP. In this year's freshman class, we have already seen Bright, Parker Griffith and Walt Minnick showing how helpful they're going to be to John Boehner and the GOP leadership as it prepares to obstruct everything Barack Obama plans to do to rescue America from years and years of Republican misrule and corruption. But God knows those weren't the only candidates DCCC money helped elect who have gone on to support the Republicans. We'll see how long it takes for conservative freshmen like Gerald Connolly, Michael McMahon and Kathleen Dahlkemper to start crossing the aisle but for a solid baker's dozen Democrats there is no need to wait. Right wing kooks calling themselves Democrats who vote with the GOP again and again on substantive matters include Gene Taylor (MS), Collin Peterson (MN), John Tanner (TN), Mike McIntyre (NC), Travis Childers (MS), Jim Marshall (GA), Dan Boren (OK), Allen Boyd (FL), Jim Matheson (UT), Chris Carney (PA), John Barrow (GA), Bart Gordon (TN) and Lincoln Davis (TN).

Next year the DCCC has proclaimed they will devote most of their resources to incumbent retention. Money shouldn't be wasted on retaining the above members. There has got to be some kind of accountability for Democrats who vote with the Republicans as a matter of course."

Read entire article at: http://downwithtyranny.blogspot.com/2009/01/why-does-bobby-bright-d-al-hate-women.html

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Remember folks, when you donate to the DCCC, you're donating to help another Republican-lite Dem get in Congress as opposed to a progressive Democrat.

[bluestateguy]

1. Is his district big on tobacco farms?

The SCHIP bill raises the tobacco tax, so if his district has a lot of tobacco farms, I would cut him some slack.

If not, however, then he deserves harsh criticism.

[FLAprogressive]

2. I wouldn't. VA and NC Dems had no problem voting unanimously for the bill.....

[PVnRT]

5. Ben Chandler of KY voted for it too

Plenty of tobacco farms in his section of the state. Not to mention a growing fight over whether or not the state should raise cigarette taxes to avoid cutting K-12 education.

[FLAprogressive]

3. Also the DCCC spent 1 million dollars on electing him. I'm sure that money could have helped a REAL

Dem....

[Renew Deal]

4. You're trying this bullshit again

You posted this sort of dem hating twice last week. I showed you how you were wrong, but I guess you want to try again.

[FLAprogressive]

6. I only hate Dems that vote like Republicans.

[PVnRT]

7. "Dem hating"

Tell me, what core Democratic party principle says to vote down equal pay for women and health care to poor kids?

[FLAprogressive]

8. To some, principles obviously do not matter anymore....

Look at the DLC.

[Renew Deal]

12. That wasn't ever the point of the argument

Going back to last week. The point was the role of the DCCC.

[FLAprogressive]

13. The DCCC gave $0 to (real) Dems in races against these Republicans:

Dan Lungren (CA-03)- 50%
Brian Bilbray (CA-50)- 50%
Thaddeus McCotter (MI-11)- 51%
Ken Calvert (CA-44)- 52%
Jim Gerlach (PA-06)- 52%
Dana Rohrabacher (CA-46)- 53%
Judy Biggert (IL-13)- 53%
Michael McCaul (TX-10)- 54%

I'm sure that a million dollars or so could have won some of these seats for real Dems.

[Renew Deal]

16. Why not a billion or so?

That would have been even more helpful.

[PVnRT]

14. Which was, apparently, to recruit a candidate whose support will be spotty at best

Good work, DCCC.

[Renew Deal]

18. 2 Dems out of 256 voted against this bill. That's .007% of Democrats

I'd say the DCCC did quite well on this one.

[FLAprogressive]

19. here you go again...lying and saying that the DCCC has given money to all 256 Dems

They haven't.

it could have been 0% had the DCCC given money to REAL Democrats.

[Renew Deal]

21. The DCCC doesn't have to give money to all of them.

They support all 435 or however many run. Lets cut the number in half. 2 out of 128. That's .015%. You really showed me.

[FLAprogressive]

23. That's intellectually dishonest at best. If not a downright lie.

"I, of course, was most anxious to meet and speak with Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (DINO-FL), who is chairing the DCCC’s Red-to-Blue program. I just knew that she would welcome the chance to defeat Adam Putnam, as that would allow her lay sole claim to the title of “Wonder Kid” in Florida’s politics. Adam, after all, isn’t her next door neighbor. Once she comes onboard, I assumed, the other members of the caucus would lose their timidity and also support me. I was dead wrong, and I should have known better.

It is well known that Wasserman-Schultz supports Republicans Lincoln Diaz-Balart, Mario Diaz-Balart, and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen over their Democratic opponents, although lately she has been pressured into giving belated and grudging support to Joe Garcia and Raul Martinez who are opposing the Diaz-Balarts. I always figured that she was just afraid of the Hispanic backlash in her own district. What I hadn’t considered is that she is just afraid of all incumbent Republicans in Florida. When I met her in Denver, she immediately told me that she couldn’t support me, saying I hadn’t raised enough money. I told her that I had raised $100K, that I was a military retiree, that my family is living on my wife’s Air Force E6 pay, and that I wasn’t able like other “viable” candidates to drop a quarter of a million dollars into my own campaign. I then told her, “Congresswoman, I am one of those working-class guys that our party claims to represent.” Her response was “Don’t pull that populist stuff with me.” I thanked her for her time.
"

http://downwithtyranny.blogspot.com/2008/09/debbie-wasserman-schultz-to-florida.html

[Renew Deal]

27. Just because the information contradicts your theories doesn't make it dishonest.

Your posts are broad brush smears against the DCCC. I'm glad you posted this snippet. $100,000 is not nearly enough money 2 months before an election for a challenger let alone an incumbent. If the numbers on the ground (voters) were already unfavorable, the tiny sum raised is further justification to not invest in this candidate. Remember, they want a return on their investment. It's not a charity.

[FLAprogressive]

29. looks like they're getting some REAL returns from Bobby notsoBright

Votes against SCHIP, fair pay, he's anti-choice, anti-gay.....pro-corporate.

Yeah they're getting a real return on their investment.

[Renew Deal]

31. That's not the point.

The point is they won. And that's the purpose of the DCCC.

[PVnRT]

37. So what happens on a close vote?

Here's at least one vote that can't be counted on. How many more?

You still haven't answered how it is a core Democratic principle to vote against fair pay for women and children's health care.

[Freddie Stubbs]

33. Perhaps he does not beleive the the bill will actually enforce equal pay

[FLAprogressive]

34. yeah...anti-choice Bobby Bright probably had women's rights in mind. people making excuses for this

loser should be ashamed of themselves.

[Freddie Stubbs]

35. What in the world does abortion have to do with wages?

:shrug:

[FLAprogressive]

36. do you really think *Alabama* congressman Bobby Bright, who is anti-choice, supports women's rights?

[Enrique]

9. how they vote on landslides isn't so important

whether we win with 100% or 99% doesn't matter so much.

But on a close vote, the difference between a reactionary dem and a republican could change whether the legislation gets through. Nancy could say, this is why we helped you, you better come through.

[FLAprogressive]

10. It should matter to Dems who were duped into giving money to this guy and the DCCC

I would expect that those who donate to the DCCC expect Democrats with Democratic principles, not Democrats with Republican "principles".

[Enrique]

20. if a donor expects 100% party unity on every vote they'll be disappointed

what would change if Bright voted for these bills? Would more children be covered? Would more women be protected from discrimination?

[FLAprogressive]

22. A donor should expect a Democrat to support basic Democratic principles.

[Enrique]

26. does that mean 100% party unity?

on every vote?

[FLAprogressive]

30. On basic bills like Ledbetter, SCHIP, ENDA, etc. Yes.

not every bill...but ones like this...yes.

I expect a Democrat to vote for equal pay for women.

I expect a Democrat to vote for children's health insurance.

I expect a Democrat to vote for the Employment Non Discrimination Act.

I don't expect Dems to have the same opinions on gun rights, the bailout, etc. But basic Dem principles like supporting women and children...yes I expect 100% party unity.

[PVnRT]

11. No, but it is troubling

As you say, if Universal Health Care come sup for a vote, and is close, where will this guy be?

[Enrique]

15. that's what matters to me

A vote that has actual consequences matters. In this case, five democrats out of 255 voting with the republicans does not make a good case to me against the DCCC or anything else.

What matters now imo is that the Lily Ledbetter act passed the house, is going to be voted on in the Senate very soon, and that republicans who filibustered it before can be persuaded not to filibuster it this time.

[FLAprogressive]

17. It's about principle. If these tools are going to vote against Ledbetter and SCHIP

it's doubtful that they'll vote for anything with a hint of progressivism in it....and the DCCC spends millions of DEM MONEY to get these guys elected.

That's not a problem?

[Enrique]

24. I don't believe that's true

I think they will vote "correctly" on other votes. That's what the money is for.

By the way, your profile says you're in Florida. How Mel Martinez votes on Lilly Ledbetter (I love that name) could make the difference whether it gets enacted. He filibustered last time but could be persuaded to do different this time. The vote is coming very soon...

[FLAprogressive]

28. There will be no need for his vote. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins did not filibuster last time and

I seriously doubt they'd do it now.

[Enrique]

32. advocates are calling for action

calling it "urgent".

[madfloridian]

25. Bobby Bright was recruited as an anti-choice Democrat. DCCC paid for his anti-choice ad.

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/3311

Ad is at the link.

Now I am sorry hubby and I donated money to the DNC for the 50 state plan. We won't bother anymore.

I did not think it would be this bad at the start, but the DCCC and DSCC have taken it all to extremes.

Now we not only have 31 like Bobby Bright....but our party chairman is anti-choice, anti-gay marriage, and anti-civil unions.

Long way down the slippery slope.

[boomerbust]

38. Because He is a slug from

ALABAMA?