Blanche Lincoln is one of the "at risk" Democrats?

[kentuck]

I heard it mentioned on one of the cable networks today. If she loses, will it be because she was too moderate or not enough liberal?? If she loses, will it because she did not support the public option? Will it really make much of a difference? It's not like the Party could depend on her for the 60th vote on anything.

[tularetom]

1. She has distinguished herself by not distinguishing herself

I doubt if it would make any difference in a true Democratic agenda driven Senate whether this loser was in it or not. If I were one of her constituents I'd never support a republican but I sure as hell wouldn't work very hard for her.

[kentuck]

3. I remember great Senators like...

William Fulbright and Dale Bumpers from Arkansas. I don't recall either of them voting Republican to keep their seat?

[Warpy]

11. I'd hope like hell there was an alternative in the primary

who at least had a little ambition. Her presence in the Senate has been mostly as a seat warmer, IMO, the very definition of lackluster.

Not only is she too conservative, she's simply not effective.

[elocs]

2. "60" is a pseudo-magical number that does not have a lot of meaning in reality.

Al Franken himself has said as much. Besides, right now there are only 57 actual Democratic senators.

[WeDidIt]

14. Bullshit. Imagine if the Republicans had 60 seats, the House, and the presidency

Simply imagine what would happen.

[elocs]

16. Well, take it up with Al Franken because that is what he said, so please contact him.

The Democrats do NOT have 60 seats in the Senate. There currently only 57 Democratic Senators after Kennedy's death and Byrd has been missing. So that makes 56. Is 56 more or less than 60? There are 2 Senators who caucus with the Democrats and one of them is Lieberman and that is not inspiring. Even so, is 58 more or less than 60?

The Republicans are a right-wing, conservative and same thinking monolith unlike the Democrats that actually have differing opinions.

[WeDidIt]

17. I was calling bullshit on your subject line, not Al Franken

60 is only "pseudo magical" where Democrats are concerned ebcause even if we had a full 60 seats right now, it wouldn't matter a bit.

Republicans, however, can get anything they want done with 51 seats.

[elocs]

18. The bottom line in reality is that there are not 60 votes.

Al Franken himself said that his election certification did not make a magical 60 votes. That number never had any basis in reality.

[BlooInBloo]

4. Every problem Democratic Senators face would disappear POOF if they strongly supported...

a strong public option.

It would guarantee Democratic dominance of government for 20 years.

[kentuck]

5. Did you mean Republican dominance?

??

[BlooInBloo]

7. No.

[DJ13]

8. Tough choice

Doing the right thing and insuring a Dem majority for a couple decades, or taking insurance bribes to do the wrong thing for your constituents just so you could buy more ads in the next election.

How can they handle the pressure?!
:sarcasm:

[BlooInBloo]

9. I know right?

[OHdem10]

6. This is my theory--As Internet Use has expanded, more and more

people get more information.

If you were her constituent and she constantly votes
with Republicans on any important legislation. What
would you think? How would you vote.

The Blue Dogs can no longer lead their constituents
to believe they are on their side and vote against
their interests.

If she can get enough higher income citizens to come
out, this is her true consituency, she might pull it
out.

[Davis_X_Machina]

10. Too moderate...

...she's being primaried from the right.

[LiberalArkie]

12. God I hope a Democrat will replace her and Pryor also

[quiller4]

13. As conservative a D as she is, she is far more liberal than her

constituents. Polling in Nebraska shows strong opposition to a public option despite the fact that many in the state could benefit.

[t0dd]

15. Good thing she is not from Nebraska. nt

[me b zola]

19. Here's my take...

What the summer recess poll numbers have shown us is not that people oppose the public option, but that the rw has been able to muddy the waters and confuse a number of voters. Senators & representatives from conservative areas have a vested interest in explaining issues to their constituents. You know, they are supposed to be leaders. But their fates are tied to President Obama's influence. If the President fails, the conservadems will be the first to go.

IMO, conservadems don't care all that much how many of us will die or lose our homes because they failed to lead on the health care issue, because they know that there will always be a lobbying job or a job in private industry when they are voted out.

I honestly don't know how Blanche or other creatures like her can sleep at night.





edited for text clean-up