Betsy Markey Shows Terrible Timing Joining Blue Dogs
Word has spread quickly that U.S. Representative Betsy Markey is in a precarious political position entering the 2010 election season, and an announcement she has made today indicates something of the reason she has become vulnerable in the first place. Markey announced that she will be joining the right wing Blue Dog Coalition.
Markey’s legislative record is a perfect match for the Blue Dog Democrats. She has an extremely thin record when it comes to progressive legislation, earning only a 19 percent progressive rating. She has helped Republicans to block health care reform and climate change legislation, the signature Democratic efforts in Congress this year. Markey has also opposed the restoration of Americans’ constitutional rights.
Because of her support for Republican policies left over from the Bush era, Betsy Markey has had trouble mustering much support from Democrats in her congressional district, or elsewhere, and her fundraising is lagging. If Markey were an adept politician, she would recognize her error and correct for it, rededicating herself to the politics of progressive change that brought the Democrats success in 2008. Instead, Markey is making her political troubles worse, by aligning herself with the Blue Dog Coalition of right wing Democrats at precisely the time that the reputation of the Blue Dogs is in a worse state than ever.
Democrats are furious at the Blue Dogs for ruining health care reform. Republicans are targeting Blue Dogs because they know that the Blue Dog incumbents are having trouble keeping the support of constituents from their own political party. The Republicans have set up a political action committee, That Dog Don’t Hunt, specifically in order to exploit the weakness of the Blue Dogs.
Betsy Markey was already in the dog house with her constituents. She’s now completely gone to the dogs.
