Blue Dogs Support GOP On Health Care Vote
Interpreting the votes of 34 Democrats in the House of Representatives against the health care reform legislation last night, it’s important to recognize the role of the right wing Blue Dog Coalition. Most of the Democrats who voted no were Blue Dogs. The entire leadership of the Blue Dog Coalition voted against the health care reform legislation.
But, what about those Democrats who voted against health care reform who aren’t Blue Dogs? They all have voting records leaning toward the right. As you’ll see below, not a single one of the Democrats who voted no has a progressive legislative rating about 50 percent.
Opposition to the health care reform legislation did not come from congressional progressives.
John Adler – progressive rating 34 percent / Jason Altmire (Blue Dog) / Michael Arcuri (Blue Dog) / John Barrow (Blue Dog) / Marion Berry (Blue Dog) / Dan Boren (Blue Dog) / Rick Boucher – progressive rating 17 percent / Bobby Bright (Blue Dog) / Ben Chandler (Blue Dog) / Travis Childers (Blue Dog) / Artur Davis – progressive rating 21 percent / Lincoln Davis (Blue Dog) / Chet Edwards – progressive rating 24 percent / Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (Blue Dog) / Tim Holden (Blue Dog) / Larry Kissell – progressive rating 28 percent / Frank Kratovil (Blue Dog) / Dan Lipinski – progressive rating 28 percent / / Steve Lynch – progressive rating 41 percent / Jim Marshall (Blue Dog) / Jim Matheson (Blue Dog) / Mike McIntyre – progressive rating 28 percent / Mike McMahon – progressive rating 38 percent / Charlie Melancon (Blue Dog) / Walt Minnick (Blue Dog) / Glenn Nye (Blue Dog) / Collin Peterson (Blue Dog) / Mike Ross (Blue Dog) / Heath Shuler (Blue Dog) / Ike Skelton – progressive rating 24 percent / Zack Space (Blue Dog) / John Tanner (Blue Dog) / Gene Taylor (Blue Dog) / Harry Teague – progressive rating 14 percent
[...] The Blue Dog Democrats have done it again. This time, they’re after the health of the American people. Recent polls make it clear that the American people want serious health care reform of the sort that the progressive Democratic leadership proposes, but the Blue Dogs have voted against the Democrats’ health care legislation. [...]
[...] Matheson has a long history of voting against progressive causes. Most recently, he voted in favor of extending the worst abuses of the Patriot Act without any attempt of reform at all. He also was one of only a small group of Democrats who joined with Republicans to vote against compromise health care reform legislation. [...]