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meanwhile the progressive dems are being bullied (5.00 / 3) (#11)
by leoncarre on Wed Mar 21, 2007 at 09:12:13 PM EST
California Democratic Reps. Maxine Waters and Lynn Woolsey said that many of their liberal colleagues were caving under pressure from Democratic leaders who, according to at least one congressman, have threatened to block requests for new funds for his district.

buying votes

Democratic leaders have also added billions in funds not related to wartime spending in a bid for more support.

That additional money was attractive for at least one lawmaker, Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), an Out of Iraq Caucus member. His spokeswoman, Danielle Langone, cited $400 million for a one-year reauthorization of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act.

"That's pretty vital for our district, so we'll be voting for the bill," Langone said..

jesus

One congressman, who spoke on condition of anonymity to avoid retribution from leaders, bristled at how aggressively he was being pressured to vote for the bill, singling out Caucus Chairman Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.) as especially forceful.

"I really resent this," the lawmaker said. "Rahm Emanuel told us a vote against this bill is a vote to give the Republicans victory."

The congressman also noted that Democratic leaders had "made clear" to him that they might yank funding requests he had made for projects in his district if he did not support the measure..

moveon really made an impression

A jovial Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger went up to fellow Maryland Rep. Albert Wynn as he sat off the floor with a reporter and told Wynn that a vote against the bill was a vote for Republican victory. He waved a copy of the MoveOn.org press release backing the measure.

"Have you seen this?" Ruppersberger asked.

"Yeah, who did that?" replied Wynn, a member of the Out of Iraq Caucus..politico

and the very limit is to threaten Barbara Lee with loss of her seat

Thinly veiled if indirect threats of lost committee slots floated out of a closed-door meeting last week. Lee holds a coveted seat on the Appropriations Committee, which doles out spending..SFGate


[ Parent ]
Very ugly stuff (5.00 / 3) (#13)
by Big Tent Democrat on Wed Mar 21, 2007 at 09:20:31 PM EST
Any Blue Dogs being strong armed?

[ Parent ]
whip it (5.00 / 2) (#15)
by leoncarre on Wed Mar 21, 2007 at 09:34:14 PM EST
California Democratic Reps. Maxine Waters and Lynn Woolsey said that many of their liberal colleagues were caving under pressure from Democratic leaders who, according to at least one congressman, have threatened to block requests for new funds for his district.

They also cited MoveOn.org's endorsement of the measure Monday as a blow to their efforts.

"This is the process: people who feel strongly about this issue hold out as long as they can," said Waters. "A lot of pressure comes to bear and they can't hold up under the pressure."

Waters said that she and other opponents of the spending measure had entered the weekend with 20 to 25 members on their side but that they had suffered "a lot of damage" as Democratic leaders aggressively urged members to support the bill.

Vowing to step up her efforts to hold the opposition, Waters said it was clear that Democratic leaders were mounting an all-out whip effort beyond the earlier informal surveying by Democratic Whip James Clyburn (S.C.).

"This is a vote of conscience," Waters said. "Jim Clyburn said he was doing an assessment, so that's what I was doing. Now that he's whipping, I'm going to start whipping."

Clyburn disputed her assertion. "That's not what she told me," he said. "I beg to differ that there's anybody whipping against this bill."
politico

Democratic leaders also were trying to stop defections from conservative Blue Dogs worried that the bill sets too many conditions for generals on the battlefield and includes too much non-war spending.

Several Blue Dog Coalition members in the House are opposed to the bill, including Jim Marshall of Georgia. Stephanie Herseth of South Dakota, the group's whip, predicted that the number of its members voting against the measure would be in the "single digits."CQ




[ Parent ]
Pelosi puts the screws to Lee (5.00 / 1) (#16)
by leoncarre on Wed Mar 21, 2007 at 10:00:37 PM EST
Clyburn may not be taking action against his team members, but other party leaders almost certainly will, aides said yesterday. Pelosi plans to speak to Lewis as soon as possible, if not to win his vote, at least to secure his silence. The speaker held pointed discussions this week with the leaders of the Appropriations Committee, making it clear that she has the power to determine the popular panel's membership. That was a clear indication that she might move against Rep. Barbara Lee (Calif.), an antiwar activist and the only Democrat to vote against the war spending bill in committee last week.

Washington Post

On another note, your posts at Talk Left are being read by a member of the House of Representatives who found your name (BTD at TL) at the top of the list Out of Iraq Bloggers' Caucus on Drawing the Line, so smile pretty for the camera!!

[ Parent ]

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