Posted on 11/10/2006 1:08:07 AM PST by paudio
The conservative Democrats, or new Democrats as they are sometimes called, were disproportionately represented in the most highly contested races against Republicans, and are likely to form a substantial bloc within the new members.
Heath Shuler, a former American football celebrity who now holds a House of Representatives' seat for North Carolina, is representative of the group. He has an evangelical Christian background and is on the right of the argument on many social issues such as abortion.
Democratic party leaders deny that they had an official strategy to plant right-wing candidates in vulnerable Republican seats as a way of winning over voters. But Rahm Emanuel, the chairman of the campaign to win back the House of Representatives, has said that when they searched for candidates with the best hopes of winning, they ended up with several with a moderate approach. "As a group, they are moderate in temperament and reformers in spirit," he said.
That is not the experience of Mr Shuler, who told local newspapers that he had been reluctant to stand for election but was strong-armed into it by Mr Emanuel. "Rahm was tougher than any of the college coaches who were calling me when I was in high school. None of [the coaches] could hold a candle to Rahm Emanuel as a recruiter," he said.
The number of conservative Democrats among the 28 who wrestled house seats from Republican incumbents has yet to emerge, but with 27 of the 40 candidates in the most contested seats falling into this category, the figure could be substantial. They will join an already sizeable caucus within the Democrats in Congress who are on the right of the party and will be encouraged to line up formally with the two existing sub-groups: the New Democrats and the Blue Dog Coalition.
(Excerpt) Read more at guardian.co.uk ...
We have a FReeper who is planning to take that seat back in 08.
Of course not. My point is if he holds true to his campaign than he will be an asset to the Republicans.
O'Bama, talked conservative once, voted otherwise.
Reading and understanding what they are supporting?
Those things that get slipped in at the last moment....
My fiscal orientation says taxes are going up, dramatically.
My first teaching lesson; Hidden Tax.
I'm going to point out the obvious increases to alot of folks,
who thought voting 'against the war', was on the ballot.
I can get by on paying 75% of my wages for taxes, because I have always had to be frugal,
and will teach other wage earners how high taxes diminish income and opportunities.
This is one concrete angle I am interested in working at, and,
am blessed with you all to help keep me informed with facts.
Maybe, maybe not. Being optimistic here. There is power in numbers. All who are not far left need to find each other and soon. Somebody needs to start taking a running count of their votes on issues and keep their electorate informed. Two years is not that long.
He actually was being pushed to run as a Republican by the GOP in 2004 in Tenessee. Shuler decided against it, then moved back to his home town in Western North Carolina, and then got pressured by the dems to run.
Shuler is a social conservative, but not an economic one. He is opposed to free trade deals for example, but they aren't really popular out here anyways.
By all means, let the GOP try to make "common cause" with the Democrat CINOs and MINOs, but don't hold your breath expecting positive results. YOU may not care about party affiliation, but the Democrats do! There's a major difference between the moderates in the electorate (who should not, as you say, be taken for granted), and the Democrat "moderates", but we'll see.
It was Clinton and the House Democratic Leadership that forced to take liberal votes in 93 that got them 'wiped out' in competitive districts.
I do not see them doing that again,nor the House leadership forcing them to do so, not if they want to stay in power.
The first year they will be the most compliant, but after that, I think they will have to think of winning reelection and they cannot go home with liberal voting records.
Then why did he join the party of abortion and gay marriage, if he is a social conservative.
I do not see them doing that again,nor the House leadership forcing them to do so, not if they want to stay in power.
Charlie rangel is already making rumblings of ramming through the radical left agenda.
I have no doubt there is going to be 'radical' rhetoric thrown around.
But that is placate their base.
If the Democratic leadership doesn't show it can lead sensibly it will be right back in the minority.
This election was not a pro-liberal mandate, and if they interpret it that way, all the better for us in 08.
Oh, Heath Shuler! I kept reading Heath Ledger and wondering, how...? Welcome to Broke Nation, stump-broke by the left.
Nancy & co. will ram through their radical left agenda and Heath Shuler will vote for it.
Unfortunately, I suspect that many were as conservative as they need to be to win the election, but will all fall in line behind San Fran Nan.
AMEN!
Then Shuler will be a one term Congressman.
Moreover, the House Democrats know that they have to deal with a cloture proof Senate and a President who can veto as well.
They are not going to sacrifice their majority for empty gestures.
The Constitution is still in place and it is very difficult to move our Gov't in one direction or the other quickly.
I would hope that these new Congressman are forced to vote for liberal legislation and then go home and claim they are 'conservatives' on those issues.
They only ran against something when they ran, now they will have a record to defend.
Pro-gun, anti tax, pro-choice, pro-evolution, pro-stemcells, pro-privatizing SS, anti-religeous nutcases.
Any questions?
Their first key vote will be for their majority leader..Hoyer or Murtha..
DINO trumps RINO
conservative wins again
Zell Miller (D) vs John McCain (R), no contest Zell wins.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.