2 House Democrats Defeated After Opposing Health Law (Jason Altmire and Tim Holden)

NY Times ^ | April 25, 2012 | JONATHAN WEISMAN

[neverdem]

WASHINGTON — The defeat of two conservative House Democrats by more liberal opponents in Tuesday’s Pennsylvania primary illustrates the strong hold the new health care law still has over committed Democratic voters and foreshadows an even more polarized Congress next year in the aftermath of the latest round of redistricting.

Representatives Jason Altmire and Tim Holden both lost in primaries to opponents who joined together with activist groups to pummel the veteran lawmakers over the opposition to the new health care law and climate change legislation — positions they had used to their advantage in the past to show their independence from President Obama and the Democratic Party.

“A lot of us thought of his record as his strength,” said Hugh M. Reiley, the chairman of the Schuylkill County Democratic Party, referring to Mr. Holden. “He was not falling prey to all that party bickering. He was able to reach across the aisle.”

“Last night, the Democratic Party became more liberal,” he added.

While Republicans have seized on the health care law as a political weapon to employ against the president and Congressional Democrats, many Democratic voters and party activists see it as a major achievement and are poised to punish Democrats who fought it. The results on Tuesday also suggest health care could be a major rallying cry if the Supreme Court overturns all or part of the law this summer.

Mr. Altmire, who lost to a fellow incumbent, Representative Mark Critz, after they were thrown into a new district together, was able to ride his health care opposition to re-election in 2010. That position...

--snip--

In eastern Pennsylvania, state Republicans stuffed the Democratic cities of Scranton and Wilkes-Barre into Mr. Holden’s formerly conservative-leaning seat. The result: A 10-term congressman and founding member of the centrist Blue Dog coalition...

[neverdem]

This is good news! The rats moved to the right in 2006 and 2008 when they picked House and Senate candidates. Now they're going back to the left!!!

[neverdem]

Ping!

[wild74]

LOL two conservative house democrats...

[tflabo]

What’s a ‘conservative democrat? Some sort of extinct species?

[Osage Orange]

The defeat of two conservative House Democrats.....................

ROFLOL....!!! Is there such a thing?

No...there isn't anymore.

[ChildOfThe60s]

What’s a ‘conservative democrat?

The ultimate oxymoron.

[Venturer]

The people of Pennsylvania who voted out anyone for opposing Obamacare must be mentally defective.

Or on the Dole.

[nascarnation]

What’s a ‘conservative democrat?

It's ok to abort the child but not to kill it after birth.

[Navy Patriot]

Absolute loyalty to the Marxist principles of the DemoRat party will be enforced.

No Exceptions.

[smoothsailing]

The dems are just follwing Zero’s lead and eating dogs, in this case blue ones.

[Doogle]

What’s a ‘conservative democrat? Some sort of extinct species?

..that's a rat who leaves you enough money to make a phone call...collect

[stevio]

I’m hoping this is a good thing. Holden was kinda conservative. Definitely from a conservative leaning area. It might go repub this fall.

[max americana]

“LOL two conservative house democrats...”

I’ve never heard of that species before either.

[Islander7]

[Sooth2222]

Pennsylvania is due to lose one congressional seat as a result of the once-per-decade redistricting process, and the Republican-controlled state legislature combined the seats represented by the two Democrats, creating a new 12th District.

Sounds like they were gerrymandered into Democrat majority districts. No loss to us.

[palmer]

The people of Pennsylvania who voted out anyone for opposing Obamacare must be mentally defective.

The winner Critz basically opposed Obamacare too although he voted against repeal. I don't think that was really an issue in this race, sounds more like spin.

[4yearlurker]

Jason Altmire is one of the biggest lying weasels to ever sit in the PA House. His campaign commercials were laughable.

[MadelineZapeezda]

Critz was the district director for the 12th's longtime congressman, John Murtha. Following Murtha's death, Critz won the May 2010 special election with 53% of the vote to complete Murtha's term. Critz was sworn in on May 20.[3] Critz won a full term in November 2010 to represent the 12th District in Congress........from wiki

A Murtha crony

[HiTech RedNeck]

Yes, it could make the GOP alternative more popular in November. Primaries are squirrelly things at best, with their pitiful turnouts. What happened here sounds more like it reflected activism than it reflected the broad desire of Democrat voters.

[smoothsailing]

The people of Pennsylvania who voted out anyone for opposing Obamacare must be mentally defective.

Pennsylvania has closed primaries, so only Democrats voted in these particular races. So of course they're all mentally defective, THEY'RE DEMOCRATS!!! :o)