White House Threatening Progressive Reps. over War Supp. Vote

( – promoted by buhdydharma )

Well, they sure know how to play hardball with Progressives over at the White House:

The White House is playing hardball with Democrats who intend to vote against the supplemental war spending bill, threatening freshmen who oppose it that they won’t get help with reelection and will be cut off from the White House, Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-Calif.) said Friday.

We’re not going to help you. You’ll never hear from us again,” Woolsey said the White House is telling freshmen.

HuffPo: White House Browbeats Dem Freshmen On War Money: “You’ll Never Hear From Us Again”

More, after the fold.

Funny, but Rahm and the folks never seem to know how to play hardball for progressive change.  Then it’s all compromise and “no idea is off the table, [except progressive ones].  Yes, progressive change is never possible, and never “worth going to the mats on.”  But smashing progressives, those threats come easy.

Never saw this on EFCA.

I have not seen this on the public option for health care.

If you treat progressives like shit, Rahm, then don’t expect us to back you up when you need us.  This is the exact way to destroy the Democratic Party coalition.  

These Democrats like Lynn Woolsey are voting their consciences, and that is what makes them dangerous.  

Yet Obama promised to campaign for Specter.  He’ll never be accused of voting his conscience.  

Also on Dkos: http://www.dailykos.com/story/…

31 comments

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    • TomP on June 12, 2009 at 21:00
      Author

    real change.  

  1. followed links over to FDL. wtf why is my rep in the Yes Column? Sheila Jackson Lee.

    should I call her?

  2. …for once again pointing out the deplorable continuance of “politics as usual!”

    Change?  What change?

  3. This got me thinking as to the disastrous consequences of a 2012 conservative victory.  If Obama continues to alienate his base (As he has done almost continuously since taking office) and split the democratic party into factions it will be tough in 2012.  The worst aspect of that possibility would be a republican administration with green lights on torture, extraordinary rendition, and warrantless wire tapping.  All because Obama has done precisely dick to make sure we don’t go through another nightmare.

  4. who have undercut O on various signature issues.

    Where is his vaunted claim to have ‘respect for a diversity of opinion’ inside the Dem party?

    And he’s not threatening 0 funds to Blue dogs over health care, or threatening 0 funds to other Dems ver denying funds to close Guantanamo.

    I also notice that supplemental war spending issue is the onlh issue where he has used Gates to essentially question the patriotisim of republicans.

    This appears to be the ugly side of sausage making.

    Pragmatically, I wonder if the IMF/supplemental funding issues is the only one where he can see the light at the end of the tunnel in terms of being close to having or losing the vote; the IMF issue is not the ONLY item that would torpedo his reputation in Europe; failure to close Guantanamo would also destroy his repute overseas…

  5. “We’re not going to help you. You’ll never hear from us again,”

    More of the typical, in-your-face, bully-boy tactics we’ve all come to know and despise from this corporate-sucking Napoleanic hatchetman.

    What does it say about an administration’s approach to governing when they choose a former Congressional whip as the President’s Chief of Staff?

    He bullied the Progressive House Dems then. He’s doing it now.

    • Edger on June 12, 2009 at 23:52

    In February 2006 Karl Rove threatened to blacklist Judiciary Committee Senators if they opposed Bush on NSA warrantless surveillance:

    The White House has been twisting arms to ensure that no Republican member votes against President Bush in the Senate Judiciary Committee’s investigation of the administration’s unauthorized wiretapping. Congressional sources said Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove has threatened to blacklist any Republican who votes against the president. The sources said the blacklist would mean a halt in any White House political or financial support of senators running for re-election in November. “It’s hardball all the way,” a senior GOP congressional aide said.

    The sources said the White House has offered to help loyalists with money and free publicity, such as appearances and photo-ops with the president.

    And what’s Obama’s record on FISA again?

  6. of vulnerable Progressives would be useful.

    If Rahm wants to cut their funding off, then blogs et al can pick up some of the slack via Act Blue, etc.

    It will give Progressive Dems more steel in their spine if they know we’ve got their backs.

  7. Here is an Updated Supplemental Whip Count – We Have 34 of the 39 Votes We Need!

    By: Jane Hamsher Friday June 12, 2009 7:17 pm.

    From that breakdown, you can select the members of Congress that need to be “urged” to vote against this Supplemental War Funding for 2009.

    Here’s a call to action by Jane Hamsher, of FireDogLake.com

    And, here’s something new:   New tool will connect your phone to each key office and even let you leave a message after hours. Ask all the fence-sitting congress members to vote No on the war supplemental with this virtual phonebank. h/t David Swanson

    Additionally, here is the full list of Congressmen with phone numbers, local phone numbers and fax numbers.

    And here is a list of key members of Congress, showing their positions rights now and, D.C. phone numbers.

    Please check here for more information and actions, videos, etc. on how to fight this war funding bill, which gives money to the International Monetary Fund (for purposes that are not clear) and bans the release of any further photos on torture.

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