An endorsement from the Editors of Barefoot & Progressive Congressman Ben Chandler eked out a victory over Garland Barr IV in the 2010 election by just one vote per precinct. Redistricting has made Kentucky’s 6th District bluer on paper and in theory. Still, as all the advertisements on television and the radio indicate, this is a close race and every vote counts. Because Chandler is busy campaigning, he was unable to respond to a questionnaire from public interest...
Read moreThe first of many, Lexington TV viewers: Actually, everything in this ad is true. Though… he does tend to mislead viewers with that last line. Ben probably shouldn’t throw stones from his glass house, because it’s hard to argue that you’re for the working class and not the rich when you vote against Wall Street reform, health care, and raising the Bush tax rate for the rich.
The New York Times this morning looks at the dozen-or-so Congressional rematches across the country… and lo, there’s Ben Chandler and Garland H. Barr IV: The pattern in New York can be seen elsewhere in the country. In the Sixth District in Kentucky, Andy Barr, a Republican, is again challenging Representative Ben Chandler, a four-term Democrat who defeated him by 647 votes in 2010. But the rematch promises to be far different from the last race, when the two men largely battled...
Read moreOver in Pennsylvania, the primary saw two Blue Dog “Democrats” bite the dust… Reps. Tim Holden and Jason Altmire. The Blue Dog “Democrat” caucus — conservative Dems who vote with Republicans as much as they do Dems, and rarely stand up on the important issues — already counted about two dozen after their numbers were slashed in the Midterms. One of their lost members, Gabrielle Giffords, actually broke ranks with her fellow Blue Dogs, voting FOR...
Read moreThe Blue Dog Extinction watch continues: Of the 24 remaining Blue Dogs, five are not seeking reelection. More than a half-dozen others are facing treacherous contests in which their reelection hopes are in jeopardy. It’s a rough time to occupy the right wing of the Democratic Party. “It’s a tough environment out there,” said former Alabama Rep. Bud Cramer, a longtime member of the House Blue Dog Coalition. “Their numbers are down. Redistricting has not been kind to them.” ...
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