"CAFTA 15" Democrats may survive labor's wrath

[Omaha Steve]

Full story: http://reuters.excite.com/article/20060816/2006-08-16T170746Z_01_N15429553_RTRIDST_0_POLITICS-TRADE-DC.html



"CAFTA 15" Democrats may survive labor's wrath
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Aug 16, 1:07 PM (ET)

By Doug Palmer

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - One year after labor groups vowed to punish 15 Democrats who joined Republicans in the U.S. Congress to approve a Central American free trade pact, most have easily won their party's nomination to run again.

Democrats still angry about the U.S.-Central American Free Trade Agreement now must decide whether to vote against the "CAFTA 15" in the November general election and possibly thwart their party's best chance in years of recapturing the House of Representatives.

The AFL-CIO labor federation mounted an all-out effort last year to stop CAFTA, which House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, called a job killer in an impassioned speech shortly before the 217-215 House vote.

Many union members and other activists were incensed when the 15 Democrats crossed party lines to vote with 202 Republicans to approve the pact.

[CollegeDUer]

1. I mean it's hard when you don't have an alternative

Primaries are generally dead throughout the nation and don't get the turnout or press to throw out incumbents except in extreme cases. One way to force the Democrats to be more progressive is to threaten to vote for more progressive people like Greens, whether all of us across this nation like it or not.

"Straighten up or you don't get our votes." Isn't that how it's supposed to work?

[skipos]

2. GREEN= Getting Republicans Elected Every November

And Greens are often supported and funded by the GOP, just see PA. I have yet to see how voting Green benefits America. I can easily see how Democrats overall benefit America. All you have to do is look at a newspaper and see what Republicans have done to world since they took over a few years ago.

[CollegeDUer]

3. What incentive do they have voting wise to move to the left?

Unless you threaten not to vote for them. No one's vote is for granted in a democracy.

[skipos]

5. Well, since the Republicans took over the presidency, the senate

and the house, they have clearly moved to the right. If Democrats controlled all branches, it would be likely that they would move to the left.

If you don't like a Dem, support their challenger in the primary. But then support the primary winner in the general election. A strategy like that is working toward Democratic domination of the government. The Green stategy of running against all Democrats, even candidates like Lamont, only aids the Republicans. There is a reason Republicans love to aid the Green candidate in any way they can, don't you think?

[Oceansaway]

4. .

Here are the CAFTA 15...

Melissa Bean, Illinois (8th District): Jim Cooper, Tennessee (5th District); Norm Dicks, Washington (6th District); Henry Cuellar, Texas (28th District); Ruben Hinojosa, Texas (15th District); William Jefferson, Louisiana (2nd District); Jim Matheson, Utah (2nd District); Gregory Meeks, New York (6th District); Dennis Moore, Kansas (3rd District); Jim Moran, Virginia (8th District); Solomon Ortiz, Texas (27th District); Ike Skelton, Missouri (4th District); Vic Snyder, Arkansas (2nd District); John Tanner, Tennessee (8th District); and Edolphus Towns, New York (10th District).

[KamaAina]

6. "Dollar Bill" Jefferson has lots of opposition

though it's largely because of all that cold, hard cash in his freezer, not CAFTA (which, while a terrible thing for the country as a whole, would actually help New Orleans).

Qualifying list here:

http://www.nola.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news-16/1155533183244590.xml?NZNPMT&coll=1&thispage=2

Scott Barron, D-New Orleans; Regina Bartholomew, D-New Orleans; Eric T. Bradley, R-New Orleans; Karen Carter, D-New Orleans; Troy Carter, D-New Orleans; Deven "D.C." Collins, D-New Orleans; John Edwards, D-New Orleans; William J. Jefferson*, D-New Orleans; Gregory W. "Rhumbline" Kahn, L-New Orleans; Joe Lavigne, R-New Orleans; M.V. "Vinny" Mendoza, D-Kenner; Derrick Shepherd, D-Marrero; Lawrence William "Lance" von Uhde III, R-New Orleans.

Highly unusual for a seat with an incumbent, as opposed to an open seat, to draw 13 candidates. Hopefully the three repukes will keep one another out of the seemingly inevitable runoff so we can get a Dem in there who isn't the poster child for old-school La. corruption.

[Acadia Blue]

7. It would help SOME in New Orleans and hurt all the parishes south

and southwest. The Some in New Orleans are the rich uptown and perhaps some who work on the river.

[KamaAina]

8. Perhaps, but the 2nd Dist. covers only N.O. and west Jefferson

even some of Uptown was gerrymandered into Bobby "The Stork" Jindal's 1st Dist.

Bill Jefferson has never been known to go out of his way to look out for anyone but Number One, and that would certainly include the outlying parishes. How exactly would CAFTA hurt them, anyway? Same as the rest of the country, or is there a local issue around agriculture or something?