Blue Dog Blues

Submitted by Anna on Thu, 05/06/2010 - 22:01

Why is progressive Lynn Woolsey working so hard for center-right Jane Harman?

By Norman Solomon
bohemian.com
May 5, 2010

This is a grim story about the care and feeding of a Blue Dog.

Right now, Southern California congresswoman Jane Harman is facing a serious primary challenge from a genuine progressive. Harman is a member of the center-right caucus of House Democrats known as the Blue Dog Coalition. She has chosen not to join the Progressive Caucus.

In sharp contrast, her opponent, Marcy Winograd, is calling for the government “to invest in housing, education, healthcare, transportation—not to perpetuate a war economy that is draining us, robbing us of money that we desperately need.” And Winograd adds: “I challenge my opponent to stop voting for this war machine.”

While belonging to the largest caucus on Capitol Hill (with a membership now above 80), some members of the Progressive Caucus often say that they need more colleagues who’ll be willing to vote against war and in favor of a truly progressive legislative agenda. But if Progressive Caucus members want to move the House of Representatives in a progressive direction, you’d never know it when there’s a real chance to replace a Blue Dog with a progressive.

Read the Full Story Here