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I rewrote large parts of this post.
Comparing the two blank check bills, one from May 24 and one from December 19 is interesting and gives us a slight undercurrent of optimism. Even as Democrats have given up the fight, the number of members willing to vote against war funding has increased. The May vote tally was 280-142, and the December 19 vote tally was 272-142. That's a pick up of 8 votes. It's interesting to note that every single Bush Dog Democrat voted for the $70 billion blank check bill for Bush except two: Dan Lipinski and Leonard Boswell.
Lipinski has a primary challenge, which explains his change of heart, and suggests that he is taking Mark Pera very seriously. Boswell is a more interesting case that I cannot explain at this point. Beyond the Bush Dogs, the people who flipped to become war funding opponents are as follows: Joe Baca (CA-43), GK Butterfield (NC-01), Steve Kagen (WI-08), Nick Rahall (WV-03), Bart Stupak (MI-01), and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-20). Good for them.
Those who flipped to become war funders from war opponents include Artur Davis (AL-07), Stephen Lynch (MA-09), and Bobby Rush (IL-01). All three of these districts are heavily Democratic. Alabama seventh is D+17, Massachusetts ninth is D+15,, and Illinois's first is D+35. I have no explanation for their switch.
With this vote, I'm thinking Artur Davis might just have become a Bush Dog. He voted for the FISA wiretapping bill in August, and has now become a war funder. What do you think?
And isn't interesting that we've gained votes even though there is no longer any organized Hill pressure? I have no idea what this might mean, but I'm going to think about it.
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