A winning issue for sure

We saw it a number of times in '06 and stem cell research should be used even more frequently in '08 - this is an issue that Republicans have NO defense of.  These embryos, if not researched on, WOULD OTHERWISE BE DISCARDED!

Shame on every single member of the House who voted against the bill, especially the 17 Democrats who did so.  They are not pro-life; they are pro-embryo.  They have no sympathy and refuse to give the millions of Americans suffering simple hope. 

In my opinion, this is the most important issue of the 100 Hours and I hope and urge Pelosi to discipline the 17 who broke rank.

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by: NYPopulist @ Fri Jan 12, 2007 at 01:39:16 AM CST

Yeah

Very spineless of those 17.  (At least, I'm hoping it's spinelessness rather than, ugh, being "principled".)

On the bright side, we did get the votes of some rather conservative Democrats on this issue: Moore, Hill, Cuellar, Cramer, Lampson, Matheson, and Chet Edwards, to name a few.

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by: James L. @ Fri Jan 12, 2007 at 01:43:12 AM CST

[ Parent ]

odd thing

The West Virginia delegation flipped.

Capito (R) voted for the measure but we lost both of the Democrats. What's wrong with this here?

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by: trowaman @ Fri Jan 12, 2007 at 02:07:21 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Socially conservative Democrats

Not really surprising.

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by: Politicalhack @ Fri Jan 12, 2007 at 10:45:05 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Double Dippers

These are the dumb Republicans who not only voted against stem-cell research  but also the Minimum Wage increase in the districts with a R +5 or less. Tiberi and Chabot  are particularly foolish Knollenberg blew off the Minimum wage vote but he also needs to be on the larger list.  Also noticing quickly the districts with D, except for King and Walsh the others were all undertargeted.

The Double Dippers

Camp
Chabot
Feeney
Gallegly
Garrett
Graves
Kline
Manzullo
Reynolds
Rogers
Roskam
Ryan
Tiberi
Walberg
Weldon

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by: democraticavenger @ Fri Jan 12, 2007 at 03:17:29 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Lesson of Wisconsin

Embryonic Stem cell research in Wisconsin was perhaps the leading issue that allowed Gov. Jim Doyle to easily beat back the challenge of uber Catholic Mark Green in 2006.  Green is of the new generation of Wisconsin GOPers that have sold their souls to the Religious Right.

Wisconsin icon former Gov. Tommy Thompson even cut a commercial backing Green on the issue.  But it was an inherently dishonest dodge and Democrats need to be ready to react when other GOP candidates attempt the same dodge.

What Thompson//Green did was the cut an ad where Thompson endorsed Green (of course) and then lit into critics claiming that "Mark Green does back stem cell research".  The kicker is that Green was a down the line backer of the Bush administration on the stem cell research issue and he was adamantly opposed to embryonic stem cell research, which is the type that medical researchers tell us holds all the potential for cures//treatments for so many chronic incurable illnesses.  So the new GOP playbook is to claim they do indeed back stem cell research, just not the type of research that holds any promise for medical cures, which is the entire reason to promote stem cell research in the first place of course.

But the issue was especially prominent in Wisconsin because the leading embryonic stem cell researcher is right here at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Dr. James Thompson (no relation to Gov Tommy Thompson) and the Wisconsin Alumni Association owns the patents to most of the stem cell lines that researchers may legally use at this time.  So the loss of stem cell research monies would have been catastrophic to the long term financial prospects of the Wisconsin University system.

The Democrats need to spin the issue as anti- business.  Not only does the stem cell issue provide a wedge issue to separate families from the Religious Right, it can serve to drive a wedge deep into the heart of the Religious Right-Corporate America coalition that were the principal backers of George W. Bush during his rise to power.

"My name's Dr. Multimillionaire and I kicked your ass." -- Rep. Steve Kagen D-WI to Karl Rove

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by: walja @ Fri Jan 12, 2007 at 13:32:41 PM CST

Anti-business, sure...

...but I'm not sure if that line is more salient with the general public than the emotional appeal of hope for treatment to chronic diseases.

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by: James L. @ Fri Jan 12, 2007 at 13:57:05 PM CST

[ Parent ]

not a dichotmoy

It is not an either/or situation.  Play up the human interest angle regarding cures and treatments for disease certainly, but embyronic stem cell research supporting candidates can also go before business groups and assert that it is part of a pro-business agenda.  Doyle certainly did, and he became the first re-elected Democratic Governor in Wisconsin in 32 years by doing so. 

Stem cells really are a good wedge issue to aim at the Republicans as corporate America truly supports research and Theocon America truly does not.  Corporate America recognizes the Tommy Thompson shuffle on the issue for what it is, disiniformation.

"My name's Dr. Multimillionaire and I kicked your ass." -- Rep. Steve Kagen D-WI to Karl Rove

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by: walja @ Fri Jan 12, 2007 at 15:58:29 PM CST

[ Parent ]

You're absolutely right.

I was caught up in terms of the broader public discourse--reaching out to the business community on this issue, as you say, is very wise, but the 30 or 60 second spots will probably be best reserved for emotional appeals.

Great points all around, though.

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by: James L. @ Fri Jan 12, 2007 at 22:42:36 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Don't forget about.........

English PA-03 R+1.5
LaHood IL-18 R+4.5
Rogers AL-03 R+2.8
Ros-Lehtinen FL-18 R+3.5
Wolf VA-10 R+4.5

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by: Sean @ Fri Jan 12, 2007 at 16:01:42 PM CST

Thanks

I'm not sure how I missed those.  I will edit accordingly.

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by: James L. @ Fri Jan 12, 2007 at 22:26:17 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Hm.

I have VA-10 as R+5.3, FL-18 as R+4.3, AL-03 as R+4.3, IL-18 as R+5.5, and PA-03 as R+1.6.

From where are you getting your numbers?

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by: James L. @ Fri Jan 12, 2007 at 22:32:34 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Almanac Of American Politics

Mine are probably different because of rounding errors.

The 2006 almanac says that IL-18 is only around R+5.

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by: Sean @ Fri Jan 12, 2007 at 23:01:55 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Cook revised numbers last year

and the 2006 AAP doesn't have those changes.

Progressive Blue, a Blog for Progressive Populists

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by: Predictor @ Sun Jan 14, 2007 at 00:42:21 AM CST

[ Parent ]

I realize this isn't an open thread, but...

There's been another case of a turncoat Democrat costing us a state legislative chamber when yesterday Senator James Walley changed parties.

The story can be found here

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by: NYPopulist @ Fri Jan 12, 2007 at 17:58:21 PM CST

How the hell did this happen?

It says that the balance of the Mississippi Senate was 27-23 before the election.  That would mean that two members would have to switch parties for a majority, not one.

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by: Sean @ Fri Jan 12, 2007 at 21:34:53 PM CST

[ Parent ]

27-25 Before Switch

but since the Lieutenant Governor is a Republican, he breaks the eventual 26-26 tie...

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by: NYPopulist @ Fri Jan 12, 2007 at 21:40:10 PM CST

[ Parent ]

So Im assuming....

that the two listed as "other" caucus with Republicans? 

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by: Sean @ Fri Jan 12, 2007 at 21:46:43 PM CST

[ Parent ]

I think

It was 27 Democrats and 25 Republicans before the split...I don't know where you got the 27-23 number.

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by: NYPopulist @ Fri Jan 12, 2007 at 22:00:21 PM CST

[ Parent ]

National Conference Of State Legislatures

http://www.ncsl.org/...

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by: Sean @ Fri Jan 12, 2007 at 22:09:06 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Guess you're right

I trust that site is correct over the Wikipedia entry I was going by:

http://en.wikipedia....

Guess both of those "others" do indeed vote Republican.

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by: NYPopulist @ Fri Jan 12, 2007 at 23:01:25 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Elections in November

I know there are legislative elections in Mississipi this November.  Is there any chance of Democrats picking up a seat to put them back in control?  I would assume not.  It seems like every year in that belt of the country, the Democrats margins seem to erode more and more.

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by: Sean @ Fri Jan 12, 2007 at 23:36:35 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Which of these also Voted against raising the Minimum Wage?

That is also going to be an ace-in-the-hole for us in many Districts.

Also, Lo Biondo-R NJ-02 will be once again violating his '94 Term Limit pledge and Dems have been making strong gains locally in Atlantic & Cape May Counties.The strongest potential contender decided against running in '06: (Assemblyman Jeff Van Drew-D Cape May/Atlantic/Cumberland). A strong challenger with a strong top of the ticket Dem in a Prez year could flip this District.

Progressive Blue, a Blog for Progressive Populists

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by: Predictor @ Sun Jan 14, 2007 at 00:39:48 AM CST

A good question.

If you look upthread, democraticavenger has the goods.

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by: James L. @ Sun Jan 14, 2007 at 00:55:28 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Teflon Elton CA-24

CA-24 won't be put into play by any specific thing Congressman Gallegly does this term, because we can safely assume he'll retire after this cycle. He meant to retire this time, as you all recall, but the local party mismanaged the arrangements for annointing a successor, so he had to run again. The GOP will field someone else, who won't necessarily be tied to Gallegly's specific votes.

Speaking of which, I've been ransacking the sparse news accounts of Congressman Duncan Hunter's quixotic bid for the Republican presidential nomination. At what point, I wonder, if he stays in the bigger game, will he have to commit himself about whether or not he will try to simultaneously try to retain his seat in the House?

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by: Christopher Walker @ Sun Jan 14, 2007 at 07:37:14 AM CST