http://action.ourfuture.org/action/inde ... item=27418

Since the start of President Bush's second term, the right-wing majority has pushed four economic measures that blatantly favor wealth and power over the best interests of the American people. As the party of the people and not the privileged, Democrats might be expected to stand up for the general good and oppose the special interests. Most did. But, six Democrats in safe seats went missing in action. They voted with the corporate lobbies against the people's interest—on all four key issues!

The issues where the six Democrats went missing were the Bankruptcy Bill, the so-called Tort Reform bill, CAFTA and the Energy Bill—all legislation cobbled together by corporate lobbies and all of it serving the few and undermining the many. Each piece of legislation endorsed by the missing six insults the basic progressive values that should define the Democratic Party.



* The Bankruptcy Bill punishes the victims of financial catastrophe by allowing credit card companies to collect from them even after they are driven into bankruptcy from the loss of a job or a medical catastrophe. It is simply obscene that the missing six chose to stand with usurious credit card companies rather than working families in distress.

* The so-called tort reform legislation severely limits the right of citizens to sue a corporation that does them harm through negligence, fraud or malfeasance. In the midst of the worst corporate scandals since the Gilded Age, it is outrageous that the missing six chose to protect corporations from the innocent citizens who are their victims.

* The Central American Free Trade Agreement, CAFTA, extends the failed trade policies that have made America the world's largest debtor. We now are borrowing nearly $2 billion a day from foreign creditors, debts our children will work to pay off. CAFTA passed the House of Representatives by a single vote, meaning that each of the missing six House members is personally responsible for its passage.

* The Energy Bill—a business as usual, smarmy grab bag of corporate subsidies—leaves America more dependent on foreign oil, does nothing for rising gas prices and surrenders leadership in the green markets of the future. Instead of focusing investments in the energy industries of the future, the missing six chose to lard billions in subsidies on oil companies already wallowing in record profits.



It is not surprising that the Bush Administration and the right-wing that controls the Congress pushed these bills. They are the guardians of privilege. We expect Democrats in opposition to stand up for the common good. By standing with the corporate lobbies, the missing six—along with other Democrats who may have voted for one, two or three of these bills—helped further the sense that Democrats don't really stand for anything.

Newt Gingrich recently offered Democrats a little advice. Gingrich stated that the minority party in Congress must "fight, fight, fight" if they ever hope to reclaim power, and pointed out that—fortunately for the conservatives—the Democrats haven't figured out that the job of an opposition party is to stand up for their convictions and oppose the majority's agenda.

Gingrich doesn't get much right, but he's right on this. If the Congressional Democrats ever hope to win back the majority, they must stand up, speak out and fight for our progressive values. And, at the center of that fight, they must defend the economic interests of working Americans against the entrenched special interest corporate lobbies that fly only the flag of profit.

We need you to join our search team. Please help us find the six missing Democrats and call them to account. And, once we find them, let's reassure them that we'll keep watch to make sure that they don't wander off again.

Pfft.

Joe Lieberman is a Republican, I think we've all learned that by now.

Blanche Lincoln is a Democrat from Arkansas, hardly a safe seat (although she doesn't have to run again until 2010).

and the others, who knows what their districts are like.

B, it would be nice if you listed WHO the six are and what districts they represent.

Sen. Joe Lieberman (Connecticut)
Rep. Henry Cuellar (Texas, 28th District)
Sen. Blanche Lincoln (Arkansas)
Rep. Gregory Meeks (New York, 6th District)
Rep. Ruben Hinojosa (Texas, 15th District)
Rep. John Tanner (Tennessee, 8th District)

If I had known that, I probably would have voted for him!

*dances*


If you can't tell, I don't really follow politics seriously so please don't overreact. Just havin' a little fun in N&D.