U.S. Rep. Ed Case: Democrat in name only?

[The Sushi Bandit]

http://www.haleakalatimes.com/story1335.aspx

If there was any doubt that Rep. Ed Case (D. 2nd) was not with the liberal faction of the Democratic Party, it was dispelled at a meeting between Case and about 20 party activists at Maui Booksellers in Wailuku Oct. 16.

Case was asked how he could expect support from Democrats when he voted so often with Republicans. “We feel a little abused by you,” said one questioner.

Case said he wasn’t trying to do anything except represent his constituency, which he described as diverse. “I have a different point of view than many of you,” he said. “I don’t vote with the party at all times.” That was met with a cry of “that’s insulting.”

[Oversea Visitor]

1. Woah a true people representative

You vote for me to represent myself hahaha

[Neil Lisst]

2. I'm beginning to think YOU are a DINO.

I see a thread every day with your name on it, and you're always acting as enforcer of leftist regimen. Off with their heads if they don't agree with you.

If you would put all that energy into getting people elected, instead of putting it into grousing about Democrats who are elected by Democrats who obviously know more than you what their electoral district stands for, maybe we wouldn't be the minority party any more. People like you don't appreciate that each area gets to define what is a Democrat there. You don't. You get to decide in whatever area you live in. It's called representative democracy, and any REAL democrat respects the right of every group in every area to have elected representatives who represent THEM, not you and your rigids views.

Try respecting the right of Democrats in other places to decide what constitutes a Democrat THERE. You don't know, and if all Dems did as you wanted, Republicans would win every election overwhelmingly, at every location except the largest cities, and even then, we'd only win a minority of seats.

Instead of spending all your time worrying about who isn't liberal enough for you, why not spend it on something constructive, like working in campaigns? Be glad ANYONE will call themselves a Democrat in states in the South and the Midwest. People like you do your best to run them out of the party, but thank goodness, they know not to concern themselves with such. The Democratic party always has a Kamikaze wing, urging that we have a political cleansing, even while we are losing at every level.

[mahina]

3. What, brah, boddah you?

Sushi is exactly right. I was stuffing envelopes with a bunch of volunteers for my (terrific) state Representative the other night and we were talking about Case. Who I know personally, who I volunteered for, held sign for, gave money to, and am discouraged with. We all were grumbling that we wish he was a Democrat.

I take your point about the circular firing squad and we do rally around Neil Abercrombie even though he supports the (ATROCIOUS ENVIRONMNET KILLING) Stryker that is coming in to fight against us. But Case has voted with the Republicans on so many issues, gone to Israel on AIPAC's dime, just go check out his voting record, I'm too tired to educate you, I'm going to bed.

And WTF are you talking about about the continental south, this is Hawaii for Christs sakes. Take a res' brah.

[Neil Lisst]

5. I used the South and Midwest as examples

Your view of how to run the party and mine are not the same.

Mine is based upon a desire to win a majority of the seats in any given legislature, and to have 51% of those members call themselves a Democrat and vote for the Democratic leadership in the leadership votes.

If they do that, I don't care how they vote, because that is between them and their constituency. You are a member of this guy's constitency, therefore you should absolutely let him know that you are unhappy with him. You should tell him you will sit on your hands or support someone else, IF, and only IF you are prepared to see someone is not a DINO, but a rightwing Republican, elected to that seat.

As always, too many on the left think their choice is the alleged DINO and a Kucinich clone. It isn't. Kucinch clone always loses by 30 points in every jurisdiction in America except about 20%.

I object to the very term DINO. It's haughty and self-defeating. This elected rep was right when he said "excuse me, but who are you to decide what a 'Democrat' is?"

[mahina]

6. We are talking about Hawaii here.

You are talking about something else. Enjoy your conversation with yourself.
What's the point of working to elect Democrats if they don't vote like Democrats? And if you think a right wing republican would win here, especially in Cases district, your head is up your okole farther than I thought. Take a look at our last election, learn about how we smoked the republicans out of the legislature, and then come back and tell me how stupid we are.

[depakid]

7. Seems to me that this is why we lose

because the DINO's AREN"T run out of the party, or at least denied a good portion of their national funding. In fact, unless and until the Dems do a thorough house cleaning- they're destined to remain irrelevant- which is excatly what they are right now..

If you can't see that after 6 election losses using DLC "strategy" and with stand for nothing Dems at the forefront, I don't know what it'll take to convince you.

Dems like these are bigger problems than Republicans in terms of the long term health of the party- or it's chances of EVER becoming anywhere close to a majority party again.

I personally intend to try to convince everyone I can to vote against the DINO in my district- and I'm almost prepared to vote Republican to get his sorry ass out, if the Dems aren't smart enough to run a serious primary challenge.

[Neil Lisst]

8. THAT has never worked and it will never work.

The only people who think your plan to run out alleged DINOs will work are people who don't know how to win elections, but love to be critical of those Dems who do.

I've been an active Dem a long time, and as long as I have been, the most annoying part is listening to the nonstop carping from the constant critics of the leftmost 10% of the party. The whining never ends, because no electable Dem is ever left enough or true enough to the ideals that group holds dear.

This is supposed to be a DEMOCRATIC site, and that means for all Dems, not just the ones who please your political palate.

[400Years]

9. wake up, a majority of the country is opposed to the occupation of Iraq

The democratic politicians need to have their feet held to the fire to do the right thing.

[Neil Lisst]

11. I agree that over half opposes the war.

But over half don't want to simply pull out once we are there, either.

Besides, who said anything about the war?

The topic is DINOs and the people who presume to use the term.

[mahina]

10. OK I'll bite

How long have you been an active Democrat and what do you mean by active?
Unless you've been out there canvassing and attending precinct and district meetings, you're on my ignore list. Because I have, and I do, and I think your 51% strategy is pure shibai.

[Neil Lisst]

12. I've been as active as active gets.

If I told you all I've done, you'd think I was lying.

Presidential campaigns, forming 501c3s, funding them, getting support for DCCC and DSCC candidates, the whole nine yards.

Many years, many campaigns.

And as I said, the worst part of every campaign is listening to the kids in the backseat whining that they need to go to the bathroom, and why didn't we stop at the snake farm. Every two years, and for every minute in between, some so-called Democrats spend virtually every spare moment crying crocadile tears over some blue dog Democrat they can't stand.

We aren't losing because of the middle ground Dems, we're losing because our fringe groups are more offensive to the middle voters than are the Republican fringe groups.

The middle is repelled by the party it perceives to be most directed by its fringe groups. That is our party right now.

Every election, people who like to call themselves Democratic progressives are not progressive, they're judgmental and pious. They don't respect the right of others to be Democrats as they see fit in their home community.

One size does NOT fit all. Accept the big tent concept and stop all this nonstop fratricide. Anyone who wants to drive conservatives from the party is the best friend Karl Rove ever had.

[depakid]

13. Welp, about all that needs to be said on that is

Look at the evidence-

You can get all self righteous if you like, but the facts are that enabling Republican policies- and creating the widespread perception that the Dems no longer stand for traditional Democratic principles has lost election after election- and every vote for a Republican policy (aside from giving us extremely bad law- like the telecommunications bill) has only furthered the Dems descent into irrelavancy.

If you really want to win (as opposed to playing to some ephemeral center) then take a few pages out of the winning playbook. What do you think that the Republicans would do with errant members who consistently backstabbed the party's positions?

The Dems aren't going anywhere by trying to incorporate the likes of Zell Miller into their party. The cases is long since been proven on that one.

[Neil Lisst]

14. Fortunately, I know that isn't true. We win in the middle.

It's that simple.

[depakid]

17. The evidence completely belies your point

but, there's always the old saying- you can lead a horse to water....

[Neil Lisst]

18. You're wrong. The evidence proves I'm right.

People like me win elections for Dems.

People like you lose them.

[depakid]

19. Ok- I call- show me the money!

It's easy to yap, show me the elections that your playing to the so called middle- and pandering to the righ-t has won over the past decade.

Show me some credible analysis.

[Neil Lisst]

20. I'm not going to get into a long conversation with you.

History has taught me that going on and on with someone like you is a waste of time.

Here's a short list of some of the people I've helped get elected.

Lloyd Doggett, Tom Harkin, Al Gore, John Kerry, Ann Richards, Jim Hightower, Walter Mondale, Lloyd Bentsen, Mark White, Mike Dukakis, Bill Clinton, Tom Daschle.

[depakid]

21. Bluff called, cards shown wanting

I rest my case on the evidence and analysis (from both sides of the aisle).

No need for a curricula vitae (though you might be surprised).

[Neil Lisst]

22. Since you've rested your case, it's time for me to rule.

Directed verdict. You lose.

[mahina]

15. Nobody else is talking about how to run the party.

We are talking about OUR representative. That is expressly our damn business.
And I do know what you are talking about, I have argued with purists who can't see it hurts us to throw away good people because they are not 100 % correct in our own view. This is not that.

[Neil Lisst]

16. If this guy is YOUR rep, then please, flog away!

I want to make clear that I believe every citizen in a congress person's district has an absolute right to demand of them whatever they think is politically appropriate.

I know my words must seem harsh. When I was younger, and found chronic disappointment in my elected officials, I constantly felt that we busted our butts, and then got ignored after the election.

I groused about almost all of them. Over time, I came to accept that they'd never be all that I wanted them to be, they'd always be compromised to some degree, and they'd always be partially mortgaged to monied interests.

Now, I'm just glad to have a few I can always believe in, never worry about being bought off. People like Tom Harkin and Lloyd Doggett.

I'm trying to keep Charlie Stenholm's district, and others are trying to shove him out of the party. That is my concern, the Charlie Stenholm seats that we must have to regain the majority of the House.

Retaking the House in 06 is our best shot in the near term, and we can't be undermining incumbent Dems to get there.

[mahina]

4. oh never mind

[The Sushi Bandit]

23. Wow see what happens when I go to bed!

Hey this is a Hawai'i and not a mainland issue. Most everyone else on DU doesn't know what issues we face here so thats why I posted this to the board. It's called sharing!

I am not happy with a few of Case's votes and if he doesn't turn it around quick he will be facing replacement. We have plenty of qualified PROGRESSIVE Dem's here that will be happy to speak for us in Washington.

As for the middle of the roaders who are funded by the DLC... lets ask them this... what have you done for us lately?

Hawaiian recognition and compensation?

Stopped the military from taking our land for their "Strykers" to play on?

Stopping the rape of the islands by land speculators?

Affordable housing?????

[Neil Lisst]

24. Well, if he's your guy, beat his ass. It's the American way!

I don't usually enter the threads about Democrats that other Democrats think aren't Democrat enough.

Hawaii is a fairly liberal state, therefore, its rep should reflect that. I truly believe in representative democracy. Elected officials should be judged by how well they reflect their constituency.

In my view, the only unforgiveable offenses are NOT SUPPORTING THE TICKET, and NOT SUPPORTING THE PARTY NOMINEE IN THE LEGISLATURE, and GOING OVER TO THE OTHER SIDE, BUT SAYING YOU'RE A DEMOCRAT ala Zell Miller.

Any of those three - blindfold them, put them up against the wall, and I'll do the rest.