Two Georgia Blue Dogs rebel against Obama/Pelosi Health-care Reform

Ewa Kochanska
Buzz Examiner
Nov 9, 2009

Two Georgia Democratic Representatives, John Barrow (District 12) and Jim Marshall (District 8) voted “nay” on the historical Health-care Reform legislation last Saturday in the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill eventually passed 220-215. Both are up for a re-election in 2010.

Public Option was included in the sweeping legislation and that was something that Blue Dogs were hesitant to support. Two other hot button issues for the conservative Democrats have been taxes and federal funding for abortion. While the bill, as is, adds to the deficit and would inevitably increase taxes, an amendment has been added to ensure that no abortions are funded by the taxpayer’s money. Two out of the three issues worked against Blue Dogs in this bill, so those two “bit.”

John Barrow, so far running unopposed in his 12th District, might face a former State Senator Regina Thomas, a Democrat who already lost to Barrow in last year’s primaries with just 27% of the vote. But in that race , Barack Obama himself endorsed Barrow, and in a state where Obama is nothing short of a hero to the African-American community, and in a district that’s nearly 50% black, with Obama’s blessing that win was a given.

Now that Barrow opposed one of the most crucial legislations for the President, his endorsement is not very likely. Thomas on the other hand is an African-American woman who publicly supported Public Option. And Barack Obama is still very popular in the state, and in the 12th district he has a 78% approval rating and only 18% disapproval among Democrats (source).

While Barrow’s vote on Health-care will certainly resonate with some of the more conservative and independent voters in his district, he will be fighting some very angry Democrats who consider opposing Public Option a sin that should never be forgiven.

Nationally, the Democratic Party is calling for boycott of the Blue Dogs. Some of those Democrats have made their home at the www.actblue.com website where they have a very special place for Blue Dogs – Bad Dogs as they call them - www.actblue.com/page/baddogs. “We've started this Actblue page called BadDogs because the Blue Dog caucus is enabling Republicans, hate talkers like Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck, the Insurance Industry and the Medical-Industrial Complex to shut down any true reform to our broken health care system. Please join us in our fight to hold them accountable for their actions...” source

On a flip side, Hannity and some other high-profile conservatives are calling the 28 Blue Dogs who voted for the Health-care Reform “Lap Dogs,” and they are starting a campaign to hold them accountable. “When George W. Bush was in office, the Blue Dogs each had signs in the hallway outside of their office suite door that kept a running tally of what the deficit was costing each individual American. You don’t see any of those signs in the hallways outside of the House office buildings anymore. It would appear the Blue Dogs have no problems adding trillions of dollars more to the deficit as long as the out-of-control spending is done by Democrats.” source

Jim Marshall, also fighting to keep his job, is being challenged so far by one Republican candidate, William “Paul” Rish, a former Bib County GOP Chairman. In Marshall’s situation, this vote against Pelosi's Health-care might just prove to be a lifesaver. His 8th District covers mostly Republican, rural counties in Georgia.

Rish is extremely young, barely 30 years old, and without much experience. The only thing Marshall might be fearing at this point is that so many Georgia conservatives are outraged by the government spending, they just might go out and vote for ANY Republican, considering that better than even a conservative Democrat. But most likely Marshall, a Bronze Star and Purple Heart awarded Vietnam Vet, just ensured himself an easy re-election with a “nay” vote on this controversial legislation.