( – promoted by Colorado Pols)
It’s not surprising that Betsy Markey is among 11 House Democrats on the “Election Target List” put out this weekend by the Family Research Council. (H/T to Dave Weigel of the Washington Independent.)
The media buzz, such as it was, out of the FRC’s Values Voter Summit in D.C. focused on Mike Huckabee winning the presidential straw poll (with 170 votes). But the group also distributed a ballot with 11 reps and 3 senators to see who should be on FRC’s “Election Target List.” Colorado’s appointed Democratic senator, Michael Bennet, is on the list.
FRC’s ballot includes hyperbole describing Markey as a “radical leftist.” But this probably is as much about revenge as anything else.
After all, it was Markey who took out FRC favorite Marilyn Musgrave in 2008.
Indeed, it was three years ago almost to the day that Musgrave spoke at the 2006 Values Voter Summit and made one of the most controversial statements of her six years in Congress.
At a time when the United States was involved in wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Musgrave said this of gay marriage: “But this battle is the most important issue that we face today, and what an honor it has been to serve in the United States Congress and carry the Marriage Amendment.”
More details in my Coloradoan blog: http://bit.ly/PnaHi
I may have to re-think my support of Andrew Romanoff if Michael Bennet has made it onto the Family Research Council target list. The guy must be doing something right!
I think that the hyperbole and the targeting of the areas that they have listed don’t have to do with policy as much as vulnerability based on registration numbers. In NoCo, calling someone a radical leftist is pretty much par for the course. Probably the same for Senator Bennet, though the state’s numbers have changed over the last few cycles, this may have more to do with trying to bring R’s back as a majority or an appeal to conservative independents.
as bogeyman terms that have lost their luster. Since privatization of everything has proved to be a colossal failure, the Ayn Rand crowd have had a hard time making the case that being a liberal is a bad thing. The election of Mark Udall in 2008 after being called a radical liberal a gazillion times should cue the Republicans that the term as a pejorative is worn out.
It would be refreshing if the values voters actually talked about things of value and their solutions to today’s problems. Priming the pump one more time with radical leftist language just seems kind of boring and unimaginative. That dog don’t hunt no more.
so why start talking issues, now?
For over 25 years, the so-called Moral Majority machine was able to convince a slew voters that any one who talked issues didn’t share their values, because they thought America needed changing. It was flawed logic, but brilliant politics; and it changed what we understand by the word “representation.” Elected officials no longer had to represent their constituents’ concerns on real issues, so long as they looked, talked, an prayed like them.
Of course, this left those “representatives” free to do whatever the heck they wanted for far too long, like support wars without cause, complete dismantling of regulatory systems put in place to… you guessed it, address our concerns on real issues, and ultimately, line their own pockets.
Betsy Markey is an example of the undoing of this system, not because she’s a “radical liberal”or even just a Democrat (and no, I don’t work for her, I’m just watching her at work up here). Markey works hard to listen to the people of Northern Colorado and is working hard to get things done for them. Even though she may not always represent their values, they are coming to value her representation in Congress. The only thing Congresswoman Markey needs to fear at this point, is someone who can listen better, and work harder. Looking at her current field of opposition, I don’t think she has much to worry about there.
IIRC, Wadhams called Udall a Boulder liberal which placed him a couple of notches to the left of being a radical liberal.
But you’re right….that dog doesn’t bark anymore.
These people are losing power because their followers don’t have jobs or money. It will be interesting to see how little they can buy in their effort to unseat a popular Representative like Markey.
If I were Markey, whom I respect, I’d not be losing any sleep over this.
But it’s been great watching Dave Wiegal’s dynamic career. He’s really a great journalist.
I don’t live in her district, but I will be sure to support her re-election in any way I can. Being on the FRC “hit list” could be a good thing–now that it has been marginalized as much as it has been.
Ditto for Sen. Bennet.