Kaufman Finally Responds
Last week, after our junior Senator Ted Kaufman surprised us by voting for the Nelson-Stupak amendment in the Senate, I fired off an email to his office asking for clarification of his pro-choice stance.
Finally, after a week, his deputy press secretary, Misty Seemans responded. But before getting to the response, I must say, that is an awesome porn name. It almost made me doubt Kaufman’s office was the sender of the email. I am actually shocked it did not end up in spam filter. But I digress…
His response:
“I do not believe taxpayers’ dollars should be used to pay for elective abortions, including buying insurance coverage of such abortions.”
Sigh. First, that is not what you voted for Senator. You voted for an amendment that limits private insurance coverage of abortions. Yes, I can understand not wanting public dollars going to funding abortions. That policy has been in place for 33 years in the form of the Hyde Amendment. You were serving as then Senator Biden’s chief of staff when the aforesaid policy of not allowing federal dollars to go to paying for abortions was enacted, so you have to know about it. So your excuse for selling out women does not hold water, unless you are ignorant of what you are actually voting for, or you were so cowered by the Catholic Church that you felt you had to vote for it. The latter doesn’t make sense since you are not running for election in your own right. And the former assumes you are stupid.
So, Senator Kaufman, try again.
I went to high school with Misty. Great woman. Very bright.
Moderation? Oh my…
Happy Holidays, Mike!
I vote coward. Just look at the guy.
See? This is the kind of thing that makes me think that the fix is in for Castle. Why would any democrat get up for this so called “battle of the titans” race when Democratic office holders work overtime to get the message out that there is no difference between Democrats and Republicans.
I hope I’m wrong, but everyone knows that Beau’s team will be comprised of Kaufman people – and if this is the best they’ve got – fuck ’em.
Everybody should know that Kaufman is very religious so that this wasn’t a surprise.
Jason if you think there is no difference between Kaufman and the Republicans than you are an idiot.
He has become one of the more liberal members of the Senate.
I want to know why Delaware Dem is making fun of someone’s name. This site is susposed to a chance for Liberal’s to rally. How can we take it seriously with this? How will the elected officials take it seriously? I am more concerned with our Democrat governor gutting state employees pay and positions like he is a CEO. I am more concerned with Carper being a part of the removal of the public option. I guess you are more concerned with getting on a morning zoo radio show.IF this is how the liberal movement is being led than we are screwed. I guess we should prepare for the election of Mike Castle and Bill Lee and maybe one of Bush’s girls can move here to take Castle’s seat.
Kaufman is religious! So the Biden Catholics vote to put women back in their place, backalley abortions? This is the good cop bad cop crap. You can bet the repukes will use it against the dems. Now that Beau is back at the AG’s office, they land a plum in the peditricans office in Lewes. For that guy to have had as many charges against him as they claim, he had to have been at this dirty business a number of years. So where has the AG’s office been?
This will be used to push Biden to the Senate seat. But wait a minute, isn’t Beau Catholic too? Should we have expected the Kaufman vote to be similiar to the Biden vote (should Beau have been in the Senate)?
I am with Jason and DelawareMetalFan on this one. Aint no difference between the corporate party and the corporate representativs from corporate owned Dealaware.
Kaufman’s vote is his own. Joe Biden had a largely pro-choice record in the US Senate
http://www.pro-choicedelaware.org/congress.html
Funny what passes for religious these days. If we had any religious people in the Senate you’d think universal health care would be a slam dunk. Anyhoo…DelaMetalFan, I an an idiot to be sure, but you are making a reductio ad absurdum argument which makes you a scoundrel and a cad. If you read my comment, I was saying that this whole process is opening up for Castle and Kaufman is part of the process. So there.
I am concerned about the liberal movement being taken seriously when the blog is taking shots at someone’s name. I think it hurts the credibility of any other good ideas that the writer might have. Blogs (in general) are always complaining that they get no respect, but if they do things like that than why should they get respect.
As far as Kaufmans goes I feel that we should be far more concerned with our other politians in Delaware. If Carper, Castle and Markell were as progressive as Kaufman than things would be going a whole lot better. Sure Kaufman does things I disagree with, but he is better than the other big three and I would rather focus on them and the harm they are creating.
If I am a scoundrel and a cad than I guess I am a 19th century villian. All those big words, should you even be lowering yourself to respond to a blog?
DelawaeMetalFan . . . regarding the name, you said that once before.
All your vaginas belong to me!
happy christmas
that IS a great porn name, you humorless wads!
The nuns part company with the bishops:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/26/health/policy/26abort.html
Respect is a double-edged sword. If we wanted to get respect the old fashioned way, we’d suck up to the political/journalistic establishment and play by the old rules (see Cohen, Celia). We want to be respected on our own terms, and we’ll get there by continuing to publish information that cannot be ignored.
And while we’re on the subject of teasing people about their name, it’s hard to take this kind of “I’m so offended by your immaturity” criticism seriously from someone calling himself “DelawareMetalFan”.
\m/ (-_-) \m/
Delmentalflan,
Who cares if Kaufman is more progressive that Carper? A box of crayons is more progressive than Carper. Big whoop. I liked him at first, but Kaufman turned a sad joke. He traded away whatever legislative integrity he might have had when he signed up to be Biden Jr’s regent and seat warmer. Now (for whatever reason) he isn’t even doing that very well.
When Castle wins this seat, Kaufman will have his share of the blame for being a part of this stupid, witless democratic cabal of stupidity.
Jason – I also disagree with Ted K’s vote on Stupak, but where else has he strayed from the reservation?
I’ll keep an open mind, but I think this vote was idiosyncratic.
It is possible that according to the rules of the Delaware Way, Kaufman is the seatwarmer for Castle, and Castle is the seatwarmer for Beau.
Yes and yes.
JM,
It will take longer than the time I have, but it has to do with building a brand that resonates with the American people and Kaufman is a part of why Democrats can’t do it.
Xstryker,
How is getting respect on your own terms going? I guess it can’t be going that well if you hate Kaufman, Castle, Carper and Markell along with Beau Biden. I never said to suck up to the establishment, but its hard to wow them with ideas on one hand when you are smacking them with the other hand. I’d rather see ideas judged and not the fancy packaging including names being judged. But feel free to dismiss mine because of my name.
As liberals, we are going to have a hard time finding and electing politicans that we love completely. In regard to Delaware I prefer to find someone I can at least partially like and hope that they do some good. Otherwise we’ll be stuck with Carper, Markell and Castle doing stuff that we completely hate.
I’d love it if Delaware would elect someone truly liberal, but in the meantime we might want to focus on electing someone partial liberal as oppossed to being mad, dropping out of the process and allowing the state to elect someone conservative.
Xstryker,
I am not saying that your info should be ignored, or that you suck up. I just believe that you’d get a better response from the establishment for your ideas on one hand if you were not smacking them with the other.
Besides, I met Misty. She is a very nice person, hardworking, smart and as Liberal as anyone who posts on this blog. Taking a shot at her was not necessary.
We (liberals) can stand on the sideline shouting and hope it impacts change, or we can be more engaging and try to work from within the system. The U.S. has a two party system for better or worse. If Beau runs for the Senate, we can either ignore him and not vote, which might ensure Castle. Or we can engage Beau and hope to convince him of some progressive ideals. If a Dem wins at least there is some hope of a liberal stance. If Castle wins then there is no hope of a liberal stance.
I’d like to see a liberal win the primary, but short of that happening than the next best thing is to try and influence Biden and help him win.
I don’t buy this anymore. ” If a Dem wins at least there is some hope of a liberal stance. If Castle wins then there is no hope of a liberal stance.”
Sorry. That is bullshit. There will be no diffference between Castle and Biden in the Senate. Castle will be enough of a Demo for most people and Biden will be enough of a Republican.
When I get back to blogging I’m going to set up a “Democrats for Mike Castle” blog or something. Since the Delaware way fix is in we might as well get on the winning side and try to influence our future Senator to be a least a little “moderate” whern all the chips are down.
Agreed. I’ve had it with Conservadems, to the point now that I am OK if they get replaced by Republicans. Starting with Harry Reid. It might be the kick in the pants they need. They need to learn that leaning right is the way to lose your seat. Most progressive positions are actually very popular if Senators have the courage to implement them.
Nothing can really save Obama and the Dems now except a broad jobs boom.
I’m for all out Democratic nihilism. The current Democratic party has to be torn down like Carthage. No stone should be left resting on top of another stone. When that is done we might be able to have some chance of building a reasonably liberal political party.
I’m for all out Democratic nihilism.
Agreed, except most people won’t be able to articulate “nihilism,” they will just experience a lack of passion. What is our rallying cry supposed to be in 2010?
“HCR – we’ll fix it later!”
“Better than nothing!” (shrug, both palms up)
“It was the best we could get!”
“We don’t have enough votes in the Senate – what could we do?” (this slogan will probably work for the tax-cut expiration fix coming up soon as well).
I’m for all out Democratic nihilism.
This is sorta rich from someone who was actively cheering for Biden and Carney fairly recently. Nihilism would have looked like a full-throated endorsement of KHN, to take one example.
Times change. The inability (or unwillingness) of the Democratic establishment to grasp the fact that Republicans have no interest in anything other than political gamesmanship has pushed me over to Donvitism. I can say that I’ve held these dark thoughts at bay for ten years, but don’t see the point in taking part in the happy talk any longer.
But that is not to say that I could not be lured back by a Democrat that seemed to get it. (A …Matt Den Senate run, or a Hilary Clinton primary challenge to Obama say.)
Barf, Jason, barf. Apparently I haven’t done enough to prove this to you, but when the chips are down, Mike Castle votes with his bank account. I detest Carper, but look the facts straight in the eye – Carper voted for the stimulus and health care reform, and Castle voted against. When in Castle’s lifetime have the chips ever been more down? Carper is a degenerate corporate tool, but he can be pressured to vote with us. Castle is a degenerate corporate tool, but the only pressure he responds to is from GOP insiders. Mike Castle will filibuster every single piece of progressive legislation that comes up, and then he’ll laugh about it on the train ride home with Carper.
I cannot believe you’ve fallen for the whole “moderate Mike” sham again. How gullible are you, seriously?
Hilary Clinton primary challenge to Obama? Were you actually conscious during the Clinton administration, the historic low-ebb for progressive influence over the Democratic Party? Do you seriously think Terry MacAuliffe would be an improvement over Rahm Emanuel? Jason, seriously, have you mentally checked out?
I deserve that. However, let’s say the fix is in for Castle (as it appears to be). How do liberal Delawaeans effect a change we want to see in the US Senate? Perhaps being more of a Republican insider is what is called for given the way things are going. It seems to be the course that President Obama and Harry Reid have charted out. Am I smarter than Barack Obama? I don’t think so.
you should stop blogging before Eagles Games. Save your anger for Andy Reid and Mcinacurate
the Clinton administration, the historic low-ebb for progressive influence over the Democratic Party
Clinton operated during a Republican wave and accomplished much. Obama is operating during a Democratic wave so I am holding him to even higher (i.e., more progressive) standards.
Andy Reid needs to sign that lady who sacked the Pope.
anon, I think you’ve hit the crux of the issue: I am holding him to even higher (i.e., more progressive) standards.
With this standard you are holding, you will only be disappointed. This is a long war, not every battle can be won — some will even be lost.
BTW, how many progressive Senators and Representatives are out there?
With this standard you are holding, you will only be disappointed.
If progressives abandon their idealism, what do they have left?
For the left, “idealism” is sort of a foundation concept the way “principles” are for the right. It is easy to pick it apart but once you get the mojo working it is unstoppable.
anon, I guess my point is that Obama was ranked as the most liberal senator in 2007 by the National Journal. With him out of the Senate (along with Ted Kennedy and Joe Biden), what can you expect from the likes of Democratic senators like Carper, Lincoln, Pryor, etc.
I’m not even that interested in “progressive” vs. not progressive. I’m interested in results and even moderate Democratic proposals don’t stand a chance with the leadership we have now. The only party that gets results is the Republican party because they cheat and have a willingness (no..a desire) to fight dirty.
The game changed a long time ago, but I belong to a party that does not get it. In 1982 Karl Rove got Phil Gramm elected to the U.S. House of Representative and the Democratic leadership still acts surprised when the Republicans use all of Rove’s old tricks and win. It is pitiful. I think we can all agree on that much.
jason330, the game did change, but it also changed again with Obama’s election. The Republican Party tried to swiftboat him several times and failed. It is true that there will always be candidates that get elected by spewing out lies, but that doesn’t mean we have to.
Lying is only one Republican strength and I’m not saying I want a party that adopts that style. Republicans also have a mission focus and a mission driven leadership that inspires its base. I thought we were getting that with Obama – but let’s face it, Obama is no Roosevelt, nor is he a Kennedy, or even a Carter.
The mission focus gives Republicans internal party discipline. All we have is a bunch of self-serving dipshits like Tom Carper who could not articulate what the core Democratic values were if you held a gun to his head.
(Note: I am not suggesting anyone hold a gun to the Senator’s head.)
I blame Harry Reid. I’d give Nancy Pelosi a B+, Obama a C+, and Harry Reid a D-. I’m hoping he loses in 2010 so we can get Dick Durbin as majority leader. See my comment in the other thread for how we drop Reid and Lincoln and gain 4 seats elsewhere and come out ahead progressively.
X,
I hope the country has time for that. As anon said up thread, “(Democrats like me) will just experience a lack of passion. What is our rallying cry supposed to be in 2010?… “down with Harry Reid?”
The rallying cry will be “Down with the fillibusters”.
You can blame Democrats all you want for not pushing hard enough, but it still was the GOP that they were pushing against. Whether it’s the leadership or the voters, someone’s gotta knock the piss out of the GOP. The congressional GOP is still phenomenally less popular than congressional Democrats, and the GOP is busy trying to help us by teabagging themselves to death. You’d have to be an idiot not to want to finish the job.
The rallying cry will be “Down with the fillibusters”.
The Senate proved it can get 60 votes any time it wants by making its bills Republican enough.
There will be no difference between Castle and Biden in the Senate.
That’s the election-season message of Republicans and Naderites both. There’s never any supporting data, but that’s what ad agencies are for.
Come to think of it, I recall “No difference between Nixon and Humphrey.”
Sure, but if you reduce the number of Republicans, then nobody needs to water things down just to get that douchebag Lieberman on board.
Seriously – every time you think about electing Mike Castle, remember that Joe Lieberman would love that. Picture his grinning little jowls.
I’d still prefer a progressive Delaware Senator. Even if the fix is in, a progressive should run for the seat. At least let Biden know in the Primary that liberal Delawareans exist.
The fix was in against Sen Paul Wellstone in Minnesota years ago too, but he beat the odds and not only won the primary, but the election as well.
Of course he later died in a plane crash, so that may not be the best example.
When I first moved to Delaware some Dems tried to convince me that Caste was a moderate Republican, but then he supported the war and No Child Left Behind, which showed me all I needed to understand Castle.
jason330 wrote but let’s face it, Obama is no Roosevelt, nor is he a Kennedy, or even a Carter.
Oh please, Carter?! Are you off your meds?
y shld crtcz hs grmmr! tht wll rll stck t t hm!
I liked Carter.
Historically Carter is ranked with Nixon, Fillmore, Grant, Harding and Tyler — so you can see why I’m surprised by your statement.
Carter lost.
People hoped Obama was a Roosevelt. I think he is turning out to be more of a hybrid Kennedy/Clinton. Pragmatic and moderate.
By whom Nemski?
By several — more than six — polls of historians and some of these polls spanned several decades.
I stand corrected. I agree with Nemski, Obama is a Carter. See? I’m man enough to admit when I’m wrong.
BTW – McNubbins played great today. A fourth quarter drive and everything.
Seriously, are you off your meds? 😉
My meds were much too expensive for me to continue being on. Thanks Tom Carper!!