Two Blue Dogs Defeated in Pennsylvania Primary
Congressmen Tim Holden and Jason Altmire of Pennsylvania, both proud members of the Blue Dog Coalition, were defeated in Tuesday’s Pennsylvania primary. The Nation writes that they were swept out “by Democratic primary voters who opted for candidates who were more clearly critical of corporate abuses and right-wing policies.”The Fix notes that “it’s been a very tough cycle for Blue Dog Democrats, but Tuesday took the cake.”
The cumulative effect: For a caucus that featured 54 members last Congress and saw that number sliced to 26 after the 2010 election, the number could be halved again if things go really poorly this November.
Now, can we do something about Tom Carper?
Tags: Blue Dogs
oh my, this is GREAT NEWS !!!!
Right when the news broke that Delaware was poised to lose our post offices, people started talking about how far Tom Carper’s hands were in the 2006 law that forced the stranglehold on the agency to fund 75 years out for pension liabilities in a ten year period.
I haven’t researched it but it sounded about right.
So, even if he’s walking it all back now and the postal service reform bill gets through the house and saves the agency, Carper’s role in screwing it up shouldn’t be submerged.
One problem with the USPS is that about 20 years ago, they offered a general early retirement and buyout and over 100K employees took it. Instead of limiting the number or targeting specific jobs or locations, a mass exodus occurred. When management realized what had happened, they started rehiring the same people as reemployed annuitants. That fiasco resulted in the law being changed that prevents Federal employees who take a buyout from returning to work for 5 years unless they pay the entire buyout back (there are some exceptions, which is an entirely different case of waste, fraud and abuse).
The USPS has overpaid the retirement system by some $5 billion dollars. On the flip side, they have not fully funded the health benefits for their retirees. And postal workers pay a way smaller portion of their health benefits premiums than other Federal employees.