This New York Times news story notes with concern how the liberals won two liberal-vs-moderate Democratic primaries in Pennsylvania. This “foreshadows an even more polarized Congress next year,” the Times warns, quoting Blue Dog Democrat Mike Ross: “So the Democrats run to their corner. The Republicans run to their corner, and as a result the country is being run by the extremes.”
But if we’re playing the game of troubling trends in Washington and bipartisan concern for good government, which the mainstream media is always trying to play, why not mention that centrists are far more likely than their more ideological counterparts to do the bidding of lobbyists and special interest groups.
In the GOP, I’ve written plenty about the middle being the playground of K Street while the Right edge is more likely to act on actual belief.
The liberal site, United Republic, saw that as a theme in the Pa. primaries:
Holden’s and Altmire’s Votes On Behalf of Campaign Contributors Primary Factor in Their Defeat
Washington – Yesterday, two incumbent “Blue Dog” Pennsylvania Democrats lost primary fights, continuing a trend of lawmakers being held accountable for supporting measures that help their corporate donors at the expense of the public interest.
United Republic CEO Josh Silver made the following statement:
“Press reports explaining Tuesday’s vote cite Holden and Altmire’s ‘moderation,’ a push from the left, or redrawn congressional districts. But a closer reading of the election reveals that both lawmakers went down because the opposition highlighted their ties to K Street and their history of trading votes for campaign cash.”
— Altmire, a former lobbyist who, once in Congress, traded corporate cash for access to Democrats through his ‘Keystone Group.’ [ProPublica, 10/25/10]
— In debates and other campaign efforts, Critz highlighted Altmire’s cozy relationship with K Street. [Keystone Politics, 4/15/12]
— Opposition groups similarly hit Holden for his ties to special interests, running with a theme that “Holden is too beholden” to K Street. [CPA ad, 4/18/12]
— Voters were presented with information about Holden’s earmarks, his votes for taxpayer giveaways for his corporate contributors, particularly the oil and gas industry, and his ties to K Street groups like “Center Forward.” [Republic Report, 4/24/12]
“Too often, we see special-interest friendly Democrats described as ‘moderate’ instead of what they are: corrupt.
“Polls show that the American people, conservative, moderate, and liberal, are fed up with the buying and selling of politicians and policy. It is not a left vs. right issue. It’s an American issue. It’s time to stop cloaking corruption in false terms, and call it what it is.
“Yesterday, the American people won in Pennsylvania, and status quo corruption lost
