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JanusIanitos's avatar

Censure vote for Al Green for standing during the SOTU, for anyone else that didn't know the context.

Ten democrats voted for censure: Ami Bera (CA-06), Jim Costa (CA-21), Ed Case (HI-01), Laura Gillen (NY-04), Tom Suozzi (NY-03), Jim Himes (CT-04), Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), Jared Moskowitz (FL-23), and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-03).

Gluesenkamp Perez is the only one I'd cut some slack for, considering the tilt of her district. Still shouldn't have voted for it, but she's in a different category of disappointment than the others. If even Jared Golden doesn't feel the need to cross the aisle on this the other nine can fuck off.

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Henrik's avatar

Yeah there’s some names on here that have absolutely zero excuse. Himes and Houlahan in particular

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JanusIanitos's avatar

Obviously Himes is worried about his <checks notes> D+13 district that he won with >60% of the vote.

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Zero Cool's avatar

He’s got no excuse. Primary time.

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MPC's avatar

Kaptur and Suozzi are puzzling as well.

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Mike in MD's avatar

Their districts are red leaning, or at best purple, enough that I wouldn’t complain much, especially regarding an essentially symbolic vote.

Costa, Moskowitz, and Gillen also have competitive seats. I see the “But Golden!” argument, but this isn’t important enough to risk losing their seats over.

Now, if they start regularly shanking us on important legislation, that’s a different story.

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Paleo's avatar

Do you honestly think not voting to censure would cost them a single vote?

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Miguel Parreno's avatar

Yes. Thanks lol. I went a little easy just trying to focus on Bera, Case, and Himes but Maybe they all need to be primaried.

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Kevin H.'s avatar

Case is a closet conservative is his excuse

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Zero Cool's avatar

And he’s also a cousin of AOL founder Steve Case although that’s certainly not helping him. /s

Years ago he said he was an Asian trapped in a white man’s body. I have no idea why any white man would say this.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/17/politics/ed-case-hawaii-comments/index.html

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James Trout's avatar

He's a "Democrat" for the same reason Tulsi Gabbard was a "Democrat", Hawaiian politics essentially requires it. Unless your name is Linda Lingle.

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sacman701's avatar

Bera isn't my rep anymore (I'm stuck with Kevin Kiley) but he's in my neck of the woods. He's a noncontroversial entrenched incumbent and any attempt to primary him would need a far stronger hook than 'he voted to censure Al Green'.

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Miguel Parreno's avatar

How about, "He rolled over to respect Trump and can't meet the moment"

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sacman701's avatar

No one is going to remember anything about the SOTU by the time of the primary next year. A challenger would need to hit him for some scandal or some substantive vote he took. Suburban districts generally don't go for bombthrower types in any case.

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Miguel Parreno's avatar

I seem to remember a noncontroversial, entrenched incumbent without any sort of scandal or substantive vote who lost to an up and comer in 2018. Maybe the suburbs won't go for it, but maybe they will. It doesn't happen until it happens. Whoever runs probably loses and Bera cruises to re-election but I don't think he should get a pass even if people won't remember the SOTU next year.

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sacman701's avatar

Crowley got caught napping, and his district wasn't remotely comparable to Bera's.

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Kevin H.'s avatar

Maybe golden is running for senate

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JanusIanitos's avatar

As others have pointed out to me, he's ruled out running against Collins because he used to work for her. He might run for governor, though.

From what I've seen all the big names in Maine are positioning themselves for governor first, but as that gets too crowded someone will go for senate. Would be great to have Troy Jackson run for senate.

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Harrison Konigstein's avatar

Being in Gillen's district, I'd say she knows she's in trouble in a general election, barring Republicans failing dramatically at recruiting-the Town of Hempstead is still very Republican turf.

Souzzi doesn't really have an excuse though, especially if he's considering primarying Hochul like I suspect he might be.

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Mike in MD's avatar

If Suozzi really wants to go for governor, then why did he run for Congress again? His previous Hochul challenge not only came nowhere close to succeeding, but stuck his constituents with George Santos' "representation" for a year.

Maybe he responded to entreaties to do so "for the team", but it isn't necessary for him to be in office to run statewide again--and if he's considering challenging Hochul, he's not the only one (and multiple opponents mean she probably skates, at least in the primary.)

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Paleo's avatar

She just won a general election in a Republican year.

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Harrison Konigstein's avatar

She also pissed off all sides of the political spectrum by taking five different positions on congestion pricing.

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Kevin H.'s avatar

He really needs to give up on running statewide, he's lucky he still has a career after two disastrous runs for governor

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John Carr's avatar

Yeah Dems really need to talk him out of running statewide and just running for re-election like they should have in 2022.

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Guy's avatar

Suozzi’s district is redder than Gillen’s.

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Miguel Parreno's avatar

At first glance I think Adrian Tam in Hawaii and Antonio Felipe in CT could be interesting candidates in those races.

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