Not quite sure why Rep John Larson (D-CT) would do his best to get his face in this video of Rahm spouting a terrible message. The Broken Message Machine of the Democratic Party as Jane Hamsher calls it. Larson should have gone in the opposite direction.
Members of the Connecticut Democratic Congressional Delegation, Reps. Rosa DeLauro, John Larson, Joe Courtney and Chris Murphy, released the following statement regarding their unified stance on today's vote on the Iraq Supplemental:
"Today, we will vote the will of our constituents in Connecticut and the American people - voting against a measure that does not hold this Administration accountable for its failed policy in Iraq or set a new direction. We cannot in good conscience support a bill that keeps our troops in the middle of a bloody and chaotic civil war with no exit strategy and no timeline for redeploying our troops."
Update 4: Murphy now definitely voting no, that is, if it is put up for a vote at all. (h/t Commonweal):
"People in Connecticut and across the country overwhelmingly support redeploying our troops out of Iraq, yet this message falls on deaf ears in the Bush Administration. This bill may pass today, and the President may sign it, but I cannot support it. I was sent here to bring this war to a close, and this bill doesn't do that."
Update 3: And this may not matter at all. As Sirota writes, the Democratic leadership is planning to use parliamentary procedure to avoid the appearance of a real vote on this. And apparently the entire leadership is planning on voting for this "rule" that would essentially allow the supplemental to sail through without having to vote for it. CQ has more. Ask the reps below to vote against the rule.
Update 2: The Courant has an article this morning stating that Larson ia a "no" vote, and that Murphy, Courtney, and DeLauro are still torn over which way to vote. (DeLauro still undecided as of this morning). Murphy apparently received 40 calls yesterday, all urging a "no" vote, and he's leaning against the measure. Keep up the pressure. (Shays is a "yes," BTW. Lieberman can't discuss because it's Shavuot).
Just called Murphy's office (0.00 / 0)
Chris Murphy is voting against the no-strings supplemental.
As Chris Bowers and others have noted today, this fight is important, if only for setting up the next one in September. This vote is crucial. No one gets a pass.
Where do the other members of CT's delegation stand on giving Bush a blank check for the war?
(Decided to promote this instead. May be a slow news day. And Larson's response bugs me. - promoted by Scarce)
WEST HARTFORD -- U.S. Rep. John Larson, D-1st District, promoted his views on Iraq to a mostly friendly audience in West Hartford Saturday, but nearly lost the crowd briefly when he stopped short of endorsing the impeachment of President Bush.
In a two-hour town meeting at the Elmwood Community Center, Larson praised House colleagues who joined him in narrowly passing legislation Friday requiring an end to combat in Iraq no later than September 2008. But Bush has promised to veto the legislation, prompting John L. Cochran of Manchester to suggest an alternate tack.
"As long as Bush is going to veto everything you try to do, it kind of cuts your options," Cochran, 82, said in a slow, even voice. "Maybe you'll be able to get a few more Republicans to vote on your side, but that doesn't sound too promising as far as really having enough to overcome a veto.
"From my viewpoint, I think the only option left is impeachment."
The reaction from the crowd of about 100 was loud and instantaneous. Nearly 20 seconds of applause, punctuated by a cry of "Show some guts, John!"
Larson reacted with an uncomfortable smile and a challenge: "So you want Dick Cheney, huh?"
"Get 'em both!" came a yell from the back of the room. "A twofer!"
Larson's reply? Not so great.
"Now there is a Congress that is looking into [the war]. But it's the first time the public has voted for such," Larson said. "That's the point I'm trying to make. Without trying to go into Civics 101 - I understand the visceral frustration - but this is the reality. And when you're 111th in the world in terms of voting, it's time for Americans to wake up."
I rarely see articles written about John Larson - I probably know less about him and his career than anyone else in the Connecticut House delegation. I was excited to see a long David Lightman piece on Larson in the Courant, simply because even Hartford's paper doesn't seem to spend much time on the activities and achievements of Hartford's representative. Unfortunately, Lightman's story of Larson's career arc and his current aspirations is tainted by shoddy quotes and heavy reliance on Conventional Wisdom to tell the story about what Larson, as a leader of the Democratic Party, is doing in Washington.
The first attributed quote in the article on the fifth-ranking Democrat in the House is shockingly provided by a Republican who ties Larson's career to anything done by Nancy Pelosi as Speaker.
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