Robert Novak on Gifford's Record

You may disagree with Novak's style, but he makes some interesting points and they are well documented.

Notwithstanding the rhetoric of their election campaigns, just how moderate are they now that they are in office? With the Democratic Congress back in session, and just over 100 days now passed since its members were sworn in, the new Democratic moderates can receive their first evaluations. Some are holding to the moderate line they promised on the campaign trail. Others have directly gone back on their word. But as a few key votes show, all of them are finding it difficult to reconcile the tension between the conservatism of their constituents and the liberalism of their party leadership.

The “moderate” and “conservative” freshman Democrats have a mixed record so far in this Congress on a wide range of issues related to economic, military, and social policies. But most of them have shown that, in a pinch, they do what their party’s liberal leaders tell them. Four of the “moderates” mentioned above -- Carney, Altmire, Lampson, and Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) -- have followed the party line on every important and controversial vote so far this Congress.

Comments

[Walter]

You shouldn't leave out Harry Mitchell's mention in this article. It points out Harry's deceptive floor speech -- I'm disappointed in the leadership, this bill is bad -- but I voted for it.

I guarantee that Seth Scott already has the ad ready with the Phoenix Business Journal pull quote: "Mitchell takes on party leadership" to show how "independent" or "moderate" he is. When in reality he is toeing the party line, like everyone should have known he would.