Blue Dog Dem: Cap-and-trade “worst piece of legislation” he’s seen
posted at 2:12 pm on July 21, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
Dan Boren must be getting used to making enemies on his own side of the aisle. After the Democratic Congressman publicly opposed Card Check, the SEIU offered a rational rebuttal — by claiming that Boren wants people to die in unsafe factories. After Boren’s latest remarks on cap-and-trade, expect Democratic Party special interests to accuse him of wanting to boil the oceans:
The cap-and-trade climate bill before Congress is the “worst piece of legislation” in recent years, one centrist Democratic lawmaker said Monday.
“The cap and trade bill is really the worst piece of legislation I’ve seen since I’ve been there,” Rep. Dan Boren (D-Okla.) told the Tulsa Metro Chamber of Commerce. “It raises energy prices on businesses, raises electric bills on families, and it even raises gasoline prices in the middle of a recession. And, it makes America less competitive in the global economy.”
Boren was one of 44 House Democrats to vote against the American Clean Energy and Security Act, crafted by Reps. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.), in a razor-thin vote last month.
Of course, Boren isn’t the only one on Capitol Hill with that opinion of cap-and-trade. Senate Democrats postponed consideration of the bill until after the August recess in hopes of generating more support for it in the upper chamber. Enthusiasm for the bill broke down on regional and partisan lines, and even Barbara Boxer couldn’t pretend that they could get the bill to a floor vote, let alone passage.
Boren didn’t stop at cap-and-trade, either. While he didn’t express the same level of revulsion over the House proposal on ObamaCare, he didn’t sound terribly enthusiastic, either:
“We have to be very careful,” he said, as reported by the Oklahoman. “The current health insurance plan that’s been released, in my opinion, will only exacerbate the problem.”
The DNC announced that they will start running ads in Blue Dog districts to punish them for their vote on Waxman-Markey. They may do the same for any Democratic nays on ObamaCare. I suspect that the Oklahoman Representative may see that as a net plus after two years of Obamanomics and socialization — and may want to think now about crossing the aisle.









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People’s Court verdict – Five (5) years in the Gulag for Anti-Obama Agitation – Article 58, Worker’s Penal Code of the Soviets of America.
OhEssYouCowboys on July 21, 2009 at 2:14 PM
This democrat should be commended! It’s the right thing to do.
rightside on July 21, 2009 at 2:14 PM
Waxman-Markey.
Shouldn’t that read Marxman-Wakey?
J.J. Sefton on July 21, 2009 at 2:15 PM
In a year or so, all the democrats will be running, not walking, away from the disaster that is the Obama administration. Dan Boren is just ahead of the curve.
Rebar on July 21, 2009 at 2:16 PM
How did we run out of Kool Aid? Heads will roll.
HoustonRight on July 21, 2009 at 2:16 PM
‘Off with their heads!’ from your friendly DNC…../sarc
cmsinaz on July 21, 2009 at 2:17 PM
Traitor
faraway on July 21, 2009 at 2:17 PM
Thank God! There are Dems out there w/a brain cell and some independence!
JAM on July 21, 2009 at 2:17 PM
How will CA reps vote now that their state budget calls for drilling?
WashJeff on July 21, 2009 at 2:18 PM
Hell, in Okie, even our damned Democrats are better than the RINO’s.
OhEssYouCowboys on July 21, 2009 at 2:18 PM
prove it, DAN, by continuing to vote against ANYTHING like the POS, not just this time.
vinman on July 21, 2009 at 2:18 PM
Boren will be the next target of HuffHo. The huffers are currently targeting Max Baucus as the object of their scorn.
ICBM on July 21, 2009 at 2:18 PM
correction – (this POS)
vinman on July 21, 2009 at 2:18 PM
A “carbon emission” tax would only be an annoying drag on the economy — to truly make an economy crippling bill, you need something as corrupt as “cap and trade”.
The health care socialization bill might be worse, but we are talking about competing for the “all time worst bill in history” slot, here.
Count to 10 on July 21, 2009 at 2:19 PM
I think one has to have a screw loose to support this bill.
Blake on July 21, 2009 at 2:19 PM
If the Democrat party is attacking you in 2010, that will be considered a good thing to a majority of voters.
WashJeff on July 21, 2009 at 2:19 PM
Well, at least he’s seen the bill. It’s not required, you know.
ROCnPhilly on July 21, 2009 at 2:20 PM
And when every American has the access to quality eye care that Congress does, you’ll all see better!
/Obamabot
DrSteve on July 21, 2009 at 2:20 PM
I hope he has knee, elbow and ankle pads.
fourdeucer on July 21, 2009 at 2:20 PM
Don’t be afraid Blue Dogs.
Though there is evil near to you.
Go into the light. Go into the light.
fogw on July 21, 2009 at 2:21 PM
Sure wish the RNC would make a catchy commercial using this and plaster it everywhere! The truly mind-numbed Oprah and the vacant View audiences should be treated to an alternate view.
InTheBellyoftheBeast on July 21, 2009 at 2:21 PM
HuffPo has pulled out their last weapon – the kitchen sink – in the Battle of the Healthcare. Yes, Big Big Pictures and Screaming red headlines AGAINST Democrats. I don’t think I’ve seen something like that there before. They used to attack Hillary by just ignoring her.
Marcus on July 21, 2009 at 2:21 PM
What’s not to like about Wacko-Malarkey? It has no energy for anyone and taxes for all, except the special Democrat voters, they get checks to make up for the past.
Sub-prime energy bill, wall street will love it.
tarpon on July 21, 2009 at 2:21 PM
LOL
The light is good!
cmsinaz on July 21, 2009 at 2:22 PM
The rats are starting to abandon the SS Titanic-obama.
HornetSting on July 21, 2009 at 2:22 PM
It’s about time these politicians began voting as AMERICANS instead of keeping special interest and WORLD citizens appeased.
faol on July 21, 2009 at 2:22 PM
Earth traitor or Earth “truther”? /s
Ozprey on July 21, 2009 at 2:22 PM
what is this feeling? Am I feeling…hope?
FontanaConservative on July 21, 2009 at 2:22 PM
President Obama lost Oklahoma by over 30%. I’m guessing Boren isn’t too worried about ads accusing him of not supporting The President enough.
BadgerHawk on July 21, 2009 at 2:23 PM
I wonder how Rahm “dead fish” Emanuel is handling all this. He’s not used to people telling him to get bent.
darwin on July 21, 2009 at 2:23 PM
Hey Dan,
Don’t be afraid to switch parties if they keep expecting you to vote for stuff against your constituents’ interests.
Rodney Alexander already did this in Louisiana a few years back because he was expected to toe the party line and vote for John Kerry, who was diametrically opposed to the interests of his North Louisiana district.
teke184 on July 21, 2009 at 2:23 PM
Leave it to us southeners to save the US from the Bozo administration. We make talk funny, y’all, but at least we have common sense.
txag92 on July 21, 2009 at 2:23 PM
That should be “shill for John Kerry”.
teke184 on July 21, 2009 at 2:24 PM
He’s literally an Okie from Muskogee.
And like Merle Haggard told us, ‘they don’t smoke Marywanna in Muskogee’.
It’s also oil country, lots of shallow wells (and now some deeper ones) and independent operators who hate that ugly freak in the White House.
For you “Grapes of Wrath” fans (I’ve seen it quoted at HotAir lately) that would be the Joads’ district.
TexasJew on July 21, 2009 at 2:24 PM
The dems have the oval office and both houses and they are attacking their own? That’s nuts. So… it makes sense to them.
ROCnPhilly on July 21, 2009 at 2:25 PM
He’s an Oklahoman who would like to be re-elected.
Thats his ONLY consideration.
Janna on July 21, 2009 at 2:26 PM
Hey, I was curious.
When Obama and the Dems set up the Gulag camps, where would be some choice locations?
I figured North Dakota or Montana. Or, maybe Nevada.
Alaska geographically would be dynamite, but Sarah would put up a stink.
Sapwolf on July 21, 2009 at 2:26 PM
Applause for this blue-dog.
jencab on July 21, 2009 at 2:26 PM
Love it.
OhEssYouCowboys on July 21, 2009 at 2:26 PM
HE should be supported for the fight that he is fighting for USA. if only the rest of them would climb aboard.
Hey ED!. are you sure this man is a democrat?. lol
hawkman on July 21, 2009 at 2:26 PM
Besides the healthcare bill? Besides the Stimulus? uh…
Mommypundit on July 21, 2009 at 2:26 PM
And the best sweet tea in the country. Don’t forget the sweet tea.
lorien1973 on July 21, 2009 at 2:27 PM
woops. Didn’t read the write up above…sorry. (sheepish)
Mommypundit on July 21, 2009 at 2:29 PM
The DNC announced that they will start running ads in Blue Dog districts to punish them for their vote on Waxman-Markey.
gwelf on July 21, 2009 at 2:29 PM
Those troublesome Blug Dogs…they’re not the right type of Democrat! So the national committee is going to cleanse it’s ranks of all conservatives? Wow, and they say the GOP needs to embrace diversity?
NickelAndDime on July 21, 2009 at 2:30 PM
Taxman-Malarkey
BPD on July 21, 2009 at 2:31 PM
Hey, maybe Mark Kirk (RINO Ill-noise) can use this in his um, oh wait. Never mind.
BobK on July 21, 2009 at 2:31 PM
I prefer to call it the Waxman-Malarkey bill.
clement on July 21, 2009 at 2:32 PM
The more viscious the attacks, the more vehement the responses and the more these programs are exposed. The dems run the risk of dooming there own programs as the defenses get louder and the info flows more freely.
ROCnPhilly on July 21, 2009 at 2:32 PM
We salute you, dude!
thebrokenrattle on July 21, 2009 at 2:32 PM
Why would we want him to become a Republican? If he is a decent representative, then we guarantee that district will return a decent representative if he remains a Democrat and we run a conservative. The only way you could screw it up is by making him a Republican who will have to face a liberal.
Buddahpundit on July 21, 2009 at 2:32 PM
I strongly disagree. Our two poltical parties should not be too lunatic religious cults, like the extremists on both sides want. They are after all, political parties, not religions! As such they represent a diversity of viewpoints. Boren represents what Democrats in Oklahoma want, as Specter represented many PA Republicans before that insane vote for the “Stimulus”.
Moderation isn’t just a virtue. If there are only two possible correct political positions, then really there is only one correct position. Turning parties into religious cults is inherently anti-democratic. Over the long, moderation is what avoids civil wars and/or dictatorships.
thuja on July 21, 2009 at 2:33 PM
And the best sweet tea in the country. Don’t forget the sweet tea.
lorien1973 on July 21, 2009 at 2:27 PM
With free refills!
Love the Lipton…
TexasJew on July 21, 2009 at 2:33 PM
Dick Morris predicted back in January that within 1 year, Obama will be so toxic, he’ll make Bush look good on the campaign trail. I’m beginning to think that he “misunderestimated” that time frame.
“Will the last Dem supporting Obama please bring the American Flag with them as they leave DC? Thank you.”
Mo_mac on July 21, 2009 at 2:33 PM
OT: DuPont second quarter earnings drop 61%.
Stimulus is working ….. like a tenured civil servant.
fogw on July 21, 2009 at 2:34 PM
Barack Obama – 2008 election – OK 34.4% (and I have a feeling it’s even lower today).
mankai on July 21, 2009 at 2:34 PM
Where are the op-eds condemning the DNC for not having a “big tent” that is supportive of all views?
Anyone? Bueller?
lorien1973 on July 21, 2009 at 2:34 PM
And the best sweet tea in the country. Don’t forget the sweet tea.
lorien1973 on July 21, 2009 at 2:27 PM
A true southener NEVER forgets the sweet tea. :)
txag92 on July 21, 2009 at 2:35 PM
Yes, and we thank you, esp. OK and TX. Which one will secede first? I’d like to start planning my move ASAP.
jazz_piano on July 21, 2009 at 2:35 PM
You tell ‘em! :)
redwhiteblue on July 21, 2009 at 2:35 PM
ALL 77 counties in Okie were RED.
OhEssYouCowboys on July 21, 2009 at 2:36 PM
Hey! We do not talk funny…everyone else does! :D
And yes, we have common sense too…
ladyingray on July 21, 2009 at 2:36 PM
Both places are lovely…if you don’t mind a little heat!
redwhiteblue on July 21, 2009 at 2:37 PM
I do say “y’all” and “howdy” and there’s an occasional “ain’t,” but I never say “fixin’.”
:O)
OhEssYouCowboys on July 21, 2009 at 2:38 PM
Does Missouri count as a southern state? What if I told you we give away assault rifles with truck purchases?
jazz_piano on July 21, 2009 at 2:38 PM
Just this once, we won’t call Texas … Baja Oklahoma.
:OP
OhEssYouCowboys on July 21, 2009 at 2:39 PM
Makes me darn proud to be an Okie!
My parents live in Boren’s district. I think my dad sends him hate mail everyday. :)
teffertoes on July 21, 2009 at 2:39 PM
Where are the op-eds condemning the DNC for not having a “big tent” that is supportive of all views?
Anyone? Bueller?
lorien1973 on July 21, 2009 at 2:34 PM
Good question. It’s almost enough to make one think the media just might be biased — but no, all the leftwingers assure me the media are owned by rich people, so they can’t be liberally biased. Phew!
jwolf on July 21, 2009 at 2:39 PM
Leave it to us southeners to save the US from the Bozo administration. We
makemay talk funny, y’all, but at least we have common sense.txag92 on July 21, 2009 at 2:23 PM
And sometimes we cain’t spell. d’Oh
txag92 on July 21, 2009 at 2:39 PM
ALL 77 counties in Okie were RED.
OhEssYouCowboys on July 21, 2009 at 2:36 PM
Even Osage? Tons of fed money goes there to the Tribe. But they still have that oil, I guess.
Amazing…
TexasJew on July 21, 2009 at 2:39 PM
Good for him! Putting the interests of the People first. This guy has his job description straight.
jeanie on July 21, 2009 at 2:39 PM
Let’s do it this way. Those with AK-47s can come on down.
:O)
OhEssYouCowboys on July 21, 2009 at 2:40 PM
All except St. Louis… which is OK since in NC we have to fence off Chapel Hill and Duke.
mankai on July 21, 2009 at 2:40 PM
Wondering the same thing. Where’s all the hand-wringing by ‘concerned moderates’ that they aren’t being heard and that the dogmatic Democrat party is pushing them out…
gwelf on July 21, 2009 at 2:40 PM
While I applaud Rep. Boren’s words, it will be his actions that get my attention. Actually it will be the so-called Blue Dog Dems. They talk a lot but in the end, they vote the party line. Hopefully, this is a trend.
On a somewhat related note, we have the world’s largest deposit of oil shale, nearly 1.5 trillion barrels. Even if oil hit the $10-$15 dollar per barrel price, the revenue would balance our budget in a heartbeat. Trouble is, virtually all of it is located on federally managed land!!!! Insanity.
J.J. Sefton on July 21, 2009 at 2:41 PM
Every damned one of ‘em. We were the only State that did it.
OhEssYouCowboys on July 21, 2009 at 2:41 PM
He’s still a (D). Never trust them. Not a one.
SKYFOX on July 21, 2009 at 2:41 PM
KUDOS, Rep. Boren !
Thinking of contacting him, tho not a constituent.
Hmm.. how BEST to word it … hmm.
pambi on July 21, 2009 at 2:41 PM
Every damned one of ‘em. We were the only State that did it.
OhEssYouCowboys on July 21, 2009 at 2:41 PM
I DID enjoy living in Ponca City.. hmm…
TexasJew on July 21, 2009 at 2:44 PM
Even my lame, lefty, I-represent-a-gerrymandered-district Congressorganism sent out an online survey on Obamacare. Sure it was slanted to get the results they want, but he accidentally included a reference to limiting tort claims. I ignored the loaded questions and just checked that one box on the page.
mankai on July 21, 2009 at 2:44 PM
Ha! It’s best to keep ‘em on their toes.
OhEssYouCowboys on July 21, 2009 at 2:44 PM
Ack, no pun intended!
;O)
OhEssYouCowboys on July 21, 2009 at 2:44 PM
You made me laugh out loud!
HornetSting on July 21, 2009 at 2:44 PM
Nice town, and it’s not far from Stillwater.
:OD
OhEssYouCowboys on July 21, 2009 at 2:46 PM
On one of my first trips to the ‘South’ I was in Memphis with a co-worker who had grown up in the area and he took me out to eat.
After I ordered my meal, with tea for a drink, the waitress asked: ‘Swate, or un-swate, hun?’
I looked at her like she was from another planet, so she repeated: ‘Swate, or un-swate?’
I finally looked at my co-worker for a translation, to which he replied: “You want sugar in your damn tea, or not?”
:o)
cntrlfrk on July 21, 2009 at 2:46 PM
You have displeased Gaia.
Render unto her the purchase of
indulgencescarbon credits and all may yet be well.TheUnrepentantGeek on July 21, 2009 at 2:46 PM
What a novel way to get your party members to toe the line- attack them in their home districts! Then, I suppose, be shocked when they get voted out of office in 2010.
All this because Pelosi and Reid refuse to work with the opposition in crafting legislation. It’s the filthy liar’s way or the highway (which is probably being repaved with stimulus money funnelled to one of Obama’s big supporters).
highhopes on July 21, 2009 at 2:47 PM
racial preferences in the obamacare bill seems HA discussion worthy, no?
gatorboy on July 21, 2009 at 2:47 PM
The Purge is a Communist necessity.
OhEssYouCowboys on July 21, 2009 at 2:48 PM
It used to be that KS was a reliable conservative stronghold. But then came Sebelius, and they couldn’t get enough of her.
jazz_piano on July 21, 2009 at 2:49 PM
That’s saying a lot after the failed “stimulus” and an health care bill that will cost us more and provide less.
How pathetic do you have to be to have filibuster proof power in the House and Senate but have policies that are so bad that you can’t get them passed.
“Hope and Change”
Baxter Greene on July 21, 2009 at 2:50 PM
Nice town, and it’s not far from Stillwater.
:OD
OhEssYouCowboys on July 21, 2009 at 2:46 PM
27 miles, as I recall.. btw – I went to several games there and saw Pete Incaviglia hit a couple of monster home runs there at OSU back in ’85. He still has all the College HR records.
What a beast…
TexasJew on July 21, 2009 at 2:50 PM
Dem congress-critter taking heat and getting laughed at while explaining Obamacare
make sure you have popcorn handy
gatorboy on July 21, 2009 at 2:50 PM
Take the loaded poll!
mankai on July 21, 2009 at 2:52 PM
Hey kids,
One other thing to consider here. 2010 is the next census and the filthy liar has already politicized it by putting Rahm Emanuel in charge of conducting it. That means these votes are going to be a loyalty test to the dictator’s agenda. Blue Dogs could well find themselves gerrymandered out of power if they dare defy the dictator too often.
highhopes on July 21, 2009 at 2:52 PM
I almost forgot about the DNC. Tim Kaine seems to have vanished. Back when Howie Dean was their lead singer, it seemed like they never shut-up. Is it possible that Barack and the Chi-town thugs are also running the marionette strings on them as well as every single entity in America? If so, then the good Congressman from Oklahoma better start running for cover under the GOP tent!
redwhiteblue on July 21, 2009 at 2:53 PM
Where are we on the plan to divide the nation into Leftistan and Reagantopia?
California will have to be split–northern 2/3 goes to Reagantopia.
jazz_piano on July 21, 2009 at 2:53 PM
That you had a choice is an indication that you really weren’t all that far south!
highhopes on July 21, 2009 at 2:54 PM
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