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Is Collin Peterson really a Blue Dog Democrat?


There are twenty-seven Democrats in the Congressional Caucus that call themselves Blue Dog Democrats. Two of them, our very own Collin Peterson and New Jersey Representative Jeff Van Drew, voted against formalizing the impeachment process.
Blue Dog logo - thanks to Wikipedia

The motto of the Blue Dogs is Bold Leadership and Common Sense Solutions.The Blue Dogs identify themselves as fiscally conservative, centrist Democrats. The caucus professes an independence from leadership of both parties, and a mission of fiscal responsibility and promoting national defense, according to Wikipedia.

These are principled positions to stake out. Independence is to be valued. Fiscal conservativeness, although open to interpretation, is to be encouraged. So is Bold Leadership. And it was Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s cautious, but ultimately bold leadership that the Blue Dog Democrats, minus Reps. Peterson and Van Drew, chose to follow.

Collin Peterson may have thought that it was a common sense solution to vote against the resolution to proceed with the impeachment inquiry. To move as close and snug to the Republican positions as you can get away with has long been the strategy of a certain breed of Democrats. After all, they and we say, look at the horrid candidates the Republicans are putting forward. They are unacceptable. We must hold our nose and vote for the less than acceptable Democrat.

That is the argument that Jennifer Cronin, the Congressional District 7 Chair of the DFL, put to members of the Todd County DFL recently.

“One of the reasons CD7 has so many GOP voters crossing for our candidates is because people out here like Collin and keep voting for him  because he is independent,” she wrote in an email. “Being in CD7 we recognize that independence means we won't always agree with Collin on everything, but we trust him to look out for the needs and well-being of the people in our district. He has been a consistently strong advocate for our veterans, farmers and families. That is not something that I could ever say about right wing extremists Dave Hughes and Michelle Fishbach.”  

So, is Minnesota’s Seventh Congressional District only one of two districts among several hundred where Donald Trump carried the District but there’s a sitting Democratic member of Congress? Certainly not!  Were we  only two of the twenty-seven districts held by Blue Dog Democrats carried by Trump? I bet not!

So why do Democratic voters in the 7th Congressional District have to put up with that baloney? It’s thinking like that that has allowed politicians like Collin Peterson to move the so-called center of American politics far to the right of the true center. 

“This impeachment process continues to be hopelessly partisan,” Rep. Peterson wrote to his constituents to justify his vote.

Yes, it is partisan. But the Clinton impeachment was partisan and, guess what? Collin Peterson voted with Republicans and in favor of supporting that impeachment process. 

“I have some serious concerns with the way the closed-door depositions were run, and I am skeptical that we will have a process that is open, transparent and fair,” Peterson continued in his letter to constituents.

That’s just a Republican talking point. It’s worth noting here that, a number of years ago, Rep. Peterson publicly wondered if he should join the Republican Party. I don’t remember him publicly announcing his decision one way or another.

So, I think the question here is: Is Collin Peterson a Blue Dog Democrat or a Red Dog Republican? 

Jennifer Cronin wrote that Democrats should line up behind Rep. Peterson so we don’t elect a Republican extremist in his place. But a Todd County DFL activist wrote this is response to Rep. Peterson’s vote:

“I will not vote for him and will not put up a single sign for him. He is out of touch and concerned only about his career and not the tens of thousands of constituents his votes have attempted and have in fact, screwed over with his failed belief in the corporate supremacy nature of his campaign funding and perks.”

Instead of stifling discussion I believe it is time for the DFL to have a serious discussion about whether Collin Peterson is the person who should represent us in Congress. That would represent bold leadership.

Tim

Central Minnesota Political

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