Here is a discussion going on right now at
SoapBlox/Chicago.
Melissa Melissa Bean, Democrat from IL-08, is trying to straddle the fence. We have all cut Stephanie Herseth of Dakota a lot of slack for using the same tactics. A DINO in a "RINO red state" (see Montana) is, of course, better than a Republican.
But what about a state like Illinois and a district that has a movement tending from red to blue. Is Bean being overly-cautious? Will this in the end be self-defeating?
So CAFTA passed the house 217- 215. It passed despite the opposition from traditional Democratic bases of support like organized labor and civil rights organizations. It passed because several Democrats defected and voted for passage offsetting Republican defections against it. And once again, those of us in Illinois were treated to Melissa Bean, Democrat from IL-08, being one of those voting with the Republicans.
I think it's a mistaken course for Bean. I think Bean should separate herself from the Republican line every chance she gets and this was clearly one of them. She would have had plenty of cover, since there was already a split within the Republican party. Comment here or join the discussion at
SoapBlox/Chicago.