OH, THESE COUNTRY PEOPLE, WITH THEIR LITTLE PICKUPS, ARE SUCH A NUISANCE - AT 1:34 P.M. ET:  We've been reporting on this, the emergence of a solid group of moderate Democrats who find it possible to resist The One and his band of followers in Congress.  This has happened in the Democratic Party before.  The Politico reports:

Angered by White House decisions on everything from greenhouse gases to car dealerships, congressional Democrats from rural districts are threatening to revolt against parts of President Barack Obama’s ambitious first-year agenda.

“They don’t get rural America,” said Rep. Dennis Cardoza, a Democrat who represents California’s agriculture-rich Central Valley. “They form their views of the world in large cities.”

Not only don't they "get" rural America, they don't like rural America.  Those are the people who rush to recruiting stations in time of war, who actually believe their country is worth defending, and who don't feel that the major goal in life is getting 700s on their college boards.  What kind of people could these be?

Without their votes, Democrats can’t move legislation over Republican filibusters — such as the one sure to come if the health care plan that moves through the Senate includes a public option supported by the administration.

In the House, rural Democrats threaten to marshal nearly 50 votes against the climate and energy bill backed by the administration.

One issue is coal.  Many of those running the Democratic Party have probably never seen a lump of coal.  If they do encounter one, they immediately put on their Ralph Lauren gas masks. 

And many of these regions that run on coal also happen to be electoral swing states, leaving Republicans licking their chops.

“It will cost every North Carolinian somewhere in the neighborhood of $2,400 to $3,000 a year in just the electrical surcharge,” said Sen. Richard Burr, a Republican who hails from a state Obama carried last year and would like to win again. “That’s a surcharge larger than their annual electric bill.”

COMMENT:  Look for a restoration of the traditional coalition of Republicans and moderate Democrats.  The liberal left thought it would be running things, but Americans have other ideas.  We continue to argue that a well-run Republican campaign next year can reverse some of the losses of the last two congressional elections.  Look at those electrical surcharges projected for North Carolina.  How many voters would vote the masterminds behind those surcharges back into office? 

June 17, 2009