December 20, 2006

HRH: The Ellen Show

The "netroots" are back.

-- Emboldened by their role in the Dem sweep, liberal bloggers are now targeting Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D-CA 10), a Bay Area centrist, pro-business Dem in the mold of Joe Lieberman.

-- Her crime? Bloggers perceive her as too cozy with Pres. Bush and big business. And as chair of the New Democratic Coalition, she's been a proponent of free-trade agreements to the ire of the populist crowd.

-- CA was fertile ground for lefty primary opposition in '06. At the other end of the state, Rep. Jane Harman (D) received a spirited and well-funded challenge from anti-war activist Marcy Winograd (D).

-- The '01 redistricting made Tauscher's district more receptive to a challenge from the left. She lost GOP-leaning suburbanites in the San Ramon Valley, while gaining working-class voters in Solano Co.

-- Nancy Pelosi could be the key to defusing this brewing intraparty divide. Her Silicon Valley ties and credibility with the left could dissuade potential opponents from running.

-- This episode could provide a new test of Pelosi's sympathies. Will she side with the bloggers or the business-friendly wing of the caucus? [JOSH KRAUSHAAR]

Posted at 03:15 PM

Comments

Tauscher has been a Hoyer supporter. I wonder if that will affect Pelosi's decision.

Josh Goodman | 12.20.06 05:20 PM

This episode mainly provides a test of Tauscher's sympathies. If she strays from Pelosi's agenda, Pelosi has no reason to get in the way of a liberal challenger.

Jim | 12.20.06 07:53 PM

It was the answer to a prayer when Ellen Tauscher took out Rep. Bill Baker in the original district. She had the moxie and the political positioning to do it, but it still took Baker by surprise. I remember how happy I was at the time. Ellen has gotten entirely too comfortable, however, living in the Republican culture that dominated congress during the past several years. Perhaps she figured it was the only way to do business and to represent her district. Now, however, Tauscher has to figure out whether she still represents her current district and whether she's adaptable to the new order in D.C. If so, Pelosi may give her some protection in 2008. If not, Tauscher will be in big, big trouble.

Zeno | 12.20.06 08:22 PM

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