Tell the aide you are writing a diary for a blog, and ask for a list of consumer protection issues where she is on the side of the consumer, and for a list of her campaign contributions from banks and mortgage lenders.

When the aide gives you some lines from speeches, ask for a list of bills she’s sponsored and votes she’s taken.

good morning masaccio and firedogs,

believe she is also leading the Congresional charge (all at the end of Adam Pase’s short leash of course)against regulating/re regulating derivatives

uh, yep

oh, and p.s. she’s not a Blue Dog, she’s a New Democrat doncha know

apparently, Quisling Rats was already taken

oooh hoo, was just getting some coffee and heard this exchange btw Dylan Ratigan and Chamber of Commerce bobblehead discussing this (C of C opposes WH proposal for Consumer Fin Protection Agency)

bobblehead: (whines) it is awfully difficult to make one’s point on this show when every 4 words is interrupted by 6 words

ratigan: yes it is . . . especially when you are spouting lying nonsense

Ratigan does not suffer fools very well.

MSNBC’s resident rottweiler Dylan Ratigan gnaws on the U.S. Chamber guy about “capitalism” this a.m.

Yeah, I know it’s off-topic. Just does my heart good to see him dig into these guys and would love to see him unleashed in the WH press room and/or prime time.

cbl2, foothillsmike…great minds…

Bean is NOT a Democrat. Bean ran as a Democrat because the incumbent, Philip Crane, was known as a drunk and his seat seemed like easy pickings.

This is what the NY Times wrote before the election: {”If Phil Crane were not in this race, we wouldn’t even be talking about it because it would be totally safe for the Republicans,” said Amy Walter, who monitors House races for the Cook Political Report, in Washington. “He is the issue.”}

When Bean won and entered the House she was a loyal vote for the Republicans on important issues, then voting Democratic on procedural matters — this protected her from the Democratic leadership. For example, Bean voted with the Republicans on the Terry Schiavo mess, voted to eliminate the estate tax, voted with the Republicans on the bankruptcy bill, etc. She is pro-war, anti-tax, and anti-union.

(Of course, despite her record, Bean was endorsed for reelection by Markos at DK. It was the ol’ “better a bad Democrat than an Republican” argument.)

Bean is no dummy: she has come out for the public option, for instance. Why would she do this if she is really a Blue Dog, or a Republican in Democratic clothing? Because she knows which issues are important to the leadership and will try and not antagonize them. In the meantime, the issues that are important to her are those that generate campaign funds and that help her and her wealthy suburban friends.

I have spoken directly with Rep. Bean on several occasions and I can tell you bluntly that she does not care one bit what anyone has to say. She knows who butters her bread and who simply cares about the issues. Her defense of efforts to eliminate the estate tax was “all about family farms” — very strange argument to make from a rep in a suburban district. Her defense about the Terry Schiavo bill was “Frist is a doctor, you know”.

The only way this district gets a true Democrat in it is if it goes Republican first. Then a new candidate can be chosen. But in the meantime, Rahm Emanuel and the Illinois political machine have Bean’s back. In other words, she is really not concerned about what her constituents have to say.

CBL, call me.

I saw the exchange, too, and rather enjoyed it. I’m guessing Mr. Chamber of Commerce Hack will head over to Fox where he feels more at home…

As regards Melissa: I’m thinking target in 2010.

Hey Melissa: Payback’s a bitch, ain’t it?

Corruption in its gorey detail. Thanks.

CBL, call me.

You guys are teh funny this morning!

Can I watch Dylan Ratigan archived later from MSNBC? I assume I can….I’m at work and can’t watch live.

Since FDLers are notorious for loving food comments, would this be the thread to drop a Pork and Beans line?

passin’ a note in study hall . . . oooh he’s so cuuuute and he asked to walk me home :D

Masaccio,

I have not seen your earlier reporting on “Democrats” like Melissa Bean who work for their corporate overlords, er, I mean sponsors, and want to thank you for this informative piece and for not letting Melissa Bean off the hook.

And thanks for the contact information and ideas about what to do when we call.

I’ll call her office, ask for the legislative assistant on the House Financial Services Committee, and ask for a list of consumer protection issues where Bean is on the side of the consumer (just a guess, but there aren’t any, right?) and then for a list of campaign contributions from banks and mortgage lenders to her.

Afterwards, I also want to say that it is wrong to minimize consumer protection in the financial services industry and ask why they haven’t already learned what happens when the government trusts the financial services industry too much from the results of Senator Grassley’s 2005 reforms of the bankruptcy laws, which protected corporate profits from the very people whom the corporations had already victimized.

If the government won’t protect the people from those who engage in immoral and predatory practices, who will?

Watch out, sister. Next thing you know, he’s going to want to go to second base.

Can we have Dylan Ratigan behind closed doors with Harry as the people’s advocate? Just askin’….

the good stuff usually shows up on his video page

Hee hee.

Thanks much. I will bookmark it to look at later. Current ‘latest’ clip posted is from yesterday’s broadcast.

Gotta watch Rachel again, too (thank you, TiVo) because I kept falling asleep last night during the show, and woke up in the middle of some very interesting stuff.

So, can I assume that all those Tenth-ers out there will cry foul about this? About the federal government preventing states from writing their own laws?

Yeah, I didn’t think so either.

apparently you’ve never seen my tatoo

good girls go to heaven . . .bad girls go everywhere

mornin’ dahlin’

Bean is going to wind up as a target if she doesn’t watch out. Americans for Financial Reform, a coalition of unions and progressives, identified her as a real problem.

I agree with numediaman that this district will have to go back to the repubs before she can be replaced. Maybe a good libertarian will run against her.

Morning to you too, sweetie.
Is the storm hitting over you too? I could look it up, but I be’s lazy today.

Ratigan’s ripping Barney Frank to shreds.

The Blue Dogs need to understand that they should fear the progressive wing within their own districts as much or more than they do their corporate paymasters. I predict that there will be a further shift to the left next year as many such Reps. get serious challenges within their own party.

Remember, North Carolina went for Obama. If they can change, any district can as well.

Ratigan just brought Bean into the discussion with Frank.

Frank sez people like Bean are motivated by the economic interests of the people in their districts.

Stand up comedy from the Chamber of Commerce about the Consumer Financial Protection Agency.

we are being spared. although today marks a whole week since we’ve had the A/C on – bill payer snoopy dance

To impoverish them so as to further engorge the corporations?

I’m not sure it’s a great idea to argue policy with assistants, because they get a lot of practice at spouting talking points, and we don’t. That’s why I suggested the “biggest purchase of your life” point. You really can’t argue back against that point effectively.

Of course, working on your argument skills is a good thing, and it’s always good to practice on a person from some district besides your own, where you don’t want to make an enemy.

Right. Voters in Bean’s district want to get screwed by bankers.

Jane has a new post up top…

One technique is to merely ask Qs, wait patiently during the talking points, then say: I’ll note for the record that you did not answer the Q. After the talking point is repeated: you still didn’t answer the Q. Go on to the next Q. Wash, rinse, repeat. At least lets them know that you aren’t falling for the talking points, which might be the most you can accomplish under some circumstances.

Big amen to that. At least in the winter, we can just pile on the sweaters and socks. Pretty soon I’ll take down the curtain I had hung between the kitchen and LR, to keep the airconditioned air where we hang out and the heat in the kitchen. The power bills have been pretty high this summer. Yikes. Now, I have a log in the fireplace and made oatmeal. Cozy.

I agree with numediaman that this district will have to go back to the repubs before she can be replaced. Maybe a good libertarian will run against her

wiki:

She is the first Democrat to represent the district since its formation in 1935

although you masaccio, know better than most of us the depth and breadth of misery the current economic climate, let alone her proposals are causing these folks – a moderate, non blue dog type could easily have a shot running against her record, fortified by AFR’s backing – recall how close the non-DCCC, progressive came against Hastert in 06 with similar district demo

Credit card losses are continuing to skyrocket. From Calculated Risk:

The net charge-off rate rose to 9.41% in Q3, and JPM expects charge offs to hit 11% on the non-Wamu portfolio in Q1, Wamu losses could approach 24%!

The IL-8th, redrawn in 2000, is two districts in one: a wealthy suburban area that while fiscally conservative, is not a wingnut haven; and a northern area that contains both a Democratic area and a lower-to-middle class conservative area. This district went for Obama by 13 points in November.

(Prior to the redrawing of the districts to make this IL-8, much of the district was part of IL-13.)

Yes, it has been Republican for a long time. But this is the land of Lincoln, Republican roots go deep here. It is not Chicago, but it is not the southern part of the state either. That is why a woman, running as a Democrat, beat out a long time Republican incumbent, and has had it pretty easy since then. (Donald Rumsfeld once represented this district — when it was Il-13 — before he went insane.)

(Another important thing to understand is that an important chunk of the district is gerrymandered out to help another Republican representative, Mark Kirk. If this were in IL-8, it would lean more Red than it does.)

The Republicans have run crazy-ass conservatives against Bean since she beat Crane and have never had a chance. If, on the other hand, the Republican can find someone who is not a lunatic, they can win this seat back — good luck with that. Unfortunately, if they find that candidate, this district might be red for a long time. Bean, in other words, is sitting pretty. She is, in essence, the ideal Republican.

A “progressive” candidate is not necessarily what is needed here: what is needed is a candidate that doesn’t see their interests only in campaign funds — that looks at the district and sees that the one thing that ties it together is the need to protect the middle class. One look at Preforeclosure.com is all that is necessary to see that there are real issues here, and that Bean’s protection of the banking industry and the interests of the hyperwealthy are not consistent with the needs of the district. (By the way, the Democrats in Illinois would never support such a candidate — way too independent for the power brokers of the Democratic Party.)

Locals who oppose Bean she her as protecting the “Barringtons”, the wealthy communities in the district, to the detriment of the other 90% of the district.

Finally, many see this as a Red district. I’ve never understood that, but I think it has to do with the fact that the district looked very different before it was redrawn. Before the redraw, the district had Crane and Rumsfeld, two very conservative representatives. But that is ancient history now. A better way to look at the districts is to look here (http://www.swingstateproject.com/diary/4161/presidential-results-by-congressional-district-20002008) and see which districts went for Obama but have Republican representatives, or went for McCain and are represented by Democrats. That gives you a clue who may be vulnerable.

Understood. And thank you! I haven’t had a chance to call yet. I won’t add my arguments, just ask the questions.

Haven’t commented here in awhile, but I just want to say that, as someone who lives in IL-08, your analysis is pretty much spot-on. A couple of things I would add: 1)A better analysis of the district is seen by who votes for Dick Durbin, not Obama; Obama received a lot of votes from people here who simply wanted to vote for someone from Illinois for President. Having said that, Durbin carries this district fairly comfortably. 2) The secret to Bean’s success is not her policies but her fundraising. She is one of the most powerful fundraisers in Congress (not for others, of course, but for herself). She screwed the unions who supported her in her first run, but they continued to support her after some vocal grumbling, and made the mistake of asking nothing in return. Most of her financial backers are large corporate donors or local financial heavyweights who generously support any “Democrat”. 3) FDL did have a “chat” with Bean’s primary opponent in the last election, but this woman was a lightweight who had not been active in politics.

Unfortunately, some of the Dems who would have the best chance against Bean, because they are known in statewide politics, are located in IL-10, Mark Kirk’s district, not in IL-08. As long as the Repubs keep running someone who wants to drill for oil in Lake Michigan (yes, they are that crazy), they’ll never regain the seat.

The Obama Administration has no real reform program. Even its one tiny gesture in this area the CFPA is being cut to pieces, first by Barney Frank (who eliminated the CFPA’s power to demand straightforward “vanilla” products from financial institutions) and now by Bean (who wants to make the federal regs the ceiling not the floor). This was all as expectable as sunrise and sunset.

Can’t argue with anything you’ve written grayslady. I assume you are “grayslady” not because you are graying (that would be me) but because of your town.

I especially loved your last paragraph . . . very true.

Masaccio,

The Legislative Director is in the DC office. but once I identified myself as someone who would be writing a diary for a blog, the person I spoke with, Elizabeth, said that I should not be speaking not with the Legislative Director, J.D. Grom, but with Jonathan Lipman, the Communications Director.

His email address is jonathan.lipman@mail.house.gov.

I left a message in which I was clear explicitly in stating that I need information, and so implicit in my insistence that I’m not interested in and will not use bizarre talking points or bizarre explanations.

I’m sending this email to him later tonight (contact me via my email provided to the site administrator if there is anything that I should change):

Dear Jonathan Lipman,

I just spoke with Elizabeth at Congresswoman Melissa Bean’s office. Because I will be using the information that you provide to write a diary for a blog, she directed me to you regarding my questions about Congresswoman Bean’s role in amending the reform bill establishing the Consumer Financial Protection Agency.

I need the Congresswoman to provide a list of consumer protection issues that show just how strongly she is on the side of the consumer.

I am concerned that some might think that she wants to minimize consumer protection in the financial services industry.

Surely, not only as a Democrat, but also as an American who witnessed the financial services industry last year finally drive itself and our entire economy to near collapse, Congresswoman Bean will be able to indicate strongly that she stands with consumers, who, of course, are the American people who had to bail out the very corporations that have been abusing us, their customers, for many years now and that last year nearly drove themselves into financial ruin in the process.

Furthermore, in order to show that Congresswoman Bean is on the side of consumers as she works to amend the reform bill establishing the Consumer Financial Protection Agency, I will need a list of every bank and mortgage lender who has made a campaign contribution to Congresswoman Bean and the amount of each contribution. Such a disclosure will surely prove her sincerity and desire to work on behalf of consumers in this matter.

Please communicate to Congresswoman Bean that I appreciate her efforts as a representative of the people in our House of Representatives to ensure that I and millions of other Americans are afforded the fullest possible protection when we make the largest purchase of our lives.

I spent several years earning an advanced degree at a public university and hope to buy my first home sometime in the near future. Like millions of Americans, I will need the kind of protection that only strong regulatory legislation and a Consumer Financial Protection Agency with the power to protect consumers from the often immoral and predatory practices of the very wealthy and powerful corporations of the financial services industry, can afford us.

Thank you.

Sincerely,
Brc
http://www.firedoglake.com

There are few people I can look at and know they are evil. She is one of them.