House Whip Roy Blunt wants to keep his job in the minority and he’s telling his colleagues exactly what he’ll do to ensure that they don’t stay in the minority for long. In a nine-page memo that will be sent to his fellow Republicans later today, and obtained exclusively by NRO, Blunt writes that, “We must force the Democrats to be Democrats,” and hang together as a caucus so “their team feels the pain.”
And just what pain is the former Baptist college president talking about inflicting?
The kind that comes in forcing House Democrats from moderate and conservative districts to either support the “San Francisco agenda” of their new Speaker, and “show who they really are,” or to “vote with us.”
“Either way, we win,” Blunt writes.
The targets? Those 60 Democratic members from districts where President Bush won in 2004. In an indication of just what an advantage incumbency is in these contest, Blunt then lays out, according to just how red-leaning their districts are, exactly which Democratic members will be at the top of their list when the roll is called.
And how will it be done? Through amendments and substitutes that could be politically damaging for these moderate and conservative Democrats to oppose. Blunt lists ways to hold feet to the fire on the line-item veto, minimum wage, drug prices, taxes and spending.