How they'll spend their summer vacations: NRCC sock puppetry v. district work breaks

We get some of our greatest yucks at BSP from Republicans who purport to know Congressman Walz's motivation. Gary Baran, of Woodbury is another one who'd make a cat laugh.

The perpetual Michele Bachmann supporter, who attended her now infamous press conference where she proclaimed the return of $2 gas, contacted the Albert Lea Tribune to say Democrats would like to choke the economy.  Given Baran's skills as a mind reader, we're surprised he didn't know Walz was joining the bipartisan House Energy Working Group.

As we noted yesterday, the  working group hopes that (as Walz told the Mankato Free Press in Oil gridlock under attack):

the coalition’s hope is that House members will get an earful from constituents during their long August recess about the gridlock on energy in Washington and that the lawmakers will return in September looking for a compromise to enact. . . .

Judging from the swelling traffic we're getting from Google searches for the  National Conservation, Environment, and Energy Independence Act (pdf file), we think the bipartisan group is on to something. National Journal's CongressDaily noted Monday:

Abercrombie and Peterson have touted their coalition as a way to break through the party leaders on gas prices. "Neither leadership reached out to the other side to do an energy bill, so we did," Peterson said. Both that group and a similar Senate coalition are prepping packages for September.

A friend forwarded yesterday's press release from Brian Davis's campaign in which the candidate and his campaign manager whined about Walz voting to go "on vacation." 

If we didn't know that was the canned talking point the NRCC has asked Republicans in targeted districts to use, we'd think Davis simply didn't have a clue about the work U.S. representatives do back in their home districts while work in Washington is in recess.

But these days,  Davis's campaign is showing no such originality nor glimmer of what the candidate might think on his own. it's pure Beltway-generated sock puppetry.  Roll Call reports in NRCC on Attack After Pro Forma Session Vote:

"No sooner did the House kill — by one vote on Wednesday — a measure to keep the chamber in a pro forma session throughout the upcoming recess than the National Republican Congressional Committee issued harsh news releases targeting potentially vulnerable Democrats for voting against the proposal.

"The Republicans orchestrated the vote to protest Democratic leaders not bringing a Republican energy package to the floor before lawmakers launch their five-week recess this weekend.

"In the releases, NRCC spokesman Ken Spain said that Democrats apparently believe “voters are willing to sit around and wait while their Congressman goes on vacation as the cost of gasoline continues to soar.”

"Targeted in the NRCC releases: Reps. Brian Baird (Wash.), Melissa Bean (Ill.), Nancy Boyda (Kan.), Don Cazayoux (La.), Joe Courtney (Conn.), Lincoln Davis (Tenn.), Bill Foster (Ill.), Gabrielle Giffords (Ariz.), John Hall (N.Y.), Baron Hill (Ind.), Paul Hodes (N.H.), Steve Kagen (Wis.), Paul Kanjorski (Pa.), Tim Mahoney (Fla.), Jim Matheson (Utah), Jerry McNerney (Calif.), Dennis Moore (Kan.), Christopher Murphy (Conn.), Ciro Rodriguez (Texas), Allyson Schwartz (Pa.), Carol Shea-Porter (N.H.), Zack Space (Ohio), Bart Stupak (Mich.), Tim Walz (Minn.) and John Yarmuth (Ky.)."

Davis's campaign is simply staying on the NRCC's "my way or the highway" message--right down to labeling recesses as "vacation."

Congressman Walz has never treated the recesses as "vacations," but as district work breaks during which he can meet with constituents. The congressman has held dozens of open, public meetings about veterans, farm, small business, education, economic development, energy, and other issues while Congress is in recess. The schedule for this recess hasn't been released yet, but we don't expect to see Walz loafing around.

But then, Davis has intimated that he won't treat recesses as "vacations", either.

When he wasn't letting the NRCC script his campaign, Davis has provided a far different glimpse on what First District residents might be getting for their $168,000 salary--which for someone who made $411,000 last year might look like a part-time salary.

Indeed, the Mayo doc told Republicans at the 2007 CD1 convention that he endorses the concept of continuing to practice medicine when not serving in the Beltway. Yep, folks, serving in Congress might just be a second job for Davis while he's in Washington. Don't take our word for it. Here's what he said:

"Senator Coburn still manages to practice medicine and spends time in Washington only when necessary. Both of which I strongly endorse!"

Working two $100,000+ jobs? It is, after all, so hard to make ends meet these days.

Comments

[MNGOPer]

It is going to be hard for Davis to make ends meet. He just put another $100,000 into his campaign on top of the previous $61,000. How will he pay back his home equity loan if he doesn't work two six figure jobs?

Ollie Ox replies: We have no idea what his savings are like; moreover, should his bid in the primary or general election prove a failure, Davis is a highly competent doctor with a good job waiting for him at Mayo.