Last week, Scott Brown's victory in Massachusetts sent a clear message to Ike Skelton. Democrats in conservative districts are no longer safe - especially if they've been masquerading as moderates while they vote with Nancy Pelosi more than 95% of the time.
It's no surprise that Skelton has started making a more aggressive effort to bolster his moderate credentials. He discovered a nefound opposition to Democrat leadership last week, saying that with regard to health care bill, “the [Democrat] leadership and the White House lost their way."
The election math just didn't work out for Skelton and government-run health care. After he voted for Cap and Tax and Obama's stimulus, the electorate started to notice how the principled moderate had turned into a Pelosi devotee.
The district hadn't elected Nancy Pelosi, had they? Then why, one might ask, are their voting records so indistinguishable? The answer is surprisingly simple. Skelton's sudden swing to the Left was closely synchronized with his rise in Democrat leadership. He caved in to Pelosi to fortify his leadership position in the House.
It was a depressing turn for one of Missouri's most respected politicians, and as a consequence strong Republican challengers have emerged for the first time in decades. Skelton is now backpedaling on his relationship with Pelosi (with little practical implications for the voters), but it's too late to undo his years of Pelosi adoration.
A few years ago we might have said that Ike Skelton was above the political fray. But for the last few months he's been back in the trenches, and it doesn't suit him very well. Now he's just another politician.
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