FL-07

Republicans are campaigning too-- and with the DCCC as an opponent, you'd think the odds would be stacked in their favor. Problem for the GOP, though is that the NRCC is almost as inept and incompetent as the DCCC. Almost.

But they don't look like bigots-- Stephanie Murphy and Val DemingsFor the better part of the last decade, we've spent a lot of time exposing the Republican wing of the Democratic Party for what it is-- primarily reactionaries, corporate shills and self-serving corrupt careerists. This would basically include just about all the Blue Dogs and New Dems in Congress-- and then some.

Would you defend a really bad Democratic incumbent against an even worse Republican challenger? How much energy and resources is it worth devoting to? Personally, I wouldn't even vote for Orlando area Blue Dog Stephanie Murphy, let alone defend her or contribute to her campaign. Her "F" grade from ProgressivePunch barely even scratches the surface about how she-- and other reactionaries like her in Congress-- are destroying the Democratic Party brand.

The newly elected members of Congress haven't even been sworn in yet but you can already get an idea about their trajectories in the House by seeing which caucuses they've joined. Carol Shea-Porter (NH), Jamie Raskin (MD), Pramila Jayapal (WA), Ruben Kihuen (NV), Nanette Barragán (CA), Lisa Rochester (DE), Ro Khanna (CA), Donald McEachin (VA) and Anthony Brown (MD) are among the 13 freshmen who have joined the Progressive Caucus.

Yes, we got rid of Patrick Murphy, but...Although the DCCC listed 11 Democrats on their Front Line list of vulnerable incumbents, heading into Tuesday's election only 3 were thought be be seriously vulnerable: Ami Bera (New Dem-CA), Rick Nolan (MN) and Brad Ashford (Blue Dog-NE). Bera, who is narrowly leading, is one of only two incumbents nationally whose race still hasn't been called.

Daniel Webster has been in the news lately because he's "running" (not really) for House Speaker as the Freedom Caucus/Tea Party candidate. He isn't considered a serious candidate with an actual chance to ever become Speaker, just a pawn in the game between the extremists and the mainstream conservative Establishment. But ole "Taliban Dan" is probably happy he's in the news as a potential Speaker rather than as someone who's about to lose his congressional seat.