Meet the new conservative rising star: Florida freshman "Democratic" Rep. Gwen Graham

Gwen Graham (D) won her seat in one of our rare, balanced districts of the red Northern section of Florida. Although District 2 has 16% more Democratic voters in the district than GOP, it normally leans GOP because that's how Florida voters roll.

She replaced a teabag incumbent that was so incredibly terrible, he couldn't even win in a red wave election. Steve Southerland was the guy who said that his $174,000 congressional salary "wasn't very much", that his job "didn't mean much" to him, and also justified a male-only fundraiser by saying he once went to a "lingerie shower". Really, he was that bad.

Democrats, including myself, worked hard for Gwen. She was the daughter of a popular, former Democratic governor and promised to fight for the working class. Graham won her seat.

And what has she done?

In her first week in Congress, she has voted with the GOP every single time.

• She voted against ACA.
• She voted for the Keystone pipeline.
• She voted to gut Wall Street reform.
• She voted against Nancy Pelosi as speaker.

She bragged on her facebook that she is setting an "independent" tone: if by independent you mean voting 100% of the time with your political enemy.

Let me tell you something, Gwen: the playbook you are using has never worked. I mean NEVER.

When Bush was astronomically unpopular, some republicans tried to run from him. They all lost. The Democrats who ran from Obama this past election? Landrieu, Grimes, et al? They got their wish--they won't be anywhere near him.

Bottom line: You can't run from your party. The GOP voters in your district are going to vote for GOP candidates. Period. There is never, ever, ever, a reason for them to vote for you. You can vote party-line GOP for the next two years and they will still not vote for you. The reason? A GOP candidate will do the exact same thing but will give the GOP a larger majority against Nancy Pelosi. You are tied to Obama and Pelosi whether you like it or not.

Maybe that was a problem for you. At least you were smart enough not to say it. However, I might add, if that was a problem for you, perhaps you shouldn't have run as a Democrat.

If anyone is wondering how a failed and evil party like the GOP is able to hold onto power, it's because of people like Gwen Graham, who refuse to accept victory.

In a few short years, and despite constant GOP opposition, our Democratic agenda under President Obama has turned this economy around. Low unemployment, record DOW, low gas prices, and 10 million Americans with health insurance.

With a track record like that, republicans would be trying to put Obama's face on Mt. Rushmore if he was one of them.

Instead, they attack and degrade at every turn. Imagine how much further along we'd be if the GOP actually put Country ahead of their failed obsession of trying to doom this nation's first minority presidency. What's silly these days is how the GOP switched from saying the sky is falling to now desperately trying to take credit for the turnaround. Mitch McConnell literally said the past 57 months of job growth was due to him becoming Majority Leader one week ago. Pathetic doesn't begin to describe it.

And yet, we still end up with losers in our party because we have Democrats like Graham running from her own platform. Instead of protecting the working class, Graham just joined the GOP in voting to shift insurance costs to working people from wealthy corporate families, like the Waltons.

Gwen Graham ran as a Democrat, but is governing like a teabagger. She is running from the very people, the ONLY people, willing to elect her.

If you think this is a winning strategy, please let her know:

• https://twitter.com/repgwengraham
• https://www.facebook.com/RepGwenGraham
• DC Office: 202-225-5235

As for me, I will be supporting her yet unnamed primary challenger.