In its article 10 to watch in 2010, the Wichita Eagle included short profiles of the candidates in the race for the Kansas fourth district Congressional seat.
For Democrat Raj Goyle, the article describes Goyle as a “blue dog Democrat.”
That’s pretty funny. Maybe it’s the Eagle’s attempt at branching out into comedy.
The term “blue dog Democrat” describes a moderate or conservative Democrat. This doesn’t describe Goyle. He may talk that way, but we need to look at his actions.
For example, consider his voting record in the Kansas House of Representatives. The Kansas Taxpayer Network published ratings of Kansas legislators based on their votes on key issues. For the 2008 session (the last session with ratings), Goyle’s rating was 38%. Only 11 of 125 members had a lower score. This places Goyle at the liberal end of the spectrum in the Kansas House.
Then, what about his work history? Goyle’s campaign website doesn’t mention this, but he worked for the American Civil Liberties Union, one of the political left’s favorite organizations.
Goyle’s site also omits that he was Senior Policy Analyst for Domestic Policy at the Center for American Progress. This organization is one of the most prominent left-wing think tanks in America and advocates for more and larger government. It was initially funded by sub-prime mortgage pioneers Herbert and Marion Sandler, who were tagged by Time Magazine in 2009 as some of 25 people to blame for the financial crisis. Other CAP funders include convicted inside trader George Soros.
To talk of Goyle as a moderate or conservative Democrat overlooks his actions. We may have to rely on news outlets other than the Wichita Eagle for this type of information.