Are Democrats Defecting? Hear Dem Rep. Jason Altmire's Reasoning for the Trend
Pennsylvania Congressman Jason Altmire is a member of the Blue Dog Democrats coalition, and today, he talked to Fox News about what seems to be a trend of numerous democratic lawmakers distancing themselves from a president who, a few years ago, was wildly popular.
For him, he said the choice is to show his independence to his constituents and prove that he's truly their representative.
"It's not
unusual when you have a president who's not going to do well in your district - as a member of Congress, you want to show that ... the first thing in your mind is always going to be your district."
Altmire doesn't believe that criticism from Obama's own party will be enough to prevent him from winning in November, however. "I do believe he's going to win the election overall in the country, but if you represent a district where he's not popular, you have to show your independence."
In fact, just about two weeks ago when the House found Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt in contempt of Congress for not turning over documents related to the 'Fast and Furious' operation, Altmire voted with the majority of Republicans.
"Well, I'm a member of the House of Representatives, and whether or not you agree with the investigation, the attorney general was asked to provide documents. He made a decision not to provide them. I was left with no other choice," he said.
Watch the full interview:
