Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) hasn’t been what some might call a “model Democrat” this Congress. Behind every vote she casts and word she utters in public is a simple–and for her terrifying–political reality. Up for reelection in an extremely unfriendly electoral climate, and deeply unpopular among her constituents, Lincoln has been guarding her right flank for a year, putting her at odds with the bulk of her colleagues on issue after issue, and requiring considerable arm-twisting (and concessions) from leadership to win her support for major initiatives, including health care reform back in December.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=130913