Ami Bera's Fork in the Road

Democratic Congressman Ami Bera (D-Sacramento) represents another swing district in Northern California. Bera has made some hard votes, good for the country, but for his base, now infected with socialist and communistic elements bent on reducing the United States to a second or third-tier dictatorship.

The Sacramento Bee covered this terrible intraparty fight breaking out in Sacramento County here:

Democrat Ami Bera faces party endorsement blowback forvoting record

Local group mentions his votes on trade, refugees

Critics say he hasn’t been responsive enough

Bera will have to fight for his party’s backing

Democratic Rep. Ami Bera, a top target of national Republicans, now is facing emerging discontent from his own party.

Well. Well. Well. More Democratic infighting, and a mainstream newspaper bothers to write about it,

Bera, of Elk Grove, initially angered organized labor by supporting President Barack Obama’s request for fast-track trade promotion authority.

A lot of Republicans did not like the deal, either. Too much executive power granted to a rogue Occupant who does not care about this country. The legislation would hurt American workers and jobs, while taking away more of our country's national sovereignty.

Bera was not thinking when he took that vote. Which special interest was he pandering to?

That decision, along with more recent votes on Syrian refugee legislation, were among the concerns voiced at a Tuesday night meeting in Bera’s home town, where the Elk Grove-South County Democratic Club took the exceedingly unusual step of voting against endorsing the two-term congressman.

OUCH! What do you do when your home town party club rejects you?

The group mentioned other votes they say demonstrate a record that is too conservative for the swing district, which stretches from Elk Grove to Folsom. Members circulated a grid of nine measures on which Bera often took a different position than Democratic Rep. Doris Matsui, siding with Speaker Paul Ryan and conservative Rep. Tom McClintock.

Ami Bera, more like Tom McClintock. Personally, I like the sound of that, but I would rather a conservative Republican would cast those votes. Poor Ami. It ain't over till it's over, and yet for Bera, the non-stop campaigning and provocation must take its toll. Wonder if he will bother running again in 2018?

“A lot of people aren’t happy with Ami lately for things he’s done,” Sandi Russell, past president of the club, said by phone Wednesday. Russell said she wished a representative from Bera’s office had been there to answer questions about his votes. “No one has seen him for quite a while,” she said.

Bera was traveling and unavailable to comment on Wednesday, but has taken steps to counter criticism from those on his left flank. He met late last year with California labor leaders to discuss his positions on trade. After voting for the measure that would make it more difficult for refugees from Syria and Iraq to come to the U.S., Bera on Tuesday invited Iraqi refugee Sarmed Ibrahim, an engineer from Sacramento County, to accompany him to the president’s final State of the Union address.

Awwww. One Iraqi refugee. That will make up for all the activists who want to overrun the country will illegal aliens and transform the country completely. (NOT!)

Dan Schmitt, president of the Elk Grove-based club, said the group is made up of members with diverse beliefs and political passions. While members had mixed views this week, Schmitt said he suspects most will come around to support Bera, who is facing a challenge from Republican Scott Jones, the elected county sheriff.

Congressman Ami Bera (D-Sacramento)

Go Scott Jones! The immigration issue is the hottest problem facing Californians, and the Democratic Party wants to throw open the borders and push all law-abiding citizens away.

“Some club members felt more clarification was needed on some of Congressman Bera’s votes this past year, and they chose not to endorse him at this time,” Schmitt said. “The vote at last evening’s meeting should not be perceived as an anti-Bera vote or a pro-Scott Jones vote. Nothing could be further from reality.”

It is very much anti-Bera. The club President has only hurt Bera's chances. One politico in the region commented that this vote was a strategic measure to make Bera look less leftist. I believe that this withheld endorsement signals how left-leaning the Democratic Party has become.

Irritation from grassroots activists and union members could have wider implications, however. The California Democratic Party confirmed Wednesday that it approved a delegate petition to move Bera’s endorsement from what was only a formality to a full floor vote at the state convention next month in San Jose. A state party spokesman said there’s a process for Bera to get back on the consent calendar that involves votes at a pre-endorsement conference. There also is a way to challenge that vote.

Kerri Asbury, chairwoman of the Democratic Party of Sacramento County, said she’s increasingly heard from activists dissatisfied with their representative. Asbury said among the volunteers contacting her are those who helped walk precincts during Bera’s close elections.

“If you lose activists, if you lose labor, if we are taking about a couple thousand votes in a congressional district, that could generate huge impact,” she said. “Where people invest their time and money will be dependent on their values.”

Uh-Oh! Stick a fork in Bera. He's done!

Asbury acknowledged the ire expressed by some could be counterproductive to their larger cause given that the congressman is again expected to face fierce competition from the GOP. Still, she said she can’t blame them for being upset.

“He hasn’t been responsive to the delegates as far as forwarding relationships or answering to his votes,” she said. “Everything comes down to relationship building. Those relationships weren’t built or maintained.”

An arrogant, aloof, out-of-touch Democratic Congressman? You don't say!

Some of the comments on the SacBee article are very revealing, too:

14 Comments

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1 day ago

Bernard Scoville

Ami Bera is as much of a Democrat as Donald Trump.  Maybe less.

ReplyShare10

Ouch? Ami Bera, a darker version of the Donald?

1 day ago

Morjana Coffman

I voted for Congressman Ami Bera, but was disappointed with several of his voting actions right out of the gate. But his decision to vote FOR the Syrian Refugee Screening Bill was abhorrent. And then to add injury to insult, Congressman Ami Bera "proudly" announced on his Facebook page that he invited an Iraqi immigrant to the #SOTU. Why is an Iraqi worthy of his compassion but not a Syrian? However, I will not vote for a Republican. Hopefully another Democrat will step up to the plate to replace Congressman Ami Bera.SHAME on Congressman Ami Bera!

ReplyShare20

Disappointment. Democrats staying home, and a Republican wins the Congressional seat!

Bera is already losing supporters:

2 days ago

Duane Skelton

When Bera voted for the refugee restrictions, I emailed his office to express my displeasure.  The only response from him was a request for money.  I emailed him again and said I was withholding any further contributions in protest over his vote on that bill.  The only response I received was another request for money.  The explanation for the vote he gave in his town hall meeting was a distortion of the truth.   I contributed to his campaigns and walked precincts in past elections.  I will not be doing that this time around.

ReplyShare51

Scott Jones already has strong support in the district.

2 days ago

Mike Giles

Bera has been a consistent evader, hider, and Dissembler of Truth in Every Possible way!!  Scott Jones' excrement is accidentally more intelligent, more humane, & more civilized than is Ami Bera!!  Have you ever been to one of his intellectually constricted, BS-elevated, & fake "town halls"?

ReplyShare13

Other comments beneath this article are very revealing about the Democratic intraparty divides.

2 days ago

Malcolm MacLeod

This article clarifies my reasons for no longer supporting Dr. Bera.

I remain very fond of Rep. Doris Matsui, however.

ReplyShare2 replies32

2 days ago

John Bell

Representatives can be defeated. If Jones gets a term or two, Democrats can take the seat back. Also, we redistrict again in a few years.

This comment above exposes the mind-set of the left. They do not mind losing a House seat or a council seat in their pursuit of the perfect secular lawmaker. Bera may finally find himself out of a job this year.

Everytime Bera sees a fork in the road, he takes it.

It looks like voters will be sticking that fork in him come Election Day!