'Quiet revolt' among Democratic moderates in Congress?

Rep. Jim Matheson and fellow moderate Democrats may be throwing the brakes on President Obama's fast-moving priorities in Congress.

In fact, Congressional Quarterly calls it a "quiet revolt" among Democratic moderates, especially 49 of them, including Matheson, whose districts voted for John McCain instead of Obama in the last election. Some of them worry that Obama's priorities may not play well at home, and they will oppose them unless time is given to tweak them.

"I don't know that it's fair to say there's a big revolt going on in an organized way among moderate Democrats," Matheson said. But he acknowledged that many of them, including himself, are calling for a slower, more deliberative process that could allow them to change issues that give them heartburn.

"I have signed letters to the (House) speaker saying, 'Let's go back to a more regular process,' " Matheson said. "Let's go through committees. Let people offer amendments. Let's have debate, discussion and a deliberative process."

House Democratic leaders have expressed some concern about increasing defections among moderates on quick-moving bills as they try to hold the party together. Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said, "We have a very diverse party, with diverse opinions. We're working on it."

That comes as some huge bills — including Obama's massive economic-stimulus package and a huge catch-all appropriations bill for 2009 — were available in final form just hours before reaching the House floor, and few amendments were allowed.

"Some issues require fast movement," including the economic-stimulus package, Matheson said, because the economy was losing a half-million jobs a month. He voted for it.

But he wanted more deliberative movement on the catch-all spending bill for 2009, and didn't get it. So Matheson was among 20 Democrats who voted against that bill.

"You saw that go through really fast," he said. "It showed an 8 percent increase in spending over the previous year. I didn't think that was the right thing to do. I think it would have been better if we had an opportunity to have a real thorough discussion about that, and it didn't happen … With more time, I think you shape better legislation."

Matheson said, "I think there's a pretty large group of folks who are independently minded in Congress right now, both Democrats and Republicans" who will not rubber-stamp what their president or party wants. "We are going to have an effect on how the agenda moves."

Matheson added that he is not really acting any differently than he ever has, but "maybe it just creates more attention now that it's a Democratic administration."

E-mail: lee@desnews.com