New Democrat Coalition Loses Big In Midterms

Last week, ProPublica told the story [1] of the New Democrat Coalition, a group of 69 House lawmakers whose close relationship with several hundred Washington lobbyists has made them a powerful congressional force that has helped Wall Street and big Pharma win major legislative battles. We also suggested that the group could lose more than a third of its members to GOP candidates in the midterm elections.

As of now, 20 New Democrats have gone down in defeat while six others are locked in races that are too close to call. Many of those who lost come from conservative districts and are members of the Blue Dog Coalition, another conservative House coalition, but other New Democrats also fared poorly. Vice chair Melissa Bean, a critical player in the group's efforts to weaken the overhaul of the financial services industry, is trailing a Tea Party-backed opponent in her suburban Chicago district. Mike McMahon, who authored the group's derivatives proposal that was criticized for having big loopholes, was defeated. (A list of the New Democrats who have lost can be found below.)

GO HERE to read more.