Washington – Armed with newfound political prominence through her fight for embryonic stem-cell research, Rep. Diana DeGette plans to crisscross the country this fall using the emotional issue to campaign for a Democratic takeover of the House of Representatives.
The Denver Democrat intends to raise the issue when she visits at least 10 states to back candidates believed to have the best chance of winning House seats. She already has held fundraisers – including one that attracted Hollywood moguls – and is doling out money to Democrats.
In the process, the fifth-term congresswoman will advance her status among Democrats, analysts say, and position herself to benefit further if Democrats take over the House. They need to gain 15 seats in November’s election to do so.
President Bush last month issued the first veto of his presidency, killing a bill co-authored by DeGette that would have broadened federal funding for stem-cell research involving human embryos. Bush and others oppose such research because it involves destruction of the embryos.
The bill earlier passed Congress, but supporters lacked the two-thirds majority needed to override Bush’s veto.
A Democratic majority in the House would not only give DeGette a far better chance of turning the stem-cell legislation into law, but also a new kind of congressional career. She has been in the minority party since she was first elected in 1996.
“Playing a part in helping Democrats win certainly positions her well for what she might want to do down the road,” said Amy Walter, who analyzes House races for The Cook Political Report. “The environment right now is absolutely in Democrats’ favor. It’s not so much ‘can Democrats win the House?’; it’s ‘can Republicans do anything to stop it?”‘
DeGette, chief deputy whip for the Democrats, has no Republican opponent in November. She said she wants “to be a team player” who helps elect a Democratic-controlled Congress, whether or not it helps her personally.
But, she conceded, “It can’t hurt me to be part of the team that brings us a majority.”
Even if Democrats don’t take control, campaigning on the stem-cell issue will help DeGette, analysts said.
“These are the type of things you do when you want to move up in leadership in the House,” said Chuck Todd, editor of The Hotline, a Washington political journal that tracks congressional races. “You build up chits. You help people.”
Like Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., who became known through his fight for tougher immigration laws, DeGette is establishing a brand name through the stem-cell issue, Walter said.
DeGette’s political action committee gathered about $25,000 between April and June and gave away or spent about $13,000 to support like-minded candidates.
Republicans said they doubt that DeGette’s PAC can hand out enough money to make a difference in key races. They also questioned whether stem- cell research is an issue that will matter to voters in November.
“I cannot think of one campaign in the country where stem cells will emerge as one of the top issues,” said Jonathan Collegio of the National Republican Congressional Committee.
The idea of DeGette campaigning on stem-cell research for other Democrats came up shortly after Bush’s veto. It was suggested by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chairman Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill.
“She’s a very strong advocate who can go out and say, ‘If we have Democrats, we can get this bill passed and signed into law,”‘ said Brendan Daly, spokesman for Pelosi.
DeGette plans to visit the suburban Chicago district where Democratic candidate Tammy Duckworth, an Iraq war veteran and double amputee, is pushing the stem-cell funding issue, saying she hears about it repeatedly from voters. Duckworth’s opponent, state Sen. Peter Roskam, doesn’t believe it’s a top issue.
Neither DeGette nor political analysts think there’s any chance Democrats can win close to the 50 votes they’d need to override another veto from Bush if the stem-cell bill passes again next year.
But if Democrats gain a few dozen seats, Hotline editor Todd said, that could make enough Republicans nervous that DeGette “might have an easier time finding her 50 votes.”
