In an article with the ironic title DeFazio says Obama lacks will to fight, may lose Oregon, Oregon Democrat Congressman Pete DeFazio seems to bail out on the President.   He notes that based on what he is hearing at town hall meetings in his home state of Oregon may be in play in 2012.

Asked if he was surprised, the congressman shrugged.

"Not at all," DeFazio said. "One guy asked me, 'Give me 25 words what he's about and what he's done for me.' I'm like, 'It could have been worse.'"

DeFazio has been a reliable vote in favor of the so called progressive agenda of regulate, tax and spend for nine terns in Congress.  He was one of the seven Democrats to vote against the final passage of the 2009 Stimulus Bill.  It isn't that he opposed the massive amounts of spending that turned out to be a complete waste.  In true Democrat fashion, DeFazio was for the Stimulus bill before he was against it.  He voted no on the final bill only because Senate Republicans got some spending cut and more tax incentives added in conference.  The taxpayers didn't need tax incentives because in DeFazio's world the federal government always spends money more wisely than those who earn it.

Personally I'm a little suspicious of the above quote.  Unless a constituent has a name and is caught on video,  I suspect DeFazio's constituents tell the Congressman exactly what he wants to hear when he needs a snappy quote for an interview.   Consider this statement to NPR after the 2009 Stimulus vote

The individual tax cuts are about $8 a week, 16 or so for a couple. But a lot of them say to me, Congressman, I'd give up that $8 a week if I thought we were going to invest it better and build things and rebuild our economy and our productivity and provide job opportunities for my neighbors, my friends, my kids and everybody else. They don't see the eight bucks a week getting us there.

Self described progressive like DeFazio desperately want to blame Obama for the actions of the Democrat-controlled Congress. That is why they are now bailing out on him.   If they can convince voters that it was the weakness of this President and not the fault of their tax , regulate, borrow and spend agenda they don't have to deal with the fact that they haven't had an innovative idea in 50 years.