Announcing Retirement, Dem Congressman Bashes Obama

By Jessica Taylor and Billy House
October 20, 2011 | 11:16 AM

Updated, 12:43 p.m.

Rep. Dennis Cardoza, D-Calif., announced his retirement from Congress this afternoon -- and he issued a scathing parting shot at President Obama's track record on his way out.

In a statement explaining his decision, Cardoza, a leader of the centrist Blue Dog Coalition, said he was "dismayed" by the administration's "failure to understand and effectively address the current housing foreclosure crisis."

"Home foreclosures are destroying communities and crushing our economy, and the Administration's inaction is infuriating," Cardoza said.


A former chairman of the moderate Blue Dog Caucus, Cardoza also bemoaned the increasing partisanship in Washington, and blamed the media for fueling the ideological divide in the country, not giving enough attention to moderates.

(RELATED: Who else is leaving Congress?)

Cardoza is the sixth member -- all Democrats -- to announce plans to retire outright so far. He's also the third member of the Blue Dog Caucus to head for the exits -- joining fellow moderate Reps. Dan Boren, D-Okla., and Mike Ross, D-Ark.

The five-term congressman had become an increasingly-vocal critic of his own party's leadership in recent months, fueled by the skyrocketing unemployment in his Central Valley district. He's previously criticized the administration on its handling of the foreclosure crisis - but it's rare to see a departing congressman blast the president in an official statement.

Given his growing dissatisfaction with his party, Cardoza's departure didn't come as a surprise to Democrats, but his sharp criticism of Obama is bound to sting at the White House, which has already seeing many members of his own party, particularly those in battleground states and districts, keeping their distance.

Cardoza was also a thorn in the side of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.. Despite his previous posts in leadership (he was a DCCC co-chair in 2010), the two at times clashed, including during the negotiations over the health care law. He voted against Pelosi for Democratic leader earlier this year, supporting his more-moderate home-state colleague Rep. Jim Costa instead. In the fight for majority leader in 2007, Costa Cardoza publicly backed Rep. Steny Hoyer over Pelosi.

Nonetheless, the National Republican Congressional Committee had already targeted Cardoza in an ad campaign last month, and immediately seized on Cardoza's retirement as more evidence of a worsening political environment for Democratic moderates.

"After years of being one of Pelosi's top lieutenants, Dennis Cardoza has realized it will be impossible to continue to fool voters about his self-proclaimed Blue Dog label as the political environment worsens for Democrats between now and Election Day," said NRCC spokeswoman Joanna Burgos.

Redistricting also played a major role in his decision. Under the new map, Cardoza was facing the unpalatable option of challenging Costa in a Democratic primary, or running in the more-Republican 21st District where Democrats already landed a strong recruit in state senator Michael Rubio.

Cardoza's lackluster fundraising this past quarter had also raised retirement speculation; he raised just $23,000 during the past three months.