Nothing quite focuses a politician’s mind like an upcoming election.

31 vulnerable House Democrats wrote to their Leadership that they want no part in raising taxes on any class of individuals—at least given the “fragility of our economy and the slow pace of recovery.” The letter also admits what every conservative has been arguing for years—many small business owners file at the top income tax rate and if you raise their taxes, you kill jobs.

Quite frankly, the letter isn’t terribly surprising given the electoral mood of the country, and how many seats are in play according to the election prognosticators. What is surprising to me is that only 31 signed the letter.

Melissa Bean of Illinois signed the letter. Why didn’t her home state colleagues, Bill Foster and Debbie Halvorson?

Zach Space of Ohio signed the letter. Why not John Boccierri, Steve Driehaus, Mary Jo Kilroy, Betty Sutton, and Charlie Wilson?

Jason Altmire of Pennsylvania signed the letter. Why not Chris Carney, Mark Critz, Kathy Dahlkemper, Tim Holden, Patrick Murphy, and Paul Kanjorski?

As for these 31 members who signed the letter, let’s not give them too much credit for admitting economic reality on a piece of paper, especially since they are not exactly pledging to vote against any tax bill that falls short of a full extension of all current tax rates.

But the letter is quite revealing of either those without any economic clue as to how jobs are created or killed or those who are simply so militant in their ideology that they are willing to press on in their obstinate resistance to sound policy.