official-rep-martin-heinrich-photoU.S. Rep. Martin Heinrich got a mention in a Politico article as one of many freshman representatives doing something that seems increasingly rare in Washington, D.C. — reaching across the aisle.

Heinrich, Politico says, is part of “a small group of freshman Democrats” who are “frequently reaching across the aisle to co-sponsor bills with Republicans.” In Heinrich’s case, he “is working with conservative fourth-term Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.) on a missile defense bill.”

And is this a case of House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi or U.S. Rep. Chris Van Hollen (head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee) telling the freshmen to do this? Not according to House Democratic aides.

House Democratic aides, who say the freshmen hatched the bipartisan outreach plan without prompting from leadership or from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, say the effort will help those freshmen convince voters in moderate and conservative-leaning districts that they can effectively represent a broad spectrum of voters.

In doing so, the Democratic freshmen are taking a page out of the playbook of Democrats such as Reps. Christopher P. Carney (D-Pa.), Harry E. Mitchell (D-Ariz.) and Carol Shea-Porter (D-N.H.), who pursued a similar path when faced with tough reelection campaigns after capturing their seats in 2006.

Will this help out in his re-election campaign as it did for Carney, Mitchell and Shea-Porter?

That question will be answered in November of next year.