Liberal Agenda and Re-election Politics Drive Vote on HR 3962
The Stupak amendment (passed on Nov 7) to ban public funding of abortions within HR 3962 (passed in the House 220-215 on Nov 7, 2009) suggests political maneuvers of the smoke and mirrors variety. Some have suggested that Democrats who claim to be pro-life do so to placate some voters in their districts and for other purposes. The question raised by this in terms of HR3962 asks if those liberals who objected to this amendment in the debate before the vote on Saturday voted in favor of HR 3962 anyway? Unless they are part of the 39 Dems who voted against the bill it suggests some kind of liberal kabuki dance. And a similar question applies to the GOP since they may have known well in advance of their passionate public statements in the debate how the vote was going to turn out.
This post starts a review of the 39 Dems who voted against HR 3962. In alphabetical order the first one up is John Barrow of the GA-12th. After Barrow was elected the Georgia state legislature went Republican in both houses for the first time since Reconstruction. Subsequent redistricting of the 12th left Barrow representing a much more Republican district. All of this is according to Wikipedia. If accurate, what do you suppose Rep John Barrow (D) from the GA 12th’s first consideration was on voting against HR 3962? Could it be he wants to get re-elected in a district that now leans right?
According to the roll call vote 884 on the Stupak amendment mentioned above Mr Barrow voted in favor of it like 63 other Democrats. 194 of them voted no. Parsing the 64 Dems voting for the Stupak amendment and the 39 Dems voting against HR 3962 and other voting trends among Dems will indicate how much trouble liberals can expect in 2010.
More posts will be published on this later. Until then, one final note, the GOP indicated all Republicans would vote against HR 3962. How will they explain Rep Joseph Cao’s aye vote? The LA-2 hasn’t been represented by a Republican since the 19th century? And after all, how tough was it to defeat indicted Rep William J ‘Cold Cash’ Jefferson after the feds found $90k in his freezer? Hmmm, another re-election concern influencing a congressman’s actions? Say it ain’t so?
Stanford Matthews
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