Rep. McCotter Votes For SCHIP, Loses His ‘Soul’
Rep. McCotter Votes For SCHIP, Loses His ‘Soul’
Yesterday, the House voted 289 to 139 to expand the State Children’s Health Insurance Program. The bill would “provide health insurance to an additional 4.1 million children and parents, including legal immigrant children and pregnant women, who currently must wait five years before becoming eligible for the program.” President Bush blocked a similar piece of legislation in 2007, backed by conservatives who complained that the measure was too expensive.
This time, SCHIP advocates were joined by six Republicans who had voted against the bill last year. Interestingly, one of those lawmakers was Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI). So what changed?
After all, in 2007, McCotter not only voted against the legislation, he was a leading voice in arguing for its defeat. When Catholics United criticized him, he called the group the “devil.” On his blog on Oct. 3, 2007, McCotter argued that unless the GOP defeated SCHIP, it would “lose its soul”:
If our Republican Party is daunted by the politics of S-CHIP and shrinks from reaffirming its defining principles, social welfare programs will never help poor Americans escape governmental dependence. Instead, the Democrats will continue their push to shackle Americans with a bureaucrat-centered health care system and other insidious forms of governmental dependence; and our Republican Party — the party of the Great Emancipator — will not only lose the next election.
It will lose its soul.
McCotter faced enormous discontent from many of his constituents after his “nay” vote, as did many of his colleagues. In fact, 11 Republicans who voted against SCHIP lost their seats in 2008. McCotter held on to his seat, but just barely — he won only “51% against a Dem who raised just $29K.”
Yesterday’s SCHIP vote may be part of the new McCotter. After the sweeping progressive victories in the November elections, McCotter, said, “We’re rock bottom. We are now free to start thinking again, acting again, and doing the right thing by what our constituents and our country need.”
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“We are now free to start thinking again, acting again, and doing the right thing by what our constituents and our country need.”
So was it blackmail that prevented you from thinking and acting to do the right thing? What was it?
January 15th, 2009 at 4:53 pmPerhaps the good representative looked over his shoulder at the past eight years of Republican chaos and realized that his soul — assuming he ever had one — was already being used as a bocci ball on the fifth circle of Hell.
January 15th, 2009 at 4:53 pmAs opposed to what you’ve been doing for the last eight years.
January 15th, 2009 at 4:53 pmIt seems they have no idea how damning statements like this are of the Republican rule of the past decade.
Though the honesty is refreshing, acknowledging your role in your party’s efforts to put politics ahead of principle should disqualify you from service.
January 15th, 2009 at 4:55 pmYou can’t lose what you don’t have…
January 15th, 2009 at 4:55 pm…and our Republican Party — the party of the Great Emancipator — will not only lose the next election.
It will lose its soul.
I am sick and tired of today’s Republicans trying to make people think that Abraham Lincoln was one of them. Lincoln would not be welcome in the GOP today, and every honest Republican (both of them) knows that!
January 15th, 2009 at 4:55 pmAfter the sweeping progressive victories in the November elections, McCotter, said, “We’re rock bottom.
Again, let’s not confuse ‘democratic’ with ‘Progressive.’ The two are most certainly not interchangeable.
January 15th, 2009 at 4:59 pmZooey Says:
You can’t lose what you don’t have…
As Wayne A Schneider noted on a different thread.
January 15th, 2009 at 5:00 pm“It will lose its soul.”
More proof that a republican will sell his soul to hang on to power…
January 15th, 2009 at 5:01 pmUmmm….. Maybe we shouldn’t be hammering on a dude for making the right decision?
Off the top of my head I can think of 139 people more worthy of scrutiny and derision at the moment.
January 15th, 2009 at 5:03 pmone would think with the platinum healthcare insurance given to our elected officials, McCrater face would take care of that funky skin.
January 15th, 2009 at 5:06 pmWell, that’s a bit of good news. Maybe the Democrats can whip a few more of those Republicans back in line with the needs of Main Street.
January 15th, 2009 at 5:07 pmGee. I had no idea that GOoPers actually HAD souls.
Nice to know they’re going so cheap, eh?
January 15th, 2009 at 5:09 pm10. deebaser Says: Ummm….. Maybe we shouldn’t be hammering on a dude for making the right decision?
No, it’s exposing the dude for making the right decision for the wrong reason. Not for the good of the republic, but to hang on to his “taxpayer-funded power-chair,” where he’s certain to cause more mischief and grief by voting party over electorate.
January 15th, 2009 at 5:11 pmMaybe they won’t be quite the butthead party we’re expecting. They should be afraid—very afraid.
January 15th, 2009 at 5:13 pmQ:Why is it repukeliscums always cite lincoln as their party’s greatest accomplishment?
A: because they haven’t done sheyat for this country since then.
January 15th, 2009 at 5:14 pmWhodathunk that a wingnut would turn out to be a Weatherman?(h/t Dylan)
January 15th, 2009 at 5:17 pmQuick, someone alert Bible Spice! This guy has been pallin’-around with terrists.
January 15th, 2009 at 5:19 pmThat “soul” was in the service of evil anyways. Grow a new one.
January 15th, 2009 at 5:20 pmWell, he voted right. Give him a cookie or a pat on the head or something.
January 15th, 2009 at 5:21 pmSo, the kool-aid that Lieberman and the Republicans drink must have an expiration date… could it be January 20, 2009?
January 15th, 2009 at 5:21 pmAfter the sweeping progressive victories in the November elections, McCotter, said, “We’re rock bottom. We are now free to start thinking again, acting again, and doing the right thing by what our constituents and our country need.”
Maybe Republicans will actually start listening</em to their constituents, and then they’ll learn that a majority of the country embraces liberal values over conservative ones.
January 15th, 2009 at 5:22 pm“We are now free to start thinking again, acting again, and doing the right thing by what our constituents and our country need.”
January 15th, 2009 at 5:23 pmDamn, what a concept!
gummitch Says:
As Wayne A Schneider noted on a different thread.
January 15th, 2009 at 5:00 pm
Great minds, I guess, cuz I didn’t see it. :P
January 15th, 2009 at 5:29 pmhanshiro Says:
——————————————————————————–
me:
you:
I see where you’re coming from but respectfully disagree. His party would LOVE to kill SCHIP and he’s spoken out ideologically against it in the past. The thing is, his constituency spoke up and he’s actually representing THEIR interests OVER the Red Team.
The cynic in me knows he is only voting ‘YEA’ becuase his party said it was cool to defect on that vote, but still.
January 15th, 2009 at 5:31 pmYes, Zooey, that must be it. :) (See Perino thread, comment #22.)
January 15th, 2009 at 5:31 pmNo wonder I didn’t see it. I avoid Perino threads. :-D
January 15th, 2009 at 5:32 pmso lemmie get this straight. on another thread, dummya is announcing his national celebration of life day. on this thread, repukeliscums are against healthcare for women and children.
January 15th, 2009 at 5:33 pmas scooby doo would say “hhuuunnnhhh”?
I don’t blame you, Zooey. If she actually spoke intelligently, it would be news.
January 15th, 2009 at 5:34 pmceltic cynic Says:
“We are now free to start thinking again, acting again, and doing the right thing by what our constituents and our country need.”
Damn, what a concept!
Yeah, the Republicans thinking they were voted into office to vote for the presidents/parties agenda and then their own just doesn’t carry the weight it used to on Sept. 12, 2001.
January 15th, 2009 at 5:35 pm“We’re rock bottom. We are now free to start thinking again, …”
good gawd… such a drama queen…
.
this airbus landing in the hudson is quite amazing…
January 15th, 2009 at 5:38 pmthank the gods and those pilots, that pilot…
awesome… and positive.
I wouldn’t pet my cat if it looked that this guy.
January 15th, 2009 at 5:38 pmWe are now free to start thinking again, acting again, and doing the right thing by what our constituents and our country need.”
Hey bub, you were free to start thinking a long time ago. I find it astonishing that this guy thinks you have to hit bottom before he can start doing the right thing for his country and his constituents.
January 15th, 2009 at 5:39 pmThe truly remarkable thing about this story is the people of michigan are living in dust bowl conditions due to republican ideology yet they send this clown again to washington to represent them?
January 15th, 2009 at 5:44 pmShorter Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI):
I am forced to listen to my constituents because I hit rock bottom and almost lost my re-election. This is a total drag and will take me a while to get used to.
January 15th, 2009 at 5:51 pmLet’s not forget though that he voted the right way. I am going to save my shoe throwing for one of the Repugs that still voted against it.
January 15th, 2009 at 5:52 pmBozo The Neoclown Says:
Q:Why is it repukeliscums always cite lincoln as their party’s greatest accomplishment?
Also, the party of Lincoln was way more like the Democratic party today than the Republican party.
January 15th, 2009 at 6:11 pmFor the past eight years, the Republicans have defined what is a good American, who is weak on this or that, who is religious enough, and moral enough etc.
The day we now allow them to start to define the soul we are in worse trouble then we have been. And we deserve anything that happens to us. They have never been right yet. If this man is using the passing of this as a litmus test for the soul, then he is without one.
He could not find his soul with a map.
January 15th, 2009 at 6:23 pmWhy does the state of Michigan, a supposedly Democratic, blue collar state, send dumbasses like this to Congress?
Does he hate the gays? Is that all that matters to some people?
I guess last year, voting against children’s health care is demonic, and leads to homosexuality. This year, he’s all for it. Guess he got scared of being unemployed. Most of his constituents are.
January 15th, 2009 at 6:38 pmAs much as I would like to think these Republicans (and their cousing, the blue dogs) are going to start to “think freely”, I somehow doubt it.
January 15th, 2009 at 6:43 pmwhat a nauseating hypocrite.
i don’t know what’s worse: his repulsive opposition or his caving in for the sake of retaining his seat.
pathetic.
January 15th, 2009 at 7:28 pmJaneaneTheAcerbicGoblin Says:
“Why does the state of Michigan, a supposedly Democratic, blue collar state, send dumbasses like this to Congress?”
He represents the 11th district, which was or maybe still is an affluent district outside of Detroit. Livonia, Novi, etc…
I had to look it up, I thought maybe he was from the Grand Rapids area, which is a cluster of fervent religiosity and republicanism.
January 15th, 2009 at 7:36 pmHow about pointing out that he wised up? People will change if they feel they will be accepted for that change. If they keep getting crap for doing the right thing from “think progress” they will never change and will become even sterner ideologues. So to Amanda Terkel, I advise you to take a long walk off a short pier, oh and take Lord Yglesias with you.
January 15th, 2009 at 10:17 pmAs a Michigan resident i will work as to get him out of office as I did in getting Obama in.McCotter is a soulless gooper who is not good for this country and it`s future.
January 16th, 2009 at 9:42 amReminds me of the statement the big fat idiot made after the election about not “having to carry water anymore for people that didn’t deserve it”. But then he never slowed down in his water carrying…so I’m wondering if he really wants to do the right thing and will continue to do so or did he just realize that voting the other way on this issue would hurt his reelection chances. Oh, never mind, I just answered the question for myself; after all, he is a “conservative”.
January 16th, 2009 at 12:49 pmThis bill has one major weakness: SCHIP will be funded by a 200% tax increase on most smokers, but also adds a MASSIVE tax increase on one of the poorest of the poor minority groups in the U.S., a group that’s poorer on average than blacks, hispanics, seniors, or single moms. I’m speaking of smokers who cannot afford to buy regular cigarettes but who simply buy loose tobacco and roll their own. – -
This minority group will be hit with a TWO THOUSAND PERCENT TAX INCREASE under SCHIP: taxes on rolling loose tobacco will go from about $1/lb to almost $25/lb. This tax will pour huge amounts of money into the black market, increasing law enforcement and prison spending, and send more money into supporting the next terrorist strike on America. – - -
This bill should NOT be supported until the taxation to support it is shared among ALL Americans who love children… not just smokers. – - –
Michael J. McFadden
January 17th, 2009 at 1:03 amAuthor of Dissecting Antismokers’ Brains