Call to Stop Budget Bill/Anwar drilling. List of Fencesitting Repubs...

[candice]

Mike Castle (Del.) Generally lukewarm
Sherwood Boehlert (N.Y.) Package as a whole
Heather Wilson (N.M.) Medicaid cuts
Charlie Dent (Pa.) Generally lukewarm
Tim Johnson (Ill.) ANWR, food stamps
Tom Osborne (Neb.) Opposes Education Committee savings
Todd Platts (Pa.) Opposes Education Committee savings
Judy Biggert (Ill.) Opposes Education Committee savings
Chris Smith (N.J.) Food stamps, Medicaid, ANWR
Jim Leach (Iowa) ANWR, foster-care cuts
Joe Schwarz (Mich.) ANWR
Jim Gerlach (Pa.) ANWR, general cuts
Connie Mack (Fla.) Offshore drilling
Mark Foley (Fla.) Offshore drilling
Mario Diaz-Balart (Fla.) Offshore drilling
Bill Young (Fla.) Offshore drilling
Katherine Harris (Fla.) Offshore drilling
Gil Gutknecht (Minn.) Voted against April budget
Walter Jones (N.C.) Voted against April budget
Mark Green (Wis.) Voted against April budget
Steven LaTourette (Ohio) Generally lukewarm
Rob Simmons (Conn.) Generally lukewarm
Mike Fitzpatrick (Pa.) Medicaid cuts
Jeb Bradley (N.H.) ANWR
Nancy Johnson (Conn.) ANWR, against April budget
Mark Kirk (Ill.) ANWR
Jim Saxton (N.J.) ANWR, against April budget
Jim Ramstad (Minn.) ANWR, against April budget
Roscoe Bartlett, Maryland

[Mind_your_head]

1. Could you please explain what the comments after the state means

Such as: Opposes Education Committee savings, food stamps, against April budget, etc.

How/why that is useful information to those of us that wish to call?

Thank you

[flpoljunkie]

2. Major Garrett, Fox News, reported that the R's have fewer than 180 of the

218 needed to pass the deficit reduction bill, if drilling in ANWR is attached. Let's hope this is accurate. The Blue Dogs, who usually sign on to deficit reduction, are passing on this budget reconciliation bill--especially since the Rethugs plan to soon introduce another $70 billion in tax cut extension. I read elsewhere that all the House Democrats now oppose drilling in ANWR. Could it be so?

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,174987,00.html

But those moderate Democrats say they won't support deficit reduction when the GOP soon plans to extend $70 billion in tax cuts.

"We shouldn't go taking resources that help the middle class and poor, working Americans' mouths and families to pay for tax cuts on the other side," said Rep. Harold Ford, D-Tenn.

Late Tuesday, House Republicans had fewer than 180 of the necessary 218 votes to pass the deficit reduction bill. ANWR is a problem, but language to open up offshore drilling on the Eastern seaboard is too. As yet, GOP leaders have not figured out a solution to the intra-party collision of environmental and budget politics.