Just wrote my Congressman, Peter DeFazio, to thank him for voting AGAINST H.R. 8 yesterday.

[Poll_Blind]

It's worth remembering that not every Democrat in the party is willing to go along with the Shock Doctrine Roadshow.

He's one of the six founding members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus back in 1991 and he'll still be serving in the House long after Obama leaves office to write a book about how he wished he could have been more liberal.

That is all.

PB

[Hell Hath No Fury]

1. Fazio is a treasure --

We need hundreds like him.

[Enrique]

2. don't think they're not keeping score, brother

i'm sure you know the reference but for those who might have forgotten:

At a meeting with the president Monday night, DeFazio told Obama he wanted more infrastructure spending. Without prompting, Obama immediately recalled DeFazio's vote against the president's economic stimulus bill.

"I know you think we need more for that because you voted against" the stimulus bill in February, Obama told DeFazio during a question-and-answer session with about 150 House Democrats at the Capitol.

"Don't think we're not keeping score, brother," Obama added, as other lawmakers howled with laughter. ...

Later in the meeting, Obama told DeFazio he was "messing" with him and that he needs the veteran Democrat's vote on his budget proposal.

DeFazio said Tuesday that he took the president's verbal jabs in good humor — and instantly became a kind of Capitol celebrity. A fellow lawmaker approached him at the House gym and said he should be honored that the president called him "brother."

[Buzz Clik]

3. You like it when your Congressman votes with the GOP?

Wow.

You truly have the representation you deserve.

[Poll_Blind]

4. LOL. Well, thanks for the kick.

PB

[choie]

5. Pete Defazio did not

"vote with the GOP" - he stood up for his principles, which is more than I can say of Obama et al.

[Buzz Clik]

8. And Kucinich? And Sanders?

The line between standing up for beliefs and obstructionist is distinct.

[Poll_Blind]

9. Not surprised that you'd give GOP obstructionism a pass while labeling Dems.

Nasty, but admittedly par for the course with you here.

As far as Kucinich goes, he accused the government of manufacturing the whole fiscal cliff crisis yesterday:

(IMO, he was right)

And...PSST...Bernie Sanders is an Independent, not a Democrat.

Of course anyone who's familiar with your posts knows you lurvs you some Kucinich and Sanders only when it's convenient to use them as a tool to bash other Dems. Pukeworthy.

PB

[Buzz Clik]

13. Hardly a pass. I view your rep and the GOP as being the same.

[TeamPooka]

17. and that highlights your ignorance for all of us.

Seriously.

[Buzz Clik]

20. No. It puts a bright light on the disingenous arrogance of casting a vote to make a statement.

If we had lost, he would have hurt a lot of people and derailed the entire process. That is exactly what the GOP is intending to do, and he is siding with them.

There is no aspect of leadership that involves blind idealism to the point of thickheadedenss. If he wants to be a true leader, he needs to change, and soon!

[NYC Liberal]

10. Actually it's not. Not when it comes down to the vote.

In the US Congress you vote either yea or nay. The reasons you vote one way or the other may be of interest for other political reasons, but they are irrelevant in the vote.

A Republican's "no" vote on a bill because it's too liberal and a Democrat's "no" vote because it's not liberal enough are exactly the same. A bill passes if it receives a majority of yeas and fails if it doesn't. Period.

Remember the IWR? There were Democrats who voted yes, but they said it was only because they trusted Bush to complete the inspections and didn't actually support a unilateral invasion. Their "ayes" were no different from those of warmongering Republicans who were itching to bomb some brown people back to the stone age.

[PoliticAverse]

11. BTW, House members have the option to vote 'present'. n/t

[NYC Liberal]

12. True, which makes my point even stronger.

Guys like Kucinich could vote Present instead of voting with Republicans. It would make the point without helping the GOP teabaggers.

[Gregorian]

18. That's interesting. I guess there's more to this politlcal stuff than meets the eye. I'm learning.

And that's why I come here- to learn.

This is distasteful stuff. But I know now that Kucinich as president wouldn't have lasted ten minutes. It's a real shame. But I guess there is a lot of momentum keepng America from making big changes. Changes scare investors.

[TeamPooka]

14. difference of opinion vs obstructionism

you don't seem to know the difference.
The GOP obstructs progress.
Dems debate the approach to progress.

[Buzz Clik]

15. And the insults. Typical.

Why the hell are so-called Progressives part of the problem when it comes to making progress?

[TeamPooka]

16. I just pointed out the nuances in our language that you don't seem to comprehend.

[Buzz Clik]

19. Ah. Then you need to know that I have a better grasp of the language than you.

Therefore, you are wrong in every aspect of your argument.

Sorry, and thanks for playing.

[Gregorian]

6. He's not afraid to rock the boat. Isn't that what is going on in DC? Don't rock the boat.

Only republicans can do that. Dems have to keep America's repubs from getting angry. Then they impeach, or worse.

I'm tired of not rocking the boat.

And I miss being in DeFazio's district. I voted for him when I was.

[ProSense]

7. He votes against everything

The stimulus, the People's Budget and this deal.

Statement on Fiscal Cliff Vote

“While the Senate plan included an extension of unemployment insurance that will save benefits for over 29,000 Oregonians and an essential ‘doc-fix’ that will continue payments to doctors who treat Medicare patients, this ‘deal’ hinders our ability to deal meaningfully with the deficit and burgeoning debt and puts in jeopardy Social Security and Medicare in the coming confrontation over the debt limit.

"Under the Senate plan, wealthy investors will pay a significantly lower rate of taxes than someone who works for a living like an army captain or a teacher, adding $280 billion over ten years to our nation’s debt. The bill also puts in place a plan that will exempt joint estates worth up to $10 million from estate taxes, adding another $370 billion over ten years to the nation’s debt. And while millionaires and billionaires will see their income above $450,000 taxed at Clinton era rates, the deal permanently extends the Bush tax cuts on all income between $250,000 and $450,000 at a cost of $107 billion over ten years.

"The Senate plan pushes dumb across-the-board spending cuts back just two months, creating yet another fiscal cliff crisis that coincides with the debt ceiling limit. This sets the stage for a massive attack on Social Security and Medicare under the guise of fiscal responsibility. Republicans are already proposing to increase the Medicare eligibility age to 67 and cut the cost of living adjustment for Social Security and veterans’ benefits.

"Middle class Americans and seniors who have earned these benefits should not be asked to shoulder the burden of a deficit caused in large part by eleven years of the Bush tax cuts, two years of the Obama tax cuts, a deep economic recession caused by reckless Wall Street gambling, two wars charged to the credit card, and unrestrained federal spending in other areas.

"We need to address our fiscal issues head on and balance the budget with a balanced approach. This is not a balanced plan and puts in jeopardy Social Security, Medicare and other programs essential to the middle class.”

http://www.defazio.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=804:statement-on-fiscal-cliff-vote&catid=69:2012-press-releases

He's a deficit hawk.

[Nye Bevan]

21. Don't forget to thank Eric Cantor and Michele Bachmann too (nt)