Congressman Kendrick Meek's ties to health bill, cigar maker raise question

[seafan]

While US Representatives Kendrick Meek, D(FL) and his colleague Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D(FL) refuse to help three local Democrats in their challenge campaigns against three right wing extremist US House members, the Diaz-Balart brothers and Ileana Ros Lehtinen, because of 'very close personal and professional ties' with these Republicans, Meek still finds time to use his position very cynically to benefit a campaign donor.



Meek's ties to health bill, cigar maker raise question

A Miami congressman supported expanding federal health benefits to children but privately helped one of the legislation's critics -- also a campaign supporter.

BY BETH REINHARD AND LESLEY CLARK
March 23, 2008

U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek touted legislation expanding health insurance for poor kids in late October when he joined House Speaker Nancy Pelosi at a Liberty City clinic, praising the push to help children.

''If this is not an American value, I don't know what is,'' the Miami Democrat said.

That same month, Meek joined other Democrats to assail Republicans who were blocking the measure, taking to the House floor to charge that 616,000 kids in Florida would go without healthcare because of GOP opposition.

But behind the scenes, Meek, a member of the influential House Ways and Means Committee, helped Miami cigar maker Jorge Padron get a private meeting with top House Democrats -- including Pelosi -- so Padron could lobby against the higher cigar taxes that were proposed to partly offset the cost of expanding the program.

Months later, Padron hosted a $1,000-per-person fundraiser for Meek at his company headquarters in Miami.

.....

Asked why he would take a seemingly contrary stance by voting twice for the legislation, Meek explained that expanding healthcare was vital, adding, ''We knew it was going to be vetoed.'' (Indeed, Bush twice vetoed the bill, saying it would have expanded healthcare to ``higher-income households while increasing taxes.'')

.....

''It's not a bad thing if Congressman Meek is able to broker a deal and bring to the Democratic leadership some personal awareness of the issue that's worthwhile,'' Levine said. 'But was it said, `We're going to contribute to your campaign if you do this for us?' You don't know what goes on behind closed doors.''

Padron said he did not recall how much money was raised at the ''cigar reception'' honoring Meek. Fundraising reports, however, show Meek collected at least $50,000 from cigar manufacturers and related companies in December 2007, the month Padron held the fundraiser.

.....

Both Meek and Wasserman Schultz should be retired.

[Mojorabbit]

1. These people

suck but health care for children should not be born on the backs of smokers. All of society should pay for it. As more smokers quit the financing for the program would be in jeopordy. These congresspeople need to be gone.