My Congressman voted for Stupak amendment! Here is my LTTE.

[Bonobo]

I am furious. We are a VERY progressive community.
------------------------
On Saturday night, the US Congress voted for the Health Care reform bill, a historic bill that will move America forward so that we can join the rest of the industrialized nations in providing the great majority of its citizens with affordable health care. However, tragically, an amendment called the Stupak-Pitt amendment was also passed as a rider to the bill. The Stupak-Pitt amendment states that abortions may not be paid for by the very health insurance that we will be mandating people to purchase.

64 Democrats voted for this amendment and, tragically, one of them was Congressman Neal from Northampton, my congressman.
So who knew that Congressman Neal was an Anti-Choicer? Certainly no voters among his constituents were aware of this position. When I asked his office to comment, I was told that the Congressman believes that the choice to allow people to have an abortion should be "up to states". Really!? Is that right? Well, that is in direct violation of Roe VS. Wade. Is Mr. Neal brave enough to stand up and admit that he is a "pro-lifer" who think Roe V. Wade was wrong? If so, please say it.

If not, Congressman Neal made a gutless and cowardly vote on Saturday night when he thought we were all sleeping. In fact we were not sleeping. We were awake and are awake now. Perhaps, in fact, we are all smelling the coffee for the first time.

Signed,

XXXXXX

[lunatica]

1. Good letter. Now can you have someone shove it up his ass?

You know, for emphasis.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

2. So you are angry at a guy who votes with his party 98.9% of the time?

http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/n000015/

How "tragic."

[Bonobo]

3. yup. nt

[Tommy_Carcetti]

4. Gotta love it....

Single issuers....

[aquart]

12. Women's rights are NOT a single issue.

Except, of course, to you.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

15. You're absolutely right. Women's rights are not a single issue.

However, the issue of abortion rights is a single issue.

[Bonobo]

18. Why don't you start an OP about how women shouldn't have the right to choose.

Since you feel so strongly about it.

[derby378]

5. Let me guess...

[Tesha]

25. It doesn't matter how often he votes with the party on resolutions honoring National Dogcatcher Day

and all the rest of the bullshit *IF HE DEFAULTS ON THE REALLY BIG ISSUES
THAT REALLY MATTER*.

And this was one of those.

Tesha

[Bonobo]

26. Thanks, Tesha. You got it. nt

[Ignis]

32. This!

Showing up for everyday votes is commendable, but voting the wrong way--i.e., against the principles of equality and civil rights that are the very underpinnings of the Democratic party's platform--on a vote of historic importance is shameful.

Stupak might be a nice guy, but this vote was an anti-woman vote. :thumbsdown:

[Tommy_Carcetti]

33. Well, let's take a look, shall we:

Voted YES on prohibiting job discrimination based on sexual orientation. (Nov 2007)

Voted NO on Constitutionally defining marriage as one-man-one-woman. (Jul 2006)

Voted NO on making the PATRIOT Act permanent. (Dec 2005)

Voted NO on Constitutional Amendment banning same-sex marriage. (Sep 2004)

Voted NO on banning gay adoptions in DC. (Jul 1999)

Voted NO on ending preferential treatment by race in college admissions. (May 1998)

Voted YES on enforcing against anti-gay hate crimes. (Apr 2009)

Voted YES on replacing death penalty with life imprisonment. (Apr 1994)

Voted YES on $40B for green public schools. (May 2009)

Voted YES on additional $10.2B for federal education & HHS projects. (Nov 2007)

Voted NO on vouchers for private & parochial schools. (Nov 1997)

Voted YES on enforcing limits on CO2 global warming pollution. (Jun 2009)

Voted YES on tax credits for renewable electricity, with PAYGO offsets. (Sep 2008)

Voted YES on tax incentives for energy production and conservation. (May 2008)

Voted YES on tax incentives for renewable energy. (Feb 2008)

Voted NO on passage of the Bush Administration national energy policy. (Jun 2004)

Voted NO on implementing Bush-Cheney national energy policy. (Nov 2003)

Voted NO on deauthorizing "critical habitat" for endangered species. (Sep 2005)

Voted YES on four weeks of paid parental leave for federal employees. (Jun 2009)

Voted YES on requiring lobbyist disclosure of bundled donations. (May 2007)

Voted YES on granting Washington DC an Electoral vote & vote in Congress. (Apr 2007)

Voted YES on protecting whistleblowers from employer recrimination. (Mar 2007)

Voted NO on requiring photo ID for voting in federal elections. (Sep 2006)

Voted YES on raising CAFE standards; incentives for alternative fuels. (Aug 2001)

Voted YES on prohibiting oil drilling & development in ANWR. (Aug 2001)

Voted YES on starting implementation of Kyoto Protocol. (Jun 2000)

Voted NO on prohibiting product misuse lawsuits on gun manufacturers. (Oct 2005)

Voted NO on prohibiting suing gunmakers & sellers for gun misuse. (Apr 2003)

Voted YES on expanding the Children's Health Insurance Program. (Jan 2009)

Voted YES on adding 2 to 4 million children to SCHIP eligibility. (Oct 2007)

Voted YES on requiring negotiated Rx prices for Medicare part D. (Jan 2007)

Voted NO on denying non-emergency treatment for lack of Medicare co-pay. (Feb 2006)

Voted NO on limiting medical malpractice lawsuits to $250,000 damages. (May 2004)

Voted NO on decreasing gun waiting period from 3 days to 1. (Jun 1999)

Voted YES on allowing reimportation of prescription drugs. (Jul 2003)

Voted NO on capping damages & setting time limits in medical lawsuits. (Mar 2003)

Voted NO on removing need for FISA warrant for wiretapping abroad. (Aug 2007)

Voted YES on restricting no-bid defense contracts. (Mar 2007)

Voted NO on allowing electronic surveillance without a warrant. (Sep 2006)

Voted NO on reporting illegal aliens who receive hospital treatment. (May 2004)

Voted YES on extending unemployment benefits from 39 weeks to 59 weeks. (Oct 2008)

Voted YES on restricting employer interference in union organizing. (Mar 2007)

Voted YES on increasing minimum wage to $7.25. (Jan 2007)

Voted YES on investigating Bush impeachment for lying about Iraq. (Jun 2008)

Voted YES on redeploying US troops out of Iraq starting in 90 days. (May 2007)

Voted NO on declaring Iraq part of War on Terror with no exit date. (Jun 2006)

Voted NO on authorizing military force in Iraq. (Oct 2002)

(Funny, I don't see anything about National Dogcatcher Day, pro or con. But you know, for me, a no on National Dogcatcher Day is a "deal killer")

Oh, and for the single issue crowd:

Voted NO on restricting interstate transport of minors to get abortions. (Apr 2005)

Voted YES on funding for health providers who don't provide abortion info. (Sep 2002)

Voted NO on banning Family Planning funding in US aid abroad. (May 2001)



So which of these above "really big issues that really matter" do you take issue with Neal's voting record? Which of these do you think justifies a primary challenge?

I find it amazing that some will throw out the DINO label on someone simply because they disagree with them on a single issue, or that people are blind to the damage they can do to their own party or own ideological cause because of it.

[Tesha]

34. I *DIDN'T* throw out the DINO label.

I simply inferred that I won't support a politician who defaults on
ANY of the really big issues that really matter. And this guy
just did.

BTW, long lists such as the one you posted no longer impress
me. As we all know, the votes are often structured to allow a
politician to vote on "both sides of the issue" PRECISELY so
that lists like yours can be compiled showing what a good guy
he is, whether you're talking to liberals or Bible-thumping fundies:
"See? Here in this vote, he supported YOUR side of the issue!"

Tesha

[Tommy_Carcetti]

35. And that's called single issue voting.

If any single issue is so important that any deviation by an elected official from your personal opinion on that one issue, out of 50 issues, that you would disavow any support for that official and that you would welcome a primary challenge of that person (thus risking destablizing the party for the general), that is a seriously flawed way of thinking.

My congressman is Robert Wexler. Wexler voted to authorize the war in Iraq. That vote upset me greatly, but knowing that I agreed with Wexler on a vast majority of other issues, it wasn't anywhere close to making me wish Wexler would be primaried out or that I could not vote for him in good conscience. Politics is by its very nature pragmatic in the end.

As to Neal, the guy has a 98.9% voting record with the Democratic Party. The Democratic Party is the party most identified with left-leaning individuals. When looking at his whole voting record (which I showed you) I doubt that a conservative or Republican is going to be all that impressed. And if a "Bible thumping Fundie" (as you call it) does look over Neal's entire voting record and still is impressed even not considering his vote or votes on the abortion issue, then, well that really isn't the worst thing in the world, now is it?

And for that matter, and I know how unpopular it is for me to say it at this point in time, but if you look over Bart Stupak's voting record you'll find he's actually a very solid Democrat and reasonably progressive on many issues (including issues such as gay rights.)

But I think the mob-mentality that exists over outrage over a single issue is distracting people from the actual facts of the situation.

[Tesha]

36. You'd better get used to it; it's gonna be just as popular among progressives...

...as it has been among the rest of the political spectrum.

Tesha

[Bonobo]

37. Call it what you want. But I suppose I could find a "single" issue that would affect your vote too.

I guarantee I could find a single issue that would make you change your vote.

If you thought about it, I bet you would even admit it.

[Tesha]

38. The facts are that this week, Women's rights were tossed under the bus.

Last week, it was Gay rights as the Democrats sat
on their thumbs as Question 1 passed in Maine.

Peace groups? Kissed off.

People of non-faith? Kissed off.

Keep p/kissing off the interest groups one-by-one
and soon there won't be anyone left to vote for
any given Democrat...

Tesha

[Tommy_Carcetti]

39. If any one elected Democratic official consistently votes against multiple positions...

....traditionally held by Democrats, then yes, there is cause for concern.

But a deviation here, a deviation there? It would be foolish to punish anyone on those grounds.

[KamaAina]

6. Northampton, Mass.?!

One of the strongest women's towns in all the land.

Rep. Neal better gear up for a stiff primary challenge next year!

[Bonobo]

7. It is a major shock. nt

[aquart]

8. You didn't say "PRIMARY CHALLENGE".

Now is the time to call for and cultivate a challenger. And, CLEARLY, he is in need of one, having been so deceptive about his positions.

[Bonobo]

9. I am working on bringing him a hand-delivered shitstorm.

I bet the Catholic Church has bought his vote. I cannot figure it any other way.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

10. Nope, you are wrong.

It was the Freemasons. Either them, or the Illumanati. Dan Brown is currently writing a book on it as we speak.

[Bonobo]

16. Did someone hear something?

Oh, it was just a little fart...

Forget it.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

11. Yes, because challenging Democrats with....

....98.9% voting records with their party for not being a "True Democrat", based on a single issue, is oh so logical.

[aquart]

13. Well, if women are not important to the electorate, it won't matter, will it?

I'm sure he can get by with just the guys like you.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

14. Well, apparently lots of women had no issue voting him into office...

....so I really don't know what you are trying to get at here.

[Tesha]

27. Emphasis on "had". Past tense. As in "that's all over now". (NT)

[Bonobo]

28. I will see that this guy gets his ass handed to him.

We just went through a big election here and are organized and ready.

I think we can deliver, very quickly, 5,000 pissed off people to climb all over his ass.

[Bonobo]

17. Yeah, you're right. Forget Roe VS. Wade. It wasn't very important after all.

Are you a Democrat by the way? Cause you don't fucking sound like one.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

19. I'm every bit of a Democrat as I assume you are. But one question:

What exactly does a Democrat "sound" like to you?

[Bonobo]

20. Here.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=6973980&mesg_id=6973980

[Tommy_Carcetti]

21. Yes, President Obama is a Democrat.

Thank you for telling me that. I would have never guessed it.

[Bonobo]

24. You're a major bore and I'm done with you. Bye.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

29. Not so fast. Mr. Shatner wishes to have a word with you before you leave.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5b1a-hqvGNI&feature=related

[Bonobo]

30. ROFLMAO!

[customerserviceguy]

22. I figured out where your district is

and while your city or town may be progressive, my impression of your district based on one trip through it, was that it was quite rural, not really all that near Boston.

If the district is heavily Catholic (old school, not nominal) you'll find people who vote Democratic, yet will write letters to their Representative asking him/her to oppose abortion funding.

[Bonobo]

23. We are super progressive overlaid on old rural Mass probably...

What you say is probably true.

[G_j]

31. good! nt