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OK, “sympathy” may be too strong a word. But Jason Altmire deserves … I don’t know … pity? The kind of liberal compassion that blames social ills for a person’s shortcomings?
Yesterday, Altmire was one of just six Democrats to vote in favor of HR 2068, a House GOP measure that would fund disaster-recovery efforts by gutting a $1.5 billion hybrid-car program. (Yes, you read that right: The GOP was only willing to help disaster victims if government did less to help domestic manufacturing. Why do they hate America so much?)
Altmire’s vote put him at odds with the overwhelming majority of Democrats; his vote positioned him instead alongside suburban Republican Tim Murphy, House majority leader Eric Cantor and much of the rest of the GOP rank-and-file. (As well as fellow Pennsylvania Blue Dog Dem Tim Holden.) The measure lost anyway, 195-230, due to opposition from the overwhelming majority of Democrats, and about 40 ultra-conservative Republicans who wanted the bill to go farther. It’s unclear how; perhaps by requiring the unemployed to do a little dance before getting benefits.
And what thanks does Altmire get for his vote? Just today, the National Republican Congressional Committee sent out the latest in a looooong line of attack e-mails … accusing Altmire of voting in lockstep with other Dems:
“Jason Altmire has been a loyal ally to President Obama’s policies of taxing, spending and over-regulating which have made a bad economy far worse,” said NRCC Communications Director Paul Lindsay. “Voters are noticing across the country, which means that Altmire’s constituents in Pennsylvania will surely hold him accountable for continuing to support Obama’s same failed Democrat policies.”
There’s just no pleasing some people.
This article appears in Sep 22-28, 2011.
There was a documentary made in the (I believe) the seventies about some pollution legislation involving cars. I remember that a Florida representative (his name escapes me in the thirty years since I saw the film) was seen as championing the legislation, while John Dingell of Michigan opposed it. What makes it relevant is that Doug Walgren, former (relatively liberal) Democrat of Mt Lebanon, was immortalized in the film as a committee member who flipped from supporting the bill to either opposing or abstaining, due to pressure from (as I recall) “used car dealerships” in his district (curse you, Washington Road).
Both Atlmire and Obama have been disappointing Democrats. They have both pursued policies far more conservative than anyone expected and Democrats are comfortable with, yet neither has particularly won any sort of recognition or even a reduction in attacks from Republicans. Of course, Democrats in both Altmire’s district and nationally really have no alternative, and even choosing to protest by not voting means that we will get some far worse Republican in the White House. Grumble.
“But Jason Altmire deserves … I don’t know … pity?”
I was thinking more along the lines of “a swift kick in the pants,” or maybe “covered with tar and feathers and carried out of town on a rail,” or possibly “a one-way ticket to palookaville.”
Mr. Altmire is getting paid $174,000 per year, or about five times the median income of residents of Beaver Falls, which is part of his district, and he’s almost guaranteed a nice cushy lobbying gig (maybe back at UPMC) after he loses his seat.
So, no, I’m not going to pity him. I think I’m going to stick with “swift kick in the pants,” and I would be happy to deliver it.