bart stupak should not be a democrat

[spanone]

if he doesn't believe in the party platform, he should cross the aisle

he's obstructing HIS party's President.....leave bart.

[Warpy]

1. Bart Stupak represents a troglodyte electorate

on Michigan's upper peninsula, crazed redneck militia territory.

He needs to be knocked out in the primary. Fortunately, he's got opposition this year.

I doubt his district will produce anyone much better unless they manage to get educated by enough adverse events. Economic disaster hasn't done it.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

2. Actually....

http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/s001045

http://www.ontheissues.org/MI/Bart_Stupak.htm

[Cerridwen]

7. That shit again?

Fine.

Here ya go, again.

[hfojvt]

14. your argument just seems to be

that whenever he votes the 'wrong' way it shows his true colors and whenever he votes the 'right' way it is just an empty gesture to provide him with cover. Myself I often see the opposite. Dennis Moore, for example, voted for Democratic alternatives before finally voting for the Bush tax cuts (which were gonna pass anyway). Perhaps it is the vote for DOMA or for the Patriot Act which were for political cover. Given his district, he doesn't necessarily need to provide gestures to the left.

[Cerridwen]

15. Part of my argument is that it is easy to get a certain rating for

voting with the party by voting those things which have no way of passing or those things which are "insignificant" like honoring the boy scouts or some such.

Another part is those websites frequently track votes but don't list where in the process the legislation is for that vote; it makes it damned hard to figure if they're voting for procedural or passage.

Those types of voting "records" don't always take into account other signifiers such as the fact that stupak, in this case, relies on focus on the family for input and information.

It's extremely difficult to judge based solely on vote counts. So many back-room deals, so much "back scratching."

Another thing I have to wonder, again specific to stupak, is whether his vote against the anti-gay constitutional amendment was due to a stance on gay rights or is he one who doesn't want to touch the Constitution or it wasn't going to pass or ...?

He may not need to provide "gestures to the left" for his constituents, but he might need to for Party appearances' sake. It wouldn't be the first time a repub stuck a D behind his/her name in order to get elected.

It was also interesting to note that he started with a lower percentage of Democratic votes (as defined by the WaPo link) earlier in his career and has come more into alignment since. What's interesting to me about that is that is the same time frame during which I have noticed a more right-ward slant to the Democratic Party. Is he moving closer to the Democratic Party or is the Party moving closer to him? Yeah, I know, I don't take the record at face value then take the record at face value to note a change. It sux trying to evaluate from a distance of geography and time.

There is so much more to "reading" a politician than just a voting record.

Maybe we're both seeing the same thing from a different angle. LOL

edit punctuation

[sandnsea]

3. Kucinich used to be pro-life

Good thing we didn't purge him for not believing in the party platform.

[upi402]

8. He listened to his constituents

and -having an open and aware mind- he changed his position to meet with the platform. He is the opposite of Stupak.

[sandnsea]

9. Maybe Stupak will too

I'm sure it isn't the first, or only time, either one of them will disagree with the party platform.

Are people seriously that oblivious to their own hypocrisy on the subject?

[demmiblue]

12. I am guessing that one wouldn't have found Kucinch at

C-street.

[PeaceNikki]

13. No, he wanted to run for POTUS and knew he couldn't as a pro-lifer.

He restriced women's rights until he became a presidential candidate. Since the Democratic Presidential nominee had to woo the pro-choice groups, he attempted a quick switch. Previously he had quietly amassed an anti-choice anti-choice voting record of Henry Hyde-like proportions.

Kudos to him for changing position, but he was VERY wrong and had a shitty record until he wanted POTUS.

[upi402]

16. So is he a liar, and you claim to know better?

Could be, I wasn't in the room. But I've watched him over the years, and I lean toward his statements. Maybe more research would put me in agreement with you. Do you have links I could look at?

[la la]

4. i caught a bit of him

on the 'greta factor' ;>) the other night and he was talking about the 'Democrat Party'! right then and there---he's truly gone for me....he's a repub in not very good dem clothing!

[butterfly77]

5. He isn't..

and never was.

[old mark]

6. Stupak should be out of a job. nt

[mwrguy]

10. If Stupak needs healthcare

He should get it in a back alley with a coathanger.

[harkadog]

11. A couple days ago you would be posting Kucinich should not be a Democrat

Maybe you still would. Maybe you should not be a Democrat. Maybe you are not.

[RainDog]

17. fuck off, Bart n/t