From a new file, “6th Congressional District Debate about the Debate – Part Deux”:
A few days ago I posted some reflections about Saturday’s debate between Jill Morgenthaler of Des Plaines and U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam of Wheaton, organized by the Mount Prospect Chamber of Commerce. In a statement sent to me by her campaign, Morgenthaler said, “My opponent has spent his time in Washington working on an etreme social agenda and voting 93 percent of the time with Bush/Cheney.”
Naturall, that drew a response from the Roskam campaign.
“Our opponent is once again being untruthful with her attacks. As a candidate for federal office, she should know that the president and vice president do not vote in Congress,” read an e-mail from Matt Vriesema, Roskam’s press secretary. “She is referring to siding with your party, Republican or Democrat.”
I think this is splitting hairs about semantics, so let me join in. If Vriesema meant to say “U.S. House of Representatives” rather than “Congress,” he has a point. But since “Congress” represents both the House and the U.S. Senate, he’s really only half correct.
As vice president, Dick Cheney presides over the Senate. He votes only in the event of a tie. So while his participation is rare, he does actually vote in Congress.
Vriesema continues: “The 93 percent is accurate, but she leaves out the fact that we are in the bottom half of the Illinois delegation [of siding with the party]. Being in the bottom half further shows that Roskam votes for what is best for the district, not the party line.”
The e-mail included a link to the Washington Post, which lists members of the Illinois congressional delegation and how often they voted along party lines. From highest percent to lowest, here they are:
Rahm Emanuel (Demcrat), 98.5 percent; Jesse Jackson Jr. (Democrat), 97.9; Phil Hare (Democrat), 97.9; Bobby Rush (Democrat), 97.8; Danny Davis (Democrat), 97.7; Dick Durbin (Democrat), 97.5; Jan Schakowsky (Democrat), 97.4; Luis Gutierrez (Democrat), 97.3; Barack Obama (Democrat), 96; Daniel Lipinski (Democrat), 96; Jerry Costello (Democrat), 95.3; Bill Foster (Democrat), 95; Peter Roskam (Republican), 93.5; Donald Manzullo (Republican), 92.5; John Shimkus (Republican), 91; Melissa Bean (Democrat), 90.2; Judy Biggert (Republican), 89; Jerry Weller (Republican), 87.4; Ray LaHood (Republican), 84.6; Mark Kirk (Republican), 81.9; and Tim Johnson (Republican), 78.7.
I’m sure this posting is going to set off the pagers for the Morgenthaler campaign.
I’d love to read some comments about this. Go ahead and spin it anyway you want.
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Stumble It!
4 Comments
October 10, 2008 at 9:41 am
You might notice that with the exception of Melissa Bean all Democrats are at or above 95% while all Republicans are below 95%
This makes Obama’s claim that McCain voted with-Bush 95% of the time seam like a so-what.
And of course Peter Roskam’s 93.5% is below Obama’s 96% and Durbin’s 97.5%
October 10, 2008 at 5:00 pm
jan, Bush is the most unpopular US president in the history of polling. Republican policies are sensibly rated as disastrous by the American people. In the face of presidential vetoes and an incredible record of filibusters and obstruction by Republicans Democrats have been trying to overturn some of the worst abuses and boneheaded policies by those same Republicans.
But you go right on making that argument and watch the landslide sweep the rightwing war ideologues and deregulatory know nothings like
Biggert onto the ashheap of history where they belong.
October 14, 2008 at 9:26 am
Mark:
Allow me to clarify what’s going on with the poll numbers. President Bush holds the record for having the lowest approval rating (19 percent) in the history of polling (Sept. 16-19. 2008). His current poll numbers run from 23 percent to 29 percent (these figures fluctuate from week to week). Harry Truman had the second lowest approval rating with 22 percent, Richard Nixon the third with 23 percent and Jimmy Carter the fourth with 28 percent. Ironically, Bush also holds the record for having the highest approval rating (Oct. 8-9. 2001). What dooms most presidents and political parties isn’t necessarily their positions but rather the excesses that come with power. The economic crisis we’re facing was brought on by corporate greed, governmental incompetence and consumer foolishness. We all have a share in the blame. Thanks your comment; I appreciate your input.
— Jerry Moore
October 14, 2008 at 9:08 pm
very nice site