Freshman Republicans Switch from Tea to Kool Aid

CATO Institute ^ | May 18, 2012 | Ted DeHaven

[HonestConservative]

This week the Club for Growth released a study of votes cast in 2011 by the 87 Republicans elected to the House in November 2010. The Club found that “In many cases, the rhetoric of the so-called “Tea Party” freshmen simply didn’t match their records.” Particularly disconcerting is the fact that so many GOP newcomers cast votes against spending cuts.

The study comes on the heels of three telling votes taken last week in the House that should have been slam-dunks for members who possess the slightest regard for limited government and free markets. Alas, only 26 of the 87 members of the “Tea Party class” voted to defund both the Economic Development Administration and the president’s new Advanced Manufacturing Technology Consortia program (see my previous discussion of these votes here) and against reauthorizing the Export-Import Bank (see my colleague Sallie James’s excoriation of that vote here).

The following table shows how each of the 87 freshman voted.

[HonestConservative]

As you know, their emerged a plethera of phony Tea Party groups, set up by the left.

You will find that the basic underlying and true movement is still there.

[HonestConservative]

btw, I was just talking about you and the LOST (sigh)

[Terry Mross]

The perks have to be outstanding, much more than we could imagine for these idealists to sell out so quickly.

I believe they’re told they can have anything they want. And a few of them are so dumb they think “anything” is a hot blond so they tell Boner that’s the price for their vote. Then they get caught. And that’s the only way we get rid of them.

[Terry Mross]

If they’re true to their so called principles all they’d have to do is call a press conference and tell the world they’d been threatened by Boner and if it happened again they would resign and form a third party. In other words, show they have some guts instead of empty promises.

[CatherineofAragon]

I hope Robert Hurt (VA) enjoyed my vote, because he will not get another one from me. We knew this guy was establishment, and we voted for his Tea Party opponent in the primary, but got him instead.

So it goes, but I’m done playing.

[true believer forever]

This should be a wake-up call to everyone who believes that working hard on the senate and house races this election is the only sure way to assure conservative principles being adopted in DC, or principled individuals making a stand. Allen West surprised me awhile back, and I haven’t felt the same about him since.

[Terry Mross]

If I remember correctly West ‘evolved’ the first week in office.

[mrsmith]

ere are the three votes that Conservatives should note:

Each an occasion when the Senate had shown it was ready to shut down part of the government if the bill wasn’t passed and passage was by Democrat majorities in the House.

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2011/roll943.xml
(Yes, a terrible loss for us. But it took weeks of some of the greatest political pressures I’ve seen to accomplish it.)

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2011/roll941.xml
And:
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2011/roll857.xml

The Tea Party freshmen did very well.

[onyx]

Good find and post.

Thanks very much.

[Syncro]

Hiya HC!

Ain't that sumpin'??

Also, look what they are doing to Bachmann:

 

Breaking News: Liberal Politicians and
Now Judges Continue Attacks on Bachmann

Friday, May 18, 2012 9:51:41 AM · by Syncro · 3 replies

bachmann.house.gov ^ | 5/18/2012 | Michele Bachmann

Dear Fellow Conservative, I'm reaching out to you today because I need your support to continue fighting in the U.S. House of Representatives
against President Obama's big government agenda. A major development has just occurred in my race for the U.S. House of Representatives and I'm asking for
your immediate help... ...You see, in retaliation for repeatedly standing up to President Obama on the national stage, liberal judges have redrawn the lines of
my Minnesota Congressional District to try and wipe me off of the political map once and for all. Their bias was so obvious they even gerrymandered...[My home]

[sloop]

i’d have to know more about what they are voting on before i jump their stuff for the votes - i look at cato with a skeptical eye

here are the votes

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2012/roll207.xml

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2012/roll208.xml

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2012/roll224.xml

i’ll try to look into what the votes were on later

[sloop]

aight - i did a little digging - and i hate digging unless i get paid - so you are on my crap list now - snicker

the two members i obsess on are west and bachmann - i seem to troll looking for sin in their records - and of course bachmann is not a freshman

anyway - the first two examples they give are for two amendments on this

H.R.5326
Latest Title: Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2013

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d112:HR05326:@@@S

there were a buttload of amendments offered on this bill, cato chose 2 to highlight

first is this

AMENDMENT PURPOSE:
An amendment numbered 3 printed in the Congressional Record to zero out the economic development assistance programs and grants in the Economic Development Administration Account and to apply the savings to the spending reduction account.

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d112:HZ01039:

the votes:

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2012/roll207.xml

bachmann voted for it - west against - wonder what his reason was

second amendment:

AMENDMENT PURPOSE:
An amendment to reduce funding out of Advanced Manufacturing Technology Consortia by $21 million and to apply the savings to the spending reduction account.

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d112:HZ01044:

the votes:

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2012/roll208.xml

whew - both bachmann and west voted for it

those are the 2 amendments - here is the vote on the underlying bill (BILL TITLE: Making appropriations for the Departments of Commerce and Justice, Science, and Related Agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2013, and for other purposes)

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2012/roll249.xml

both west and bachmann voted for it

republican yeas 224
republican nays 8
democrap yeas 23
democrap nays 155

[sloop]

the third vote they highlight is to reauthorize the export/import bank

H.R.2072
Latest Title: Export-Import Bank Reauthorization Act of 2012

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d112:HR02072:@@@S

the vote:

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2012/roll224.xml

republican yeas 147
republican nays 93
democrap yeas 183
democrap nays 0

west voted not to reauthorize it - bachmann did not vote

[HonestConservative]

I too am skeptical of cato, but I made ya look didn’t I?

So you do know that WEst voted for the Pigford Amendment right? He also voted to raise the dept ceiling and voted to keep free clinics open in Florida under Obamacare.

[HonestConservative]

Horse hockey

The American people were four square behind shutting down the government. Who gives a damn. All SSDI and SS and vets pay etc., are payed automatically without continuing resolutions. This is why the corruption goes on, the left gives the right the excuse and Boehner is too happy to take the bait.

This is the bs they sell and too many buy it.

[HonestConservative]

He has received more than one message from me.

He made a comment as to Geo. Zimmermans guilt right out of the shoot.

He made a comment as to the urinating marines guilt right out of the shoot.

He made a comment about the faux BOLS data without knowing what they realy are.

There are times when a man can and should walk passed the microphone without comment.

I could go on.

[Fledermaus]

Exactly. And the GOP wants us to give them the Senate so McConnell and wussify that chamber too like Boehner has done to the House?

[HonestConservative]

I can’t remember was that a debt ceiling vote he caved on immediately?

[HonestConservative]

Happier Times my friend!

[HonestConservative]

Who knew? Do I regret my support? No why would I. Will he spend time defending these votes? As well he damn well should.