US Rep. Nick Rahall(D-WV): I supported Bush more than Obama (More Dem Panic)

The Hill ^ | 3-12-2014 | Russell Berman

[smoothsailing]

March 12, 2014

Rahall: I supported Bush more than Obama

Russell Berman

A longtime House Democrat in electoral jeopardy this fall says he supported former President George W. Bush more than President Obama.

Rep. Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.), first elected in 1976, is a top target of Republicans in a state where Obama has long been deeply unpopular. He is facing a state senator, Evan Jenkins, who switched to the GOP to challenge him, and the House Democratic campaign committee recently added him to its “Frontline” list of members that need the most help saving their seat in November.

“There’s no question my critics try to blame Obama-Rahall for everything,” Rahall told The Hill. “I mean, the snow blitz that’s coming tonight is probably Obama-Rahall’s fault. And they won’t have that to do two years from now, so it’s obvious they’re leaving no stone unturned to defeat me this time. Because it’s the last time they’ll have Obama around! It’s that simple.”

Obama’s national approval rating fell to the lowest of his presidency, 41 percent, in an NBC-Wall Street Journal poll released Wednesday. In West Virginia, however, it is much lower. A Gallup study released in January found that during 2013, an average of just 25 percent of West Virginians approved of the president’s performance.

Rahall acknowledged that Obama was deeply unpopular in his district, and he quickly ticked off a half dozen policies where the two have disagreed: coal, trade, immigration, abortion, gun control and the conduct of Attorney General Eric Holder, who Rahall voted to hold in contempt. “That’s just off the top of my head,” he said.

“I will support him when he’s good for West Virginia, and I will oppose him when he’s bad for West Virginia,” Rahall said.

Asked if Obama had been good for West Virginia overall, he replied, “Probably not.”

“I probably have supported George Bush more than I have Barack Obama,” Rahall said. “Am I going to switch parties because of that? No. I’m a Democrat, born a Democrat, am a Democrat and will die a Democrat.”

Rahall spoke a day after Democrats lost a hard-fought special election race in Florida that centered on the president’s policies and the healthcare law.

He downplayed the significance of the result, saying it did not impact how he would run his race this fall.

On ObamaCare, Rahall said he has called on Republicans to work with Democrats to fix it without demanding its outright repeal.

“I don’t think I need to call for more fixes,” he said. “I think I need to call for more bipartisanship from the other side, instead of just repeal, repeal, repeal. Because that’s not going to fix anything.

“I have always said in my 38 years here I have never seen a perfect law, and the [Affordable Care Act] is not a perfect law. But it’s not going to be repealed. Not now. Not never. So let’s face reality, my friends, and let’s try to work together to fix it," Rahall added.

Jenkins on Tuesday highlighted a GOP poll showing him with a 14-point lead over Rahall, 54 percent to 40 percent. Rahall laughed it off. “My poll does not show that, I guarantee you,” he said, without specifying numbers.

He pointed to outside conservative groups that have targeted him with ads and said voters are “getting tired” of the negative commercials. Help from Democratic fund-raisers in Washington, he said, is on its way. “Because of the tactics being employed by the other side, that is coming hand over fist every day now,” Rahall said.

The National Republican Congressional Committee dismissed Rahall’s bid to distance himself from Obama, citing his support for Democratic budget proposals and the original healthcare law in 2010.

“If Nick Rahall is looking to blame someone for his problems he should look in the mirror,” NRCC spokesman Ian Prior said. “His support of Obama certainly isn’t going to help him, but its Rahall’s own record of voting against West Virginia’s economic interests that is going to sink him in November.”

[Rome2000]

But it’s not going to be repealed. Not now. Not never. So let’s face reality, my friends, and let’s try to work together to fix it," Rahall added.

Degenerate MF.

No more Congress for him.

Lot's of Bolsheviks like this asswipe are going to be purged come November.

[RightGeek]

Still kissed Nancy Pelosi’s butt

[RightGeek]

http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/rep-nick-rahall-i-dont-regret-voting-obamacare_767921.html#

[nickcarraway]

As if you can tell the difference.

[re_nortex]

Martin Dies.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Dr. Larry McDonald of Georgia. The one killed in the downing of the KAL Flight 007 in 1982. He’d make most Conservative Republicans today look like a bunch of leftist pantywaists.

[Olog-hai]

He doesn’t seem to have been too correct about Shirley Temple, or at least his commission.

[Olog-hai]

How many conservative Republicans are there today? And I don’t mean those that call themselves conservative, and are not, but do lie and are a synagogue of liberalism.

How conservative was the ACU back then? They were giving McDonald perfect scores. I get a little nervous when Ron Paul called McDonald “the most principled man in Congress”, too.

Wikipedia paints a surprisingly flattering portrait of McDonald as a near-perfect conservative, I have to say (yes, them; they seem to find nothing wrong with him in terms of being conservative, aside from criticizing him from being anti-forced-integration).

[PA Engineer]

“I have always said in my 38 years here I have never seen a perfect law, and the [Affordable Care Act] is not a perfect law. But it’s not going to be repealed. Not now. Not never. So let’s face reality, my friends, and let’s try to work together to fix it," Rahall added.

Unrepentant. Burn.

[re_nortex]

You've shown yourself to astute and it's surprising that you bought that scurrilous lie from a leftist from the socialist BBC.

No, Congress Did Not Debate Whether Shirley Temple Was A Communist

[fieldmarshaldj]

I have to laugh when you hear media references claim the Republicans/Tea Partiers, et al, are the most “right-wing ever” ! I think it is very clear that compared to 30 years ago when McDonald was in Congress, there has been a horrendous overall lurch to the left. I think all but your most Stalinistic members of the time would be shocked at how left-wing both the parties have moved, both socially and fiscally.

At one time, Orrin Hatch was considered one of the good guys, but the fella running in 1976 against an entrenched Democrat Senator would scarcely recognize the man on the cusp of becoming President Pro Tempore of that body in 2015.

Unfortunately, the ACU itself has become a parody and probably gives a heads-up to certain members on a few key votes to make it look like the McCains and Grahams and even Hatches of the body appear to still be on the right’s straight and narrow.

To answer your question, how many truly Conservative members (all GOP today, of course, since your most Conservative Democrat, probably Mike McIntyre of North Carolina, is closer to the liberal wing than to the right) are in Congress ? Very very few. Possibly not even 10% of the entire caucus. In the Senate alone, there may be only 5 or less (and Rand Paul, sometimes cited as one, is too flaky to truly be considered that). There may actually only be just two... Cruz and Mike Lee. Here in Tennessee, a Conservative state, our two most Conservative House members in the past decade were David Davis, who served only a single term before chicanery on the part of his primary opponent, Phil Roe, who used Dem voters to get him the GOP nod, since we’re an open primary state. The other is the current member Scott DesJarlais, who is in serious trouble because of some personal problems stemming from bad decisions well over a decade ago, and probably will not see him win a 3rd term this year.

We’re stuck with 2 Senators who rank near the bottom of the GOP caucus (as in most liberal). It’s shameful.

[Prince of Space]

What’s up with West Virginia and their career politicians? Are there no other jobs there besides politics?

[funfan]

Same three questions I had and in the same order.

[Olog-hai]

Thanks for clearing that up. I’ll have to put that one down to my nasty bump on the head I got earlier today . . . the lies never stop, do they? No surprise that they’d go after the HUAC like that.

[re_nortex]

No problem. I agree with the key point you're making but, at least to me, Martin Dies was an exceptional Democrat. I may be biased because he was a Conservative Christian and a Texan. In case you may have missed it, check out my post from a very interesting thread from a few days ago. And thanks much for the courtesy of a most kind response, FRiend!

[Olog-hai]

BTW, the info about Samuel Dickstein at that link was quite telling. Lots of Soviet moles in the HUAC, and they succeeded in bringing it down.

[98ZJ USMC]

Lot's of Bolsheviks like this asswipe are going to be purged come November.

God, hear this prayer. I know things look positive, but....

that's why I am praying. Thank you.

[Olog-hai]

Not to mention that militant atheism and communism have always gone hand in hand. A read of the USSR’s constitutions over the years shows how they promoted state atheism and gave it political preference.

In order to ensure to citizens freedom of conscience, the church in the USSR is separated from the state, and the school from the church. Freedom of religious worship and freedom of antireligious propaganda is recognized for all citizens.
— 1936 “Stalin Constitution”, Article 124

Citizens of the USSR are guaranteed freedom of conscience, that is, the right to profess or not to profess any religion, and to conduct religious worship or atheistic propaganda. Incitement of hostility or hatred on religious grounds is prohibited.* In the USSR, the church is separated from the state, and the school from the church.
— 1977 “Brezhnev Constitution”, Article 52

* Take note that incitement of hatred and/or hostility on atheistic grounds was not prohibited.

[metalurgist]

I’m a Democrat, born a Democrat, am a Democrat and will die a Democrat.” I hope it's soon and that you take your like minded brethren with you. I'm sick of you scum.

[re_nortex]

BTW, the info about Samuel Dickstein at that link was quite telling. Lots of Soviet moles in the HUAC, and they succeeded in bringing it down.

Another name that too often flies under the radar and is mention in that link is Frances Perkins.

In addition to smearing the work of the HUAC, as Martin Dies pointed out, she was responsible for the minimum wage laws which have crippled American business since their enactment. Of course, FDR is a name well-known and rightfully despised by anyone who truly loves America and our God-given liberty. But it was his so-called "brain trust" that implemented (and often conceived) the programs that led to the socialism of the New Deal. I have done a lot of research concerning her and I don't say this lightly, but Frances Perkins may truly be among the most evil women of the 20th Century.