Comments on: NPR praises former Rep. for “voting her conscience” instead of representing her district

By: kmnorthon

kmnorthon — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 02:39:14 +0000

Certainly the timing of this "story" cannot be ignored, just days before the doomsday health care reform vote.

By: Ganymede

Ganymede — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 02:29:04 +0000

He didn't have to! His lies and Rove's lies and manipulation did a good job in taking us on the road to hell and perdition. That's why even the American people had enough and kicked these jailbirds out of office.

By: Thalpy

Thalpy — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 17:59:06 +0000

Capitalism works irrespective of intent because people benefit from others' work, and that benefit isn't as one-sided as most progressives would suggest. President Bush made countless economic errors throughout his Presidency, but he did not intend to implement totalitarian rule in the United States.

By: IntheKnowOG

IntheKnowOG — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 17:58:01 +0000

"…and vote according to his wisdom." This is of course assuming that he ran a campaign espousing his intentions regarding such? It is very easy for a liberal to run on a platform of platitudes because of the complicit, slow pitch media.

By: IntheKnowOG

IntheKnowOG — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 17:42:17 +0000

NIce self-fulfilling prophecy. I'm glad to have obliged ya' with the thumbs down. Not because you said so though, because its my choice, My Choice! Oh Nooooooo……..

By: glpage

glpage — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 17:33:51 +0000

Oh, let's consider the elections in 2006 and 2008. I guess we are to assume the Republicans who lost their seats in those elections were voted out because their constituents just couldn't stand them voting so consistently for what the populace wanted.

Oh well, don't be sad, someone gave thought to your inane comments.

By: PaulMCooper

PaulMCooper — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 15:44:52 +0000

A short and perfect example of a consistent problem that is out there right now. Good job!

By: Marty in NC

Marty in NC — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 11:39:53 +0000

The key phrase in you post is "studying the bills". How many of these representatives can truly exercise their judgment over polled opinion when they haven't even read the health care bill? Aren't they really just substituting their faction/party/clique/cronies opinions for their constituents opinions with their purported erudite "judgment" be damned?

You can polish a road apple all day long and it still won't taste any better.

By: stacy

stacy — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 05:21:55 +0000

I heard this interview on NPR. I loved the spin that makes her look like a hero for sacrificing her seat for her principles. I bet a clip of this audio went out to every member of the House and Senate- do you think they are being made "an offer they can't refuse"?

By: Steverino

Steverino — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 04:24:06 +0000

I'm not particularly scandalized by a Congress member voting his/her conscience instead of taking a poll of constituents. If the constituents don't like their representative's voting patterns, they can vote him/her out of office, or even issue a recall.

There's a scene in the movie "1776" where Dr. Lyman Hall of Georgia talks to John Adams after hours. He said (or words to this effect), "I'm sorry if I startled you. I couldn't sleep. In trying to resolve my dilemma I remembered something I'd once read, "that a representative owes the People not only his industry, but his judgment, and he betrays them if he sacrifices it to their opinion. It was written by Edmund Burke, a member of the British Parliament."

The whole point to representation is to have someone in the government studying the bills and their effects, and vote according to his wisdom. The last thing I want to see in Washington is a spineless representative who casts his vote according to the latest poll.