This will be my third message on this subject to my Congressman, Robert Dold (R), IL-10.
Dear Congressman Dold:
Now that the voters of the Illinois Tenth Congressional District have turned you out after your one term in Congress as a Republican, a Democrat replaces you in January. That doesn't mean you have to become irrelevant or that you cannot still do the right thing on what could be your finest legacy. How many times have you said that you believe that cutting taxes is good for growth? So, you know in your heart that cutting the federal income tax rates on all income below $250,000 per household is the right thing to do and a very Republican thing to do.
Sign the discharge petition to bring the Senate's tax cut bill to the House floor for an up or down vote. Do the right thing. Leave a legacy that can boost your standing in future Illinois politics.
I don't believe bull crap like low taxes = more growth, of course. The point is that Mr. Dold does and so do Republicans in general. I do believe, as should Mr. Dold, what President Obama believes.
According to PBO today, taking the additional withholding from America's middle class and working families that will kick in when the lower level Bush Tax Cuts automatically expire, will immediately start sucking $200 Billion out of the consumer economy, dealing a body blow to national consumption and production:
Obviously, it would also have an impact on our economy, because if this family has a couple of thousand dollars less to spend, that translates into $200 billion of less consumer spending next year. And that’s bad for businesses large and small. It’s bad for our economy. It means less folks are being hired, and we can be back in a downward spiral instead of the kind of virtuous cycle that we want to see.
Goodbye fragile recovery.
I'm hoping that Republicans Lame Ducks might be some of the most vulnerable members, to arguments that they should support something they know in their hearts is the right thing to do, especially for Republicans like themselves. Even moran's like Allen West would understand that, though he's probably too far gone to base any vote on objective truth, common sense, consistency, rationality or any other element of sanity.
But there are 39 other Lame Duck Republicans, including my guy, Dold. I'll post their names and districts out in the tall grass. Pick one or two and send them something on this. Then come back and comment.
Thanks for pitching in.
LIST OF LAME DUCK REPUBLICANS IN THE 112TH CONGRESS
Note that this list has been updated based upon corrections suggested in comments to my previous Discharge Petition diaries. Further corrections are welcome.
Retired Republicans
1.Arizona's 6th congressional district: Jeff Flake: To run for the U.S. Senate.[31]
2.California's 2nd congressional district: Wally Herger[32]
3.California's 24th congressional district: Elton Gallegly[33]
4.California's 26th congressional district: David Dreier[34]
5.California's 41st congressional district: Jerry Lewis[35]
6.Florida's 14th congressional district: Connie Mack IV: To run for the U.S. Senate.[36]
7.Illinois's 15th congressional district: Tim Johnson[37]
8.Indiana's 5th congressional district: Dan Burton[38]
9.Indiana's 6th congressional district: Mike Pence: To run for Governor of Indiana.[39]
10.Missouri's 2nd congressional district: Todd Akin: To run for the U.S. Senate.[40]
for renomination due to fraudulent signatures.[41]
11.Montana's At-large congressional district: Denny Rehberg: To run for the U.S. Senate.[42]
12.New York's 9th congressional district: Bob Turner: To run for the U.S. Senate.[43]
13.North Carolina's 9th congressional district: Sue Myrick[44]
14.North Dakota's At-large congressional district: Rick Berg: To run for the U.S. Senate.[45]
15.Ohio's 7th congressional district: Steve Austria[46]
16.Ohio's 14th congressional district: Steve LaTourette[47]
17.Pennsylvania's 19th congressional district: Todd Russell Platts[48]
18.Texas's 14th congressional district: Ron Paul: To run for U.S. President.[49]
Primary and Redistricting Losers
19.Arizona's 6th congressional district: Ben Quayle: lost a redistricting race and lost August 28, 2012 to fellow incumbent David Schweikert
20.Florida's 3rd congressional district: Cliff Stearns: redistricted from the August 14, 2012 to challenger Ted Yoho
21.Florida's 7th congressional district: Sandy Adams: lost a redistricting race and lost August 14, 2012 to fellow incumbent John Mica
22.Illinois's 16th congressional district: Don Manzullo: lost a redistricting race March 20, 2012 to fellow incumbent Adam Kinzinger
23.Ohio's 2nd congressional district: Jean Schmidt: lost March 6, 2012 to challenger Brad Wenstrup
24.Oklahoma's 1st congressional district: John A. Sullivan: lost June 26, 2012 to challenger Jim Bridenstine.
General Election Loses to Democrats
25.California's 7th congressional district: Dan Lungren lost to Ami Bera
26.California's 36th congressional district: Mary Bono Mack lost to Raul Ruiz
27.California's 52nd congressional district: Brian Bilbray lost to Scott Peters
28.Florida's 18th congressional district: Allen West lost to Patrick Murphy
29.Florida's 26th congressional district: David Rivera lost to Joe Garcia
30.Illinois's 8th congressional district: Joe Walsh lost to Tammy Duckworth
31.Illinois's 10th congressional district: Robert Dold lost to Brad Schneider
32.Illinois's 11th congressional district: Judy Biggert lost to Bill Foster
33.Illinois's 17th congressional district: Bobby Schilling lost to Cheri Bustos
34.Maryland's 6th congressional district: Roscoe Bartlett lost to John K. Delaney
35.Minnesota's 8th congressional district: Chip Cravaack lost to Rick Nolan
36.New Hampshire's 1st congressional district: Frank Guinta lost to Carol Shea-Porter
37.New Hampshire's 2nd congressional district: Charles Bass lost to Ann Kuster
38.New York's 18th congressional district: Nan Hayworth lost to Sean Patrick Maloney
39.New York's 25th congressional district: Ann Marie Buerkle lost to Dan Maffei
40.Texas's 23rd congressional district: Quico Canseco lost to Pete Gallego