Alright Folks, Explain Yourselves!

The following 7 Democratic Representatives voted to support Bush’s veto:

Barrow (D-GA)
Boren (D-OK)
Davis, Lincoln (D-TN)
Marshall (D-GA)
Matheson (D-UT)
McNulty (D-NY)
Taylor (D-MI)

Asking them why is a reasonable request.  

Each of these representatives should have to explain why they voted to support the president.  Their explanations must be better than simply saying, "I’m in a close district."

We’re in a battle to save lives, dollars, and our world reputation.  The American people are almost 2-1 in favor of the setting up benchmarks and/or a timetable for Iraq.  It’s not like the people have just taken this position either.  This bill is overdue.  

How far we’ve come since that awful pro-war vote before the 2002 mid-term elections.  The current bill sent to Bush can set up the Republicans just like they set us up in 2002.  In other words, we’re going to be able to throw these votes back in their faces come election time.  But that effectiveness is weakened by each Democrat that votes to support the president.  Each time that happens it gives Republicans another arrow to sling at us in their inevitable attempt to justify their actions as being "bipartisan".

This truly is life or death, and for that reason, politics should not be considered.  The question to the seven is: do you really think Bush is
right on this issue?  

[Update: It's interesting only 2 Republicans voted against with the majority.  There must be more of them that are in districts where a majority of people stand with the democrats on this issue.  Yet, Republicans fell in line better than 7 Democrats.  I'm just wondering why that is.]

•  Americans overwhelmingly want to end this war.

  Why are they defying the will of the people?

  by Scout Finch on Wed May 02, 2007 at 01:19:14 PM PDT

  •  Battle between

    will of "the people" and will of their particular constituents?

    by FleetAdmiralJ on Wed May 02, 2007 at 01:32:41 PM PDT

•  Four Words, Red State Swing Districts

  Doesn't excuse it, just explains it.

  by Mahler3 on Wed May 02, 2007 at 01:24:20 PM PDT

  •  WIth The exception of McNulty of course n/t

    by Mahler3 on Wed May 02, 2007 at 01:26:23 PM PDT

  •  NY and MI aren't exactly Red states n/t

    by Deadicated Marxist on Wed May 02, 2007 at 01:30:22 PM PDT

    •  Taylor is from Mississippi, not Michigan.

      by tigercourse on Wed May 02, 2007 at 01:31:19 PM PDT

      •  Whoops!

        Good call.

        by Deadicated Marxist on Wed May 02, 2007 at 01:31:57 PM PDT

    •  so you KNOW those districts?

      or are you just bloviatin' ...

      by wystler on Wed May 02, 2007 at 01:37:12 PM PDT

      •  I know

        What Bush stands for.  All I asked for was an explanation for why they voted the way they did.  If that's bloviating, then I guess I am.

        by Deadicated Marxist on Wed May 02, 2007 at 01:39:27 PM PDT

•  I like how you dismiss

  being in a close district as being a viable reason.

  That is especially the case for both Georgia Representatives, given that they were the two closest Dems to being defeated in 2006, Marshall especially so.

  I don't know about anyone else, but I know that Davis is easily the most conservative democrat in the delegation from Tennessee.

  by FleetAdmiralJ on Wed May 02, 2007 at 01:32:08 PM PDT

•  Here is McNulty's rationale for voting no ...

  ...earlier on the legislation itself:

  In the spring of 1970, during my first term as Town Supervisor of Green Island, I testified against the War in Vietnam at a Congressional Field Hearing in Schenectady, New York.

  Several months after that testimony, my brother, HM3 William F. McNulty, a Navy Medic, was killed in Quang Nam Province.

  I have thought -- many times since then -- that if President Nixon had listened to the voices of reason back then, my brother Bill might still be alive.

  As a Member of Congress today, I believe that the Iraq War will eventually be recorded as one of the biggest blunders in the history of warfare.

  In October of 2002, I made a huge mistake in voting to give this President the authority to take military action in Iraq. I will not compound that error by voting to authorize this war's continuation.

  On the contrary, I will do all that is within my power to end this war, to bring our troops home, and to spare other families the pain that the McNulty family has endured every day since August 9th, 1970.

  I presume he's maintaining the same point of view in his unwillingness to override the veto, even though he disagrees with Bush's reasons for exercising the veto.

  by Meteor Blades on Wed May 02, 2007 at 02:00:50 PM PDT