Today’s “disapproval” resolution in the House was overwhelmingly a party line vote. But not entirely so. And I actually found the roll call list oddly inspiring because the folks who didn’t vote with their party were not, in most cases, responding to obvious political imperatives.
So for example on the Democratic side, you had twelve Dems voting against. And those included Bill Delahunt (MA), Jim McDermott (WA) and Dennis Kucinich (OH). Not sure Kucinich surprises me that much. But whatever. Among those voting present — sort of a silent protest — was Barney Frank (MA). Interestingly, of the 17 Dems who voted ‘no’ or ‘present’, 5 were from New York state.
Then on the Republican side, seven voted in favor of the resolution. Whatever his heart of hearts told him Joseph Cao (LA) had an obvious political rationale. He represents the overwhelming Democratic and African-American 2nd District and only won it last year because he was running against the already-disgraced Bill Jefferson. But then you have the very conservative Jeff Flake (AZ), Wilson’s South Carolina colleague Bob Inglis — also very conservative but has already shown his disapproval of tea party freakery — and even Dana Rohrabacher (CA). I’ll confess, I didn’t see that last one coming.
See how others voted here.
