If you think the headline is too negative, consider that it’s more than I can say for Eric Massa. Unlike Massa, Boucher seems to regret having voted for cap-and-tax:
U.S. Rep. Rick Boucher voted for cap-and-trade legislation but said he doesn’t endorse the House-passed version of the bill…
“I voted for it because I had to do that to be part of the process and to make the changes that have been made,” Boucher said of the bill that passed by a seven-vote margin in the House and is now being considered by the Senate…
What is driving his involvement, said Boucher, is the U.S. Supreme Court determined two years ago that greenhouse gases are pollutants.
“As a consequence of that decision, the Environmental Protection Agency is, for all intents and purposes, effectively required to regulate greenhouse gases, …” Boucher said. “The debate about whether or not we will have regulation is over. So the only question is will EPA regulate or … will we have congressional regulation that does balance economic effect against environmental effect? Given that choice, industry would rather have Congress do this. Industry needs and wants a bill to pass.”
There are a few things to note here. First off, I’m not sure that the White House will appreciate Boucher essentially arguing that he has to vote for a terrible, job-destroying bill because if he doesn’t, the Obama administration will really sock it to Virginia. Further, the way to stay relevant on Capitol Hill is by voting against a bill. I realize that Boucher has only been in Congress for 26 years, but it’s the sort of thing some Members realize in as little as a decade. If you vote for a bill, the sponsor tends to think he has your support; if you vote against it, he’s more likely to try to win you over.
But of course, Boucher really doesn’t believe what he’s telling his local press. He’s hoping they’re a bunch of rubes that don’t see through his fiction. We can tell that’s true because Boucher was a critical backer of the bill, whose work and support won others over, too:
“I want to give a shout out to Rick Boucher,” [Transortation Secretary Ray] LaHood said. “It was unclear going into the hearings how Rick was really going to vote on this. His support means a lot to the administration…
The House committee voted Thursday to pass the bill, based largely on compromises worked out by Boucher…
LaHood’s call underscores Boucher’s importance to the bill’s chances of passing. It also emphasizes just how much the congressman from Abingdon has stuck his neck out for President Obama.
And why did Boucher ‘stick his neck out’ for President Obama? Well, if you were getting stroked by the President, you might sell out your constituents, too:
“the president has personally told me several times how important he thinks my role is in this.”
If that doesn’t make thousands of his constituents feel better So what if the bill costs when they’re standing in the unemployment line then what will? They ought to be honored to be part of something bigger than themselves – a real sacrifice. Boucher won’t even have that, as his job has always been secure.
And if you’re paying attention, you might wonder whether Boucher’s attitude about the president’s agenda seems to have suddenly changed now that he may finally face a serious Republican opponent. It’s interesting to see what motivates people.
KnightsofMalta
Dan Spencer
Moe Lane
Steve Maley
Dan McLaughlin
Caleb Howe
what?
proudgop (Diary) Monday, August 31st at 11:17PM EST (link)“I voted for it because I had to do that to be part of the process and to make the changes that have been made,” Boucher said of the bill that passed by a seven-vote margin in the House and is now being considered by the Senate…
Mr Boucher really has been in DC too long if this is his reasoning
what next he sells us a van down by the river?
Sounds Like Judas
bc3 Monday, August 31st at 11:23PM EST (link)Didn’t he try togive back the 30 pieces of silver?
bc3
“the president has personally told me several times how important he thinks my role is in this.”
6eorge Jetson (Diary) Monday, August 31st at 11:32PM EST (link)Yeah, it was keeping you and three others from voting no which would have defeated it. Of course, simple math might be beyond your mental capacity.
Well some more Manure from the Jackasses
reginagroves424 (Diary) Tuesday, September 1st at 12:12AM EST (link)They don’t care about anyone but themselves and they always say that to us when it’s election time I am suprised The Coal Ming States haven’t declared war on Washington after OBAMA lied to them to get elected oh thats right I think it was CNN or MSNBC that said they were a lost cause I believe its when Diane Sawyer did her program.Let me tell you fat ass liberals or Republicans that support the destruction of the United States.
Not all people fro the Appalacias are ignorant and most of these people a good honest hard working people they have followed traditions for years the dads and there dads dads have worked in the mines for generations and they are trusting people,so it burns my ass when the politicans promise these people security and they think the mines are safe and there jobs are and then we have the energy bill and Cap and Trade another Killer for the United States and believe me not all people from those States are inbred or dumb to have Washington turn their noses up and snub these people is racist they lied to them and they lied to us snd still are this dude is not sorry for what he did but he is sorry. These people only try and cover their ass around election time other than that they throw manure all over us and lie lie lie.
Get rid of the soryy Jack asses they need to stop being the parisites of America and they are draing the life right out of you.Its election time and if the American People don’t stand they will be the slaves of the Government
REGINA GROVES
I'd like to believe that Boucher
TNJim (Diary) Tuesday, September 1st at 12:18AM EST (link)has finally realized that he threw the coal miners in his district under the bus by supporting Cap and Tax. I’d like to believe that…
I read this in the Times-News yesterday and just couldn’t believe the absurdity of the line
Yo, Rick, you didn’t think you’d be part of the process if you had voted against the bill?
proudgop’s right, he has been in DC too long, but I thought that years ago. But, I live in NE TN, not SW VA.
It's high time Boucher was given the boot!
azaeroprof (Diary) Tuesday, September 1st at 5:14AM EST (link)This character has been a disgrace to SW Virginia for a quarter century! Way back on Oct. 24, 1994, while a grad student at Virginia Tech, I actually had an editorial published in the Roanoke Times & World News calling for his ouster. Here’s a couple excerpts from that editorial that still ring true today:
“We have the opportunity here in Virginia’s 9th District to do something about this. In Rick Boucher, we have a perfect illustration of what is wrong with Congress today. The 9th is a large, primarily small-town and rural district. Southwestern Virginians for the most part hold dear the conservative principles on which this nation was founded. But because Boucher is adept at bringing pork home, we keep sending him back to Washington. This, despite the fact that his liberal views and particularly his liberal voting record couldn’t be more out of touch with the views of the majority of voters in the 9th District.”
…
“Despite this liberal voting record, he continues to be easily re-elected in a fairly conservative district. Why? Primarily because he brings the pork home. But to do this, he has to support similar pork spending for other congressmen. The result is that the National Taxpayer Union, the nation’s leading taxpayer watchdog group, rates him as one of the biggest spenders in Congress. In 1993, Boucher voted to increase spending in five out of every six opportunities.”
…
“So, if we in the 9th District of Virginia want to help clean up Congress, we have a golden opportunity this November. Let’s stop complaining about Congress, and start doing something about it. Let’s send someone to Washington who will uphold the values of Southwestern Virginians and who won’t make a living wasting taxpayer money. “Kick Rick” on Nov.8!”
On a side note, I also noted in my article Boucher’s support for the “infamous Clinton stimulus package, a $16 billion waste of taxpayer money”!! Geez, kind of makes one nostalgic for Bill Clinton, doesn’t it?
I thank God this guy is no longer my congressman, but the good folks of SW Virginia should “Kick Rick” in 2010!!
Well this tool is so stupid as to think his constituents..
JadedByPolitics (Diary) Tuesday, September 1st at 9:15AM EST (link)will buy his crap. He will be one of 8 Republicans who will be going home in 2010. The tool doesn’t get a RE-DO on this vote. He is one of 8 reasons why it is in the Senate. I hope he relives that vote over and over and over in the declining years of his life!
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Boucher is a Donk
MikeG (Diary) Tuesday, September 1st at 11:50AM EST (link)Rich Boucher is a Democrat. And his constituents have been buying his crap for a couple of decades.
TOAST
Dan Perrin (Diary) Tuesday, September 1st at 10:03AM EST (link)He is toast.
Wouldn't count on it
MikeG (Diary) Tuesday, September 1st at 12:07PM EST (link)Boucher’s district is chalk full of old Dixiecrats of the “yellow dog” variety. He’s been pretty much untouchable electorally for a good number of years by bringing home generous amounts of pork from DC and by making big noises about being pro-gun anytime an election rolls around.
He COULD be defeated in 2010, but only by a great, well-funded conservative candidate, who would need to start running pretty much RIGHT NOW to drum up the requisite name-recognition. In 2008 he wasn’t even opposed, in 2006 he got almost 68% of the vote, in 2004 over 59%, and in 2002 over 65% of the vote. Given that history, it will be quite a challenge to recruit any half-way decent candidate to run against him, especially on such short notice.
No, as far as Boucher goes, I think 2012 is a much more likely year to take back the VA-09.
Kowalski
MikeG (Diary) Tuesday, September 1st at 12:14PM EST (link)Oh, and I did just notice that Brian mentioned Terry Kilgore is opposing Boucher. Nice guy, but those of you with longer memories may remember his brother Jerry Kilgore, whose inept 2005 campaign handed the governorship to Tim Kaine. Just sayin’.
Global Warming is real, the Supreme Court said so...
kayfromcarroll Wednesday, September 2nd at 12:28AM EST (link)And the Supreme Court justices are all SCIENTISTS, right?
Yeah, I thought so….