These GOP Representatives think you are idiots UPDATED

One of the classic stunts in Washington is to vote for and against a bill. While [mc_name name=’Sen. John Kerry (D-MA)’ chamber=’senate’ mcid=’K000148′ ] made “voting for it before voting against it” famous, he is by no means the only practitioner. Bob Dole was eviscerated because his voting record was replete with instances of him taking both sides on a position.

When the House of Representatives grabbed its collective ankles on Tuesday and let [mc_name name=’Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV)’ chamber=’senate’ mcid=’R000146′ ] have his way with it there were two votes. The second, we reported on here, passed a “clean” appropriations bill allowing Obama to proceed with his now legal and Congressionally sanctioned amnesty program. It passed with 167 GOP votes against. This looks real good, doesn’t it?

My colleague Thomas Crown (follow him on Twitter) observed in an email that he wondered if Boehner had allowed GOP members whose constituents would be outraged to make a safe vote against the appropriation bill.

As it turned out that was the case. The preceding roll call vote, which would have tabled the Senate bill, failed with 140 GOP votes. So 27 GOP Representatives joined the Democrats in voting to consider the Senate bill, then they switched sides to vote against the bill so the rubes in their districts would think they have voted for the people rather than for the Chamber of Commerce and [mc_name name=’Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV)’ chamber=’senate’ mcid=’R000146′ ] and Barack Obama.

After doing the bidding of the House leadership and voting with the Democrats to bring the Senate bill to the floor, they were then able to issue fierce press releases to the rubes in their districts like this:

U.S. [mc_name name=’Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO)’ chamber=’house’ mcid=’L000569′ ] (MO-03) issued the following statement after the House of Representatives passed the Senate-amended Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act:

“Six weeks ago, I supported legislation that would fully fund the Department of Homeland Security while ensuring that funding for the president’s executive amnesty program was prohibited. After weeks of obstruction by Senate Democrats, first to debating the House bill, and then to convening a conference committee with the House to work out differences with the Senate, the House today voted on the Senate’s DHS funding bill. I opposed this bill, because it did not prohibit funding for the president’s unconstitutional executive actions. The fight to uphold our Constitution now moves to the courts. A federal judge in Texas has already issued an injunction to stop the president’s unconstitutional executive actions, and it is my hope that the courts will permanently end this program before it can be implemented.”

and

Ryan Zinke Votes Against Executive Amnesty, Vows to Defend Montanans from a “Lawless President, Drunk on the Power of His Pen”

(WASHINGTON) March 3, 2015 – Today Montana Congressman Ryan Zinke voted against President Obama’s unconstitutional executive amnesty by voting no on the Senate Amendment to H.R. 240 which would extend funding to DHS and permit funding for the President’s executive amnesty. According to a MSU Billings poll, 74 percent of Montanans believe the President’s executive amnesty is illegal.

The following statement is from Rep. Zinke.

“Today I voted to uphold my oath to defend the Constitution and protect the American people from a lawless president, drunk on the power of his pen. Since the day I was sworn in to office, I voted for every single measure to legally continue funding the Department of Homeland Security. However, Democrats in the Senate and House were more concerned with paying for President Obama’s unconstitutional executive amnesty than actually keeping our homeland safe. The president has said 22 times that he did not have the authority to implement executive amnesty and federal courts agreed. I will continue to fight for Montana, defend the Constitution and secure Homeland.”

These are the people who think you are stupid. They think they can vote with Boehner and with the Democrats on stripping Congress of its ability to govern immigration and hand that power to Barack Obama and you will be too stupid to notice:

[mc_name name=’Rep. Mark Amodei (R-NV)’ chamber=’house’ mcid=’A000369′ ] NV-2 @MarkAmodeiNV2
[mc_name name=’Rep. Mike Conaway (R-TX)’ chamber=’house’ mcid=’C001062′ ] TX-11 @ConawayTX11
[mc_name name=’Rep. Paul Cook (R-CA)’ chamber=’house’ mcid=’C001094′ ] CA-8 @RepPaulCook
[mc_name name=’Rep. Kevin Cramer (R-ND)’ chamber=’house’ mcid=’C001096′ ] ND-at large @RepKevinCramer
[mc_name name=’Rep. Rick Crawford (R-AR)’ chamber=’house’ mcid=’C001087′ ] AR-1 @RepRickCrawford
[mc_name name=’Rep. Ander Crenshaw (R-FL)’ chamber=’house’ mcid=’C001045′ ] FL-4 @AnderCrenshaw
[mc_name name=’Rep. Stephen Fincher (R-TN)’ chamber=’house’ mcid=’F000458′ ] TN-8 @RepFincherTN08
Glenn Grothman WI-6 @RepGrothman
David Joyce OH-14 @RepDaveJoyce