Just in case you hadn't gotten the idea yet that Arizona Republicans are way off on the right end of the political spectrum, even to the extent that they are way beyond the mainstream of conservatives,
Today the house voted 403-12 to extend unemployment benefits for fourteen more weeks (plus six more in states with the highest unemployment.) This is a no-brainer with unemployment poised to break 10%, and the house action follows a 98-0 Senate vote.
Among the conservative members of the house who followed the unanimous vote of the Senate were John Boehner, Michele Bachmann, Marsha Blackburn, Dan Burton, Eric Cantor, Duncan Hunter, Peter King, Mike Pence, Jeanne Schmidt and Joe Wilson.
Not exactly a list of bleeding-heart liberals there.
In fact, the three Republicans in the Arizona delegation-- all three of them-- Jeff Flake, Trent Franks and John Shadegg-- showed that they are way more conservative than even the rest of the house GOP by providing fully one fourth of the 'no' votes.
In Arizona, the most extreme views that are held anywhere else are unfortunately the 'party line' view held by many if not most of our GOP elected officials. Today's vote once again puts the extreme conservatism of Arizona Republicans on display for everyone to see.
2 comments:
View the change in Arizona Unemployment Trends over the last six months using Heat Maps:
Arizona Unemployment this month (BLS data):
http://www.localetrends.com/st/az_arizona_unemployment.php?MAP_TYPE=curr_ue
versus Arizona Unemployment levels siz months ago:
http://www.localetrends.com/st/az_arizona_unemployment.php?MAP_TYPE=m12_ue
MickeyWhite:
How is that stuff unconstitutional? Even the ones there I disagree strongly with (like the medicare prescription drug 'benefit' which was actually a trillion dollar sop to the pharmaceutical companies) I don't see how any of it is 'unconstitutional.' The Constitution gives Congress the right to create the budget and spend money in any way it sees fit (in fact there is no balanced-budget provision so it can even Constitutionally spend money it doesn't have.) Congress also has the right to ratify (or for that matter not ratify) treaties that the executive branch has entered into.
Even stuff that Congress passes that I disagree with, I don't believe is in general unconstitutional (though the Patriot Act comes close.) However if something is truly unconstitutional then it can be appealed into the court decision to try and get it thrown out.
However, it is interesting to see someone who is presumably a conservative living in Marsha Blackburn's district and still claiming that she is too liberal. This is the kind of thing that I predict will continue-- the Republican party continuing to tear itself to bits over ideological purity.
Maybe once you get rid of everyond but yourself you will have a completely pure party.
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