Rep. Massa To His Constituents: Drop Dead
Citizens in the 29th District of New York should pay attention to this video (hat tip Washington Times):
On the heels of the president of the United States saying he doesn’t want to hear from those who oppose his Stalinist plans, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives calling those “well-dressed” people who stand up against the statist take-over of the health care industry Nazis, comes now a Representative who intends and brags that he’s going to vote against what his constituency wants.
To give the hapless Congressman a break, I think his reiteration, that he “will vote against their opinion” is probably what he meant to say when he at first said he “will vote adamantly against the interests” of his district. But isn’t that bad enough?
I guess it’s for the “right wing” people of Canandaigua and Hornell to decide. One-term Congressman? Looks like it to me!
-Nick (ColoradoPatriot, from HQ)
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Over 90% of the gay population in the United States supported Obama for President. I live near the Bay Area in S.F. California and the gay communities in S.F. as well as the surrounding areas heavilysupport Obama for President. I couldn’t understand the support as Obama had clearly stated that he believed that marriage was betwen a man and a woman, but had also had mentioned that he would stop the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell military restriction. I for one was never able to get a handle on Obama’s position on gays. However, I do have a question for the gay community. Obama’s and the Democrat’s health plan for socialized medicine puts at risk the gay community. If cost will be an issue and “death” panels become part of his plan, the one of the hardest hit people will be those with Aids. The news media can talk about who had aids and who gets aids all day long – the reality the population that suffers the most from AIDs/HIV is the gay community (just check stats at the CDC website). Since AIDS/HIV is an incurable and very costly disease, how does the gay community feel about Obama now after putting so much heart and soul into his election…. Does anyone oout there in the gay community still believe all that hope and change crap?
Comment by cowgirl — August 17, 2009 @ 8:23 pm - August 17, 2009
Oh my goodness – another bad day for ColoradoPatriot on the philosphy front.
Ya see, my friend, ever since Edmund Burke explained this matter so eloquently, over 200 years ago (see quote below), it has been an article of faith, a guiding principle, of conservatism, that a representative MUST rely primarily on his own judgement, and by all means, NOT on the passions and opinions of his constituents, when representing them.
This is inherent in the very meaning of the word “republican” – and it is no coincidence that your party is call thusly. Your opponents are called “democrats” precisely because of their historic view that the people should rule, in an unfiltered manner possible – and thus their representatives MUST NOT try to think through problems and reach the best conclusions they can in their own mind, but rather must truly represent – i.e. rubber stamp – whatever the majority of voters want.
Burke:
“Certainly, gentlemen, it ought to be the happiness and glory of a representative to live in the strictest union, the closest correspondence, and the most unreserved communication with his constituents. Their wishes ought to have great weight with him; their opinion, high respect; their business, unremitted attention. It is his duty to sacrifice his repose, his pleasures, his satisfactions, to theirs; and above all, ever, and in all cases, to prefer their interest to his own. But his unbiassed opinion, his mature judgment, his enlightened conscience, he ought not to sacrifice to you, to any man, or to any set of men living. These he does not derive from your pleasure; no, nor from the law and the constitution. They are a trust from Providence, for the abuse of which he is deeply answerable. Your representative owes you, not his industry only, but his judgment; and he betrays, instead of serving you, if he sacrifices it to your opinion.”
You really are not any kind of a conservative, are you CP!
Comment by Tano — August 17, 2009 @ 8:36 pm - August 17, 2009
Tano: As simultaneously futile and exhausting as it will be, once I return from dinner with my dear friend (waiting for him at Steuben’s now), I’ll explain to you from where the name of the American political party “Republican” came, and how the concept of States’ Rights and Federalism battled during our Founding and how the issue of slavery played into its (the party’s) formation. Meantime, so you can keep up when I do, pick up a highschool civics book
Comment by ColoradoPatriot — August 17, 2009 @ 8:52 pm - August 17, 2009
“[I]t has been an article of faith, a guiding principle, of conservatism, that a representative MUST rely primarily on his own judgement, and by all means, NOT on the passions and opinions of his constituents, when representing them.”
It is the duty of the representative democratically voted into office to represent the will of the people by acting consistently with the platform on which he ran. Assuming Rep. Massa ran on a platform that included upholding the constitution, voting for socialized medicine is not consistent with this platform. What he is really saying, in not so many words, is that he will vote for socialized medicine if he thinks it’s best for the people, even if it is unconstitutional.
Comment by Scott Spiegel — August 17, 2009 @ 8:59 pm - August 17, 2009
CP,
Save yourself the trouble. Deal with the real issue. Do you really think that Rep. Massa is obligated to follow the opinions of his district if his considered judgment is that some other course is best for the country?
And please note – whether you agree with his considered judgment is not the issue here.
Comment by Tano — August 17, 2009 @ 9:19 pm - August 17, 2009
CP, by now we all know that by voting these clowns into positions of power, we become useless little pawns.
I tried to email him, but of course he only accepts mail from his constituents. I hope they heard him loud and clear and throw the bum out as soon as they possibly can.
We are not a direct democracy, we need our representatives to do exactly that, represent us. I am getting so fed up with the hubris and the arrogance of our ruling class. I think they are a little surprised by our blow back.
Comment by Leah — August 17, 2009 @ 9:33 pm - August 17, 2009
By Tano’s own definition, there’re no more democrats.
Comment by ThatGayConservative — August 17, 2009 @ 9:49 pm - August 17, 2009
By Tano’s own definition, there’re no more democrats.
He’s right. The democrat party has devolved into one of tyrannical little fascist thugs.
Comment by Annie — August 17, 2009 @ 10:12 pm - August 17, 2009
TGC,
If you note what I wrote, I said “historic view” – i.e. a tradition in which this value is present. In the real world, of course, both sides come into play. Politicians want to be reelected, so almost none are pure “republicans’ in the use-judgement sense. And all representatives will sometimes vote against their district’s opinions, even if through ignorance of what those views are. The difference comes down to a matter of degree – and which view one finds more important than the other.
For any conservative to criticize Massa, for articulating in a clear manner (except for saying interests instead of opinions before he corrected himself) a core conservative principle – is the height of opportunistic hypocrisy.
Comment by Tano — August 17, 2009 @ 10:17 pm - August 17, 2009
At HotAir, Doctor Zero correctly rips Obama’s latest pitch to pieces:
http://hotair.com/archives/2009/08/17/deconstructing-obama/
I think I’m in love.
Comment by ILoveCapitalism — August 17, 2009 @ 10:31 pm - August 17, 2009
If you note what I wrote, I said “historic view”
I read and noted it. In “historic view”, democrats are racist, sexist, bigot, anti-Semitic homophobes. Now they cover it up to get into power because they’d never win if they were actually honest. They tend to keep showing their true colors though.
Drop Dead
The same as Chairman Obama’s “prescription for America”: Take two blue pills (what the hell does your doctor know?) and drop dead in the morning.
Comment by ThatGayConservative — August 17, 2009 @ 10:56 pm - August 17, 2009
Tano, your question is actually a very easy one to answer. Can a Rep vote against the larger opinion of his of her district? Even against the interests of that Rep’s district for the larger picture?
Sure. I’ll bet it happens all the time. But you know what else happens, Tano? If a Rep supports a bill that is highly polarizing in their district, even against the interests of that Rep’s very constituents, and then labels the majority of those constituents as Right Wing Nazis, then said Rep is free to perform those acts as an elected Rep WHILE holding office.
Unless said Rep does something impeachable, nothing you can do but wait for the next election. This stuff will NOT look good in TV ads! So freedom? Yes! Without penalty? Umm, I don’t think so.
nuff said. Have a Nice Day 🙂
Comment by TheMadKingII — August 17, 2009 @ 11:01 pm - August 17, 2009
TGC,
Please do us all a favor and raise your game.
Comment by Tano — August 17, 2009 @ 11:03 pm - August 17, 2009
Tano,
Please do us all a favor and raise YOUR intellectually dishonest game.
Comment by ILoveCapitalism — August 17, 2009 @ 11:33 pm - August 17, 2009
Do me a favor and drop down, eighth ring, cook.
Your arrogant, smarter-than-thou game has run its course. You don’t read GPW’s (or anybody else for that matter) posts and then you come along with this arrogant, condescending BS. It’s old.
Comment by ThatGayConservative — August 18, 2009 @ 1:53 am - August 18, 2009
the Speaker of the House of Representatives calling those “well-dressed” people who stand up against the statist take-over of the health care industry Nazis
There are so many lies in this sentence it’s amazing the server doesn’t self-destruct under its own weight.
The protesters are not “stand[ing] up against” anything; they’re protesting phantom, mythological death panels and euthanasia plans; it’s like taking a firm stand against Narnia. How do you “stand up” against something that doesn’t exist?
The government isn’t taking over health care; it’s reforming and regulating insurance and providing a public option. If it were otherwise, wouldn’t Medicare and the VA, existing government-run health insurance options, mean we already had suffered a statist takeover of the healthcare industry? IF you do oppose government health care options, do you suggest a dismantling of Medicare and the VA?
Pelosi didn’t call them Nazis; she noted, quite correctly, that the protesters were bringing swastikas to Democratic rallies. She never said, “Those people are Nazis,” or even “Those people are like Nazis.” She said, “They are carrying swastikas.” They were. As we showed you photographic evidence for, on this blog. Do you feel that continuing to parrot this lie knowing the truth, while hiding behind some pathetic “my lie is ok because people were mean to Bush,” might say a lot about your character? What do you think your readers think?
We should change the old saw: lies, Republican health care propaganda, and statistics.
Comment by torrentprime — August 18, 2009 @ 2:00 am - August 18, 2009
You strained the server with that steaming pile.
How do you “stand up” against something that doesn’t exist?
How do you remove something that doesn’t exist?
it’s reforming and regulating insurance
One of the main problems in the first place.
wouldn’t Medicare and the VA, existing government-run health insurance options, mean we already had suffered a statist takeover of the healthcare industry?
Medicare, yes. The VA is a benefit of serving in the military. Both have colossal problems which goes without saying when the government tries to run things. Remember when liberals were bitching about Walter Reid a few years back? Do you propose the same for all Americans? Do you?
Medicare and Medicaid are rife with waste and fraud. Not to mention they don’t pay for everything and that cost gets passed on to folks with private insurance. That’s one of the reasons why insurance costs more. Why add another SNAFU into the mix?
Pelosi didn’t call them Nazis; she noted, quite correctly, that the protesters were bringing swastikas to Democratic rallies.
Which “rallies” would these be, then?
Do you feel that continuing to parrot this lie knowing the truth, while hiding behind some pathetic “my lie is ok because people were mean to Bush,” might say a lot about your character?
Do you think that continuing to parrot this lie knowing the truth, while hiding behind some pathetic “my lie is ok becuase people were mean to Dear Obama, blessed be his name,” might say a lot about whatever character you might have?
Eh, but all you’ve got is the “Current Truth” as dictated by the KOSholes and the Huffington Plaigerism. And I’m being generous guessing that you might have a shred of character.
Comment by ThatGayConservative — August 18, 2009 @ 4:52 am - August 18, 2009
“Ya see, my friend, ever since Edmund Burke explained this matter so eloquently, over 200 years ago (see quote below), it has been an article of faith, a guiding principle, of conservatism, that a representative MUST rely primarily on his own judgement, and by all means, NOT on the passions and opinions of his constituents, when representing them. ”
Tano,
Thank you for so eloquently supporting the decision of the previous administratation for going into Iraq. I am glad to see you coming around, even to the point of quoting Burke.
Comment by The Livewire — August 18, 2009 @ 6:38 am - August 18, 2009
IF you do oppose government health care options, do you suggest a dismantling of Medicare and the VA?
The VA, no, because the government is the person’s employer; it’s like retiree health benefits through a self-insurance plan.
But Medicare, certainly. Set up a system where people below a certain age have a choice; they can continue to have 3% deducted from every single paycheck in exchange for potential future coverage, or they can take a tax credit of 3% of their income and do as they will with it. Eventually we’ll get to the point where only people who have chosen to be in Medicare and have paid their premiums to it will be in it; those who have opted out will have their money available to them for private health care.
In short, let people choose. If Medicare is as superior as the leftists say it is, there shouldn’t be an issue. But I suspect that torrentprime’s screaming fit about it is based on the fact that he is counting on other people to be taxed for his medical care rather than taking responsibility for it himself.
Comment by North Dallas Thirty — August 18, 2009 @ 2:08 pm - August 18, 2009
Interesting post comparing and contrasting the townhall approaches of two Colorado congresscritters:
Comment by V the K — August 19, 2009 @ 7:02 am - August 19, 2009
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Save yourself the trouble. Deal with the real issue. Do you really think that Rep. Massa is obligated to follow the opinions of his district if his considered judgment is that some other course is best for the country?
I applaud Rep Massa for the courage to vote against the opinions of his district and to do what he thinks is right. That is my kind of politician.
However voting against constitutional principles helps his district understand what happens when you vote in a “principled” Democrat. You get bad (and many times unconstitutional) policy.
So I will applaud Rep. Massa as he becomes “Citizen” Massa after the next election, and someone more in line with conservative principles gets to take a shot at the job of legislating what is best for “we the people”. 🙂
Comment by Tony — August 20, 2009 @ 1:36 pm - August 20, 2009
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