Posted on 07/18/2004 12:56:30 PM PDT by mcar
Renzi takes a far-right turn
By SETH MULLER Sun Staff Reporter 07/18/2004
To understand the philosophical divide between U.S. Rep. Rick Renzi and top Democratic challenger Paul Babbitt, you don't have to look any farther than the blue flag that flies outside Babbitt's home in Flagstaff. It's the United Nations flag, featuring olive branches that wrap around a depiction of the globe. Babbitt displays it along with the U.S. flag off his front porch.
This stands in bold contrast with Renzi, the Flagstaff Republican who recently voted to end U.S. financial support of the U.N., which is estimated at $3 billion yearly. Renzi was one of 83 members to vote in favor of the amendment, which was defeated when 335 members voted no. Had the measure passed, it would have effectively withdrawn the United States from the U.N.
"Our relationship with the U.N. is problematic. American taxpayers contribute more to the United Nations than all of the other member nations combined," Renzi told the Daily Sun. "While I support the need for U.S. engagement on the international diplomatic level, American national security is not a matter of international consensus, and I will not support any measure that cedes the sovereignty of the United States to unelected, international bureaucrats."
According to Greg Speed with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, that position represents a viewpoint generally held by far-right members of Congress.
"It's such a small fringe of the Republicans in Congress that support that," Speed said of the U.N. vote. "I think it speaks to a commitment to a very conservative fringe ideology."
Babbitt said the U.N. is about much more than U.S. national security.
"The United Nations has been a positive force in keeping the peace around the world, and has had a major role in ending many conflicts," he said in a prepared statement. "They have also done much to alleviate problems in developing countries including improving health care and child malnutrition. Believing that the U.S. should end its support of the U.N. reveals the same go-it-alone arrogance that got us embroiled in Iraq."
THE IDEOLOGY DIVIDE
Although Renzi's vote to withdraw from the U.N. puts him solidly in the far-right camp, he's not that much farther right than the rest of his Republican colleagues in the House, according to voting records.
According to Project Vote Smart, which tracks the voting records of congressional members, Renzi has voted with House leadership 91 percent of the time, the same percentage as the rest of the GOP in the House.
Further, he has voted with President Bush-supported initiatives 93 percent of the time, and he has a 99 percent voting participation record.
As for advocacy groups, Renzi can do no wrong by many of the conservative groups and no right by many of the liberals.
He has a perfect 100 or A rating from the National Right to Life Committee, the Business-Industry Political Action Committee, the National Retail Federation, the Christian Coalition, the Family Research Council, the League of Private Property Voters, the National Rifle Association and American Veterans.
He scores 0 with Planned Parenthood, Americans for the Arts, Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, the American Association of University Women, the Federation for American Immigration Reform, the American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees and Public Citizen's Congress Watch.
The nonpartisan National Journal says Renzi voted more conservative on social policy issues than 95 percent of all House members in 2003 and 77 percent of all members on economic, defense and foreign policy issues.
PARTISAN VOTE-SWAPPING?
Speed, with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said Renzi is more than just in line with partisan voting. He's willing to swap his vote when the leadership asks.
"Not only has he voted with the leadership, but he compromised his own position," Speed said. "He has been their go-to guy when they're one vote short."
Speed's favorite example is when the House leadership sought to defeat a measure last October that would have brought a one-time, $1,500 bonus to military personnel serving in Iraq. Renzi voted yes at first, then switched to a no vote when asked. The measure failed in a 213-213 tie.
"And the troops had to pay for it," Speed said.
In an interview following the vote, Renzi told the Daily Sun he did not vote in favor of the bill because he worked out a better deal with the leadership.
"Rather than divert this funding by robbing Peter to pay Paul, I secured a commitment from congressional leadership to find a long-term solution addressing the pay shortfall for our men and women in the armed forces," he said.
Renzi also contends he has made stands on issues that do not necessarily jibe with House Republican leaders. With a veterans housing and urban development bill that would have cut into veterans' benefits, Renzi rallied other freshman Republicans to oppose the bill and withhold the necessary votes.
As a result, Renzi said the Republican leadership threatened to take the $500,000 he was seeking to help start a water project in Whiteriver.
DEMOCRATS ALSO TOEING LINE
Although Babbitt holds that he will serve as a more independent voice for rural Arizona, he would face his own challenges in breaking from his party on important votes if he were to win the congressional seat.
Democrats in Congress have voted with leadership 87 percent of the time -- the highest unity figure since 1960, according to reports from Capitol Hill.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has made it clear that Democrats must stick together if they want to defeat the Bush agenda. Reports from the Hill show that Pelosi made the Medicare bill a mandatory party line vote, and she swore retribution for any Democrats who voted in favor of it.
A number of political watchers expect Pelosi will continue efforts to raise the party unity scores.
Whatever the case, Babbitt, if elected, would bring a shift in position to the 1st Congressional District seat. Babbitt is pro-choice, while Renzi is doggedly anti-abortion.
In fact, Renzi has been a pro-life champion in the House. He has voted the preference of the National Right to Life Committee, an anti-abortion group, 100 percent of the time in 2003.
"As the father of 12 children, I am particularly disgusted by the horrific nature of Partial Birth Abortion which can only be defined as infanticide," Renzi said in a prepared statement after voting for a ban of partial birth abortions. " The sanctity of human life should always be upheld, and I will continue to fight for the rights of the unborn in Congress."
Babbitt is a moderate on gun control, but he does respect the rights of hunters.
Although Babbitt does not support gay marriage, a topic that's heating up across the country and expected to reach Congress, he supports civil unions for gay couples. Renzi is opposed to gay marriages and civil unions.
For his position on the Iraq war resolution, Babbitt has said he would have most likely voted against it, but he added that the war appears far less necessary with the information we know now. Renzi voted yes on the resolution.
Reporter Seth Muller can be reached at 913-8607 or at smuller@azdailysun.com
Does Babbitt have any real chance to defeat him?
This was a close race due to the Indian vote last time.. but if Babbitt is wacko enough to fly a United Nations flag at his home, I'd say Renzi by 58%.
Not ceding American sovereignty to unelected globalist bureaucrats is a "far-right", "fringe" idea? The words of this Democrat hack need broad circulation.
The RAT actually flies a UN flag? Where's janet reno with her tanks and flamethrowers when you really need her?
Wish there were more races running the US vs UN theme, and some in my district. Like the candidates' positions on guns, this one's a hot-button for me.
Not if Renzi uses Babbitt's display of the UN Flag with Old Glory to his campaign advantage.
"American national security is not a matter of international consensus, and I will not support any measure that cedes the sovereignty of the United States to unelected, international bureaucrats."
Amazingly, can you imagine any Democrat (except Sen.Zell Miller)saying anything like that??
Go get em', Renzi! Babbitt is a socialist Democrat girlie-man...
Renzi is considered the second must vulnerable GOP incumbent in the nation, and the seat is one of the top five Dem targets. I suspect however that Renzi has about a 60% chance of winning. He's working the Native American vote hard, and that vote is signficant in this district. But Renzi will get trounced in Flagstaff.
I wouldn't be so sure. Flagstaff is already a lot more conservaive than most college towns, and a new influx of "refugee Californians" may be in the process of making it an Orange County in exile.
One that happens to be right popular here in Northern Arizona.
Babbit might win in Flag (college town) and on the Navajo Reservation (maybe add in the White Mt. Apache Res., too), but Renzi's gonna get everywhere else. Prescott, Payson, Verde Valley, Show Low don't want no more Babbits.
I'm surprised there's many Republicans in Sedona, some of its denizens make Santa Feans look uptight by comparison. I'd think these guys would rather toss their crystals than vote GOP.
The actual meaning of that statement, is that he won't vote to come after shotguns, and bolt action rifles, until everything else has been confiscated.
Looking at your home page made me think you might enjoy this one.
Apache Renzi 4,497 25% Cordova 12,873 73% Porr 354 2% Coconino Renzi 12,614 39% Cordova 18,151 56% Porr 1,752 5% Gila Renzi 8,384 56% Cordova 5,790 38% Porr 912 6% Graham Renzi 4,593 60% Cordova 2,818 37% Porr 268 3% Greenlee Renzi 1,043 49% Cordova 994 47% Porr 94 4% Navajo Renzi 10,754 48% Cordova 10,977 48% Porr 948 4% Pinal Renzi 9,062 49% Cordova 8,270 45% Porr 1,013 6% Yavapai Renzi 32,031 61% Cordova 17,428 33% Porr 3,343 6%
sedona is a GOP base? LoL I saw nothing there but tree huggers and new agers
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