Posted on 10/03/2008 1:23:20 PM PDT by BGHater
Several of the most vulnerable House incumbents on Friday changed their votes in favor of the latest version of a $700 billion bailout package for the economy.
A few Democratic freshmen and veteran GOP incumbents fighting for their political lives over the next month made what might be a courageous vote, even as their phones and e-mail inboxes were flooded with pleas to vote no and their opponents readied attacks.
Among those flipping were top-targeted Reps. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.), Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), Joe Knollenberg (R-Mich.), Randy Kuhl (R-N.Y.), Harry Mitchell (D-Ariz.), Jean Schmidt (R-Ohio) and John Yarmuth (D-Ky.).
Those facing potentially difficult races who flipped included Reps. Charles Boustany (R-La.), Charles Dent (R-Pa.), Jim Gerlach (R-Pa.), John Shadegg (R-Ariz.), Lee Terry (R-Neb.) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.).
Only about one in four of the most vulnerable members voted for the bill Monday. On Friday, they split about 50-50 overall.
Vulnerable senators broke slightly in favor of the bill Wednesday.
Those lawmakers who flipped votes were in little rush to explain themselves as they headed for home to preserve their political futures with just a month left to campaign. But those who stuck with their no votes and challengers who opposed the legislation continued to speak out.
Arizona state Sen. Tim Bee (R) criticized Giffords after she switched her vote.
“Her vote to roll over taxpayers was bought with tax credits that a real leader would have passed months ago as part of an all-of-the-above energy package,” Bee said in a statement.
Gerlach’s opponent, businessman Bob Roggio, said Gerlach failed his constituents.
“We asked him for courage and sound judgment; he gave us a weak-kneed flip-flop that proved, once and for all, that he lacks the fortitude it takes to make tough decisions during difficult times,” Roggio said.
Rep. Travis Childers (R-Miss.), who will try to hold his seat just months after winning it in a hotly contested special election, stuck with his no vote, saying the bill didn’t do enough to allay his concerns.
“No ‘sweetener’ was going to change my vote,” Childers said. “This was too big and too important to be swayed by anything other than principle.”
Another special-election winner who opposed both versions, Rep. Don Cazayoux (D-La.), said, “I was hopeful that the new compromise bill would have a smaller price tag with less taxpayer liability, but it did not.”
A list of the House members who changed their vote is available on the Briefing Room Blog .
The following is a list of representatives who switched their votes in favor of Congress's Wall Street bailout package after voting "no" on a previous version of the bill Monday.
Party leaders pushed hard all week for passage of the bill, which, if signed by President Bush, will grant the Treasury Department authority to spend up to $700 billion in increments on the purchase of toxic, mortgage-based assets from failing U.S. financial firms. An earlier version failed in the House 205-228 Monday; today's version, which was passed by the Senate with added provisions earlier this week, passed by a margin of 263-171, as leaders won an additional 58 votes total from their caucuses.
Here is a list of the 58 members who switched to "yes" (and the one who switched to "no"), as compiled by The Hill.
58 members who switched their votes from "no" to "yes":
Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii)
Rep. Rodney Alexander (R-La.)
Rep. Joe Baca (D-Calif.)
Rep Gresham Barrett (R-S.C.)
Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-Nev.)
Rep. Judy Biggert (R-Ill.)
Rep. Charles Boustany (R-La.)
Rep. Bruce Braley (D-Iowa)
Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.)
Rep. Andre Carson (D-Ind.)
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.)
Rep. Howard Coble (R-N.C.)
Rep. Mike Conaway (R-Texas)
Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas)
Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.)
Rep. Charlie Dent (R-Pa.)
Rep. Donna Edwards (D-Md.)
Rep. Mary Fallin (R-Okla.)
Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-N.J.)
Rep. Jim Gerlach (R-Pa.)
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.)
Rep. Al Green (D-Texas)
Rep. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii)
Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-Mich.)
Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.)
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas)
Rep. Carolyn Kilpatrick (D-Mich.)
Rep. Joe Knollenberg (R-Mich.)
Rep. Randy Kuhl (R-N.Y.)
Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.)
Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.)
Rep. Harry Mitchell (D-Ariz.)
Rep. Sue Myrick (R-N.C.)
Rep. Solomon Ortiz (D-Texas)
Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.)
Rep. Ed Pastor (R-Ariz.)
Rep. Jim Ramstad (R-Minn.)
Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.)
Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.)
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.)
Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-Ohio)
Rep. David Scott (D-Ga.)
Rep. John Shadegg (R-Ariz.)
Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pa.)
Rep. Hilda Solis (D-Calif.)
Rep. John Sullivan (R-Okla.)
Rep. Betty Sutton (D-Ohio)
Rep. Lee Terry (R-Neb.)
Rep. Mike Thompson (D-Calif.)
Rep. William Thornberry (R-Texas)
Rep. Patrick Tiberi (R-Ohio)
Rep. John Tierney (D-Mass.)
Rep. Zach Wamp (R-Tenn.)
Rep. Diane Watson (D-Calif.)
Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.)
Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-Calif.)
Rep. David Wu (D-Ore.)
Rep. John Yarmuth (D-Ky)
One member who switched from "yes" to "no":
Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wash)
Did not vote Monday, but voted "yes" Friday:
Rep. Jerry Weller (R-Ill.)
Note: The Hill originally missed two members, Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) and Diane Watson (D-Calif.), who have subsequently been added since the list was first posted this afternoon.
List compiled by Aaron Blake.
What do they mean vunerables? These was planned for.
The reason we get crappy bills like this is that with enough pressure, enough of our so called representatives will roll over and vote for virtually anything.
My man Don Manzullo (R) Illinois voted NO both times. He’s da man!
John Shadegg sold his constituents down the river.
www.gutlessjohnshadegg.blogspot.com
Same here with my Congressman, Bobby "black panther" Rush. I even called his office yesterday to thank him and urge him to stay the course. Damn it, Bobby, you FINALLY did something right and now you had to cancel it out. Freakin' socialist.
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