Hammering Fellow Republicans

Townhall ^ | 11/27/03 | Robert Novak

[Askel5]

Hammering fellow Republicans
Robert Novak

November 27, 2003

WASHINGTON -- During 14 years in the Michigan Legislature and 11 years in Congress, Rep. Nick Smith had never experienced anything like it. House Speaker Dennis Hastert and HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson, in the wee hours last Saturday morning, pressed him to vote for the Medicare bill. But Smith refused. Then things got personal.

Smith, self term-limited, is leaving Congress. His lawyer son Brad is one of five Republicans seeking to replace him from a GOP district in Michigan's southern tier. On the House floor, Nick Smith was told business interests would give his son $100,000 in return for his father's vote. When he still declined, fellow Republican House members told him they would make sure Brad Smith never came to Congress. After Nick Smith voted no and the bill passed, Duke Cunningham of California and other Republicans taunted him that his son was dead meat.

The bill providing prescription drug benefits under Medicare would have been easily defeated by Republicans save for the most efficient party whip operation in congressional history. Although President Bush had to be awakened to collect the last two votes, Majority Leader Tom DeLay and Majority Whip Roy Blunt made it that close. "DeLay the Hammer" on Saturday morning was hammering fellow conservatives.

Last Friday night, Rep. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania hosted a dinner at the Hunan restaurant on Capitol Hill for 30 Republicans opposed to the bill. They agreed on a scaled-down plan devised by Toomey and Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana. It would cover only seniors without private prescription drug insurance, while retaining the bill's authorization of private health savings accounts. First, they had to defeat their president and their congressional leadership.

They almost did. There were only 210 yes votes after an hour (long past the usual time for House roll calls), against 224 no's. A weary George W. Bush, just returned from Europe, was awakened at 4 a.m. to make personal calls to House members.

Republicans voting against the bill were told they were endangering their political futures. Major contributors warned Rep. Jim DeMint they would cut off funding for his Senate race in South Carolina. A Missouri state legislator called Rep. Todd Akin to threaten a primary challenge against him.

Intense pressure, including a call from the president, was put on freshman Rep. Tom Feeney. As speaker of the Florida House, he was a stalwart for Bush in his state's 2000 vote recount. He is the Class of 2002's contact with the House leadership, marking him as a future party leader. But now, in those early morning hours, Feeney was told a "no" vote would delay his ascent into leadership by three years -- maybe more.

Feeney held firm against the bill. So did DeMint and Akin. And so did Nick Smith. A steadfast party regular, he has pioneered private Social Security accounts. But he could not swallow the unfunded liabilities in this Medicare bill. The 69-year-old former dairy farmer this week was still reeling from the threat to his son. "It was absolutely too personal," he told me. Over the telephone from Michigan Saturday, Brad Smith urged his father to vote his conscience.

However, the leadership was picking off Republican dissenters, including eight of 13 House members who signed a Sept. 17 letter authored by Toomey pledging to support only a Medicare bill very different from the measure on the floor Saturday. That raised the Republican total to 216, still two votes short.

The president took to the phone, but at least two Republicans turned him down. Finally, Bush talked two Western conservatives -- Reps. Trent Franks of Arizona (a ninth defector from the Toomey letter) and Butch Otter of Idaho -- into voting "yes." They were warned that if this measure failed, the much more liberal Democratic bill would be brought up and passed.

The conservative Club for Growth's Steve Moore, writing to the organization's directors and founders, said defeat of the Medicare bill "would have been a shot across the bow at the Republican establishment that conservatives are sick of the spending splurge that is going on inside Washington these last few years." Hammering the conservatives to prevent that may have been only a short-term triumph.

[HarleyD]

And on the other side of the aisle?

[Mr. Bird]

Reps. Trent Franks of Arizona (a ninth defector from the Toomey letter) and Butch Otter of Idaho

Wonder what they got?

[theDentist]

Politics is politics.

[aynrandfreak]

If there's one thing Novak understands, it's bashing Republicans.

[Askel5]

=== Then things got personal.

=== On the House floor, Nick Smith was told business interests would give his son $100,000 in return for his father's vote.

=== fellow Republican House members told him they would make sure Brad Smith never came to Congress

=== Duke Cunningham of California and other Republicans taunted him that his son was dead meat

=== Republicans voting against the bill were told they were endangering their political futures.

=== Intense pressure, including a call from the president, was put on freshman Rep. Tom Feeney. [...] Feeney was told a "no" vote would delay his ascent into leadership by three years -- maybe more

=== They were warned that if this measure failed, the much more liberal Democratic bill would be brought up and passed

Feeney held firm against the bill. So did DeMint and Akin. And so did Nick Smith. A steadfast party regular, he has pioneered private Social Security accounts. But he could not swallow the unfunded liabilities in this Medicare bill. The 69-year-old former dairy farmer this week was still reeling from the threat to his son. "It was absolutely too personal," he told me. Over the telephone from Michigan Saturday, Brad Smith urged his father to vote his conscience.

As opposed to the Winners.

[Askel5]

=== Let's hope so!

well, as this article indicates, the President and the GOP Leadership are seeking to drum out the vestiges of the real right with their threats to all and sundry who refuse to allow the Government and their pet Pharmas to pork out at the taxpayers' expense.

[putupon]

Republicans voting against the bill were told they were endangering their political futures

BUMP for the last of the real Republicans.

Bush is a certified Socialist; where do we go now?

[dirtboy]

If there's one thing Novak understands, it's bashing Republicans.

In this case, he's correct. We were facing a future entitlement train wreck before this bill, and the pubbies just made it worse.

[Askel5]

=== And on the other side of the aisle?


We have dems laughing so hard it's nearly impossible to shout: "Oh please, don' throw me in dat briar patch!!"

[arkady_renko]

I'm sure this stuff goes on all the time, but it is sickening to read about it. Not the last you'll hear of this story - it will make it into the talk/news cycle.

a_r

[Askel5]

=== If there's one thing Novak understands, it's bashing Republicans.


Aw, you think he's "bashing" the Pubbies?

Let's hear your take on the story, please.

I want to know why in the hell it was so important this bill pass? What's with the threats?

Surely if one can apply such strongarm tactics to one's own, it oughta be a piece of cake to play hardball with the opposition.

[Askel5]

=== Politics is politics.


I see.

If it's the "evil" Clinton and his minions pulling fast one, they're fair game and it's critical we "fight the good fight".

But if the Pubbies are pulling out all the stops to screw us over, we merely shrug our shoulders and chalk it up to "politics".

[Askel5]

=== BUMP for the last of the real Republicans.


Hear hear!!

If there's one good thing about stories like this, it's the knowledge that somewhere are yet good men and true who not only have but abide by their consciences.

None of this "I'm personally opposed, BUT ... " schtick for them.

They've no fear of acting in public on the "personal values" for which we put them in office in the first place.

[Dane]

But if the Pubbies are pulling out all the stops to screw us over, we merely shrug our shoulders and chalk it up to "politics"

Yawn, askel. looks like you all are losing your battle to say the Pubbies are worse than the demos and thus you psoting this article and you almost giving half the replies so far.

BTW, Ms. Purer than thou on abortion, would Al Gore have signed a partial birth abortion ban?

[Askel5]

=== Wonder what they got?

Me too.

Frankly, I find those who hold out to the last minute on "conscience" only to fold are probably the most despicable individuals of all.

How can we put it past them to be holding out only to apply a little pressure themselves for one "it's personal" project or piece of pork.

[k2blader]

I wish this kind of stuff surprised me.

It would be laughable at this point for the GOP to claim it is fiscally conservative.

But folks like Feeney, DeMint, Akin, and Smith still give me hope.

[Askel5]

=== BTW, Ms. Purer than thou on abortion, would Al Gore have signed a partial birth abortion ban?

If it had the same teeth this one dose, I don't see why not. What's to lose with a bill every bit as substantive as the potemkin "Parental Consent" legislation Bush passed as Governor of Texas?

But hey ... thanks for bringing up my Pet Peeve that is respect for human life.

Somehow I doubt very seriously that Gore would state in public that he believes life begins at conception and still manage to cop Clinton's exact "compromise" on ESCR.

Takes a true Pro-Lifer to effect a coup like that.

=== Yawn, askel. looks like you all are losing your battle to say the Pubbies are worse than the demos

At least the Dems aren't hypocrites.

=== and thus you psoting this article and you almost giving half the replies so far.

I'm not entitled to respond as I wish to anyone who posts on "my" thread? I'm going to assume your < yawn > indicates you are still sleepy and aren't up to casting anything substantive in the way of aspersions.

[Willie Green]

Not the last you'll hear of this story - it will make it into the talk/news cycle.

Not from a true conservative perspective.
The Axis of Weasels will march out their cheerleaders to praise this GOP "achievement".
The 'Rats will whine that this descent into marxism isn't enough.

History will judge the Bush/Klinton/Bush era very harshly.