Posted on 10/18/2013 12:43:59 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
In recent weeks, as the government shutdown loomed and then became reality, Andy Barr's 6th District constituents have had plenty to say about it.
Researchers at the University of Kentucky have pointed out that stopping, or cutting, the federal investment in their work is shortsighted, at best.
Advocates for poor children who depend upon food stamps have warned about the dire consequences of condemning them to hunger and malnutrition.
Employees at the Federal Detention Center in Lexington have pointed out that they stayed on the job, not knowing if they would ever be paid, to keep us all safe.
Hundreds of people have emailed or called Barr, posted comments on social media, written letters to this and other news outlets and demonstrated in front of his Lexington office, to express their frustration with the Tea Party-inspired showdown.
Thousands have signed up for health insurance coverage since Kentucky's medical exchange went online Oct. 1, despite Barr's predictions they'd beg him to protect them from the dreaded Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare.
But on Wednesday night when the House of Representatives was due to vote on the compromise worked out in the Senate to extend the debt ceiling and re-open government, Barr apparently didn't listen to those constituents.
Instead, by his own account, he thought of his own daughters, not the hungry children in his district, and listened to his own campaign footage.
After this seance with himself, Barr voted against the compromise, saying, "This is what my constituents asked me to do." Barr insists the vote was made without any political considerations.
"This is not about politics. This is about the next generation," he said, apparently working on the script for Mr. Barr Goes to Washington.
It was a vote with no short-term downside. Barr knew the measure would pass so neither the country nor his district would suffer the consequences, and he could keep faith with his Tea Party backers.
Long term, we'll see. Sixth District voters have a long history of electing moderates of both parties.
They'll have the opportunity soon enough to tell Barr if they elected him to play a game of chicken with our economy and our government.
We found out who will stand against Obama (a good shakedown run). The Houston Chronicle has posted their pictures reminiscent of wanted posters. [Hardly the "south is rising again" band of brothers image that the MSM and race-baiters are pushing.]
On Hannity's Fox program last night he had the pollster Frank Luntz ask a group about the government shutdown, its causes and who is to blame.
What jumped out at me was their whining and demands for Congress to work together, to compromise so that government works.
I was screaming at Hannity or some one on that panel to state that they were sent to D.C. by voters (ELECTED) to represent their interests NOT become a well greased cog in the wheel to keep things going and growing.
So this morning I searched the Internet looking for a story about compromising (bipartisan happy-talk) versus representing one's constituents and found this OpEd. It seems the paper doesn't like Rep Barr voting his constituents' interests with his vote against Obamacare. The paper cites "constituents condemned to hunger and malnutrition," prison guards working to keep everyone safe "not knowing if they'd be paid," "hundreds" went on websites and emailed him and news outlets, and demonstrators showing up at his Lexington office to protest ("the Tea Party-inspired showdown").
But lo and behold Rep Barr voted "No" and said it's what his constituents wanted. I'm not a KY voter and not up on Rep Barr and his history but I expect that there will be a growing number of "Tea Party-inspired showdowns" as more and more elected members of Congress vote their constituents' wishes and not become absorbed inside the Beltway Bubble.
I call bull$#*t. No state has had "thousands" sign up. Not a one.
Here is an excellent article on the disastrous "roll-out" situation (panic behind the scenes): Assessing the Exchanges
With the pork for Kentucky in the plan 3 of the 5 Republicans in Congress were YES votes.
I don’t believe all the NO votes were sincere ones with it being about getting re-elected the next time for all but a handful that definitely includes Tom Massie of Kentucky’s 4th District, who is a real conservative.
The State of Washington claims over 25,000 to date. And is bragging that over half of them received a full subsidy and will have to pay nothing.
One is free to wonder at the economics of this pattern...
Soon “fringe” will be where American’s watch the growing socialist push by Democrats will flee.
I’ll try that again....
Soon “fringe” will be where Americans watching the growing socialist push by Democrats will flee.
>> the pollster Frank Luntz ask a group
The folks are real, the group is rigged.
>> I was screaming at Hannity
FNC delivers a product. I wouldn’t get too emotional about it.
Where was this call for allowing a president to get what he wants when Reagan and the Bushes were president????
The hypocrisy of the leftists stinks.
:)
I was “screaming” in my head at Hannity for not jumping on it. It was all teed up and he didn’t see it.
I’m guilty of the same!
Barr is a profile in courage. He should be supported.
Barr is a brave man. He won 50.6% of the vote in 2012, barely beating out incumbent Ben Chandler. Still - he needs the base to turn out if he’s to have a realistic hope of re-election. This vote was his gesture to the base. The people out there protesting his vote may not have voted GOP anyway.
That article is pue propaganda of the sort that would make Goebbels proud.
“Advocates for poor children who depend upon food stamps have warned about the dire consequences of condemning them to hunger and malnutrition.
How about “condemning them to lives of hard and satisfying work” which leads to fulfillment? I’m just one of millions of Americans who made it because of a work ethic. It works. Dependency works too. As it is intended to. It makes slaves of the poor recipient and straps their support to us, the bill payers in this country.
No need for apology - it served it’s purpose and let me make my comments.
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