Posted on 08/24/2002 4:50:31 AM PDT by Behind Liberal Lines
AUBURN - Dr. David Walrath, who is campaigning for the Republican ballot line for the 24th Congressional District against 10-term Congressman Sherwood Boehlert, R-New Hartford, was endorsed by David B. Vickers Friday.
Vickers lost in his bid two years ago for the Republican line against Boehlert in the 23rd District. The districts were redrawn this year by the state legislature, as is done every 10 years with the new census figures.
A Spanish teacher in Hamilton, Vickers made the race against Boehlert a close one, winning 44 percent of the vote. Boehlert won 15,269 to 11,382 over Vickers.
"Although Boehlert claims to be a Republican every time there is an election, the careful observer knows that he votes with the liberals in Congress up to 71 percent of the time," Vickers said
Supporters of Walrath often point to the Vickers campaign, which spent just $10,000, as an indication that the incumbent Boehlert is vulnerable in a primary election.
Walrath said that Vickers was successful because of his ability to communicate with a coalition of Republican voters that are dissatisfied with Boehlert's position on key issues, which Walrath said run "contrary to Republican Party principles."
"I am honored and excited by Mr. Vickers' endorsement of my candidacy," Walrath said. "He proved in his issue-oriented campaign, examining the Boehlert record and performance, that the incumbent is out of step with most of the good people of the 23rd District."
"With David's strong showing two years ago, I believe we can get our message to the majority of Republican voters in the 24th that who really want change."
1. From Boehlert’s own website:
www.house.gov/boehlert/cq50feature.htm
a. Boehlert is a reminder that the national Republican party once had a vibrant liberal wing.
b. [In 1999], Boehlert...backs the Clinton administration and strays from the GOP party line more often than all but a handful of his Republican colleagues.
c.Boehlert was one of just 30 House Republicans who voted “no” on at least two of the four articles of impeachment against President Clinton.
2.In fact, after the impeachment vote, Reps. Sherwood Boehlert and three other republicans wrote Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., that the Senate vote against impeachment.
http://216.239.39.100/search?q=cache:29PRiol4pVgC:www.courttv.com/casefiles/clintoncrisis/122298_ctv.html+republicans+voted+against+impeachment+boehlert&hl=en&ie=UTF8
3. In 1991, Human Events magazine described Boehlert as one of a group of Liberal Republicans in the House of Representatives [who] seem to have learned a lesson from the defection of Sen. Jim Jeffords (I.-Vt.): The easiest way to win the adoration of the media is to oppose President Bush or make the congressional Republican leadership look bad.”
4.Boehlert (R.-N.Y.) has supported four Democratic efforts to block President Bush’s energy proposals, while rejecting the Republican rule that would have governed floor debate on new campaign finance restrictions. http://www.humaneventsonline.com/articles/08-06-01/carney.html
5.On the American Conservative Unions ranking of members of congress, with 100 being the most conservative and 0 being the least, Boehlert received a rating of 36. In other words, he has only voted with conservatives approximately one third of the time. In fact, there are a number of democrats who are ranked more conservative than Boehlert. Boehlert ranks approximately as liberal as Virginia Senator Robert Byrd, the king of government pork barrel spending.
http://www.conservative.org/rating2000/house.html
6.In 2001, Boehlert voted:
a.For Clinton-era workplace regulations
b.Against a constitutional amendment to require a two-thirds majority vote of the entire House and Senate to pass any tax increase.
C.Against Passage of a bill making it a criminal offense to injure or kill a fetus during the commission of a violent crime.
D.Against scholarships for students from consistently low-performing of dangerous schools. Scholarships could be used at private, including religious schools
E.For funding the National Endowment of the arts.
F.For lifting the embargo on Cuba
G.For keeping files on all gun owners who undergo background checks
H.For last-minute Clinton Administration requirement for sharply lower arsenic content in drinking water. The standards impose enormous costs on small water systems, with no demonstrable gain in health.
I.In favor of D.C. extending city employees' health benefits to unmarried domestic partners.
J.In favor of requiring federal contractors and other recipients of federal assistance to provide unlimited translators for people who don’t speak english
http://www.acuratings.com/acu_doc.cgi?ACT=1&USER_ID=977&YEAR=2001
7. The non-partisan group Citizens against government waste gave him a ranking of only 44%, which translates to “lukewarm to taxpayers.”
http://www.cagw.org
8.In 1998, Boehlert voted for Puerto Rican Statehood. However, he voted against making English the official language.
http://www.conservativeusa.org/portorco.htm
9. In March, 2001, Boehlert made personal appearances with Hillary Clinton.
http://www.thedailystar.com/news/stories/2001/03/02/hillup.html
10.In the 1996 election cycle, Boehlert was one of the Top 10 Recipients of Indian Gaming PAC and Individual contributions.
http://www.opensecrets.org/pubs/cashingin_gaming/gaming3.htm
Because of redistricting he almost ended up in the same district as Hinchey. Wouldn't that of been funny listening to Bolhert trying to outliberal Hinchey.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.