Posted on 02/13/2002 9:41:52 PM PST by churchillbuff
Roll Call
February 14, 2002
Strange Bedfellows. An irate Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) stood up at yesterday's Republican Conference meeting and accused Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) of being "in bed" with Democratic attempts to defeat Republican incumbents over campaign reform.
"This guy is so deep in bed with the Democrats on this issue that his feet are coming out of the bottom of the sheets," charged Pence.
Pence was angry because he believes that McCain adviser John Weaver is working with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee to defeat GOP incumbents. He cites as evidence the fact that the DCCC sent out a press release Monday alleging that Pence was breaking a promise he made to McCain to support the House version of the McCain-Feingold reform bill.
When a reporter from The Herald Bulletin in Pence's district called Weaver for comment, the McCain adviser said that Pence "either directly or indirectly voiced support for real campaign finance reform" during the Senator's August 2000 campaign visit on Pence's behalf.
"I hope Representative Pence votes for his district," Weaver told the newspaper.
That was too much for Pence, who produced a June 28, 2001, letter he wrote to McCain stressing that while he appreciated the Senator's campaign appearance, the candidate never promised to support the McCain-Feingold bill.
"It's obvious to me that Senator McCain is working with the DCCC to make me look bad in my district," the Congressman told HOH. "Name me one Republican who has ever coordinated a press attack with the DCCC.
"It would be my last day on earth before I'd call the DCCC to give them bad information about a Republican," he added. "I just wanted people to know that that's exactly what McCain's office is doing. I wouldn't have any respect for a Democrat who went to work with the [National Republican Congressional Committee]. Pick a side, for crying out loud."
Pence said several Members came up to him Wednesday to thank him for speaking out about McCain at the Conference meeting.
"I've been approached by Members all day saying that was a big deal - they appreciated knowing that" information before the reform votes, he said. "They know he's a maverick, but to be in cahoots with the DCCC is a whole different deal."
Weaver did not return a call seeking comment, and McCain spokeswoman Nancy Ives said the Senator was too busy to respond.
"Senator McCain has neither the time nor the inclination to respond," Ives told HOH. "He's busy trying to pass campaign finance reform February 14, 2002
The man is on fire, and will burn whatever he feels he has to to get his way.
9/11 offered DemonRat John a repreive. Time to resurrect that "Recall John 'Rat Boy' McCain" initiative and make it stick.
When is this silly clown up for reelection?
Yeah, it isn't too hard to read between the lines on that. And melanoma is a pretty brutal cancer.
Well, may as well be this one.
I just flipped on C-SPAN and they're still screwing around with amendments. The one being voted on now is "Ney of Ohio Substitute", but I don't know what it is. Apparently, the honest politicians in the House are not going down easy to the "reform" crooks who, with their disgusting bill, are basically screaming, "Stop me before my votes are purchased again!".
The Ney of Ohio Substitute would have taken out that crap about limiting free speech for 30 days here and 60 days there. Essentially it was the last attempt by the house to not piss on the first ammendment. It failed and I can practically see Atlas shrugging.....
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.