Free Republic

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Two unions with thousands of members in Ohio say they will no longer support the state's only House Democrat to vote against the health care bill. The Service Employees International Union and the United Food and Commercial Workers union on Monday expressed disappointment with southeast Ohio Rep. Zack Space. UFCW spokeswoman Allison Petonic (peh-TAH'-nik) calls Space's no vote Sunday "an anti-worker vote." Petonic says union members campaigned for Space in 2006 and 2008 but won't do it again this year. The bill passed 219-212 with 34 Democrats and all Republicans opposed. Space had said he believed...

Matheson’s the guy whose brother was nominated to the federal bench on the very day he met with The One about health care. He was a no before … and he’s a no now. Space was yes before, but suddenly he’s a no too — and a hard no judging by his statement, i.e. not one liable to flip back tomorrow. All of which is perfectly dull and predictable if you assume that Pelosi has already made it to 216 and beyond and is simply looking to cut loose a few red-district Democrats to vote no at the eleventh hour....

"Is it safe?" That famous line from the movie "Marathon Man" comes to mind when considering the attitude of Ohio Congressman Zack Space about ObamaCare. Back in January, after Space caught heat for voting for the House version of ObamaCare in November, he decided it was safe to "boldly" express his opposition to the Senate bill on the heels of Nancy Pelosi declaring it DOA at the time. Here is what Space had to say in January as recorded in your humble correspondent's NewsBusters blog: U.S. Rep. Zack Space said Thursday he plans to oppose the health care bill passed...

Sometimes you can get a better feel of the political mood in the country by reading small town newspapers than you can by following the mainstream media. And if Democrats think that by jumping ship on Obamacare in the wake of Scott Brown's election as senator from Massachusetts they can spare themselves the political consequences of their earlier support, they should read the comments from the readers of this Zanesville (Ohio) Times Recorder article. It is about local Democrat Congressman Zack Space suddenly displaying a profile in no courage by announcing yesterday his opposition to the Senate health care bill...after...

House Democrats passed the 2,032-page Pelosicare bill on a near party-line vote Saturday night 220-215 (roll call here). The only Republican voting in favor of the measure was New Orleans-based Joseph Cao who has long ago proven to be a tax and spend (and spend and spend) liberal. After a week of intense arm twisting, threats and promises from party leaders, more than half of the 52 so-called conservative Blue Dog Democrats voted in favor of the over $1.3 trillion measure. These are the 28 Blue Dogs voting in favor of Pelosicare (who apparently fear the wrath of House Speaker...

Health Bill Hinges On Blue Dogs' Vote But Few Bite So Far By DAVID HOGBERG AND SEAN HIGGINS August 14, 2009 Blue Dog Democrats are being chased by both sides in the health care debate. But the opposition may have the inside track, based on an IBD survey of these moderate-to-conservative House lawmakers. There are 256 Democrats in the House, 52 of whom are Blue Dogs. Rep. Artur Davis of Alabama, who's not a member of the pack, has said he won't support HR 3200 in its present form. That means Democrats need the support of at least 15 Blue...

Here they are, boys and girls. The four "moderate-conservative" House Dems on Henry Waxman's Energy and Commerce Committee who had their choker chains pulled by Nancy Pelosi and the rest of the lefty leadership in the lower chamber and ended up voting to approve a version of Obamacare that promises higher costs, lower quality and restricted access: Mike Ross (Arkansas), 4th District (202) 454-5262 Baron Hill (Indiana), 9th District (202) 285-0966 Zack Space (Ohio), 18th District (202) 347-3042 Bart Gordon (Tennessee), 6th District 1-800-444-BART I did some checking, and one of the reasons why a few of the above probably...

Congress: In exchange for a vague promise of cuts in the cost of health care "reform," a few fiscally conservative Democrats agree to release the bill to a September floor vote. Have the pit bulls become Chihuahuas?Apparently even a Blue Dog Democrat will stop growling if you toss him a big enough bone. Four of the seven who helped keep the House bill bottled up in the Energy and Commerce Committee — Mike Ross of Arkansas, Baron Hill of Indiana, Zack Space of Ohio and Bart Gordon of Tennessee — agreed to vote the bill out of committee in exchange...

Padgett picked to represent GOP on ballot By RENEE BROWN, T-R Staff Writer State Sen. Joy Padgett will face Dover Law Director Zack Space in the Nov. 7 general election in the race for the 18th District congressional seat. Voters overwhelmingly chose Padgett to replace embattled Rep. Bob Ney, who announced last month he would not continue his bid for re-election. Ney cited the distraction of intensifying investigation into his dealings with disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Padgett won in all 16 counties that comprise the 18th District – Athens, Belmont, Carroll, Coshocton, Guernsey, Harrison, Hocking, Holmes, Jackson, Knox, Licking, Morgan,...