We May Need To Find Someone
By Erick Posted in 2008 — Comments (5) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
Stephen Moore, in today's WSJ Political Diary, writes about GOP Congressman Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE):
Mr. Fortenberry represents one of the most conservative districts in the country, with a two-to-one Republican registration advantage. He won his seat three years ago only because his primary opponent, a powerful state legislator, had voted for a big tax increase in Lincoln. So how does Mr. Fortenberry show his gratitude to the anti-tax groups and voters who put him in office? By voting for the first tax hike that comes along.
We might just need to sic the Club for Growth on his butt.
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We May Need To Find Someone 5 Comments (0 topical, 5 editorial, 0 hidden) Post a comment »
Chuck Hagel is terrible on the War on Global Terror, but he's great on fiscal policy. He earned one of the Club for Growth's highest ratings.
This Fortenberry guy and Ben Nelson (in 6 years,) we must do something about. Maybe Pete Ricketts can run against Fortenberry in 2008, setting himself up for another run at Ben Nelson (this time as a popular Congressmen) in 2012.
I live in Nebraska( From the third district, which may be the most conservative district in the Nation, though now I am going to School in the second district- Lincoln.) If I remember right, the Club for Growth was atacking Broomm who was a legislative leader who happened to have voted for a tax increase. The Club for Growth endorsed someone else and poured lots of money into attacking Broomm, and the voters picked a third person who wasn't involved- that is Jeff Fortenberry. Maybe I am wrong about the above, but I do think it is wrong to assume that Nebraska is against anyone who raises taxes.
One makes the wrong assumption when you think that because a state votes for Bush over Kerry that the state is doctrinare conservative. There are other reasons to vote for conservatives than tax - cuts. As I see it the big reason Nebraskans vote conservative is the social issues. The Nebraska Right to Life prints out a voters guide with candidates answers to questions, As I remember it every single national office holer in the state was about as pro - life as you can get. Ben Nelson is in favor of a Constitutional ammendment against abortion. All republican candidates in the Nebraska primary said that they would sign a Abortion ban like the law in South Dakota. A couple other examples of the state's social Conservatism is that we voted to ban Gay Marriage by 70% - 30%. We also had a major campaign to start casinos funded with advertisements sponsered by the casino companies, this proposal was voted down.
There is more than one reason to vote for Republicans.
The Democrats gained some seats by running people who were socially conservative, and perhaps more liberal on other issues. Heath Schuler comes to Mind. I think you will have a hard time convincing us Nebraskans that a vote for a tax-cut now and then is reasons to be voted out
As a Hill guy, my impression of Fortenberry is that he's one of those folks who tries to figure out every vote on his own, without necessarily consulting other Republican congressmen. I suppose there's good and bad in that -- it's good to take every vote seriously, but you can't be a policy expert on everything. Anyway, I have no idea why Fortenberry voted to tax domestic oil production, and he deserves to be held accountable by the voters for that. But he's usually a pretty solid conservative vote -- for instance, he voted against the Democrats' student-loan boondoggle, which over 60% of House Republicans (shamefully, in my personal opinion) supported.
With Nebraska? One of the reddest states in the country gives us this guy and Hagel. Ben Nelson too.