Shuler's Numbers Don't Tell the Whole Story
CQ Politics posted an interesting analysis of Democratic Party Unity since regaining the majority. Here's the bit on Congressman Shuler:
Heath Shuler, North Carolina’s 11th District (West — Asheville)
• Party Unity Score: 82.9 percent (4th lowest)
• 2006 result: Shuler 54%, Rep. Charles H. Taylor 46%
• 2004 President: Bush 57%, Kerry 43%
Shuler, who takes conservative positions on some social issues, voted against the bills to promote embryonic stem cell research and to classify certain violent offenses as “hate crimes.” He also voted against a defeated bill, backed by 169 Democrats and two Republicans, that called for the full withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq within 180 days.
When Congressman Shuler took office, I was prepared for him to vote against Democrats and progressives on issues of gay rights, stem cell science, and a range of other "social issues". What I wasn't prepared for was the poor reasoning and outright intolerance in casting those votes.
On stem cells, Shuler uses Republican talking points about protecting the life of the blastocysts. In my comment at Shuler's blog I noted,
"Your argument doesn't make sense. The above commenters have already pointed out the obvious, that denying people with progressive diseases like Parkinson's all the medical research available is not exactly pro-life, that not utilizing available stem cells is wasteful, that unless you plan on seeking a total shutdown of fertility clinics those discarded blastocysts will rot in the bottom of the petri dish instead of being used for the good of humanity. There is no destruction of human life implicit in stem cell research. There just isn't."
In opposing the hate crimes bill, Shuler chose to alienate and vilify every homosexual in his district:
Shuler said he was guided equally by political philosophy and by his Baptist religion, which teaches that homosexuality is wrong.
It's also important to note that Shuler "previously voted for legislation — subsequently vetoed by Bush — that made a reduction of U.S. troops in Iraq a condition to continue funding." Shuler then went on to capitulate and vote with the Democratic majority on giving Bush a blank check to continue the war.
On the flip side, Congressman Shuler voted:
- to increase the minimum wage
- to give workers more power to unionize
- to strengthen ethics rules
- to lower interest rates on student loans
- to expand the Carl Sandburg Memorial site
- to offset budget increases with revenue and/or cuts (paygo)
- to allow D.C. voting rights
- to restrict oil companies' price gouging
- to allow the federal government to negotiate drug prices
- to implement the 9/11 Commission's recommendations
- to protect corporate "whistleblowers"
- to offer small businesses help with environmental assessments
So what do we make of this Mixed Bag Democrat? It appears that, aside from the offending votes above, Shuler's record is miles better than any Republican who might hold this seat. However, his flip-flopping on Iraq, his intolerance for gays, his disdain of reason regarding stem cell research, and his hardline immigration stance are the poison pills in an otherwise decent tenure.
I'd like to think that Shuler is simply afraid, that he is kowtowing to the fundamentalist right on stem cells and gay rights for fear of being labeled a baby-killer or a homo-lover while bending to the intolerant immigration hardliners in his NO AMNESTY!!! stance for fear of being called a coddler. Republican ads are already trying to draw a direct line between Shuler and their bogeyman of the moment, Nancy Pelosi, who is being painted as a radical. Shuler's likely afraid of this attack as well. The biggest fear he holds, along with so many other capitulating Democrats, is to be called a troop-hater by the gang that sent them to die for a pack of lies.
None of this fear-based voting is attractive or particularly honorable. It's a good thing that Shuler sees the broad support for the legislation he's already supported and that he willfully took on the business world with his pro-worker vote or else we'd be left with the same kind of hollow representation we'd become accustomed to.
I imagine that Shuler is following his playbook - appeasing the intolerant homo-bigots, anti-science blastocyst freedom fighters, immigration hardliners, and pro-war drill sergeants while working on many of the populist and progressive issues that earned him my vote. It's ugly, these politics, and here's hoping Shuler rises to find the courage of his convictions rather than sinking into fear-based representation.
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Convictions
On the Iraq question, clearly Shuler's capitulating...both on the other questions, finding the courage of your convictions usually requires that you have them to begin with...
Fear not the path of truth for the lack of people walking on it. - Robert F. Kennedy
his convictions, not others
I believe he is voting the courage of his convictions but it is not the convictions of most on this blogs. Iraq is tricky I myself are still not sure if this is a war we never should have began ,or that the Bush Administration has blundered it so badly that it just appears that way, and because the Bush administration has blundered it so badly it is very difficult to tell. Shuler may waiting for a new administration to handle the war and see if it is handled better, which by the way it probably will be because I can not see how it could not be. But the other issues I agree with you, Shuler is doing what he believes is right.
apparently
you and Rep Shuler disagree more than you know.
Draft Brad Miller-- NC Sen ActBlue
Are you serious?
It boggles my mind that anyone, especially someone going by the name "Moderate" can have any doubt that this war was destined to be a disaster from the outset. It was based on lies. It was promoted using lies. It bore no resemblance to reality in any way, shape or form. And the disastrous aftermath was perfectly predicted by every serious scholar I can find.
This disaster is not a failure of execution. It is a failure of strategy and morality. More to the point, it is no longer a war. It is an occupation. Are you in the camp of those now calling for the Korea model, though which will will maintain substantial numbers of troops in Iraq for, say, the next 100 years? If not, when will be the "right" time to end this insanity? How many more must die in vain before we stop sending additional troops so the ones already killed won't have died in
The only way to handle this "war" better is to end it.
Or at least
end our involvement in the war, since nothing we do (have done so far) seems to bring any progress towards empowering the Iraqi government to bring sectarian violence under control.
For those who feel we owe it to the Iraqis to "fix" the situation, I say: that's the same kind of elitist thinking that's behind the neocon ideal of reshaping the world in our image. Okay, maybe it's a slight variation, but it still operates from the position that we are better suited for solving their complex social issues than they are.
While we may have a wealth of knowledge scattered here and there in this country, whose combined efforts might solve all the problems in this area, this resource is not being tapped, and it probably never will be.
Questions to ask yourself...
To date, has anything been accomplished in Iraq that is worth the lives of our dead and wounded and their family's grief and losses? Has anything been accomplished worth the 100's of BILLIONS of sollars spent in Iraq? Can you imagine any seemongly possible outcome that would justify the lives and money lost?
I myself answer HELL NO to all these questions. This war was not necessary AND Bush has bungled it.
SE NC Dems
Well written and well reasoned
We mostly knew what we were getting with Shuler, but even still, I'm surprised by the logical inconsistencies in his votes. He seems to be going with his gut instead of his brain. That's fine when you're playing football, but when you're doing the people's business, I expect more. I expect elected officials to think through the implications of their votes and really understand what they mean . . . not just today, but for generations to come.
I think you're on to something with this observation of fear. He's playing to cheap stunts and gimmicks instead of doing the hard work.
Thanks
Thanks for the thoughtful comments, y'all.
I think there's more layers to this onion, and we're going to have to see whether Shuler becomes a good Congressman, a yes man for Steny Hoyer, or a failure.
I've got my popcorn.
Rec at MyDD?
If y'all get a mind to, how about recommending this over at MyDD...
LINK
Thanks!
We should not fall into the trap...
the Rupublicans and some Democrats keep laying for us. Supporting the troops materially is being accomplished at the highest priority and despatch. Don't be fooled. There is plenty of money for beans and bullets.
There is no shortage of money in the DoD to equip the troops. That avenue is a ruse to deter us all from the real issue.
What are we doing there and why are we staying? The supposed "blood-bath" that will occur if we leave is ALREADY occuring every single day there, not entirely, but to a large degree BECAUSE we are there.
Our Absence vacates the part of the fighting that is against our occupation and leaves Iraq with the civil war we are not part of. American Military and civilian deaths are needlessly happening as we interject ourselves into their civil war. The only thing preventing a civil war in Iraq, prior to our occupation, was the presence of Saddam Hussain. We removed that obstical to the Shia-Sunni war now raging.
We have a civilian army in Iraq guarding the oil facilities and the distribution operations. How long will we do that?
Our combat presence must draw to an end immediately. When the American public came against the Vietnam war we were told by our politicians that a terrible blood bath would occur and the Geo-political dynamic of the domino effect would occur through out that part of South East Asia. It DID NOT happen.
I cannot speak fo Heath because I do not know his motives or his heart, but there is no excuse to continue this war in Iraq................................Nice weather we're having...ain't it?