( - promoted by Dean Barker)
So this morning I was reading about the Bass-Kuster debate in the Nashua Telegraph. Interesting article. One quote from Charlie really touched my soul:
Kuster's "voting record is a blank sheet of paper, loads of promises and lots of good talk," Bass said."I am proud of every single vote," although he said he couldn't remember all of them.
To help Charlie's memory, I figured I'd put him to the test. Memo to ex-Congressman Bass. . . .
* Are you proud that you were one of only 3 Members of Congress to oppose an amendment to increase funding for the "We the People. . . Project Citizen" civic education program on the Constitution and the Bill of Rights? (H.R. 2264, CQ#376, September 9, 1997)
* Are you proud of your vote against an amendment to fund child nutrition programs with a reduction in corporate welfare expenditures? (Budget Committee vote, June 19, 1996)
* Are you proud of your votes to give Enron a $254 million tax break? (H.R. 3529, CQ#508-9, December 20, 2001; CBS News.com, "Report: Enron Avoided Paying Taxes," January 17, 2002)
* Are you proud of your vote against a House Budget Committee amendment to fund pay parity for SEC employees -- the folks who might have uncovered Bernie Madoff's scams? (Budget Committee vote, March 13, 2002)
* Are you proud of your vote against closing a loophole that allows rogue corporations to move to Bermuda to avoid paying taxes? (H.R. 4931, CQ#247, June 21, 2002)
* Are you proud of your vote against providing funding to update of Customs Service computers -- just 18 months before 9/11? (Budget Committee vote, March 15, 2000)
* Are you proud of your votes to abolish the federal Direct Loan Program, which enables over 2.5 million young people to attend colleges across America? (Even the Bush Administration supported student loans, Charlie.) And to slash Pell Grants by $100 million? (CQ#743, 10/26/95; CQ#812, 11/17/95; Budget Committee vote, October 12, 1995; CQ#549, 10/28/99)
* Are you proud of your votes to slash Medicare by a whopping $270 billion over seven years? (H. Con. Res. 67, CQ#458, June 29, 1995; H.R. 2491, CQ#812, November 17, 1995)
* Are your proud of your vote against an amendment to "preserve existing benefits for impoverished elderly residents of nursing homes?" (Budget Committee vote, June 19, 1996)
* Are your proud of your vote for a budget that would have eliminated the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), a critical safety net for New Hampshire seniors in our cold winters? (Budget Committee vote, May 11, 1995)
Charlie, if you would like additional examples of votes that any decent and honorable public servant would regret, please don't hesitate to let me know. Lots more where this came from.
Voters who are offended by the actions of Charlie Bass have a clear choice -- Ann McLane Kuster. She deserves our support. |
