Congressman Jim Costa (D), Fresno voted against the Democrats cap and trade bill on the House floor last night but don’t be fooled – he’s no moderate. Although personally likeable and knowledgable about many issues, he’s been AWOL on the water debate here in the Central Valley. I had a journalist from the Fresno Bee tell me a couple of months ago that "Costa had no clout with Pelosi" because he’s a "Blue Dog" moderate without a voice in the capitol, so he couldn’t "get anything done" on the water issue.
I did some research on this and here is what I found. According to the Washington Post, Jim Costa voted with his Party leadership 94% of the time in 2008, and 97.9% in 2009 year to date.
It’s not hard to see the writing on the wall here. I blasted an email out about this to the Westside farmers in Costa’s District last week, and many of them wrote me back stunned and angry that we have another Pelosi Democrat masquerading as a moderate here in the Valley.
Sources in the capitol tell me that once it became apparent that cap and trade was going to pass, Costa got a "pass" to vote no. So there you have it. He’s now voted with this Party leadership 96% of the time in 2009. Very few here in the local area believe Costa’s no vote on cap and trade was a vote based on principle.
I’m beginning to think that if 2010 becomes a big year for the opposition Party Costa might be in some trouble in this swing District, if he draws a conservative independent opponent.
June 27th, 2009 at 12:00 am
Come on! The Republican RINOS put this Cap and Die plan over the top….Eight stinking RINOS…..so…stop bashing committed Democrat socialists….check your own back yard….the Republican party is a flaming joke filled with MCDole-types talking out of five sides of their mouths; they are more than willing to throw conservatives under the bus at every turn.
You salivate ebracing Flipper Mass. Socialized Medicine Romney as a “true” conservative” and use Senator Lindsay Graham as a conservative spokesman, the amensty lover who wants extended families to be “legalized” with the federal law breakers…they will bankrupt California’s welfare programs and educational systems….
There is no greater enemy to freedom than RINOS….none…
June 27th, 2009 at 12:00 am
Hey Mike, do you remember back in 1994 when Costa was on a Rules Committe in the State Assembly and Richard Katz was trying to get domestic partner benefits passed?
All Costa had to do was vote no at the very beginning of the committee vote. However, Willie Brown and others had to get Willard Murray to change his vote so Costa could vote no.
So in other words, Costa held out on voting because had he voted from the beginning, the domestic partner bill would have died.
I know that one of the Sheldons were involved in fighting this and watching this unfold.
June 27th, 2009 at 12:00 am
Robert,
No Republicans in my back yard voted for this. We do need to get rid of RINOS but usually they are rewarded for their RINO behavior by losing their elections anyway.
I do spend considerable time critical of RINOS you might check it out.