If it weren't obvious already, Rep. Frank M. Kratovil Jr.'s final vote against health-care legislation last week made clear that the freshman Maryland Democrat is more than willing to go against his party. He has sided with Republicans nearly 200 times since President Obama's approval ratings started to dip last summer, more than almost any other Democrat.
Kratovil's stances appear to be part conviction and part calculation, a bet that the only way he can represent and carry his right-leaning Eastern Shore district is to prove that he is an independent voice willing to oppose Obama and congressional Democrats when necessary.
Thirty-three other Democrats, in other districts with other dynamics, made the same gamble last week. Brushing aside a call to history by Obama, they opposed the party's latest attempt to expand health-care coverage, a cause the party has pursued for decades. Their votes have unleashed a rash of action and analysis, with some no-voting Democrats immediately drawing primary challengers and others struggling to explain themselves.
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13 comments:
Why doesn't he just switch to republican?
He's the right representative for the 1st Cong. District.
What was his vote on Cap & Trade?
Out with Kratovil.. in with Harris
He voted for Cap and Tax... good riddance in Nov.
Pelosi just didn't NEED his vote.
Frank knows he has to satisfy conservatives, the majority in his district. But is conservatism in his DNA?
The Party has such a commanding majority in the House they can afford to allow him to vote against the Party. When that majority narrows or evapoates this November, can they be so accomodating? And how will he react to greater pressure then?
In my judgement, should he win the next election we can expect to see more party-line liberal votes.
Though it is hard to warm up to Harris, I'll vote for whoever the strongest conservative is.
correct me if i am wrong but he voted with the democrats on everything up to the one vote on healthcare where they cut him lose. He also voted for everrything concerning the heatlhcare bill as far as reconciliation, so he's not fooling anyone! get rid of him!
Let's not get carried away. Kratovil is no republican and certainly no conservative.
If the math worked out better on this bill Kratovil would have voted for a gov't option and the assault on industry in a heartbeat. Note that OpenCongress.org reports the Kratovil votes with his party 85% of the time - hardly a dissenting voice among the liberal base in Congress.
He can do better and so can we on the Eastern Shore!
why can't kratovil just be someone who votes according to the facts and their judgement of them? I would love it if all of congress did the same.
Vote him out November Frank will
kiss Pelosi's ass when she
demands a vote from this spineless politician
Frank should vote however his constituents want him to vote. However, I would like to see the numbers. If all representatives were truly voices of the people that elected them I could be a really happy citizen, we would have a real Democracy.
I personally feel that most of them vote according to who pays them. It is a life long money tree, no matter how long they serve, so money talks, and honor and integrity walk.
Everyone's so cynical and thinks this is political. He is fiscally conservative, and has voted against the party on the budget, omnibus spending programs, etc. This health care bill was no different. It is a spending bonanza, and Kratovil has said from the beginning that he opposed it. The platform that he ran on is what he is doing right now. I can't think of a better representative of the Eastern Shore.
To think that Kratovil is the best representative of the Eastern Shore leads many to believe that one has stopped thinking.
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