Monday, May 21st, 2007...6:37 am
Mitchell Votes Against Democratic Budget Resolution
Anyone notice that Harry Mitchell voted against the Democratic budget resolution? Here’s the release from his office:
WASHINGTON, D.C. - For the second time in six weeks, U.S. Rep. Harry Mitchell voted against the Democratic budget resolution, saying the latest plan also fails to assuage his concerns about increased government spending and tax cuts.
Despite Mitchell’s nay vote, the S. Con. Res. 21 passed 214-209. Mitchell was one of only 13 Democrats to vote against the resolution.
“As I’ve said before, I have serious concerns about increasing government spending and I simply cannot support a budget that allows key tax cuts to expire,” said Mitchell.
Mitchell renewed his call for Republicans and Democrats to put partisanship aside and work together to demand greater accountability in government spending, cut government waste and extend tax relief to American families.
“The American people would be better served if Republicans and Democrats worked together to incorporate good ideas from both sides of the aisle,” he said.
Mitchell said that while the five-year Democratic plan calls for middle class tax cuts, Congress should look at extending estate and capital gains tax cuts that are set to expire in 2010.
Okay, ironies aplenty: one wag wrote to me to point out that Gabrielle Giffords, derided as a closet Republican in the last Democratic primary, voted for this, while Mitchell, relatively well liked by liberals, voted against it. Another one: I just spent the last two weeks kvetching about Democrats voting with Republicans on our State budget, now this. Very different circumstances, but still…
Mitchell has been a bit of a budget hawk for a while, and ran as one, so this makes sense. I’m sure that somewhere in the back of his head is the thought that this burnishes his credentials as a fiscal conservative and could blunt attacks against him. I know, it’s shocking that there might be electoral motives here.
Mitchell probably has some good reasons to vote against this budget. But if he thinks that this means that he’ll be given credit from fiscal conservative voters, I have a cautionary tale for him.
I still remember an encounter that Sam Coppersmith had with a College Republican way back in 1994 (I remember the little things, but I don’t know where my house keys are right now). Coppersmith, you may remember, famously was a Democratic vote against Clinton’s budget. He took no end of grief for it from Democratic activists, and I always wonder if it made his Senate primary a bit harder than in needed to be (he won by a shade more than 100 votes). Anyway, I was volunteering on his Senate race and he had an appearance at the U of A. This College Republican pipes up during the question period:
“If you are such a fiscal conservative, why did you vote for the Clinton budget?”
“I didn’t vote for the Clinton budget.”
“Well, I think you did.”
“But I didn’t.”
A conservative denying the well documented and easilly confirmed truth should have prepared me for the later world of Bill O’Reilly and company.
3 Comments
May 21st, 2007 at 12:35 pm
Having known Harry for years, I think this was a vote from his heart. Back to his mayoral years, Harry has always been committed to fiscal constraint.
The bill passed anyway, by the way. In fact, it was never in doubt.
May 21st, 2007 at 3:23 pm
(relatively well liked by ) Which liberals? Not from Baja, I hope! I’m ALL FOR the kind of fiscal constraint that means balancing budgets by getting revenue for sensible policy from where the money is - rich folk’s accounts.
May 21st, 2007 at 5:19 pm
To understand this vote, all you have to do is look at the republican registration advantage in his district. These republicans are going to be highly receptive to any kind of defense of tax cuts, and Harry certainly needs to get reelected.
The democrats are not going to care because I’m sure Harry knew they had the votes to pass the budget anyway. I also predict that he may sign on to introducing Kyl’s minimum wage amendment in the house which cuts taxes on small businesses.
Leave a Reply