Gaps Appear in G.O.P. Solidarity

Gaps Appear in G.O.P. Solidarity

By CARL HULSE
Published: May 9, 2009


WASHINGTON — After being stingy with their support in the early days of the Obama administration, significant numbers of House Republicans have begun breaking from their party leaders and voting for legislation moving through the Democratic-led Congress.

Scores of House Republicans joined Democrats in recent days in pushing through measures meant to rein in credit card companies, increase federal resources to pursue financial fraud and crack down on predatory housing lenders — all legislation opposed by top House Republicans. On the credit card and financial fraud bills, only a minority of Republicans ended up opposing them.

“It is hard to say we shouldn’t put in more stringent standards on mortgage lending, given what has happened in the past,” said Representative Mike Simpson, an Idaho Republican who backed all three measures.

Democrats say the fracturing suggests that rank-and-file Republicans are growing nervous about their leadership’s near-blanket opposition to the agenda that Congressional Democrats and President Obama are pursuing, particularly on measures that have obvious popular appeal.

“Look at credit cards,” said Representative Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “A good number of Republicans understand this is something important to voters and consumers. If you are getting ripped off by a credit card company, it doesn’t matter if you are Democratic, Republican or independent.”

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http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/10/us/politics/10vote.html?hpw

Ya think?

:crazy:

so we know their thinking is twisted and they don't care, as long as it goes against what the Dem party wants.



http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=5625951&mesg_id=5625951

snip//

Republican task forces in the House and Senate have been meeting for months to devise talking points against Democratic ideas and develop an alternative health reform plan to use as a counterpoint to Obama and his allies.

Basing most of their criticism on Obama’s proposals such as creating a public plan to provide health benefits and funding comparative effectiveness research, the GOP’s message is that the Democratic platform would weaken the private insurance system to provides coverage to most middle-class voters through their employers and would give the government too much control on the healthcare market.

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