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Will we ever see a republican like this again?

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cali Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-02-11 06:42 PM
Original message
Will we ever see a republican like this again?
In 1981, Jeffords was the only Republican member of the House to vote against a bill reducing the top tax rate from 70 per cent to 50 per cent — a hallmark of President Ronald Reagan's legacy. During his time in the Senate, he voted for the Civil Rights Act of 1991, the Brady Bill, the Family and Medical Leave Act, an end to the ban on gays serving in the military, and against permanent normal trade relations with China and barring affirmative action at the federal level. Jeffords was also vocal in his opposition to the nomination of Clarence Thomas to the United States Supreme Court by President George H.W. Bush. He was one of only two Republicans to vote against confirming Clarence Thomas. In 1993, he was the only prominent Republican to support President Clinton's unsuccessful attempt to establish a national healthcare plan. Jefford's voting record and positions on environmental issues put further distance between himself and his Republican Party colleagues.

Jeffords consistently voted against the ban on partial-birth abortion, and also against a harsher line on Cuba. In 1995 he was one of only 16 Senators to vote against the Communications Decency Act. The Supreme Court later struck it down as unconstitutional. Jeffords highly advocated LGBT rights in the workplace. He sponsored The Employee Non Discrimination Act of 1995 (104th Congress), 1997 (105th Congress), and 1999 (106th Congress). Jeffords Non Discrimination bills did not include "gender identity." He was in the minority of Republicans to oppose the Flag Desecration Amendment.

Jeffords was one of the founders of the Congressional Solar Coalition and the Congressional Arts Caucus. Jeffords was frequently recognized for his performance as a legislator, receiving Parenting magazine's "Legislator of the Year" award in 1999, and the Sierra Club's highest commendation in 2002.


He also voted against the Iraq War. He called himself a moderate republican until he could call himself a republican no longer.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Jeffords
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MilesColtrane Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-02-11 06:43 PM
Response to Original message
1. They call them Blue Dogs now.
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cali Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-02-11 06:45 PM
Response to Reply #1
2. no they don't. blue dogs don't champion education and disability rights
or vote against wars.
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rhett o rick Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-02-11 06:47 PM
Response to Reply #2
6. You beat me too it by a minute. nm
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rhett o rick Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-02-11 06:46 PM
Response to Reply #1
3. No, they call them "old Democrats". Blue Dogs and New Democrats dont vote like that.
They vote almost straight Republican.
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DJ13 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-02-11 06:46 PM
Response to Reply #1
5. No, Blue Dogs wouldnt fight a tax decrease
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Dawson Leery Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-02-11 06:49 PM
Response to Reply #1
7. Blue Dogs hedge on civil rights/liberties and support unconstitutional censorhip,
as well as deficit spending and large scale military actions not vital to national security.

Jim Jeffords was none of those. He was more in line with moderate Democrats than the GOP and certainly the Blue Dogs.
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Zorra Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-02-11 08:09 PM
Response to Reply #1
13. +1
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Jefferson23 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-02-11 06:46 PM
Response to Original message
4. Gone with the wind. n/t
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OHdem10 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-02-11 06:53 PM
Response to Original message
8. Moderate Republicans have been purged.
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Snoutport Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-02-11 07:54 PM
Response to Reply #8
12. And the few remaining are under attack.
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rpannier Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-02-11 06:56 PM
Response to Original message
9. Yes
They get elected mayor, city council and to school boards and that's about it
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UpInArms Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-02-11 07:47 PM
Response to Original message
10. Jeffords was truly honorable man - I wish there were more in the Senate
just like him.

sigh
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Overseas Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-02-11 07:51 PM
Response to Original message
11. K&R!
I didn't know about some of those amazing votes of his.
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Edweird Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-02-11 08:17 PM
Response to Original message
14. Not any time soon - thank the 'triangulators' for that.
When you move right, those determined to remain
to the right of you must also move further right.
'Splitting the difference' then makes what was
previously insane RW nutbaggery become 'reasonable'
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bvar22 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-02-11 08:59 PM
Response to Original message
15. Will we ever see a Democrat like this again?
”Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children."
---President Dwight Eisenhower









Oops.
My bad.





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cali Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-03-11 04:40 AM
Response to Reply #15
17. huh? you do understand that Jim Jeffords was actually a republican
for the vast majority of his political career, right?
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handmade34 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-02-11 09:15 PM
Response to Original message
16. Jeffords was (is) a good man
and he opened up the spot for Bernie...

I remember the days when I could respect a good number of Republicans (even if I disagreed with their politics). No longer.

Not in office but David Stockman is a decent Republican. Chuck Hegal was a decent Republican....

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