Reichert Votes For Another Bill He Opposes Every Step Of The Way

Oh the games the Republicans are playing in the House.

Democrats passed legislation today in the U.S. House: the Creating Long-Term Energy Alternatives for the Nation Act.

However, Republicans, including Dave Reichert, did whatever they could to block the bill.

There were seven votes today that related to the passage of the bill - and they pitted all the Democrats against all the Republicans:

- Republicans first attempted to block the day's proceedings by making a motion to adjourn. Perhaps they also felt like it was the end of the work week after working two days already this week. The motion was defeated.
- Democrats then voted on bringing House Resolution 66 to a vote by ordering the previous question. That passed with unanimous Republican opposition.
- The resolution was then voted on, and again it passed, again with unanimous Republican opposition.
- A motion to then consider the bill passed, yet again with unanimous Republican opposition.
- Republicans then tried to kill it with a motion to recommit it with instructions. That failed despite near unanimous Republican backing. Only Nebraska representative Lee Terry defected from the Republican side. Perhaps he saw how obstructionist the Republicans have become.
- The next vote was to table an appeal of a ruling by the chair. Details are not yet available as to what exactly the ruling was, yet once again all Republicans voted against passage, and against proceeding with a vote on the bill.
- Finally, the bill came up for a vote and passed 264-163, with 36 Republicans voting for the bill, including Mr. Reichert. Four Democrats actually voted against the bill.

Dave Reichert will now go on the record as having supported this bill, even while he voted to obstruct it every step of the way there. He has played this game this year twice before, when he put up a fight against the Fair Minimum Wage Act before voting for it, and when he did the same for the Implementing the 9/11Commission Recommendations Act.

What's more, yesterday Americans for Tax Reform put out a press release against the bill stating the world would come to an end because of it:

The newly formed, Democrat-controlled House will force a vote TOMORROW, within its first 15 days, to raise taxes on domestic energy production, increasing America's dependence on foreign oil and subsequently lowering the value of millions of Americans' retirement funds.

Supposedly the bill violates the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, signed by 197 House members and 43 Senators, who have pledged to their constituents to "oppose any net reduction or elimination of deductions and credits, unless matched dollar for dollar by further reducing tax rates." Forget that the pledge is signed by the minority Republicans, they simply oppose the movement of tax dollars away from propping up Big Oil and their already incredible profits, to alternative energy production.

Oh, and the signatories include Dave Reichert, who once again wants to be on both sides of an issue, by pledging he is against a bill that he ends up voting for.

Clearly Dave Reichert has one goal in mind: self preservation. He wants to rack up a record of final passage votes that portray him as a moderate, while still doing everything but supporting the bills he finally votes for. Not only should that piss off Democrats in his constituency, but it should piss off Republicans as well. However, it appears Reichert will continue to play this game until he is found out. So far the traditional media has not made note of the contradictions or scheming in Reichert's congressional voting record. He got away with it in 2006, and he surely hopes to get away with it in 2008.