Congressman David Wu is now resigning in a sex scandal. I have no idea re his possible guilt. But he sure did make a lousy congressman, something that somehow never creates a scandal. Back on March 10, 2010, I blogged the following:
Liveblog: Vote to End the War on Afghanistan Today
8:28 a.m. Congressman Kucinich still does not know what time the debate and vote will be. I just saw Rep Raul Grijalva plodding down the sidewalk looking rather glum. No doubt he’ll vote for ending the war and plan to vote for funding it next month if he’s needed. Obviously his soul, if he has one left, is not needed in this town.
8:31 a.m. Reminder of the basics: a vote to end the war in Afghanistan is good (although easy because it won’t pass and would never pass the senate or president anyway). So if there is a vote on the resolution, YES votes are good, but if there is a vote to table the resolution or refer it to committee, that will be a vote to kill it, and a NO vote on such a motion is good. Conversely, a NO vote on ending the war or a YES vote on killing the resolution is an act of murder. Those who vote the wrong way must be voted out. Those who vote the right way must be compelled to vote NO on funding the wars, when the $33 B supplemental comes up in April or May, or be voted out.
8:35 a.m. Rep Jim McGovern just wandered up Pennsylvania Avenue not looking as sad as Grijalva but with only an ounce or so of additional commitment in his heart. The Democratic senators are holding a shindig for progressive media folks that I was going to attend from around noon to 5 (wars are not on the agenda of topics in any way except via all the things that are on the agenda that can’t be paid for with all the money going to wars). Now I’m going to attend whichever portions of it don’t overlap with the war debate and vote.
8:45 More basics. Remember, this is a vote to end the war in Afghanistan, but there is also a war in Iraq that shows no sign of ending.
8:58 Rep. David Wu sitting with me and telling me about his new internet freedom caucus and debating whether to let more Dems join before getting more Rpubs to join. Same routine activist coalitions go through, I tell him. I don’t point out that the Dems have a big majority and that Republicans in the same position would never go through the same fearful contortions. I ask him if he’ll vote against a war today and he says “Nope. I’m with the president on this one.” And I say “I’m with peace and justice and if the president comes to there I’ll be with him too.” Wu says “Good for you. Good for you.” He changes the subject: “We’re going to get healthcare done. You heard it here first.” I ask about Kucinich’s amendment to let states do better, which Wu voted for in July. “They took it out,” I say. “They took my healthcare I.T. stuff out too,” he says, and shakes his head. “It’s irritating,” he says. “It’s deadly,” I say. He talks about history and the 50-year view. He’s reading the Politico the whole time. He leaves me with an article on Stupak and abortions, and says “That’s one important point. The other is we;ve been working on this since 1912 – It’s time to get it done.” Big grin. He leaves, in his gym clothes, presumably not headed for the locker room Rahm frequents. Needless to say, I don’t believe he’s getting anything done.
9:23 BTW, top story in the Politico and The Hill, both of which Wu left as litter on the table here: Eric Massa “tickling” staff and interns. Is that what they call it? Plus, from CBS, an actual good reason to back the healthcare bill, although not good enough: Rush Limbaugh promises to leave country if it passes.*
*Unless it covers Viagra.