Idaho: Walt Minnick

Within hours of Obama's speech giving strong support for the House Bill on health care reform, and with the endorsement of the bill by both the American Medical Association and the AARP, Congressman Walt Minnick announces he will vote against it.

“Over the last several months, I have met with thousands of constituents from all over Idaho’s First Congressional District. They are gravely concerned about the economy, about job security, and about the kinds of opportunities their children and grandchildren will have to make a better life.

“Like most of them, I believe that cutting down the cost of health care is one important step we can take in moving our economy forward.

Like the adage about no atheists in foxholes, during a natural disaster everyone becomes a socialist.

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Following up on my post from yesterday describing Idaho's allegedly-Democratic congressman from CD-1, Walt Minnick, and his cute little attempt at trying to squash President Obama's creation of a new Consumer Financial Protection Agency. This agency would be charged with protecting Americans from predatory financial institutions, something Rep. Minnick and his Blue Lap Dog dudes couldn't abide.

Last night on MSNBC's Rachel Maddow Show, Rachel called out Minnick and his DINO BFF's as being more of an obstruction to passing this needed legislation than either Wall Street or Republicans.

As Rachel says, with "Democrats" like Walt Minnick, who the hell needs Republicans? For more on Minnick's legislative lunacy, check out this post at The MountainGoat Report.

Dear Walt,

The Democrats called. We want our (D-ID) back:

Backers of President Obama's cornerstone financial regulatory reform proposal pushed back Monday against the Blue Dog Coalition, which is promoting a counter-proposal to the Consumer Financial Protection Agency in the House Financial Services Committee.

The proposal, being championed by Blue Dog Walt Minnick (D-Idaho) and reported in Monday's Politico, would create a "council" consisting of regulatory agencies that would make suggestions to Congress regarding what abusive practices might need to be curtailed. Minnick told Politico that Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D-Mass.) was open to it.

"As soon as I saw the story, I called Minnick and said, 'You've really gotta retract it,'" Frank told HuffPost, saying he was "absolutely opposed" to the proposal and told Minnick as much when they spoke about it last week. A Minnick spokesman didn't return a call.  read more »