Kerry Bentivolio's final insult

[Warlord]

Apparently they managed to persuade him to change his vote from 'no' to 'yes' at the last minute to pass the rule for the masssive spending bill:



Passage of the rule governing debate for the "CROmnibus" bill by a razor-thin 214-212 margin means that the measure can come up for what should be an easier final vote Thursday afternoon. The rule passed only after two Republicans, Reps. Kerry Bentivolio and Marlin Stutzman, were persuaded by leaders to switch their votes from no to yes.


http://www.nationaljournal.com/congress/gop-leaders-confident-spending-bill-will-pass-but-mull-fallback-plan-20141211

We certainly wont miss Kerry.

[William Tell]

What on earth is he thinking?

[tsai3904]

I'm surprised Amash voted No as I think he's voted Yes on all prior procedural votes. I don't understand why this bill is any different than other massive spending bills.

[Warlord]

What on earth is he thinking?

He's finished .. out of congress after one term. Maybe they promised him something,

[EBounding]

I'm no longer supporting people with no record who are running for federal office.

[HOLLYWOOD]

Apparently they managed to persuade him to change his vote from 'no' to 'yes' at the last minute to pass the rule for the masssive spending bill: http://www.nationaljournal.com/congress/gop-leaders-confident-spending-bill-will-pass-but-mull-fallback-plan-20141211

We certainly wont miss Kerry.What stuck out about this vote... it was a 15 minute vote. But a monkey wrench was thrown into the mix when the "NAYES" were leading 214-212. Then came the hunters on those NO VOTES to have them switch to AYE... the vote took 33 minutes to find the NO voting Congressman and forcibly(bribe/blackmail/etc) switch votes to pass the bill, which they found the 2 they needed.

This is another reason to not to post the vote tallies while Congress members are still voting. It's like posting everyone's votes at elections real time to manipulate the final outcome of elections.

Everything is rigged and controlled in this country... illusion of choice.

[TaftFan]

I'm surprised Amash voted No as I think he's voted Yes on all prior procedural votes. I don't understand why this bill is any different than other massive spending bills.
For one, Amash found out last night that it basically nationalizes communications.
Another would be that it prevents any GOP Senate input on the budget for practically a year.

[Brian4Liberty]

And Marlin Stutzman too. Wasn't he supposed to be "Tea Party"?

[TaftFan]

And Marlin Stutzman too. Wasn't he supposed to be "Tea Party"?
http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/394446/sources-leadership-promised-pull-cromnibus-joel-gehrke

[NewRightLibertarian]

They made mince meat of the poor sad sack Kerry. His smokin buddy Boehner probably told him the sky would fall unless he voted for this. What a maroon.

[2young2vote]

The only two congressmen to trust are Justin Amash and Thomas Massie.

[specsaregood]

The only two congressmen to trust are Justin Amash and Thomas Massie.

There are more than those two.
Rep. Duncan at the very least has earned a great deal of trust.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Duncan_(U.S._politician)

[GunnyFreedom]

Kerry has no excuse since he already was a no and then went yes, so he knew why not. Some of the others, less so because Amash didn't even know until it was almost time to go to Session. So some of the yes votes may have been blindsided. Not that that's an excuse for not knowing your bills, but they are very good at blindsiding people. I got blindsided a couple times. Including a really bad vote on an exchange bill. :(

[GunnyFreedom]

The only two congressmen to trust are Justin Amash and Thomas Massie.


There are more than those two.
Rep. Duncan at the very least has earned a great deal of trust.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Duncan_(U.S._politician)

Yo, where's the props for my man Walter Jones, who seems to _always be right on stuff like this? :D

[specsaregood]

Yo, where's the props for my man Walter Jones, who seems to _always be right on stuff like this? :D

Jones, has turned out to be a great ally.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_B._Jones,_Jr.

And IIRC McClintock has been pretty good hasn't he?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_McClintock

[William Tell]

Yo, where's the props for my man Walter Jones, who seems to _always be right on stuff like this? :D

Your man is the man.

[TaftFan]

Paul Broun is my personal favorite.

[Bastiat's The Law]

Kerry is such an idiot.

[Brian4Liberty]

Interesting. Did Bentivolio feel left out, and a personal plea from Boehner was enough to sway his vote?


Congressman Bentivolio said that at different times he sought help from the libertarian Rep. Justin Amash (R-MI) and conservative star Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) and was rebuffed from joining them as they encouraged him to find his own way. He also complained that he was left out of discussions on both the establishment side and the conservative side... (https://www.conservativereview.com/commentary/2014/12/a-wavering-tea-party-favorite)

[TaftFan]

Interesting. Did Bentivolio feel left out, and a personal plea from Boehner was enough to sway his vote?

I doubt Amash or Gohmert were being mean to him. I bet he didn't want to read legislation and they got tired of doing his work for him. Like the kid who tags along for group projects but doesn't contribute. That is just my guess.

[GunnyFreedom]

I doubt Amash or Gohmert were being mean to him. I bet he didn't want to read legislation and they got tired of doing his work for him. Like the kid who tags along for group projects but doesn't contribute. That is just my guess.

No, I think he wanted to act like he was their back bencher but still do his own thing at the weirdest of times. I wouldn't want that near my name either.

[Brian4Liberty]

An interesting example of politics and whipping though. Boehner didn't get into his position for no reason.

[HOLLYWOOD]

An interesting example of politics and whipping though. Boehner didn't get into his position for no reason.If I had a few million to spare, I would litter the roadways of Ohio's 8th congressional district with billboards stating,

"Now entering, 8th Congressional district, home of Speaker John Boehner and Morons that continue to re-elect the Establishment-Liberal-Fascist corrupt politician term after term... Congratulations Ignorant Fools!

[Brian4Liberty]

If I had a few million to spare, I would litter the roadways of Ohio's 8th congressional district with billboards stating,

"Now entering, 8th Congressional district, home of Speaker John Boehner and Morons that continue to re-elect the Establishment-Liberal-Fascist corrupt politician term after term... Congratulations Ignorant Fools!

LOL. Yeah, that would be a way to get a message out to the low info voters. :D They would still probably vote for him.

[jkob]

I'm no longer supporting people with no record who are running for federal office.

it was only by freak occurrence that Kerry was ever elected

[green73]

I'm no longer supporting people with no record who are running for federal office.

Good luck.

[jmdrake]

I'm no longer supporting people with no record who are running for federal office.

Meh. It's a gamble. Rand had no record. So far he's a better senator than anyone else I can think of.

[NewRightLibertarian]

Here is Turncoat Kerry aka Bentivolio the Backstabber's spin as to why he was personally responsible for the Omnibus bill being passed:

http://westmipolitics.blogspot.com/2014/12/rep-bentivolio-goes-off-in-epic.html

[GunnyFreedom]

I'm no longer supporting people with no record who are running for federal office.


Meh. It's a gamble. Rand had no record. So far he's a better senator than anyone else I can think of.

I had no record and I turned out OK. :p

A lot of us also knew that Bentivolio was just glomming on to the liberty movement before he was actually elected.

[Brian4Liberty]

Here is Turncoat Kerry aka Bentivolio the Backstabber's spin as to why he was personally responsible for the Omnibus bill being passed:

http://westmipolitics.blogspot.com/2014/12/rep-bentivolio-goes-off-in-epic.html

Pretty much the same story. If anyone on the "conservative" side had asked (whipped) him, he wouldn't have changed his vote.


>>>HERE IS THE STATEMENT IN FULL:

"In keeping with my status and rating as the most transparent member of Congress, I offer this explanation and commentary regarding the “rule” vote that allowed the bill to come to the floor.

Many claim my vote ushered in a $1.1 trillion dollar budget for the coming year. I am deeply honored how many think I had the power to determine so quickly the financial fate of our nation! However, this is not the case.

Do check my voting record--I have never before voted “no” on a rule vote. This, I admit, I did on a whim, a last hurrah. Let me give a little background on the circumstances of that fateful day Thursday, December 11th that I changed my vote from a ‘nay’ to a ‘yea’. A week prior, my staff and I were moved to a small cubicle with one computer and one desk. We shared a printer with others not returning to the House this January. I sat in the House cloakroom off the floor of Congress most of the day discussing various issues and concerns with retiring Congressman Latham from Iowa since he and I were in the same situation, though for different reasons. I obtained a copy of the 1600 page bill and read the first 25-30 pages a few hours before the rule vote.

I complained to Congressman Latham that I was disappointed in the proposed bill from what I heard, having no time to actually read the entire bill and how Congressman Mulvaney’s amendment to the bill to defund President Obama’s amnesty program failed to pass.

I informed him and Congresswoman Candice Miller, acting in behalf of the Majority Whip, that they could not count on my vote for the 1.1 trillion spending bill.

When the house called to vote on the rule, I walked the seven feet beyond the cloak room door and voted “no” on the rule. I was the first vote. Congressman Latham laughed and asked why I voted “no” since few Republicans ever vote “no” on a rule. The rule vote simply stops all debates and amendments and brings the bill to the floor for consideration. I mentioned to him it really did not matter since it would pass anyway and no one really cared how I voted on the “rule”. Within minutes a GOP aide came in asking why I voted no on the rule. I waved him off politely indicating to him it really didn’t matter.

Within 20 minutes Speaker Boehner and other members of Congress asked if I would change my vote. I was perplexed why there was this much attention given a departing member’s vote on a rule. I walked back onto the floor and watched the tally of votes on the overhead side panels. 160-160, 165-166, 175-174, etc.

While on the floor I stood within five feet of Congressmen Amash, Jordan, Mulvaney, and several other “conservative” members of Congress. Not one talked or discussed with me the implications, plans or strategy, consequences or what reasons they had to vote “no” on the rule. I asked what was happening and no one gave me a reply other than I should change my vote.

What I knew, as did they, that a “no” would mean re-negotiating a new bill. Nancy Pelosi, the minority leader would force the GOP to make concessions. I realized the Speaker was dead set against shutting the government down. A 30-60 day Continued Resolution (CR) was not an option because neither Harry Reid nor the President would sign it. There were “rumors” that the Democrats were planning on delaying social security, VA disability and retirement checks just before Christmas, blaming it on the GOP for failing to negotiate a funding bill both the Senate and President would sign. The Speaker was up against the wall, between a rock and hard place. After all, did not the President order open air memorials fenced and gated during the last shut down and hired Park Rangers to guard the otherwise “unguarded” tourist sites on the mall? What else would you expect from our Commander in Tyranny?

The elderly in my district need those social security checks! What many people do not realize or discuss in the media is the possibility that leadership would immediately offer a two-day CR funding the government over the weekend while they negotiated another bill with Democrats until they received enough votes and have had a bill the Senate, under Harry Reid, and the President would sign. Both the leadership and Democrats do not like Conservatives and we would not have had much influence on the final bill.

Any future bill could be worse than the bill proposed on the floor that day. I was not willing under any circumstances, to give Nancy Pelosi any negotiating power, and for that reason alone I decided to change my vote to a “yea” on the rule.

Many conservative members changed their vote as well to make it a tie. After Congressman Stutzman changed his vote, the tally read 213 Yea and 213 Nay, effectively passing the rule. Congressman Stutzman is an excellent member and serves his constituents well. I am honored to have served with him as I am with other members of Congress. I changed my vote to make the final tally 214 Yea and 212 Nay. I being the first and last to vote on the rule.

Immediately afterwards, many members of Congress thanked me and called me a “true patriot.” I did not need to hear those comments. I proved that years ago serving my country in the military. I responded to each by saying, “Merry Christmas.”

Not because of my vote, rather because they were all going home immediately after voting that day, and I would not see them again. The Speaker came up to me and thanked me for changing my vote and said he owed me a great deal. I smiled at him wishing him and his family a Merry Christmas, too.

After voting “NO” on the $1.1 trillion spending bill, a member of Congress mentioned a fellow member of Congress and friend was very upset that I had changed my rule vote. When I heard that comment I became very concerned. I realized then I MAY have made a mistake since my friend, a member of Congress I most respected, was disappointed. I began to worry.

Within minutes she came up to me and asked why I changed my vote. “Michele, I said, I did not want to give the floor to Pelosi.”

She asked if anyone promised me anything to get me to change my vote. I told her the truth and replied “No.” Then I asked her why no one contacted me or discussed with me any plans or strategy. I told her had she talked with me I might have considered sticking to my “no” vote.

I have great respect and admiration for Congresswoman Bachmann and, other than my wife, have never met a greater woman. She is a tireless worker, a true patriot on all the issues, dedicated and takes no prisoners. Her retirement from Congress is America’s loss.

After the “rule” votes most everyone left the floor to wait for the call for the final bill, and I returned to sit with Congressman Latham again in the cloak room. Congressman Latham looked up at me and said, “So your vote didn’t matter and no one cared, huh?”
I replied, “Holy ****!”

It has been said and written that I did this (changed my rule vote) to get “even” for the lack of support my fellow conservatives gave me during the primary election. Nothing could be further from the truth. Those that know me will tell you I am not that kind of person and the thought never entered my mind.

I maintain to this day a 100% rating from the American Conservative Union and a 90% from Conservative Review. I can surmise these conjectures are nothing more than my former opponent’s political machine at work in the social media and “bought and paid for” mainstream reporters. After all, they said in semi-private meetings during the primary campaign they would take the seat and then destroy me once and for all.

Conservatives who want nothing less than 100% are living in fantasyland along with the magic carpets and genie lanterns. While many of those conservatives and conservative groups received ample cash to stay out of my race, and Washington is a place where principles are bought by the highest bidder like stock on the stock exchange, my principles remain intact having been bought and paid for previously by soldiers, sailors, Marines and Airmen on the beaches of Normandy, in the jungles of Vietnam and desert of Iraq and many other places.

I am proud to have served in two wars for my country, the only member of Congress to serve in both Vietnam and Iraq, and an additional two-year deployment in Washington, D.C. No promises were made, no twisting of arms, but there was a bit of intimidation, which I ignored. There was hope after the vote that we might negotiate a sixty-day CR, but that hope evaporated within hours after the rule vote when leadership obtained enough Democratic votes to pass the bill. I voted NO on the bill itself as I previously advised the GOP leadership. There was neither malice aforethought nor vengefulness motivating my actions.

A fellow member of Congress said by changing my vote Nancy Pelosi became an afterthought, and politically dead. Then, knowing me as I often refer to DC as the Land of Oz, or use Mark Levin’s Maldorf designation, presented me with an old broom. “What’s this?” I asked. “You killed the wicked witch of the West! Congratulations! Here is her broom, she isn’t flyin anymore!” Does anyone know where that guy is behind the curtain?

Professor Gruber claimed voters are stupid. I strongly disagree. They are often intentionally misinformed by a social and mainstream media and hence become low-information voters. I often said that if I needed to lie to my constituents to keep this job, then I did not want it.

I have often said, too, that the hardest thing to find in Washington, D. C. is the truth. It remains the case today.

However, since I have no real plans to return to Congress and many of you think I am responsible for ushering in the $1.1 Trillion spending bill I did not support nor vote for, so be it. Here is the story as it happened, from my perspective. If you wish to remember me as the crazy reindeer farmer, Santa impersonator, accidental Congressman who is responsible for that terrible bill passed in Congress before Christmas 2014, so be it too. It is amazing what a $6 million campaign in hard and soft money can purchase. I will pray for all of you, especially my country I fought for 30 years trying to protect. God bless you, and I wish you all a very Merry Christmas."

[tsai3904]

I still don't understand why this procedural vote was different than any other procedural vote. This wasn't the worst bill to pass Congress yet other procedural votes get near unanimous GOP support even from Congressmen like Amash.

Update: This is how Amash explained his voting process on procedural votes:


voted yes on H Res 382, Same Day Rule. The House rules require a 2/3 vote in order to consider a rule on the same day it's reported from the Committee on Rules. This rule waives that House rule for any resolution reported from the Committee from now through August 2. I always stick with my party on procedural votes. The resolution passed 236-186.


Rob: Always?

Justin Amash: Yes, always.

Bradley: Can you explain your stance on this strict personal rule for procedural votes please?

Justin Amash: You cannot analyze procedural votes using substantive criteria. The results could never be consistent. The only consistent methodology with procedural votes is to do something like always vote against your party or always vote with your party. Or always vote yes on Tuesdays and always vote no on Wednesdays. Etc.

https://www.facebook.com/repjustinamash/posts/229661303739950

Second Update: I found an instance where Amash voted No on a prior procedural vote. Here's his explanation:


I voted no on H Res 99, the rule defining the process for considering H R 933, the continuing resolution (CR) making appropriations for the remainder of fiscal year 2013. (The current CR expires March 27.) The closed rule provides for one hour of debate equally divided between the Chairman and the Ranking Member of the Committee on Appropriations. All points of order against consideration of the bill and its provisions are waived, and one motion to recommit with or without instructions may be offered.

I have historically voted with my party on procedural votes, such as rules, even when I oppose the substance of the underlying measure. But I cannot in good conscience continue to support House leadership on every procedural vote when they do not follow "regular order." In other words, there should be no secret deals; legislation should move through the regular committee process; and we should have an opportunity to offer and vote on amendments. Leadership promised that they would follow regular order in the 113th Congress. This closed rule, which prohibits consideration of any amendments, including one to defund implementation of Obamacare, is just the latest violation of that promise.

House leadership should follow regular order. If they don't, they shouldn't assume Republicans will allow anything and everything to come to the floor for a final vote. Fifteen Republicans joined me in voting against this resolution. It passed 212-197.

https://www.facebook.com/repjustinamash/posts/521260631246681

[GunnyFreedom]

Weak sauce, Kaybo. That whole fight for the Constitution thing was just a little guff to get you treated like a prince for a couple years. Even on the way out you never had the guts to stand on principle. You were just happy to be there. You stepped on the faces of some seriously liberty loving folk who would have been far more productive electing people who aren't liars. I know you can't possibly imagine what you did wrong, but that's just your failure to comprehend not our failure to sufficiently articulate it. You have demonstrated time and again that you utterly lack principle, when principle was the whole reason you were sent in the first place. Take your sour grapes and go home and make all the whine you want. I ain't buyin any.