How is it that after 34 years in Congress, Ike Skelton can only vote present on sanctioning a fellow Congressman (Joe Wilson)?  Can he no longer formulate an opinion, or is it just the case that he is concerned about losing next year and now attempting to avoid tough calls?

Ike is a classic example of what has gone wrong in Washington DC.  Like so many Dems from conservative districts, he doesn’t know how he’s going to vote until he hears from Nancy Pelosi or one of her middlemen.  He used to vote his conscience, regardless of what party leadership said.  Now that he’s got a prime committee chairmanship, he is little more than a free vote for the leadership – though as evident from the rebuke of Congressman Wilson, they will occasionally let him vote “present” to get out of particularly tough spots.

Why do Missourians continue to elect a Representative that left his conscience behind as soon as the left-most wing of his party gained power? Maybe Missourians should vote “NO” on Ike Skelton.

Related:

FreeRepublic.com: House Votes to Discipline Wilson for Outburst

Comment #22: “I assume that is my congressman Ike Skelton, a Democrat, who voted present. He is starting to remember he represents a conservative district. His vote in favor of cap and trade as well as his failure to hold any sort of public forums during the recess have really hurt him here in Missouri.

I think for the first time in a long time he is going to have real Republican opposition. My husband went to a meeting this morning in which some big donors to Skelton are talking of throwing their support elsewhere, namely Bill Stouffer.”

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