Comments on: Defending Jeff Flake

By: Hunter

Hunter — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 23:45:45 +0000

Conservative does not mean Republican, I also think that missing one vote does not mean Flake should not be voted for. I do think he needs a serious rebuke – or at least significant chiding – which I think he is getting. He needs to understand that Republicans are very unhappy about this particular vote. If he doesn’t repeat a mistake like this, some people might think he still shouldn’t be in Congress for other reasons, but this missed vote won’t be a good reason for it.

It’s also important to understand that with these votes winning the vote isn’t the issue. Forcing Democrats like Mitchell and Kirkpatrick to show their true colors by making the vote closer is what is important. We have to keep the 2010 elections in mind in CDs other than Flake’s too.

By: HavasuMom

HavasuMom — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:07:51 +0000

I think the question remains. Was it merely an excuse to miss voting on a historic bill? As the daughter of a former state rep, I understand the sacrifices that families make. But I can tell you right now that there were things that ranked above beauty pageants – like graduations, weddings, and hospitalizations. My respect for Flake has falled drastically over this issue.

By: Conservative does not mean Republican

Conservative does not mean Republican — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 06:51:24 +0000

Hunter,

That’s not what I’m saying. I don’t want my representative to make it a habit of missing votes. However, I’m not going to crucify him over missing one vote, albeit a big bill. If Flake starts bailing on a lot of important votes, then I’ll be right there with you calling on him to do his job or give it to someone else.

By: kralmajales

kralmajales — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 03:59:52 +0000

So given that this is clearly an attempt to persuade people that Flake should not be your candidate for governor, then just who are these folks backing? Who else is running in other words? Brewer is, that is for sure. So Brewer v. Flake…who am I missing?

By: Hunter

Hunter — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 02:59:34 +0000

Conservative does not mean Republican, using your reasoning, anybody can miss any vote that isn’t decided by by that one vote. If everyone had that attitude, there would be a lot less voting in general. Plus, the exact count was probably not known until the vote actually took place. Did Flake know that before he got on the airplane? Not did he know if the bill would pass, but did he know his vote would not have forced a Democrat like Mitchell to have to vote YES.

Luckily, it turns out it didn’t make a difference this time. Also, the 8 Republicans who voted YES are definitely a problem way more serious than Flake being absent. If 4 of them could have switched their votes or all 8 could have been persuaded to abstain, then Flake’s vote would have made a difference. The bill still would have passed, but a Democrat would have given up some political cover.

By: Conservative does not mean Republican

Conservative does not mean Republican — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:35:13 +0000

Oh yeah, Oberserve…

If you read carefully I didn’t call you ignorant for expecting Congressmen to show up for important votes. I called you ignorant for calling the Junior Miss pageant a beauty pageant. Thanks for misrepresenting what I wrote. Does it happen often?

By: thesnakeguy

thesnakeguy — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:24:30 +0000

Can we make sure his daughter has a beauty pageant during the amnesty vote?

By: Conservative does not mean Republican

Conservative does not mean Republican — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:24:41 +0000

Oh my heck Johnson, Flake support this cap and trade bill??? Come on people, stick to the facts. He doesn’t support cap and trade in any form. And to insinuate that he used his daughter’s competition to miss the vote because he would’ve voted yes on it?! Please, be reasonable. 8, count ‘em, 8 Republicans voted for it. If you think Jeff would’ve voted for it too, than you are a buffoon. Don’t waste people’s time with such ridiculous nonsense.

By: Gary Johnson 2012

Gary Johnson 2012 — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 22:33:45 +0000

If Mr. Grayson is correct that Flake “favors [cap and tax] in some form,” then it’s certainly arguable (maybe even true) that Flake WOULDN’T have voted against it, and used the pageant as an excuse not to vote, to avoid infuriating his conservative constituents and tarnishing his anti-tax record.

If Mr. Grayson is correct, then, Flake shamelessly used his daughter as a pre-text to duck a vote, and richly deserves to be politically punished.

By: Oberserve

Oberserve — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 22:20:48 +0000

Sorry, don’t think it’s ‘ignorant’ to expect a Congressman to show up to important votes.

Jeff Flake’s only failures are not just cap and trade and being a supporter of amnesty.

Nice “pre”-spin. It failed.

Flake is going to go the way of Chris Cannon. You can fool us once.

By: Conservative does not mean Republican

Conservative does not mean Republican — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 20:47:20 +0000

Hunter and cinqo-

The vote was 219-212. No Democrat would have had to change his or her vote if Jeff was there! It would’ve been 219-213. No dice on that argument.

Observe-

The Junior Miss is not a beauty pageant. It is a scholastic program intended to award talented young women with scholarship opportunities so that they can attend elite universities. It is not some bikini wearing hoo-haw. Don’t be ignorant.

Lastly, just because someone has been elected to Congress doesn’t mean I want them to change their values. I vote for someone that believes in having a solid family foundation. Flake represents that (a lot more than Sanford, Giuliani, etc.) I certainly don’t want Rep. Flake to miss important subcommittee or committee meetings, or to make a habit of missing votes. However, in this instance, his daughter was competing in a once in a lifetime event and the vote at hand was already decided. I think we can give a break this time. In reality, I believe Jeff Flake haters (the immigration zealot) are using this as a poor excuse to attack him. They want to find a way to get some Russell Pearce type to run against him, but it’s not going to work.

By: cinqo

cinqo — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 19:02:26 +0000

Hunter hit the nail on the head — this is one less D who would have had to vote for this garbage. If it were graduation or a wedding, sure. They get paid more than most with good bene’s. They are about to take a monthlong break in August. Oh, and don’t forget the time off in November and December. They had a WEEK off for President’s Day — just like you did, right…

By: Richard Grayson

Richard Grayson — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:00:22 +0000

As someone who criticized Jeff Flake mercilessly on my grayson-for-congress.blogspot.com campaign blog, I say give the guy a break.

His position on cap and trade is actually pretty reasonable, and he apparently favors it in some form.

In this case, he did the right thing in being with his family. Unlike a certain South Carolina governor who was AWOL from his family on Father’s Day.

By: lyle tuttle

lyle tuttle — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:05:39 +0000

I say “Heck yes, let him go to the beauty pageant. And while we’re at it, let’s do the same for all of our military men and women — after all, they have families, too!”

Which night WAS the event, anyway?

By: Oberserve

Oberserve — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:56:58 +0000

Flake’s daughter wasn’t dying of cancer or having a baby. She was at a beauty pageant.

That’s what GOP Canon wants to defend.

It’s indefensible and Jeff Flake needs to be held accountable.

That’s not life balance. It’s the whining of a post modernist wealthy nincompoop.