Has Rep. Brad Schneider finally gone too far with his recent vote against implementing the very small amount of health care reform that was so very hard won?
In case you haven't heard, this week, Schneider voted with the Republicans to pass H.B. 2668, the very Orwellian-ly named Fairness for American Families Act. The Fairness for American Families Act takes up on the Obama Administration's delay implementation of the employer mandate, and extends it to individuals. While I was not in love with the Obama Administration's reasoning to extend the large employer mandate, that large companies needed more time for implementation of the complex provisions, the same logic doesn't quite hold for individuals, and the bill has been fairly interpreted as just one more of the 38 (or so) votes against the Affordable Care Act--the sad and ongoing publicity stunt of House Republicans.
But, this time our very own IL-10 "Democrat" has gone for it. So what's next for IL-10 Democrats?
Not that long ago, I asked if Illinois Tenth District Democrats should primary Schneider because he's taken the position that he's really a No Labels congressman, and not so much of a Democrat anymore. My post garnered few responses, but Schneider didn't do all that well in my little straw poll on the post. It was about even, and this for a sitting Democrat who squeaked by in a difficult and expensive race.
But, now he's voted against Obamacare, our only health care reform, and just about the only victory of Obama's administration. It seems to me that's sort of a big deal. Democrats worked so hard and got so little, no public option, lost friends and relationships over the suppression of single payer discussion. And it's more than the vote itself. Schneider sent the message that, under the No Label's flag, he'll participate in House Republican theater.
This anti-health care reform vote appears strange on the surface. There was no compelling reason for it if votes have anything to do with governing anymore. The bill is not going to pass the Senate, and the President will not sign it. So, why? I'm going to guess that Schneider is working hard for corporate and financial sector campaign dollars. I'm going to further guess that Schneider feels he'll win the lesser-of-two-evils vote on the Democratic side. Liberals don't matter at all in his re-election equation. He might think he'll win over some Republicans, but they're so extreme in these parts, and they have their own once victorious, Mark Kirk approved, tea party-esque candidate, former Rep. Bob Dold. I think crossover voting is unlikely to favor Schneider.
So, any minds changed? Is it time to get the primary banners printed? Does someone ask Tenth Dems, hey what's going on with your candidate?
UPDATE: Given some of the comments I detect that some are wiling to allow Schneider a good many Republican votes to prevent a declared Republican from winning. Apart from the obvious, does it matter if we keep a Democrat in office if the Democrat votes Republican, isn't there a really good chance that Schneider's new No Labels identity will lose the race for him, and eliminate the Democratic seat, and therefore should be given a primary precisely because he's going to lose.
SECOND UPDATE: A few people, including myself, have asked Brad why he voted against Obamacare. There has been no answer or acknowledgment of the questions.