Originally published at: http://boingboing.net/2017/02/02/these-four-oil-fattened-democr.html
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Well Tillerson is starting to look like the reasonable/responsible one of the new regime.
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Four figure checks? So less than $10k? That’s almost negligible, isn’t it?
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I’ll have to call out the title. King apparently didn’t receive any money from big oil, isn’t a supporter of the Keystone pipeline, and voted Yes because he thought Tillerson would be a more - shall I say - adult member of this regime. So three oil-fattened Democrats, and one Independent trying to remain hopeful that someone, can reign in the excesses of Trump when it comes to diplomacy at least.
Yeah, but this whole cabinet was a shit show. I don’t know how any Dem voted for pretty much any of them, least of all Ben Carson for HUD, and absolutely not DeVos for Education when her vote comes to the floor. Any Dem who votes Yes for her can kiss their reelection goodbye.
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Heitcamp has been around ND politics a long time, yet it is still really a shock that she won at all (538 predicted she’d lose) ; I suspect the others are in the same position. The Dakotas have somewhat of a tradition of D senators and reps like Conrad, Daschle, Mitchell, Herseth, etc. but they were heavy farmer advocates and know what it took to stay in office there, and things have gotten even more right-leaning there in the past decade. So don’t get your panties in a bundle here–if they fight these high-profile but symbolic fights, they will be ousted like Herseth was, and won’t be there for the 90% of votes that are important but won’t get the same press.
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Warner is in the pocket of every defense contractor on the Virginia side of the Potomac. Oil is not the only reason behind his vote.
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Depends on how many four figure checks. There has also been FBI stings showing how little it really takes to bribe a congressman, even when it is obviously illegal bribes.
Best democracy money can buy.
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I don’t mean to condone their votes, but consider these senators and their states. All except Virginia voted Trump and all are up for re-election in 2018. Their positions are all pretty tenuous. Their votes could be more about trying to save their skin electorally than corporate influence.
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Because if recent history has shown anything, it has shown that appeasing the Republican hate machine leads to more reasoned policy and respectful electioneering.
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This. Same local politics as why the R. congresswoman from the district housing Dulles is of course siding with her boy on the #muslimban but shit herself at the hiring freeze on Feds.
And a Senator from VA who ISN’T in the picket of Big Defense is possibly going to be WORSE, because then they are supporting the part of VA that isn’t Northern VA (aka Big Tobacco plus Big Hillbilly).
Edit: Note that I may actually pick a party designation just to vote against him in the primaries. Don’t mistake that as a defense of him at all.
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Wait, you mean Corey is spreading false information? Unpossible.
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I know it’s a minor point, but if you’re going to complain about him can you at least get his fucking name right?
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Whoop-de-doo.
They’re doing it for private gain either way. And, in the process, collaborating with a fascist government and enabling blatant and extreme corruption.
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I don’t actually have a problem with that.
Tillerson was going to be confirmed anyway. If it helps keep these guys in office to cast critical votes on ACA and Supreme Court, then calm your damn jets.
Not until he stops saying Iphone.
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My point is really that these senators (and the electorate they represent) are historically centrist or right-leaning, so we shouldn’t be surprised at their votes. Feel free to be outraged though, if I were American and these were my representatives, I would be.
There are other Dem senators who have received $$$ from oil or Exxon that voted against Tillerson (Uddall, Kaine, Menedez, Coons, Markey, Shaheen, Booker, Cardin, Murphy, Merkely). In other words, receiving donations from the oil and gas industry (or Exxon in particular) was not predictive of how a Dem Senator would vote.
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