By Bradley J. Fikes
No, no, the Tea Party didn’t scare off Michigan Democrat Bart Stupak from seeking re-election. The political moderate was going to retire anyway, but held on until he could help health care reform passed.
That’s the spin in an Associated Press article about Stupak’s sudden announcement. that he is retiring from Congress. Well, to be fair, the Associated Press was simply reporting Stupak’s explanation for his retirement, although it didn’t seriously challenge it.
But the labeling of Stupak as a political “moderate” was the AP’s counterfactual spin:
“A political moderate, Stupak is known for an independent streak that sometimes put him at odds with his party’s leadership. He voted against the North American Free Trade Agreement and an assault weapons ban in the 1990s, despite appeals from then-President Bill Clinton.”
NAFTA was extremely controversial among liberal Democrats, while Republicans generally liked the agreement. NAFTA passed the House with the votes of 132 Republicans and 102 Democrats, while it was opposed by 156 Democrats, 43 Republicans and one independent. Since most House Democrats opposed the bill, Stupak’s opposition hardly counts as an example of an “independent streak.” This is just the ahistorical spin of the AP story’s author, John Flesher. Or maybe like many of his MSM peers, Flesher just doesn’t know how to use Google.
Stupak’s putative moderation is easily invalidated by a look at his voting record, as compiled by both the left-leaning Americans for Democratic Action and the conservative Americans for Constitutional Union.
In 2008, Stupak got a 90 percent liberal rating from the ADA, as liberal as John Dingell. Here’s the list of his Michigander congressional delegation:
The "moderate" Bart Stupak
If anything, Stupak has turned more leftist in recent years. The ACU, whose ratings are almost a mirror image of ADA’s, rates Stupak’s lifetime conservative voting record as 21 percent.
Stupak’s alleged moderation is almost entirely the result of his stand on abortion, which indeed has been more moderate than most Democrats. It allowed Stupak to portray himself as being in the political middle, while voting left almost all the time.
And media outlets like AP let Stupak get away with it.
UPDATED — Here’s another gem of a John Flesher article spinning against the Tea Party people “gloating” over Stupak’s withdrawal:
Michigan’s northernmost district tends to favor moderates more concerned with federal money for local projects than with ideology.
Stupak announced Friday he wouldn’t seek a 10th term. He fit the district mold so well he repeatedly won re-election by large margins.
A “moderate” with a 90 percent liberal rating from the ADA? Well, moderate by Flesher’s own politics. He’s an environmental writer, which is as good as an ADA membership. Of course, Flesher does PR for the global warming movement, such as writing a mostly unskeptical story about how reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Michigan can supposedly help the state’s economy.
Flesher’s assertions about the political views of northern Michigan are, of course, unsupported by any evidence than his word.
Another example of negative value reporting from the Associated Press — if you believe it, you know less than you did before.
(DISCLAIMER: This article represents my opinions, and does not necessarily reflect the views of my employer, the North County Times.)
Well, I agree that it’s time for him to spend more time with his family although a lot of us will be watching to see what sinecure the White House rewards him with for ditching his pro-life constituency.
Mike, you took the words (really, I was about to employ “sinecure”) right out of my mouth. He will be rewarded, no doubt. No doubt the dots “health care vote” and “cushy appointment” will NOT be connected by the AP.