Wednesday, September 28, 2005

Report Card: Rating My Representatives – Tom Davis

For the next few days, I want to do something a little different than just reporting the news. Oh, there’ll be plenty of vitriol to be spilt over whatever outrages the days might bring, but for now, I’m more interested in taking an objective look at the voting records, financial ties, and community outreach (if any) that my representatives have taken.

To preface, I live in a staunchly Conservative district in a Red State, so it’s difficult for me to objective about these people when I repeatedly tell them my point of view and they basically crap on it or just ignore it. That’s where I got this idea; is it just my liberal leanings and frustration with them ignoring me that’s made me feel they’re ineffective, or am I just being biased?

Let’s look at my Rep first. Meet Representative Tom Davis. You’ve probably heard of him; he’s the guy who chaired the committee investigating Steroids in Baseball, and is now chairing the bogus committee investigating what happened with Katrina.



I haven’t lived in my area long enough to have voted for him (I voted for a Democrat in my last district, and he won), so I’m fairly new to the guy. According to his official biography, “Tom has been a leader in reforming Congress’ lobbying and gift rules and was recognized as a “True Blue Reformer” by the advocacy group “Public Citizen” for his consistently strong support of political and ethics reforms. Tom has earned a “Deficit Hawk” Award and the highest score in Virginia from the Concord Coalition, a bipartisan citizen’s council dedicated to deficit reduction.” Okay. I can respect that; ethics are one of the most important facets, in my mind, to an effective Representative. But is it true? More importantly, does the man practice what he preaches?

Hmm, Tom, what is this?

And your record of donations is hardly spotless, my friend. Davis is involved in Tom DeLay’s ARMPAC (in for $4,520), and has voted with DeLay 93% of the time. 93%! From a guy who wanted to reform lobbying and gift rules. Unacceptable. Never mind the fact that he voted weaken the ethics rules to try to protect Tom DeLay (no doubt to save his own hide, as well).

Okay, here are some positives, though I have to think this guy is rotten to the core by now. If he ever had a spine or ethics, they’re long gone. I’ve included dates on these because almost all of these were before Bush blew into office and the Republican Party really went down the crapper.

Unfortunately, it ends there, and it can’t really outweigh the fact that the following pretty much sums up how I feel about the guy:


So, for all that, Tom gets a solid D. I think he really did get into Congress to try to make changes, but along the way he dipped his hand into the cookie jar with the wrong folks one too many times, and it’s now too late for him to listen more to his conscience and less to the party line. I won’t be voting for the guy.

Posted by crimnos @ 8:45 AM