Massa in Time magazine
Time magazine has an article about Eric Massa and about Randy Kuhl’s vote against SCHIP:
The proposed $35 billion SCHIP expansion is being paid for by a 61-cent increase in federal taxes on tobacco products, a move Kuhl and many Republicans oppose as a “tax increase.” Adding to Kuhl’s woes, Massa accuses him of being in the pocket of big tobacco since he’s received $10,000 from Altria and R. J. Reynolds, the two largest U.S. cigarette manufacturers, since 2006, according to Federal Election Commission Records. Kuhl dismissed such accusations with a laugh, saying he isn’t even committed to running again yet so the term “opponent” hardly applies to Massa. “I would hope that the Democratic majority, who controls the agenda, would stop playing politics with a bill like this and would bring a bill back that would actually be acceptable to a veto-proof majority of the House,” Kuhl said.
Massa, a 48-year old retired naval officer who ran against Kuhl in 2004 on a platform largely about Iraq, said he is now making SCHIP his No. 1 priority. “It is rapidly overcoming Iraq and here’s why: people have a hard time finding a solution on Iraq, they just can’t. This has a solution — this bill makes sense, it is clear and evident.”
And speaking of presidential vetoes, Fighting29th has an interesting piece up about some of the other things The Decider is planning to veto.
I remember Kuhl playing this game two years ago– the whole coy, “maybe I’ll retire” thing. After the Foley story broke– and it turned out that Rove twisted RMoC arms to run again, I remember thinking that Randy probably would have left DC if not for Karl.
Any guesses who’d run on the R ticket if Randy left?
I remember watching Assini campaign four years ago in the R primary and thinking that at least he was intelligent (as opposed to Kuhl). Probably more of a lock-step, right-wing ideologue but overall, given Kuhl’s voting record, Assini couldn’t have been worse.