You Want Names? I'll Give You Names!

Here are the names of the 12 House Democrats that voted against censuring Congressman Joe Wilson.

Michael Arcuri (NY), Bill Delahunt (MA), Gabrielle Giffords (AZ), Maurice Hinchey (NY), Paul Hodes (NH), Dennis Kucinich (OH), Dan Maffei (NY), Eric Massa (NY), Jim McDermott (WA), Gwen Moore (WI), Gene Taylor (MS), and Harry Teague (NM).

These 5 House members voted present.

Eliot Engel (NY), Bill Foster (IL), Barney Frank (MA), Carol Shea-Porter (NH), and Ike Skelton (MO).

Now maybe they think they had good reasons not to vote yes. I personally can't think of any. And although there are people on both lists who I like and admire, they all are going to have to answer for their votes at some point. Especially if there is another Republican outburst like that.

It is what it is.

A "Real" Democrat?

I am loathe to give Arlen Specter any compliments because I know a lot of people on the left only see him as a shiftless coward who won't be a reliable vote. I will say that I am sympathetic to that feeling, but so far the guy has been towing the company line. He is a helluva lot more reliable than guys like Ben Nelson or Joe Lieberman, that's for sure. And this rant of his about Joe Wilson deserves to be highlighted.

"He apologized immediately afterward but I don't think that's adequate... If an apology is the consequence of an outburst I think we can expect more -- that's not a sufficient penalty that's not a sufficient price to pay... I'm not saying the guy should be kicked out of the House... But there ought to be some rebuke, reprimand, censure -- something that will discourage that kind of conduct in the future. If you do that to the President, it's open season."

Again I am not promoting the guy but he said what every single Democrat should be saying today about Joe Wilson.