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Maine Legislator Leaves The GOP Over Health Care Reform
Rep. Jim Campbell (R-ME)
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Democratic leaders in D.C. weren't the only legislators frustrated by Republican party efforts to block health care reform last week. After watching his party promise to stonewall any Democratic reform efforts, Maine state Rep. Jim Campbell decided it was time to drop the (R) from his title.
From Campbell's statement announcing his decision to leave the GOP and become an Independent (h/t Ben Smith):
I have been very frustrated with the Republican Party in Maine, and nationally, for their failure to address the health care crisis in a meaningful way. Nobody has all the answers, but the Republican Party has none when it comes to health care reform.
Campbell says he's a public option fan, and Politico described him as a "liberal Republican," whose votes on issues like gay marriage have often broke with the GOP's national platform. In his statement, Campbell said the party switch "has been a long time coming" for a man who feels increasingly alienated from the GOP, but he makes it clear the obstructionist tactics his party used in the national health care debate were the straw that broke the camel's back.
The same can't be said of the two GOP senators Maine sent to D.C., Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins. Both of them briefly flirted with joining Democratic-led heath care reform efforts before choosing to join the GOP line of attack against them over the weekend.
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JEP07
December 21, 2009 10:05 AM
We all should acknowledge the courage it took for this man to make this move.
Maybe it will inspire other Republicans to express their concerns with the zombie-like obstructionism the Congressional Republicans seem infected with.
"The party of 'NO'" needs to stop their War on Progress, and join the rest of us as we rebuild the future we once all hoped for.
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krg
December 21, 2009 10:33 AM
Since he can't run for re-election because of Maine's Legislative Term Limits laws, this took not a lot of courage at all.
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FreeRider
December 21, 2009 10:38 AM in reply to krg
So, there are no more offices he can seek? {rolling eyes}
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krg
December 21, 2009 11:16 AM in reply to FreeRider
He can seek the State Senate seat, but it's currently held by the (Republican) Assistant Minority Leader. In 2006 and 2008 (years very friendly to Democrats in the Maine Legislature) Sen. Courtney won with 51.51% and 51.48% respectively. In other 2008 races, Freshman Congressman Chellie Pingree (D) carried a very slim (114 votes out of 18660 cast) majority of the district while President Obama crushed Sen. McCain with almost 59% of the vote.
As a liberal Republican, he would have lost a primary challenge, and as an Unenrolled candidate without the backing of either major party, he'll almost certainly lose a three-way race.
His other options are to try to challenge Rep. Pingree (dumb), become the 22nd person (7th Unenrolled) to declare a candidacy for Governor (also dumb), or just retire (smart).
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IndyLinda
December 21, 2009 10:36 AM
Still a courageous act, if he plans to run for anything in the future. It would have been easy to keep silent, especially if he's term-limited.
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jjdjjd
December 21, 2009 4:15 PM in reply to IndyLinda
yeah, he's a regular 'profile in courage'. an attention whore who can't find an office to be elected to, so he changes parties. his price was cheaper then the senator from La. [$300,000,000.00] and the one from Neb. [$600,000,000.00]. hahaha. glad i bought stock in humana and aetna. i knew this is how 'health care reform' would turn out, and i cashed in. 30,000,000 million new customers who if they don't buy insurance get fined or go to jail. thanks libs. you just made a rich man a little richer. its called 'the law of unintended consequences'. but i bet you all feel a little bit better about yourselves. merry christmas.
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mikedrevguy
December 21, 2009 10:53 AM
What would have been more courageous would have been to stand up publicly and denounce he fellow brothers and sisters for who they are AND remain offliated and vow to keep putting the pressure on them. Instead of simply leaving the asylum to the control of the wing-nuts.
that would have been the MORE courageous, but I agree it takes guts to do what he did.
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ericf
December 21, 2009 12:20 PM in reply to mikedrevguy
Courageous, or foolish like beating your head against a wall. I'm just shocked there was still a liberal Republican. Even in the frost belt, I thought they had long been purged.
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todd432
December 21, 2009 11:13 AM
Snowe and Susan Collins should do the same, I did. They are not at all the party they once were and they have moved WAY too far right to really even represent a majority of anything. Most republican folk I have talked too have no idea and are surprised to hear of the way some of their leaders were voting and saying. If you don't like Dems that doesn't mean that you have to support republicans either, It's 3rd party time.
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sunnysteve
December 21, 2009 12:13 PM
It does take courage today to be a Republican who questions the party line. We who are Democrats often express frustration when our party coalesces on an issue, and our views have not been adopted precisely as we would prefer. But I believe we still, in general, take pride in respecting honest differences on policies and priorities; and most of us understand that 'big tent' means more than widening the political base: it means being civil, tolerant and having a dialogue (even an argument) in good faith. This used to be also the nature of the Republican party.
There is a big difference between raucous debate and mobs or witch trials. I would not like to be a Republican facing the intolerant zealots and the rabble that they incite.
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pasco
December 21, 2009 12:53 PM
Someone should corner Sen Snowe on “you claim to be pro choice but the bill is going to pass without you with anti choice provisions. Why don’t you go to Reid and say I will support if you remove the anti choice provisions even though I don’t like the bill?" That way she gets a better bill than her no vote would provide and becomes a major hero to NOW and guarantees Emily's list support for life.
I think the reason she won’t is that she is a republican hack!!
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baltimore
December 21, 2009 1:10 PM
why do people in maine vote for collins and snowe? those two belong in the deep south republican party.
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eztempo
December 21, 2009 1:40 PM
Is it just me, or is "I" rapidly becoming our National Third Party as more- and more Republicans jump the Tea Party ship?
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bluestatedon
December 21, 2009 2:18 PM
When are northeastern Republicans—who overall have historically been more moderate than those from other parts of the country—going to wake up and realize what the southern/evangelical stranglehold on the national GOP is doing to the party? A moderate Republican from any part of the country has no real influence or power whatsoever.
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MassDem
December 21, 2009 4:17 PM
Finally, a Maine Republican with real courage, heart, and compassion. Before he leaves maybe he can talk some sense into the Snowe and Collins, the Bobbsy Twins of teabag apologists. Maine had a tradition, starting in the 19th Century, of standing up to these slavers, lynchers, and thugs that now rule the Republican Party. Snowe and Collins are a disgrace.
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jjdjjd
December 21, 2009 7:17 PM in reply to MassDem
if all of new england left the union the rest of the country wouldn't even notice. what do you got, 12 or 13 million people? a bunch of dopes that suffer from 'brain freeze' due to the cold winters, and home to so many bad senators that it astonishes the mind that an entire section of the country could possibly elect people that corrupt, starting with the recently dead ted kennedy, who once killed a staffer then ran away. yeah, who are the real 'slavers, lynchers, and thugs?
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