Now here’s a quote for you, from environment-hating Republican Representative Richard Pombo of California:
“There’s got to be something that you’re willing to lose your election over and for a lot of these guys there isn’t. Whichever way the political winds blow, that’s what they’re doing. And, quite frankly, that cuts both ways, that’s Democrat, that’s Republican.”
Hat tip to Political Wire.
I think he’s implying that he has the “integrity” to lose an election on “principle”. (Mr. Pombo’s “principles” apparently include auctioning off national parks to the highest bidder and kickin’ it with Jack Abramoff.)
And I think that’s an invitation for Democrats to find out for which of these “principles” Pombo’s willing to lose.
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He’s also being challenged from within his own party by Pete McCloskey, a former seven-term Republican congressman who was retired from politics, but found himself so disgusted by what the Republican party has become that he had to get back in. McCloskey was on WBUR’s On Point (there are streaming Windows and Real Media links on the archive page for the show, and it’s also available in the podcast backlog, for example on iTunes) at the end of February, and I have to say, if I had the chance there are plenty of Democrats I’d vote for him over. I don’t know what kind of chance he realistically has against Pombo, but it’d sure be nice to see him succeed. (I suppose, on the other hand, that it’s just as well the majority of the Republican party isn’t like McCloskey, as that’d make it much harder to find things not to like about them.)