Three quotes from Rep. Eric Massa (D-NY), who's resigning amid allegations that he harassed a staffer and after a health scare:
March 5: "Two days ago as I sat reading my new annual CAT scan, having been told that the anomalies in the films may or may not be scar tissue, I decided to finally take the advice that my doctors have repeatedly given me, and that is to take care of my family and myself before my profession. After I decided not to run again I was told, for the first time, that a member of my staff believed I had made statements that made him feel "uncomfortable." I was told that a report had been filed with the Congressional Ethics Committee. At no point prior to this had any member of the Ethics Committee communicated with me directly -- if fact I first read it on the internet."
March 7: "One of them looked at me and as they would do after, I don't know, 15 gin and tonics, and goodness only knows how many bottles of champagne, a staff member made an intonation to me that maybe I should be chasing after the bridesmaid and his points were clear and his words were far more colorful than that. And I grabbed the staff member sitting next to me and said, 'Well, what I really ought to be doing is fracking you.' And then [I] tousled the guy's hair and left, went to my room, because I knew the party was getting to a point where it wasn't right for me to be there. Now was that inappropriate of me? Absolutely. Am I guilty? Yes."
March 7: "Mine is now the deciding vote on the health care bill and this administration and this House leadership have said, quote-unquote, they will stop at nothing to pass this health care bill, and now they've gotten rid of me and it will pass. You connect the dots."
For the record, Massa ran on the need for health reform. He supports the public option, and voted no on the House health reform bill because he wanted more cost controls. When the House passed its bill in November, by 220-215, Massa was one of 39 Democratic nays. Since then, the Democrats have lost three yes votes. Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-HI) left last month to run for governor of his state. Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) died. And Rep. Joseph Cao (R-LA) says he'll vote no next time over the issue of federal funding for abortions.
(H/T: Talking Points Memo)
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Ahhhhh, isn't it nice to have a sense of self-importance.
I'm a life-ling Dem, in favor of health care reform, and what this guy is saying wouldn't surprise me at all. It's a sad world.
With a decent healthcare plan that has drug benefits, Mr. Massa would be "feeling much better, now."
Sounds like he slept with the Rebublicans over the weekend. And his vote is not THE deciding vote...there are several votes. He could have just stepped aside with dignity...but NOT! I wonder if he will be up for an academy award for this performance.
I can empathize with his frustration at the lack of follow through by the Obama Administration on their campaign promises. But Rep. Massa sounds a little too paranoid for me. I do think Rahm is a cut-throat, no-holds-barred, dirty, Chicago-style politician. But even he has to have sense enough to know that nothing stays secret in Washington, least of all an explosive story like this. Sorry Mr. Massa, look some where else for the blame. And don't rule out the mirror.
I think that once an elected official becomes a member of the House and the Senate, that all labels be dropped. They then are not working for a party, but they are working for the American People and their title is Senator or Representative...no Dem or Repub or Ind.....this would end a lot of power plays and mabybe, just maybe, people would get down to business instead of politics.