During the last five months, I have had the honor of representing Idahoans in Congress. In those few short months, much to my chagrin, the 110th Congress has already approved some $60 billion in new spending and a contingent of new programs on which that money was spent, thus making big government even bigger. As Idaho Statesman editorial writer Kevin Richert points out in his column from last week, yes, I have cast many "no" votes. Kevin says that's a bad thing. I respectfully disagree. I'm proud of every one of those no votes, because they are votes against bigger government, higher taxes and wasteful spending. I think the people of Idaho elected me precisely because I promised to vote that way when I got to Washington, D.C. I was not elected to vote with the new Democratic majority. I was not elected to vote unthinkingly with my party — or even my president. I was elected to Congress to cast votes that represent the views of Idaho's 1st Congressional District, not Nancy Pelosi's California 8th. I was elected to Congress to do what's right, not what's easy -- U.S. Rep. Bill Sali/Idaho Statesman.
Question: As your representative, do you want Sali to simply cast no votes?
D.F. Oliveria started Huckleberries Online on Feb. 16, 2004. Oliveria's Sunday print Huckleberries is a past winner of the national Herb Caen Memorial Column contest.
chagrin, the 110th Congress has already approved some $60 billion in new spending and a contingent of new programs on which that money was spent, thus making big government even bigger. As Idaho Statesman editorial writer Kevin Richert points out in his column from last week, yes, I have cast many "no" votes. Kevin says that's a bad thing. I respectfully disagree. I'm proud of every one of those no votes, because they are votes against bigger government, higher taxes and wasteful spending. I think the people of Idaho elected me precisely because I promised to vote that way when I got to Washington, D.C. I was not elected to vote with the new Democratic majority. I was not elected to vote unthinkingly with my party — or even my president. I was elected to Congress to cast votes that represent the views of Idaho's 1st Congressional District, not Nancy Pelosi's California 8th. I was elected to Congress to do what's right, not what's easy -- U.S. Rep. Bill Sali/Idaho Statesman.
