By Brandon Hall
(Email him at WestMiPolitics@Gmail.com)
>>>Congressmen Kerry Bentivolio is sick of the BS.
Bentivolio took a beating from "Foreclosure King" Dave Trott and his allies who spent millions on his behalf to beat the incumbent in the August primary.
Monday night, Bentivolio read everybody the "Riot Act" while explaining his #CRomnibus vote and revealing behind the scenes details of how it came to be. Who can blame him? Liberty folks abandoned him while the Empire beat him all to hell.
Here are some highlights, and the full statement is below.
"It has been said and written
that I did this (changed my rule vote) to get “even” for the lack of
support my fellow conservatives gave me during the primary election.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Those that know me will tell
you I am not that kind of person and the thought never entered my mind. I can surmise these
conjectures are nothing more than my former opponent’s political machine
at work in the social media and “bought and paid for” mainstream
reporters. After all, they said in semi-private meetings during the
primary campaign they would take the seat and then destroy me once and
for all.
Conservatives who want nothing less than 100% are living in fantasyland along with the magic carpets and genie lanterns. While many of those conservatives and conservative groups received ample cash to stay out of my race, and Washington is a place where principles are bought by the highest bidder like stock on the stock exchange, my principles remain intact having been bought and paid for previously by soldiers, sailors, Marines and Airmen on the beaches of Normandy, in the jungles of Vietnam and desert of Iraq and many other places...
Professor Gruber claimed voters are stupid. I strongly disagree. They are often intentionally misinformed by a social and mainstream media and hence become low-information voters. I often said that if I needed to lie to my constituents to keep this job, then I did not want it.
I have often said, too, that the hardest thing to find in Washington, D. C. is the truth. It remains the case today.
However, since I have no real plans to return to Congress and many of you think I am responsible for ushering in the $1.1 Trillion spending bill I did not support nor vote for, so be it. Here is the story as it happened, from my perspective. If you wish to remember me as the crazy reindeer farmer, Santa impersonator, accidental Congressman who is responsible for that terrible bill passed in Congress before Christmas 2014, so be it too. It is amazing what a $6 million campaign in hard and soft money can purchase. I will pray for all of you, especially my country I fought for 30 years trying to protect. God bless you, and I wish you all a very Merry Christmas."
>>>HERE IS THE STATEMENT IN FULL:
"In
keeping with my status and rating as the most transparent member of
Congress, I offer this explanation and commentary regarding the “rule”
vote that allowed the bill to come to the floor.
Many claim my
vote ushered in a $1.1 trillion dollar budget for the coming year. I am
deeply honored how many think I had the power to determine so quickly
the financial fate of our nation! However, this is not the case.
Do check my voting record--I have never before voted “no” on a rule
vote. This, I admit, I did on a whim, a last hurrah. Let me give a
little background on the circumstances of that fateful day Thursday,
December 11th that I changed my vote from a ‘nay’ to a ‘yea’. A week
prior, my staff and I were moved to a small cubicle with one computer
and one desk. We shared a printer with others not returning to the
House this January. I sat in the House cloakroom off the floor of
Congress most of the day discussing various issues and concerns with
retiring Congressman Latham from Iowa since he and I were in the same
situation, though for different reasons. I obtained a copy of the 1600
page bill and read the first 25-30 pages a few hours before the rule
vote.
I complained to Congressman Latham that I was disappointed
in the proposed bill from what I heard, having no time to actually read
the entire bill and how Congressman Mulvaney’s amendment to the bill to
defund President Obama’s amnesty program failed to pass.
I informed
him and Congresswoman Candice Miller, acting in behalf of the Majority
Whip, that they could not count on my vote for the 1.1 trillion spending
bill.
When the house called to vote on the rule, I walked the
seven feet beyond the cloak room door and voted “no” on the rule. I was
the first vote. Congressman Latham laughed and asked why I voted “no”
since few Republicans ever vote “no” on a rule. The rule vote simply
stops all debates and amendments and brings the bill to the floor for
consideration. I mentioned to him it really did not matter since it
would pass anyway and no one really cared how I voted on the “rule”.
Within minutes a GOP aide came in asking why I voted no on the rule. I
waved him off politely indicating to him it really didn’t matter.
Within 20 minutes Speaker Boehner and other members of Congress asked
if I would change my vote. I was perplexed why there was this much
attention given a departing member’s vote on a rule. I walked back onto
the floor and watched the tally of votes on the overhead side panels.
160-160, 165-166, 175-174, etc.
While on the floor I stood within five
feet of Congressmen Amash, Jordan, Mulvaney, and several other
“conservative” members of Congress. Not one talked or discussed with me
the implications, plans or strategy, consequences or what reasons they
had to vote “no” on the rule. I asked what was happening and no one
gave me a reply other than I should change my vote.
What I
knew, as did they, that a “no” would mean re-negotiating a new bill.
Nancy Pelosi, the minority leader would force the GOP to make
concessions. I realized the Speaker was dead set against shutting the
government down. A 30-60 day Continued Resolution (CR) was not an
option because neither Harry Reid nor the President would sign it.
There were “rumors” that the Democrats were planning on delaying social
security, VA disability and retirement checks just before Christmas,
blaming it on the GOP for failing to negotiate a funding bill both the
Senate and President would sign. The Speaker was up against the wall,
between a rock and hard place. After all, did not the President order
open air memorials fenced and gated during the last shut down and hired
Park Rangers to guard the otherwise “unguarded” tourist sites on the
mall? What else would you expect from our Commander in Tyranny?
The
elderly in my district need those social security checks! What
many people do not realize or discuss in the media is the possibility
that leadership would immediately offer a two-day CR funding the
government over the weekend while they negotiated another bill with
Democrats until they received enough votes and have had a bill the
Senate, under Harry Reid, and the President would sign. Both the
leadership and Democrats do not like Conservatives and we would not have
had much influence on the final bill.
Any future bill could be worse
than the bill proposed on the floor that day. I was not willing under
any circumstances, to give Nancy Pelosi any negotiating power, and for
that reason alone I decided to change my vote to a “yea” on the rule.
Many conservative members changed their vote as well to make it a tie.
After Congressman Stutzman changed his vote, the tally read 213 Yea and
213 Nay, effectively passing the rule. Congressman Stutzman is an
excellent member and serves his constituents well. I am honored to have
served with him as I am with other members of Congress. I changed my
vote to make the final tally 214 Yea and 212 Nay. I being the first and
last to vote on the rule.
Immediately afterwards, many members
of Congress thanked me and called me a “true patriot.” I did not need
to hear those comments. I proved that years ago serving my country in
the military. I responded to each by saying, “Merry Christmas.”
Not
because of my vote, rather because they were all going home immediately
after voting that day, and I would not see them again. The Speaker came
up to me and thanked me for changing my vote and said he owed me a
great deal. I smiled at him wishing him and his family a Merry
Christmas, too.
After voting “NO” on the $1.1 trillion spending
bill, a member of Congress mentioned a fellow member of Congress and
friend was very upset that I had changed my rule vote. When I heard
that comment I became very concerned. I realized then I MAY have made a
mistake since my friend, a member of Congress I most respected, was
disappointed. I began to worry.
Within minutes she came up to
me and asked why I changed my vote. “Michele, I said, I did not want to
give the floor to Pelosi.”
She asked if anyone promised me anything
to get me to change my vote. I told her the truth and replied “No.”
Then I asked her why no one contacted me or discussed with me any plans
or strategy. I told her had she talked with me I might have considered
sticking to my “no” vote.
I have great respect and admiration for
Congresswoman Bachmann and, other than my wife, have never met a greater
woman. She is a tireless worker, a true patriot on all the issues,
dedicated and takes no prisoners. Her retirement from Congress is
America’s loss.
After the “rule” votes most everyone left the
floor to wait for the call for the final bill, and I returned to sit
with Congressman Latham again in the cloak room. Congressman Latham
looked up at me and said, “So your vote didn’t matter and no one cared,
huh?”
I replied, “Holy ****!”
It has been said and written
that I did this (changed my rule vote) to get “even” for the lack of
support my fellow conservatives gave me during the primary election.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Those that know me will tell
you I am not that kind of person and the thought never entered my mind.
I maintain to this day a 100% rating from the American Conservative
Union and a 90% from Conservative Review. I can surmise these
conjectures are nothing more than my former opponent’s political machine
at work in the social media and “bought and paid for” mainstream
reporters. After all, they said in semi-private meetings during the
primary campaign they would take the seat and then destroy me once and
for all.
Conservatives who want nothing less than 100% are living
in fantasyland along with the magic carpets and genie lanterns. While
many of those conservatives and conservative groups received ample cash
to stay out of my race, and Washington is a place where principles are
bought by the highest bidder like stock on the stock exchange, my
principles remain intact having been bought and paid for previously by
soldiers, sailors, Marines and Airmen on the beaches of Normandy, in the
jungles of Vietnam and desert of Iraq and many other places.
I
am proud to have served in two wars for my country, the only member of
Congress to serve in both Vietnam and Iraq, and an additional two-year
deployment in Washington, D.C. No promises were made, no twisting of
arms, but there was a bit of intimidation, which I ignored. There was
hope after the vote that we might negotiate a sixty-day CR, but that
hope evaporated within hours after the rule vote when leadership
obtained enough Democratic votes to pass the bill. I voted NO on the
bill itself as I previously advised the GOP leadership. There was
neither malice aforethought nor vengefulness motivating my actions.
A fellow member of Congress said by changing my vote Nancy Pelosi
became an afterthought, and politically dead. Then, knowing me as I
often refer to DC as the Land of Oz, or use Mark Levin’s Maldorf
designation, presented me with an old broom. “What’s this?” I asked.
“You killed the wicked witch of the West! Congratulations! Here is her
broom, she isn’t flyin anymore!” Does anyone know where that guy is
behind the curtain?
Professor Gruber claimed voters are stupid. I
strongly disagree. They are often intentionally misinformed by a
social and mainstream media and hence become low-information voters. I
often said that if I needed to lie to my constituents to keep this job,
then I did not want it.
I have often said, too, that the hardest thing
to find in Washington, D. C. is the truth. It remains the case today.
However, since I have no real plans to return to Congress and many of
you think I am responsible for ushering in the $1.1 Trillion spending
bill I did not support nor vote for, so be it. Here is the story as it
happened, from my perspective. If you wish to remember me as the crazy
reindeer farmer, Santa impersonator, accidental Congressman who is
responsible for that terrible bill passed in Congress before Christmas
2014, so be it too. It is amazing what a $6 million campaign in hard
and soft money can purchase. I will pray for all of you, especially my
country I fought for 30 years trying to protect. God bless you, and I
wish you all a very Merry Christmas."
_________________________________________________________________________
Brandon Hall is a lifelong political nerd from Grand Haven, and is the Managing Editor of West Michigan Politics.
Email him at WestMiPolitics@Gmail.com
:)
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| Photo By Darlene Dowling Thompson |
