Note: The opinions expressed on this page are those of the authors alone, and not of Moraine Township Democratic Organization.
Opinion
A Comprehensive Look at Robert Dold’s Record
Robert Dold (R-Kenilworth) had a chance to prove us wrong. He had a chance to demonstrate independence, moderation, and compassion. Instead, it’s as if he’s gone out of his way to prove how out of step he is with the voters in the 10th Congressional District of Illinois. Dold has been in office nearly a year. Let’s take an objective look at his record.
Dold votes with the Republican Party 84% of the time. Want to make some quick money? Find someone who takes Dold’s campaign literature at face value. Pick a vote at random and bet that Dold voted the way John Boehner voted. You’ll win more than four out of five times.
Dold voted to deny women access to quality health care and voted for bills that the pro-choice community strongly opposed. On October 13, 2011, Dold voted for HR 358, the anti-choice Protect Life Act (known in the pro-choice community as the “Let Women Die Act,” because that’s what it would do). Even worse: When Rep. Lois Capps (D-CA) offered an amendment that would have fixed the provision that allows hospitals to refuse abortion coverage when a woman’s life is in danger, Dold voted against her amendment. The bill Dold voted for imperils women’s lives because it allows institutions and doctors to refuse to provide care even in life-threatening emergencies.
Dold has done nothing to create jobs, but he’s done plenty to endanger the lives of women. Here’s how NARAL Pro-Choice America described the bill Dold voted for:
The bill would allow a hospital to refuse a woman life-saving, emergency abortion care even if she will die without it. On top of that, it effectively would ban insurance coverage of abortion in state health-insurance exchanges, denying abortion coverage to millions of women. This creates jobs how?
”This bill is a collection of dangerous ideas that will undermine women’s health,” said Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America. “Most devastating, the bill eliminates protections for patients seeking care in emergency circumstances, and would allow a hospital to deny lifesaving abortion care to a woman, even if a doctor deems it necessary.”
“House leaders just can’t keep their eye on the ball and focus on jobs and the economy,” said Richards. “In fact, this bill will increase the economic burden on already struggling American families by eliminating health insurance provisions that could save them from bankruptcy.”
On May 6, 2011, Dold voted for the anti-choice H.R. 3, which bans tax subsidies for private health insurance plans that include abortion as a covered service, prevents citizens from deducting abortion as a medical expense unless it was the result of rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother, and invites the potential for the Internal Revenue Service to investigate how women who had abortions became pregnant and how they paid for their abortions.
“Robert Dold can try to appear moderate all he wants, but after [his May 6] vote there’s no way Illinois will buy it,” said EMILY’s List President Stephanie Schriock. “Dold showed his true colors by standing with his Republican leaders and against the women of Illinois. Dold may have run on job creation, but he has done nothing to create jobs since getting to Washington. Instead, he’s done plenty to take away women’s freedoms and their opportunities to keep themselves and their families healthy.”
Dold flipped on defunding Planned Parenthood. Dold (and Judy Biggert (R-IL)) first voted against defunding Planned Parenthood, but as Bill Beckman, Executive Director of the Illinois Right to Life Committee explained:
The irony is that when they had the final bill passage, they flipped. Both voted for [the bill that defunded Planned Parenthood]. We’re playing games here in reality. Which is better: that they voted against the amendment and for the final bill, or vice versa? I’ll tolerate those Republicans if they vote the final bill the right way, even if they want to throw a bone to Planned Parenthood that doesn’t count.
Dold voted to gut health care reform. Dold voted at least six times to gut health care reform (Roll Calls 97, 98, 99, 100, and 121, 141).
Previously, Dold voted at least 17 times to gut environmental programs that about 75% of 10th District residents support.
Dold voted against sensible gun control. Dold voted with the National Rifle Association to defund the program that requires the reporting of the sale of multiple shotguns or rifles to the same person. As Rep. Chakah Fattah (D-PA) said, “this has nothing whatsoever to do with hunting rifles or guns used in sporting activity. This has to do with long guns with detachable clips used for only one purpose, and that is, shooting large numbers of rounds and killing large numbers of people… I know that some may get paranoid about these issues, but I think we should have at least some paranoia about what this could portend if we don’t take reasonable action in the protection of the citizens that we’ve been elected to protect.”
Dold twice voted with his party against anti-Iran legislation. October 26, 2011, Dold and 236 other Republicans voted against a motion that would have stopped an American mining company from partnering with a London-based firm that has dealings with Iran. Adam Kredo reported in Washington Jewish Week that at a time when elements of Iranian government plotted to assassinate the Saudi ambassador on U.S. soil – not a single House Republican could bring him or herself to support a rational Democratic motion to keep American businesses out of Iran.
If House Republicans are going to be willing to put business interests over Israel’s interests that’s their prerogative, but then it’s the height of hypocrisy to be campaigning on Israel as an issue,” said one Democratic Hill staffer who tracked the vote.
One week later, on November 3, 2011, Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ) proposed language banning the issuance of securities to businesses that have Iran dealings. Dold voted no. Kredo quoted a Democratic Hill staffer in Washington Jewish Week who said that “The most important national security issue facing the United States and Israel is stopping Iran’s reckless pursuit of nuclear weapons. But for the second week in a row not a single Republican has been willing to support legislation on the House floor to keep U.S. dollars from going to Iran.”
We cannot afford another two years of Robert Dold. We cannot afford to be passive. The only way for us to combat Dold’s head start in fundraising and name-recognition is to start working now. Please—the outcome of the 2012 election is up to you. Get involved now.
—Tenth Dems
Grassroots Prevail in Wisconsin
Democrats can take a great deal of pride in the results of this summer’s Wisconsin recall elections. All three threatened Democratic state legislators turned back Republican recall efforts while Democrats unseated two Republican senators.
Predictably, Illinois’ Republican U.S. Senator Mark Kirk tried to spin this Democratic triumph as a defeat, commenting at an August 10 press conference, “The organized far left was dealt a critical blow.” (Highland Park News, Aug. 19, 2011, p. 17). Kirk thereby managed to squeeze two falsehoods into a simple nine-word sentence. Driven not by the “far left” but by popular outrage at the radical far-right agenda of Governor Scott Walker, the recall elections succeeded in stopping the Walker juggernaut by reducing the Republican margin in the state senate to a single seat.
In fact, although Kirk and his party would pretend otherwise, the successful recall of two Republican state legislators in Wisconsin was a monumental accomplishment. Because Wisconsin law does not allow an officeholder to be recalled until he has served at least one year, none of the Republicans swept into office in 2010, including Walker himself, was subject to recall. Rather, all six Republicans defending their seats were elected in 2008, the year that Wisconsin voters overwhelmingly favored Democrats statewide, awarding the Obama/Biden ticket more than 56 percent of their votes. Tenth Dems can take particular pride in our northern neighbors’ accomplishment, as scores of volunteers gave over their weekends to telephone calls and door-to-door canvassing on behalf of Wisconsin Democrats.
–Barbara Altman, Tenth Dems
Dold Casts Irresponsible Vote Against Seniors
On July 19, Rep. Robert Dold (R-Kenilworth) voted for HR 2560, the Republican bill that would cut, cap, and end Medicare as we know it. The bill would also require a 2/3 vote for certain tax increases and a constitutional amendment to balance the budget.
Dold, who now lives in the newly remapped 9th Congressional District, possesses neither the wisdom nor the independence to represent the 10th District. Our country faces a major crisis if the debt ceiling is not raised.
The responsible solution is to raise the debt ceiling, not to play a reckless game of chicken with our economic future by conditioning increasing the federal debt limit on setting arbitrary spending levels or amending the Constitution.
The bill Dold voted for would undercut the federal government’s ability to meet its core commitments to seniors, middle-class families and the most vulnerable, while reducing our ability to invest in our future. H. R. 2560 would set unrealistic spending caps that could result in significant cuts to education, research and development, and other programs critical to growing our economy and winning the future. It could also lead to severe cuts in Medicare and Social Security, which are growing to accommodate the retirement of the baby boomers, and put at risk the retirement security for tens of millions of Americans.
Furthermore, H. R. 2560 could require even deeper cuts, since it conditions an increase in the federal debt limit on Congressional passage of a Balanced Budget Amendment. H. R. 2560 sets out a false and unacceptable choice between the federal government defaulting on its obligations now or, alternatively, passing a Balanced Budget Amendment that, in the years ahead, will likely leave the nation unable to meet its core commitment of ensuring dignity in retirement.
The non-partisan Center on Budget and Policy Priorities wrote that “Cut, Cap and End Medicare” is an “ideologically extreme” plan that “would inexorably subject Social Security and Medicare to deep reduction.
In the short time Dold has misrepresented us in Congress, he’s done nothing to create jobs or get the economy back on track. Instead, he voted for the Republican anti-choice bill (H.R. 3) and he’s supported extreme Republican measures that would hurt children and seniors.
Dold is out of step with our values and our concerns, and he proved it again with his irresponsible vote to cut, cap, and end Medicare as we know it. Now we have to act responsibly: by voting Dold out of office.
We have two outstanding Democrats running to replace Dold and represent us in Congress, not the special interests. Please learn more about Brad Schneider and Ilya Sheyman and do what you can to help them build strong campaigns.
–Tenth Dems
Help Wanted: New Congressman
On Sunday, President Obama ordered a successful attack on Osama bin Laden. You’d think that regardless of party, everyone would be acknowledging that President Obama did a good thing. But you’d be wrong. Here is the entirety of Rep. Robert Dold’s statement:
“The death of Osama bin Laden is a significant achievement in our fight against terrorism and strikes a blow to those violent extremists who seek to do our nation and all freedom loving democracies harm. On September 11, 2001, more than 3,000 innocent souls lost their lives and now justice has been served. I commend the men and women of our armed forces and intelligence community for their unwavering commitment to bringing Osama bin Laden to justice. Our fight against those who want to destroy democracies around the world continues but today we can press ahead, as confident as ever in our nation’s ability to confront and triumph over evil.”
That’s it. Not one word about President Obama. Dold just can’t bring himself to thank his Commander-in-Chief for (once again) doing exactly what he promised he’d do. Is it really that hard? President Obama ordered the elimination of the world’s most dangerous and wanted terrorist, and even that’s not enough for Robert Dold.
So what should Dold have said? Many of us feel that Rep. Jan Schakowsky is our de facto representative in Congress, at least until Dold is defeated in 2012. Here’s what Jan said:
Washington, DC (Monday, May 2, 2011) – Rep. Jan Schakowsky issued the following statement regarding the death of Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. Congresswoman Schakowsky is a Member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
“Last night Americans finally heard the long-awaited and hoped for news delivered by President Obama himself: Osama bin Laden is dead, killed as a result of a well-planned and brilliantly executed attack conducted by our intelligence community and the U.S. military.
“The President and the brave men and women responsible for this victory deserve our gratitude for their persistence and courage. Al Qaeda has suffered many defeats over the last ten years, but none as significant as the death of the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks and the leader of the terrorist organization that declared war on the United States.
“It is my hope that this event will once again unite the world against the wholesale violence that we all witnessed nearly a decade ago and provide an opportunity to work together building a world in which people of all religions and beliefs can live in peace. We must remain vigilant, but this development should give all people of goodwill hope for the future.”
See Bob? It’s not that hard.
On Election Day 2010, Dold’s name ID was only 60%. That means many people who voted for him had no idea who he was—they just knew that they wanted to vote Republican.
But on Election Day 2012, a lot more people will know who Dold is, and that does not bode well for his re-election chances. In the short time that he has been in Congress, Dold has managed to vote against net neutrality, against sensible gun control, against environmental protections (at least 17 times), and against health care reform (at least six times).
But he still managed to find time to become one of only 38 (at this writing) co-sponsors of H.R. 497, the Ronald Reagan Commemorative Coin Act of 2011, which would require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of Ronald Reagan, whose misguided policies and rhetoric set in motion the culture of greed and anti-intellectualism that still plagues our nation.
Just what our district needs.
Here’s what our district needs: a new Congressman.
–Tenth Dems
Congressman Bob Dold Flunks Constitution Test
Robert Dold must have been sleeping when the Republicans opened Congress by reading from the Constitution (except for those parts that institutionalized racism). He certainly missed a thing or two when it comes to how our government operates.
Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) called the “ritualistic reading” on the floor “total nonsense” and “propaganda” intended to claim the document for Republicans:
“You read the Torah, you read the Bible, you build a worship service around it,” said Nadler, who argued that the Founders were not “demigods” and that the document’s need for amendments to abolish slavery and other injustices showed it was “highly imperfect…. You are not supposed to worship your constitution. You are supposed to govern your government by it.”
Most of us know that under the Constitution, bills can only become law if passed by both houses of Congress. In February, Dold voted for H.R. 1, the government budget bill, which funds (and in many cases defunds) the government the way the Republicans would like to run it. But the bill was unlikely to pass the Senate in its current form. So on March 30, Dold voted for H.R. 1255, which says that if the Senate did not pass H.R. 1 by April 6, then H.R. 1 would become law.
Who knew that the Constitution could be amended so easily? In other words, if you can’t get the other House of Congress to agree to your bill, just pass a law to get around them. Of course, it didn’t occur to Dold and his Republican buddies that the Senate would never pass H.R. 1255, and thus H.R. 1255 itself would never become law.
Most Republicans voted for this travesty, although a few had the backbone to vote against it. But not our “independent” Robert Dold. What a waste of time! Almost as much of a time-waster as Dold’s efforts to require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of Ronald Reagan. Dold is one of only 39 co-sponsors of the Ronald Reagan Commemorative Coin Act of 2011. Doesn’t that make you proud?
–Tenth Dems
Will the Real Robert Dold Please Stand Up?
During the last election, Robert Dold was recommended by the Illinois Right to Life Committee. Dold claimed to be pro-choice when it suited his interests, but NARAL Pro-Choice America and Planned Parenthood vigorously opposed his candidacy.
Last month, Dold and his Republican colleague from Illinois, Judy Biggert, voted against defunding Planned Parenthood. Dold even gave a speech about it.
Here’s what Bill Beckman, executive director of the Illinois Right to Life Committee, said a few days ago about Dold and Biggert:
“The irony is that when they had the final bill passage, they flipped. Both voted for it. We’re playing games here in reality,” Beckman said.
“Which is better: that they voted against the amendment and for the final bill, or vice versa? I’ll tolerate those Republicans if they vote the final bill the right way, even if they want to throw a bone to Planned Parenthood that doesn’t count.”
http://www.rollcall.com/issues/56_89/-203763-1.html?zkMobileView=true
We don’t usually agree with Beckman, but he makes a good point. The bill that finally passed, the bill that actually defunds Planned Parenthood, passed with Dold’s support.
So where does Robert Dold really stand? With us or with Illinois Right to Life? As residents of the 10th district, we call on Dold to take a stand: Do you or do you not agree with Beckman? Did you “throw a bone to Planned Parenthood” with a meaningless vote in their defense? If not, how do you explain your subsequent vote to defund Planned Parenthood?”
Don’t hold your breath waiting for an answer. That’s the way Bob Dold will do it in the year-plus that remains in his two-year term as a congressman. He will throw bones to the pro-choice crowd. He will throw an occasional bone to the environmental crowd. He will toss a bone every now and then to keep the gun-control crowd happy. But if you support choice, the environment or gun control, don’t expect him to be there for you when a vote really counts.
You see, Bob Dold has been schooled in “10th District Politics 101″ or “How to be a Republican and survive in the 10th District” by the master himself. Mark Kirk did this for years. He would vote one way on an amendment, when he knew his vote wouldn’t make a difference in the measure passing or failing, and then vote the other way on final passage of the bill. That way, he would point to his votes on amendments and keep the choice, environmental and gun-control crowds happy, and then point to his votes on the final passage of bills to keep the anti-choice, anti-environment and pro-gun crowds happy.
So, how does Dold sell himself to the overall public after his votes for and against Planned Parenthood?
“Illinois’ 10th District has a long history of being represented by socially moderate Republican Congressmen going back 30 years with former Reps. John Porter and Mark Kirk,” Dold said in a statement provided to Roll Call. “I am a social moderate and fiscal conservative and fit that mold as well.”
Sound familiar? Same lines used by Mark Kirk in his ten years as our congressman. Then, when he ran for the U.S. Senate, Kirk said, as he did about his vote in favor of cap-and-trade, that he really doesn’t support cap-and-trade, he just had to vote that way to keep getting re-elected in the 10th.
It’s kind of sad. Here we sit, in what Mark Kirk frequently called the most educated congressional district in the country, and the best we can get to represent us in Congress are men who “play games” to deceive us, and “throw us bones” to keep us happy.
Wouldn’t it be nice to be represented by someone who really believes in something instead of another hack who only believes in one thing . . . his re-election campaign?
– Tenth Dems