San Antonio Express News Hearts Bonilla
The San Antonio Express-News once again comes out for Bonilla.
In this runoff, Bonilla is simply the better choice. As distasteful as that may be, it is reality.
And this time, they’re sharing their “really good” reasons for supporting such a distasteful candidate.
There’s the seniority thing again.
Bonilla has enough seniority to maintain his seat on the House Appropriations Committee even though the GOP has lost its House majority and will lose seats on the panel.
Maybe the Express-News should do some research on the differences between the house and senate and being in the minority party. They could just go into their archives and do a search on how many Democratic representatives had a significant influence on legislation compared to their counterparts in the senate.
Maybe if Bonilla had shown some willingness to work with the other side when his party was in power he might have had a chance to accomplish something as a member of the minority. But wait, this is the man that the editorial points out
a Republican, has veered too far into partisanship during his seven terms in the House. In the most vivid example, Bonilla supported a GOP rule change that would have allowed former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay to maintain his leadership position even if indicted on felony charges.
Yet somehow, the SAEN believes that Bonilla will help protect important military projects for San Antonio.
The valiant but unsuccessful attempt by Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, to push the derailed military construction bill through Congress last week demonstrates the need for Texas voices to ensure that projects approved by the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission are funded. The potential for Brooke Army Medical Center to become one of only two multiservice military medical centers is at stake. The plans aren’t pork but important military policy that will boost San Antonio for the long term. Bonilla is in a position to help.
This would suggest that Bonilla has the stature of Kay Bailey Hutchison who is in the SENATE and wasn’t successful under a Republican controlled Congress. Again, how exactly is Bonilla in a position to help? And are they saying that Rodriguez hasn’t supported keeping the military in San Antonio. (Wasn’t there something called Brooks City Base?)
But examples and facts just don’t seem to be the SAEN’s strong point. Apparently, the SAEN concludes that Rodriguez was a “lightweight” but doesn’t give any specific examples.
Rodriguez is a decent man, but he was a lightweight congressman. He was far from the most effective member of the San Antonio delegation when he served in Congress.
Oh wait, here’s one:
The large field of Democratic candidates in the special election demonstrated the low regard for Rodriguez’s abilities within his own party.
So wouldn’t that apply to any Democrat who ran in the November election? Or maybe he was a “lightweight” because he was in the minority party the whole time he was in the house? Kind of like Bonilla will be?
Finally, something factual and meaningful!
Although his initial indecisiveness cost him organized labor’s support in the first round, Rodriguez is too closely aligned with the shortsighted economic policies of unions and organized labor. He opposes free trade measures that are crucial to boosting the global economy and South Texas in the long run.
Rodriguez voted against giving the president the authority to negotiate trade agreements that Congress would then approve or reject without amendment. Trade promotion authority is vital for any administration and for the nation’s trade policy.
So this is worst than voting to allow corporations to receive financial assistance from the U.S. taxpayers while avoiding paying taxes themselves?
Taxpayers for Common Sense — Taxpayer Action Center
Representative Bernard Sanders (D-VT) offered an amendment to H.R. 4818, the Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill, in order to deny direct loans or loan guarantees to corporate expatriates. In recent years, some U.S. corporations have moved overseas while retaining a mailbox in tax havens for the sole purpose of avoiding tens-of-millions of dollars in U.S. taxes. On top of this avoidance, they ask for billions in subsidized loans, loan guarantees, and other financial assistance. The Sanders amendment would deny direct loans or loan guarantees to corporate expatriates.
According the Express-News, “Elections seledom provide perfect choices.” I would argue that when you get down to it, this election comes down to two choices.
One choice favors big business over the individual in the belief that what benefits corporations eventually benefits the individual. (I admit, I’m giving Bonilla the benefit of the doubt here. As far as I can tell, he’s just interested in supporting corporations.)
The second choice protects the individual against the excesses of big business in the market economy and believes that corporations will ultimately adapt in order to make a buck. In other words, big business isn’t supposed to profit at the expense of the individual.
The Express-News seems to prefer the first choice and tries to justify it with meaningless observations. If you’re for a big business, party hack, just say so. Otherwise, vote for Ciro Rodriguez.
Technorati Tags: Bonilla, Henry Bonilla, Ciro Rodriguez, Texas CD 23, District 23, Congressional District 23, Texas, San Antonio Express News
Filed under: Bonilla, Ciro Rodriguez, Congressional District 23, District 23, Henry Bonilla, Runoff Election - December 12, San Antonio Express News, Texas District 23, politics, texas, texas politics
