A Challenger

Stephen Blythe is challenging Dave Weldon:

"I am as different from Dave Weldon as night and day," says Blythe. "I am an environmentalist, I am against this administration's abuses of our constitutional rights, and against the war in Iraq. I am also against government interference in a family's private end-of-life decision-making." It was Dave Weldon who brought the full weight of the U.S. Government to bear in the Terri Schiavo controversy in Florida in 2005.

Why is this important? Look at Weldon's votes from this session alone:

Against

Minimum Wage Increase

Stem Cell Research

SCHIP Children’s Health Care Program

9/11 Commission Recommendations

Allowing Prescription Drugs from Canada

For

Iraq War – Time and Time Again

Tax Cuts for the Most Wealthy

Interfering with Terry Schiavo Case

FISA

Dave Loves Bush

Pushing Rope notes the percentage of the time Florida Republicans vote in line with President Bush, one of the worst presidents in American history. Not surprisingly, Dave loves Bush:

2007 - 85%
2006 - 90%

Weldon Hates Workers

Bad news at the Kennedy Space Center:

United Space Alliance said it plans to hire hundreds of workers to replace members of the Machinists union on strike at Kennedy Space Center since June 14 over failed contract negotiations.

But wait, Congress to the rescue! Well, sort of:

Meanwhile, a letter dated Friday from 23 members of Congress to Michael McCulley, president and chief executive officer of United Space Alliance, encourages the company "to reach an agreement in a timely manner."

And where's Tom Feeney on even this modest response:

The two members of Congress who represent Brevard County -- Reps. Tom Feeney of Oviedo and Dave Weldon of Indialantic, both Republicans -- did not sign the letter.

Weldon spokesman Kurt Heath said Weldon was not aware of the letter, and he did not know if Weldon would have signed it if he had been asked.

Figures. Probably out...what is it that Weldon does anyway?

Dave Weldon Toons Out Children

Dave Weldon must be relieved.

His Republicans colleague in Congress, Tom Feeney, is getting slammed for voting against health insurance for children. But so did Dave.

Not everyone has forgotten.

Florida Today cartoonist Jeff Parker slams both Weldon and Feeney in his newest editorial cartoon.

Check it out here.

Of course, this isn't the first time the cartoonist has set his sights on Weldon. See here and here for more.

Keep the pressure on Weldon. Email his office.

Dave Weldon Resources

For those interested in learning more about Dave, here are a list of relevant resources:

FPC Wiki Page

Official House Site

Official Campaign Site

Wikipedia Page

Congresspedia Page

WaPo Voting Database

FEC Report

On the Issues

Open Secrets.org

Project Vote Smart

Dave Hates Children and the Elderly

Congress recently had a chance to help out children and seniors across the country. Guess which way the Florida delegation voted?

FL-1: Jeff Miller (R) - Nay
FL-2: Allen Boyd (D) - Yea
FL-3: Corrine Brown (D) - Yea
FL-4: Ander Crenshaw (R) - Did not vote
FL-5: Ginny Brown-Waite (R) - Nay
FL-6: Cliff Stearns (R) - Nay
FL-7: John Mica (R) - Nay
FL-8: Ric Keller (R) - Nay
FL-9: Gus Bilirakis (R) - Nay
FL-10: CW Bill Young (R) - Nay
FL-11: Kathy Castor (D) - Yea
FL-12: Adam Putnam (R) - Nay
FL-13: Vern Buchanan (R) - Nay
FL-14: Connie Mack (R) - Nay
FL-15: Dave Weldon (R) - Nay
FL-16: Tim Mahoney (D) - Yea
FL-17: Kendrick Meek (D) - Yea
FL-18: Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R) - Nay
FL-19: Robert Wexler (D) - Yea
FL-20: Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D) - Yea
FL-21: Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R) - Nay
FL-22: Ron Klein (D) - Yea
FL-23: Alcee Hastings (D) - Yea
FL-24: Tom Feeney (R) - Nay
FL-25: Mario Diaz-Balart (R) - Nay

Let these people know what you think about them. Go to their page at the FPC Wiki to find their contact info.

FDP Weldon Site

The Florida Democratic Party has a site dedicated to Dave called Where's Weldon. Check it out...

Dave Weldon Votes Against Health Insurance for Children

On Wednesday August 1, the U.S. House or Representatives passed the Children’s Health and Medicare Protection Act of 2007 (H R 3162) a bill "to extend and improve the children's health insurance program, to improve beneficiary protections under the Medicare, Medicaid, and the CHIP program." You can read the bill text here.

The bill passed 225-204. The roll call vote is here.

Republican Representative Dave Weldon voted against it. Why in the world would someone vote against expanding the number of children who are covered by health care?

I don't know about you, but I would rather not have to ask that question in the first place. It's time to kick Do-Nothing Dave out of office at the earliest opportunity.

On a related note, a new poll by CBS shows that the American people favor expanding health care to all children by an 84-11 margin. A large majority favor the program even if it means taxes are raised (this bill only raised taxes on cigarettes). Dave Weldon is out of touch with the American people and out of touch with his constituents.

It's no surprise that when asked which party they favored on the issue of health care, poll respondents favored Democrats over Republicans by a 62-19 percent margin.

Here's more on the bill from the Washington Post:

WASHINGTON -- House Democrats pushed through legislation Wednesday to add 6 million lower-income children to a popular health insurance program while making deep cuts in federal payments to Medicare HMOs, defying a veto threat from President Bush.


On a 225-204, mostly party-line vote, the House passed the legislation, which would add $50 billion to the decade-old State Children's Health Insurance Program and roll back years of Republican-driven changes to Medicare.

Welcome

This is a new local blog for Florida's fifteenth Congressional district and watching the actions of Dave Weldon, the Republican representative who misserves us in Washington.

If you are interested in posting at Watching Weldon, drop me a line at quinnelk@hotmail.com with some idea of your Democratic and/or progressive credentials and I'll add you as a blogger.