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Updated: August 27, 2012 6:04AM
Dold votes speak volumes
An article appearing in the July 12 issue of the Highland Park News reported on a meeting that U.S. Rep. Robert Dold, R-10th, had with the Pioneer Press editorial staff. In that article, Dold emphasized his “independent status” and his ability to work across party lines with Democrats.
Dold’s actions (his votes), however, speak louder than his words. In vote after vote on legislation introduced on the floor of the House of Representatives, Dold has voted in lockstep with virtually every other Republican to either block major jobs bills, repeal the Affordable Health Care bill or vote “yes” to find Atty. Gen. Eric Holder in both criminal and civil contempt of Congress. These are just the latest examples of Dold’s extreme partisanship and underscores his unwillingness to break with his party’s leadership, which is more and more dominated by the Tea Party wing.
On every important issue, and by any measurement, Dold is not an “independent minded” Republican. He voted “yes” to Republican Paul Ryan’s budget plan that would end Medicare as we know it by providing vouchers to seniors and telling them to go find their own health-care plan.
Dold said “no” along with most Republicans to President Obama’s Jobs Act put forth in the fall of 2011, which would have created several million new jobs in order to fix the nations crumbling infrastructure, especially roads, bridges and schools. And, as mentioned earlier, he voted “yes” with every Republican to repeal the Affordable Health Care Act that would, among other things, bring health care to an additional 30 million Americans, not to mention a large array of positive benefits to all other Americans.
And, one final example, but not all that could be recounted, Dold voted “yes” on finding the first-ever U.S. cabinet member (Atty. Gen. Eric Holder) guilty of contempt of Congress based solely on political grounds.
So, let’s not be deceived by Representative Dold’s attempt to convince the voters of the 10th District that he is an “independent minded” Republican who often splits with his party. He is not independent by any measure, and that is why we need to vote him out of office in the November election.
Don Packard
Highland Park
