One really can’t do a better job exposing the misinformation (one hesitates to use the word lie, if for no other reason than Dave Brat probably believes what he is saying) coming out of the gentle congressman from Pouncey Tract yesterday regarding his missed vote on the CR.
To review, Brat took to social media claiming that reports that he had abstained on the vote were “fake news” and that rather, Brat was detained at the White House for a ceremony (read: photo op) for an executive order lifting the ban on offshore drilling — ostensibly by White House staff to discuss very important things, etc.
Small problem with that. It just ain’t true.
Brat skipped the tough vote on the excuse of a photo-op, nothing more. A number of other congressmen at the very same ceremony were able to make it back in time, namely an 83-year old congressman with one of the worst floor vote records in Washington. From our sister publication over at Bearing Drift where editor Brian Schoeneman effortlessly destroys Brat’s obfuscations:
Brat “rushed back” however, and missed the vote “by minutes.” He wasn’t the only one. Some other Congressmen who were present didn’t make the vote either – Pete Olson and David Rouzer, to name two. He, along with 13 other Republicans, missed the vote. Not all of them were at the White House, though, and he was the only member of the Virginia delegation who didn’t vote.
What’s remarkable, though, is who was at that press conference who actually made it back and voted. Most of the other Congressman who were present did make it back, including Majority Whip Steve Scalise from Louisiana, who has a considerable number of off-shore drilling related jobs in his coastal district. Another who made it back is even more surprising than those who didn’t – Congressman Don Young from Alaska, pictured above behind the president in the purple tie. Congressman Young, who is 83, is the most senior Republican member of the House of Representatives, having served in the body since 1973. He was first elected when Dave Brat was 9 years old. He’s also known for his spotty attendance records at House votes. He has missed over 4,000 votes during his career. Granted, he’s taken more votes than anybody else, but he’s missed more as well, and as the only Congressman from Alaska and with a grueling schedule going back and forth, it’s not surprising he’s been frequently absent.
But he made it back in time for this one.
Let’s put this in perspective: Dave Brat missed this vote, but an 83 year old man with one of the worst attendance records in the House made it back in time.
To put this in further perspective, Rep. Scott Taylor (VA-02) whose district would actually be impacted by offshore drilling… made it back to Capitol Hill to vote for the CR. Brat showing up for a photo-op (in the back row away from the president, one might add) is a pathetic and thin excuse.
The short version is this. The CR vote was a tough vote… and rather than vote on it, Brat skipped out of the tough vote. That’s not leadership, folks.
To make matters worse? Brat states clearly that he would have been a “yes” vote on the CR, which has put him directly at odds with conservatives who would have assumed Brat to be a solid no vote along with Rep. Wittman and Garrett.
The problem now is that no one knows where Brat stands on the CR at this rate. Is he going to vote “no” on the CR when it comes back in a week? Will he vote “yes” as leadership demands?
Will Dumpster Fire Dave skip town and abstain again?
It’s kind of a coin flip, isn’t it?
On one hand, he could just be burning with rage and choose to vote against the CR in order to prove the naysayers (read: folks unfazed by bullshit) back home wrong.
On the other hand? Brat could stick to his guns (read: cave to pressure from leadership) and vote for the CR… thus ensuring that his position on the CR isn’t inconsistent from what he believed a week ago.
Or he could go with the idea that he was just buying time (a week? c’mon… really?) to explore better options… in which case, what is he saying about stalwarts like Garrett and Wittman?
Or he could abstain. Again.
Slippery fellow, isn’t he? Probably doesn’t matter… with the way Brat has painted himself in a corner, there is no principled position he could possibly take at this rate… just a johnny-come-lately who came unarmed to the battlefield of ideas and solutions.