When Mike Rogers Calls, Hang Up!

Don't be fooled by a call from Rep. Mike Rogers inviting you to stay on the line to enter into a conference call with Rogers. There is no conference call.

What you will hear is a recorded call with a lot of blathering between Mike and possibly a staffer defending Mike's "no" vote on the stimulus bill on Wednesday, January 28. There is no opportunity to talk with the congressman and, perhaps, ask him some pointed questions. Maybe, for instance, how did it feel today, Mike, when President Obama signed the Lily Ledbetter bill into law? Does it still bother you to think that some women will be suing for equal pay?

I've heard better bull sessions in the company lunch room than the conversation between Mike and Mr. Unknown. Too bad there wasn't a Ms. Unknown. That would have been a tiny bit more convincing that an actual discussion was taking place.

Poor Mike! He's really worried about his job (even if he doesn't care about anyone else's). Given the economic situation in Michigan, he's between a rock and a hard place. If he doesn't do what the Republican leadership tells him to do, he loses their support. If he doesn't vote for the stimulus package, equal pay, and health care for poor children, he loses his constituents' support. He's running out of political tricks so he's down to setting up phony conference calls.

Time for Mike to get a job on K Street with his cronies.

There He Goes Again! Rogers Votes Against Children

Rep. Mike Rogers has voted once again against SCHIP, which guarantees that 10 million children of working parents who can’t afford health insurance will receive the medical care they need. What is Rogers’ excuse for such a heartless vote? He claims that SCHIP would pit children against seniors and that the Democrats didn’t give time for a full debate. Even his peer in the 11th District, Thaddeus McCotter, knew better and voted for SCHIP this time.

This bill passed twice and was vetoed by Bush. Rogers voted against it each time. How much more debate did he need? This is the third round and when passed by the Senate, the SCHIP bill will be sent to President Obama who WILL sign it.

Criticism about full and open debate coming from one of Tom Delay’s henchmen is laughable. Remember Medicare Part D and the tactics used then to assure passage of a bill that didn’t give seniors as much help as it gave health insurance companies and pharmaceuticals? Remember Billy Tauzin, who chaired the committee (Commerce and Energy) which has authority over the pharmaceutical companies? He pushed Part D, resigned from Congress and went to work for big PhRMA for $2 million a year, lobbying Congress for the pharmaceutical industry. Our Mike was in the middle of it all. He didn’t have much concern for seniors then.

Rogers is considering a run for Michigan Governor. A recent article in the Livingston Press & Argus damns Rogers with faint praise stating that Mike “is as qualified as anyone else considering a run” forgetting that he needs to prove he will make a better governor than anyone else running. The article claims that “Rogers has served us well in Congress” but provides no proof to back up that claim. The main argument to support Rogers for governor is that he comes from Livingston County, which is worth a bucket of warm spit in the rest of the state.

Rogers brings a lot of baggage to a run for Governor. As a statewide candidate, he will need to reach out to many groups and he will have to be more bipartisan than his Congressional record shows. He has not voted for what is best for the people in the 8th District (rich people aside) nor for the people of Michigan. As a party hack, he has followed the Republican leadership over the cliff into the minority. Mike followed his congressional leaders, Tom DeLay, Newt Gingrich, Denny Hastert and Billy Tauzin and approved their outrageous conduct. There is little future for him in the House now. No wonder he wants to run for Governor.

Taking Rogers to Task

Don't miss Kelly Raskauskas' piece in the Livingston Press and Argus for Sunday (February 3, 2008) regarding Rep. Mike Rogers and SCHIP.

Raskauskas slices through Rogers' distortions and lies one by one without getting bogged down in too many details.

Fact-checking is tedious work, but more important than ever these days.

Thanks, Kelly!