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CONGRESSMAN HAS MISSED STAGGERING 35% OF VOTES, MOST OF ANY U.S. HOUSE MEMBER
The people of South Carolina’s 3rd Congressional District pay Congressman Gresham Barrett a cozy $174,000 per year, plus some pretty cushy benefits. But they may want to ask for their money back.
A voting database compiled by the Washington Post showed that Barrett was by far the most absent member of Congress.
According to the database, Barrett has missed a staggering 344 votes of a total 988 votes cast by the U.S. House this year. That means Barrett skipped work 35 percent of the time.
Most people who are absent from their job for more than one-third of the year without a good excuse would be fired. Immediately.
But Barrett says he does have an excuse: He’s too busy running for governor.
“As far as missed votes go, Congressman Barrett believes it is very important to strike a balance any time he is serving in one office and running for another office,” Emily Tyner, a Barrett spokeswoman, told McClatchy. “Serving in Congress while running for governor is a balancing act.”
That, however, doesn’t sit well with State Attorney General Henry McMaster.
“Conservatives need every single vote in Congress we can get to stop the radical Obama-Pelosi agenda,” McMaster said. “It’s a dangerous agenda.”
And McMaster is right.
First, South Carolina already has a governor, Mark Sanford, who likes to disappear from his day job. Voters would probably prefer that the next governor actually shows up to work.
And second, Barrett has missed some key votes.
Just last week, Barrett skipped a vote on a budget amendment that opened the door to federally-funded abortion on demand.
In September, he bailed on a vote to stop sending taxpayer money to ACORN, the leftist “community organizing” group that has come under fire by conservatives over allegations of embezzlement, voter fraud and misconduct by employees.
And when his colleague Joe Wilson was censured by the House for shouting “you lie” at President Obama, Barrett was nowhere to be found.
But perhaps Barrett’s chronic absence is actually a good thing for the district, the state, and the country.
When the Congressman does show up to vote, he does stuff like vote for a massive $700 federal bank bailout. You can see how that vote worked out for him by clicking here.
I wonder who said this: “Still, they had to pass something to save the free market and this was the best they could get in the limited window they had.”
See: http://www.palmettoscoop.com/2008/10/03/bailout-bill-finally-passed/
I happen to agree with your earlier statement. I just wish you’d be intellectually honest, rather than fomenting — and applauding — anger caused by helping to pass something that you realize was needed and “was the best they could get in the limited window they had.”
[...] 12/17/2009: Barrett bails on day job [...]
Apparently not being where you are supposed to be is a qualification for governor of South Carolina, so Barrett is a shoo-in.
I still haven’t seen the candidate worth supporting on either side, Barrett just slipped another notch.
Barrett learned a lot during 4 terms in DC. Now he wants to bring the Washington culture into our statehouse?? I don’t think so. We get too much federal interference.
We want a governor who will be dedicated to State Sovereignty. Washington politicians — on both sides of the aisle — have no difficulty trampling on the 10th amendment. We need a governor and state legislators who will restore States’ Rights.
[...] who had the support of only 9 percent of GOP voters. It appears Barrett is being plagued by his chronic absence from Congress coupled with his vote for a massive $700 federal bank [...]
[...] who had the support of only 9 percent of GOP voters. It appears Barrett is being plagued by his chronic absence from Congress coupled with his vote for a massive $700 federal bank [...]
[...] a little more insight into his flip-flop on a massive federal bank bailout bill and the rest of his atrocious voting record. Posted in 3, National News [...]
[...] would think that Congressman Gresham Barrett, who was the most absent member of Congress last year because he was too busy running for governor, would have plenty of time on his hands to [...]