The Failure of Dean Heller

The Reno Gazette Journal has, more or less, summarized the accomplishments, or lack thereof, of Nevada Congressman Dean Heller since his election to Congress.

Noting that Heller has joined hips with President George W. Bush, the RGJ writes:

President Bush came through for Dean Heller on the campaign trail. So far, the freshman lawmaker hasn't given Bush much reason to regret it.

Heller, a Carson City Republican, has proven a reliable vote in the House for Bush's Iraq policies while developing a strong conservative voting record. He opposed an increase to the federal minimum wage and tax increases for oil companies.

“The president also helped Heller's cash-drained campaign raise $325,000 in one night” during the 2006 election. Well, that demonstrates Heller’s concern for Nevada’s minimum wage workers. Zilch. It figures Heller would vote against increasing taxes on oil companies, who are achieving record profits. He is smart enough to recognize that you don’t bite the hand that feeds your re-election campaigns. Certainly we “little people” aren’t capable of filling his re-election campaign coffers when we earn at the minimum wage level.

Critics say Heller's votes in his first seven months in office, typically in lockstep with GOP leaders, are a far cry from his campaign pledge to be independent from party leadership in Washington.

"Dean Heller ran as an independent voice," said Kirsten Searer, a spokeswoman for the Nevada Democratic Party. "But he has become a cookie-cutter member of the Republican House caucus."

A “cookie-cutter member of the Republican House caucus” eh? Sounds like an apt description of Congressman Heller.

Heller, 47, defends his voting record, saying the GOP has been right to fight against what he called bad Democratic proposals that could lead to higher taxes.

The former Nevada secretary of state said the Democratic Congress has achieved little beyond passing a law to raise the minimum wage, which he contends could hurt small businesses.

"There isn't a lot for the majority party to talk about," he said. "What the minority party is talking about is the ability to avoid a lot of spending."

“Avoid a lot of spending?” Heller spews the Republican Party line that Democrats “tax and spend” but ignores the “borrow and spend” record of the Republican Party. Just look at the national debt since the Bush-Cheney regime has been in office. The United States is in record level debt because of the borrowing and increased spending accomplished by the Republican Party while they were in control of Congress. What’s the difference between “taxing” and “borrowing?” The end result is the same; taxpayers have to pay the debt plus interest on it. “Pay as you go” is the way to keep taxing and spending within manageable limits. No one seems interested in “pay as you go” however.

While the vast majority of his constituents want the war on Iraq ended, Heller ignores them. Sort of gives them the middle finger:

Much of the criticism against Heller centers on his support for U.S. military involvement in Iraq. Heller said he plans to wait for an assessment of the war by Army Gen. David Petraeus on the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks before he decides how to proceed.

His constituents have already “assessed” the war on Iraq. Yet Heller stalls, continuing to blindly follow Bush’s line, “stay the course.” Heller needs to realize he represents his constituents in Nevada, not George Bush in Washington, D.C. That’s the “cookie-cutter” aspect of Heller to which Ms. Searer refers. Where is the “independence” Mr. Heller? You know represent both Democrats and Republicans and Independents—you don’t represent Bush or the Republican Party. Wake up man!