Recess Roastings: Voters Tell Tom Perriello To Start Packing after Selling Them Out
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Voters Tell Tom Perriello To Start Packing after Selling Them Out Virginia Democrat Learns the Meaning of ‘Political Liability’
Democrat Operatives Claim Healthcare Takeover Is a Political Winner, Vow to Go on the Offensive
Recess Roasting: VA Rep. Tom Perriello Can’t Explain Away His Rubber-Stamp Vote for Democrats’ Healthcare Takeover “As a small group of five or six people chanted ‘Thank you, Tom,’ outside Rep. Tom Perriello’s downtown Danville congressional office Monday afternoon, a larger group of about 70 people responded louder, ‘No thanks, Tom’…Conflicting signs reading sentiments such as ‘Best wishes on your retirement’ or ‘Thank you Congressman Perriello, we finally have a leader in Congress,’ mirrored the people’s anger or gratitude for Perriello’s vote. ‘It’s going in the wrong direction,’ said Danville resident George Evans. ‘It’s going toward socialism. It’s a government plan and I don’t agree with that at all’…Local resident Bill Torok said he supported aspects of the legislation, such as tort reform and coverage for those with preexisting conditions. But he said he fundamentally opposed the federal government ‘taking over’ health care. Susan Lee argued that ‘even if this were a great bill, we can’t afford it.’ ‘It’s an attack on us, our freedom and the free market enterprise that made this country great,’ she said. ‘…We’re not against health care reform; we’re against this health care reform’…‘Every single word of it,’ Jones said of what he specifically opposed about the legislation. ‘It’s government takeover of our lives…We’re taking a stand.’” (Catherine Amos, “Danville residents angry about health care vote,” Danville Register & Bee, 11/10/09)
“Congressman Perriello voted Saturday in favor of the bill, and says he made that decision because it will make health care affordable for the middle class, but Perriello’s vote has people in our area doing more than talking, as was quite evident by the protests outside the congressman’s Danville office. Folks that gathered could be heard saying, ‘Hands off Healthcare’ and ‘He had the opportunity to stand up and do what was right and he blew it’…State Director of Americans For Prosperity, Ben Marchi, said, ‘The last time we were in Danville, we said that if Congressman Perriello didn’t vote the right way on this health care legislation, we would be back’…Eileen Might with Hands off My Health Care said, ‘He does not vote for the people. He votes what he thinks and he just doesn’t seem to get it.’” (Sarah Bloom, “Perriello’s Office Draws Protestors, Police Attention,” WSET-TV, 11/9/09)
“Outright political attacks also were part of the debate Monday, with the National Republican Congressional Committee saying Perriello’s vote for the bill guaranteed his defeat in the 2010 election. ‘Tom Perriello’s career was pronounced dead at 11:16 p.m. EST on Nov. 7, 2009,’ read an e-mail from Andy Sere, NRCC spokesman. Sere followed that message with 11 more e-mails criticizing Perriello. The Albemarle County native didn’t flinch in the news conference Monday. ‘The single most important thing to my re-election is going to be what the economy looks like next year,’ said Perriello, whom the Republican Party has targeted as the nation’s most vulnerable Democratic congressman.” (Ray Reed, “Perriello defends healthcare bill as Republicans attack,” Lynchburg News & Advance, 11/10/09)
“Moments after Perriello cast his vote in support of the Affordable Health Care for America Act late Saturday, the Republicans pounced. ‘It’s not often that a member of Congress manages to lose his re-election bid one year in advance, but that’s what Tom Perriello did tonight,’ Andy Seré, a regional press secretary for the National Republican Congressional Committee, wrote in an e-mail…Perriello hosted 21 town hall meetings over the summer to gather constituent feedback on the bill. At the time, he said he was leaning toward a ‘no’ vote.” (Brian McNeill, “Perriello defends healthcare vote,” Charlottesville Daily Progress, 11/10/09)
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