For some, a low profile on health vote

CANTON, Ohio — Before Congress left town for the spring recess, Speaker Nancy Pelosi urged rank-and-file Democrats to return home and tout the benefits of the landmark health care bill.

But instead of barnstorming their districts celebrating their historic accomplishment, some have been content to remain beneath the radar, reluctant to advertise their role in passing the centerpiece of President Barack Obama’s domestic policy agenda.

Rep. John Boccieri, who represents this conservative area in northeast Ohio, is one of them.

After announcing his intention to vote for the bill in a news conference televised live on CNN two days before the vote, Obama lauded his political courage. The president noted that the freshman Democrat sat “in as tough a district as there is,” a shout-out that prompted a standing ovation from the House Democratic Caucus.

For the past week, however, Boccieri has gone dark, surfacing only last Wednesday night — in New York City — at a cocktail party fundraiser to benefit his reelection campaign. Otherwise, the congressman had no public schedule. A spokeswoman said he was focused on “constituent services.”

Boccieri is not alone. He’s one of a number of House Democrats who’ve kept a low profile over the recess, a group largely defined by the level of political jeopardy they face this fall.

Like Boccieri, they tend to represent highly competitive seats. One of them, Rep. Earl Pomeroy (D-N.D.), has not held any events in Republican-oriented North Dakota to talk about health care, his staff acknowledged. This week, he’ll talk about Social Security.

The offices of other endangered members, ranging from veterans such as Reps. Alan Mollohan (D-W.Va.) and Allen Boyd (D-Fla.) to junior members such as Reps. Ann Kirkpatrick (D-Ariz.) and John Salazar (D-Colo.), did not return messages asking about how they had promoted health care last week.

In Ohio, Boccieri faced trouble no matter what course he took. Republicans were already planning to seize on his flip from a “no” vote last November to a much-ballyhooed “yes” vote in March. Now they frame him as unwilling to answer tough questions.

“His back flip on health care simply dumps fuel on a fire that no amount of special-interest money or pats on the back from Speaker Pelosi will be able to put out,” said Jim Renacci, the front-runner in the 16th District’s contested Republican primary. “I think he knows that people are mad as hell, … and I think that concerns him.”

Local Democratic leaders think it’s politically smart for the former Air Force Reserve pilot to fly under the radar — at least until the situation cools down.

“Let it simmer,” said Johnnie Maier, former chairman of the Stark County Democratic Party and a power broker in Canton politics. “Initially, you get a visceral response from people. Let that die down a little bit, and then go out when people are getting settled into the thing and then begin to talk with them.”

The chairman of the Democratic Party in Ashland County, Steve Johnson, acknowledged that the congressman’s vote is “a tough sell” here that “will probably hurt him a little bit overall.”

“John’s not the kind of guy that hides from a battle,” Johnson said. “If I was him, I might be tempted to do just that. … The polls are still all over the place. … I think it’ll play better in November than what it plays right now, but I don’t know.”

Boccieri hasn’t done anything to suggest he has second thoughts. But his last strong public statement in support of health care reform came on March 23 — the day Obama signed the bill into law. It outlined 18 provisions that he said would soon take effect. But he declined an invitation to attend the White House signing ceremony. His office told the local press that he wanted to give visiting constituents a personal tour of the Capitol.

A weekend event for Boccieri to tout the benefits of the legislation was tentatively scheduled but never took place, with his office explaining in an e-mail that “the congressman is going to be spending time with his family.”

On Monday, his communications director noted, “We are really focusing on constituent services this week. After two weeks’ worth of calls and letters piling in due to the health care vote, Rep Boccieri is committed this week to catching up on correspondence in the district.”

She added that Boccieri needed “to get back with people who have outstanding casework questions or issues that our office can help handle.”

The next morning, the New York Daily News revealed that Boccieri would be at the City Hall Restaurant for a $250- to $1,000-a-head fundraiser.

Randy Gonzalez, the chairman of the Stark County Democratic Party, said Thursday afternoon that he didn’t know what Boccieri was up to.

“John’s a hard worker,” he said. “I couldn’t tell you where he’s at today, but I guarantee it’s something a good congressman would be doing. … The critics will always be critics.”

A few minutes later, Gonzalez called back to say he’d phoned Boccieri, who told him he was not working because he’s celebrating Easter.

“He’s observing the holy day,” Gonzalez said. “Tomorrow is Good Friday. Sunday’s Easter.”

Boccieri’s approach was by no means the standard operating procedure among Ohio’s House Democrats, a handful of whom face difficult challenges this year.

Along with a few of the delegation’s safest Democrats, the two other vulnerable freshmen embraced health care reform with gusto. Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy held a roundtable discussion Thursday at a senior center in Columbus, while Rep. Steve Driehaus stumped across Cincinnati.

Boccieri also ended up in the health care spotlight whether he wanted to or not. Since he cast his vote, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has named him as one of 17 House Democrats her PAC will target this fall. On the other side, the Service Employees International Union and the group Catholics United thanked him for his vote with TV ads running on local affiliates here.

Local Republicans say that no matter what course he takes, they’ll continue to highlight his vote.

“I have a feeling, after taking all the heat he’s taken, he’s trying to stay away simply to regroup,” said Matt Miller, one of a handful of Republican primary candidates. “But the bottom line is that he won’t be able to stay away forever.”
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