Rep. Walter Jones is first GOP defection in the 112th Congress

[babylonsister]

Rep. Walter Jones is first GOP defection in the 112th Congress
By Pete Kasperowicz - 01/26/11 06:07 PM ET


Of the 25 House votes held in the first three weeks of the 112th Congress, Republicans have seen only one defection.

Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.) voted against legislation to end publicly financed presidential campaigns, breaking a GOP unity streak in the new Congress.

It was actually the second time Jones broke with his party. He also stood with Democrats in a procedural vote just before the final vote on the public financing bill.

Jones' office did not immediately reply to a request for comment on why he voted against his leadership. In past years, Jones has supported legislation that would allow for full public financing of campaigns, so Jones appears to have felt compelled to stick to his principles.

The North Carolina Republican is known for an independent streak, and has voted against his leaders on other issues, including measures related to the Iraq war.

more...

http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/house/140559-jones-is-first-gop-defection-in-the-112th-congress

[Dennis Donovan]

1. "Freedom Fries"Jones?

Broken clock, and all that, I suppose...:hi:

[tblue37]

2. Actually, he and his wife have diligently visited wounded vets at

Walter Reed, and Jones himself eventually acknowledged that the rush to war was wrong and said he regretted not just his own early pro-war stance but also all that freedom fries nonsense.

For a Republican, he seems to be a relatively decent man.

[Dennis Donovan]

3. Now, see... I didn't know that...

That's why I love the DU - learn something new every day!!:thumbsup:

[Bjorn Against]

4. Interestingly enough after the "Freedom Fries" thing Jones became an opponent of the Iraq War

He started out as a war hawk, but something changed him and he became one of only a tiny number of Republicans to publicly speak against the occupation of Iraq. I don't agree with him on many issues, but he is one of the only Republican politicians that I think actually has a conscious.

[tblue37]

5. What changed him was visiting the terribly wounded vets in Walter Reed.

He saw up close the terrible cost of the war, while at the same time the evidence was growing that it was a war of choice based on lies. He is actually fairly compassionate, and he was horrified by the suffering such policies had caused.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

6. I believe in full public financing of campaigns...lets get all corporate funds out of them

[BrentWil]

7. That is my Congressman.... Yay, Eastern NC NC

[craigmatic]

8. Maybe we could poach him.

[comsymp]

9. Not likely

He's basically a Ron Paul Republican; in fact, IIRC he endorsed Paul in '08 (we NC'ians tend to have a strong libertarian streak, whether from L or R). Much, but - to be fair - definitely not all, of his divergence from the party line is related to his eventual opposition to the Iraq war; that's when his appallingly high ACU ratings started to drop. Since he entered office with the "Republican Revolution" of '94 I've never particularly liked the guy but have to give him credit there - he's looking after his constituents, many of whom are military active and retired (NC-3 includes Camp Lejeune and - I think - MCAS Cherry Point).

I'd label him as a principled conservative, overall, but a conservative nonetheless - definitely well right of center but with an apparently increasing propensity to go his own way / piss off the R leadership. I'd guess he inherited that independent streak from his dad, WBJ, Sr., a Dem who served... NC-1 IIRC, and who also tended to piss off his leadership.