Will we ever see a republican like this again?

[cali]

In 1981, Jeffords was the only Republican member of the House to vote against a bill reducing the top tax rate from 70 per cent to 50 per cent — a hallmark of President Ronald Reagan's legacy. During his time in the Senate, he voted for the Civil Rights Act of 1991, the Brady Bill, the Family and Medical Leave Act, an end to the ban on gays serving in the military, and against permanent normal trade relations with China and barring affirmative action at the federal level. Jeffords was also vocal in his opposition to the nomination of Clarence Thomas to the United States Supreme Court by President George H.W. Bush. He was one of only two Republicans to vote against confirming Clarence Thomas. In 1993, he was the only prominent Republican to support President Clinton's unsuccessful attempt to establish a national healthcare plan. Jefford's voting record and positions on environmental issues put further distance between himself and his Republican Party colleagues.

Jeffords consistently voted against the ban on partial-birth abortion, and also against a harsher line on Cuba. In 1995 he was one of only 16 Senators to vote against the Communications Decency Act. The Supreme Court later struck it down as unconstitutional. Jeffords highly advocated LGBT rights in the workplace. He sponsored The Employee Non Discrimination Act of 1995 (104th Congress), 1997 (105th Congress), and 1999 (106th Congress). Jeffords Non Discrimination bills did not include "gender identity." He was in the minority of Republicans to oppose the Flag Desecration Amendment.

Jeffords was one of the founders of the Congressional Solar Coalition and the Congressional Arts Caucus. Jeffords was frequently recognized for his performance as a legislator, receiving Parenting magazine's "Legislator of the Year" award in 1999, and the Sierra Club's highest commendation in 2002.


He also voted against the Iraq War. He called himself a moderate republican until he could call himself a republican no longer.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Jeffords

[MilesColtrane]

1. They call them Blue Dogs now.

[cali]

2. no they don't. blue dogs don't champion education and disability rights

or vote against wars.

[rhett o rick]

6. You beat me too it by a minute. nm

[rhett o rick]

3. No, they call them "old Democrats". Blue Dogs and New Democrats dont vote like that.

They vote almost straight Republican.

[DJ13]

5. No, Blue Dogs wouldnt fight a tax decrease

[Dawson Leery]

7. Blue Dogs hedge on civil rights/liberties and support unconstitutional censorhip,

as well as deficit spending and large scale military actions not vital to national security.

Jim Jeffords was none of those. He was more in line with moderate Democrats than the GOP and certainly the Blue Dogs.

[Zorra]

13. +1

[Jefferson23]

4. Gone with the wind. n/t

[OHdem10]

8. Moderate Republicans have been purged.

[Snoutport]

12. And the few remaining are under attack.

[rpannier]

9. Yes

They get elected mayor, city council and to school boards and that's about it

[UpInArms]

10. Jeffords was truly honorable man - I wish there were more in the Senate

just like him.

sigh

[Overseas]

11. K&R!

I didn't know about some of those amazing votes of his.

[Edweird]

14. Not any time soon - thank the 'triangulators' for that.

When you move right, those determined to remain
to the right of you must also move further right.
'Splitting the difference' then makes what was
previously insane RW nutbaggery become 'reasonable'

[bvar22]

15. Will we ever see a Democrat like this again?

”Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children."
---President Dwight Eisenhower

Oops.
My bad.

[cali]

17. huh? you do understand that Jim Jeffords was actually a republican

for the vast majority of his political career, right?

[handmade34]

16. Jeffords was (is) a good man

and he opened up the spot for Bernie...

I remember the days when I could respect a good number of Republicans (even if I disagreed with their politics). No longer.

Not in office but David Stockman is a decent Republican. Chuck Hegal was a decent Republican....