I would like to thank Representative Collin Peterson for renewing my faith in him.  I have had a few bad days because I hate being wrong.  Peterson and I have always disagreed on issues over the years.  Oh.....the many, many issues. 

For those not in the western part of the state Collin Peterson is a populist politician who is a Democrat.  He often sides with Republican's to the dismay of liberals within his party.  In fact, Democrats on the far left despise him.  They call him "The Original Lieberman".  

On the political right he fits in oddly with Republicans and was seriously considered for a high level position in the Bush Administration because it was figured a Republican would be competitive in picking up the seat.  Needless to say Peterson is a unique political persona. 

After the stimulus vote Republican's from outside the district, as well as, the conservative democrats in my area started to forward me the roll call vote and articles showing that Representative Collin Peterson got it right.  Next, I logged onto my daily reads over at SCSU Scholars and read King's article about how Collin could pick up his award for such a stand.

I will admit, with great personal anguish, I started to write a post giving Peterson credit for voting against the bill.  I knew something was not right, yet, maybe I was being to partisan.  Then my faith was restored.  I read the local papers inside our district as they started to report on Peterson's reasoning.

A budget hawk, Peterson said he could support spending for infrastructure improvements such as roads and bridges, and locks and dams, but not for tax cuts that only add to the federal deficit.

 

“I just could not get there — I could not borrow money to give people tax cuts,” said Peterson. “We have a $2.2 trillion backlog in infrastructure. If they had put that $800 billion into infrastructure, into unemployment insurance, gave people health care who lost their jobs, and into food stamps, I would have borrowed the money and done that.”

 

In an interview, Peterson said voting against the bill sided with his philosophy as a conservative Blue Dog, not raising the budget without offsetting cuts or revenues.

Source: Bemidji Pioneer

We know that Representative Peterson would support a $2.2 trillion dollar package ranging from infrastructure to food stamps.  Just not tax cuts for individuals and businesses.  He then went on to argue about how the deficit is out of control.  The populist Peterson is back in true form and for that I thank him.

He has restored my faith in politics by showing a politician can get it right for all of the wrong reasons.  Stay tuned!! 

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