Four out of every five House members who didn't side with their party on the health care bill represent districts that voted for the opposite party's presidential nominee in the 2008 election.
The party-buckers on the 220-215 vote on Saturday night included 39 Democrats who voted against the bill. Of them, 31 represent districts that voted for John McCain over Barack Obama. Republicans are targeting many of them for defeat in the 2010 election. Of the other eight, three are serving their first terms in districts in which they defeated or succeeded Republicans in the 2008 election.
Eighteen Democrats from McCain-voting districts backed the bill. Among this subset, seven-term Rep. Marion Berry of Arkansas represents the most pro-McCain district (59 percent). He's more politically secure than other "McCain Democrats" who voted for the bill, including first-term Rep. Tom Perriello of Virginia and second-term Rep. Zack Space of Ohio.
The National Republican Congressional Committee blasted Perriello for his vote, issuing a press release that said "Tom Perriello's career was pronounced dead" after his vote. Perriello said that the bill would reduce federal deficits, is fair to rural hospitals and bans federal funding of abortion.
The lone "yes" Republican vote came from Anh "Joseph" Cao of Louisiana, whose New Orleans-based district gave Obama 75 percent of the vote last year. Cao was elected last year in large part because Democratic Rep. William J. Jefferson was under indictment on corruption charges, and he's opposed his party more frequently than any other House Republican.
Some members who opposed their party's consensus position still drew fire from the opposition party. Louisiana Democratic state Rep. Cedric Richmond, who is challenging Cao, criticized the congressman for voting earlier Saturday for a Republican-written alternative health care proposal that every Democrat voted against, as well as a Republican "motion to recommit" the Democratic bill back to committee. And the National Republican Congressional Committee accused Rep. Betsy Markey, who represents a conservative-leaning district in Colorado, of announcing her "no" vote only after it was clear Democrats had the votes to pass the bill.
Democrats from McCain-voting districts who voted "no" (31): Jason Altmire of Pennsylvania; John Boccieri of Ohio; Dan Boren of Oklahoma; Rick Boucher of Virginia; Allen Boyd of Florida; Bobby Bright of Alabama; Ben Chandler of Kentucky; Travis Childers of Mississippi; Lincoln Davis of Tennessee; Chet Edwards of Texas; Bart Gordon of Tennessee; Parker Griffith of Mississippi; Stephanie Herseth Sandlin of South Dakota; Tim Holden of Pennsylvania; Suzanne Kosmas of Florida; Frank Kratovil of Maryland; Betsy Markey of Colorado; Jim Marshall of Georgia; Eric Massa of New York; Jim Matheson of Utah; Mike McIntyre of North Carolina; Michael McMahon of New York; Charlie Melancon of Louisiana; Walt Minnick of Idaho; Collin Peterson of Minnesota; Mike Ross of Arkansas; Heath Shuler of North Carolina; Ike Skelton of Missouri; John Tanner of Tennessee; Gene Taylor of Mississippi; and Harry Teague of New Mexico.
Republicans from Obama-voting districts who voted "yes" (1): Anh "Joseph" Cao of Louisiana.
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