 |
| Photo: Courtesy of Getty Images |
Marcy Kaptur (OH-D) is by far, my favorite Democrat in the United States House of Representatives. As the longest serving woman in the House, and the fourth longest serving woman in the entire congress, Marcy Kaptur has written the playbook on straddling party lines and being a champion of the people. As a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Kaptur has surprisingly been a moderate voice in within the nations largest Congressional Democratic Caucus. With moderate conservative votes on abortion, stem cell research, fiscal, and military policy, Kaptur has truly created a unique niche for herself in the direct middle of the American political spectrum and by doing so has allowed her to always be a reliable voice for the people in a city that seems to routinely forget they are beholden to anyone.
Capitalism: A Love Story
My personal, political love affair with Marcy Kaptur began in the unlikeliest of ways. Filmmaker Michael Moore's 2009 documentary, Capitalism: A Love Story, introduced me to this wonderful woman and I have been hooked since. She easily captivated me in the film when during an interview she not only denounced George W. Bush for his proposed Financial Bailout Bill, but also criticized the House Democratic Leadership for seemingly force feeding a horrible bill to the American people. Not only did her valiant efforts pay off initially with the failure of the bill on the first vote (although it was later passed in a secondary vote), she succeeded in endearing herself to me when she told the people of America who had lost their homes due to unfair lending and loaning practices, to become a squatter in their own home. This woman has guts, and for that I will respect her forever.
However, this quiet affection soon began to blossom into something much more when I did my own research on this wonderful lady. I found her stances on issues like abortion, stem cell research, and free trade agreements incredibly refreshing. In fact, she was the only member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus to vote against funding for stem cell research, and she has since support the Stupak-Pitts Amendment which would cease all federal funding of abortions except in cases of rape, incest, or danger to the mother's life. The sheer realism that seems to pervade this woman and her policies astound me, yet even more shocking is that most people in the United States do not even know she exists.
Marcy Kaptur is also a staunch proponent of war spending and has consistently supported military funding bills. her devotion to those who serve our nation, both past and present, became extremely apparent when she pushed for the creation of the National World War II monument. Initially authoring the bill in 1987, the bill was never put into policy until its second passage of Congress which occurred in 1993.
Perhaps her most recent, and should be her most celebrated, position has come in her opposition to the bailouts pushed through Congress because of the financial crisis. She even went so far as to call out Wall Street, saying:"You have perpetuated the greatest financial crimes on this American Republic. You think you can get by with it because you are extraordinarily wealthy, and the largest contributors to both presidential and congressional campaigns in both major parties." Later she even told the people of America to become squatters in their own homes instead of leaving due to evictions because of the faulty mortgage system.
My Favorite Democrat
Marcy Kaptur is not only my favorite Democrat on the hill, but she is one of my most favorite and influential people in my own political perspective. She is a moderate through and through who is not afraid to stand for what is right, even if the opposition is a fierce flood. Kaptur is a legislative rock and because of that is a true hero. She is a pillar of smart legislation and a beacon of truth in a city where truth has lost all meaning. Marcy Kaptur is similar to Jan Brewer and a few other brave and courageous politicians who truly know what it means to be an elected official, and because of that, is someone everyone should know.
Later,
Cody
No comments:
Post a Comment