Roby: Bright Promises on Pelosi Just “Empty Rhetoric”

MONTGOMERY—Martha Roby, Republican nominee for Alabama’s Second Congressional District, made the following comments today in response to Democrat Bobby Bright’s latest contortions regarding his support for Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House of Representatives:

“Actions speak louder than words, and Democrat Bobby Bright’s first act as a newly elected Congressman was to vote to empower San Francisco liberal Nancy Pelosi as the Speaker of the House, a vote he called a “no brainer.” In the two years since that vote, Speaker Pelosi has used her power to ram through a government takeover of health care, the stimulus bill, cap-and-tax, and billions of dollars of government spending and debt.

“Democrat Bobby Bright’s latest suggestion that he might vote for someone else for Speaker is just the latest contortion on this issue, coming only weeks after he said he had no regrets about his vote for Nancy Pelosi, and a month after he joked that she might “get sick and die” to avoid answering this very question. This latest statement is just empty rhetoric from a flailing campaign, aimed at avoiding the larger issue: Democrat Bobby Bright’s very presence as a Democrat in Congress keeps Pelosi in power. The simple truth is that Pelosi will remain as Speaker so long as Democrats have a majority in the House. A vote for Bright is a vote for Pelosi.

“The best way to unseat Nancy Pelosi is to elect a Republican majority in Congress, and that starts with the people of Alabama’s Second District sending a clear message to Washington: your policies of more spending, more debt, and more job-killing regulation don’t work. The people of this district deserve a representative who will fight for the conservative values that made America great, not someone who waffles around on the most important issues of the day. I’m going to Congress to fight for the Constitution, for limited government, and for free enterprise. And, unlike Democrat Bobby Bright, my first act in Congress will match my words, because I intend to vote for a Speaker that shares and understands these values.”

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Background

Just last week, Democrat Bobby Bright said he does not regret voting for Nancy Pelosi as Speaker:

“Bright said he doesn’t regret voting for Pelosi to be speaker…” (“National GOP targets fiscally conservative Southern Democrats for defeat,” by Deborah Berry, Montgomery Advertiser, 9/27/10)

Bright and other Democrats from conservative districts have been referred to as “majority makers” by Nancy Pelosi, indicating their importance to her majority:

“House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., called them her ‘majority makers’ – the moderate to conservative Democrats in right-leaning districts whose election in 2006 made her Speaker…And now many of them – and other Democrats in competitive districts -- are fighting for their political lives in a harsh environment and have found it necessary to distance themselves from their leaders and Democratic policies.” (“Some House Dems Run TV Ads Heralding Opposition to President Obama, Democratic Leaders and Their Policies,” by Jake Tapper, ABC News Political Punch Blog, 8/25/10)

While answering a question about his support for Nancy Pelosi, Bright suggested she “might get sick and die:”
“Blue Dog Dem Bobby Bright of Alabama has raised this to a new level, joking to constituents that Pelosi ‘might get sick and die’ before he has to support her again for Speaker, a local reporter tells me… ‘He had been asked a question from the audience about his support for Pelosi,’ Woodruff told me. ‘He said, ‘Let's wait until that comes up. He listed a long list of reasons why Pelosi might not run for Speaker of the House. The last one was, ‘heck, she might even get sick and die,’’ Woodruff told me.” (Reporter: Blue Dog Dem joked that Pelosi "might get sick and die"
The Washington Post “Plum Line,” by Greg Sargent, August 26, 2010, http://voices.washingtonpost.com/plum-line/2010/08/blue_dog_dem_jokes_that_pelosi.html)

The original report from the Montgomery Advertiser is here: http://southunionstreet.blogspot.com/2010/08/eggs-and-issues-brights-comments-about.html

Several weeks ago, Democrat Bobby Bright claimed his vote for Nancy Pelosi is not important because it’s “largely ceremonial:”

“Bright said the ad over­plays the importance of the speaker's role, which he called ‘largely ceremonial.’” (“Attack ads targeting Roby, Bright,” by Bob Johnson, AP, 9/14/10)

Nancy Pelosi has been referred to as “one of the most powerful Speakers in history:”

“Pelosi will be regarded as one of the most powerful Speakers in history, but her reign is in serious jeopardy.” (“Player of the Week: Nancy Pelosi,” by The Hill Editors, The Hill, 9/14/10)

Bright and other Democrats from conservative districts have been referred to as “majority makers” by Nancy Pelosi, indicating their importance to her majority:

“House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., called them her ‘majority makers’ – the moderate to conservative Democrats in right-leaning districts whose election in 2006 made her Speaker…And now many of them – and other Democrats in competitive districts -- are fighting for their political lives in a harsh environment and have found it necessary to distance themselves from their leaders and Democratic policies.” (“Some House Dems Run TV Ads Heralding Opposition to President Obama, Democratic Leaders and Their Policies,” by Jake Tapper, ABC News Political Punch Blog, 8/25/10)

Bright called his vote for Nancy Pelosi “a no brainer” because she had supported him in his 2008 campaign:

“Bright, the former mayor of Montgomery, said the vote was a ‘no-brainer.’ Democratic leadership, including Pelosi, helped support his congressional campaign, he said.” (“Bright Learning ropes in Washington,” by Amy Dominello, The Dothan Eagle, 1/10/09)

Since 2008, Bright has received over $25,000 in campaign contributions from Nancy Pelosi. (www.fec.gov)

Bright has voted with Nancy Pelosi and the Democrat Leadership 71% of the time. (Washington Post Database, http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/B001264/)