Today's Worst Person: John Campbell (R-CA)

If you happen on the official congressional website of California Congressman John Campbell-- the one the taxpayers pay for-- you're notice he doesn't really keep it up. Under his "voting record," the last update was December 16, 2009. And there's a frontpage claim that the propaganda-oriented website, much mostly talks about how he's against everything, from healthcare to energy and environmental legislation, won a Bronze Mouse Award. “I have long made it a priority that my staff and I perform at the highest level of constituent service and outreach," bragged Campbell.  "My website serves as a vital conduit for this effort, and I, along with my staff will continue to work on improving it and other avenues of communication.” So why no update on the voting record since 2009?

Perhaps, and I'm only speculating, it's because he's embarrassed that someone representing a moderate, mainstream California district is voting so far to the right and that his 3.94 (out of 100) Progressive Punch score would be more suitable to some crackpot district in Texas or Mississippi than in the highly educated and culturally diverse Orange County suburbs.

Tuesday evening, for example, the House passed the Homebuyer Assistance and Improvement Act in order to extend the homebuyer tax credit for the purchase of a principal residence before October 1. It passed overwhelmingly with a bipartisan vote, 409-5. Even the GOP leadership, which usually obstructs just about everything, urged Republicans to vote YES. And 165 did, including some of the worst of the extremists like Michele Bachmann, Darrell Issa, Eric Cantor, even Joe Barton, the Texas crook who apologized to BP last week and was then caught laundering Big Oil cash into the campaigns of dozens of Republican candidates through his sleazy Texas Freedom Fund. (And, yes, Campbell took $2,500 from the Texas Freedom Fund and adamantly refuses to return it or donate it to an oil spill cleanup fund.) But 5 radicals dug in their heels and voted no-- and one was John Campbell.

Speaker Pelosi explained why the legislation is so important to helping to revitalize the American economy. “As a part of our efforts to strengthen America’s housing market, Democrats created the successful first-time homebuyer tax credit. With the help of this credit, more than 4 million families have been able to achieve the dream of homeownership, and in doing so, given a boost to our economy. 

“The legislation passed by the House today will extend the deadline for Americans already in the process of buying a home, but facing delays that would mean they no longer qualify for the credit. Up to 180,000 homebuyers will now receive the tax credit they deserve, and our housing market will be strengthened as a result.

“We will continue to work to strengthen our nation’s economy: creating good American jobs, providing the lowest taxes in 60 years for the middle class and small businesses, and closing tax loopholes that send jobs overseas.”

Makes sense, even to kooks like Mean Jean Schmidt, Virginia Foxx and Steve King. But not to John Campbell. No wonder he doesn't want anyone to see his current voting record on his "award-winning" website!

Blue America has endorsed City Councilmember and former Irvine Mayor Beth Krom and we reached her this morning. She pointed out that "Once again, John Campbell has voted against the interests of his own district by opposing the homebuyer tax credit."

Given that he and his family live in an exclusive gated estate community that overlooks a vast swath of open space, you would think he could muster a little sympathy for the thousands of people in his own district who stand to benefit from this tax credit. He doesn’t mind corporate welfare, but when it comes to the needs of working people in America, he couldn’t care less. He’s not just opposed to helping homebuyers, though. In a recent post on the Town Hall blog, he recommends eliminating funding for Amtrak, Community Development Block Grants, Public Broadcasting, National Endowment for the Arts, Energy Star and Title X Family Planning programs-- just to name a few. Compared to this guy, Marie Antoinette looks like a friend of the people. I don’t want to live in the kind of America that John Campbell represents. Corporations are not more important than people in our society. If we lose our ability to aspire for a better life, including the opportunity to own a home and realize the American dream, our future as a nation will look far worse than it does today.

Today's the last day of the campaign fundraising quarter and if you're thinking of donating to a campaign, let us suggestion you think about Beth's race against Campbell (who is, after all, awash in oily special interests money).