There are centrists and moderates who are starting to believe the bipartisan campaigning of Congresswoman Murphy was a ruse, and her Congressional record is showing it.
By Sean David Hartman
Has anyone else been noticing the bipartisan bills Congresswoman Murphy has suddenly been touting on social media?
The most recent legislation being promoted by the one-term Winter Park Congresswoman is the bipartisan Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act. The legislation, primarily sponsored by Congressman David Valadao (R-CA), will assist with many soldiers who were harmed by Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. This is a bipartisan bill which, when proposed by Congressman Valadao, had two Republicans and two Democrats co-sponsoring, followed by almost 50 new cosponsors by the following day.
The bill itself had a total of 330 cosponsors, enough to single-handedly push the bill on its own merit. Yet in her tweet, Congresswoman Murphy bragged about how she led a measure with Congressman Bruce Westerman (R-SC) to allot funding for children of veterans exposed to the government-sponsored poison while in Thailand.
Congresswoman Murphy has been pouncing on the bipartisan train over the past few months, hoping to win over the centrists who helped vote her in office in 2016.
But this political strategy should be seen as what it is—a political ploy, seeking to shield her far more partisan record.
Take this Agent Orange bill. The bill had hundreds of cosponsors, many who showed up to cosponsor within 48 hours of its proposal. So, when did the bipartisan Congresswoman Murphy cosponsor this bill? Why, she cosponsored it all but two months after dozens of her Democratic colleagues joined in!
These cosponsors were not all moderate members either. Michigan Congressman Dan Kildee, seen by some as politically progressive, was one of those first-day cosponsors, as well as other left-wing Congressmembers such as Robin Kelly (D-IL), Bobby Rush (D-IL), Jim Langevin (D-RI), and Lois Frankel (D-FL).
Even Congressman Keith Ellison (D-MN), who politics borders on socialism, cosponsored long before Congresswoman Murphy.
So how could a far-left social democrat like Congressman Ellison sign on to this reasonable bipartisan legislation long before the alleged “bipartisan” Congresswoman Murphy, herself a victim of the atrocities of the Vietnam War, cosponsor it? Could it be that she is not as bipartisan as she makes herself out to be?
It seems like Congresswoman Murphy only plays bipartisan during the elections, just to keep her post.
“Everybody’s tired of the broken promises and incompetence of the permanent political class in Washington,” said Sanford Republican Scott Sturgill, who is running to replace Congresswoman Murphy. “Public service should be a temporary calling, not a long-term career.”
There are centrists and moderates who are starting to believe the bipartisan campaigning of Congresswoman Murphy was a ruse, and her Congressional record is showing it. After stating she would buck the party establishment, she cast her first public vote for a Pelosi Speakership, despite Leader Pelosi being the exemplar of the Democratic Establishment.
And when asked if she voted for Leader Pelosi when challenged by the younger, solutions-driven Congressman Tim Murphy (D-OH), Congresswoman Murphy refused to reveal who she voted for in that secret ballot, with many speculating she voted for the Establishment politician over the blue-collar moderate.
If Congresswoman Murphy truly wished to challenge the party line, she would have not only voted against Leader Pelosi both times but would have proudly and openly campaigned for Congressman Murphy.
One of her Republican opponents, Orlando State Representative Mike Miller, feels that this is because Leader Pelosi helped Murphy win in 2016 and will do so again in 2018.
“Stephanie Murphy knows that Nancy Pelosi had pledged to protect her,” Representative Miller told the Central Florida Post. “[She] already bought nearly $2 million in TV time for her re-election campaign, so when Pelosi needs a vote, Stephanie Murphy delivers for Nancy Pelosi.”
Despite running as a fiscal conservative, Congresswoman Murphy continued to vote with Democrats against fiscally conservative bills such as the GOP Tax Plan. She moved farther left on economic issues while taking a more neoconservative foreign policy, interjecting her voice in issues of national security and foreign policy, particularly regarding North Korea.
It is questionable if playing the centrist card will even help her get out of the Primary. Richardson is seen by some political operatives as a dark horse. But with Congressman Joe Crowley (D-NY), the Establishment Democrat, being soundly defeated by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a proud socialist, it is not far off to say it is a good omen for Richardson. Richardson has also been endorsed by many of the same organizations Ocasio-Cortez has been endorsed by, including Justice Democrats.
He was even endorsed by Ocasio-Cortez this morning, according to a press release from the campaign.
But it appears that Congresswoman Murphy does not see Richardson as a political threat, focusing instead on appealing to centrists, Independents, and Main Street Republicans by pronouncing her bipartisanship over her liberal record.
And she is hoping that centrists won’t notice.
“She hopes Central Floridians aren’t paying attention,” said Representative Miller, “but we are.”
