Yesterday’s testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee was a cathartic moment after weeks of hate and invective aimed at Trump Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. The nominee’s righteous indignation aimed at the committee members was something to behold. He was angry, and I’m not sure how anyone not blinkered by partisanship could conclude that the…
Senator Heidi Heitkamp Flip Flops on Judicial Filibusters
North Dakota Senator Heidi Heitkamp likes to make a big to-do over being a pragmatic sort of elected leader with an eye towards cooperative governing and bipartisanship. A cynic might say that carefully maintained facade is the work of a skilled politician who knows what sort of character she must play to get elected. And…
How Heidi Heitkamp's Vote On Filibusters Just Enabled The War On Coal
Some pretty ugly news for coal states like North Dakota today coming out of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. A panel of judges has refused to block the Clean Power Plan – an emissions reduction plan that North Dakota officials have said would be devastating for the state – while a group of 27 states…
Heitkamp Votes For Two More Filibusters, Cramer Asks "When Are The Adults Going To take Control Over There?
On her still-active 2012 campaign website Heidi Heitkamp said there are “too many extreme politicians in Washington” who hold the country “hostage to advance their narrow political agenda.” Heitkamp’s comments were aimed at the filibuster, pledged to reform during her campaign and voted to obliterate while a member of the Senate majority in 2013 and 2014. Yet, again…
Forget The Iran Vote, Can Heidi Heitkamp Explain Her Filibuster Hypocrisy?
Since casting a vote to defend President Barack Obama’s controversial deal with Iran Senator Heidi Heitkamp has been acknowledging the political ramifications. “It’s going to impact any campaign,” Heitkamp admitted to Bismarck Tribune reporter Nick Smith. “We’ve got to be able to defend those decisions.” But Heitkamp’s vote to support the Iran deal isn’t the…
Heidi Heitkamp Doesn't Mind Taking Political Hostages After All
If there was a theme to Senator Heidi Heitkamp’s 2012 campaign to the U.S. Senate it was the idea that she is a pragmatic leader who would help cut through obstruction in Washington D.C. to get things done. On her still-active campaign website Heitkamp said there are “too many extreme politicians in Washington” who hold…
Hypocrite Heitkamp Suddenly Against "Divisive, Unrelated Provisions" In Bills
Senator Heidi Heitkamp likes to say things, but she often doesn’t mean them. Like opposing the filibuster, for instance. When Heitkamp was campaigning to join the Democrat majority in the Senate she pledged to gut the filibuster. Acting as a member of the majority, she did vote to gut the filibuster for judicial confirmation votes.…
After Voting For Five Filibusters, Senator Heidi Heitkamp Lectures About Compromise
My newspaper column this week (read it in the Minot Daily News or on Watchdog.org) deals with Senator Heidi Heitkamp’s strange approach to bipartisanship and compromise. After campaigning against obstructionism and filibusters, and posturing herself as a centrist, Heitkamp voted no fewer than five times to filibuster even beginning debate on a House bill to…
Noted Filibuster Critic Heidi Heitkamp Votes For Filibuster For The Fifth Time
If there was a theme to Senator Heidi Heitkamp’s 2012 campaign to the U.S. Senate it was the idea that she is a pragmatic leader who would help cut through obstruction in Washington D.C. to get things done. On her still-active campaign website Heitkamp said there are “too many extreme politicians in Washington” who hold…
Heidi Heitkamp's Choice: Honor Campaign Promises Or Continue To Be A Hypocrite
If there was a theme to Senator Heidi Heitkamp’s 2012 campaign to the U.S. Senate (outside of running as far away from Barack Obama as she could) it was the idea that she is a pragmatic leader who would help cut through obstruction to get things done. On her still-active campaign website Heitkamp said there…