Michele Bachman asks, for Health Care vote, Quid Pro Quo?
From Eric Dondero:
The Democrat Congressman from Utah in the whirl of controversy, confirmed to the Deseret News this morning that he indeed met Obama at the White House, and the two talked briefly about the recent appointment of his brother to a prominent judgeship. Republican congressmen, Rightwing bloggers and even spokesmen for the Republican National Committee are calling for an investigation as to whether the brother of Rep. Jim Matheson was offered the post in return for a 'yea' vote on health care legislation. Rep. Matheson had previously been a 'nay' vote back in December. He's now hinting that he's "undecided."
From The Deseret News this morning:
The president, he said, did talk about his brother with him. "He said, 'Your brother is a real impressive candidate, and I'm proud to nominate him,'?" Matheson said.
On the very same day that Obama was meeting with Matheson, and nine other wavering Democrat legislators, the White House sent out this press release:
"Scott Matheson is a distinguished candidate for the Tenth Circuit court," President Obama said. Both his legal and academic credentials are impressive and his commitment to judicial integrity is unwavering. I am honored to nominate this lifelong Utahn to the federal bench."
Response from the RNC:
RNC spokeswoman Sara Sendek said in that e-mail, "Anyone can see that President Obama's White House soiree tonight with Jim Matheson is a blatant attempt to flip his vote on this government health care takeover."
On Neal Cavuto, Fox News libertarian-conservative Rep. Michele Bachmann asks:
"Are we buying a judgeship in exchange for a health care vote? The press release was issued and within hours the brother of the judge nominee was at the White House having his arm twisted... Think of it this way, if President Bush was in the White House today, and if President Bush had offered a judgeship to the brother of a Republican member of Congress who wouldn't give him a vote on a very crucial piece of legislation, and then brought him up to the White House to do some pressuring, don't you think that the Democrats would be out there calling for an independent investigation?"
Talks Moderate, Votes mostly Liberal
Also of note, the Matheson brothers are friends and political colleagues of former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman, a moderate Republican appointed by the Obama White House, as the US Ambassador to China.
Interestingly, Matheson was Huntsman's Democrat opponent for Governor in 2004. In a generally low-key race, Matheson garnered 41% of the vote. However, Gov. Huntsman than turned around and appointed Matheson to a key state energy post.
From The Weekly Standard:
While on public service leave from the University of Utah from 1993 to 1997, Matheson served as United States Attorney for the District of Utah. In 2007, he was appointed by Governor Jon Huntsman to chair the Utah Mine Safety Commission.
Additionally, some of Matheson's bio notes include a teaching stint at Harvard University in Constitutional Law in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Obama himself studied law at Harvard. Though, there are no indications that the two ever met.
The Matheson brothers are sons of the late Scott Milne Matheson, a giant in Utah politics, one of only two Democrats to serve as Governor of the State, from 1987 to 1995.
Rep. Matheson (photo 2nd from left) calls himself a Blue Dog Democrat. Being from Utah he is perceived as relatively moderate. However, his voting record reflects a more liberal bent. He often sides with the Democrat leadership on key legislation particularly in the environmental and energy areas. His American Conservative Union (ACU) score is a relatively low 36. In comparison, another Western State Democrat, Rep. Walt Minnick of Idaho, has an ACU rating of 58.
