Upton goes through the motions

Beltway Confidential spins for the RINO:

Upton flip-flops on the light bulb ban

Three bills have been introduced on the national level to repeal the ban on incandescent light bulbs in Congress’s 2007 energy bill.  That bill was co-sponsored by Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich., now the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.  Upton has now become the law's worst foe...

Suuure he has...

The Michigan View reports:

House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton, R-Mich., has finally agreed to support a bill this summer that means lights out on the looming 2012 ban on the common light bulb.  Upton himself co-sponsored 2007 legislation making light bulbs illegal, a ban that has become a symbol of bipartisan Big Government run amok.

Upton has come under increased pressure in recent weeks, sources say, after failing to follow up on a promise he made after assuming the committee chairmanship that he would hold hearings on reversing the ban.  After months of paralysis - and with the ban just six months from going into effect on January 1 - outrage was building among his own Republican committee colleagues and conservative activists...

Sooo... Beltway doesn’t get it: "Finally” agreed.  "Failing to follow up” on a promise (that he never intended to keep).  Doesn’t sound like someone who is "the ban’s worst foe” to me.  And if we read the rest of the View’s post (the part BC didn’t quote), we find that:

...Upton [initially] scheduled hearings ... featuring rent-seeking corporate fat cats that stood to benefit from the ban...

Which was the last straw for some members.

...Anger boiled over and the chairman agreed not only to cancel the hearings but to bring up a bill repealing the ban.

...after being dragged kicking and screaming.  But still laying traps:

The View’s source says that the bill will likely be brought up under "suspension,” which means no amendments will be allowed and passage requires a two-thirds majority.

Making it harder for anything to pass, while leaving Upton saying, "Hey, I sent it to the floor. I allowed a vote. Just too bad that it couldn’t make it.”

Just remember, RINOs, it’s all about results, not excuses.  And until we see an actual repeal pass the House, Upton’s no hero, he’s just another weasel.

Previously:
Via: Glenn Reynolds (in this case displaying a distressing naïveté about how Congress does things.)

Posted by: Old Grouch in In Passing at 16:34:21 GMT | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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