**UPDATE: Bill passes, Loretta says aye. Reeps are furious, but methinks she just secured her election with this one, contrary to what the Red County crowd may think…
As Congress gets ready to vote on one of the most sweeping changes to the nation's health-care system in decades, the big question last night in the political world was: where in the world is Loretta Sanchez?
A story posted late last night by the DC paper Roll Call noted the longtime OC congresswoman was nowhere to be seen Saturday as House Democrats worked feverishly to make sure they had enough votes to pass the bill. Sources told reporter Tory Newmyer that Sanchez was in Florida collecting money for her reelection campaign, but a Loretta aide denied that story and told the Orange County Register she was gone for personal reasons.
Who knows how Loretta will vote (Dem leaders were listing her as a “no”), but the disappearance and ambiguity is infuriating the progressive wing of the Democratic Party. Local blogger Adriana Maestas of Latino Politics Blog wrote, “I find it absolutely appalling that Congresswoman Sanchez was not at
work today, but I'm not entirely surprised,” while Robert Cruickshank of Calitics opined a no vote would be political suicide.
But the nastiest comment came from Daily Kos founder Markos Moulitsas.
Loretta Sanchez
might vote “no”? Is she really that stupid?
That's what we've been saying all these years…
