Jim DeMint is a poor excuse for a senator

With our teabagger senator from South Carolina making a big fuss about unions while holding up a nomination for TSA's head post, I thought I would spell out just how much of a poor excuse Jim DeMint is as a representative of the people.

Our junior senator took office in 2005, replacing Democratic lawmaker Fritz Hollings. This was also during former president George W. Bush's second term. Let's look at how dismal it got.

DeMint voted largely against any Democrat who offered amendments up to bills. It was no use to try and help the people that were going to be screwed by this administration because the rank-and-file republicans like DeMint were prepared to shoot anything and everything down.

However, it can be noted that DeMint cares more about selling out the workers of the United States in favor of the corporations who would benefit from low regulated free trade, starting with his yea vote on S. 1307 in the 109th Congress.

In 2006, it seems he had a problem helping the people of this country by voting no on the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act. This bill had the following attached:

Appropriates $29.39 billion for hurricane relief and recovery efforts, including $10.78 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency; $5.2 billion for the Community Development Fund; $4.2 billion for flood control projects of the Civil Corps of Engineers; $1.49 billion for the Department of Transportation; $1.4 billion for the Department of Defense hurricane relief related activities; $1.25 billion for the Small Business Administration's Disaster Loans Program Account; $1.13 billion for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and $997.27 million for the Department of Veterans' Affairs.

He was among 21 republicans who decided helping Americans wasn't really important.

Helping farmers in 2007 was a no-no to DeMint as well. Hoping people who farm in South Carolina get the message: JIM DEMINT VOTES AGAINST YOU!

He voted against the Energy Act, SCHIP, Bridge Repair Funding, Appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies and so on.

People just didn't matter to DeMint. Then and now. And in his words. For more on DeMint and his pathetic record, visit here and here.

DeMint favors rewarding wealth. He punishes people who work. His stances favor and protect products of investment and inheritance while putting more responsibility on those who earn an income by working.

In layman's terms, DeMint and all the others like him want to eliminate taxes on the wealthy. The drones who protest at tea parties follow blindly. They also want to eliminate taxes on corporations and shift the burden more and more households.

We need leaders in this state and country who do not reduce tax revenue in favor of running up huge deficits to starve the "beast" as they say. The problems in this country didn't happen overnight and they surely didn't begin when Obama took office. Recently, state senator Glenn McConnell was heard on television saying republican legislators know the burden they face - they caused it - but will not raise taxes. Their answer? Cut government. And they are succeeding while hundreds of thousands in the state suffer.

I ask that people in South Carolina take a long, hard look at this person who calls himself a senator. In my book, he is far from it.

I also ask that people get involved in their state politics and help prevent something far worse than they've ever seen. More republican domination is not the answer.