My Congress Waffle

My congresswoman, Ann Kirkpatrick, is a really nice person. I mean that; I've talked with her many times, and she's always warm and genuine. That said, she's also rather useless. Some "highlights" from her town hall in Holbrook (which I didn't attend):

A crowd of about 150 was relatively subdued Thursday night as U.S. Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, D-Flagstaff, took questions on health care reform at a Holbrook high school.

Questions about cost remained among the top issues, both for the crowd and for Kirkpatrick, who said she didn't know the proposed cost, but that she couldn't support a proposal that would increase the national debt or add taxes on small businesses.

"Cost is a big concern of mine and we don't have a complete answer," Kirkpatrick said.

In questions after, she declined to give any measures she might support to fund better health care for veterans and children -- two changes she said she wanted.

Kirkpatrick responded that she was "skeptical of government"

-- What about a government-provided insurance option?

Kirkpatrick: She supports it. "It appears that what we need is some sort of baseline and standard to control costs."

Kirkpatrick: Yes. "I think that people should be able to go to the doctor if they want to. What do you think?"

Mostly, Kirkpatrick stuck to some of the same points she made in a telephone conference with the public last month: People with pre-existing conditions should be covered, the reformed health system should be "uniquely American," fraud and abuse in Medicare should be eliminated and there should be no time limit for passing legislation.

"We may not always agree on everything," she said, "but at least you'll know where I stand."

http://www.azdailysun.com/articles/2009/09/04/news/20090904_front_203083.txt

(emphasis mine)
Yes, Ann, I guess we do know where you stand. You support the "marshmallow" plan. And you like puppies.
Here's my basic problem with Ann: she doesn't have a strong position on anything. On health care, she's a typical wishy-washy Democrat, unwilling to fight for real reform. She'll support the "vaguely positive", as long as she doesn't offend anybody by doing so.
Don't get me wrong; she's a big improvement over the corrupt and evil Rick Renzi, who she replaced. But she is a clear example of what is wrong with our Democrats in congress.