Politics

Former GOP Rep. Ray LaHood bashes ‘do nothing’ Republicans in Congress

Steven Nelson Associate Editor
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Former Republican Congressman Ray LaHood, currently Secretary of Transportation — and the only Republican in the Obama administration, bashed members of his party in an interview given to Eleanor Clift of The Daily Beast.

LaHood said that the freshmen class of “tea party” congressmen prioritizes defeating President Obama over creating jobs. “The crowd that was elected the last time not only came here to do nothing, they also came to put down the president,” he said.

“And the way to put him down is not to give him any kind of opportunity to be successful,” LaHood said. “Republicans made a decision right after the election — don’t give Obama any victories. The heck with putting people to work, because we can score points.”

LaHood was first elected to Congress in 1994 as a member of the most significant Republican wave preceding the 2010 election.

The class of ’94, LaHood said, “didn’t come here to do nothing. They came here to vote on things, to make change for the positive… That’s not the fact with this crowd.”

LaHood served as a congressman from Illinois between 1995 to 2009. His former congressional district is currently represented by Republican Rep. Aaron Schock.

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