Shreveport Times
By Mike Hasten
March 16, 2010

“As the House Budget Committee moved Monday to approve a shell of a health care bill to the full House, the political arms of the state and national Republican Party renewed their criticism of Democratic U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon for resigning his post on the budget panel…

National Republican Senatorial Committee spokeswoman Amber Marchand called Melancon’s decision ‘political cowardice’ and said he didn’t want to make the tough vote on whether to advance health care to the House floor.

‘If Melancon still sat on that committee, he could show the bipartisanship he claims to espouse by standing up to (Speaker of the House Nancy) Pelosi and (President Barack) Obama and voting against sending the bill to the floor,’ State Republican Party Chairman Roger Villere Jr. said. ‘Instead, Melancon’s mysterious departure allowed Pelosi to replace him with Dennis Moore (D-Kan.) who voted for Obama’s health care plan last November.’…

‘Melancon claims that he’s working for Louisianans as a ‘moderate’ in Congress, but his decision to step down from the Budget Committee instead of taking tough votes on the divisive health care reconciliation today demonstrates political cowardice — not political independence,’ Marchand said Monday in a news release…”

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