Rep. Steve Driehaus (R-Ohio) is a freshman Democrat in a pro-life district who voted for the health care bill and is up for re-election this November.
In other words: it’s not frosty to be Steve Driehaus right now.
Driehaus was part of Rep. Bart Stupak’s supposedly pro-life crowd, who changed his votes on the health care bill at the eleventh hour, ensuring its passage.
Image inspired Andrzej Breitbart
He is the first Democrat to represent the district in fourteen years, and he won the seat on the wave of Democratic victories associated with the election of President Barack Obama. Immediately after Driehaus’ vote, both National Right to Life and Ohio Right to Life downgraded Driehaus’s pro-life rating.
Equally essential is fiscal conservatism in the district, which Driehaus campaigned heavily for during his 2008 election. However, throughout his term, he consistently voted on financially irresponsible legislation such as caps and trade and stimulus packages. He is the original sponsor of the anti-market card check legislation and voted with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi 94% of the time.
Although internal polling is not available for Driehaus’ upcoming campaign, a Firedoglake/SurveyUSA poll conducted in early January showed him losing by as many as seventeen points to challenger Steve Chabot, a former Republican congressman whom Driehaus defeated in 2008.
Chabot is trying to regain his seat when November 2010 arrives.
“The overall environment is much more positive for us. Our enthusiasm is at its peak at this point,” said Jamie Schwartz, Chabot campaign manager. “We joked during the campaign that even though it’s only March, sometimes it feels like September.”
Driehaus’s situation is further complicated by the division of his district and district. Although his Ohio-1 district is almost evenly split between Republican and Democratic party affiliation, his district is solidly Republican. The media is eager to interview members of Driehaus’ church who believe he has sold out his pro-life views.
“He voted for the most pro-abortion legislation ever passed by Congress. We would not consider anyone who voted for such legislation to be pro-life,” said David O’Speen, executive director of National Right to Life. “In any case, his overall vote was 40% pro-life. That is why he voted against the pro-life side of Congress more than half the time.”
Another problem for Driehaus is the tea party in Cincinnati, which has mobilized solely around his health care vote. Several factions have organized rallies and protests against him, and these activities will only become more vigilant in the summer and fall.
Driehaus called such opponents of the health care bill “anti-reform” people who are responsible for a “campaign of disinformation, scare tactics, and obstructive legislative practices.”