McKinley’s bill response isn’t really nonpartisan

In an email from the office of Rep. David McKinley’s office, one of the state’s three Republican congresspersons, was the headline: “McKinley Votes to Strengthen Postal Service, Stop Cuts.”

McKinley had voted in support of the Delivering for America Act.

Congress was called back last Saturday to vote on the bill appropriating $25 billion in additional funding and to stop proposed cuts to the service from new Postmaster General Louis Dejoy.

McKinley crossing the aisle to support the Democrat-sponsored bill is newsworthy and commendable, as is his support for the Postal Service which is under threat from the Trump Administration.

We agree that it was the right vote to cast.

“Since being elected to Congress I’ve consistently fought to protect the mission of the U.S. Postal Service and support the men and women who work there,” the release quotes.

There was a time that this would be the end of the story. But not now. Not in a political atmosphere that has seen any movement to the left bring verbal or tweetable punishment from President Donald Trump.

The release goes on with more. McKinley is quoted saying, “Supporting the mission of the Postal Service should not be a partisan issue. Unfortunately, Democrats have chosen to turn it into one.”

He goes on to point out President Obama’s plans to cut back services of the Postal Service during his tenure and adds that Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, “missed an opportunity to help struggling families and business. She should have used this opportunity to provide relief for families and small businesses, additional funding to schools and hospitals.”

The problem with this comment is that it was exactly what the Democrats did do back in May of this year, putting $25 billion into the $3 trillion aid bill that has been sitting all summer long with 400 other bills sent from the Democratic House of Representatives — bills Mitch McConnell will not allow to even be read by the Republican-controlled Senate.

This is what governing has come to in this country. You can vote your conscience, but make sure that if you are a Republican, you say something nasty about Obama — and throw in a barb at Pelosi — so you can let the MAGA-hat wearers know you’re still one of them.

Talk about making a bi-partisan vote partisan? A simple, ” I voted for the bill because it was the right thing to do,” would have sufficed.