Washington Times profiles Ike Skelton

In the wake of a column by Steve Kraske of the Kansas City Star which described Fourth District Congressman Ike Skelton's health care vote as some kind of cowardly political move, the Washington Times ran an article this morning which more accurately describes Skelton as a "Harry Truman Democrat.":

But representing the sentiments of his district has often put him at odds with the positions pushed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other senior Democrats. He supported an amendment offered by a fellow pro-life Democrat to tighten federal rules on funding abortions, but in the end voted against the health care reform bill that passed on a razor-thin 220-215 tally earlier this month.

"While the legislation on the House floor tonight was a vast improvement over earlier versions," he said after the vote, "…I am not convinced that the legislation represented the best policy choice for the American people."

He said he had doubts about the so-called "public" insurance option — a favorite idea of the party's liberal wing — and about the impact the House bill would have on funding for hospitals in more rural areas such as his district.