Republicans are hammering Democrats for what they say is hypocrisy in their efforts to challenge Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks’s (R-Iowa) victory over Democrat Rita Hart in the state’s 2nd Congressional District. GOP figures from strategist Karl Rove to House GOP Chairwoman Liz Cheney (Wyo.), as well as the top Republicans in the House and Senate, voiced their support for Miller-Meeks, arguing that Democrats were unjustified trying to overturn the results after a recount. Democrats, on the other hand, say they are confident that Hart’s request for the House to investigate the results of the election will be handled properly by the House Administration Committee.
Republican congressmen angrily walked out of the House chamber Wednesday after the Democratic-controlled House voted largely along party lines to award Indiana’s 8th Congressional District seat to Democratic incumbent Frank McCloskey over his Republican rival, Richard D. McIntyre. The House action, by a vote of 236 to 190, climaxed four months of bitter wrangling between Democrats and Republicans that had brought legislative business to a halt for the last week. All 236 votes for McCloskey were from Democrats, but 10 Democrats joined 180 Republicans in voting against him. Republicans accused their opponents of “abuse of power” and “legislative tyranny” in seating McCloskey, who had been declared the loser last year by 418 votes on the basis of a state-certified recount.