Thaddeus McCotter

Thaddeus McCotter
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan's 11th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2003
Preceded by	Joe Knollenberg
Personal details
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Rita McCotter (1992-Present)
Children	George (1993), Timothy (1995), Emilia (1997)
Residence	Livonia, Michigan
Alma mater	University of Detroit
Occupation	Attorney

Thaddeus George "Thad" McCotter (born August 22, 1965) is the U.S. Representative to Michigan's 11th congressional district, serving since 2003. He is a member of the Republican Party.

Early life, education and career

McCotter was born in Livonia, Michigan and graduated from Detroit Catholic Central High School, Redford in 1983. His mother, Joan McCotter, was the City Clerk of Livonia, Michigan. He received a B.A. from the University of Detroit in 1987 and a J.D. from the same school in 1990.

McCotter had a private law practice before being elected to the Wayne County Commission in 1992. While on the Commission, he helped change the county charter to require that new taxes win the approval of two-thirds of the Commission and 60% of voters in order to be passed.

Michigan State Senate

McCotter was elected to the Michigan State Senate in 1998. As a State Senator, he helped apportion the U.S. Congressional district from which he was elected in 2002.

U.S. House of Representatives

Committee assignments

• Committee on Financial Services
  • Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance, and Government Sponsored Enterprises
  • Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity

Party leadership

• Chairman of the Republican House Policy Committee

Shortly before the midterm elections in November 2006, McCotter made a $250,000 contribution to the National Republican Congressional Committee. After the elections, when the Republicans had become the minority party in the House of Representatives, McCotter sought the Chairmanship of the House Republican Policy Committee. The other Republican seeking the post was Congressman Darrell Issa of southern California. In late 2006, McCotter was selected by the House Republican Caucus to head the Republican Policy Committee.

Political positions

McCotter is a member of both the moderate Republican Main Street Partnership and the conservative Republican Study Committee.

In May 2007, House Minority Leader John Boehner labeled a bill by House Democrats aimed at stopping energy price gouging "as pointless political pandering." McCotter and 55 other Republicans voted for the bill.

McCotter has been an avid supporter of the United States' involvement in the Iraq War. His continued support for the war has led to some community protest. Several groups have joined together under the banner of "Americans Against Escalation in Iraq" to pressure him into voting to end the war. On July 5, 2007, forty members of the community staged a press conference and a demonstration in front of the congressman's office. Organizers also promised to hold a three-day vigil called "Take a Stand Day" on August 28 in order to convince McCotter that his constituents wanted him to end the war and bring the troops home safely. In late fall 2007, opponents of McCotter hold weekly vigils outside of his Milford office in Oakland County to protest his consistent support of President George W. Bush's policies in Iraq.

On September 22, 2008, McCotter became the first Republican in the House of Representatives to oppose the Paulson bailout plan, calling it "American socialism." A week later, he and 132 other Republicans voted against the $700 billion bailout bill.

A July 24, 2009, press release from McCotter's House website states that McCotter will introduce a House Resolution on July 27, 2009, calling on President Obama to apologize to Sgt. James Crowley for his remarks about the latter's arresting Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. for disorderly conduct on July 16, 2009, if President Obama doesn't first issue an apology on his own.

On November 7, 2009, McCotter voted against the America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009, along with all but one of the other Republican Congressman. The bill passed 220-215.

Political campaigns

McCotter was elected in November 2002 to the 108th Congress. He was re-elected in the 2004 Congressional elections.

2006

McCotter did not have a primary opponent for the 2006 Republican primary. His opponent in the November 2006 general election was Democrat Tony Trupiano, a progressive radio talk show host from Dearborn Heights.

McCotter, Trupiano, Libertarian Party nominee John Tatar, and U.S. Taxpayers Party nominee Charles Tackett, met for the only time for a taped League of Women Voters forum in mid-October. At one point, the vocal crowd became so animated that the Forum moderator had to pause for some time before concluding the forum.

In radio and direct mail advertisements, McCotter attacked opponent Trupiano on the issue of illegal immigration. The advertisements included references to and images of aliens from outer space.

McCotter won re-election with 55% of the vote.

2008

See also: United States House of Representatives elections in Michigan, 2008

In November 2008, McCotter defeated Democrat Joseph Larkin, Green Party candidate Erik Shelley, and Libertarian John Tatar. McCotter won 51% of the vote to Larkin's 45%.

Personal life

McCotter is a Roman Catholic. He is married to the former Rita Michel, a nurse. They have three children.

McCotter was once in a band called the New Flying Squirrels.

Second Amendments

In December 2005, McCotter joined with several other Congressmen to form the Second Amendments, a bipartisan rock and country band set to play for United States troops stationed overseas over the holiday season. He plays lead guitar. In June 2006, the band played for President Bush's Picnic on the White House lawn, where Bush was quoted calling McCotter "That rock and roll dude."

Media appearances

Rep. McCotter is a frequent guest on the late-night Fox News Channel television show Red Eye w/ Greg Gutfeld. McCotter's appearances on the show come in the capacity of a panelist on the round-robin style talk show, which brings together a few guests (usually some combination of a comedian, a political commentator or analyst, a Fox News on-air personality, and/or a political figure like McCotter), along with host Greg Gutfeld and regulars Bill Schulz (a comedian) and Andy Levy (a commentator), to discuss and joke about topics in news, entertainment, politics, sports and gossip. Host Gutfeld was the former editor-in-chief of men's magazines Stuff and Maxim in the U.K.

On September 25, 2009, McCotter made another one of his frequent appearances on Gutfeld's show. The guests with whom Rep. McCotter discussed and joked about the topics of the day were shock jock Anthony Cumia of the radio talk show The Opie and Anthony Show and Fox News entertainment correspondent Jill Dobson, along with Gutfeld, Schultz, and Levy. Political blogger Andrew Breitbart and former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. John Bolton also made brief appearances for one segment each.

McCotter is also a regular guest on the Dennis Miller Radio Show, where the comedian-host refers to him as "young Thad" and frequently comments that he "likes the cut of [his] jib."

Quotations

• "We hear the hypocrites in this country say that Saddam was a bad man, but the United States should not have taken him from power. I ask them to say that to the Iraqi victims' faces. For those people who believe America is the greatest threat to peace in the world, I ask them never to show their faces in public again." (Congressional Record, July 22, 2004)

• "There's a lot of bald guys on that committee. It seems to be the official bald guys' spot. That's the only reason I got it." (Detroit Free Press, November 27, 2006)

• "Obviously we need to try to restore the image of the Republican Party; this quote-unquote 'branding' is more a message thing. In the end, you can call yourself whatever you want, but your deeds have to match your words. We need ideas." (Washington Post, June 1, 2007)

• "No good government denies God's presence." (Spoken in the House on November 7, 2007)

• "We will not walk out of this room after a forced vote waving a piece of paper in our hands claiming "fleeced in our time."" (September 25, 2008, commenting on the bail-out plan)

• "I would remind the president of the United States that he is not the leader of a party or an ideology. He is the leader of our country." "The most dangerous special interest is big government and president Obama is its lobbyist." "America's strength and salvation remains her free people, not a person." "We the people do not work for government. The government works for us." (House floor speech March 23,2010)

External links

• Congressman Thaddeus McCotter official U.S. House site
• Thaddeus McCotter for Congress official campaign site
• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
• Profile at Vote Smart
• Profile at SourceWatch
• Thaddeus McCotter on Twitter