By Jim Stanford on November 13, 2007
The tributes to outgoing U.S. Rep. Barbara Cubin, R-Wyo., keep pouring in.
So we’ll keep piling on.
Here, from readers in Casper and Cheyenne, is a compilation of more of Cubin’s greatest hits, annotated where applicable.
From an excellent article in Slate, 4/15/03:
Victoria’s Secret
Cubin once startled a group of GOP donors during a speech on energy policy by interjecting, “I know what Victoria’s Secret is. She’s a slut.”
Bending Over
During the Florida presidential recount in 2000, Cubin complained at a Republican leadership meeting, “We are bending over and taking it from the Democrats.”
(When a colleague objected to her language, she replied, “Quiet down, or you’ll get a spanking.”)
Penis Cookies
Cubin’s most notorious gaffe (before racially charged statement in gun debate) was the incident of the penis-shaped cookies (in 1993), wherein Cubin distributed (but did not, she insisted to Roll Call, bake) cookies in the shape of penises to several male colleagues in the Wyoming Legislature.
Welfare Recipients are Animals
During the 1995 welfare reform debate, arguing the uncontroversial point that welfare creates dependency, Cubin found herself comparing welfare recipients to pen-reared wolves: “Just like with any animal of the species,” she said, “when you take away their freedom, they can’t provide for themselves.”
Cubin Posts Pics of Legislators’ Crotches
(Casper Star-Tribune, 10/29/04)
When Barbara Cubin was in the Wyoming Legislature, she took photos of male legislators’ crotches and posted them on the glass wall between the House chambers and the lobby in the state Capitol building.
2001 Cubin story of the year:
Cubin’s Attendance Record Consistently Among Worst in Nation
(Sheridan Media, KROE radio September 2004 archive)
In 2001, Cubin’s 60 percent voting record was the lowest in Congress. In 2002 and 2003, Cubin’s voting participation numbers were 87 and 81 percent, respectively.
2002 Cubin story of the year:
Cubin, Stuck in Traffic, Misses Vote on Martin’s Cove, Wyo., Bill
(Various sources, pretty much all available from AP)
On June 17, 2002, the House passed legislation sponsored by Rep. Jim Hansen (R-Utah), who is a Mormon, to sell the LDS church a 940-acre tract of land in Wyoming known as Martin’s Cove. … Wyoming’s lone House representative, Barbara Cubin (R), opposed the bill, but later told reporters she was stuck in traffic when the vote was held.
2003 Cubin story of the year:
Cubin Makes Bizarre Racial Argument During Gun Debate
Casper Star-Tribune, 4/10/03
Wyoming Rep. Barbara Cubin was involved in a racially charged argument on the floor of the House of Representatives on Wednesday (4/9/03) after asking if an amendment that would have prohibited gun sales to drug dealers would affect sales to all blacks. The House was debating a bill that would give manufacturers and sellers of guns and ammunition immunity from some civil lawsuits. The Republican lawmaker was arguing against an amendment that would have permitted lawsuits against a store owner who sells a gun to a drug dealer.
“My sons are 25 and 30,” Cubin said. “They are blond haired and blue eyed. One amendment today said we could not sell guns to anybody under drug treatment. So does that mean that if you go into a black community, you cannot sell a gun to any black person? Or does that mean because my … .”
Cubin said later that because Democratic Rep. Melvin Watt of North Carolina, who is black, interrupted her at that point, the meaning of her statement was distorted. “The point I was trying to make was that because my sons look like the Columbine [High School] killers should they be prevented from buying guns, and just because some black people sell drugs should all black people be prevented from buying guns?” Cubin said. “If I had not been interrupted it would have been clear.”
2006 Cubin story of the year:
Cubin ‘Accidentally’ Signs Land Sell-Off Bill She Claims Not to Support
Casper Star-Tribune, 1/11/06
U.S. Rep. Barbara Cubin, R-Wyo., said Tuesday (1/10/06) that in a shuffle of paperwork she accidentally might have signed a document that listed her as cosponsor of a bill that would sell off millions of acres of public lands in the West to raise money for hurricane relief. The bill would require the federal government to quickly sell off 15 percent of national forest lands and 15 percent of lands managed by Interior Department agencies, except national parks, to raise funds for Hurricane Katrina and other disaster relief.
On Monday, Cubin said she was mistakenly listed as a cosponsor, but it had been unclear how her name came to be on the bill. Although she had discussed the bill with its author, U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., Cubin decided it was a bad idea and had no intention of cosponsoring it, her spokesman said. “If [her signature is there], we can only surmise that what happened is the wrong piece of paper got signed at a weekly members’ lunch meeting when a number of bills and letters get passed around to sign while speakers are giving their presentations,” Cubin spokesman Joe Milczewski said.
Cubin Breaks Term Limits Pledge
(AP, 4/6/06)
Cubin pledged to limit herself to six terms in April 1999, when she was four months into her third, two-year term. And in April 2000, Cubin said she “will not serve more than 12 years.” But now, Cubin’s staff is mum on whether she intends to abide by those earlier statements. Tom Wiblemo, Cubin’s chief of staff, issued a written statement on the issue this week. “Mrs. Cubin has stated in the past, and the record shows, that she would abide by the term limit laws set forth for the Wyoming State Legislature, even though she was not legally bound by those laws,” Wiblemo stated. “However, those laws were later declared unconstitutional, and therefore there are no term limits for the Wyoming State Legislature.” … But asked about Cubin’s specific 12-year statement in 2000, Wiblemo declined to add to his statement.
Cubin Vows to Keep DeLay’s Dirty Money
(Wyoming Tribune-Eagle, 4/6/06)
Cubin has not changed her mind about keeping money donated to her by political action committees with ties to U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Texas. Late Monday, the Texas congressman announced he was quitting his re-election campaign and would give up his congressional seat later this year. DeLay held the No. 2 position in the U.S. House of Representatives when he was indicted in September by a Texas grand jury on charges that he broke the state’s election law. He later gave up that leadership position. At the time of his indictment, Barbara Cubin declined to give up the money. Over a period of several years, Cubin has accepted $22,250 from political action committees with ties to DeLay.
Cubin Trashes Contributions from East Coast …
(Casper Star-Tribune, 7/16/06)
U.S. Rep. Barbara Cubin’s re-election campaign bared its teeth Friday after a quarterly fund-raising report revealed that Democratic challenger Gary Trauner raised slightly more than the GOP incumbent. Cubin campaign spokesman Eric Cullen issued a news release criticizing the source of Trauner’s campaign dollars — such as his “East Coast friends” and political action committees whose values, Cullen said, don’t jibe with Wyoming’s.
“A quick glance through [Trauner's] campaign receipts reveals him as what he is: a Democrat anything but palatable to Wyoming voters,” Cullen said. … “Quite frankly, Casper is never going to outspend Manhattan,” Cullen said, referring to Trauner’s connections to New York City, where he went to college.
… Which is Where Most of Her Money Comes From
(Information compiled from the FEC Web site)
For the record, fund-raising figures: From April through June, Barbara Cubin received $99,754 from political action committees (PACs) — mostly based in or near Washington, D.C., and all from out of state — and another $8,000 from East Coast individuals, making the “East Coast Pipeline” responsible for 73 percent of her fund-raising. In that time, Gary Trauner received $35,500 from PACs and $30,245 from East Coast individuals, making the “East Coast Pipeline” responsible for only 39 percent of his fund-raising.
Meanwhile, Trauner got 56 percent of his money from individual Wyoming donors, far surpassing Cubin as the true candidate of Wyoming’s people.
Cubin’s Influence Minimal, Despite Seniority
(Congress.org rankings, reported in various Wyoming publications)
Cubin ranks 312th in influence among all U.S. House members, which places her in the 27th percentile of Republican House members, despite the fact that she has been in the House for 12 years.
Cubin Threatens to Slap Wheelchair-Bound Opponent
(Wikipedia)
On Oct. 22, 2006, after a televised debate with Democratic candidate Gary Trauner and Libertarian candidate Thomas Rankin, Cubin approached Rankin, who has multiple sclerosis and is a wheelchair user. Rankin states that Cubin said, “If you weren’t sitting in that chair, I’d slap you across the face.” … [Rankin] accuses Cubin of a slur against people with disabilities.
Posted under barbara cubin, politics, republican party
