A Simple Fact: He's not in the Center.

Check out the DNC post "By the Numbers: Cheney Stumps for Rubberstamp Ray":

With Vice President Cheney set to arrive in Utica this evening to headline a special interest fundraiser for State Senator and Republican Congressional Candidate Ray Meier, the Democratic National Committee issued the following "By the Numbers" fact sheet on the Vice President's visit to Upstate New York.

...

Roll Call of Bush Rubberstamps in New York's Congressional Delegation: New York already has eight Congressional Republicans who have put rubberstamping President Bush's failed leadership ahead of the people of New York. Do they really need another? * Representative Peter King has voted with President Bush 85% of the time. * Representative Vito Fossella has voted with President Bush 89% of the time. * Representative Sue Kelly has voted with President Bush 75% of the time. * Representative John Sweeney has voted with President Bush 80% of the time. * Representative John McHugh has voted with President Bush 82% of the time. * Representative Jim Walsh has voted with President Bush 88% of the time. * Representative Tom Reynolds has voted with President Bush 91% of the time. * Representative 'Randy' Kuhl has voted with President Bush 85% of the time.

What their record has meant for New York

In exchange for rubberstamping the President's failed leadership and misplaced priorities, what have these Bush Republicans brought home for the people of New York?

* Over 175,900 manufacturing jobs have been lost in New York and family income has actually dropped by $28 since 2000. [BLS, 5/06; CPS, 10/05] * The average price of a gallon of gas has increased to $2.966 in the Utica-Rome region, up $.54 In the last year alone. [www.fuelgaugereport.com, 7/14/06] * There are 2,705,000 people without health insurance in New York, and the cost of health insurance for New Yorkers has increased by $538 - a 36% increase - since 2000. [KFF 2005; MEPS 2005; CPS, 10/05] * Budget cuts have pushed 12,351 veterans in New York out of the VA health care system. [VHA Policy & Forecasting 2/24/03, Projected to FY2005] * The Bush Congress's refusal to end the Disabled Veterans Tax has undermined retirement security for 5,006 veterans in New York. [Veterans Administration / Democratic Leader's Office, 6/05] * Because Republicans have failed to provide promised funding for education reforms, 300,605 children in New York have gone without help in reading and math and 167,302 have gone without after-school programs that boost academic achievement and keep kids safe. [CRS, 1/2006] * Bush Republicans tried to force through a risky scheme to undermine Social Security, which provides financial security and peace of mind to 3,024,130 people in New York. [NWLC 2/05]

Sweeney votes how Bush wants him to 80% of the time, the Post Star covers the Esquire article that calls Sweeney hard-right (fittingly we might add) and what does it quote Sweeney as? A "Centrist". Sweeney lives in a place where the voters are centrist, but he hasn't voted centrist.