Marjorie Margolis, aka Marjorie Margolis-Mezvinsky, Paid a Political Price Yesterday for a Vote Two Decades Ago

The media is concentrating on the political triumph yesterday of the “Republican establishment” over the insurgent Tea Party. They are also pointing out that eventhough Senate Minority Leader Mitch O’Connell of Kentucky won handily yesterday he is so heavily disfavored by Kentucky voters that he may lose reelection in November. We’ll see. The big loser yesterday was not the Tea Party, but Marjorie Margolies who was seeking election to an open House seat, a seat she held two decades ago. President Clinton and Secretary Clinton campaigned for Marjorie. Their luster was expected to rub off onto Marjorie. The Clintons have great loyalty to Marjorie. Her son, Marc Mezvinsky, is married to Chelsea Clinton, who is about to make her parents grandparents. The loyalty though is twofold. President Clinton owes Marjorie Margolis big time. President Clinton’s massive tax increase bill was one vote short of passage in 1994 in the House of Representatives. The only Representative left that could vote for it was the first term Congresswoman Marjorie Margolis-Mezvinsky of Philadelphia. She opposed tax increases in her election campaign. And yet, the Big Dog needed her vote. She caved. Unfortunately I could not find the video on Youtube, but national TV two decades ago showed an ashen faced, wobbly Congresswoman Marjorie Margolis-Mezvinsky being led down the floor to pass the tax increase, as if she was being led to her execution. The voters outrage voted her out of office and turned the House and Senate over to the Republicans. Her political travails were just beginning. She was married to Congressman Edward Mezvinsky of Iowa. “Fast Eddie” was a fraud, a multi-million cheat, who pled guilty to fraud. He was headed to 80 months in jail. They were divorced in 2007 with Marjorie reclaiming her maiden name. They also ran out of money. She was chair and chief executive officer of the non-profit Women’s Campaign International (WCI) in December 2001 when she participated in, but may or may not have formally voted, on the doubling of her salary from $1,000/week to $114,000 annually. The board minutes are silent on if she abstained. Only two other board members were present at the vote. They also paid her car lease for several years. WCI is a charity top-heavy with administrative expenses. Most of its funds come from taxpayers. Its purpose is to provide advocacy training for women around the world. She lost the 1998 election to be Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania, and dropped out of the 2000 election for the Senate, but just couldn’t give up on politics. Marjorie Margolis saw her opportunity this year, and was anointed the frontrunner. She could change her name, but not her vote. Marjorie Margolis is still paying for her vote to increase taxes 20 years ago. So too is the American public.