Rep. Hayes' unprincipled vote

Rep. Robin Hayes (R-NC) cast the decisive vote for CAFTA and earned unforgettable notoriety as a practical politician. He first voted against CAFTA, but then switched his recorded vote to yes, after receiving assurances of initiatives for job creation in his District 8. The other districts have enough jobs already.
The House deserves reproach for allowing voting beyond the allocated time and switching of recorded votes, tantamount to voting twice. Outside the House, those practices would be unacceptable and perhaps illegal. Imagine if Carteret County residents could vote again for Superintendent of Education. It would resolve a dilemma, but wouldn't be fair or legal.
There is no legal recourse, however, because the Congress would not allow the courts to entertain a vote-manipulation suit. Legislative values are violated, nonetheless, when a well-discussed trade agreement necessitated irregular promises to one voter, to the detriment of others who voted on time and did not switch their votes. Holding a vote-buying bazaar and changing your mind are perfectly acceptable before the vote, but not during it. The representatives from the lesser 12 North Carolina districts should challenge, inside the House, the CAFTA undemocratic vote.
Hayes is a descendant of the family that built textile giant Cannon Mills and a North Carolina representative. He failed on principle on both counts.