Looks like Senate Republicans Are Doing their Jobs
GOP delay tactics slow Dems on health care votes
At least one of those “delay tactics” sounds a lot like an Obama campaign promise:
GOP Sen. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma had sought approval to require that any amendment considered by the Senate must be offered 72 hours in advance and with a full cost report.
When he was rebuffed by Democratic Sen. Max Baucus of Montana, Coburn invoked his right to require that an amendment by another Democrat be read aloud. That sent the Senate into limbo, since the amendment by Vermont Independent Bernie Sanders was 767 pages long.
Sounds like reading lengthy legislation aloud is the only way to get legislation read at all in the transparent Washington of Barack Obama, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi.
Kudos, Senator Coburn. Now, just make sure to invoke your right to require that any legislation be read aloud before the Senate votes on it. Wonder if he could require that all Senators be present for the reading lest their vote be tallied as “Nay.”
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Hmmm. Yeah, why am I not surprised. It has come to this. The “job” of Republican legislators is simply delay and obstruct, with childish gimmicks. At least they are off the streets….
Comment by Tano — December 16, 2009 @ 5:59 pm - December 16, 2009
Um, Tano, please read my posts before replying and addressing the points I made about about the need for transparency, considering the reference I made to Obama’s campaign promise.
And when you’re done, please make sure to note that Republicans now are acting in a manner similar to Democrats in the 109th Congress–when the GOP had congressional majorities. And let me know if you consider Democratic obstruction equally childish.
Thanks.
Comment by B. Daniel Blatt — December 16, 2009 @ 6:34 pm - December 16, 2009
I totally agree with Tano…….
They had endless opportunities to make their points during the open hearings.
The bill has been posted on the internet since way back in November or October.
It has been on C-SPAN and Sesame Street.
Howard Dean has been campaigning hard for its passage.
Dick Durbin has been at Reid’s side and he is the “go to” man for information.
The Sanders amendment is merely a housekeeping measure to clean up some of the vague language.
Recent polls show that Americans in general are willing to have their taxes tripled just to get this bill passed.
No Democrat ever held up so much as a judicial appointment, so why have the Republicans used their overwhelming numbers to bully the Democrats?
The Democrats have never considered straying from bipartisanship, so why does the Republican goliath have to flex its numbers and threaten the Democrats in such an unambiguous show of anti-bipartisanship.
Comment by heliotrope — December 16, 2009 @ 6:38 pm - December 16, 2009
I ‘heart’ heliotrope
Comment by Andy — December 16, 2009 @ 6:59 pm - December 16, 2009
Get in line, Andy. He’s MINE!
Awesome, Helio. Just awesome.
Comment by Sean A — December 16, 2009 @ 7:14 pm - December 16, 2009
Ah yes, parliamentary manuevers. The Dems showed us all just how much fun they can be. On this I *heart* the GOP. Give ‘em…a point of order? Ha!
Comment by John — December 16, 2009 @ 7:35 pm - December 16, 2009
News reports indicated that Coburn was “obstructing”. Hell yes, he was obstructing – that’s the friggin’ point!
Being an Okie, I am proud of Sen. Coburn. How is it that Oklahoma gets someone like Coburn and California ends up with duds like Ma’am Boxer? If dumb Okies can send smart people to DC then what does that make Californians?
Thinking back, the last oddball senator from Oklahoma I can think of was Fred Harris (’64 – ’73) but, unlike Boxer, he did have a couple of noteworthy accomplishments and was never regarded as an idiot.
Comment by SoCalRobert — December 16, 2009 @ 7:59 pm - December 16, 2009
Having the items to be voted on read aloud – what a great way to ensure that everyone voting has the opportunity to know what they’re voting on. Wouldn’t it be great if the left-coast folks could make Madame Speaker do the same for her chamber? Probably take more than 10 hours to pass a measure on to the Senate. . .
Comment by Jax Dancer — December 16, 2009 @ 9:31 pm - December 16, 2009
Finally!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Comment by Dave_62 — December 16, 2009 @ 11:03 pm - December 16, 2009
Greetings from Vermont — land of moonbats and voters for Bernie Sanders and conservatives in the trenches.
It’s interesting to note that in Thomas Stanley’s book, subsequent to his “Millionaire Next Door”, Oklahoma is in the top three of the New Tithing Study, of states where people can afford to donate the most money to noble and charitable causes. You are 1.65 times as likely to find a millionaire in Oklahoma than Vermont.
The Northeast and California are leaders in people who spend more than they earn, Utah, Nebraska and Oklahoma are leaders in people who keep the most of what they earn. So…monkey see, monkey do….all I can say today is “Thank God for Oklahoma!!!”
His advice is if you want to be fiscally responsible over the course of your career in the USA, “move as far away from a beach and a museum as you possibly can.”
Comment by Patrick — December 17, 2009 @ 10:45 am - December 17, 2009
“The bill has been posted on the internet since way back in November or October.”
Not the Amendment. The Amendment restores the public option, which was never part of the original legislation (otherwise why have the Amendment?).
Lieberman asked that the public option get taken out for his vote. This suggests the original legislation is still being negotiated and written. Therefore, there is no legislation since everything is still being negotiated.
Technically, there is no obstruction. No one knows what’s in the bill.
Comment by anon2273892 — December 17, 2009 @ 11:01 am - December 17, 2009
As per anon’s last line, and I’m trying to find a text online of the version bill that’s currently on the floor of the House, you know the version that ol’ Harry worked out in secret with a handful of partisan cronies.
Comment by B. Daniel Blatt — December 17, 2009 @ 11:39 am - December 17, 2009
LOL, Um Dan, I think both you and anon got taken in by Heliotrope’s sarcasm.
Comment by The_Livewire — December 17, 2009 @ 11:44 am - December 17, 2009
Dan, you won’t find the language of HarrygReid’s bill posted anywhere online. HarrygReid sent it secretly to CBO for scoring and it would be politically imprudent for him to have it posted because, when he does, it will be torn to pieces by the Left & Right and interest groups intent on scuttling the bill. Heck, the GOP can’t even get a hold of a draft of the CBO analysis initially sent confidentially to HarrygReid.
I still laugh at the inexperience of these legislators to operate in the clear, open sunshine of daylight. It’s like they actually need the 12 midnight, smoke filled rooms, wheeling and dealing like used car salesmen to get anything done. Freshmen poli sci students could do a better job of it.
Comment by Michigan-Matt — December 17, 2009 @ 11:54 am - December 17, 2009
Ironically, it would be an improvement if ALL Federal legislation were required to be re-aloud before voting commences…just as the Founding Fathers did in drafting the Declaration of Indpendence and the Federal Constitution. It would encourage transparency…atleast amongst the Chamber attendees…and would encourage brevity. The Decalration was written on one (large) peice of paper…the Constitution on three!
Can you imagine the size of the Declaration of Independence if written by today’s methods; 1200-pages that no-one’s actually read, perhaps not even yet printed-out…and including a provision that Dec 14th be Clown Day in non-incorporated disctricts not governed by direct represtantion of the elected authority having jursidiction coinsiding with other statute referenced in the appendix to this Conference Committee’s minutes not to be released for 100-years unless contrary to prevailing policy as defined in the Federal Register as amended.
“Gentlemen, if we can’t hang them together…surely let’s just hang them separately….”
Comment by Ted B. (Charging Rhino) — December 17, 2009 @ 12:31 pm - December 17, 2009
Besides, democrat senators firmly believe that the rules of the senate don’t matter.
Comment by The_Livewire — December 17, 2009 @ 1:34 pm - December 17, 2009
Democrats probably think that the parlimentrary rules under which the Senate operates are alive, and thus able to be changed at will much in the way that we have a living Constitution that means nothing. The fact that Democrats and liberals even comment on here saying that it is petty or wrong in any way for Republicans to ask Democrats to follow the rules of the chamber demonstrates that they support rule of men over rule of law.
Comment by A Conservative Teacher — December 17, 2009 @ 6:37 pm - December 17, 2009
Thanks for your posting good post
Comment by BPO Jobs Chennai — December 31, 2009 @ 9:53 am - December 31, 2009