So what exactly IS Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) saying here?
The senate will vote for cloture on the health care bill late tonight or early Monday morning.
From the sound of it, I wonder if “praying” that a Senator cannot make the vote tonight means “praying that some harm come to a senator?” Thats probably a stretch, but even Sen. Dick Durbin, who interrupted while Sharrod Brown had the floor, to issue a challenge to Sen. Coburn:
Durbin: I have been trying to reach Sen. Coburn. … This statement troubles me, and I’m trying to reach him come back to the floor and explain exactly what he meant about a senator being unable to make the vote tonight. … I’m reaching out to Sen. Coburn. I’ll be on the floor for the next 45 minutes, and I hope that he will join me there.
Oh BTW…here is Coburn’s profile via The Rachel Maddow Show.
I stayed up to watch the vote tonight and then, when the bill passed 60-40, found I wasn’t excited because it’s not the bill I wanted. In fact, I was working up a good pout about it.
But then I started to think and a couple of thoughts came to mind. First was, am I the change I’ve been waiting for? Did I do enough to push the public option? The President said change wouldn’t be easy and we’d all have to work hard to make it happen. The other side was working hard and people we even willing to humiliate themselves by prancing around wearing teabags and silly hats (assuming that isn’t how they normally dress).
The second thought was about President Obama and Copenhagen. He and most of the other world leaders were trying to get a robust carbon emissions agreement but China and India didn’t want to cooperate. At the last minute, Obama was able to get them aboard with a non-binding agreement. Did he and the other world leaders say “That’s not good enough, we’re outta here”? Nope, they considered it the best they could do at the time.
Harry Reid was able to wrestle all 58 Democratic Senators, one independent and Lieberdouche (party of one) to vote Aye on a cloture vote. That is no mean feat as we have everything from tree hugging ideologues to corporatists to one cranky independent.
I’ve decided not to pout but instead work on getting more progressives elected.
Really good analysis Glix – very adult of you. (I’m not being sarcastic.)
But a couple of things come to MY mind, too. First, how hard did the President work to “make it happen?” Second, I wouldn’t have minded a “non-binding” mandate. (Watch for the fireworks when the government starts to fine people for not complying with the “Mandate”.)
You can bet your bottom dollar, in future elections I will be voting for the most progressive candidate I can find, Obama or no Obama.
My inner child is not yet ready to let go. I’m still pouting.
I think it’s time to make a few phone calls to let our Senators know we want the mandate killed.
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