Bunning falls asleep during health care bill mark-up.
Bunning falls asleep during health care bill mark-up.
Yesterday during the Senate Finance Committee’s mark-up of chairman Max Baucus’ (D-MT) health care bill, Sen. Jim Bunning (R-KY) chastised the whole operation. “I do not support a government takeover of the health-care system,” Bunning complained, saying the bill “confiscates more money from the taxpayers” and “tramples on American freedom and liberties.” Soon after, Bunning decided to take a little nap:
During opening remarks at the Senate Finance Committee session, the Kentucky Republican appeared fast asleep for several minutes, with his head cocked to the side and his eyes closed, before a staffer roused him. Bunning’s head was propped in his hand and his mouth was slightly open while he slept, several witnesses told HOH.
The staffer nudged his shoulder to wake him once it became clear that members of the audience had noticed the snoozing Senator (it was apparently the giggling from the crowd that tipped the staffer off).
The Washignton Post’s Dana Milbank writes that “Bunning’s nap was a fitting comment on how he and his Republican colleagues had received” Baucus’ efforts to craft a bipartisan bill.
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Strike Out!!
September 23rd, 2009 at 10:43 ameh…
September 23rd, 2009 at 10:44 amAre any of us supposed to be surprised by this?
He’s not running next year, so he’s officially checked out.
September 23rd, 2009 at 10:44 amAlthough I do agree with him on one basic point – Baucus’ bill does suck.
September 23rd, 2009 at 10:45 amDoesn’t his insurance cover No-Doz?
September 23rd, 2009 at 10:45 amThose who bemoan the big, bad “gov’mint” are best to stay the hell out of it.
They’re living examples of how NOT to “do” it.
September 23rd, 2009 at 10:46 amThere’s the image that the Democrats need to put pressure on the Republicans. Start running ads in the battleground states right now with that image saying, “THIS is how much the Republicans care about your health and the health of the nations. Vote Democrat in 2012.”
September 23rd, 2009 at 10:47 amThe only thing these guys pay attention to is their RNC talking points. Go back to sleep d#ckwad.
September 23rd, 2009 at 10:47 amBunning is the poster child of why baseball players should not become a politician.
September 23rd, 2009 at 10:48 amToo bad Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Dreamland) left his balls at the ballpark.
September 23rd, 2009 at 10:48 amOld man Bunning dozes off more and more these days. It’s a good thing (for the GOP and the country) that this senile old coot is retiring.
September 23rd, 2009 at 10:49 amUm, Senator….ARE WE BORING YOU!?
September 23rd, 2009 at 10:50 amThe GOP: The Party of No (Sleep).
Seriously, politicians, you had a whole month to recover. There should be no sleeping during class in school. Ditto for boring law talks.
September 23rd, 2009 at 10:50 amI wonder how many uninsured Americans died during his nap?
September 23rd, 2009 at 10:51 amNow now now…
It’s NOT FAIR picking on Bunning at this point.
Even Republicans realize Mr Sleepyhead is a complete joke by now…
September 23rd, 2009 at 10:52 amBunning falls asleep during health care bill mark-up.
– - Sen. Jim Bunning (R-umplestiltskin)
September 23rd, 2009 at 10:52 am“I do not support a government takeover of the health-care system” — Bunning
Fine. That’s not what’s on the table here, is it?
…[the bill] “confiscates more money from the taxpayers” — Bunning
No — actually, it doesn’t. But even if taxes went up to support insurance subsidies for the uninsured who can’t afford insurance, it would still be cheaper for the taxpayer than paying for these same uninsured people to get their health care from emergency rooms — which is the system we have now.
…“tramples on American freedom and liberties.” — Bunning
Ah, an all-purpose meaningless statement to rile up your base. What, exactly are the “freedoms” and “liberties” being trampled on?
Is your complaint that people will be required to get health insurance? Somehow I never thought that going without health insurance was a “freedom”, just like I never thought that doing without an education was a “freedom”.
Is your complaint that insurance companies would no longer have the “freedom” to rescind people’s coverage or deny them coverage for pre-existing conditions? Excuse me while I get out my violin.
Or is your complaint that if health care reform goes through (even the Baucus bill, which, without a public option, is inadequate), it will be popular with the people, the Democrats will look good, and your party will suffer for it? Yeah, I thought so.
September 23rd, 2009 at 10:56 amWe enjoy sleeping. It’s called freedom.
September 23rd, 2009 at 10:57 amBall Four>>>>>>>>> take your walk >>>>>>>> and just relax and know that while your were napping us Americans yes you know us as We The People are dieing and going into bankruptcy etc… all while yes paying your salary as well.
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:00 amTwo words:
Jim
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:00 amBeam
***
perchance to dream…
***
“here i am on a tropical island paradise filled
with beautiful naked women who’ve made me
their love god. but there’s a volcano that is going
to erupt at any minute unless we sacrifice a female
virgin to it’s deadly lava. who shall i choose?!”
**
“the volcano god orrin-tiki must be appeased!”
:0
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:01 amHuh. *I* could be fired for sleeping on the job.
Why should Bunning be able to nap on my dime? And yours?
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:03 amThis comment has been voted down. Click to read.
I agree, Miss Molly, the repugs know that passage of a decent health care bill will make the repugs look pretty bad, hence, their strategy is to stymie, obstruct, obfuscate, delay and deny any and all efforts toward passage – and when, to this end, their colleagues repeat the same false claims over and over again, they reserve the right o take 40 winks.
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:05 amThey are beholden to the large private interests and to their own profitmaking adventures as legislators. It should have become very apparent this summer for even the most dense to see that the best interests of the American people are not in the hearts of repugs.
“Whatever it is, I’m against it…”
Let the poor old dear sleep.
He will just vote no anyway, as will the rest of the repiggies.
Really, what good are those clowns anyway?
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:07 amI’ll be ready to respond to you, STORM, once I get my Fantasy Football lineup ready for this week…
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:09 amRude! But the brain was already closed to information.
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:09 amre: #23
Democrats = Multitasking
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:11 amRepublicans = Zerotasking
That photograph captures Beanball Jim’s finest moment in the Senate.
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:11 amPoor STORMfront… it’s sad when trolls are reduced to “but they do it toooooooooo!” and they have to try to equate state legislators in Connecticut during budget debates with a US SENATOR in the middle of the most important legislation to face the chamber in six years.
STORMY, do you ever complain to your trollmasters about the crappy material they expect you to troll with?
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:11 amWhile playing solitaire is childish and inappropriate while in chambers, I don’t see how that is somehow justification for Bunning.
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:11 amFor what it’s worth, I, myself, am perfectly capable of working crossword puzzles while watching the news and I don’t miss anything.
If I nod off, though, I admit that I do miss what has been said.
Really?
Sen. Jim Bunning (-Kentucky) In Office – Earmarks Requested
http://www.legistorm.com/earmarks/details/member/13/Sen_Jim_Bunning/page/1/sort/amount/type/desc/year/all.html
Fiscal Year(s) 2008-2009——–Number—Cost
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:12 amSolo Earmarks——————-22——-$18,047,200
With Other Members————–24——-$51,639,375
All Sponsored –Earmarks——–46——-$69,686,575
You know, there is a fine line between playing solitaire at the office and playing “count the sheep” at the office.
If I was found playing solitaire, I would probably get reprimanded.
If I was found sleeping, I’d be FIRED.
False equivalency, STORMdog.
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:16 amNo surprise here. Republicans have been asleep at the wheel since the Reagan years.
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:16 amMaybe we should recommend long naps for all the Republicans in Congress. It would be much quieter and a lot more could get done.
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:19 amMaybe Bunning should have taken one of those “greenies” he said kept him so energetic despite a hangover in his book “Ball Four.”
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:19 am***
#23,
kirk cameron (and jesus) needs your help.
“one by one we’re being stripped of our god given liberties.”
***
can kirk (and jesus) count on you?
“|
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:20 amI see PP and Twaj are still at it
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:20 amProbably bad manners and courtesy on Clinton’s part, yes, PP, but he didn’t fall asleep during law-making.
Still pretty funny.
7/10.
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:21 amShorter Bunning: I believe in free markets and I give your money to them freely.
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:22 amHi Pat Pomery:
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:22 amWhy would I vote you down? If I did it would be harder for us to chat…
I notice you’ve been pretty busy with the down votes, hemorrhoid. Typical reichie – only their votes should count…
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:24 amPoor Jimmy Bunning.
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:24 amHe really should do the voters of Kentucky proud and just retire. His fastball is like 37 mph, his curve ball doesn’t break and he’s fast becoming an irrelevant screwball.
I get it now.
They HATE government, so they get elected to show us how screwed up government is.
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:25 amIf Kentucky voters are dumb enough to think a good pitcher is a good politician, they deserve it.
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:27 amI dunno. Was it impotent? I am able to skip past scribble without even voting on said scrawling.
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:27 amSince some trolls want to goad us into voting them down, how about for every thread we have a “dumbest troll post”, perhaps limited to the first 100 posts? One of us can copy the “winning” post with an appropriate recognition and then we can all give that announcing post a vote up. Let’s highlight the lowlights/lifes.
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:27 amPat Pomery says:
Oh, I’m sorry, Patty, but I’m at work right now, and my firm, like most companies, blocks YouTube.
Funny how you don’t have any trouble accessing it, though.
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:27 amOOOOooooooh, I’ll never get over that.
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:27 amraynman @ 7 – I’m with you on that! This is DNC GOLD! It shows just how much Rethuglicans care about getting things done in America. How much work are they willing to put in!
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:28 amPRICELESS! Not only are they obstructionists-they’re LAZY!
***
#47,
“much”
still stuck on that word.
:|
limited vocabulary.
limited mind.
:)
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:29 amI nominate post #14 @ 10:51 am by Exit Stage Left as the featured comment.
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:29 amThe hate who votes for them and take their money while telling them government is the problem, which is true in a way, I guess, because they are part of the government that doesnt want to fix the government cause the slop trough is overflowing with free money.
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:30 amYeah, it’s not like their votes are not already set.
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:30 am***
#54,
makes you look stupid.
makes us laugh.
:0
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:30 amPat Pomery:
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:31 amIf thinks don’t work out for you yet again you can always select a new name. For real do you just come up with them as needed or do you have a preformed list? Just wondering…
***
twajie,
really getting under you skin, ain’ i?
:) :) :)
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:31 amOh, I wouldn’t say Sonny Bono was exactly a good politician.
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:31 am****
#14,
one them wasn’t twajie.
:\
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:32 amVote for me PP and I promise I will shrink government and put an end to generational theft and porking and playing solitaire and sleeping and having sex with lobbyists and wearing diapers while on your dime.
Bwah
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:33 amWell if joe cantwell is under his skin and Pat is under my thumb it would seem Pat Pomery is pretty much immobilized..
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:34 am***
#62,
not as good as “gopher” from
“the love boat”
:)
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:35 am***
#61,
you = your
*
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:36 amExit Stage Left says:
I wonder how many uninsured Americans died during his nap?
45,000 this year.
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:39 am525,600 minutes a year (thank you Rent), equals one death every 11.68 minutes. Average length of a nap = 20 minutes…so approximately 1.71 people died while he was sleeping through the markup of one of the most important pieces of legislation in the history of our country.
Instead of rousing him, the aide should have put his slippers on, gently put a pillow under his head, and snuggled him up with a Phillies plush blankie.
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:39 amVote for me PP and I promise to spend billions on removing my good socialist,,errr crony capitalists, from Goobermint.
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:39 amPat Pomery says:
As opposed to a shitty comedian being a good politician? :)
Now, hold on there a minute, chum.
Reagan was HILARIOUS when he was on The Dean Martin Show.
But I’ll agree when you say he was just a “good” politician.
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:40 amStorm, are you comparing two STATE REPRESENTATIVES who are preparing to vote on a budget playing solitare on their computers to be even remotely similar to a US SENATOR sleeping during health care reform mark up? Two people distracting themselves before a vote that they already knew how they were going with a game that can be played while listening to the speaker at the same time…or a Senator sleeping during an incredibly important meeting of committee that he sits on?
Can you pass some of whatever you’re smoking? I figure you have simply GOT to be high to think those two incidents are equivalent.
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:47 am***
#72,
it’s very interesting that you know
so much about “street corners”.
:)
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:47 am#72 / #74,
You know who else you see on street corners?
Sleeping Republican lawmakers.
Makes no sense, but I’m just doing my best to keep this thread on focus.
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:51 amPat Pomery says:
I’m a stupid shit who thinks that derailing the thread and randomly voting down posts makes me look good, despite the fact that I’m sad, fat, lonely, and unloveable.
Please, when you finally decide to kill yourself, make sure you do it in such a way that they don’t even consider taking you to the ER and driving up our health care costs.
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:51 amThis comment has been voted down. Click to read.
See, Pat Pomery?
I can make rude and irrelevant posts as well.
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:52 am***
#75,
you forgot “LOL”
**
do you know what “LOL” means?
*
didn’t think so.
:)
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:53 amAww?
What’s the matter? Did I hurt your poor wittle feewings?
Aww, poor baby. Can’t debate on point, doesn’t have the capacity to derail the thread, and can’t take what you dish out.
How pathetic.
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:53 amHe may have been asleep but he was listening the whole time. What he heard on the other hand is a mystery. Typical repuglican. Asleep at the wheel. Go home if you can’t stand the heat or sleep it off some place else.
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:56 amPat Pomery says:
SHUT THE F CUK UP YOU STUPID PIECE OF SHIT.
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:57 am***
#82,
no “much”?
no “LOL”?
**
cat got your tongue?
:)
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:58 amDo you like being singled out for no particular reason, Pat Pomery?
Is it good for you?
I can keep doing it, if you like. If you don’t want me to, be sure to let me know, so I can do it whether you like it or not. I certainly can’t let attention fall away from our very own village idiot, Pat Pomery.
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:58 amStill can’t take it? Still have to vote down and post random bullshit that has nothing to do with the topic instead of debating on points?
You’re pathetic. I bet your mommy is really proud of you.
September 23rd, 2009 at 12:00 pmNope, just giving you a dose of your own medicine.
Since your so attention starved, and I’m a kind-hearted person, I decided to feed you, troll.
September 23rd, 2009 at 12:00 pmIf the best you can do is ripping off someone else’s line, then you’re not as fun as our other trolls.
Go back under the bridge where you belong, moron.
September 23rd, 2009 at 12:01 pmI bet it really stings that you can only vote down once, doesn’t it?
September 23rd, 2009 at 12:03 pmPat Pomery says:
It’s very nice to see acorn has been reduced to begging on street corners. LOL!
Man, what a crap segue. But thanks for bringing that up. It looks like the bill the R’s got passed to “get ACORN” will also block Lockheed Martin from working for the government, along with thousands of other contractors.
Ahem:
Oopsie…
.
Pat Pomery says:
does Keith Olbermann still work for MSNBC????
I would use the term “work” very carefully. Ripping and reading from kos and media matters can’t be that tough.
Beats ripping from Drudge, all of his headlines are a gamble as to whether it was ever true or not.
September 23rd, 2009 at 12:05 pm***
twajie,
new gf?
cute.
***
treat her right.
:)
September 23rd, 2009 at 12:08 pm***
twajie,
“NO Pubic Option“?
**
backfire?
:)
September 23rd, 2009 at 12:10 pmPat Pomery says:
Much.
September 23rd, 2009 at 12:04 pm
September 23rd, 2009 at 12:12 pmPat Pomery says:
LOL!
September 23rd, 2009 at 12:04 pm
September 23rd, 2009 at 12:12 pmPat Pomery says:
At Pentagon’s Request, WASHINGTON POST Delayed Story on General’s Afghanistan Report…
State run media? Pravda?
The WaPo? You don’t know much about them either currently or historically, do you? They’ve been center-right for at least a decade, and they were the ones who originally broke the Watergate story. Seriously, if I were remotely as ignorant as you I’d at least know enough to keep my mouth shut around people who knew what they were actually talking about.
Requesting them to delay a story by one day to mitigate a potential threat to actual troops in the field is hardly “state run media.” If this were the Bush administration, they’d have demanded the WaPo never run it. As it is, they sat down with the WaPo editors and declassified 98% of the report. Which is pretty a reasonable solution to allowing media freedom without endangering troops deployed in other countries?
Why do you hate our troops?
By the way, since you’re introducing a new media item to try to divert attention from the subect of this post, you should also provide a link so it doesn’t sound like you’re just spitting out random words. I only managed to parse your gibbering because I’d already read about it this morning. Here is your citation. You’re welcome.
September 23rd, 2009 at 12:14 pm***
#99,
he got it from drudge.
then he pastes it here.
all he knows is “Much” and “LOL”
**
for twajie,
it’s all drudge.
:)
September 23rd, 2009 at 12:19 pmPat Pomery says:
Al-Qaida predicts Obama’s fall by Muslim nation…Backfire?
Here is the link. You’re welcome.
So is it news to you that Al-Qaeda doesn’t like Obama? It wasn’t to us. Unlike Bush, who provided a perfectly buffoonish villian for them, they’re actually afraid of Obama, who’s smart enough to actually beat them.
September 23rd, 2009 at 12:19 pm***
#101,
half truths.
*
a twajie favorite.
:)
September 23rd, 2009 at 12:23 pmReminds me of that Republican God – Senile Ronny Raygun.
Slept thru his last four years while Nancy ran the country based on Tarot cards.
September 23rd, 2009 at 12:23 pmsmidget, you know you’ve nailed a troll when he throws out a random “Keith Olbermann!” attempt at distraction.
Nice work. Pee Pee belongs to you.
September 23rd, 2009 at 12:23 pmBooze and pills will do that to you.
September 23rd, 2009 at 12:23 pm***
#104,
don’t forget to feed him twice a day
and take him out for a walk.
**
bring a BIG scooper.
:)
September 23rd, 2009 at 12:27 pmPee is once again succeeding at derailing a thread for attention. That being said, try to keep him here, since this is a fairly silly thread anyway. Right up Pee’s alley, so to speak.
September 23rd, 2009 at 12:32 pmLet’s go look at this Drudge crap, hopefully Pat Pomery can get it out of his system.
Well, at the top of the thing in big text, there’s a picture of Obama with the headline “WORLD ORDER.” Clicking through takes me to a Yahoo! News item titled “Obama to world: Don’t expect America to fix it all.” Kind of the opposite of the way Drudge titled it, huh? That’s kind of the opposite of establishing a “WORLD ORDER,” wouldn’t you say?
Some other headlines:
“Ralph Nader on Obama: ‘Weak. Waffling, wavering, ambiguous’…” Well, duh. Of course Nader thinks Obama is too moderate. The headline only provides evidence that Obama is not a “far-left extremist,” as the far-right extremists like to claim.
“Condoms, tampons shielded from health care tax…” Also Q-tips, contact lenses and other stuff people routinely use at home, as it turns out. These were exempted from a proposed tax on medical device manufacturers in which the language was too broad. Interesting selection for the headline though. All about lady parts and sex.
“Sweaty Sarkozy pounds pavements ahead of U.N. summit… ” Sounds horrible, right? Actually he just went jogging in NY.
So there’s a quick sampling of what Drudge does to headlines. Pretty pathetic, really. The guy reminds me of William Randolph Hearst if Hearst couldn’t afford any newspapers and just had a blog instead.
September 23rd, 2009 at 12:33 pmAs Bunning regained consciousness he muttered,”Don’t take me out skip, I still got some life in my heater. I can go another inning. Oh, what? Where am I?”
September 23rd, 2009 at 12:58 pmIs the old PP up in here??
I sure have worked me up a hankerin’ fer some squirrel,
hope he caught him a big fat one today!!
Oh – i see he did – a nice big Communist Takeover Squirrel…
them’s the best eatin’, right Huck??
September 23rd, 2009 at 1:01 pmElBruce says
September 23rd, 2009 at 12:19 pm
So is it news to you that Al-Qaeda doesn’t like Obama? It wasn’t to us. Unlike Bush, who provided a perfectly buffoonish villian for them, they’re actually afraid of Obama, who’s smart enough to actually beat them.
_____________________________________________________________
It’s not just that Obama is smart enough (even though he is), it’s that Obama is actually LIKED in the Muslim world.
Bush and Cheney were universally hated, and this made recruiting by Al-Qaeda rather easy, since it wasn’t too hard to sell the USA as “the great Satan”.
But President Obama has been rather bad for AQ recruitment. This has to be p!ssing them off bigtime.
September 23rd, 2009 at 1:04 pmThe Moderate Squad says:
Maybe Bunning should have taken one of those “greenies” he said kept him so energetic despite a hangover in his book “Ball Four.”
“Ball Four” was written by Jim Bouton, not Senator Rip Van Winkle.
September 23rd, 2009 at 1:06 pm@ralph the wonder llama
Thanks! I wasn’t even trying. I was just messing with it. I love it when they play into your games. A nice little before lunch snack. LOL
September 23rd, 2009 at 1:07 pmOh well — Bunning will be able to sleep all he wants to in another 15 months or so.
September 23rd, 2009 at 1:55 pm“Bunning falls asleep during health care bill mark-up.”
Bunning mentally checked out as you can see from his dozing off during health care bill mark up. Bunning must think it is nice to have a nice pension package, healthcare benefits, an allowance to spend on business expenses, and complimentary nap time on job time as Senator yet there are people who are in desperate need of affordable healthcare.
September 23rd, 2009 at 1:57 pmDoesn’t matter. He was never going to vote for the bill anyway.
September 23rd, 2009 at 4:01 pmLibertyLover says:
Doesn’t matter. He was never going to vote for the bill anyway.
Which makes me wonder why anybody’s paying attention at all. They might as well say “all Senators who intend to vote against it go ahead and register your ‘no’ votes now and you can leave. The rest of us are going to work on the bill.”
September 23rd, 2009 at 4:21 pmBoring stuff, I guess.
September 23rd, 2009 at 4:55 pmHow’s that hope and change working out for everyone?
September 23rd, 2009 at 9:48 pmkwsventures says:
Boring stuff, I guess.
The legislative process is. Ever try to watch CSPAN? Anybody who’s not up to the task probably shouldn’t run for office.
.
hdsmonkey says:
How’s that hope and change working out for everyone?
Pretty good, except for the few damn Republicans left. Once we’ve gotten rid of them, we should be able to fix the mess they left us.
September 23rd, 2009 at 10:12 pmSomeone with some talent with photoshop should put “open eyes” (like those on Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Carribean) on Bunning’s eyelids and circulate it like the Joker image of President Obama. liposuction
September 28th, 2009 at 11:55 amThank you for your sharing.!
September 29th, 2009 at 7:09 am