After ripping Democrats for hiding ‘behind closed doors,’ GOP objects to more transparency in health care debate.
After ripping Democrats for hiding ‘behind closed doors,’ GOP objects to more transparency in health care debate.
On the Senate floor yesterday, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) made a request on behalf of Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) that senators proposing amendments to the health care bill place the text of their amendments online. Immediately following Reid’s request, Sen. Mike Enzi (R-WY) took to the floor to object to the transparency proposal. Enzi argued that, although the bill appears to lead to greater transparency, “we can also see ways that this can limit the ability for the minority to offer amendments.” Watch it:
Lincoln “issued a statement chastising Republicans for blocking efforts at government transparency.” Just weeks ago, the Republican Party lined up to accuse Democrats of opposing greater transparency. In October, the RNC and the House Republican Conference churned out YouTube videos to attack Democrats for working “behind closed doors.” A week later, Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) attacked Democrats, saying that “instead of listening to the American people, Democrats hid behind closed doors.” Similarly, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell recently complained that the health care bill was “drafted behind closed doors.”
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What’s the problem? Afraid to say it if people can read it?
party of personal responsibility my ass.
December 1st, 2009 at 7:04 pmIOKIYAR
December 1st, 2009 at 7:07 pmIf you want your amendments considered, put ‘em online. I’d say 72 hours before you plan to introduce them, will be sufficient. Hurry up, if they don’t get in before debate cloture, it’s not our fault.
December 1st, 2009 at 7:15 pmSpeaking of a Lincoln…
“You can please some of the people all the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time.”
That’s what bipartisan relations gets you.
How about a GOP version?
“You can please some of the people all the time, and all of the people some of the time, but Obama’s a socialist.”
December 1st, 2009 at 7:15 pmFat white haired repugs who are married to corporations and money dont give a flying fck about you and I.
December 1st, 2009 at 7:15 pmIf I were a wingnut stupid enough to believe in god then I would pray that these fat fcks would die a horrible death.
Yes wingnuts tell me that god will not like what I say. Tell him I said suck my dck!!!
I’m so very sick of these ranting, frothing, lying obstructionist a$$holes!!!
Perhaps I ought to pray to God and ask Him to smite the lyin’ barstids with a plague or two …or six. Boils, maybe. Lots and lots of boils.
December 1st, 2009 at 7:18 pmIamlegend, do you think enzi’s statement was classy?
December 1st, 2009 at 7:21 pmI’m insulted! I didn’t get voted down!
December 1st, 2009 at 7:22 pmWhen do we get to call them a bunch of amoral hypocritical liars?
I mean, like on TV and stuff.
December 1st, 2009 at 7:22 pmhouse of roberts, you had two votes up when the troll arrived……..he has no friends.
December 1st, 2009 at 7:23 pmThe list of suspects.
OSTL = Iamlegend
Tracy__5
STORM
TaosJohn
vigor
LiberalSlayer
conservative guy
Mr. Duke
Fuzzy Slippers
CP
Trolls Igno(RED)
December 1st, 2009 at 7:25 pmDoes the madness of this three ring circus called the republican party ever end?
December 1st, 2009 at 7:26 pmha, ostl changed names. I missed that before purple.
Sure has been nice without them hasn’t it?
December 1st, 2009 at 7:28 pmIt’s simple – Democrats must expose everything they do, and Republicans don’t have to. That way the Dems can be ridiculed every step of the way (usually for exaggerated or faked reasons), and the Repubs can do anything they want, in secret.
And that’s not fair, how?
December 1st, 2009 at 7:28 pmEnzi’s argued that, although the bill appears to lead to greater transparency, “we can also see ways that this can limit the ability for the minority to offer amendments.”
Because the Republicans haven’t figured out this “online” thingie. Does it have something to do with the Innernets?
Similarly, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell recently complained that the health care bill was “drafted behind closed doors.”
Well, this is true. On the other hand, there were Republicans in the room behind those closed doors–along with too many Blue Dogs.
December 1st, 2009 at 7:29 pmThe GOP are acting like kids who are missing their pacifiers. They are adult babies that need to be wearing adult diapers. And Boner is the head of the crybaby club. No wonder the GOP party are a joke. The GOP party are falling apart by the seams.
December 1st, 2009 at 7:29 pmSure has, Fred.
I mean, I haven’t heard them today at all, have you?
This worked like a charm!
December 1st, 2009 at 7:31 pmTypical Republican hypocrisy, expecting from others what they will not do themselves.
December 1st, 2009 at 7:33 pmI’ve been in and out but overall the effect has been very noticable.
December 1st, 2009 at 7:35 pmEnzi’s argued that, although the bill appears to lead to greater transparency, “we can also see ways that this can limit the ability for the minority to offer amendments.”
Enzi is Correct. Irrelevant, Frivolous,Obstructionist, and Stupid Amendments WILL be limited by Public Ridicule.
December 1st, 2009 at 7:39 pmIf the amendments aren’t online the Rethugs will still be able to blame Obama for it even though they’re Republican amendments. They are a bunch of twisted pukes.
December 1st, 2009 at 7:40 pmat this point, you could give each repukeliscum senator a bag of orgasms and they’d still find something to b!tch about.
December 1st, 2009 at 7:46 pmIf they could have orgasms, they wouldn’t be Republicans!
December 1st, 2009 at 7:49 pmVictor Zapata missed also mentioning that the GNOPERS wanted the Health Care bill (whatever version) put on line so that “everybody could read it”, but their amendments—NO!
And how the hell would it limit the minority’s ability to offer amendments”?
December 1st, 2009 at 7:53 pmThe Dems say yes and the Republicans say no. The Dems say no and the Republicans say yes. Someone is telling the Republicans to oppose everything because that will be the way back to power. When this obstructionism proves fatal to reelections, some of the Republican leadership is going to get the deserved blame and more purging will occur.
December 1st, 2009 at 7:53 pmAre the Senate Republicans getting debating points from Daryll?
December 1st, 2009 at 7:55 pmThank you, one and all, for participating in out World AIDS Day/Trolls Igno(RED) Day experiment. I hope we can keep this up by just ignoring the trolls that come through here every day and keep our roundtable discussions going.
Considering I didn’t hear a single complaint from anyone, I’d say it was a resounding success!
Just keep on keepin’ on ignoring trolls over night if we can.
December 1st, 2009 at 7:55 pmPurple State,
I fully endorse a policy of ignoring trolls but, it may be a bit early to claim a victory. They might just be busy trying to score more rock.
December 1st, 2009 at 8:01 pmThis comment has been voted down. Click to read.
This transparency would expose Enzi’s BRIBES from the Health Care industry and put these folks at CRIMINAL LIABILITY for prosecution.
TIME TO GO TO JAIL MIKEY !!!
December 1st, 2009 at 8:10 pmWow, thaqt is just way too cool dude. I really like it.
—
December 1st, 2009 at 8:11 pmLike totally…
now just find 9 more…
December 1st, 2009 at 8:12 pm“we can also see ways that this can limit the ability for the minority to offer amendments.”
What is it with wanting to keep your work as a Congressman out of the public eye ?
Haven’t we had enough of Congress working against a bill and then claiming credit for it ?
Haven’t we had enough of votes that don’t report on how my congressman voted ?
December 1st, 2009 at 8:27 pmOh goodee… the republicans were for transparency before they were against it.
It seems the concepts of logic and common sense have totally divorced themselves from the republican party.
December 1st, 2009 at 8:47 pmTalk about calling the kettle black,the effing re-pukes REFUSED to partake in writing the health care bill muchless any other bill coming out of congress since Obama took office or are they just a bunch of hypocritters trying to revise history once again, the idiots from their base that buy all this crap are qite ignorant!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
December 1st, 2009 at 8:53 pmThis legend troll is kinda stupid.
December 1st, 2009 at 8:55 pmYeah, and he doesn’t mind proving it either.
December 1st, 2009 at 9:03 pmsee, I told ya.
December 1st, 2009 at 9:04 pmIf the conservatives were running the show like they did in the past, they would exclude the oppostion from the debate and have a requirement that the bill must pass within 72 hours without as much to be read by anyone.
The party of NO is full of two-bit whiners. ;-)
When FASCISM
December 1st, 2009 at 9:11 pmtroll loves him some Olberman ♥♥♥
December 1st, 2009 at 9:28 pmSo what’s this I hear about an ignore policy for trolls? Generally I don’t speak to them, but rather about them, because they are unwilling to engage in meaningful conversation anyway.
Anyone care to guess what the legend troll meant when he said progressives have egg on their faces @35? I am sure it is just more propaganda noise but since I commented on how stupid this particular troll is, I thought I would point out why.
December 1st, 2009 at 9:39 pmFred, you’re slipping a little. Just ignore the idiot.
December 1st, 2009 at 10:00 pmIt’s impossible to know what goes on in congressional committees when you’re too busy planning, coordinating, and attending teabagging parties.
Let’s all keep in our memory cells that the day that the final changes were made to the Patriot Act in committee, the republicans/conservatives were holding a teabagging rally on the Capitol steps. IIRC, it was hosted by Freedom Works and the Koch Brothers, and they bussed in the astroturf teabaggers.
December 2nd, 2009 at 2:13 am