ObamaCare: Okay, this one is just plain funny
posted at 11:31 pm on October 19, 2009 by Karl
The latest potential obstacle to the Democrats’ attempted takeover of the US healthcare system is the man holding Pres. Obama’s old seat, Sen. Roland Burris:
The Illinois Democrat, appointed by disgraced former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, says he’ll only vote for a bill to provide health care to millions more Americans as long as it allows the government to sell insurance in competition with private insurers.
And he says he won’t compromise.
***
No, he says, he will not vote for any version of a government-run plan circulating in the Senate, other than the full-blown one from the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.
He won’t vote, for example, for Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe’s idea to use the threat of a public option to force insurers to lower premiums by certain deadlines. He hasn’t seen the details of another idea, proposed by Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., that would allow each state to decide whether to offer public coverage to compete with private insurers. The health committee’s proposal, he says, must be in the final bill to earn his vote.
To grasp just how uncompromising that is, consider that Burris has just taken a more hardcore position on the HELP version of the “public option” than HELP Chairman Tom Harkin.
Burris would not say if he’d vote against cloture on a bill that leaves out the public plan, a possibility that could stall debate on the legislation.
Of course, if push comes to shove, Burris will receive the appropriate parting gift from the very Democrats who opposed seating him — but then flip-flopped, because they needed another Democrat in the Senate. So this headache is probably a smaller one than the possibility of Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) doing in ObamaCare. But that doesn’t make the story any less funny.
Blowback
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On the topic of appointed Senators, what is happening with the Kennedy seat?
WoosterOh on October 20, 2009 at 12:08 AM
a lifelong Kennedy apparatchik got it. Don’t remember his name because it isn’t important – just another answer in the “Death of American Democracy” Trivia game.
WWS on October 20, 2009 at 7:30 AM
Paul Kirk — Kennedy crony and former DNC Chairman in the Dukakis era.
Karl on October 20, 2009 at 8:51 AM
I believe Kirk is even the executor of Kennedy’s will, if you want to know how close they were!
LibertarianRepublican on October 20, 2009 at 2:55 PM
Don’t get your hopes up about Roland “Pooh Bear” Burris looking for a way to stymie the committee. He’s the single weakest politician you’ve ever seen at the statewide level, much less the U.S. Senate. This little dipshit midget will fold his SEIU/ACORN tent the minute Dick Durbin looks at him cross-eyed.
Jaibones on October 20, 2009 at 2:55 PM
My bet is that he’s just holding out for a bigger bribe.
MarkTheGreat on October 20, 2009 at 3:01 PM
Would it surprise you to know that the vast majority of people in Illinois take whatever Roland “Magic Man” Burris has to say with a grain of salt?
This guy is anything but relevant these days.
pilamaye on October 20, 2009 at 3:17 PM
Prove it with a vote count. And speaking of Illinois, when was the last time anyone saw Jesse “Staples” Jackson, Jr? He seems to have disappeared.
I suspect that he’s spending a lot of time with family and Assistant U.S. Attorneys in preparation for the formal charges against him. This is the longest that cockroach has ever gone without standing in front of a camera.
Jaibones on October 20, 2009 at 3:33 PM
His vote is “freaking golden” and he is not going to give it away for free. It is the Chicago Way …
He may also want to have carved it into his mausoleum of trail blazing firsts. I am serious – check it out:
http://daughternumberthree.blogspot.com/2009/01/roland-burris-mausoleum-addendum.html
bbh on October 20, 2009 at 4:52 PM
Bozo Burris sent me this e-mail:
Dear fellow Illinoisan,
As Congress debates contentious issues such as health care reform, climate change, and our continued economic recovery, it is more important than ever to keep in touch so that I can faithfully serve your needs in Washington.
To that end, I will be providing details of my legislative efforts in periodic e-newsletters, such as this one. I will also be launching a new website, where you will find information about specific legislation, services my office can provide, and the issues you care about most. In a few weeks, you’ll be able to visit http://www.burris.senate.gov to explore my redesigned online office.
Senator Burris meets with Illinois medical professionals.
In this edition of my e-newsletter, I would like to address the ongoing national debate over health care reform.
As many of us know all too well, health care costs are spiraling out of control.
I believe Illinoisans deserve better. That’s why we need a public option as part of our health care plan. It’s time to restore choice and accountability to the insurance market.
A public option would save billions of dollars a year, stop companies from denying coverage to those who need it most, and reduce the burden on American businesses and families. This would improve health outcomes and make quality care more affordable for everyone.
A public option would not result in rationed care or “death panels” of any description. It would not force anyone to change their doctor and would not provide benefits to illegal immigrants. As your Senator, I refuse to vote for any measure that would change our system in this way. But I also refuse to vote for anything less than the real, meaningful reform a public option would provide.
I look forward to hearing from you as we all continue to work towards a brighter future for Illinois. It is an honor to serve as your United States Senator. Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and ideas with me.
Sincerely,
Roland W. Burris
Please Note : I cannot respond to replies directly to this email address due to security concerns. I look forward to corresponding with you through my web form located at http://burris.senate.gov/contact/contact.cfm . Thank you for your understanding
I replied asking him how his public option was not going to end up like the Health Care in Canada and England and for some reason he has not responded.
cmptrnerd on October 20, 2009 at 6:09 PM
Lieberman won’t buy into this one.
elclynn on October 20, 2009 at 6:10 PM
Security issues? Seriously? Maybe Durbin and Obama have him locked in a secure location to keep him/his vote secure.
bbh on October 20, 2009 at 9:27 PM