Monday, July 27, 2009
Can Kent Conrad count?
AP quotes Senator Kent Conrad regarding the health care bill:
"'Look, there are not the votes for Democrats to do this just on our side of the aisle,' said Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., the chairman of the budget committee."I think what he means to say is that there are perhaps three or four or five dozen Democrats in the House and a bunch in the Senate who don't support the bill in its current form. Because, otherwise, since the House is currently 256 to 178, and the Senate is 60 to 40, both in favor of the Democrats, Senator Conrad might need to work on his elementary school level math skills. Of course there are enough Democratic Members of Congress to pass a bill without a single Republican vote, so what is the reason for the "our side of the aisle" language?
5 Comments:
By 
JPMcT, at
Mon Jul 27, 12:19:00 PM:
Translation: "Obama has our feet to the fire....but...we think the bill is a crap-sandwich and we don't want to lose our sorry Democrat asses being the only one's who support it....hmmmm...BRING OUT THE (GOP) GIMPS!!!"
By 
, at
Mon Jul 27, 01:31:00 PM:
I don't think that Sen. Conrad is numerically challenged, just providing political cover.
Of course there are enough Democrat votes in the House and Senate to do this without a single Republican assenting. And then they own it, lock, stock and barrel.
Sen. Conrad is just hoping there are enough people out there that CAN'T count, and take his word for just who is to blame, and will blame inaction on those rascally Republican reactionaries. That's gotta be about 10 or 20 per cent of the voting public.
-David
By , at
Mon Jul 27, 03:04:00 PM:
The comment means less than nothing in terms of honesty. As others have remarked it is both a dodge and a signal.
If ObamaCare is never voted upon then no Senator can be blamed for the vote he cast.
When media shows up these guys just spout some precooked nonsense.
They keep bundles of nonsense at hand just like McDonalds used to keep hamburgers hot under a heat lamp. Ready instantly, but not very edible.
In the Senate they maintain the BeeEsss pretense of courtesy. Also they speak of mysteries understood only by the Senate Priests. Only the Priests understand the rituals and complexities of passing a bill; it can't simply be done by taking a vote.
In the house they drop a lot of the act. Pelosi's style is to threaten the weak. If you don't agree with the Ms. Speaker you are heading for Capitol Hill Hell. Your new office will be in a trash bin. You are dead to her.
K
By Mrs. Davis, at
Mon Jul 27, 03:34:00 PM:
What Conrad means is that, while there are enough donks in the house and senate to pass it if they all vote for it, not all of them would vote for it as of now.
Rahm Emmanuel knows that when the critters go home for the August recess they will catch even more hell from their constituents. So if they are ever going to pass Obamacare they need to vote now.
Conrad is telling Rahm it won't be the trunks who kill this it will be the Blue Dogs. Tough choice for the Grand Vizier, Prince Harry and Princess Pelosi.
By Trochilus, at
Mon Jul 27, 11:36:00 PM:
Gee, isn't it a real comfort to have an either innumerate or a fundamentally dishonest politician in charge of the budget?
When fundamentally dishonest politician, Wayne Bryant, was made the Chairman of Appropriations (and Budget Oversight) in New Jersey, what did he do? He stole . . . by selling his influence to line his own pockets.
So, I shudder to think what we should expect with a fundamentally innumerate politician like Kent Conrad in charge of the United States Senate Budget Committee!
Hell, he can't even grasp basic arithmetic!
I'm going to go cry now.
