Comments on: Mike Castle: Gutless Hypocrite

By: X-Striker Brings Up A Very Good Point « kavips

X-Striker Brings Up A Very Good Point « kavips — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 00:23:21 +0000

[...] Mike Castle, bank failures, credibility, credit rates, economic fallout, republican ineptitude His post on Mike Castle is illuminating. He takes two quotes about health care. One from when the Republicans controlled Congress, and one [...]

By: truthatlast

truthatlast — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 13:21:02 +0000

Thanks to xstryker for this post on Mike Castle. This kind of clear, factual presentation of Castle’s record is exactly what is needed to take off the veneer of “moderate” that the NEWS JOURNAL has bestowed on him.

By: Unstable Isotope

Unstable Isotope — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 22:57:27 +0000

I’m really sick of these born-again deficit hawks who only care about deficits when Democrats are in power. When they start sending for CBO scores for defense appropriations and support a war tax then I’ll believe they’re serious. Until then, I’ll just put them down as fiscal scolds.

By: John Manifold

John Manifold — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 22:48:21 +0000

Before dissing Daschle, this interview is in order:

http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=is_congress_the_problem_with_health_care

Daschle passionate about health care reform:

http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=health_care_heavyweights

By: just kiddin

just kiddin — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 22:31:36 +0000

If the statements attributed to Tom Daschle are to be believed, please let me laugh out loud right now. Daschle and his wife are haug tied to big insurance, big pharma. His wife is paid hundreds of thousands for sitting on many boards. Daschle himself is corrupt on the issue, and most progressives were happy he didnt become Secretary under Obama. It would be like sticking the fox and the fox’s wife inside the henhouse to monitor the lobbyists going in and out.

By: anon

anon — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 22:06:42 +0000

The industry clearly fears Daschle. I wonder how the current health care bill would have turned out had Daschle been managing it instead of Rahm. Remember Daschle was floated as Obama’s point person on HCR, but Obama gave up on him quickly after a modest burst of right wing faux outrage over Daschle’s taxes (but meanwhile Geithner enjoyed a bulletproof shield).

By: xstryker

xstryker — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 20:56:35 +0000

Don't forget Trent Franks. He switched his vote along with Istook and Otter. In the article I just linked to, Bruce Bartlett (former Reagan adviser) slams Franks:

Maybe Franks isn't the worst hypocrite I've ever come across in Washington, but he's got to be in the top 10 because he apparently thinks the unfunded drug benefit, which added $15.5 trillion (in present value terms) to our nation's indebtedness, according to Medicare's trustees, was worth sacrificing his integrity to enact into law. But legislation expanding health coverage to the uninsured--which is deficit-neutral--somehow or other adds an unacceptable debt burden to future generations.

By: anon

anon — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 19:30:29 +0000

For everyone who needs a refresher, here is how Repubs managed the passage of Medicare Part D. Medicare Part D passed because Dems voted to break not one but two filibusters.

cloture on it was invoked by a vote of 70-29. However, a budget point of order raised by Tom Daschle, and voted on. As 60 votes were necessary to override it, the challenge was actually considered to have a credible chance of passing. For several minutes, the vote total was stuck at 58-39, until Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Trent Lott (R-MS), and Ron Wyden (D-OR) voted in quick succession in favour to pass the vote 61-39. The bill itself was finally passed 54-44 on November 25, 2003, and was signed into law by the President on December 8.

No wonder Daschle was targeted so heavily. And in the House:

The bill was introduced in the House of Representatives early on June 25, 2003 as H.R. 1, sponsored by Speaker Dennis Hastert. All that day and the next the bill was debated, and it was apparent that the bill would be very divisive. In the early morning of June 27, a floor vote was taken. After the initial electronic vote, the count stood at 214 yeas, 218 nays. Three Republican representatives then changed their votes. One opponent of the bill, Ernest J. Istook, Jr. (R-OK-5), changed his vote to "present" upon being told that C.W. Bill Young (R-FL-10), who was absent due to a death in the family, would have voted "aye" if he had been present. Next, Republicans Butch Otter (ID-1) and Jo Ann Emerson (MO-8) switched their vote to "aye" under pressure from the party leadership. The bill passed by one vote, 216-215.