Jim Webb: No HCR Votes Until Brown Seated
By Ward Smythe | Tuesday, January 19th, 2010 | Policy, Politics“In many ways the campaign in Massachusetts became a referendum not only on health care reform but also on the openness and integrity of our government process. It is vital that we restore the respect of the American people in our system of government and in our leaders. To that end, I believe it would only be fair and prudent that we suspend further votes on health care legislation until Senator-elect Brown is seated.”
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Ward Smythe is a pseudonymous aspiring freelance writer from Central Virginia. Until late 2007 Ward blogged at the now defunct "Ward View" and was active in Virginia and national politics. Ward's signature style of snarkery gained him a unique following that he hopes to regain here at Bearing Drift. Ward uses humor, satire and sometimes photoshop to make his point. Ward is proud to be an equal opportunity offender.
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22 Responses to "Jim Webb: No HCR Votes Until Brown Seated"
if Jim Webb really said this, then he is the only Dem in Washington who openly admits to “getting it”. Hey, Senator, your long-forgotten constituents in Kenbridge VA “get it”.
Is he really supposed to get extra credit for stating the obvious? This guy is a one termer.
Congratulations, Senator Webb. Your post-MA election press release hit the nail right on the head, for a change!
The People want Hope and Change, but none of what this administration is offering. Both TARP bills were huge mistakes. The stimulus was a bunch of bull crap and generational theft, not to mention unconstitutional. The Health bill is more of the same.
The new direction of the People is represented by what is going on in the Virginia assembly. We are going to reassert our rights under to 10th amendment to protect ourselves from Federal abuse.
In the 5th district of Virginia, we are working toward the election of a strong, libertarian, conservative, Republican to continue to the change of direction. Check out Michael McPadden at http://www.mcpaddenforcongress.com
I did post something similar on Virtucon. We’ve (Mrs. Credo) called and emailed Webb and Warner constantly. Constantly getting the boilerplate tripe in return.
Gave 50 bills to Scott Brown. I guess you hear us now Jim.
As a side note I did see Webb at the Inauguration. I did not see Mark Warner. Was he there and if not, why not?
Credo…great point on Warner. I was definitely looking for him and was right up front, so I should have seen him. I have no idea why he wasn’t there. He also is not listed as being among the dignitaries on the list provided by the inaugural communications staff.
I also would really like to know what Warner thinks of the election of Brown? Do you think his press office will put out a statement or respond to my query?
I thought not too.
Senator Webb,
The people of the Country are now treating you and the rest of your monolithic Marxist party with greater disdain than you showed President Bush after you were elected, when asked about how your son was doing. Being the obnoxious bore you are you disgraced the office of Senator and even your son with your arrogance and lack of class. I might ask now, how is your son? Has your messianic leader removed the troops from Iraq as promised? No – but he has extended Constitutional rights to foreign combatants who attempt to kill hundreds of our citizens. He is currently disregarding the massive will of the people who are opposed to his proposed socialist health care plan, which you voted for against the will of the majority of your constituents. Don’t pretend to be a moderate now, after you have gone along entirely with the Marxist takeover.
Now we all know who deserves the disregard you showed President Bush. I hope Virginia gets a chance soon to give you some “feedback” at the Ballot Box. We the People are determined to rid Washington of your type.
I am not going to complain about Webb any louder then I complained about John Warner doing the same. (For the record, I praised John Warner.)
I am just wondering if you Republicans are willing to get behind Mark Warner’s bipartisan efforts to get deficit spending under control? Please allow me to note this effort is also backed by Virginia Rep. Frank Wolf (R). Seems to me most of us interested in a balanced budget can come out in favor of this effort. If you oppose it, you are against a balanced budget. Seems to me we Virginia citizens can line up behind this effort against deficit spending being pushed by both Democratic and Republican representatives from our state.
Let me warn you that if you support this effort, you support compromise. If it has to be your way or the highway, you will be opposed.
Sen. M. Warner did not attend the Inaugural because of a family health issue. He called McDonnell in advance and told him he couldn’t make it. McDonnell was gracious (and probably could care less). This was published in the RTD, so you can actually believe it.
Kudos to Webb for stating what we’re all thinking. If nothing else, he has verbalized what could be a debilitating chink in the armor of the Democrat leadership. We should sincerely thank him for that.
He may be playing the middle of the road, though, because what he says could be of no consequence. If Pelosi forges ahead with the nuclear option of the House voting up or down on the Senate bill without revision, then the issue won’t come back to the Senate, and HCR will have been passed without Webb having to even suit up to “fight the good fight” against the Senate leadership. He’s either a crafty politician or his eyes have been slightly opened. Or both.
To Little David: “I am just wondering if you Republicans are willing to get behind Mark Warner’s bipartisan efforts to get deficit spending under control?”
Yes, I am behind efforts to get the budget under control. Let’s stop the totally wasted stimulus money. Any that has not already been spent, stop it. Let’s rollback the pay increases Congress voted itself last year while denying increasing Social Security payments to seniors. While we are at it, let’s stop the practice of allowing Congress to EVER vote for their own pay raises. Have you ever been allowed to vote yourself a pay increase? Members of Congress should not even be Federal employees. They are representing the citizens of states. They should be paid by their states, and pay should be set by the various state legislatures.
Federal salaries across the board have been skyrocketing. They are higher than comparable private industry pay. They have traditionally been lower, as they should be. Let’s have an across the board salary cut of 30% phased in over 3 years. The waste in the Federal payroll is ridiculous. Did you see the breakdown about a month or so ago in USA TODAY? As I recall, we have over 100,000 employees making over $100,000 a year. Whatever the numbers, they are outrageous? Any idea what the turnover is in Federal employment? Practically zero. Which means the pay is too high. Pay scales are judged by the amount of turnover. A certain amount is reasonable and actually desirable.
Next, how about phasing out all farm subsidies over the next 5 years? And all corporate subsidies, other than tax breaks.
Let’s bring home troops from where they have been stationed overseas for generations? We do not need troops in Europe, or in Korea, or in Japan.
All those areas have the means to defend themselves, or if they do not, that is their own problem.
Do you think we could eliminate research projects on things such as why pigs smell, and why some people like pornography? Is there any right to steal from citizens to fund such projects? I cannot find it anywhere in the Constitution.
Let’s eliminate the earned income tax credit. Why are people who pay no income taxes getting up to… I think it is $6000 now income tax refunds?
While we are at it, let’s eliminate the IRS. That will help reduce the Federal budget, and it will be the biggest stimulus ever to the economy.
The 16th amendment was one of the worst things ever to happen to this country.
Let’s put a freeze on every government program. Budget increases should be limited to only the cost of inflation. That way, if we fail to completely eliminate any program, at least it will not grow too much.
Let’s eliminate all the CZARS, or at least their pay and any powers they have. Of course, they could still offer advice for free, as s civic service.
Let’s eliminate the entire budget for government advertising. It is a total waste, and it is offensive. I am especially sick of hearing ads that tell listeners, if they feel sick, they should go to the doctor. That is the intelligence level of our government agencies, and it is indicative of what they think of the intelligence of their employers.
We can eliminate most of the Justice Department if we turn law enforcement responsibility back to the states. Do you realize that at the time the Constitution was ratified, there were only 3 Federal crimes?
Of course, this would also mean a tremendous reduction in Federal courts and judges.
Those are a few modest suggestions for deficit reduction, a good starting point at any rate. What do you think? Which ones will Warner want to adopt as the Democratic part in bipartisan deficit reduction?
Clay Ramsay
Clay,
I think studies have shown that federal employees are underpaid based upon comparable service provided to private industry. Of course, these employees weigh certainty of employment against the whims of private employment where they might be laid off.
Personally, I think the compensation should be based upon just how many capable people we have lining up to take the jobs. But what happens when elected positions are under compensated? Are we encouraging the best and brightest to enter government service or only encouraging the shadiest to strive for election for the fringe benefits?
‘Ol Jim Webb knows on which side his bread is buttered. His calculation is that it is better to head for the life boats rather than go down with the ship.
Brad, you’re right. Both Webb and Warner voted for cloture on the senate bill. If Pelosi & Co. take the nuclear option, Webb can be as anti-Obamacare as he wants and it will still pass.
As mentioned a good time ago in Bearing Drift, Warner and Webb will have the opportunity to do a “John Kerry” and be against it after they were for it. They can pretend all they want, the bill got all it needed from them on the cloture vote.
Plain & simple, if they pass this crap, both Warner and Webb MUST be made to pay with their seats. They knew what they were doing when they voted for cloture.
A sudden grasp of reason and constituent feedback rings hollow after the damage has already been done and Massachusetts gave the seat long held by Left Wing Kennedy to a Republican. This isn’t a brave statement by Webb now that the writing is on the wall.
As for Warner and his alleged caring about deficit spending, same thing! Sure Little David, I support fiscal sanity after two dimwitted administrations spent us into near ruin. That doesn’t mean I will give Mr. Lie,Tax,& Spend any credit for paying attention to the real problems now. Mark Warner is not a real life conservative Democrat, he only plays one on TV.
The Brown win will provide top cover and excuses for all those Democrats who want to save themselves and vote against their leadership. Funny how the Senate race in Mass has made everything so crystal clear.
Sorry for the brief diversion from “Virginia Politics on Demand”…
Speaking of John Kerry, we all need to remember the critical (albeit totally partisan) role he played in this recent surge of sanity and, hopefully, the death of this version of HCR:
Kerry was the leader among those who called for an interim Senator to be immediately appointed upon the death of Kennedy so that Mass. would retain their equal representation in the Senate. This was exactly the opposite of the lobbying he did when he ran for president in 2004, when he insisted that the Mass. voters be trusted to fill his seat if he had been victorious (oh, yeah, and that Republican Romney was living in the Governor’s mansion, but that had NOTHING to do with it – keep moving, please). The GA in Mass. changed the procedure then which is why Kerry had to make a fuss now.
So a rank-and-file democrat was appointed by the democrat governor to fill Kennedy’s seat and cast the 60th vote for HCR cloture. Which allowed Reid to shut out the Repubs and schedule his disgraceful Christmas Eve vote. Which led to the widespread disclosure of the Louisiana Purchase and the Cornhusker Kickback – is there any doubt that these bribes would have been hidden from the public if they had been targeting the votes of Snowe or Collins? We never would have heard about them if it had been a situation of Repubs holding their noses and keeping quiet to protect other Repubs.
So the public disgust grows to a crescendo, Repubs and conservatives and tea partiers are united in their condemnation of Democrats who have abused their uncontestable hold on two branches of government, and the only relief valve is for the good people of Massachusetts to do the unthinkable – send a Repub to the Senate, even when there was a Democrat with a pulse on the same ballot. There could not be a clearer repudiation of the Democrat leadership’s agenda, although Reid and Pelosi and Obama will contend that something entirely different is afoot. Hopefully the predictions that the health care reform bills are headed for a very large circular file are true and, if they are, John Kerry set the wheels in motion to get us where we are today. I never thought I’d say these words…
Thank you, John Kerry.
So what happens if Webb decides to rejoin the GOP? Will you greet him with open arms or a knife in the back?
Both
HAHA Brian, well said. As for Warner being fiscally conservative, why the stimulus vote, budget vote (including in committee where he could have had a lot of sway in changing it if he was that conservative) the healthcare vote, shall I keep going? My point, Warner only cares about the budget now that he is staring down the barrell of constituents armed with a ballot box and a pink slip.
both Webb and Warner are finally scared. they will try to sound real reasonable (conservative) for awhile as they recognize they are in danger. But they have already showed their true colors.
TimJ, you are right on! I wonder how many ‘moderate’ Dems were secretly relieved that the Brown win might mean a way out of the no-win corner into which their party had boxed them?
Bonus points for the horrible photo of Webb.
During the inauguration, I sent out this @sosidecentral tweet…
Back on topic, Webb’s smart. By being the first to say “Whoa!”, he gets recognized as The Voice Of Reason.
Be careful, here comes the spin…
The e-mail from “Mitch Stewart, BarackObama.com” which hit my inbox about midnight last night begins “Yesterday’s disappointing election results show deep discontent with the pace of change”. The e-mail is encouraging the recepients to gear up for more difficult battles ahead.
At least the democrat leadership (Webb and Warner included, for now) are talking a good game about moderating back toward bipartisanship, but the fringes are already riling up the hardcore left electorate to start pushing for the electeds to continue their pursuit of a leftist agenda.
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