Many people here have been understandably upset about how the Senate health care bill turned out. While progressives have looked for the strongest possible public option, the work of "moderate" Democrats and Republicans, including the narcissistic Joseph I. Lieberman, made sure it had no chance. Our leaders were unable to pass a PO through the Senate, a major yet unsurprising disappointment.
However, I wanted to tell you a story that wasn't really told much today: how Olympia Snowe joined her GOP colleagues in a spasm of ugly and shameful desperation. It almost passed our notice entirely.
I point you to the vote on Amendment 2786 to the subsituted health care bill.
The amendment, which would have stripped the mandate as unconstitutional, was soundly defeated was 39-60 on a strict party line vote.
This is not to argue that the mandate is a good thing. I attempt to make no such point. But I want you to take a look at who voted Yea on an amendment fit for tentherist, borderline treasonous Rush Limbaugh fanatics.
Olympia J. Snowe, the Queen of the Trigger.
YEAs ---39
Alexander (R-TN)
Barrasso (R-WY)
Bennett (R-UT)
Bond (R-MO)
Brownback (R-KS)
Burr (R-NC)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Coburn (R-OK)
Cochran (R-MS)
Collins (R-ME)
Corker (R-TN)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Crapo (R-ID)
DeMint (R-SC)
Ensign (R-NV)
Enzi (R-WY)
Graham (R-SC)
Grassley (R-IA)
Gregg (R-NH)
Hatch (R-UT)
Hutchison (R-TX)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Isakson (R-GA)
Johanns (R-NE)
Kyl (R-AZ)
LeMieux (R-FL)
Lugar (R-IN)
McCain (R-AZ)
McConnell (R-KY)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Risch (R-ID)
Roberts (R-KS)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shelby (R-AL)
Snowe (R-ME)
Thune (R-SD)
Vitter (R-LA)
Voinovich (R-OH)
Wicker (R-MS)
NAYs ---60
Akaka (D-HI)
Baucus (D-MT)
Bayh (D-IN)
Begich (D-AK)
Bennet (D-CO)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Boxer (D-CA)
Brown (D-OH)
Burris (D-IL)
Byrd (D-WV)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Cardin (D-MD)
Carper (D-DE)
Casey (D-PA)
Conrad (D-ND)
Dodd (D-CT)
Dorgan (D-ND)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feingold (D-WI)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Franken (D-MN)
Gillibrand (D-NY)
Hagan (D-NC)
Harkin (D-IA)
Inouye (D-HI)
Johnson (D-SD)
Kaufman (D-DE)
Kerry (D-MA)
Kirk (D-MA)
Klobuchar (D-MN)
Kohl (D-WI)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
Lieberman (ID-CT)
Lincoln (D-AR)
McCaskill (D-MO)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Merkley (D-OR)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Murray (D-WA)
Nelson (D-FL)
Nelson (D-NE)
Pryor (D-AR)
Reed (D-RI)
Reid (D-NV)
Rockefeller (D-WV)
Sanders (I-VT)
Schumer (D-NY)
Shaheen (D-NH)
Specter (D-PA)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Tester (D-MT)
Udall (D-CO)
Udall (D-NM)
Warner (D-VA)
Webb (D-VA)
Whitehouse (D-RI)
Wyden (D-OR)
Not Voting - 1
Bunning (R-KY)
Senator Snowe, you'll remember, voted to advance a bill with a mandate in the finance committee. She also was deeply involved in the negotiations. Obama wanted to move with a triggered PO bill from the get-go to get her on board to make it a "bipartisan" bill.
But we didn't wait for you, Olympia. Sorry we didn't bend to your will, your royal highness.
And look what that got us: a vote that sides with the worst of the GOP's worst. A vote for an amendment written by John Ensign, a disgusting philanderer who made his own parents pay hush money to his "piece on the side."
We can disagree til the cows come home about this health care bill. We can get in each others faces. That's probably not an entirely unhealthy thing. But let's all remember who our real enemies are.
No Republican, not even Snowe and Collins, has an ounce of shame, scruples or anything good to offer to the policy process. We would not find a bottom to their pettiness and the pettiness of their caucus if we dug a hole to China.
Will we need GOP votes on Climate and Energy, as well as Immigration? Unfortunately so.
But let this be a lesson, not even the "good" Republicans deserve our trust and respect.
Sen. Snowe's utterly shameful display today proves that beyond the shadow of a doubt.
UPDATE: Maybe I'm the only one shocked here.