Just a reminder
Oct 8th, 2009 by David Anderson
Update Senator Carper to be on Fox News Channel’s Neil Cavuto at 4 P.M Today (Oct. 8 2009) to discuss these comments. Keep up the contacts to his office.
It is great that we have a Senator who is not capable of understanding legislation. At least he smiles and shakes hands well. Maybe that is why he has not introduced much despite all of the problems we face. I think that we should have at least one person in the Senate for Delaware who has a history of understanding issues. We actually have a candidate who served in a think tank. Back to the video.
What interested me is that he said he would probably read the plain English version. He wouldn’t even promise that he would read it. Maybe that was a slip of the tongue–I hope. Who needs to read a bill that would transform the lives of every American anyway? The staff said it is okay. Is that not why you elected the staff? I want to thank Tennessee for bringing the issue to our attention. A reader submitted the actual video link for all to see.
Thanks for the update Dave. I did have a link to the video and transcript on the original article but this video link is much more impressive and of course visual.
Any US Senator who has this attitude about reading bills does not deserve to be our representative in the Senate.
I would vote for an intelligent, fair minded, and competent Republican candidate, or not vote at all, before ever voting again for Tom Carper.
I hope the Dems primary him if he seeks another term.
I agree with Perry. There, I said it, and it didn’t hurt at all! Of course there’s probably an unspoken caveat in that Perry probably doesn’t believe that’s there’s such a thing as “an intelligent, fair minded, and competent Republican.”
I agree with all of you gentlemen that this is flabbergasting. I like Senator Carper so I am not out “to get him”, but this is inexcusable. He voted down letting us have a chance to read the bill (if he would have joined Blanche Lincoln it would have passed) and now he says that it is too much for him to bother reading. He could at least have said that he would have the staff examine it for pitfalls and compare it to the “plain language markup”, but no he tells everyone that we shouldn’t worry our pretty little heads about what is in the bill because he isn’t.
When the guys up on Capitol Hill are willing to take the hit about not reading the bill or making it available to the public, we should be very concerned. They are scared to let the public see the bill for a reason. So scared they are willing to look like fools. What did the special interests put in the bill that is so worth covering up? How much campaign cash did it cost them?
Hey, Perry welcome back home. We need our resident sensible liberals. It keeps the blog lively.
“Of course there’s probably an unspoken caveat in that Perry probably doesn’t believe that’s there’s such a thing as “an intelligent, fair minded, and competent Republican.””
You may be right G Rex but I prefer to give Perry kudos for being consistent in his views regarding transparency and making an attempt to giving the public the most honest representation one can give.
Obviously, I have some policy differences with Perry but this video is damning in Carper’s lack of regard for the job he is elected to do and the disrespect of the intellect of his own contituents.
I have read the legislative language of bills. I have lobbied and submiited proposed bills. I know many who have done the same.
While deciphering what a bill says requires some hard work, It is doable by well informed and educated lay people. It also helps if you know some folks educated in the law but these folks are available for a bill on something as big as Obama Care.
What I find most offensive about this video is Carper’s condescending attitude. He appears to say “You folks don’t need to see this legislative stuff, you’ll never understand it”
We Currently have the technology and the ability to allow review of ALL legislation by the public for a period of time before a vote. In fact Obama committed that this would be the case before he signed anything into law. The Public should always have a chance to see the actual legislative language before a vote. They should be able to voice their approval or displeasure. Technology finally has the ability to give us a true participatory democracy. Too bad Carper doesn’t want us to participate.
My guess is this is the norm. Only Tommie isnt smart enough to keep his mouth closed.
Funny how when Carper votes with the Repubs in his Liebermanesque way, you never ask whether he read the bill or not.
It’s hard to imagine ANY elected representative actually reading EITHER version of the bill. That’s what Congressional staffers are for: to make these incomprehensible messes into something understandable and, hopefully debatable. If I’m Carper, I have one staffer parsing the plain-English version and reducing it down, and at least two going carefully over the full bill looking for asinine loopholes and debatable points.
I’ll grant that Carper is probably kind of a doofus for coming out and saying it, but with all the changes and amendments and riders and bull&$^! that goes on with these bills, I suspect this is par for the course, unfortunately.
I hope Delaware voters will relay to Mr. Carper in plain English in 2012 something very simple, health care is not a resolution about an insignificant matter.
Permanent government employment as an elected official diminishes your IQ.
Mike Protack
“Funny how when Carper votes with the Repubs in his Liebermanesque way, you never ask whether he read the bill or not.”
Please provide me the pro Republican votes where Carper is documented as eschewing reading the legislation. I know Dave and I will be more than willing to post it. Carper in this video not only said that he would not read the bill but he also states that it is a bad idea for the rest of us dumb idiots in the general public to get the legislative language before he votes.
Noman if you have these quotes or videos please share.
Noman was originally critical of Carper when this issue was first posted last Friday. Now it seems he got his marching orders from Delaware Liberal and now has to tow the liberal line. Noman uses the same lame reasoning that the Delaware Liberal Marxists promote. He refused last week to defend Carper last week and now he defends him. Pathetic.
I think I actually lost IQ points from watching the empty suit talk. Sheesh. I really want a serious primary opponent for him. Of course the kind of opponent that could beat him would drive David Anderson up a wall, but that is just a side benefit.
Oh, and for the record, DelawareLiberal not only gets no marching orders from Carper, I think he hates us more than he hates you.
I wasn’t defending Carper. I was attacking both you and Carper.
LOL Welcome back Noman. We missed you for a week there.