Tuesday, July 26, 2005
The Ugly Face of Frist
Well, I considered writing about a number of things tonight. At first I thought about discussing the recruiting issues our military is facing in Iraq. Then I considered writing about what looks like a failed propaganda campaign by the military itself. But then the evil Dr. Frist reared his ugly head.
Talk about pandering to the special interests. I'm sure our troops appreciate being put on hold so Sen. Frist can make his gun-lovin' NRA buddies happy. Screw that pay and benefits shit, man. Gun makers need some protection!
You see, this type of behavior looks to be Sen. Frist's new approach to politics. If there's something about the bill you don't like, put it off until later. I think that's what we would technically call a "stall." You know, stalling. It's what Bush and his cronies were accusing Democrats of doing recently.
As I said, this looks to be Frist's new political strategy. Yesterday, we learned of another of his stall moves.
Now we see what kind of a man Bill Frist is. When things aren't going to go his way, he holds his breath and stomps his feet. Despite the fact that he is a part of the majority, he has decided that it's his way or the highway, fellow Republicans be damned.
You know, if Frist had any aspirations for the presidency, his chances are quickly dissipating. The campaign fodder he's supplying to any prospective opponent is incredible. He's siding with the NRA over the support of our troops. He's putting off debate on a bill supported by members of his own party and a majority of Americans. His behavior on the Schiavo issue was shameful. And his leadership of the Senate has been pathetic, at best. I don't think we'll ever have to worry about getting used to saying "President Frist."
- Senate Republican leaders decided Tuesday that a gun manufacturers’ liability bill is more important than next year’s $441.6 billion defense authorization bill.
With Democrats expressing amazement that there could be any higher legislative priority in a time of war than the annual defense bill that includes money for pay and benefits, operations and maintenance, and weapons’ purchases and research, Sen. Bill Frist of Tennessee, the Senate Republican leader, decided Tuesday that a bill protecting gun manufacturers from lawsuits over the illegal use of firearms was a higher priority.
Talk about pandering to the special interests. I'm sure our troops appreciate being put on hold so Sen. Frist can make his gun-lovin' NRA buddies happy. Screw that pay and benefits shit, man. Gun makers need some protection!
You see, this type of behavior looks to be Sen. Frist's new approach to politics. If there's something about the bill you don't like, put it off until later. I think that's what we would technically call a "stall." You know, stalling. It's what Bush and his cronies were accusing Democrats of doing recently.
- Democrats held up Bolton's nomination last week in a dispute over documents they claim the White House has refused to provide. Congress is not in session this week, meaning any new vote on the long-delayed nomination is at least a week off.
"I view that as just another stall tactic, another way to delay, another way to not allow Bolton to get an up-or-down vote," Bush said.
"I would hope that when they get back that they stop stalling and give the man a vote. Just give him a simple up-or-down vote."
As I said, this looks to be Frist's new political strategy. Yesterday, we learned of another of his stall moves.
- A measure to expand federal funding of stem cell research has stalled in the Senate but backers unable to get the anticipated July vote instead vowed on Thursday to force the issue one way or another this year.
Despite a veto threat by President Bush, the embryonic stem cell bill cleared the House in May with a surprisingly broad bipartisan margin. Backers believed they had momentum in the Senate and a vote was tentatively set for this month.
But now bill sponsors say there is only the slimmest of chances that the Senate can take up the bill before breaking for its August recess.
It bogged down in a procedural morass involving a half-dozen other stem cell and cloning bills -- some written with the apparent aim of peeling away support from the House-passed legislation.
"I think there has been an effort to obfuscate the House-passed bill with a collection of other bills," said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a California Democrat and leading advocate of the research.
Republican backers of the embryonic stem cell bill say that the bid by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, a Tennessee Republican, to have one debate on a half-dozen politically sensitive and complicated bioethics bills on issues from embryonic stem cells to human cloning is a recipe for stalemate
Now we see what kind of a man Bill Frist is. When things aren't going to go his way, he holds his breath and stomps his feet. Despite the fact that he is a part of the majority, he has decided that it's his way or the highway, fellow Republicans be damned.
You know, if Frist had any aspirations for the presidency, his chances are quickly dissipating. The campaign fodder he's supplying to any prospective opponent is incredible. He's siding with the NRA over the support of our troops. He's putting off debate on a bill supported by members of his own party and a majority of Americans. His behavior on the Schiavo issue was shameful. And his leadership of the Senate has been pathetic, at best. I don't think we'll ever have to worry about getting used to saying "President Frist."
