Lott casts key vote to save Medicare bill he opposes

Associated Press ^ | 11-24-03 | MARK SHERMAN

[Oldeconomybuyer]

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Cast aside as leader by his colleagues, Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss., was the man Republicans needed Monday to clear the path to approving the Medicare prescription drug bill that he opposes.

At stake was not just the $395 billion bill, which Democrats were attempting to halt with procedural roadblocks, but also the political prestige of Lott's successor as Republican leader, Tennessee surgeon Bill Frist.

[45Auto]

Other than slamming the RATs at their own game, can you tell me why this is a good thing for conservatives, Repubos, and the country in general?

[thoughtomator]

And proves why he was an awful leader to begin with... zero principles.

[NittanyLion]

Obviously not much has changed. Lott's still a spineless coward.

[45Auto]

Medicare has been on the verge of bankruptcy for years; benefits have been cut, my medicare tax quota has been increased (along with that other montrosity, social security), and more and more people are being forced to lose some of their life-long health insurance which they got through the companies they worked for when they become eligible for medicare. The paperwork for seniors has therefore doubled as private health care plans exist for them only to cover what medicare does not. My mother struggled with the whole rotten system for decades before she died. In settling her estate, I had a lot of paper work to do relative to her health care.

So now the morons have just bumped up the cost of this insanity by nearly half a trillion bucks - and this only for what, the first year? This added entitlement will only hasten the inevitable collapse of the whole rotten system. Maybe that's the silver lining.

[Pukin Dog]

Maybe Trent Lott was reminded of all the reasons that Republicans did not go to bat for him when he was in trouble, and suggested that now was the time to start earning a reputation for actually helping the Republican side?

[bourbon]

(((MS PING)))

[FirstPrinciple]

Only two Republicans - Hagel and McCain, voted nay. What has happened to the GOP? This is totally maddening. I cannot believe I was cheering on Ted Kennedy this afternoon. I hope these spineless, gutless, vote-buying, senior-bottom-kissing, RINOs lose big time the next time they are up for election. I will send them a cute letter when I receive their fund-raising letter in the mail.

[deport]

Vote Summary

Question: On the Motion (Motion To Waive CBA RE: H. R. 1 - Conference Report )
Vote Number:	458	Vote Date:	November 24, 2003, 03:21 PM
Required For Majority:	3/5	Vote Result:	Motion Agreed to
Measure Number:	H.R. 1 (Importation Drugs bill )
Measure Title:	An act to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for a voluntary prescription drug benefit under the medicare program and to strengthen and improve the medicare program, and for other purposes.

Vote Counts:	YEAs	61
	NAYs	39

---

Grouped By Vote Position

YEAs ---61
Alexander (R-TN) Allard (R-CO) Allen (R-VA) Baucus (D-MT) Bennett (R-UT) Bond (R-MO) Breaux (D-LA) Brownback (R-KS) Bunning (R-KY) Burns (R-MT) Campbell (R-CO) Carper (D-DE) Chafee (R-RI) Chambliss (R-GA) Cochran (R-MS) Coleman (R-MN) Collins (R-ME) Conrad (D-ND) Cornyn (R-TX) Craig (R-ID) Crapo (R-ID)	DeWine (R-OH) Dole (R-NC) Domenici (R-NM) Dorgan (D-ND) Ensign (R-NV) Enzi (R-WY) Feinstein (D-CA) Fitzgerald (R-IL) Frist (R-TN) Graham (R-SC) Grassley (R-IA) Gregg (R-NH) Hatch (R-UT) Hutchison (R-TX) Inhofe (R-OK) Jeffords (I-VT) Kyl (R-AZ) Landrieu (D-LA) Lincoln (D-AR) Lott (R-MS) Lugar (R-IN)	McConnell (R-KY) Miller (D-GA) Murkowski (R-AK) Nelson (D-NE) Nickles (R-OK) Roberts (R-KS) Santorum (R-PA) Sessions (R-AL) Shelby (R-AL) Smith (R-OR) Snowe (R-ME) Specter (R-PA) Stevens (R-AK) Sununu (R-NH) Talent (R-MO) Thomas (R-WY) Voinovich (R-OH) Warner (R-VA) Wyden (D-OR)

NAYs ---39
Akaka (D-HI) Bayh (D-IN) Biden (D-DE) Bingaman (D-NM) Boxer (D-CA) Byrd (D-WV) Cantwell (D-WA) Clinton (D-NY) Corzine (D-NJ) Daschle (D-SD) Dayton (D-MN) Dodd (D-CT) Durbin (D-IL)	Edwards (D-NC) Feingold (D-WI) Graham (D-FL) Hagel (R-NE) Harkin (D-IA) Hollings (D-SC) Inouye (D-HI) Johnson (D-SD) Kennedy (D-MA) Kerry (D-MA) Kohl (D-WI) Lautenberg (D-NJ) Leahy (D-VT)	Levin (D-MI) Lieberman (D-CT) McCain (R-AZ) Mikulski (D-MD) Murray (D-WA) Nelson (D-FL) Pryor (D-AR) Reed (D-RI) Reid (D-NV) Rockefeller (D-WV) Sarbanes (D-MD) Schumer (D-NY) Stabenow (D-MI)

[NittanyLion]

Yes, at a federal level the GOP will not be receiving my money or activism. I've got better things to do with my time/money than spend it on people who stab me in the back.

[11th Earl of Mar]

Lott still has no balls.

At least Ted Kennedy has pricipal.

[FirstPrinciple]

At a national level, conservatism is dead. Hell, even at the state level we see that there are only a handful of House Republicans and not one in the Senate. How did the GOP get to become the stupid party?

[mrmeyer]

They got there by compromising their principles.

[reformed_democrat]

can you tell me why this is a good thing for conservatives

Because it allows for the privatization of Medicare for the upcoming generation of workers.

Also, Medical Savings Accounts will allow us to keep $5,000 per year tax free to spend on health care. If you spend it, fine, if you don't spend it, it rolls over and remains tax free until it is used for medical expenses. This will be a huge boon to small business owners who can't afford to pay the exorbitant premiums for health care, yet, under the current system, can't afford to set money aside.

[putupon]

[MichiganConservative]

I'm just trying to figure out how this is Constitutional.

[thoughtomator]

That would be fine, if he didn't choose a GOP betrayal of its base as the time to start going to bat for the GOP.

The GOP did go to bat for Lott... until the impeachment outrage where Lott took the lead in orchestrating a harmless farce where should have been the trial of President Clinton.

He had how many years of acting like a Democrat double-agent and we are supposed to go to bat for him now?

[LasVegasMac]

Cast aside as leader by his colleagues, Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss

You were fired, you spineless dolt.

Finally, Lott walked slowly up to the front of the Senate, pointed his thumb up without fanfare -- the 60th vote -- and walked briskly out of the chamber.

You are still spineless - without a moral compass - you could not spell "principal", let alone act like you knew what your supposed to do with them.

Thanks, Tommy D Sen. Lott (of nothing).

LVM

[thoughtomator]

For the first time in memory both my Senators - Clinton and Schumer - voted correctly. For all the wrong reasons, I'm sure, but still I feel the thrill of representation in the Senate, however fleeting!

[thoughtomator]

"principle" ;)