Obenshain: Senators Jim Webb and Mark Warner Owe Virginia an Apology

The Washington Times ^ | January 6, 2010 | Mark D. Obenshain

[HokieMom]

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In addition to adding an estimated 261,927 people to Virginia's Medicaid rolls, Sens. James Webb and Mark Warner "charitably" committed Virginians to pick up the Medicaid tab for half-a-dozen other states.

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We commit one-sixth of the state budget to Medicaid - $7 billion a year. Now Virginia's two senators hope to impose on their own state a federally mandated increase in Medicaid enrollment of nearly 30 percent.

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Mr. Webb, in particular, had the tough talk down pat - insisting that true reform must not create "a cumbersome, overly bureaucratic system." He pledged that his vote would be contingent on eliminating proposed Medicaid cuts, excluding abortion coverage, and ensuring fair and equal treatment. His statements were refreshing - and ultimately meaningless. Mr. Webb's Democratic colleagues ignored his objections, and he dutifully and passively submitted, voting for precisely the kind of bill he said he would reject.

Meanwhile, Mr. Warner insisted that he would "only support a final bill if convinced it will lower the deficit." Does Virginia's junior senator think adding 15 million people to the Medicaid rolls nationwide is a cost-cutting measure? It is a mathematical impossibility. And he knows it.

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Messrs. Warner and Webb signed off on a plan that makes Virginia the loser coming and going. Not only must we shoulder an increased Medicaid burden, which could not come at a worse time for Virginia's taxpayers, but all those sweetheart deals come with a price tag...

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There was only ever one responsible choice: to vote against this offensive bill. Messrs. Warner and Webb voted against Virginia when it counted most, and that, the people of Virginia will not forget.

[HokieMom]

Mark D. Obenshain is a Republican state senator from central Virginia.

[muawiyah]

That's one approach to dealing with what Webb and Warner did. My approach is to chide them for not coming home with "stuff" like the hillbilly Senators from the Flyover states.

They got "stuff" but our two Senators here in Virginia didn't get "stuff".

They got "stiffed" and they're passing it along to the rest of us so that we all get "stiffed".

They gotta' be the two dumbest Senators in the history of the Republic.

[fightinJAG]

Great vids of protests in Senator Webb's Roanoke office:

http://www.roanoketeaparty.com/this-is-why-january-18th-is-so-important/

Thread here.

[HokieMom]

We’ll keep reminding the voters until election day.

[HokieMom]

That’s great! Thanks for the links.