In Which I Discuss "Bipartisanship"

For those of you - especially on Facebook - loudly praising this health care bill, you should really know what happened last night.

Last night, Republican Senators proposed 23 amendments on the health care reform bill.

Senate Democrats shot down all of them.

Why?

Because accepting any of them would mean that the bill would have to go back to the House again for another vote.

So let's see what the Republicans thought was so important that they were willing to see that vote go against them again, hmmm? Why rub salt into their own wounds?

Well, let's just count down those 23 amendments, shall we? (Vote counts and amendment text from the Senate.gov website, by the way.)

1. David Vitter (R-LA) proposed (S. Amdt. 3668) to give portable mammography machines a tax break and allow greater public access to them; defeated 56-39. Why do Democrats want people to have breast cancer?
2. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R, sorta - TX) proposed (S. Amdt. 3635) to extend the tax break on the marriage penalty tax, so that married couples won't get penalized for being married; defeated 55-40. Why do Democrats hate married couples?
3. James Risch (R-ID) proposed (S. Amdt. 3645) to repeal the limitation on itemized medical expense deductions on income tax; defeated 55-40. Why do Democrats hate low-priced medical care?
4. Robert Bennett (R-UT) proposed (S. Amdt. 3568) to protect the right of the District of Columbia to legally define marriage, thus protecting the bill allowing same-sex marriage D.C. passed in December; defeated 56-39. Why do Democrats hate gay people?
5. Charles Grassley (R-IA) proposed (S. Amdt. 3699) to extend COBRA coverage and the National Flood Insurance program, as well as using unallocated stimulus funds to offset the spending in the health care bill; defeated 56-40. Why do Democrats hate extended health coverage and flood insurance?
6. Jim Bunning (R-KY) proposed (S. Amdt. 3681) to allow individuals to opt out of Medicare Part A; defeated 61-36. Why do Democrats hate freedom of choice?
7. Judd Gregg (R-NH) proposed (S. Amdt. 3567) to prevent Medicare being used to pay for other programs, and require Medicare funds be used to help keep Medicare funded; defeated 56-42. Why do Democrats hate Medicare funding?
8. John McCain (R-AZ) proposed (S. Amdt. 3570) to eliminate the sweetheart deals for states whose Representatives' votes were bought; defeated 54-43. Why do Democrats hate honesty?
9. John Barrasso (R-WY) proposed (S. Amdt. 3582) to ensure that Americans who already have health insurance can continue to afford it, by limiting premium increases; defeated 57-41. Why do Democrats hate low-priced health insurance?
10. Charles Grassley (R-IA) proposed (S. Amdt. 3564) to ensure that members of Congress, and the President, are also subject to the health care bill; defeated 56-43. Why do Democrats want a privileged elite?
11. George LeMieux (R-FL) proposed (S. Amdt. 3586) to ensure that members of Congress are required to enroll in the "reformed" Medicaid; defeated 59-40. Why do Democrats want a privileged elite?
12. Tom Coburn (R-OK) proposed (S. Amdt. 3556) to keep sex offenders from buying Viagra and other ED drugs; defeated 57-42. Why do Democrats hate your kids?
13. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R, sorta - TX) proposed (S. Amdt. 3608) to allow states to opt out of federal health coverage; defeated 58-41. Why do Democrats hate states' rights?
14. Susan Collins (R, sorta - ME) proposed (S. Amdt. 3638) to eliminate the $40,000 penalty for hiring previously unemployed people; defeated 58-41. Why do Democrats hate jobs?
15. John Thune (R-SD) proposed (S. Amdt. 3639) to ensure states do not lose jobs from the SAFRA Act; defeated 55-43. Why do Democrats hate jobs?
16. John Thune (R-SD) proposed (S. Amdt. 3640) to repeal the CLASS Act; defeated 55-43. Why do Democrats hate senior citizens?
17. Pat Roberts (R-KS) proposed (S. Amdt. 3579) to remove the additional tax on medical devices; defeated 56-42. Why do Democrats hate low prices for medical devices?
18. James Inhofe (R-OK) proposed (S. Amdt. 3588) to exclude pediatric medical devices for the disabled from the medical device tax; defeated 57-41. Why do Democrats hate the handicapped?
19. Orrin Hatch (R, sorta - UT) proposed (S. Amdt. 3644) to ensure health care for wounded military personnel; defeated 54-44. Why do Democrats hate veterans?
20. Judd Gregg (R-NH) proposed (S. Amdt. 3651) to recalculate the Medicare formulas so people who need it will have easier access; defeated 56-42. Why do Democrats hate Medicare?
21. Richard Burr (R-NC) proposed (S. Amdt. 3652) to protect Veteran's Administration health programs for veterans and surviving family; defeated 54-44. Why do Democrats hate veterans?
22. David Vitter (R-LA) proposed (S. Amdt. 3553) to repeal the federal government's takeover of health care. A forlorn hope, but worth a shot, I guess; defeated 58-39. Why do Democrats hate individual liberty?
23. Pat Roberts (R-KS) proposed (S. Amdt. 3577) to protect Medicare benefits in rural areas; defeated 54-42. Why do Democrats hate farmers?

The correct answer to all of those questions is simple: they don't care if it's a GOOD bill; they only care that they have A bill, so that they can point to it as their only significant legislative success so far. They don't care how it actually affects things, only that they have a sign of success.

This is what I typically call a giant cartload of horseshit an empty symbolic gesture.