Posted on 08/19/2009 4:18:46 PM PDT by smokingfrog
U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop told more than 530 people at a town hall meeting he had not made up his mind on how he would vote on health care reform legislation.
“My vote doesn’t belong to Nancy Pelosi and it doesn’t belong to Barack Obama,” the eight-term Georgia Democrat said during sharp questioning from many people with concerns about sweeping reform under consideration in Congress that would overhaul the nation’s health care delivery system. “It belongs to the people in the second district of Georgia.”
Wednesday morning amid heavy security, it was Bishop’s turn to face voters as the national debate on health care reform intensifies.
Columbus resident Junie Christian was one of those gathered at the National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center. “Are we going to hear health care or ideology?” he said just before it started.
The next three-plus hours were a mixture of both.
Bishop, closely aligned with President Obama as his Georgia campaign co-chairman a year ago, tried to avoid the shouting matches that were made-for-television scenes at other town hall meetings across the country.
In a calm, measured voice and almost without interruption, the congressman addressed his constituents for about 45 minutes. His practiced speech touched upon many of the features outlined in the bill to include coverage and choice, affordability, shared responsibility, controlling costs, workforce investments and prevention and wellness.
He summarized the five health care reform bills that are currently in the U.S. House. Versions of the bill were available on the chairs as people entered the hall. When specific parts of the bill were discussed, the passages were put on a large screen.
(Excerpt) Read more at ledger-enquirer.com ...
Good questions from the audience.
Check-out the straw vote in the second video.
Beware. Inside every Blue Dog beats the heart of a Yellow RAT. (Still, his remarks were better that I’ve heard any other RAT spew.)
He hasn’t made up his mind? Does that mean he’s waiting to see how much Obama will pay him?
Trying to figure out if he can vote for 0bummercare and still get re-elected.
I love the woman who said she doesn't want to quibble about the details, she wants to know if he is going to honor his oath to uphold the Constitution! Because this bill is unconstitutional.
As long as he and other “Blue Dog” Democrats continue to caucus with the Democrat party and vote to give Nancy Pelosi power as Speaker of the House, then their votes are hers. Power must be taken from the dangerous hands of Pelosi and Reid, and the only way to do that is to throw out the Democrats who comprise their majorities, liberal and “Blue Dog” alike.
Hopefully the Georgia GOP will be able to Gerrymander the democrat seats down to two or three. Fortunately the left is now mainly concentrated in the greater Atlanta area.
“Versions of the bill were available on the chairs as people entered the hall. When specific parts of the bill were discussed, the passages were put on a large screen.”
-—<>-—<>-—<>-—<>-—<>-—
Since the House bill is well over 1000 pages, and the lead Senate bill is a similar length, and no doubt Kennedy’s bill is similar- It is a wonder that the chairs could hold the reams of paper sufficient to describe the bills for the voters to judge their merits, not to say anything about their ability to speed-read.
I wonder if the good man included in his reams of “summaries” the steps that Republicans have long proposed:
TORT REFORM
Ability to buy insurance policies offered in other states
Catastrophic, high-deductible policies
Health savings accounts.
Inquiring minds want to know ...
This guy is not stupid - playing it very smart here.
He can say he’s not made up his mind yet (even though he likely has) so better to get what he can get out of Obama and Pelosi, then vote for the bill and claim after much thoughtful deliberation he thought it was best for his district.
Much shrewder than his namesake, Tim Bishop of NY, who got “youtube-ized” trying to defend that stinking mess to his constituents.
Ah, Rep. Bishop, what else do you need to know about this bill? What a tool!
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