Posted on 11/22/2009 1:06:58 PM PST by markomalley
Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) said Sunday that he will vote for landmark health care reform legislation even if it means he will be defeated at the polls next November.
"If you get to the final point and you are a critical vote for health care reform, and every piece of evidence tells you, if you support that bill, you will lose your job, would you cast the vote and lose your job? " CNN's John King asked Bennet on the "State of the Union" program.
"Yes," said Bennet, a former Denver public schools chief who was appointed to the Senate by Colorado's governor when President Barack Obama tapped Ken Salazar to be interior secretary.
King warned Bennet that the video of his vow would be sequestered in the event he is voted out next year.
"All right. That tape will be held -- I hate to tell you that, but that tape will be held right now," the CNN host said.
You have four appointed Senators: this clown, Gillebrand ,Burris, and the one who replaced Kennedy who could be the deciding factor in jamming this down our throats.
Isn’t this taxation without representation? If the people didn’t put them in, can they do this?
That’s brilliant. Any lawyers hear of that idea and they’ll feel quite ill.
Andrew Romanoff will get the nomination. Won't even be close.
Pretty funny a Romanoff replacing a socialist.
Then hopefully a Conservative will win in November.
He’ll get a couple billion deposited in an offshore account. It’s all pay to play and Soros didn’t get this close. Money is no object. They intend to complete the coup, regardless of what it costs.
He’ll get a couple billion deposited in an offshore account. It’s all pay to play and Soros didn’t get this close with any intention of losing. Money is no object. They intend to complete the coup, regardless of what it costs.
Bennet has no constituents except the democratic party. He was appointed by Gov. Ritter to do the dems bidding. He’s never faced an election in his life. I hope Jane Norton blows him out of the water and he can go back to the rock he crawled out from underneath.
I wonder who his likely opposition is?
Maybe there is a hidden Louisiana purchase in his future...
Jane Norton, former Republican Leutenant Governor.
He is also facing a primary from Andrew Romanoff, former Colorado House Speaker. Obama has already thrown his weight behind Bennet in the primary, which has made many Colorado dems upset.
You’re probably right. Everyone wants to hit Obama’s “stimulus” and “TARP” slush funds before all the big bucks are gone.
Sounds good. Maybe the Dems can get ozero to come out and campaign for Bennet then our margins will skyrocket.
Yes, the voters have to follow through in kicking the bums out.
But the less talked about part of the story is that, the way Washington works now, Congresscritters are increasingly more afraid of their party leadership than of the wrath of their constituents.
The ONLY sway the people have over these critters is the power to *fire* them. But that is NOTHING compared to the power of the party bosses, who have the power to *hire* them --- that is, to see that, in the event they do get fired by the people, they get hired by think tanks, commissions, panels and so on.
So a member can vote in a way that represents his constituents --- and get told by party bosses, "You'll never work in this town again." IOW, forget about ANY lucrative post-Congressional opportunities.
Or he can vote against his constituents, take his chances on re-election, and if he gets defeated, the party bosses say, "Don't worry, we'll make sure you get appointed to a lucrative position on a commission, etc."
The people truly are the "little people" in this scenario. Because members no longer care if they get re-elected or not. They have big-time POST-CONGRESSIONAL JOB SECURITY so long as they stay in favor with the party bosses.
Again, their post-Congressional job opportunities often are MUCH more lucrative than simply being in Congress --- and, hey, it beats being unemployed --- but those opportunities are controlled by the Pelosis of the world. So of course they end up bowing to her rather than representing their districts.
Voting the bums out only has an impact on a member's vote when the prospect of losing his seat bothers him. Which it doesn't if Pelosi has said, "You'll get a nice lifetime job at the FCC if you lose your seat. But if you vote against me, you're finished."
Was it Juan McShame ? Is she a conservative ? Who pre-selected her for Coloradans ?
Hint: it's not altruistic "for the good of the cause" crapola.
"Sacrificial" voting gets rewarded with post-congressional job security. Voting with your constituents may help you keep your seat, but it ruins your career prospects once you leave Congress. So, big whoop, from the member's point of view.
It's like "Ooohhh, hurt me by voting me out --- Nancy will make sure I land a lifetime cushy job somewhere in Washington and I won't even have to run for reelection ever again!"
Jane Norton is a RINO. Unless Ken Buck gets some help, the GOP elite will force us once again to hold our nose when we vote....
Isnt former secretary of the interior Norton running for this seat?
I'm betting there is also a fair amount of self-interest involved.
These guys get promised big-time opportunities to soothe the potential loss of their congressional seat. OTOH, if they vote against the party, and then lose their seat, they've also given up those "open doors."
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