Posted on 12/16/2009 10:10:26 AM PST by Maelstorm
Sen. Tom Coburn has just demanded that the Senate clerk read the single-payer amendment offered by Sen. Bernie Sanders -- and it's 767 pages.
Typically, Senators offering amendments will ask for unanimous consent to avoid reading the entire meausure, but all it takes is one Senator to object to demand its reading, and Coburn objected to Sanders attempt to dispense with the reading of the amendment.
To give you a sense of how this could delay things, it took the Senate clerk 18 minutes to get through the first 6 pages of the amendment, which were the table of contents. At this current pace, it will take 38 hours to get through the entire amendment.
You can follow along with the amendment here.
UPDATE: The body of the bill seems to be going faster than the table of contents, but it still looks likely to take at least 12 hours at this pace
(Excerpt) Read more at spectator.org ...
They are READING the text of proposed legislation? This is preposterous - totally unheard of! Reading the actual legal text is absolutely no replacement for vapid, soaring rhetoric, anecdotal hodgepodge cloaked in faux scientisism and obscurantism, special interest advertising plastered on the NYT and assorted beautiful people glossies, and Obama appearances on prime time network TV.
Did they at least spare the footnotes from being shown in the harsh light of day?
Bad on the GOP for waiting this long to start doing stuff like this.
I love it! I’m listening to Rush and watching this on CSPAN 2. You have some on the left who love it being read because they think the American people will support it LOL, then you have the Andrea Mitchell’s who are furious about this!
See the link at #108....I think this was a planned maneuver ...reporter asked a question and Mitch responded with...we don’t give alerts to the opposition regarding what we might do with regard procedural items.
Can Dingy Harry try to prevent his bill from being read?
Does the clerk get to lunch and dinner breaks and get to go to the potty? She should be done by 3 to 5 AM tomorrow.
That is awful and hilariously funny at the same time.
(As long as she didn’t mistake Bengay for the Prep H, then there would have been real trouble.lol)
You mean we can actually read it ourselves....I am amazed that they would allow us sheeple to do that!
Most leftists, especially leftist politicians, know that if their real agenda were known, they’d never see the halls of power again.
However, there are some really DUMB leftist sheep out there that live in an echo chamber doing a left-handed circle jerk that actually think the majority of Americans want socialism.
I’d rather they have several people take turns, and have it go to 9 or 10AM, so that it’s still going when the networks are doing their morning shows.
I think the timing is excellent; perhaps so perfect as to be set by the invisible hand of God. Just think, now there is enough discontent on not only the right but the left as well with leftists livid at Lieberman and Nelson. I just heard the excerpts of Howard Dean on “Kill the Senate bill” as well. The point is that I don’t think there will be much of a politically meaningful backlash against conservatives at this time but there well may have been a week or two ago.
Someone said on tv that the clerk(s) wont finish reading the amendment until after 11:00PM tonight.
Someone tell him to slooooooooooooooow down!
++++++++++++++++
Riveting TV. Actually not bad considering what we’ve got...:)
I hope they make ‘em read ever last little jot and tittle that they’re trying to SCREW over America with. EVERYTHING.
Dr. Tom Coburn is my new hero.
AND READING...AND READING...AND READING...AND READING... AND TAX AND TAX AND TAX...AND READING AND TAX ANDREADING...AND READING....AND READING.....
I fell asleep for 2 hours and woke up to this. This is ONE amendment to the bill?!?!?!? And the Senators walked out?
I’m still dreaming...gotta be
*clap* *clap* *clap*
As far as I’m concerned, Senator Coburn is exempt from any ‘throw the bums out’ initiative.
Oklahoma has the best Senate team around. Oklahoma was a terrific place to live.
BUMP!
Bernie knew this reading would happen and so did Howie.
The can't beat Obama , but they are offering Republicans the axe handle to use.
I think it needs 2 or 3 readings. The clerk needs to be watched and when she leaves out something, start over agaiin!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.