Comments on: Coburn On Emmett Till Bill: ‘They’re Playing Games’

By: EdgeOnIt

EdgeOnIt — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 14:27:29 +0000

This is NOT about money! One time reparations to Black-Americans might serve as a kind of talisman, both easing racial understanding, and promoting universal cooperation for many years to come!!

By: mbirchmeier

mbirchmeier — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 18:33:13 +0000

Of course he’s playing the grand old games of politics… but unfortunately he’s playing it in a way that’s detrimental to the system, instead of neutral or mutually beneficial.

By: TennMom

TennMom — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 20:07:45 +0000

If Coburn indeed considers this bill “pork spending”, then he should go back to practicing medicine and leave governing to people who know how things work. “Pork” is the sweet gifts lawmakers sneak into bills to benefit their particular constituencies. Since the investigation and prosecution of civil rights crimes falls under the purview of the Justice Department, any costs for the Emmett Till bill should not be assigned to the states.

It is fairly evident that Coburn is the one “playing games.” In addition to the Emmett Till bill, Coburn is holding up these and other pieces of legislation: a bill to create an ALS registry, the Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Act, the Conquer Childhood Cancer Act, the Runaway and Homeless Youth Protection Act, an amendment to the Public Health Service Act which would fund Alzheimer’s research, and the Comprehensive Tuberculosis Elimination Act of 2007.

He’s playing the grand old game of politics in an arrogant and cowardly way. He can’t simply vote “no” because he cannot risk being on the record as having opposed any of the aforementioned bills. Doing so would damage him in the eyes of his constituents. Thus, Coburn’s holds have little to do with concerns over spending, and everything to do with saving his own political skin.

By: mbirchmeier

mbirchmeier — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:50:54 +0000

I understand what Coburn is trying to do*, but I disagree with his methods. Using this type of legal loophole to register dissatisfaction with a bill is absurd, the appropriate way to do that is by voting no.

This is just as absurd as the notion that a bill now requiring ‘60 votes’ to get an up or down vote. Filibustering and cloture should not be used on a day to day basis, this is not what they were meant for. Rather they should be used in extreme circumstances when the senators truly feel this is a bad enough of an idea to practically shut down the senate over the matter.

-MBirchmeier

*Looking at Coburn’s ‘roadblocks’ it appears he’s trying to stop what he considers to be pork spending. I can understand the more Federalist position of saying, this is funding the states should be putting forth, not the nation. But seriously, just vote no and move on.