It honestly takes a lot to get me to feel sympathy for David Vitter, (R. La.) Like most of the world, I was floored by the voters of Louisiana returning Vitter, a religious right politician, to the Senate after his scandal involving high-priced prostitutes. However, that is precisely the unique skill of the current Democratic leadership — they seem eager to win any race to the bottom. Vitter this week opposed an Obama regulation that gives an exemption of members of Congress and their aides under Obamacare. The regulation allows Congress to pay for its own generous subsidies to avoid having to live under the new law like normal citizens. While there is a definite appeal to Vitter’s view that the Congress should live under the same law applicable to average citizens, there may be some legitimate argument that I am missing. What should be clear is that some Democrats reacted in worse possible way. Politico is reporting that it has legislation drafted by Democrats that would eliminate health care benefits for lawmakers where there is “probable cause” to believe they patronized prostitutes. If true, this is really a sophomoric act of retaliation. Politico is reporting that this is not a joke but something actually raised as a meeting of Democratic members.
Apparently even Republicans are mad at Vitter for exposing the hypocrisy of Congress imposing a law on the country while (yet again) creating an exception for itself. The law actually has language barring exceptions, but the Obama Administration issued an order during the August recess to require the Office of Personnel Management to retain the subsidy for members and their staffs.
Even if you believe Congress should be able spare itself from having to get insurance like other Americans, this alleged proposal (and other retaliatory measure directed at Senators supporting Vitter) would set a new low for Congress. I still find it hard to believe that any Democrat would draft such an openly retaliatory and vicious response. Yet, there has been no denial that a draft was circulated that I could find.
Vitter has demanded an investigation by the Senate Ethics Committee, specifically naming Sens. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.). A Reid spokeswoman said Vitter’s aim is a “desperate attempt to change the subject from his previous ethics issues.” That statement is troubling since I fail to see why we are discussing Vitter’s ethics at all in this context. He has a perfectly valid point in seeking to block an exception for members under this controversial law.
What do you think about the effective subsidy that Congress will continue to give itself under the regulation?
I do not agree with Turley. It is about time that the Dems sarcastically remind us how crazy the GOPtaliban party is.
I think you are overlooking the Bosporus Strait. Admiral Viktor Chirkov just brought at least 10 Black Sea Fleet warships from the Black Sea to Tartus. Some did come from Baltic Sea via Gibraltar. And the fact that Putin sent the Admiral Panteleyev he KNOWS Mr. Obama has a couple of LA and Ohio Class subs loitering there secretly. Maybe even a Virginia Class?
This sounds a lot like Daniel’s Prophecy about “ships of Kittim” don’t it? Coincidence? I dunno… Maybe time to take stock with you-know-who (that’s if you aren’t an atheist of course)…
This is getting heavy… Reminds me of the quote from ex-Senator Fred Dalton Thomas (R-TN) in a very famous movie from 1990 during Cold War:
OK this is just a knee-jerk reaction comment (what else is new?) 🙂
Vitter’s bill opposing what is essentially just like FRANKING privileges for Congress and is probably not of his own drafting. I think AIPAC is afoot here again. It seems Israel likes being the proverbial fly-in-the-ointment with Mr. Obama to keep him on his toes as who is REALLY the boss here – not him. This is not the first time the Mossad has used a sexual “honeypot” scheme to blackmail a Republican Congressperson.
Historically, franking privileges are an ancient custom of US Congress to allow them free USPS postage, town hall meeting telephones, etc. So they can do their job with low over-head. Mr. Obama just wants to make sure that Obama-care is included so they won’t have to pay any penalties for non-conforming – I think. So nothing new there…
(BTW open enrollment starts next month! So all US citizens better get busy and sign up if they don’t have any healthcare yet… Jan 2014 is the big-go-date I think.)
What a great idea to catch a Republican, or any politico for that matter, in a pot of honey like prostitutes, or homosexuals in a bathroom-stall playing footsie (Larry Craig), or even like Mr. Obama’s USSS advance team in S. America recently. IMO they did it with NY Gov. Elliot Spitzer and Mr. Wiener. One thing that’s easy to catch a politico is a pot of money or some honey. Mossad allegedly learned this trick from the late James Jesus Angelton or “Ku-Mother” as the KGB called him or Kingfisher as he was known here. He was head of CIA counter-intelligence over several Cold War presidencies. He was sent to Israel in 1951 to help them with “specialized” trade-craft in the early Mossad days. Taught them well evidently…
There are MANY honeypot incidents in US history that have Israel’s fingerprints all over it. Some were sanitized for your protection. Others were more in the MSM like Vitter for all to see.
The backlash about Democrats lashing back at Vitter in retaliation is not new either. This is SOP for Congress. I’ll bet the Democrats met with Mr. Vitter privately in his office and told him to retract his bill or else. Vitter being under HEAVY AIPAC (i.e. Michael Kassen) pressure decided that it would be better to face the ire of Democrats vs. Bebe Netanyahu (or Tamir Pardo whomever is REALLY in charge in Israel these days – according to Victor Ostrovsky it is Pardo.)
Vitter’s prostitution thing is obviously just the tip of the iceberg as AIPAC obviously has MORE on him than that. The Democrats will probably just rattle a few cages and give up as Vitter probably won’t back down. Being from LA there can be any number of Vitter-scandals we know nothing about. Remember this is the state of KKK and Huey Long and now Piyush “Bobby” Jindal (Born in Baton Rouge NOT India!).
Hey isn’t Jimmy Swagart from Louisiana too?
To leejcarroll:
“(And as far as Im concerned democrat Joe Sestak’s grab for power is the reason we have Toomey as well. These guys are a pox on our state.”
Toomey–yikes! I get his ’email updates’ since he’s my congress critter (I didn’t vote for him but he has been elected to ‘represent’ me–sigh), and I figure I ought to keep up with what’s going on in his office. Seems to me nothing of import happens there. He has nice lunches with volleyball teams and posts pics of new interns but there is NOTHING at all about the NSA or the trampling of the Constitution and Bill of Rights. Not one blessed word. I compared his website to Rand Pauls’ site and at least Rand Paul mentions Civil Liberties as one of his issues; such things don’t make Toomey’s Top 10 list!
And if we could keep him from doing nothing that would be great (: I am afraid that his pairing with Meachin (sp) on the gun bill will cause more folks to vote for him when (and if) he comes up for reelection.
gbk,
Love my Reacher! 🙂
pdm,
Con jobs often capture the “open minded” as easily as the “no-minded”.
Well done, pdm, well done.
Is it clear that the federal government is an employer who used to pay a portion of health care benefits for congress and their staff?
This subsidy is a portion of their compensation package. Grassley forced them to move to ACA exchanges. Unless the subsidy follows the change, this results in a cut in compensation for the employee – let’s say the subsidy was $10K. A big hardship for low salaried staff so the employer (federal government) decided to let the subsidy follow the employee. Assh*t Vitter tried to prevent this. This is not grift or a “special” exception. This is fair and reasonable. It is what Walgreen’s has done. It is what other employers will do. It’s similar to moving employees off pensions and into 401ks. HR has one less responsibility AND the employee is insured AND knows how much the employer contributes to the cost of insurance. I especially hope Justice Holmes now has a better understanding of what has happened here..
Blouise,
That’s cool. 😉
SwM,
Maybe it was a trade-off. 😉 Gotta find a place for sonny-boy other than the crazies. 2016 is looming after all.
gbk,
I know … sorry about the shortcut … I should have been more explicit by addressing that particular paragraph directly to John’s detractors in a separate posting.
Darren, as for our different points of view – you betcha! Vitter is tea party. Members of the tea party care nothing for this country, its welfare, its governance, and those who are sick, hungry, and unable to find work. They are nihilists and many are science deniers which is having its own set of horrible consequences. I kinda sorta suspect your heart lies with them. You better believe that I have no respect for them.
And I sure as hell will find Mother Jones more credible than Alex Jones and that christian broadcast network, or the Daily Mail. I also can tell the difference between the Washington Times and the NYTimes, between James O’Keefe and Jane Mayer, between The Wire and DWTS, between Donald Trump and Barack Obama. And I sure as hell can tell the difference between Assh*t Vitter and John Lewis!
pdm, Plays to the Paul Tea Party Patriots that populate the readership. They love anything that is anti-democrat whether it is fact based or not.
Blouise,
to gbk:
“Consider that when criticizing someone like John who is wise enough to not complicate a foreign policy mess with glib talk.”
I don’t believe I’ve ever criticized John Lewis.
Turley is simply wrong about this case and did not care to take a look at the facts because he wanted a lazy opportunity to rail at the Democrats and the president. He knew what he was doing. He uses the (unusual for him) qualifier: “maybe I’m missing something”. He sure as hell is.
Today, Walgreens announced that they are going to have all their employees move from company provided health care insurance to the private insurance exchanges. Walgreens had been been subsidizing health insurance costs by about 75%. They will continue the same subsidies as their employees use the exchanges. This is what has happened to the health insurance costs for the congress and their staff. They aren’t the first to do this and they won’t be the last. Please explain how this is the end of democracy as we know it and an impeachable offense when Grassley does his trick, the administration protects low ‘salaried staffers, and Vitter makes an a$$ out of himself.
Darren, I suggest you learn the difference between parlimentary debate and the State of the Union (why am I not surprised at your reaction?) and the difference between Congressman Lewis and Vitter, and the value of credible and respected media resources.
Turley can write what he wants. When it is inaccurate, misleading, and politically driven II will get mad and rant. I am a nobody and what I have to say has no effect on Americans. Turley has a wide audience, can shape opinion, and is an educator. To misuse that position and publish an article without looking into facts is a disgrace and he deserves to be called on it,
“And FWIW, I agree Russia is long term trouble so long as we continue to do the Saudis dirty work (and in some respects the Israelis dirty work, more accurately the Likud’s dirty work) in the ME …” (Gene)
That’s the truth!
gbk,
Exactly … you’re right … it’s a small port right now but their only one. Also, the destabilization of the Muslim communities within the region impacts heavily on their border countries … remembering how quickly the Arab Spring of 2011 spread from Tunisia to the rest of the Middle East and to the countries along their borders … think Cuba to us.
Russia’s reaction to Snowden had little to do with the NSA, secrets, etc. and much more to do with sending us a message about their unhappiness with our foreign policy that impacts with such negativity on their national interests. Consider that when criticizing someone like John who is wise enough to not complicate a foreign policy mess with glib talk.