McCain, caring about the "comity of the Senate."
U.S. Senator John McCain, worried about the “comity of the Senate” so much that he reprimanded Sen. Al Franken this afternoon in his defense of Sen. Joseph Lieberman, just sent out a “survey” that shows exactly how much McCain really cares. He tells folks:
I sincerely value your opinion and want to hear from you. I know we are entering a busy time for many – as you prepare to spend the holidays with your family- and that’s why we’ve shortened the survey to only nine questions. Please take the survey and submit your responses today.
The distinguished Senator then asks several questions, including two particularly egregious examples, showing what he really thinks about high-minded, honest debate that would help most with the “comity of the Senate”:
- As it stands, the Democrats’ health care bill includes nearly half-a-trillion dollars in cuts to Medicare for our seniors. Do you think that senior citizens, who have worked hard and paid into Medicare, should have their benefits dramatically cut and choices curtailed by Senate Democrats?
- In the same speech in which he announced additional troops for Afghanistan, President Obama announced the United States military would begin withdrawing troops from Afghanistan beginning in July 2011. Do you support the President’s decision to set an arbitrary date for withdrawal?
Yeah.
The full survey, including the BCS Game “Bonus Question,” is below the jump.
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McCain Campaign Survey
1. The U.S. Senate recently defeated an amendment introduced by Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE) that would prohibit federal tax dollars from paying for abortions under the current Senate Democrats’ health care bill. Do you agree with the bipartisan group of 45 Senators, including Senator McCain, who do not support the use of federal tax dollars for abortions?
2. As it stands, the Democrats’ health care bill includes nearly half-a-trillion dollars in cuts to Medicare for our seniors. Do you think that senior citizens, who have worked hard and paid into Medicare, should have their benefits dramatically cut and choices curtailed by Senate Democrats?
3. While campaigning for president, Barack Obama pledged to hold open meetings with C-SPAN cameras in the room and representatives from all concerned parties to discuss how to reform our health care system. To date, only Democrats have been invited to participate in the closed-door meetings with President Obama and Democratic Leader Reid. Do you think Barack Obama has broken his pledge to promote a non-partisan health care reform bill?
4. John McCain joined a bipartisan group of Senators to sponsor an amendment to the Democrats’ health care bill aimed at lowering the cost of prescription drugs. If passed, this amendment would save the federal government and consumers $100 million over the next ten years. Do you agree with Senator McCain that with millions of Americans struggling to make ends meet, the need to buy cheaper, safe, imported prescription drugs exists now more than ever?
5. Senators Tom Coburn and John McCain released an oversight report on the economic stimulus examining how $7 billion of stimulus funds have been wasted, mismanaged and or directed toward needless “pork” projects. Examples of projects your tax dollars are funding under the stimulus bill are $350 million for a broadband map that may never be used, $50,000 for anti-capitalist puppet shows and $1.57 million for fossil research in Argentina. Do you think the Obama Administration is spending stimulus funds wisely?
6. Nine months after signing a $787 billion stimulus bill into law, unemployment has risen to 10% and the jobs the Obama Administration promised the stimulus would create have yet to materialize. However, some in Washington are calling for an additional stimulus package. Based on what you know of the previous stimulus bill, would you be inclined to support another?
7. On December 2nd, President Obama announced a new counterinsurgency strategy for the war in Afghanistan. As part of this strategy, 30,000 additional troops will deploy to the region. Do you support the decision to commit these additional resources to Afghanistan?
8. In the same speech in which he announced additional troops for Afghanistan, President Obama announced the United States military would begin withdrawing troops from Afghanistan beginning in July 2011. Do you support the President’s decision to set an arbitrary date for withdrawal?
9. Senators Lindsay Graham, John McCain, Joseph Lieberman and Jim Webb have introduced an amendment to prohibit Department of Justice funds from prosecuting terror suspects accused of masterminding the 9/11 terror attacks in civil court with the same rights as U.S. citizens. Do you agree that the attacks on 9/11/01 were acts of war and we should try war criminals in special military courts?
Bonus Questions
1. Who do you think will win the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl?
2. Who do you think will win the 2010 BCS National Championship game?
Popularity: 13% [?]
Chris Geidner is the senior political writer at D.C.'s Metro Weekly and has written for The Atlantic Online, Advocate.com, Salon and other publications, as well as at his blog, Law Dork. Prior to moving to D.C. in 2009, he served as an attorney on the senior staff at the Ohio Attorney General's Office and had earlier worked for a leading Columbus law firm. An extended biography can be found
I don’t think these questions are particularly lacking in comity. Their slant is standard fare. I do like this: “Do you think that senior citizens, who have worked hard and paid into Medicare, should have their benefits dramatically cut and choices curtailed by Senate Democrats?”
If McCain seriously wants seniors to be limited to the amount they’ve paid into Medicare — adjusted for inflation, of course — with regard to the amount of money available for their health care through Medicare, I’m totally happy to cut that deal (though I’m of course going to get some insurance actually capable of covering her needs for my grandma). The one rationale I do understand about concerns regarding the public option is that it could turn into another Medicare, where we pretend that what we’ve paid in is covering our care, when in fact it’s a massive drain on the overall fisc.