Senate swallows hard over Mark Dayton's "take your medicine" amendment

[dflprincess]

From Doug Grow's column into today's Mpls Star Tribune - this is really a great read.

http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/4000115.html

<snip>
Sen. Mark Dayton has many of his colleagues smiling on the outside but fuming on the inside. The Minnesota Democrat successfully has put the limelight on the two faces of his peers with an ingenious amendment to the Medicare prescription drug bill the U.S. Senate so proudly passed a few weeks ago.

The Senate bill -- and a similar plan passed by the House of Representatives -- is filled with loopholes, exceptions and co-pays for seniors. The bill is a far cry from the serious help that politicians of both parties have been promising to senior citizens for years.

Holding his nose, Dayton voted for the imperfect prescription medicine bill. But he also came up with a creative approach to show his contempt. He dropped an amendment he calls "a taste of our own medicine" on the Senate floor. The amendment requires senators to receive prescription drug benefits no greater than those being proposed for senior citizens. It so happens the benefits proposed for seniors are drastically inferior to those currently enjoyed by our illustrious senators.

"Most members saw this as demagoguery," Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., was quoted as saying in Roll Call. "We weren't going to condone it publicly by taking it seriously. So we all voted for it."

Neat twist. You're a demagogue if you want senators and citizens to receive like treatment.

[FlashHarry]

1. Brilliant!

Of course, most of 'em are millionaires, so it won't actually hurt them--but it makes a good point.

[northzax]

5. like Dayton, for instance

good, Millionaires can pay their own way.

[gully]

2. Go Mark!!!

Mark Dayton is really rockin' lately...

[Judi Lynn]

3. Thanks for the great news!

I went to his website to look at his face for future reference, when he's on C-Span, f'r starters. Sounds as if he can navigate very well, doesn't it?

Looking forward to hearing more from this Minnesota Democratic Senator! Yaaaaay! :bounce:



Senator Mark Dayton receives the "Golden Gavel" award from Senator Robert Byrd, (D-WV) for presiding over the U.S. Senate more than 100 hours this session.

[jarab]

4. This is GOOD !!! (n/t)

...O...

[LiberalLibra]

6. That was absolutely brilliant of Dayton to do that and it......

....had it's intended affect too of making neo cons confront their actions, well limitedly confront them that is. Oh, and some people around here say Dems don't fight back simply because Dems have more sense than to use neo cons tactics.

[zekeson]

7. Dayton rocks

Man, I'd love to see those folks have to pay for and fight the system to get healthcare. Heck, I'd love to see Cheney have to pay for his own healthcare - defib maintenance alone would require we invade some other small oil-laden country to sell the resources on black market.

[malachi]

8. Santorum

is a fucking idiot, on a good day.