This politics stuff is getting kind of fun.
When Sen. Vitter and Sen. Coburn introduced a health care amendment that would require all senators and representatives to be enrolled in the public option, they expected the Democrats to rise in opposition.
What happened next is just RICH.
On Thursday, thinking Democratic senators would balk at the idea, Sens. David Vitter (R-La.) and Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) introduced the gimmick health-care amendment.
"The idea, broad-brush, is that whatever government option is in the bill, every senator and every representative should be enrolled in it," Vitter told The Hill. "No other possibilities, no other choices."
"It's called leadership," Coburn said. "If it's good enough for everybody else, we ought to be leading by example."
But Democrats called their bluff, and the Republicans wouldn't allow it. When Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) tried to become a co-sponsor of the amendment, he got the cold shoulder.
So Brown, joined by Sens. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.), and Al Franken (D-Minn.), forced his way onto the amendment with a unanimous consent vote.
Watch (my favorite) Senator Franken
My "loose" translation:
Franken: I rise and ask for unanimous consent to be a co-sponsor to Senator Coburn's Amendment #2789 requiring all members of congress to enroll in the public option. I am pleased to co-sponsor this because I strongly support the public option and would have no qualms at all about enrolling in this plan.
Brown: And it's a little curious that some of these, these two sponsors are so much against the public option but they want to pass this amendment.
It sounds to me like you are as serious about going on the public option as I am.
Franken:
Well, I talked to my wife Franny, we've been married 34 years now, I talked to her a couple weeks ago and I said if this thing passes we should go on the public option. She said absolutely.
Presider of the Senate: Without objection Senator Franken's motion to be a co-sponsor of the amendment is approved.