Where have all the conservatives gone? Why is the GOP conceding the fight over Obamacare and turning its attention to protecting a sinking government bureaucracy?
The McCain Amendment mentioned in the video is one that would preserve the bloated Medicare program. As Erick Erickson at Red State notes,
The Senate Democrats want to do what they always accuse the GOP of doing and cut Medicare. The GOP is apparently giddy at the opportunity to rub the Democrats’ noses in their Medicare cuts.So now the GOP is using its first amendment to reaffirm the Democrat theory that Medicare cannot be cut and cuts even to the rate of growth of Medicare are also wrong.
Way to go, McCain! In one motion, Senate GOP members have not only given credence to the Left's bogus views on burgeoning Medicare, but they've added fuel to the fire in preserving this horribly unsustainable entitlement! Wahoo.
The GOP could have, by chance, offered up the Stupak language, which has not yet been inserted. The GOP could have offered up an amendment to split the Democrats up front. The GOP could have done nothing and moved on to let cloture fail, thus killing the bill. Instead, Democrats and Republicans will no doubt join hands and vote to put the money back in Medicare, making it a grand bipartisan exercise.
God help us.