Cloture, Smoture: We’ve Been ObamaCared.
Never mind silly things like reports showing North Carolinians being hit hardest by ObamaCare. Richard Burr and Kay Hagan care more about keeping their party caucus leaders happy. They and their staffs are getting their 75 percent subsidies. Their high-dollar campaign contributors are getting their exemptions for their businesses. The rest of us are are just plain getting screwed.
North Carolina’s two US senators gleefully joined Dingy Harry Reid in a 79-19 vote to achieve cloture. (It required 60 votes to keep debate going. Twenty-six Republicans, including Burr, joined with Hagan and the Democrats to shove a knife in the backs of Ted Cruz, Mike Lee, Rand Paul and — basically — the American people and the US economy. )
This SHOULD put an end to Senator Sock Puppet. She’s been back-pedaling from ObamaCare in recent months, but this reminds voters that she is one of the owners / cheerleaders of this horrid law.
Burr’s move should do some damage to the ambitions of House speaker Thom Tillis. Burr and his paid mouthpiece Paul Shumaker have been toting Tillis to all of the lobbyist offices in DC — helping him troll for campaign cash.
During the defund fight, Tillis paid SOME vague lip-service to the Cruz effort. But voters need to remember that he poo-pooed efforts in the state House to block acceptance of federal funds to set up ObamaCare insurance exchanges. He’s also been telling Rotary Clubs, Chambers and other private gatherings across the state that the question was not IF ObamaCare would be implemented, but HOW. If Tillis wants to parade around with Richard Burr, we should be sure to hang Burr and his support of ObamaCare around Mr. Cornelius’s neck.
The cloture vote had a bright spot for South Carolinians. Senator Tim Scott stuck with Paul, Cruz, and Lee. Lindsey Graham, however, sided with his fellow member of the Carolinas chapter of The John McCain Fan Club — Burr — and voted FOR CLOTURE.
The Senate voted 54-44 after cloture was achieved to return ObamaCare funding to the continuing resolution. Graham and Burr will try to claim they “fought” ObamaCare tooth and nail by voting NO on this measure.
Burr gave rhetorical support to Obama with his “dumbest idea” comments. He and Graham ensured the funding would be restored when they voted FOR cloture. So, don’t buy their snake oil.
In 2014, we have a chance to rid ourselves of two of these three low-lifes (Hagan and Graham). Burr’s turn comes in two years. But let’s give him two years of pure hell for his part in this treachery.
But Hagan will vote against the bill when all the Dems need is 51 votes. Thus, how can you say “This SHOULD put an end to Senator Sock Puppet. She’s been back-pedaling from ObamaCare in recent months, but this reminds voters that she is one of the owners / cheerleaders of this horrid law.”
I think this vote says far more about Burr than Hagan! He has just given her cover. Both will vote the same way on the next ObamaCare funding bill. The media will never allow her to “own it.”
That’s wrong, Rod. Pay attention, please. Hagan voted for ObamaCare funding. Burr voted against it.
That was the throw away vote, Dave. The vote that counted was the vote on cloture where it only took 41 votes to stop it. Have you been totally brainwashed by the beltway GOP establishment? You seem to be the establishment’s regular mouthpiece here.
Dave,
Go here
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=113&session=1&vote=00206
and tell me he voted against ObamaCare.
Rod,
Go here
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-113hjres59eh/pdf/BILLS-113hjres59eh.pdf
and tell me that he didn’t vote against ObamaCare.
Here’s an excerpt from the bill that he voted for:
p.16
21 SEC. 137. (a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any
22 other provision of law, no Federal funds shall be made
23 available to carry out any provisions of the Patient Protec-
24 tion and Affordable Care Act (Public Law 111–148) or
25 title I and subtitle B of title II of the Health Care and
p.17
1 Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (Public Law 111–
2 152), or of the amendments made by either such Act.
3 (b) LIMITATION.—No entitlement to benefits under
4 any provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable
5 Care Act (Public Law 111–148) or title I and subtitle B
6 of title II of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation
7 Act of 2010 (Public Law 111–152), or the amendments
8 made by either such Act, shall remain in effect on and
9 after the date of the enactment of this joint resolution,
10 nor shall any payment be awarded, owed, or made to any
11 State, District, or territory under any such provision.
You might take a look at what the Senate Conservatives Fund has to say on the significance of the cloture vote:
http://www.senateconservatives.com/site/post/2288/senate-votes-to-fund-obamacare
And now we know–(that is for those who thought the RINO’s would have a revelation that it’s immoral to put their interests ahead of their constituents) there is no difference between Schumer-Hagen & Burr. Leftists run states are suffering from a contagious deadly illness that is polluting and bankrupting everything it comes in contact with. They are suicidal; we are not therefore the antidote is: never submit to their brutal ,imperial tactics and primary/vote these frauds out.
After his vote to fund ObamaCare today, Richard Burr released a statement saying that everyone who supported Ted Cruz and his filibuster is a hypocrite who needs to grow up.
“I voted today to advance the exact bill that a handful of my colleagues asked for. Filibustering such a bill is not only the height of hypocrisy, but also lays bare for the world the hollowness of this so-called strategy.”
http://www.news-record.com/blogs/north_state_politics/article_2166415c-2797-11e3-8458-0019bb30f31a.html
Adam Love wrote, “After [Burr’s] vote to fund ObamaCare today…”
Richard Burr did not vote to fund ObamaCare. That is a blatant lie from the Rontards who’re doing their best to sabotage the Republicans, so that we’ll never win enough seats in Congress to repeal ObamaCare. Burr has done everything in his power to oppose ObamaCare.
Burr sometimes frustrates me, but not on this topic: he’s been 100% right on ObamaCare. Regardless of whether you love or hate Burr, it is wrong to lie about him. Please stop it!
No, Dave, it is not a lie.
RNC Chairman Reince Priebus openly called on Republican Senators to support Ted Cruz’s efforts to defund Obamacare. The only way to actually do that was to vote against cloture. Burr and the other Benedict Arnold Republicans well understood that, yet they voted with Harry Reid and Obama for cloture.
Dave, you are either clueless about how the Senate works or you are brainwashed by the establishment.
This ad ran in Kentucky referencing Mitch McConnell, but it also applies to Burr, and well defines what both are:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AjZQgjyj3M&feature=player_embedded#t=0
You might have heard that Craven GOP unanimously passed this resolution last night. Lot of good it does. They don’t listen to us.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Qnp6LX2hlzNMkzhMY25_XGnvIsXFf6FmRyn-uXqJ9gA
Three strikes and he is OUT as far as I am concerned. The cloture vote IS the important vote because it is where you can stop something with 41 votes. The vote on the substance of a bill in the Senate is just window dressing. This is the third time Burr has tried to pull this fast one on voters with a major issue. First it was gun control, Then it was amnesty for illegal aliens. Now it is Obamacare. On all three, he voted FOR it (on the important vote) before he voted against it (on the vote that was just for show). Burr is two faced and a total phoney. I will never vote for the traitor Big Government Republican again. Burr can get stuffed. He is as bad as Hagan.
I’ve been on Tweet Street all evening, sending Tweets to all 25 Senators who did us wrong today. Now the Senate’s going to be OFF until Monday at 2:00pm. What’s with that? And isn’t there a looming Shut-Down of Government? Really? The House members will be working all weekend to get a plan hammered out. Not so the Senate. What’s wrong with that? Every Republican Senator should be on the job all weekend, ready to work with the House members to get the job done that we pay them so much to do. Time for some of them to GO.
I am more ashamed of voting for Burr than proud of voting against Hagan…
Real issue is getting adequate funding into the hands of the conservatives who will fight to turn the ship of state around. Without giving them the money they need to run for office and win, the low-life traitors will keep their grip on our freedoms until we all go down the lifeless path of serfdom. Send money to Dr. Greg Brannon! The “other side” has no trouble raising funds because of the big-government loving company they keep. Talk with your wallets.
This debacle with Burr should teach us another lesson. Thom Tollroad Tillis is even more of a Big Government hack. If that scoundrel should get the nomination, we should never even think of voting for him in the general election. We should leave US Senate blank or vote Libertarian. But we do not want to have to sit on our hands against Hagan, because Hagan is as bad as Burr. We need to work hard to nominate someone we can trust like Greg Brannon. And I agree, Mattie, that money is one of the big things he needs right now.
We need to change both of our Senators, in both 2014 and 2016 so that we get ones we can be proud of, like we were with Jesse Helms, John East, and Lauch Faircloth.
You’re right on the money, Mattie (no pun intended). To that end, everyone who is outraged by this should immediately donate at http://www.gregbrannon.net/q3donate1.aspx?pid=website for the End of Quarter Moneybomb, happening now.
If Dr. Brannon can raise enough funds this quarter, it will prove his viability and bring in the big guns at the Senate Conservatives Fund, Club For Growth, FreedomWorks, RandPAC, and other national groups. That will enable him (and us) to go toe-to-toe with the Washington insiders funding the Tillis campaign.
Burr’s record speaks for itself — he is an ELITIST who days are numbered.
But, now the GOP (whom I loathe but it is all we have right now) needs to grow some in the House.
Every GOP House member MUST vote PRESENT on the Reid funding bill. Let Obama, Reid and all of the Democrats OWN this debacle. And, then, within a second of the vote, GOP leadership should hold a press conference saying that they do not want the government to shutdown, that they will give Obama, Reid and the Dems exactly what they want, that they, Obama and the Democrats, will own the debacle that is Obamacare and that THEY will own its aftermath.
Remind the public that they will have an opportunity in 2016 to vote them all out.
Call Obama’s bluff and cut the Dems off at their proverbial knees.
They must STOP being such inept pansies!!! And, that goes for every last one of them.
If you think Burr voted wrong on ObamaCare, you’ve been duped. Burr has steadfastly opposed ObamaCare. He has always voted against it. I don’t always agree with him, but he’s been 100% right on ObamaCare. Please do not be duped by the Rontard lies.
Burr did NOT vote for ObamaCare funding. Burr and EVERY other Republican voted AGAINST ObamaCare funding.
Until Wednesday’s 100-to-0 vote, Cruz’s supporters were claiming that every Republican who was going to vote for cloture was a RINO (Republican In Name Only) and a supporter of ObamaCare funding. Moments later they were saying that the vote didn’t matter.
Cruz’s stunt was never about stopping ObamaCare. It was pure political theater. Cruz & the Pauls are spreading lies about good Republicans like Tom Coburn, as part of a power play within the GOP. They are sacrificing the Republican unity we so desperately need, to make a publicity splash for their own benefit.
Read what Burr wrote about this sorry episode. It is 100% accurate:
http://www.burr.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressOffice.PressReleases&ContentRecord_id=604e06f6-e142-e4c3-42a4-7b99e6c5bd1a
No, Dave, either you have been duped or you are trying to dupe us. You seem to be the number one self appointed mouthpiece for the GOP establishment, aka Big Government Republicans, on this site.
The vote you refer to was NOT the vote on cloture, but was a vote that required unanimous consent to proceed. The conservatives chose to keep their powder dry until the cloture vote, and that was the one which separated the men from the boys, or genuine conservatives from the phonies. Nineteen Republicans showed their loyalty to principle, and the rest of the delegation, including Burr and McConnell sold out to Harry Reid and Obama.
The final vote was just window dressing. Everyone knew it could not be stopped then. The only places where it could have been were the unanimous consent stage and the cloture vote. Those who voted for cloture voted FOR OBAMACARE, no matter what excuses you want to make for them Dave. They all should be tarred and featured and run out of office on a rail. Some of them like Alexander, McConnell, and Grahamnesty already have serious primaries. Hopefully the other turncoats soon will as well. The nineteen Republicans who voted against cloture are heros. The rest of the delegation including Burr are Democrats in Drag.
The rest of the delegation including Burr are members of The Surrender Caucus. Everyone should send Burr a white flag.
Lets not make this too hard for the simple-minded. Burr’s phone lines were clogged with constituents telling him what to do and that was to support Ted Cruz…and he didn’t. What more needs to be said?
It must be incredibly galling for Dave and his fellow establishment apologists (although he seems to be the only one on this site) to realize that they can no longer gull grassroots activists into buying into their press releases and talking points.
Honest-to-God grassroots activists are wide awake and engaged, and I predict that next year will see the scalps of many RINO sellouts nailed to the walls of Tea Party meeting halls all across the country. It’s going to be a nasty, bloody primary season, and frankly, I can’t wait.
Anyone who thinks Ted Cruz is a conservative and Tom Coburn is not needs his head examined.
The 79-to-19 vote wasn’t on ObamaCare at all. It was on whether or not to shut down the government, and the 19 who voted “no” (to shut down the government) were not “the conservatives.”
It is bizzare that you call Graham “Grahamnesty” yet you think Ted Cruz is a conservative. Don’t you know that he supports amnesty, too?
http://therightscoop.com/sen-ted-cruz-also-supports-temporary-legalization-status-in-the-immigration-bill/
Conservatives bear false witness against other people. The cloture vote was not a vote on ObamaCare, it was a vote on whether to shut down the federal government.
Please stop bearing false witness against the 25 Republican Senators who voted AGAINST ObamaCare, and AGAINST shutting down the government.
Also, if you’re going to call Graham “Grahamnesty,” why don’t you make up clever names like that for Cruz & Rubio, who also support amnesty?
Oh, so you think amnesty for illegals is fine, too? It figures that an establishment mouthpiece would . . .
And Cruz voted AGAINST the amnesty bill and AGAINST cloture on the amnesty bill. Rubio, whom I contributed to in his Senate race, lost my support when he joined the Gang of 8 and started cheerleading for amnesty.
As to the importance of cloture votes, are you math challenged? Don’t you comprehend that it is easier to get 41 votes to stop something on the cloture votes than it is to get 51 votes to stop something on the final vote? Do you and your bud Burr think party activists are dumb enough not to know that? Burr should wake up to the fact that party activists have figured that out after the 6th Congressional District Republican convention passed a resolution condemning him for voting for cloture on the gun control bill, another one where he voted for the bill before he voted against it.
Don’t you comprehend leverage in politics? Keeping the debate going was leverage until the coward caucus including Burr voted with Harry Reid to end debate. Holding up funding of government was leverage until the coward caucus including Burr let the Senate go to a vote by voting for cloture.
Burr a conservative? Then why is he a member of the liberal Ripon Society and even on their advisory board (as is Renee Ellmers). The Ripon Society was organized by the Rockefeller Republicans back in the 1960s to try to block conservatives within the GOP.
Of course unlike average North Carolinians who will have to pay more to get less with Obamacare, Burr himself has a sweetheart deal, and an illegal one at that, provided by Obama so that he has a gold plated health plan for himself. No wonder he sold out to Harry Reid and B. Hussein Obama.
Yes – Cruz supports legalization….a.k.a., amnesty. And, he supports increasing legal immigration and guest workers, which is a big problem. Legal immigration is at its highest level ever; then double the numbers due to illegal immigration. So Cruz needs to be pressured to re-think his views on mass immigration, which are so destructive to the American work force. However, he had the good sense to vote against the Senate amnesty bill.
Tom Coburn? Give me a break! Yeah, he was once a conservative. He even wrote a book about how the system in DC sucked in the principled outsiders who got elected and turned them into insiders. Now, he, himself, is a caricature of what he wrote about in his book. Over the past couple of years he has been squishing on quite a few issues. See below:
http://www.redstate.com/2013/07/31/from-pig-to-man-and-from-man-to-pig/
Heck, I bet you even think Orrin Hatch and Mickey Edwards are still conservatives! Probably Joe Scarborough, too!
Shutting down the government is just a budgetary tactic. It’s a specious argument. Seniors will still get their SS checks and the military will still be funded, so with that said what will shutting the gov’t. do? The sole purpose of the gov’t. is to protect us so if the military is funded what will we miss? The people getting their free Obamaphones may have to get a job, IRS employees will have to travel in coach like the rest of us plebeians & Pelosi, Hagen, & Burr will have to pay for their own cosmetic surgery etc,. In past shutdowns air traffic control, national security, hazardous waste, food inspection, have been unaffected. Taxes will be collected. If the gov’t is shutdown 40% of the federal employees will be furloughed. So Ted Cruz is right. Let them defund Obamacare because the only impact of a shutdown is that 40% of government workers will have to apply for their free Obamaphone.
We nned to llok beyond Burr, to identify the biggest problem conservatives have in the Senate, and that is Mitch McConnell. This article explains it very well:
http://www.redstate.com/2013/09/30/here-comes-mitch-mcconnell-mcconnellcare/
Mitch McConnell is up for reelection next year, and he has a solid conservative primary opponent who is getting traction, Matt Blevin. Indeed Democrats are even saying that they would rather run against McConnell, a weak tired incumbent with a lot of baggage than a fresh dynamic newcomer like Bevin. We need to send some bucks to Bevin to help repeal McConnell.
One concern some have expressed is that Rand Paul endorsed McConnell before Bevin got in the race. Hopefully, the treacherous role that McConnell has played on the effort to defund Obamacare will give Paul a good reason to end his endorsement of McConnell. He really does need to do that.