-By Warner Todd Huston
Last week Senator Russ Feingold was heard to lament that there would be no Obamacare bill to vote on before Christmas. The liberal Feingold even said he wondered if there would ever be a bill at all because the divisions were so deep.
Well, only six days later, Senator Feingold is playing a different tune. Suddenly he’s quite upbeat and jubilant about the bill saying how he’ll work hard to get Obamacare passed and that he’s sure it’s all just over the horizon. Gone is the gloomy guss of a week ago and in is the happy Russ for this week. Suddenly the “no bill before Christmas, if ever” Russ is saying he’s sure it’ll come just before Christmas.
Check out these two quotes back-to-back:
Second Week of August:
“Nobody is going to bring a bill before Christmas, and maybe not even then, if this ever happens,” Feingold said. “The divisions are so deep. I never seen anything like that.”
The Following Week:
“I’ve been saying for weeks that it will probably be right before Christmas before we have a health care reform bill to vote on,” he said. “I will continue working to make sure we do and it is one with a strong public option.”
Wow is that one a head turner, or what? These statements are diametrically opposed to each other and only six days separated them.
It is also amusing that Feingold used the President’s “tell” wherein we know a lie is about to be told. Obama’s “tell” is a favorite phrase of his that he uses all the time. He’ll say “as I’ve always said,” or maybe he’ll throw out the ever popular “as I’ve consistently said,” after which he’ll say something that he’s only recently begun to say, something that is diametrically opposed to what he’s really “always said.” It looks like Feingold used that sad excuse for an assuring line here in emulation of The One.
But here is the real question: why did Senator Russ Feingold commit such a whiplash inducing turn around in only six days? Does anyone smell an angry phone call from the White House weasel himself, Rhambo Emanuel? Does anyone suspect that a profanity laden butt whoopin’ was visited upon Russ Feingold by Obama’s Chicago enforcer?
After all, this was a black eye for Obama. If even one of the most liberal Senators in the Party were to give up hope that the President could succeed in taking over our healthcare system, then Democrats may as well run up the white flag now. Surely Obama sent his arm-twister extraordinaire to knock Feingold around for his apostasy!
Well, what ever happened, Senator Feingold sure has a different song now, eh?
(Cross posted at HealthcareHorseRace.com.)
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Warner Todd Huston is a Chicago based freelance writer, has been writing opinion editorials and social criticism since early 2001 and is featured on many websites such as NewsBusters.org, RightWingNews.com, StoptheACLU.com, TheRealityCheck.org, RedState.com, Human Events Magazine, AmericanDailyReview.com, and the New Media Journal, among many, many others. Additionally, he has been a frequent guest on talk-radio programs to discuss his opinion editorials and current events and is currently the co-host of “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Conservatism” heard on BlogTalkRadio. Warner is also the editor of the Cook County Page for RedCounty.com.
He has also written for several history magazines and appears in the new book “Americans on Politics, Policy and Pop Culture” which can be purchased on amazon.com. He is also the owner and operator of PubliusForum.com. Feel free to contact him with any comments or questions : EMAIL Warner Todd Huston
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