Novakula exposes how the Pugs stole the Medicare vote

[CTLawGuy]

GOP pulled no punches in struggle for Medicare bill

November 27, 2003

BY ROBERT NOVAK SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST



During 14 years in the Michigan Legislature and 11 years in Congress, Rep. Nick Smith had never experienced anything like it. House Speaker Dennis Hastert and Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson, in the wee hours last Saturday morning, pressed him to vote for the Medicare bill. But Smith refused. Then things got personal.



Smith, self term-limited, is leaving Congress. His lawyer son Brad is one of five Republicans seeking to replace him from a GOP district in Michigan's southern tier. On the House floor, Nick Smith was told business interests would give his son $100,000 in return for his father's vote. When he still declined, fellow Republican House members told him they would make sure Brad Smith never came to Congress. After Nick Smith voted no and the bill passed, Duke Cunningham of California and other Republicans taunted him that his son was dead meat.

more....
http://www.suntimes.com/output/novak/cst-edt-novak27.html

What more can you expect from the Brownshirts that control our House?


I don't understand how moderate republicans can stay in that party. God bless Nick Smith at least for having courage.

[JohnKleeb]

1. My grandma told me about that today and she was appalled

I wondered why Novakula admitted it.

[oasis]

2. Novak isn't for any spending on "socialist" programs like Medicare.

[JohnKleeb]

3. Why would he expose their basically exortionist tactics though

Oh its socialist is it but its good to me, hey Bobby Boy if you werent so rich I bet you would like it.

[CTLawGuy]

4. I think its because

maybe he has half-a-conscience and couldnt let this blatant theivery pass unnoticed.

[oasis]

5. Novak doesn't dance to Chimpy's tune. He is a true conservative.

So is Pat Buchannan.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

8. He used to rail against Bush frequently until Wilsongate maybe he's

back with the program. Novak is from the "I'm a TRUE Conservative. Bush and Co. are not. He was po'd about the war in Iraq and wrote a lot of columns against it. He then got "slapped down" I believe during Wilsongate. Maybe he's getting brave again now that he figures that whole thing is going to die...

[dreissig]

12. Is Novak Doing Penance?

Maybe Novak realizes that he'd better start making friends wherever he can make them. Outing Valerie Plame was a criminal act.

[leesa]

6. There is an e-mail address for Novak after the article

I suggest you all write a nice little note to him asking him why he supports and works for these thugs, even to the extent of exposing an undercover agent for their political purposes and endangering not only her but her contacts around the world who presumably were trying to fight terrorism.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

9. Will do that... Thanks. We all need to start doing more of that sort of

thing.

[9215]

13. Maybe they got Novakula by the balls too.

Just a thought.

Its like the Mafia, once you sign on you continue to get offers you can't refuse. Novakula would be so easy to destroy by the BFEE if he fell out of favor.

[CTLawGuy]

7. kick

NT

[spooky3]

10. An Am. Enterprise Institute conservative also was very

critical of the 3 hour vote rule-bending (etc.) in an opinion piece in the W. Post. Maybe there is hope.

[maggrwaggr]

11. I read it. Sickening.

I actually felt sick to my stomach. And I rarely do.

[Robin Hood]

14. Jezzus, school yard bully tactics in Congress.

I guess that a high school level maturity is appropriate when it comes to Congress.

[Kanary]

15. much more liberal Democratic bill

As I read the online column, I came across the sentence: "They were warned that if this measure failed, the much more liberal Democratic bill would be brought up and passed."

Does anyone know what the "more liberal bill" would have encompassed, and where it might be found? I'd like to know more.

Thanks so much for posting this!! I'd sure like to see more articles like this!

Kanary

[Kanary]

16. Bumping: Wanna know about proposed Dem Bill

Sure hope someone can flesh that out a bit.

Kanary