Corker Continues with Harsh Words for Healthcare Bill

(December 12, 2008 - Photo by Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images North America)

I have been slow to come around on Tennessee Senator Bob Corker, but the healthcare debate has brought out the best in him.  On the floor of the Senate last week he lambasted the creators of S.1776 and called this the “selfish generation” because unlike the “greatest generation” who made every effort to leave a better nation for future generations, we are taking steps to bankrupt future generations at every chance we get.  He continued with this message last week and in the video below he discusses what Democrats have been working on behind closed doors and what he believes the bill will ultimately look like.

When asked about the “trigger” option that would allow the “public option” to kick in at a later date, he appeared a bit uncertain with what such a provision would look like, but his tone and his body language certainly suggested that it has been discussed thoroughly in the halls of the Senate.  The President reportedly favors the “trigger” provision if for no other reason than the fact that it may be the only thing that Democrats can pass without going “nuclear.”  Maine Senator Olympia Snowe has been one of the leading voices for the “trigger” this debate began.

I have questioned Corker’s approach in the  past because he has at times been a bit too quick for my liking in reaching across the aisle to find a practical or compromised solution.  He and others have attributed this tendency to his time spent as a mayor where the give and take is part of daily politics.  I don’t really care the origin, I am not a fan.  That being said, he appears to be taking a rather pragmatic approach to the healthcare debate and seems to be one of the only Republicans who can effectively articulate the positions of the minority party.  At the end of this video, he very eloquently describes the unique dichotomy of opposing Democrat proposals for healthcare reform when it is evident that “some” reform is absolutely necessary.   He even made a case for Olympia Snowe – that I have to admit made me want to give her a pass for a day or two – saying that he believes her intentions are to prevent a public option by pushing for the trigger rather than wanting one and settling for the trigger.

Long story short.  I am slowly becoming a fan of Senator Corker.  If he continues to have weeks like the last one, he may be among my favorites in short order.

Tags: bob corker, Corker, healthcare, legislation, minority, reform, Reid, selfish generation, senate, senator, Tennessee

This entry was posted on October 26, 2009 at 8:06 am and is filed under DOMESTIC ISSUES, ECONOMY-BUSINESS. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.