Bill to aid paralyzed vets blocked in Senate

[unhappycamper]

Source: Navy Times

Bill to aid paralyzed vets blocked in Senate
By Cristian Hernandez - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Jul 30, 2008 5:39:58 EDT

A bill promising more money for programs that help paralyzed veterans is part of a bundle of legislation tied up in partisan bickering in the Senate.

The Christopher Reeve and Dana Reeve Act, which includes money for research into spinal cord injuries, is one of about 36 bills combined by Senate Democrats into what they are calling the Advancing America’s Priorities Act.

The bills have been bundled in an attempt to bypass objections from Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., who has used senatorial privileges and procedures to stop action on several bills, including the spinal cord injury bill.

The Democratic plan failed Monday on a 50-42 vote, leaving them short of the 60 votes needed to cut off debate on the package.

Read more: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2008/07/military_paralyzed_spinalcord_072908w/

[DainBramaged]

1. Tom Coburn is a parasite and Booshe lackey, who needs to be defeated over this

absurdity. His time will come when he is up for re-election. NO ONE will forget what he has done.

[AlabamaBrightBlueDot]

2. Link? n/t

[DainBramaged]

3. Have to go to front page, article link broken.

http://www.navytimes.com/news/

[atreides1]

5. Yes they will forget

He like Inhofe represent the "values" of the majority of Oklahomans. So don't count on the good people of Oklahoma to actually elect someone who doesn't have the same "values" as they do.

And remember I'm not slamming all the people of Oklahoma, just the simple majority of cave dwelling idiots who vote for these backward no thinking clowns to represent them.

[Mike Daniels]

13. I don't think he plans on running again.

[liberal N proud]

4. Why does Coburn hate America?

[CBHagman]

6. He also blocked a system for tracking Lou Gehrig's disease.

I don't yet know all the details of why Coburn is doing that, but here's the ALS Hope Foundation's link and excerpt:

http://www.alshopefoundation.org/news.php

Stopping stuff is Sen. Coburn's specialty. In a Congress that has had trouble passing even the simplest legislation, Sen. Coburn, who proudly wears the nickname "Dr. No,'' is a one-man gridlock machine. This year, the senator, who indeed is a medical doctor, single-handedly blocked or slowed more than 90 bills, driving lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to distraction.

He blocked a ban on genetic discrimination by health insurers. He thwarted a bill to set up a program to track patients with Lou Gehrig's disease. Also nixed: an effort to promote safe Internet use by children and a resolution to honor the late environmentalist Rachel Carson on the 100th anniversary of her birth.

The GOP's efforts against any and all Rachel Carson commemorations were recounted in The Washington Monthly some time ago.

If you want to get an idea how Coburn has voted recently, here's a partisal list. Note where he stood on the SCHIP program -- in a 68-to-31 vote.

http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/c000560/key-votes/

On edit: Looking at the way Coburn votes and the way he treats people, I can't help but wonder if he's just a manipulative, vindictive egomaniac who enjoys styling himself a principled fiscal conservative.

[MasonJar]

7. I guess he feels he'll never need the research himself. Well. fate could prove

him wrong.

[annabanana]

8. Is this turd up for reelection this year? Who's his opposition?

(ready to throw a couple of bucks that way)

[awoke_in_2003]

9. To paraphrase a very wise person...

whom I can't remember, "A nation that does not know how to take care of its veterans has no business making new ones"

[LynnTheDem]

10. Republicans once again "supporting the troops"!

With that kind of "support", who needs enemies?

[Phred42]

11. Here's the Link

http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/07/military_paralyzed_spinalcord_072908w/

[lonestarnot]

12. Damn it!

Can they hang on for 6 more months? Has a death toll been projected? This is fucking outrageous! Fucking piglicons!

[KamaAina]

14. Way to support the troops, douchebag

Hard to believe he might not even be the worst senator from Oklahoma... :eyes:

[cosmicdot]

15. and, he's a doctor to boot

COBURN, Thomas Allen, a Representative and a Senator from Oklahoma; born in Casper, Wyo., March 14, 1948; graduated Central High School; graduated Oklahoma State University, B.S. 1970; graduated Oklahoma State University Medical School 1983; manufacturing manager, Coburn Opthalmic Division, Coburn Optical Industries 1970-1978; intern in general surgery, St. Anthony’s Hospital, Oklahoma City, Okla.; family practice residency, University of Arkansas, Fort Smith; physician, Muskogee, Okla.; past chair, Muskogee Regional Medical Center; participant in medical mission trips to Haiti 1985, and Iraq 1992; elected as a Republican to the One Hundred Fourth and to the two succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1995-January 3, 2001); elected as a Republican to the U.S. Senate in 2004 for the term beginning January 3, 2005.

http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=C000560

[SharonAnn]

16. And he's part of a family owned manufacturing business? Hmmmm.

[bean fidhleir]

21. "a doctor to be booted", I think you meant (nt)

[Imagevision]

17. Bush,McBush,Obama, support the troops, what a crock...

[IndianaGreen]

18. GOP to veterans: Drop dead!

yet, many veterans will continue to vote Republican because they think that's what Jesus wants them to do.

[bean fidhleir]

19. The FISA bill quickly got cloture and was passed, but this one is stalled?

WTF is wrong with this picture?

[Buns_of_Fire]

20. Let 'em filibuster, is what I say.

After all, I'm sure the American people would be most interested in hearing the objections of coburn and his rebubbalican buddies -- and seeing them reported -- on the record.

These guys would dig their own graves with the voters in short order if Reid would only stop taking away their shovels.

[fascisthunter]

22. Republicans Only Care about the Military When they Can Use it for Profit

as for our soldiers, they don't give a shit and their actions confirm as much. Fucking traitors....

[brentspeak]

23. Here's the new Navy Times link to the article:

http://www.navytimes.com/news/2008/07/military_paralyzed_spinalcord_072908w/

[Name removed]

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