What is Edwards thinking with this last ad? Adwatch: Edwards Threatens Congress

John Edwards: "When I'm president I'm going to say to members of Congress and members of my administration, including my Cabinet: I'm glad that you have health care coverage and your family has health care coverage. But if you don't pass universal health care by July of 2009 — in six months — I'm going to use my power as president to take your health care away from you. There's no excuse for politicians in Washington having health care when you don't have health care. I'm John Edwards and I approve this message."


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What power as President lets him change Congress's benefits? Does he really believe there is one? Is he that naive of Presidential powers?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xm6zze1pWyM&eurl=http://blog.johnedwards.com/story/2007/11/13/6552/8185

OK, I screwed up the embed. Does anyone know where I went wrong?

WITH the representatives. I thought we were all on the same team. :shrug:

A really stupid stunt. Imagine poor Joe with no health care. I mean, is this what we need to be thinking about? How to take health care away from government officials and their families?

Not voting against it: Edwards and Kerry.

So far, nothing.

Here are the votes pertaining to the persciption drug benefit.

1) Both Kerry and Edwards voted against cloture - the only likely way to stop the bill - they needed 41 people but got only 39.



U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 108th Congress - 1st Session

as compiled through Senate LIS by the Senate Bill Clerk under the direction of the Secretary of the Senate

Vote Summary

Question: On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Conference Report to Accompany H.R. 1 )
Vote Number: 457 Vote Date: November 24, 2003, 12:36 PM
Required For Majority: 3/5 Vote Result: Cloture Motion Agreed to
Measure Number: H.R. 1
Measure Title: An act to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for a voluntary prescription drug benefit under the medicare program and to strengthen and improve the medicare program, and for other purposes.
Vote Counts: YEAs 70
NAYs 29
Not Voting 1
Vote Summary By Senator Name By Vote Position By Home State

Alphabetical by Senator Name
Akaka (D-HI), Nay
Alexander (R-TN), Yea
Allard (R-CO), Yea
Allen (R-VA), Yea
Baucus (D-MT), Yea
Bayh (D-IN), Nay
Bennett (R-UT), Yea
Biden (D-DE), Yea
Bingaman (D-NM), Nay
Bond (R-MO), Yea
Boxer (D-CA), Nay
Breaux (D-LA), Yea
Brownback (R-KS), Yea
Bunning (R-KY), Yea
Burns (R-MT), Yea
Byrd (D-WV), Nay
Campbell (R-CO), Yea
Cantwell (D-WA), Nay
Carper (D-DE), Yea
Chafee (R-RI), Nay
Chambliss (R-GA), Yea
Clinton (D-NY), Nay
Cochran (R-MS), Yea
Coleman (R-MN), Yea
Collins (R-ME), Yea
Conrad (D-ND), Yea
Cornyn (R-TX), Yea
Corzine (D-NJ), Yea
Craig (R-ID), Yea
Crapo (R-ID), Yea
Daschle (D-SD), Yea
Dayton (D-MN), Yea
DeWine (R-OH), Yea
Dodd (D-CT), Nay
Dole (R-NC), Yea
Domenici (R-NM), Yea
Dorgan (D-ND), Yea
Durbin (D-IL), Nay
Edwards (D-NC), Nay
Ensign (R-NV), Yea
Enzi (R-WY), Yea
Feingold (D-WI), Nay
Feinstein (D-CA), Yea
Fitzgerald (R-IL), Yea
Frist (R-TN), Yea
Graham (D-FL), Nay
Graham (R-SC), Yea
Grassley (R-IA), Yea
Gregg (R-NH), Yea
Hagel (R-NE), Nay
Harkin (D-IA), Nay
Hatch (R-UT), Yea
Hollings (D-SC), Nay
Hutchison (R-TX), Yea
Inhofe (R-OK), Yea
Inouye (D-HI), Nay
Jeffords (I-VT), Yea
Johnson (D-SD), Yea
Kennedy (D-MA), Nay
Kerry (D-MA), Nay
Kohl (D-WI), Yea
Kyl (R-AZ), Yea
Landrieu (D-LA), Yea
Lautenberg (D-NJ), Nay
Leahy (D-VT), Nay
Levin (D-MI), Nay
Lieberman (D-CT), Nay
Lincoln (D-AR), Yea
Lott (R-MS), Yea
Lugar (R-IN), Yea
McCain (R-AZ), Nay
McConnell (R-KY), Yea
Mikulski (D-MD), Yea
Miller (D-GA), Yea
Murkowski (R-AK), Yea
Murray (D-WA), Yea
Nelson (D-FL), Yea
Nelson (D-NE), Yea
Nickles (R-OK), Yea
Pryor (D-AR), Yea
Reed (D-RI), Nay
Reid (D-NV), Yea
Roberts (R-KS), Yea
Rockefeller (D-WV), Nay
Santorum (R-PA), Yea
Sarbanes (D-MD), Nay
Schumer (D-NY), Nay
Sessions (R-AL), Yea
Shelby (R-AL), Not Voting
Smith (R-OR), Yea
Snowe (R-ME), Yea
Specter (R-PA), Yea
Stabenow (D-MI), Nay
Stevens (R-AK), Yea
Sununu (R-NH), Yea
Talent (R-MO), Yea
Thomas (R-WY), Yea
Voinovich (R-OH), Yea
Warner (R-VA), Yea
Wyden (D-OR), Yea

Then they were NOT VOTING on the actual bill. Here you had a 54 - 44 vote. Once the cloture vote was lost, this wasn't going to be defeated.

U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 108th Congress - 1st Session

as compiled through Senate LIS by the Senate Bill Clerk under the direction of the Secretary of the Senate

Vote Summary

Question: On the Conference Report (H.R. 1 Conference Report )
Vote Number: 459 Vote Date: November 25, 2003, 09:23 AM
Required For Majority: 1/2 Vote Result: Conference Report Agreed to
Measure Number: H.R. 1
Measure Title: An act to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for a voluntary prescription drug benefit under the medicare program and to strengthen and improve the medicare program, and for other purposes.
Vote Counts: YEAs 54
NAYs 44
Not Voting 2
Vote Summary By Senator Name By Vote Position By Home State

Alphabetical by Senator Name
Akaka (D-HI), Nay
Alexander (R-TN), Yea
Allard (R-CO), Yea
Allen (R-VA), Yea
Baucus (D-MT), Yea
Bayh (D-IN), Nay
Bennett (R-UT), Yea
Biden (D-DE), Nay
Bingaman (D-NM), Nay
Bond (R-MO), Yea
Boxer (D-CA), Nay
Breaux (D-LA), Yea
Brownback (R-KS), Yea
Bunning (R-KY), Yea
Burns (R-MT), Yea
Byrd (D-WV), Nay
Campbell (R-CO), Yea
Cantwell (D-WA), Nay
Carper (D-DE), Yea
Chafee (R-RI), Nay
Chambliss (R-GA), Yea
Clinton (D-NY), Nay
Cochran (R-MS), Yea
Coleman (R-MN), Yea
Collins (R-ME), Yea
Conrad (D-ND), Yea
Cornyn (R-TX), Yea
Corzine (D-NJ), Nay
Craig (R-ID), Yea
Crapo (R-ID), Yea
Daschle (D-SD), Nay
Dayton (D-MN), Nay
DeWine (R-OH), Yea
Dodd (D-CT), Nay
Dole (R-NC), Yea
Domenici (R-NM), Yea
Dorgan (D-ND), Yea
Durbin (D-IL), Nay
Edwards (D-NC), Nay
Ensign (R-NV), Nay
Enzi (R-WY), Yea
Feingold (D-WI), Nay
Feinstein (D-CA), Yea
Fitzgerald (R-IL), Yea
Frist (R-TN), Yea
Graham (D-FL), Nay
Graham (R-SC), Nay
Grassley (R-IA), Yea
Gregg (R-NH), Nay
Hagel (R-NE), Nay
Harkin (D-IA), Nay
Hatch (R-UT), Yea
Hollings (D-SC), Nay
Hutchison (R-TX), Yea
Inhofe (R-OK), Yea
Inouye (D-HI), Nay
Jeffords (I-VT), Yea
Johnson (D-SD), Nay
Kennedy (D-MA), Nay
Kerry (D-MA), Not Voting
Kohl (D-WI), Nay
Kyl (R-AZ), Yea
Landrieu (D-LA), Yea
Lautenberg (D-NJ), Nay
Leahy (D-VT), Nay
Levin (D-MI), Nay
Lieberman (D-CT), Not Voting
Lincoln (D-AR), Yea
Lott (R-MS), Nay
Lugar (R-IN), Yea
McCain (R-AZ), Nay
McConnell (R-KY), Yea
Mikulski (D-MD), Nay
Miller (D-GA), Yea
Murkowski (R-AK), Yea
Murray (D-WA), Nay
Nelson (D-FL), Nay
Nelson (D-NE), Yea
Nickles (R-OK), Nay
Pryor (D-AR), Nay
Reed (D-RI), Nay
Reid (D-NV), Nay
Roberts (R-KS), Yea
Rockefeller (D-WV), Nay
Santorum (R-PA), Yea
Sarbanes (D-MD), Nay
Schumer (D-NY), Nay
Sessions (R-AL), Yea
Shelby (R-AL), Yea
Smith (R-OR), Yea
Snowe (R-ME), Yea
Specter (R-PA), Yea
Stabenow (D-MI), Nay
Stevens (R-AK), Yea
Sununu (R-NH), Nay
Talent (R-MO), Yea
Thomas (R-WY), Yea
Voinovich (R-OH), Yea
Warner (R-VA), Yea
Wyden (D-OR), Yea

These were in November 2003 - I can't find a 2004 Medicare bill in Thomas. This was the big bill that added the prescription drugs and gave away money to the HMOs. Kerry gave an excellent speech against it. If you want I can post it. :)

I was looking myself, thanks for the info.

H.R. 2673 <108th>: Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2004
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h108-2673



http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=108&session=2&vote=00001

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=108&session=2&vote=00003

The second one is for a cloture vote on 2673 - it failed, which is what the Democrats wanted (That was the 48 - 45 vote). They needed 60 votes for cloture. They had 45 votes without Kerry and Edwards, 4 more than needed. They were told by Daschle when votes were needed.

The third one is the actual vote in 65 to 38. Not close, again that was known. (In between there was a second cloture vote where there were only 32 "nos". There were 61 yeas which meant it couldn't be stopped.

The other thing is that this is not the bill that changed medicare - giving money to HMOs and setting up the drug program. This is the big appropriations bill that funded things from the Department of Agriculture to the Food and Drug administration. They clearly made sufficient compromises to get enough Democratic votes in the 2 days between the cloture votes.

None of these fit your description of a bill that lost by 2 votes.

the person who made the original claim, I'll let others sort it out.

None of these fit your description of a bill that lost by 2 votes.


Maybe you were thinking of this poster :shrug:


"robbedvoter (1000+ posts) Wed Nov-14-07 12:10 AM
Response to Original message

3. The Omnibus Bill (medicare for drug companies benefit) passed by 2 votes in 2004
Not voting against it: Edwards and Kerry."

I think robbedvoter was going from memory. I think the bill you referenced and the one I did are the only possibilities - and in neither case is his claim true.

Sorry again.

:hi:

During the campaing, they knew that Kerry and Edwards were on the campaign trail, so they orchestrated votes, allowing just enough Republicans to vote no with the Democrats to ensure the vote won by only a two vote margin - knowing that Kerry and Edwards would get blamed for the bill going through. In reality, however, the bill was ALWAYS going to pass - if Edwards and/or Kerry had come back for the vote, First would have pulled just enough Republican senators back into the yes column to make sure the bill passed.

Don't fall for the okie-doke by piling on Kerry and Edwards for this bill passing. It's a trick.

There are so many spins on one clear concept.

DU doesn't accept full-blown HTML, btw.

They provide the HTML, but hide the URL.

A couple of questions:

1. Edwards said that this will apply to his cabinet, as well. Why is it THEIR fault if Congress doesn't pass universal health care?

2. Is he going to pull the health insurance of everyone in his administration? Everyone is not as wealthy as he is and can't afford to pay for their own insurance - is he really suggesting that people will have to be independently wealthy in order to afford to go into government service in his administration?

3. Will this revenge apply to ALL of the Members of Congress - including those who vote and fight for health insurance for all? Why should they be punished because of how other people vote? And if it doesn't apply to them, how would President Edwards manage to pull the health care for some, but not all?

Just wondering.

just to throw red meat at his base?

This is a ridiculous boast on his part.

He's going to strip Congress of their health care. Right. And even if he could do it, that would just mean that the members of Congress who aren't independently wealthy will be screwed - including the Dems who vote for universal health care but are outvoted by others. While Edwards and the members with plenty of money will STILL be able to get all of the best health care they want.

Yeah, that really makes a lot of sense.

congress has a pretty low popularity rating, lower than dubya, so he's probably smart for attacking congress with any angle.

that we control both houses of congress, and are very likely
to retain control of both houses in any hypothetical edwards
administration.

why create an ad that calls out your own team?