What is Bill Frist talking about?

August 1, 2006

Is it me, or is Senate Majority Leader [tag]Bill Frist[/tag] getting less coherent as time goes on?

“I’d be hard-pressed to say we’re not addressing the issues that mean something to the [tag]average[/tag] hard-working [tag]taxpayer[/tag] out there today.” – Majority Leader Bill Frist, Senate Floor, 8/1/06

I can appreciate the fact that he’s probably feeling a little defensive right now, but any reasonable look at recent events suggests the Senate has done anything but work on issues relating to the “average hard-working taxpayer.”

What’s been on the congressional calendar since June? We’ve seen the anti-gay amendment, the flag amendment, the more-tax-cut-for-millionaires bill, a multi-pronged approach to undermine the separation of church and state, and the obligatory anti-abortion bill.

Now the Senate is taking up a minimum-wage proposal — but only if Dems go along with yet another tax cut for the wealthiest of the wealthy.

The Senate Majority Project cited a poll, from just last week, listing the top legislative priorities for the public. They were: [tag]Iraq[/tag], [tag]economy[/tag]/[tag]jobs[/tag], [tag]immigration[/tag], and [tag]health care[/tag].

Congressional Republicans are, instead, sticking with the culture war and tax breaks for the idle rich. At this point, the “average hard-working taxpayers” are the furthest thing from Republicans’ minds.

We are seeing some overheated rhetoric lately on our part and this is a good example. Another one is” “what is there to like about Lieberman?” Until recently, he was considered quite affable (see Dailyhowler.com) but undoubtedly, in this primary season he has come across as quite grouch. (But people have fond memories). If someone said something like Frist from our base, we would simply ignore it. Essentially he is saying that the red state Americans cares about their morality views and that those are the issues that he has pressed in the Senate. It really is an inconsequential statemement, but not incoherent. I would use the incoherent to our Middle East policy.

  • Raoul, when you say that CB’s calling Frist’s statement incoherent is “overheated rhetoric”, I’d say you yourself are the one engaging in overheated rhetoric.

  • Congressional Republicans are, instead, sticking with the culture war and tax breaks for the idle rich.

    Hasn’t not worked yet…..

  • raoul–
    While I see the point you’re trying to make, there’s just one problem: the issues cited don’t even register with a majority of red staters. They only register with a far right contingent of Frist (and other GOP) supporters.

    Granted, Frist’s comment may not be technically incoherent, but they sure as hell aren’t based in any kind of reality.

  • We are seeing some overheated rhetoric lately on our part and this is a good example.

    In retrospect, “incoherent” may not have been the ideal word choice, but it hardly seems “overheated.” Trust me, I can think of a lot of words in that sentence that could have been insulting to Frist to one degree or another. If “incoherent” is over-the-top rhetoric, we’re all in trouble.

    If someone said something like Frist from our base, we would simply ignore it. Essentially he is saying that the red state Americans cares about their morality views and that those are the issues that he has pressed in the Senate.

    Actually, that’s not quite what Frist was saying. I realize readers don’t have the benefit of the full context — his full speech isn’t online, so I couldn’t link it — but Frist was referring to economic issues (taxes, pensions, economic growth), not social/cultural issues.

  • EVERY Democrat running against a Republican Incumbent should run ads showing him in a toga, with his violin spewing out ‘flag-burning’ ‘gay marriage’ ‘end estate tazes on the very wealthy,’ etc. (I’m imagining a Stone-Parker type animation here) with pictures of Iraq, Katrina, headlines about Abramoff and spying and ‘signing statements’ flickering in the background. Put THEM on the defensive for a change.

  • Yes, it is indeed difficult to discern what Frist talks about considering he’s in the habit of talking out his ass so often.

    Biggest. douchebag. in. the. Senate.

    • Comments are closed.