You can watch the video below and when you do, you will watch Senator Bob Corker give a textbook example of why people think less of politicians than they do the sleaziest used car salesman in the world history.
Corker has been disingenuous about this as have others and it’s really annoying because it clouds the issue. And no, I am not going to call anybody a RINO or a “true conservative” but I will call out politicians for spouting bullshit and that’s exactly what Corker and many other politicians, pundits, writers, etc are doing. So here are some of those accusations and the reality behind them:
1. “Ted Cruz filibustered a bill that he supports!”
This is true….but only to a point. Yes, the House bill that was sent over to the Senate contains language that defunds Obamacare, while funding the rest of the government. The problem is, the bill the House sent over, as presented, is not the bill that will be voted on. Senator Corker knows this.
2. “Ted Cruz doesn’t want to stop debate and vote on the bill he supports!”
Now that the filibuster has ended, this is the language they are moving to. “Invoking cloture” means “stop debate” and move on to actually vote for the bill. Now, why wouldn’t Senator Cruz want to do that? Doesn’t he want to vote against funding Obamacare? Sure, but as above, the bill the House presented is not the bill they would vote upon. Senator Corker knows this.
Once debate is cut off (ie, cloture being invoked), Majority Leader Harry Reid will strip the defunding language out of the bill with an amendment he has already filed. He will allow for no other amendments to be filed.
What will be left is a bill with Obamacare fully funded and that is the bill they will be voting on.
And here is the heart of the matter. This is when we get to the point where we reveal why the average person thinks politicians are slightly above pond scum on the integrity meter.
Bob Corker will vote against final passage of the bill, knowing it is going to pass.
It’s the same as what Marv Albert used to refer to as “extensive garbage time” during a blowout in a basketball game. Guys would just start throwing up crazy three pointers, making flashy dunks and basically goofing off because the outcome of the game had already been decided.
The situation pending with the bill in the Senate is no different. The outcome has already been decided and Bob Corker wants to pretend he’s actually trying to win.
If Corker truly wanted to defund Obamacare, he would be pushing along with Cruz, Mike Lee and Marco Rubio for Harry Reid to allow a vote on the bill as it was presented by the House. Or to allow an amendment process to take place.
But he won’t. Because that might force him into a position where he would have to cast a vote that actually counts.