KEEPING THE VOTERS IN THE DARK
September 25, 2009 John Hinderaker, Powerline
Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee have refused to allow the final text of their health care bill to be posted online prior to their vote on it. The Democrats claim it's too technically difficult; in reality, of course, they don't want voters to have an opportunity to see the bill and react to it before it becomes a fait accompli. The Democrats have brought a lack of transparency to Washington that may be unprecedented in our history.
The Examiner quotes Max Baucus, the bill's principal sponsor:
Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., himself admitted that "This probably sounds a little crazy to some people that we are voting on something before we have seen legislative language." Indeed.
The only Democrat to allow voters to get a look at the bill was Blanche Lincoln. No surprise there: she is up for re-election in 2010, and scoring poorly in the polls.
