Medicare rebels told not to apply for Finance Committee seat

[NewJerseyDem]

Oh, and I thought that the democratic leadership is weak and didn't fight against the prescription drugs plan. I guess that Wyden still might get on the committee because he would have voted no if he was the deciding vote. Hopefully, Corzine gets a seat on the committee.

http://www.thehill.com/news/021004/medicare.aspx

The Senate Democratic leadership has put out the word that anyone who voted for the Medicare reform bill in November need not apply for upcoming openings on the coveted Finance Committee, sources say.

With the looming retirements of two senators on the committee and the possibility that another might be president next year, Senate Democrats are positioning themselves to secure a seat on the panel.

The litmus test for replacing Sens. Bob Graham (D-Fla.) and John Breaux (D-La.) and possibly Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) was put in place by Democratic leadership after the Medicare legislation passed the Senate. In sharp contrast to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) whipping of the Medicare vote, Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) did not publicly threaten fellow Democrats with political retribution for supporting the White House-backed bill.

Some Democrats who opposed the Medicare bill are frustrated that certain colleagues helped deliver President Bush one of his major domestic goals less than a year before the elections.