Webb 'undecided' on health bill for now

[babylonsister]

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/72941-webb-undecided-on-health-bill-for-now


Webb 'undecided' on health bill for now
By Michael O'Brien - 12/18/09 11:20 AM ET


Sen. Jim Webb's (D-Va.) office said late Thursday that he's "undecided" on the Senate's healthcare bill.

A spokeswoman for Webb told the Washington Post said that the first-term Democratic senator is deliberating how to vote on the Senate's bill but is yet undecided.

"It is not surprising that he is being lobbied by interests on both sides of the aisle. Senator Webb has a reputation for being very deliberative and independent-minded," spokeswoman Jessica Smith said in a statement to the Post's Virginia Politics blog. "The fact that he has said he is undecided about this bill is not extraordinary."

Webb voted with all 59 of the Senate's other Democrats to begin debate on healthcare reform in late November. That vote was on proceeding with a bill containing an opt-out public option, a provision that was subsequently been removed to placate centrist Democratic senators.

Webb would be the fourth Democratic senator to be non-committal on his vote for the health bill. Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Roland Burris (D-Ill.) have expressed reservations about voting for a bill without the public option or an option for Americans to buy into Medicare. Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) has more explicitly said that he would vote against the bill unless it addressed his concerns on federal support for abortion and other issues.

[Captain Hilts]

1. Me too. nt

[TwilightGardener]

2. They're all going to say that. You can't be a star unless everybody is looking at you.

[Vincardog]

3. Why not call them what they are? centrist = Corporate owned .

[Journeyman]

4. Who's the 59th Senate Democrat? . . .

I count only 58, with one independent from Vermont who caucuses with the Party and a putz from Connecticut who gets happy endings from the "leadership" whenever he pouts.

[Major Hogwash]

5. That's because he is a commoner, not one of the corporate elitists.

He's more like the average Joe than anyone else in the Senate.
A true working man's advocate.