During the campaign, Barack Obama promised a new era of transparency in government. It took a while, but Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) finally came to his aid. Landrieu was one of the last Democrats in the senate that was hesitant to open the health care debate yesterday. After much debate and deliberation, she voted aye.
As it turns out, she received some motivation to support Reid’s plan.
And so it came to pass that Landrieu walked onto the Senate floor midafternoon Saturday to announce her aye vote — and to trumpet the financial “fix” she had arranged for Louisiana. “I am not going to be defensive,” she declared. “And it’s not a $100 million fix. It’s a $300 million fix.”
Now there’s some transparency.
After Landrieu threw in her support (she asserted that the extra Medicaid funds were “not the reason” for her vote), the lone holdout in the 60-member Democratic caucus was Sen. Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas.
Does anyone believe this? Continuing this theme of transparency, Landrieu promised more as she voted yes.
Even when she finally announced her support, at 2:30 in the afternoon, Lincoln made clear that she still planned to hold out for many more concessions in the debate that will consume the next month. “My decision to vote on the motion to proceed is not my last, nor only, chance to have an impact on health-care reform,” she announced.
I wonder if this impact will favor her constituents?
So there you go. People who have been complaining about a lack of transparency need not complain any more. The workings of big government are clearly on display for all to see. Feel better now?
For more on what is being called the new Lousiana Purchase, go here. (Hat tip: Althouse.)
